Dorothy McCuistion, "Chateau Canard #1." Image courtesy the artist.

The good thing about co-op galleries that showcase every member is that you get to see small but interesting changes in artists from month to month. The bad thing is that you see mostly the same stuff time after time. The Grand Impromptu Gallery fits both of these truisms to a tee. The August show “View Points” highlights new work from printmaker Dorothy McCuistion and new member photographer Peter Serko, but not much else about it is fresh.

Of course, calling a visual art exhibit “View Points” is about as discerning as calling a symphony concert “Sounds,” and that’s maybe where things could be improved at Impromptu. If a single artist is not going to set the voice for a show, at least a strong theme could streamline the constant mélange on show.

Meanwhile, Impromptu’s artists seem to have had fun picking their stuff for “View Points.” In her Canard monotype series, McCuistion uses cut-out photographs of local ducks as the starting point, layering them over images of chateaux and Paris’ Musee d’Orsay. “Chateau Canard #1” (above) and its companion, double-ovals near the gallery’s window, are the most complex, layering not just images but ideas of light, movement and hiddenness, as the ducks float abstractly over etched color.

Peter Serko, "Superfund Mist." Image courtesy Impromptu Gallery.

Photographer Peter Serko has just joined the Impromptu team, and his digital photos are mostly compelling. “Superfund Mist” frames the toxic Foss Waterway with an ominous overhang, wreathed in a nostalgic, fairytale cloud. “New York meadow” gives an almost sepia tint to the sky and blueish-gray to the reedy grasses. The Chihuly flowers at the Union Station courthouse, though, are bland, needing more cropping.

It’s mostly the usual stuff from the gallery’s other artists. Becky Frehse’s small landscape blocks aren’t as impressive as her larger scroll shapes. Trinda Love, interpreting the ‘viewpoints’ theme through an anthropomorphic lens, offers up some welcome irony in the bulging green bottles of “Glassworks Park.” Chip van Gilder’s Tall Ships photos are crisp, and Bea Geller explores some gorgeous color fields in her sunset views of Tolmie State Park.

Impromptu Gallery is open 4-9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2-9 p.m. Saturdays, 2-6 p.m. Sundays. “View Points” runs through Aug. 30. 608 S. Fawcett St, Tacoma. 253-572-9232, www.impromptugallerytacoma.com.

Bronze moose at Northwest Trek, by Jeff Oens. Image courtesy Northwest Trek.

If you like this life-sized bronze moose out the front at Northwest Trek wildlife park, you might like to see more nature-themed art this fall. On September 27 and 28 the Trek will hold a juried art show featuring 15 Oregon and Washington artists, demonstrations, a silent auction and a visit by the moose's sculptor, Jeff Oens.

The show is organized by Karen Lucas of Lucas Art, The Gallery on the Hill, in Graham, and focuses on Northwest wildlife. Featured artists include:

· Chris Gunter, painter
· Jennifer Hermanson, photography
· Paul Langston, woodburning/paintings
· Pam Lovelace, clay sculpture
· Jason McCissack, painter
· James Montgomery, steel sculpture
· Robert Raymond, painter
· Nathan Schreiber, photography
· Donna Schroeder, painter
· Julie Thompson - "Feather Lady," paintings on feathers
· Gail Turner, painter
· Jack Westerfield, decoys

Says Lucas: "I'm really excited. The variety of artists this year is really big."

Lecturers and demonstrators in the Forest Theater will include:
· Saturday Sep. 27: Dale Thompson will lecture on and demonstrate painting birds in watercolors, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
· Sunday Sep. 28: Gerald Sticka will demonstrate his wildlife painting techniques and display his work.
Sculptor Jeff Oens will be there for the entire event near the entrance.

There's also an Audience Choice award of $100, voted for by visitors. The theme this year is elk: each artist has included a work featuring that animal.

Northwest Trek, accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is a 723-acre zoological park dedicated to conservation, education and recreation by displaying, interpreting and researching native Northwest wildlife and their natural habitats. The wildlife park is a facility of Metro Parks Tacoma and is located 35 miles southeast of Tacoma off State Highway 161. For more information, call 360-832-6117 or visit www.nwtrek.org.