| 1600 Louisiana St, Longview, WA 98632 | 360.442.5300 |
Koth Gallery
The Koth Memorial Gallery was dedicated in 1993 in memory of Wesley L. Koth, citizen of the world, art connoisseur, and longtime patron of the Longview Public Library.
The library art gallery was refurbished with a bequest from the estate of Wesley Koth and generous gifts from Wesley Koth's nephew, Frank Koth, and his wife Arlene and their three children: David Foster Koth, Judy Charles, and Nancy E. Thompson, who said "It is a perfect memorial as it incorporates both the arts and the library, two of his most favorite things!"
Wesley L. Koth, 1915-1992
Koth retired from the Washington State Employment Security Department in 1978 after 29 years of service. He was a 1938 graduate of the University of Washington and attended graduate school at the New School of Social Research in New York to study under a faculty of exiled European intellectuals. He also studied at Oxford University, England, in the summer of 1948. A consummate world traveler, he visited Australia, India, Africa, the former Soviet Union, China, Central America, South America, and Europe; to many of these countries he paid return visits. He also traveled extensively in the United States and Canada.
After Koth's death in June 1992, in addition to the bequest from his estate to the Longview Public Library, his family gave to the library many of his books reflecting his interests in art, music, history and travel.
Wesley Koth was a man of many interests. Though he was a world traveler, he always returned to his home in Longview. He took great personal interest in family and is remembered fondly by his nieces and nephews. Quiet and unassuming, he left a major legacy to the community through this gallery, which offers area artists opportunities to share their talents with the many citizens who visit the Longview Public Library daily.
Featured Artists
| 1989 Steve Naccarato | 2002 Jess Cauthorn |
| 1990 Greg Ebersole | 2003 Nancy Campiche |
| 1991 Brian Tichenor | 2004 Quentin Noel Robins |
| 1992 Debby Neely | 2005 Sharon Pedersen |
| 1993 Brenda Jaeger | 2006 Arthur Miller |
| 1994 Scott McRae | 2007 Hank Weber |
| 1995 Roland Richards | 2008 David Lee Myers |
| 1996 David Butler | 2009 Leon Lowman |
| 1997 Jerry Schell | 2010 Linda McCord |
| 1998 Martha Boentgen | 2011 Ron Gaul |
| 1999 Eric Weigardt | 2012 Barbara Kaempf Matkowski |
| 2000 Judy Vandermaten | 2013 Carol Boudreau |
| 2001 Noel Thomas |
Last updated February 26th, 2013
