Salem Art Association – Page 2

What’s Your Story Registration is Now Open

For the past year, I’ve been working on a special project titled What’s Your Story, Real or Imagined: Telling Stories Through Black and White Photos. You can read more about it here and here. My vision has led to a month long artist-in-residence this fall at the Salem Art Association’s ART ANNEX, a panel discussion in October (more on this later), and a one-day workshop (read on). I’m happy to announce that registration is now open for the workshop.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, October 28, from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm. The cost is $75 plus a $25 materials fee. I’ll be supplying you with black and white photos of strangers and everything you need to create a series of collages. Of course, if you want to showcase family members or friends, you are welcome to bring your own black and white photographs as well as personal letters and ephemera. Here is a description of the class:

Ancestors. We all have them, but do we know their stories. In this class, we’ll build a story based on a black and white photo — real relatives or “adopted” ones. We will create aged backgrounds using paint and stains, then build a collaged vignette using old letters, ephemera, envelopes, lace, tape, trim, string, and a variety of lightweight found objects. Working in a grid, everyone will create a patchwork quilt of stories, which we’ll put together in honor of those who came before us.

All materials are provided including watercolor paper, photographs, ephemera, lightweight found objects, embellishments, and everything needed to create a series of collages.

However, students may bring any of the following if they wish to personalize their pieces:

Black and white photographs of family/friends; the smaller the photos the better

Anecdotes and stories if the person in the photos is known

Ephemera, i.e., letters, envelopes, tickets, tags, brochures, programs, etc., any kind of paper trail

Lightweight personal found objects, i.e., feathers, buttons, pieces of lace or fabric, vintage trims, postage stamps, etc., personal to the person being featured.

To register, simply go to the registration page of the Art Annex and scroll down to my workshop.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to gather and collect old photographs and the detritus of lives well lived. And a huge thank you to those friends who have gifted me with old family photo albums, bundles of letters, and so many wonderful found objects and ephemera, that I’ve been moved to tears.

We’ll be taking all of these wonderful treasures and assembling them into a series of collages that tell personal stories. Real or imagined.

The other exciting news is that in conjunction with my month-long artist in residence, a group show, Symbols, will be taking place in The Annex. I’ve included a link to the Call for Artists. Proposals are due September 1, so act quickly.

Quarterly Open Studios

The artists at the Art Studios at Mission Mill decided at the end of last year that they wanted to host quarterly Open Studios rather than monthly events. I personally liked having them monthly, but they did seem to roll around rather quickly. Our quarterly event, under the umbrella of Art After Dark, will be held this Thursday, April 13, from 6-8 pm (a change from our old time of 5-7 pm). Studio A, where I hang out, has been converted to my Special Project Studio, where I am working on a big mixed media and collage project titled: What’s Your Story, Real or Imagined: Telling Stories through Black and White Photos. I started this project last year, but it has been evolving and morphing into something bigger than I earlier anticipated. I still have my two walls of black and white photos, which have expanded and taken over more real estate.

I recently had the opportunity to sort through a couple dozen boxes and three chests of family photos and ephemera and somehow I managed to find room in my compact corner space for piles and mounds of paper, 3-D bits, and photos.

I’ll be doing an Artist in Residence at the Salem Art Association Annex in the fall, so for now, my ideas are percolating as I spend time in this special studio. I’ll be sharing more about my fall project a bit later, but it includes a panel discussion, two weeks of working in a spacious light-filled studio, and will culminate in a one-day workshop I’ll be teaching. In the meantime, come see my newest acquisitions and hear more about my project on Thursday night.

ART AFTER DARK

The Art Studios at Mission Mill are located at the Willamette Heritage Center, across from Willamette University on 12th Street and across from the Amtrak Train Station on Mill Street. All of the second floor studios will be open, Carol Green will be demonstrating a Polaroid emulsion lift process (“The World Through Polaroid Imagining”), and Bonnie Hull is bringing her instant camera and will be taking curated photos ($1, please bring exact change). There will be new art on the communal walls and all of the artists will be serving refreshments. On the first floor, Max Marbles, the bookbinder, will be open, the Eco Hub is featuring student artwork honoring nature, and you can meet the newest tenants: award-winning photographer Frank Barnett and his wife, 3D artist and writer, Mart Soloman. It’s going to be a splendid night!

I’m Teaching! Four Days of Oil and Cold Wax

If you’ve ever been interested in working in oil and cold wax, I have a great opportunity to immerse yourself for four consecutive days of art making in a beautiful new space. I will be teaching my Abstracted Play class at the Salem Art Association’s newly revamped and remodeled Art Annex on October 6-9, from 9:30-4:30. There will be plenty of time to dive in, learn new techniques, experiment, be inspired, inspire each other, work hard, and, of course, play. But first, this is the bright, airy, new space, located in the heart of Bush Park, where we will be meeting. And my class is the very first to be offered!

This class is for everyone. If you have previously worked with oil and cold wax, this class will help take you to the next level, but it also works well for beginners with no experience at all. Oil paint mixed with cold wax is a versatile medium that creates rich luminosity and interesting surfaces. We’ll experiment with laying down paint, adding texture, scraping paint away, and then doing it all over again. And maybe yet again.

During the four days, we will work on multiple pieces, working intuitively and abstractly, exploring texture, layers, composition, design elements, and use of color through oil paint and pigment sticks. We will explore making marks using graphite pencils, twigs and awls, solvents to remove paint and leave marks, and oil pigment sticks. We will be working on wood substrates as well as Arches oil paper.

Oil paint mixed with cold wax allows the layers to dry quickly (and without much odor), and clean up is done with mineral or baby oil, so our use of solvents is very limited (or even unnecessary).

The cost for the four full days of class is $350 with a $20 supply fee. I provide some materials and share all of my paints and pigment sticks. To register, just go to the Salem Art Association website using this link.

Flags of Hope

Back in 2014 I was invited to participate in a pilot program between the Salem Art Association and the Salem Cancer Institute. I taught my Embellishing a Soft Cloth Doll that first year, then last year I taught three sessions in visual journaling. Over the past couple of weeks I taught two sessions of making prayer flags, calling the class Flags of Hope.

Creating prayer flags came out of a project I facilitated the summer of 2014 through the Salem Art Association’s Project Space. I wrote several blog posts about it at that time, which can be read by clicking here. After the success of that project, I led a similar project last year at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility, and now, on occasion, I offer mini workshops on creating flags, which is how these flags were created.

The Flags of Hope project was held in the reception area of Building C at Salem Hospital, a lovely, comfortable space where patients and caregivers can relax with a latte, work on a puzzle, color a mandala, or read a magazine.

I always come away from these classes feeling blessed, humbled, and honored, as the women who take these classes are either in the middle of cancer treatment, just finishing treatment, or have gone through it in the past. Here are some photos of the flags being created over the past couple of weeks.

During this week’s session, a cancer survivor was chatting with a woman who just finished up chemo. Her hair is starting to come back in, but she revealed she wasn’t feeling very pretty. The woman who battled cancer in the past, stepped over and began encouraging and sharing her experience with this woman, affirming to her how beautiful she is and how it gets better. The painting of prayer flags was a lovely respite from the treatment, but the beauty for me was witnessing the human connection of two women being able to talk about a shared experience.

Another woman, who came in late, finished up as I was putting supplies away. She said, “This is so therapeutic for me. I needed this. I live with the fear of wondering if my cancer will return.” This is her flag:

The flags from the two classes will be on display at the hospital on Wednesday, June 8, during the National Cancer Survivors Day celebration.

Mentorship Program: Emma

I had the good fortune to participate in Salem Art Association’s mentorship program again this year (here’s a link about my mentorship a year ago). During the program, high school students are paired with professional artists, who work with their student for several months helping the student build a portfolio of work. This year I had the pleasure of working with Emma, a sophomore at a local high school.

Emma chose to work in plaster and acrylic so during the past several months we met for Emma to prepare her boards and then do paint on them.

It was great to watch Emma work: she worked intuitively and was very confident and self-assured when it came to painting her boards. We met last week for our final session, where Emma signed her pieces and then applied a layer of cold wax to bring out the luscious and rich colors of her boards.

We loaded up Emma’s boards for transport to the reception site in downtown Salem.

Here are the five pieces Emma created during our mentorship:

Last night was the reception for all of the students and their mentors. What a fun evening!

And here’s beautiful Emma standing in front of her work.

Scattered By the Wind: Teaching at Hillcrest

Last September, my Scattered By the Wind Prayer Flag Project came to a close. The project was sponsored by Salem Art Association through their Project Space program. If interested, you can read about the 2014 summer project by clicking here.

One of the outcomes of my project was that we raised over $2,000 by selling flags, and that money, along with grant money obtained by Salem Art Association, allowed me to buy supplies and go into Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility to guide the incarcerated young men in creating a series of prayer flags. I invited my good friend Tory Brokenshire to join me in weekly visits to Hillcrest.

Because cameras and phones are not allowed inside the secure facility, we had to rely on a corrections officer to snap a few photos of the sessions. Also, without permission and authorizations, we weren’t able to take photos of any of the guys.

Tory and I did two session per week for eight weeks and the guys created 82 flags!

Here are a few close ups of flags…..

In the middle of our residency at Hillcrest, Salem Art Association held their Young Artists Showcase and they asked that some of the flags created by the Hillcrest boys be featured. It was exciting to have so many flags on display at the Bush Barn Gallery.

Last Thursday, Tory and I went into the facility’s canteen and hung the 82 flags. Again, our photos are limited due to not having phones or cameras inside (we were tempted to smuggle in a phone as we felt a bit naked without one!).

On Thursday evening, the community, family, friends, along with the guys, were invited to view the flags.

A nice spread of food was prepared by the manager of the canteen and a group of boys to celebrate the show. A few parents showed up and several groups of guys came through. One young man, who came every week to make a flag, had his mother and grandparents attend. He was so excited to share his flags, including the pink poodle he created. When he created that flag, under the theme of things found in nature (what!?!?), he said, “I can’t wait to give this flag to my grandma.”

PS The Oregon Youth Authority had a professional photographer attend the reception and he shot some amazing photos of the flags and the guys. If I’m able to obtain a few of those photos, I’ll post them here.

Visual Journaling: Making a Mess

Late last summer, II was invited to participate in a pilot project between the Salem Art Association and Salem Hospital Cancer Institute. I did a session on creating art dolls last December, and this month I offered three sessions of visual journaling.

I provided all the materials for the ladies to make a simple journal and each week they jumped in fearlessly. Many of the women were undergoing chemo and they shared that for the hour and a half they forgot about their treatment and just had fun.

Their pages were beautiful, some completed, most just backgrounds waiting for words and images to be added.

And many vowed to continue working on their journals at home. One woman confided she planned to add pockets and was going to insert the messages she received from friends as she went through chemo.

One of the participants wrote me the sweetest note after the last class and with her permission I’ll share it here as it sums up so beautifully what the experience was like for her:

My observation was that this offering certainly has a healing place in the lives of – well anyone who needs healing. It is in the process – not necessarily the art and certainly not the finished product, but the individual elements in combination – side by side with people sharing a bit of their life even through illness and disease.

It has purpose, and I suppose gives us permission to ‘let go, and treat ourselves’ as the time flew by without a thought other than what color to use, where to put it.

The open format you offered covered many art forms and medium – a great introduction, or experience for all levels to both find comfort and step out of that familiar place.

I have begun a journal project at home using felt, and fine paper. It feels more like I am in control – so I can introduce – at a slower pace – all of the delicious things that I tried to put onto one page…

Messy, Messy, Messy

I was asked by the Salem Art Association if I would like to participate in their high school mentorship program. It took me all of seven seconds to respond with a big fat YES. It is a rigorous program for the students who apply. They first have to complete an application, responding to a series of questions, provide two letters of recommendation from their art teachers or principal, then they go through interviews; there are only 15 available spots. Once they are accepted into the program, they attend two events per month during the school year. As part of the program, artists are invited to mentor students based upon what the student has indicated as art goals. I was invited to mentor three students: Olivia, Madeline, and Simon.

I met with each of the students for an initial consultation so I could get to know each of them and find out their art goals and how I could help them be accomplished. All three students were interested in mixed media, plaster, oil and cold wax, and experimenting. After meeting with all three students, I was excited as they were.

Since all three were interested in some of the same types of experimentation and exploration, I scheduled a couple of mini workshops during their holiday break. For the first workshop, we prepped boards with a variety of materials: gesso (white and colored), plaster, and venetian plaster. They all jumped right in.

On Friday, we’re getting together again to make decisions about the next step for the boards. Acrylic? Oil and cold wax? Paper? Pencil? So many choices.

Expressive Art Experience

Several months ago I was asked by the Salem Art Association if I would be interested in participating in a pilot program to offer therapeutic art classes at Salem Hospital’s Cancer Institute. I enthusiastically agreed and offered up some ideas for classes I could teach. Yesterday was the inaugural offering: Embellishing a Soft Cloth Doll, a class I have offered for several years through my studio and through Salem Art Association events.

My personal collection of art dolls I have created over the years.

The class was small, but the women who attended were enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity to make art and play. We knew when we scheduled the class, that people might not feel up to attending when the day rolled around.

The dolls that were completed:

It was a wonderful experience to offer a respite in the lives of these brave women. One of the participants said she had not done any art since being diagnosed with cancer and beginning treatment. It was a joy to re-ignite that spark for her.

Scattered By the Wind: Final Post

My Scattered By the Wind Prayer Flag Project has come to an end. I submitted my proposal to the Salem Art Association in March and in May learned that my project had been selected for Project Space. I did my first blog post about the project on May 27th, and then offered regular updates throughout the summer. I didn’t know what to expect when I started, but it sure took on a life of its own and exceeded any expectations. When I submitted my proposal, selling the flags wasn’t even part of the plan. One thing led to another, and three months later, the project has come to a close.

THE FINAL NUMBERS . . . . . .

Flags mailed or handed out: 165

Flags distributed at Project Space: 33

Total flags distributed in one way or another: 198

Received back from those distributed: 164

Flags created at Project Space venue: 116

Flag-making sessions: 6

First Wednesday events where flags were created: 2

Special flag-making sessions: 2

Made by me: 28

TOTAL FLAGS RECEIVED AND HUNG: 308

Flags sold through Facebook and at venues for $10 each: 169

Flags sold at other venues at reduced price of $5 each: 33

Special donations made to the project: $400

TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED FOR HILLCREST YOUTH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY: $2,255.

The final piece was deciding what to do with the flags that did not sell – and there are still lots of beautiful flags. Several suggestions were made, everything from flying the flags outside to allow them to disintegrate in the wind, to tucking them away for selling in the future. I’ve decided to send them on their way to another project, a project that was inspired by this one. The flags will be going to SARC, where my daughter Amy works. Here’s information on how this project continues to be scattered by the wind.

The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) is a non-profit organization founded by two sexual assault survivors in 1977. SARC operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. SARC is funded through government grants, foundations, and private donations. Our mission is to promote social justice by eliminating sexual violence in our community through education, support and advocacy.

For the past five years SARC’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) program has worked diligently to meet the individual and systemic needs of sexually exploited youth in Multnomah and Washington Counties by providing a victim-centered approach through our 24-hour emergency response advocates and long-term support case managers. To date we have served over 450 unduplicated teens find safe and secure shelter, gain access to physical and mental health care services, procure clothing and hygiene supplies, re-establish educational plans, build job skills, and through the process build a community of caring and supportive individuals who help the youth move towards their dreams.

Flags are being sold for $10 each, with proceeds going to SARC’s CSEC Prevention Program, a program that works to end exploitation of children, before it begins.