Daughter of Late Washington Governor John Spellman Opens New Exhibition at Tinte Cellars Georgetown This July
Favour Bitrus
June 24, 2026
Picture Credit: Teresa Spellman Gamble/Pacific Art Expressions
Teresa Spellman Gamble, abstract painter, philanthropist, and co-founder of Tinte Cellars, will open a new solo exhibition at Tinte Cellars Georgetown in Seattle on 1 July, drawing on memory, family heritage, and the enduring influence of her late parents, former Washington Governor John Spellman and First Lady Lois Spellman.
The exhibition, titled When Irish Eyes Remember, runs 1 July through 30 September at 5951 Airport Way S in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood. The show takes its name from the song Governor Spellman was known to sing throughout his life, at his inauguration, around the family dinner table, and at his daughter’s wedding reception. “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” became a kind of family signature, and the paintings in the exhibition reflect on how those inherited moments continue to shape identity across generations.
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The works explore themes of ancestry, place, and memory through Spellman Gamble’s abstract style. Teaghlach I, meaning Family in Irish, uses layered black and white marks to evoke the complexity of family histories and stories passed down over time. Veil of Remembering captures the way memories surface and recede through soft neutrals and shifting textures. Language of the Ancestors incorporates glyph-like symbolic forms suggesting inherited cultural knowledge. Blue Drift draws on her multi-generational connection to Puget Sound, using the water as a metaphor for memory and belonging.
“Through painting, I’ve learned that creativity isn’t just an indulgence, it’s a necessity,” Spellman Gamble said. “It’s how I reclaim identity, find joy, and express the resilience shaped by life’s challenges. My hope is that my work offers viewers a sense of connection and the courage to rediscover themselves.”
The exhibition also carries significant philanthropic weight. Throughout the run, Spellman Gamble will donate 50% of all art sales to four nonprofit partners: Mary’s Place, Northwest Harvest, Seattle Children’s Psychiatric Urgent Care Clinic, and Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic. During opening weekend, 10 to 12 July, that figure rises to 100% of all sales going directly to those organizations. Since she began selling her work in August 2024, Spellman Gamble has donated more than $13,500 through art sales, continuing a giving practice that mirrors the mission she and her husband Tim established at Tinte Cellars, which has contributed more than $1.64 million to more than 270 nonprofit organizations since 2018.
The exhibition’s title also connects to the winery itself. Irish Eyes is the name of a Tinte Cellars wine the couple created in honor of her parents, a Southern Rhône-style GSM blend inspired by the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines Governor Spellman loved, and a reflection of his values of generosity, resilience, and service to community.
Teaghlac I. 2025
Spellman Gamble’s work has been shown in solo exhibitions and juried shows across the United States and Canada, and her paintings are held in private collections in New York, Texas, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and California, as well as in the permanent collection of the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.
More information is available at pacificartexpressions.com.
