From the
Gallery THE NEWSLETTER OF THE VALLEY ART ASSOCIATION
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Valley Art Gallery
Valley Art welcomes the Green Cab Artists
2022 Main Street Forest Grove, Oregon
Little Beauties, Small Treasures January 4- February 26 Reception: Saturday, January 9, 2016–2-4 p.m.
503•357•3703 www.valleyart.org
Complimentary refreshments will be served.
Gallery Hours
Open Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and special occasions. Valley Art is dedicated to supporting working artists and encouraging beginning artists. We exhibit exceptional artwork and offer art classes for the entire community at affordable prices. Valley Art board meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. These meetings are open to all who wish to attend.
Pg
2
January/Feb Featured Show
50 Years— Appreciating Our Path By Skip Buhler and Jan Peiffer For our Golden 50th year, Valley Art is celebrating its members and the volunteers who have been here for Valley Art. This first retrospective is provided by a former Valley Art President, one-time treasurer and consistent volunteer, Marcia Alajoki. Born in Portland, Marcia moved to Forest Grove in 1970. She has been involved with Valley Art ever since. The following is a snippet of her reflection on VA in the early days: MARCIA: “I moved to Forest Grove with a young child. I wasn’t working and was interested in pottery. I probably saw an ad in the News-Times. Judy Teufel was the instructor at Valley Art, and she was awesome. She had a great feel and loved what she was doing such that people never left her classes. When Marcia Alajoki your 10-week class
Pg
3
Valentine Card Challenge
Pg
4
was up, you just re-enrolled! When I started, there were probably 12 students; when I left, the class size was 35. That really was the limit, because the class space at the old Parr Lumber location was small. There was a side entrance to the space, and the pot shop was at the very end of the building. Merrie French was taking classes at the same time and was much more pro-active, in terms of the business side of Valley Art. If it wasn’t for Merrie, I would have never become involved in that side of it. I had been taking classes for a while when Merrie approached and said, ‘We’re in a pinch.’ At the time, many of the early board members were leaving for Portland and other places, and VA needed a treasurer. I said, ‘Oh sure, I can keep books.’ Thankfully, it was just a ledger book and not like the complicated books we keep today. I paid the bills, paid the artists and balanced the books. I made basic reports. I suppose I would write 30 checks a month, that’s it. It was a much easier job then, and we had Continued on page 6
Classes & Workshops for Everyone Pg
7
Caught My Eye
Lisa Griffen Jeff Hall
Elina Zeberg
A picture paints a thousand words. We will let the Green Cab Artists
Little Beauties, Small Treasures speak for themselves!
Show Runs: January 4- February 26 Reception: Saturday, January 9, 2016 –2-4 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be served.
Jim Zaleski Penny Forrest
Helvi Smith
Anne E Brown
Bruce Ulrich
Lisa Griffen • Jeff Hall • Elina Zeberg Penny Forrest • Anne E Brown • Barbara Martin Helvi Smith • Bruce Ulrich • Jim Zaleski
2
January/February 2016
valleyart.org
Annual Artist Event Recap Annual Artist Event in November started off with member’s night, new art and an excellent gallery display! Our artists out-did themselves with new and original art that greeted our members who enjoyed a first look during members night and the reception. Many purchased exciting new items for their home and for family Christmas presents. Valley Art’s Annual Artist Event (AAE) is the premier occasion providing the entire membership of VAA and the Forest Grove community a special opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts for friends and family. Valley Art continued the tradition of hosting a Chamber “Afterhours” as a part of AAE. It’s a delight to include the local business community and share our business success with Forest Grove, plus give local business community a chance to mix and mingle. Our goal with this event is to entertain and be available to our professional community and to create an environment of knowledge and appreciation of art for all in the Forest Grove community. Finally, we cannot discuss the happenings or the success of AAE without lauding the amazing volunteers at Valley Art who make it happen. From volunteers putting in extra time tending sales, to teams who inventoried art, painted walls, checked lightbulbs, organized food and arranged art on the walls in beautiful groupings, every part was essential and each volunteer has our tremendous gratitude. Next time you visit Valley Art, take a moment to thank the volunteer at the front desk keeping the doors open to the community, and for pulling out the stops on a bright, cheery Annual Artist Event leading up to the holidays.
Valley Art Association
Valentine Card Challenge Get artsy. Get Crafty. Get busy. The deadline is January 21!
Valentine card challenge— Get creative!!! It’s time to announce the Valentine challenge. If you have a great idea for a one-dimensional card, 4.75 x 6.75 inches, vertical or horizontal, get busy! The card can also have wording inside. Turn in your entry by Jan. 21, 2016, at Valley Art, 2022 Main St., with the official entry form and $5. You can download the entry form from valleyart.org. All card designs remain the property of the artist. However, of those cards chosen by our jury, 20 reproductions will be made and sold in the Valley Art Gallery. Sales proceeds will go toward matching our storefront grant. That is our major fundraising focus in 2016. Original art—watercolor, photography, acrylics, colored pens or pencils, or any other medium that will lay flat to be scanned—will be returned to the artists. Thank you to all the participants in our October Day of the Dead postcard “contest.” There was a great response, with some artists making more than one. Ten postcards were chosen to be printed commercially in sets so each artist could have one. The artists were Lindsay Hanway, Barbara Martin, Valerie Nelson, Roylene Read, Lorraine Warren, and Kim Warren. We had some late entries also and they were amazing. Our artists were all ages and all abilities and we welcomed every participant. If you would like to participate next year, the deadline for entries will be Monday, Oct. 3, 2016.
January/February 2016
3
Art Education Art Classes, Groups and Workshops for children and adults Quilting Studio - Fridays, 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. This is an ongoing class and may be joined at any time. All
levels, beginning to advanced, are welcome. This is the time to do your own work, get expert advice on a special project, and meet with other local quilters. Join the fun! Register in person at the gallery on Friday. Cost is $28/year for Valley Art members and $43/year for non-members.
Forest Grove Camera Club - Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. The Forest Grove Camera Club is a member of
the Photographic Society of America (PSA) and the Columbia Council of Camera Clubs. The club participates in a variety of competitions, evaluations and provides programs as well as field trips. To join, contact instructor Carol Berget at cberget@msn.com. Cost is a $25 annual membership /$5 students /$10 Associate memberships.
Team Art: Creativity by Association - Every other Thursday Gather to work on art or craft projects—
pros or beginners. We will meet Jan. 14 and 29, and Feb. 11 & 25, from 10 a.m. to noon. Come to the back door and ring the bell. Bring a project to work on. Be inspired, make new friends and learn new techniques. Valley Art Membership is required and may be purchased at the front desk for $15. To register, email education@valleyart. org or call 503-341-9701 for more information.
Saturday Pottery Classes (age 16 and up) with Christine Hurayt Saturdays, Jan. 9 through Feb. 27, 1 - 4 p.m. Learn to make pottery on the wheel or hand build with
slabs and coils. Class is intended for new and returning students. Cost of clay is $13-$14 per bag. Tool kits are available for $15 each. You must bring your own towel and apron. Class size is limited to 10 students, so sign up soon! Yearly Valley Art memberships are available through the front desk only. Please email instructor at huraytc@gmail.com to register for this class. Remember please, this is a teaching studio, so no production work or outside clay is allowed. Tuition for Valley Art members is $110, and non-members is $120.
Thursday Pottery Classes (age 12 and up) with Lori Hicke – Thursdays, Jan. 7 through Feb. 18, 3 - 6 p.m. Learn fun hand building projects and interesting glazing
techniques. No experience needed. This class is for new and returning students. We will begin with mask making. Cost of clay is $13 - $14 per bag. Tool kits are available for $15 each. Please bring your own small towel and apron. Class size is limited to 10 students, so sign up soon! Yearly Valley Art memberships are available through the front desk only. Please email the instructor, LorihickeArt@gmail.com, to register for this class. Remember please, this is a teaching studio, so no production work or outside clay is allowed. Tuition for Valley Art members is $110, and non-members is $120.
Youth Art Class with Gwyn Blanton – Wednesdays, Jan. 6, 13, 20 & 27; and Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24.
Children ages 5-17 will meet from 1- 2:30 p.m. to study drawing, painting and sculpture. Cost for four session class is $45, $35 for siblings. Gwyn is a trained professional and has worked and volunteered in the local schools. Register for the class at Valley Art Gallery, or contact the instructor directly, and pay the day of the first class. Questions? Contact her at gwynblanton@yahoo.com or 503-869-3537 to register.
The Right-Brain Business Plan®: Turn Your Passion Into Profit with Barbara Martin– Tuesday, Jan. 12, 10a.m. - 4 p.m. A fun, creative way to craft your 2016 business plan so you know where your busi-
ness is headed. We will work in the same intuitive, authentic and expressive ways that you live your creative life. You’ll get the planning framework, exercises and support you need to get your 2016 business year off to a great start. Prerequisite: This works best when you know what kind of business you want to have. Cost is $50 + $25 materials fee for Valley Art members (includes the book) or $75 + $25 materials fee for non-members. The class is limited to 20 participants and pre-payment is required. Register at barbaramartinart.com or drop your check off (made payable to Barbara Martin) at the gallery before Jan. 5. 4
January/February 2016
valleyart.org
Oil Painting workshop/class - First and third Tuesday in January & February, 1-4 p.m. Featured
on OPB’s Artbeat, instructor Irilla Swanson leads this ongoing water-soluble oil painting class for adults. All professional materials are provided: water-soluble oil paint, oil painting paper and brushes—or bring your own supplies and project photos if you prefer. Irilla will provide examples from nature, as well as help you capture your own ideas. There will be step-by-step demonstrations for beginners and problem-solving and direction for experienced painters. Cost is $120 for three-month session ($20 per class). Register soon, as space is limited. To register, email irillaswanson@comcast.net, or call 503-285-4399.
Acrylic Painting with James F. Smith – Saturdays, Jan. 30 and Feb. 27, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (30 min. lunch break). Minimum class size is four students. Cost for each class is $40. Non-refundable payment required a time of registration. Registrations are transferable. In Januay’s class, you will paint a landscape on a 9 x 12 inch canvas. February’s class will focus on flowers. There will be demonstrations, help and advice. Canvas, brushes and paints are provided, or brig your own favorite paints or brushes. Register by email to education@ valleyart.org, with “Acrylic” in the subject line. Deliver $40 check (payable to James F. Smith) to Valley Art.
Woven Boho Bag with Valerie Donley – Tuesday, Jan. 5, 6 - 9 p.m. This weaving technique is easy to learn and very portable! You’ll make a Boho bag, or “fairy bag,” as some call them, for your cell phone or other small personal items. Cost is $40. Bring a pair of scissors; all other supplies provided. Class is limited to eight participants. Register by email to education@valleyart.org, with “Boho” in the subject line.
Adult Art Therapy Coloring – Jan. 15 & Feb. 8, from 5 - 7 p.m. This non-class offers a time to sit down
together—over a cup of hot tea, perhaps and a coloring book—and enjoy this quiet meditative art. You can buy books at Accidental Bookmaker in Forest Grove, Paper Parachute in Aloha, and art stores such as Blick Art Materials in Beaverton. Bring your preferred markers or colored pencils. Register at education@valleyart.org with “Color” in the subject line. There is no charge, but we must have at least four participants.
Inspirit Collage with Michelle Geller – Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. $50 for this six-hour class. In this class, you will collage a canvas board using Michelle’s tried-and-true techniques with some of her favorite vintage ephemera. You will also learn how to develop “fonts” from your printing or cursive writing that you will use to write a favorite quote, poem or word(s) on your canvas. All supplies are provided but please free to bring your own ephemera to use. Register by contacting Michelle at seester@mail.com.
Gratitude Journal Class with Koka Filipovic - Saturday, Feb. 13, is from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. In this
fun and inspiring class with Oregon artist /designer Koka Filipovic, you will create unique mixed media, insightful art for your own personal gratitude journal while exploring the concept of gratitude and abundance in your life. A hardcover journal and most supplies will be provided...including chocolate! Please bring your own scissors, ruler and color permanent markers. This is a perfect Valentine’s Day class to treat yourself and a friend -$35, single; $60 for two. There is a maximum of eight students. Register at www.sanctuary-designs.com.
Fabric Prayer Flags with Valerie Pace Donley - Monday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Valerie will
show you how to construct a Nepalese prayer flag, and provide all materials unless you have cloth or a special button that you want to incorporate in your design. It could be a memento of a loved one. The class is $40. Please bring your own scissors, a small bottle of Aleene’s fabric glue (Joann’s or another craft store) and any special needles you like for hand sewing. Otherwise they are provided. Class is limited to eight participants. Register by email at education@valleyart.org, with “Flags” in the subject line. All events and workshops take place in the Valley Art Gallery workshop space unless otherwise noted. Valley Art is located at 2022 Main Street in Forest Grove. Parking is available along Main Street and in the public parking lot located directly behind Valley Art, a half block to the west. Gallery hours are Monday–Saturday 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Always stay up-to-date with Valley Art events at valleyart.org/events/category/classes. For information on need-based scholarships, email education@valleyart.org.
Valley Art Association
January/February 2016
5
Appreciating Our Path, continued a much smaller space. Now, it’s pretty involved, and the number of artists is great. We had some really good artists, mostly working in 2-dimensional art. Now it’s more of a balance between 2-D and 3-D art. Anyway, back to Merrie. Merrie is a real asset to Valley Art. She takes art very seriously and intellectually. She knows a great deal about art and what is appealing aesthetically, She participates on our selection jury of six people who discuss quality and customer appeal of the art we examine. We want a true variety; things that are truly unique. For example, the work of artist Jim Zaleski, one of the earlier artist members of Valley Art. Jim scans his paintings into his computer and alters the image digitally to produce a new form. He plays with it, manipulates it, and they’re just wonderful, playful images. We need to always maintain an eclectic mix of styles. Another early member that had such a presence was Esther Polka. She wrote the newsletter and was the first person you would see when entering the gallery. She was there all the time. She was very involved, and kept everything on track. She was a dynamo! I don’t know if she was an artist, but she certainly knew art and what items needed to be at Valley Art. After many years I took a brief sabbatical from Valley Art, and in 1982, I opened “Picard Plus,” which was like the first Kinkos in town. I was raising three children, so I didn’t have much time to dedicate to VA. Nevertheless, Merrie never let me get too far away. She regularly asked if I could help with this or that, so I never fully left. Merrie is incredible. She has dedicated her adult life to VA, so she takes real ownership of it. When we were forced to move out of the Parr Lumber location (2120 Main), people threw up their hands and said it was over. And Merrie said, ‘No, we need a better location’, and she found it. It was because of her, getting the word out, and knowing everybody in town, that we moved to the house at 2224 College Way. Rick Read was another member who was always available to give his time to Valley Art. I used to set up the Featured Artist shows—staging and organizing. Rick was always there to help me heft large works and shelving. He was just so kind and capable—everyone who knew him, liked him. When he said he would do something, he would get it done. Then there was Punky Benson. Punky was just a riot. Like most people at Valley Art, she was unique, strong-willed and you didn’t push her in any direction. And like Rick, if she volunteered to do something, she did it. She owned the frame shop (where Framer’s Touch is now) and she and her partner Geri Schlegel (and later Lucille) ran it. They were always helping Valley Art with framing and things. She was another of these amazing members we relied on.” We asked Marcia where she’d like to see VA in the next 50 years: “I’d like to see Valley Art continuing to reach out to the community, to offer more classes and give tours of the gallery to school groups. I think we could advertise in larger publications, and reach more Oregonians. I would like to see this become a destination place. Though to a minor extent, it already is, I think more can be done. Valley Art’s success relies on the work of volunteers, and we need to keep thanking them. Volunteers strengthen the organization and keep the gallery economically viable. During the recession in Portland and elsewhere, galleries were closing all around, but Valley Art didn’t close. That was thanks in part to the remodeling project, but even more so to our dedicated volunteers.” We’re so appreciative of Marcia and the many volunteers that have made Valley Art what it is today—a thriving jewel of artistic creativity in Forest Grove. In the next newsletter, we will go a bit further back and gather from Judy Teufel her reflections of Valley Art.
6
January/February 2016
NOW AVAILABLE Custom Roasts for Valley Art! by local To The Roots Coffee Roaster - dark blend - medium blend - decaf
$12 ground
or whole bean
Buy a bag today at the gallery!
valleyart.org
Caught my eye... Valley Art is approaching its 50th year. Started by a small group of local artists—mostly potters—many changes have ensued and the gallery has grown into the lovely gallery it is today. To have a non-profit organization, run by all volunteers is an amazing feat. So we have a lot to congratulate ourselves for. Valley Art has planned a number of celebratory events leading to the big 5-0. Our first event was our participation in the Christmas light parade with a float designed by Board members, Roylene Read and Pat Truax. Several others worked on it and thanks to former Board President Dana Zurcher’s father, who provided the truck and trailer. Not only was it beautiful, it was recognized and awarded by the Chamber of Commerce! The next event will be a “Carnaval” fundraiser to help pay for the renewal of the front of the building. Valley Art received a $20,000 grant from Metro for Store Front Improvement that requires funds from Valley Art to complete the project. A Valley Art committee has been meeting with Metro and architect Tripp Royce to plan an improved look for the front of the building. We should have a design concept to show at the “Carnaval”. We are also selling 50th Anniversary coffee—whole bean and ground. All coffee drinkers please stop at the gallery the next time you are in need of good coffee. We have other events and fun planned including an August auction so you should keep watching future newsletters for more information about our Celebration Year! —Caroline Dau, Valley Art Board President Editor’s Note: This newsletter was produced with copious amounts of Valley Art Anniversary Blend. As a result, the editor is in a particularly contented mood.
Caroline’s
Corner
Mixed Berry and Banana Smoothie 1 cup frozen mixed berries 1 frozen ripe banana (Yes, frozen! Let them get ripe first.) 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt 1/4 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
Now that winter is full upon us, many Directions: Combine all ingredients together in a blender and puree until smooth. Enjoy! of us find ourselves missing summer. Oh, what a beautiful word–“summer”–when it’s gray and drippy outside. I especially Smoothie? It’s so easy and healthful and fills you up. find myself craving the fresh berries and produce of This is much better for us than eating another halfsummer. dozen leftover holiday cookies! Get out that blender Why not make yourself a Mixed Berry and Banana and whip this up. Our thanks go to the November mailing party. —we couldn’t do it without you! If you’d like to join in, please contact Jeanne If you enjoy being part of the “in” team who helps set up the festive food area of AAE or would like to help a few Saturdays a month setting up food for our Featured Artist Receptions, please get in touch with Caroline at 503-747-7321. We love getting to know new helpers and love the new creative thoughts they bring with them.
Valley Art Association
January/February 2016
7
Join the conversation! Scan this QR code to like Valley Art on Facebook. NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S.P.S. POSTAGE PAID FOREST GROVE OR PERMIT NO. 5
Valley Art Association P.O. Box 333 Forest Grove, OR 97116
OF SPECIAL NOTE... Valley Art is entirely volunteer-run and we could use your talents too. Please call us for ways you can actively participate with us. We welcome your tax-deductible year-end contribution to keep art thriving in Forest Grove.
Don’t miss out on Celestial Carnaval January 23! Visit valleyart.org for all the details!
We’re celebrating all year long! Watch for our upcoming events and announcements at valleyart.org and on Facebook