Friday, August 18, 2023
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Blackberry Arts Festival returns to Coos Bay BY BREE LAUGHLIN The World
Coos Bay’s annual Blackberry Arts Festival is back showcasing the bounty of the season. The free event features a variety of food fare, including many blackberry items, an array of talented artisans who will be selling their work, live music performances and a new kid zone.
Photos contributed by CBDA
The Blackberry Arts Festival, one of the longest-lasting festivals in Coos Bay, will return to downtown August 26 and 27.
The World
A new art studio and gallery is offering a space for local creatives to display their work. The gallery is also doubling as a photography and yoga studio. John Hoobler recently opened AKI Studio and Gallery on Sherman Avenue in North Bend and held a grand opening for the business in early August. The local photographer said he had
the director of the Coos Bay Downtown Association. “It brings out tourists and locals alike who want to see what these artists have to offer,” Boardman said. The artisans market is a juried art show – which means that a committee has reviewed the artists work to make sure that they items Blackberry Festival continued on page 3
New gallery showcases Healing Trees Art
North Bend gets new art gallery
BY BREE LAUGHLIN
The two-day event is happening on Saturday and Sunday Aug. 26 and 27 in the heart of downtown Coos Bay – centered along Central Avenue. Now in its’ thirty-ninth year, the Blackberry Arts Festival has become a staple in the region. “I think it's lasted for so long because it's a free community event during one of the nicest months in the summer,” said Holly Boardman,
been looking for a place for himself and other photographers to do indoor studio work. “I wanted a place where I could be creative and do my work. But I also wanted to offer it to others because I knew there were several other photographers in the area and most of them worked outside,” Hoobler said. The photographer also wanted to support other artists in the area by giving them an exclusive exhibit space to showcase their work. Luke Nelson and Johanna Zimmerman are the first resident artists whose work is on display at the gallery. They are the artists and co-founders of Healing Trees Art. These artists met Hoobler while vending at the Coos Bay Farmer’s Market and bonded over their creative endeavors. “When John invited us to show our art as part of the inaugural show, we were of course excited. Considering the immense amount of talented local artists there are in the Coos Bay AKI Gallery continued on page 14
BY BREE LAUGHLIN The World
Healing Trees artists Luke Nelson and Johanna Zimmerman are displaying their works of art in their first ever exclusive show at the newly-opened AKI studio and gallery. The artists paint landscapes based on their experiences, infused with imagination, and fueled by scenes of the Pacific Northwest. “We use light and color to evoke emotions and convey a sense of place within each landscape,” the artists said. The painters find meditation and healing through art and nature, and they hope that those who view their works find healing in it as well. “When I'm painting I get lost in the act of creation and the rest of the world melts away. I can spend hours on a painting and not realize that any time has gone by,” Zimmerman said. “It's this kind of magical charge you feel when you get lost in the process of creation,” Nelson added. Nelson said he’s experienced this sensation most acutely when playing music with others, and also in writing and other cre-
ative endeavors. “Oil painting, however, has been incredibly powerful for me, and what is really interesting to see is how people respond to the work itself. That feeling I am chasing through the creative act emerges for the viewer. It is really something to see someone stop in their tracks because they are having an aesthetic Healing Trees response to the continued on page 14 artwork,” he said. The couple started
Local youth performing Beauty and the Beast BY BREE LAUGHLIN The World
There’s been a lot of excitement inside the Liberty Theatre this summer, and the performers are ready to put on a show. “Of course we can give the audience a fine performance – but we want to bring them magic,” director
Aymee Pedder told her group of actors during a recent rehearsal. The group of 32 local children have been memorizing lines, singing iconic songs, and learning dance choreography during a seven week intensive theatre workshop led by director Pedder. They will be performing a production of Beauty and the Beast as part
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of the Liberty Theatre on the Bay Stars Youth Theatre from August 17 to 26. The young actors range from age 8 to 17. Some have previous experience on stage in last summer’s “Peter Pan,” or the spring show, “Matilda the Musical.” Others are newcomers, excited to learn about character acting. This is the third year that Pedder has volunteered her time to direct the
LTOB Stars at the Liberty Theatre. It’s quickly become her favorite show of the year. “It’s such a great way to spend your summer. As much work as it is, these kids just make it so much fun,” she said. Beauty and the Beast continued on page 4
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