The art of conversation
To take in all of the arts events that can happen in summer and fall on the Oregon Coast, you used to have to zoom up and down the entire 363-mile coastline. Now, thanks to Zoom, you can still enjoy some of those events without even leaving your house.
Artist talks, panel discussions and studio tours will all be part of the 13-week Oregon Coast Art Talks series, presented by the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts (OCCA) and the Newport Visual Arts Center. Online events will be aired every Sunday at noon, from August 23 through November 15 (except Sept. 6).
Admission to the series and exhibition is free, though donations are accepted and will benefit the participating artists and OCCA.
Oregon Coast Art Talks Schedule:
Sunday, Aug. 23: Studio Tour: Sam Jacobson (Otis)
Sunday, Aug. 30: State of the Arts: Tillamook
Discussion led by artist Christine Harrison
Sunday, Sept. 13: Gallery Tour: Joan Truckenbrod
Sunday, Sept. 27: A Virtual Art Fair: Karen Gelbard (Pacific City)
Sunday, Sept. 30: Focus on Creativity
Lincoln City artists talk about their processes and approaches to creativity. Discussion led by artist Sidney Green.
Sunday, Oct. 4: Henk Pander: A Tale of Two Paintings
Pander discusses the stories behind his current work in the online show, plus his current painting of the turmoil outside the Portland federal courthouse building.
Sunday, Oct. 11: Rick Bartow: In Context
Panel discussion led by Rick Bartow estate members
Sunday, Oct. 18: Studio Tour: Maria Esther Sund (Otis)
Sunday, Oct. 25: State of the Arts: Brookings
Discussion led by artist Linda Evans
Sunday, Nov. 1: State of the Arts: Astoria
Sunday, Nov. 8: Studio Tour: Matthew Palmgren (Astoria)
Sunday, Nov. 15: Studio Tour: Susan Farnham (Yachats)
Most online events will be live-streamed via the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts YouTube channel with panelists appearing via Zoom. Studio tours will be pre-recorded. Audience members will be available to comment and ask questions via the chat function. All events will be archived for future viewing.
Presentations include updates and discussions by artists in communities along the coast, and “open studio” virtual tours. The “State of the Arts” talks will give local art leaders in Astoria, Tillamook and Brookings the opportunity to discuss their art community pre- and post-COVID. Beloved coastal artist Rick Bartow, who passed away in 2016, will be represented by members of his estate in a panel discussion.
To attend any or all of these online events, go to www.coastarts.org and follow links to the arts talks page. You can also opt into a newsletter to receive invitations to the events using a link on that page or by emailing twebb@coastarts.org.
A sister event, the Oregon Coast Online Art Show, has been extended beyond its scheduled closing on Labor Day. Organized in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show, which went live on May 29, was developed as most galleries and art spaces were shuttered and artists were unable to present their work to a viewing public. The exhibit includes the work of more than 160 contributing artists, exhibiting painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media and wearable art works.
The show, viewable any time by visiting www.coastarts.org, is open to all artists living on the Oregon Coast, artists who have shown their work at the Newport Visual Arts Center or current members of the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts.