Connie Scherr honored as POAC’s 2026 Artist of the Year

By Reader Staff

The Pend Oreille Arts Council has selected artist Connie Scherr as its 2026 artist of the year, celebrating her decades spent capturing the beauty of North Idaho with paint and canvas. Scherr’s colorful, evocative work will be on display throughout July at the POAC Gallery (313 N. Second Ave., in Sandpoint) beginning Friday, July 3, with a public reception from 5-7 p.m.

Scherr moved to North Idaho in 1977, where she honed her skills in watercolor and eventually oils, crafting paintings of the local landscape alla prima, or in one sitting. Her recognizable work has since been featured on the Artists’ Studio Tour and a Festival at Sandpoint poster, at Schweitzer Artists’ Studio Gallery, in POAC exhibitions and more.

Connie Scherr was honored as POAC’s 2026 Artist of the Year. Courtesy photo

“Whether painting en plein air or working from photographs and memory in her studio, Scherr allows emotion and intuition to guide each composition, often emphasizing the feeling of a place as much as its physical appearance,” stated POAC in a recent news release.

Attend Friday’s free reception to meet the artist, discuss her work and take in a timeless collection with fellow art-lovers. Call the POAC Gallery at 208-263-6139 or visit artinsandpoint.org for more information.

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