Artwork copyright Leon Finley. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2023.

Artwork copyright Leon Finley. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2025.

The Convening, 2018-2021

Leon Finley
American (born 1987)

Location: Kessler Center, Puyallup

About the Artwork

The Convening by Leon Finley was created during COVID in January 2021, while he was an artist in residence at Oxbow in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. In his own words: "I played with objects and energies to create gatherings of beings of all kinds within the space of Oxbow. I invited guests to participate in The Convening with their presence or by offering songs, movement, prayers, play, magic, writing, etc. to the space and the objects in it. It was a wonderful experience and I hope The Convening brought joy and connection to a time when these things are so vital."

This artwork is part of a curated collection by Lucile Chich in October 2023 for the Kessler Center, in Puyallup, Western Washington. The collection is based on joy, color, and inclusion. It was critical to the local Art Selection Committee that the collection celebrate artists who are experiencing disability. This could be physical, neurological, or intellectual. They also wanted to see artists who use the transformative powers of artmaking to transcend, to heal, to rejoice.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Puyallup School District.

About the Artist

Leon Finley is an inter-disciplinary artist and Tarot and Akashic Records reader. He was born in Seattle – the traditional land of the Coast Salish Peoples past and present including the Duwamish – where he continues to live and work. In his own words, "my work moves among performance, sculpture, drawing, sewing, writing, and many places in between. I create art from my experience having a physical and spiritual body... My work in all realms is about supporting the joy, connection, and healing of myself and others."