Featured Artist: Whoa! Kelli

Cowgirl Arcade
An Exhibition by Whoa! Kelli

Cowgirl Arcade is a nostalgic exploration of memory, identity, and the places that stay with us long after they’ve changed, or disappeared entirely.

Drawing inspiration from Sharkey’s, a beloved steakhouse-casino and arcade in Gardnerville, Nevada, artist Whoa! Kelli transforms personal memories into vibrant, dreamlike works that blur the line between reality and recollection. Rather than recreating the space exactly as it was, she reconstructs it through the eyes of the child who loved it most.

Filled with playful imagery, bold color, humor, melancholy, and unexpected moments of recognition, Cowgirl Arcade invites viewers to consider their own treasured memories, the ordinary places and fleeting experiences that quietly shape who we become.

At its heart, the exhibition is a celebration of nostalgia not as escapism, but as connection. It asks us to honor the beauty found in everyday moments and to recognize that sharing our stories, even the small, strange, or sentimental ones, may be one of the most meaningful things art can do.

Join us at Double Dip Gallery to experience a world where memory becomes magic, the familiar becomes extraordinary, and every corner holds a story waiting to be rediscovered.

 On view June–July 2026

Artist Reception: June 13, 2026 | 5:30–7:30 PM
Double Dip Gallery | 222 W. Pine St., Lodi, CA

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Double Scoop Sessions: Meet Whoa! Kelli

This month at Double Dip Gallery, we’re featuring Whoa! Kelli, whose work explores nostalgia, memory, and the ways our experiences transform over time into stories we tell ourselves, and each other.

We sat down over a scoop of Bing Cherry ice cream to learn more about the inspiration behind her latest exhibition, Cowgirl Arcade.

What is your favorite flavor and why? Bing Cherry! It’s the nostalgia for me, of course but it’s also very versatile. I like a good combo, and it goes with so many different flavors. Chocolate? Yes. Fruity flavors? All day long. Caramel? Nutty? Rich? Yes, yes, yes. It’s just good with everything.

Quick Scoop Q&A ~ All About the Show

What inspired the work in this show? This show, Cowgirl Arcade, is my love letter to Sharkey’s in Gardnerville, Nevada, a steakhouse-casino that’s still there but gone in every way that mattered. It was dark and smoky, wallpapered with decades of circus, western, boxing, and eclectic memorabilia, filled with singing slot machines, glitter-resin tables, and a kitschy little arcade that felt like my whole world. It’s not a faithful recreation, it’s the place rebuilt in the image of the kid who loved it most.

How would you describe this show in three words?

Magic. Melancholy. Mine.

What was your creative process like? I am never as structured as I think I’ll be. Especially when working from hazy memories, precision can become the enemy of magic. I let myself play with ideas, sketches, colors, and techniques until things feel right. I’ve learned to trust my instincts much more than I trust a plan, even if I’m the one who made the plan.

What do you want people to feel when they see your show? I want people to feel like their own mundane memories are worth holding onto, that beauty lives in almost-forgotten places and ordinary moments. The owner of Sharkey’s filled every wall, table, and corner with pieces of his own memories. Little ten-year-old Kelli walked in and caught them like confetti. That’s what I want to do for someone here. Sprinkle memories around like glitter, in a good, we’re-all-at-the-same-party kind of way.

If your art was an ice cream flavor, what would it be? Definitely a double scoop of Bing Cherry and Banana Rocky Road, two flavors that maybe shouldn’t work together but absolutely do. Much like the clown paintings in this show. There are multiple clown paintings. Multiple!! Give them a chance. You may discover you like something unexpected.

Come experience Whoa! Kelli’s work in person at Double Dip Gallery, and don’t forget to grab a scoop while you’re here. We hear Bing Cherry is the perfect pairing.

On view through July 2026

Exhibition Details

Location: 222 W. Pine St., Lodi, CA

On view through: July

Sunday–Thursday: 1:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Friday–Saturday: 1:00 PM – 9:30 PM