West Valley Artists

Jess Anderson

2010-03-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Born in Nampa, Idaho, Jesse Anderson has been doing artwork most of his life. He was given his first set of oil paints at age 11. After graduation from high school, Jess went directly into the U.S. Army. Upon learning of his art abilities, Uncle Sam saw fit to put him in charge of the Battalion Training-Aids Department (aka, the art department). Following his discharge in 1968, he met and married Cheryl, his wife of the last 40 years. One year later, with his wife working as a bookkeeper to keep the bills paid, he enrolled in the Advertising Art School in Portland, Oregon. After graduating top of his class, he started his own commercial art business making a great success of it for the next 16 years.After working all day as an illustrator and cartoonist, for many years he taught evening art classes for Chemeketa Community College. However, following the tragic death of his daughter, he closed down his business and completely gave up oil painting for five years. As his heart healed however, he began once again to see beauty in the sky and waters of Oregon. Finally, after spending a day photographing tide pools, fallen trees, rocks, streams and wildlife, he was ready to dig out the oil paints and dust off the easel.

Jesse's love of art extends not only to canvas but also to music and restoration design. He and his do-wop quartet do a History of Rock and Roll and oldies music show. Much of the rest of his time is spent using his artistic eye and construction talents to change run-down rooms and buildings into beautiful displays of Arts and Craft era design.

In 2003, four grants were given by the Nation Endowment of the Arts to teach inmates in the Federal prison system. Jess received one of those to a very successful ending. The shows of inmate art received high acclaim from the public.

Wherever the Anderson's travel, time is always taken to witness wildlife in its natural terrain and environment. Where that is not possible, zoos, either public or private, are a great source of material and inspiration. Jess never passes the chance to have hands on with the animals or birds he loves to paint and watch.

His personality is outgoing, his enthusiasm is catching, and his interests are broad. He paints the same way.

(Pictured above: American Gothic Goats copyright by Jess Anderson)

Chehalem Cultural Center Opening

2010-02-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

NEWS RELEASE – 02/02/2010

Chehalem Cultural Center

415 E. Sheridan St.

Newberg, OR, 97132

For immediate release

Community invited to celebrate Chehalem Cultural Center opening

(Newberg, OR) The Chehalem Cultural Center is opening its doors at the end of March and the

public is invited to the celebration. A weeklong series of free events, exhibits and activities a will

highlight the long-awaited opening of the first phase of the cultural center. The initial renovation

transforms the former Central Elementary School into glass and clay studios, kiln areas,

classrooms, a technology room, a recording studio, an art gallery, and meeting space. The

Chehalem Cultural Center is located at 415 E. Sheridan Street, Newberg, Oregon.

Ribbon cutting ceremonies will kick off festivities on March 18th at 3:30pm. Self-guided tours of

the newly renovated 10,000 square foot space will follow until 5pm.

An open house week from March 22-26 at the Chehalem Cultural Center will provide an

opportunity for visitors to drop in to explore what the new center has to offer. Daily afternoon

mini-classes will preview the variety of workshops and classes offered at the Center this spring.

These free mini-classes will provide opportunities to meet instructors and take part in hands-on

projects. Each evening guest lecturers will present a variety of talks on different cultural

subjects, including arts, history and literature. A display of artwork from the Chehalem Cultural

Center teaching staff will be exhibited. An opening reception on Friday, March 26th caps the

open house week with a focus on the Center’s opening exhibition, “Infinite Possibilities.” Ann

Weber, a national renowned artist who weaves ordinary recycled cardboard into towering

shapes, will be on hand to discuss her work.

The Grand Opening Celebration highlights the Chehalem Cultural Center’s open house week on

Saturday, March 27. This event is a community party that runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and

features live musical performances, guest presentations by Barbara Doyle a local historian,

Alden Kasiewicz, the architect for CCC, Ann Weber, exhibiting artist, Gil Reynolds, glass artist,

and Oregon writer and poet, Barbara Drake. Weber and education coordinator Karen White will

help participants take part in weaving a large community sculpture made of cardboard. Food is

provided by NW Natural.

“We want the community to be a part of this fabulous facility,” said Rick Lee, Chehalem Cultural

Center board president. “It’s a place to come and meet your friends, bring your family to

experience opportunities that inspire and enrich lives.”

Opening festivities for the Chehalem Cultural Center are free and open to the public. The

Chehalem Cultural Center is located at 410 E. Sheridan St. in Newberg. Visit

www.chehalemculturalcenter.org or call 503-487-6883 for a schedule of classes, calendar of

events and details on the week-long opening celebration March 22-27th.

###

Contact: Robin Anderson

503-487-6883

robin@chehalemculturalcenter.org

Chehalem Cultural Center Open House Week Event Schedule

Free daily activities all week

Thursday, March 18- Community Ribbon Cutting – 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Monday, March 22 through Friday, March 26, 2010

1 pm to 4pm – Meet the instructors and enjoy free class demonstration in the Glass

Studio, Clay Studio, Painting Studio, Music Practices Rooms and more!

5:30 pm – Special Guest Presentation

Monday: Mark Terry – Art Department Chair, George Fox University

Tuesday: Karen White – Education Coordinator for Chehalem Cultural

Center and artist

Wednesday: Shannon Ray – Artist and Curator –Community and

Creativity

Thursday: Historian Barbara Doyle – The History of the Central

Elementary

Friday: Exhibiting Artist Ann Weber – Reception and gallery tour

Chehalem Cultural Center Grand Opening Schedule of Activities

Saturday, March 27

10 am to 3 pm – Enjoy our Grand Opening with live music and reception, then help to

create a giant community sculpture with help from artists Karen

White and Ann Weber.

Connecting Community with Cultural Lecture Series

10:30 – Barbara Doyle – Transitioning of the Central Elementary School to the

Chehalem Cultural Center

11:30 – Alden Kasiewicz – The architect for the Chehalem Cultural Center

12:30 – Ann Weber – National known artist and featured exhibitor at CCC

1:30 – Gil Reynolds – Contemporary glass artist

2:30 – Barbara Drake – Published poet and talented writer

Diane Lou

2010-02-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

Buddha Getting Out of Dodge, copyright Diane Lou 2010.

It all starts at the end of the line, whether it is an item buried in the bottom of the Goodwill bins or simply some flattened rusty detritus I find on the street. I pick up any item that calls to me, the discards and broken bits of our society, bits that will soon end up in a landfill or which will simply decompose back to organic matter.
What catches my eye? With complete disregard for the function of the item in its previously useful life, a shape, a texture, a color, will call out to me. Is it a squishy black ball with a Starbucks logo on it that will end up dramatically crowning a piece that has been described by some as religious? Will the disembodied doll arm later appear in Coupling? What about the rusted metal iron rest? It becomes a gothic arch in a piece currently in the process of being discovered.
To say that the process is visceral would be completely accurate. At my earliest stage of memory, I recall having an excited “gut” feeling about the visual appearance of certain objects. Even at the age of 3, there was an unexplainable thrill when I first saw the shape of the unusual bobbin that fit in my grandmother’s sewing machine. That same feeling comes to me now when the shape, texture, or construction of an item tugs me in an unexplainable way as it begs to be included in a future piece.
Do I know where I am going when I begin a piece? Never. The container appears first, then I start setting potential ingredients near it as they speak to me. Later I’ll arrange and position and juxtapose the chosen pieces, discarding some and replacing them with others. As the parts and pieces reveal their place in the work, a cohesiveness and a theme also appear without any conscious intent.
The sense of mystery? Although not intentional, it seems a constant. The reward comes when a piece catches the viewer’s eye from a distance, then proceeds to pull him/her in to 5 feet, then 12 inches as each layer and the mysteries contained within are gradually revealed. The mystery intrigues me as well since I never “direct” the piece, but simply let it unfold on its own. Most often, I am stunned or at least surprised by the outcome.
Despite the fact that many of the pieces have a decidedly “dark” tone to them, I think of my process as playful creativity. I never know where I am going, but I do know when I am finished, just like a child who walks away from mudpies or the room filled with building block castles.

Contact me at: http://dianelou-mixedmedia.blogspot.com

Nils Lou

2010-02-17T13:37:00.001-08:00

Twenty-five years ago Nils Lou decided to have a replica of an 8th century Korean anagama kiln built on the property. Designed by Katsuyuki Sakasume, the kiln is a wood-fired hill-climbing kiln which uses 6 cords of wood for a firing, with 24-hour-a-day stoking for 3-4 days. It can hold 300-500 pots, and requires a week to cool.

The last weekend of February we'll be loading this special commemorative firing, and the following Wednesday night will start the warming fire which will build up to the ultimate temperature of 2400 degrees by some time Saturday.

The kiln has had over 100 firings during the past 25 years, and because it was Nils's vision which created this place of art and community, I (Diane Lou) am commemorating it by putting together a book about the history, the building, the people, and the events that have marked this 25 year period. Participants have contributed their photos and their stories which will be included in the book (created on blurb.com). Babies have been born and grown up during this time, coming to firings year after year, and some of their stories will be included too.

Visit Nils's blog at http://nilslou.blogspot.com

Shannon Ray

2010-02-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

The image attached below is "Paradise", the triptych at the Allison Hotel. The painting is of particular interest in this specific area as it depicts OUR West Valley as seen from the highpoint at the Delphian School. I was commissioned by the Austin family to show "the Bounty of Oregon" and sought a vista that could say just that. I've taught up at the Delphian School a few times, I knew that the view there was incredible, especially the coast range on the right - I found out after research that the site, at one time a Jesuit Novitiate, was actually selected because it is in view of Mt. Hood - way off to the left, barely visible in the summer due to atmospheric, and modern pollutant, haze. (I chased that mountain all over last summer, trying to get it right).
Willamina is to the right, Sheridan and Newberg beyond to the left, the Yamhill river threads through.

I've taken artistic liberties, planted a vineyard in a hay field in the foreground, a hazelnut orchard on the left, wiped out buildings and 'squished' together the horizontal while expanding the vertical to fit the composition into a statement. the color palate was very strict, the design firm of GGLO out of Seattle laid down some pretty rigid mandates. Made it a challenge that I finally actually enjoyed! It expands over 21 feet - it pleases me that the international clientele of the Hotel will see our valley!

Daryl Nelson

2010-02-02T16:54:00.000-08:00

I'm a retired Sr VP of an Insurance company, Liberty Northwest
Insurance in Portland, andmy wife and I moved to this community
almost 12 years ago. For the first couple years we gardened,
started a sheep flock, a flock of chickens and that sort
of thing. Some 8 years ago I decided I wanted to try painting
I thought I ought be serious about it so I set up a bedroom
in our house as a studio, made certain that I drew or painted at
least 2-3 hours daily, and scheduledmyself for formal classes at
least every 6 months.

My wife is a Master Knitter and when Boersma's Knit Shop opened
in McMinnville I contributed 10 paintings as decor. They are still up.
About 4-5 years ago Sandi Colvin asked if her gallery, Hidden Treasures,
might represent my work. I agreed and they still do. Four years ago I joined
the Yamhill County Arts Alliance October Tour and have participated
since. I'm a member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon. I've had
work up at several retail outlets on 3rd at different times.
I've also shown at outlets in Newberg and will be there again at a
law firm on the main street Saturday Feb. 5.

Artists Among Us

2010-01-31T11:11:00.001-08:00

This was the photo that was in the Sheridan Sun this week of some of our local artists, though there are many, many more. Thanks to Cindy at The Sun for her Photoshop expertise in putting two photos together into one. Front L-R: Ruri, Susan Faye, Monica Setziol-Phillips, Susan Ragan and Kim Hamblin. Back: Landry Deese, Shannon Ray, Jess Anderson, Daryl Nelson, Charles Gluskoter, Diane Lou, Nils Lou and Blythe Eastman.

Kim Hamblin

2010-01-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

Meet Kim Hamblin, one of the talented artists of the West Valley. This is her current beau!

Kim explores many media in her art, and she explores them all (and life) with great enthusiasm. Besides being a productive artist, Kim also sells real estate in the area. Go to her website, www.kimhamblin.com, to see more of her art. Her blog, which is in its infancy, is http://kimhamblin.blogspot.com . More about Kim later...

Welcome!

2010-01-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

Our new blog spotlighting the art and activities of artists of the Willamette Valley of beautiful western Oregon is currently under construction. Pictures, information and links will be added as they are provided to me by the artists. We look forward to having an active, ever-changing site for you to look at.