Art inspires, torso they say
A specially curated collection and a convergence of carvings will be featured in two new shows opening at the Newport Visual Arts Center this Saturday, Feb. 12.
“Convergence” is a collection of sculptural work by M.J. Anderson, running through March 26 in the Coastal Oregon Visual Artist Showcase. The “Mayor’s Show” is a collection of further works by artists picked from January’s PushPin and ClothesLine Show, running through March 5 in the Runyan Gallery.
Opening receptions will be held from noon to 4 pm on Saturday, with artist talks beginning at 2 pm.
Anderson’s exhibition will include four marble torsos of a similar size but of different material and color — black portoro marble, white statuary marble, red suriya marble and grey bardiglio marble.
“I carve in response to the unique qualities of each stone I touch,” Anderson said. “It’s an intimate and reverent dialog of lasting consequence.”
Anderson will also include a print produced during a recent fellowship at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology.
The Nehalem-based sculptor works with designers and architects on private and public art commissions including the Noosa Botanic Gardens in Queensland, Australia, the Justice Center in Salem and the Seattle University School of Law.
She has received artistic awards from the Oregon Arts Commission, the Ford Family Foundation and the Pollack-Krasner Foundation, among many others. Her work is in the permanent collections of such institutions as the Portland Art Museum, the Hallie Ford Museum and the Museum of the Northwest.
“Art lingo aside,” she said, “I make a fair bit of noise and dust with both old-style hammer and chisel as well as grinders, air hammers and lots of sandpaper.”
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The Mayor’s Show features nine artists selected from 89 Lincoln County artists in consultation with Visual Arts Center Director Tom Webb and Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer.
The show was started in 2016 by Webb and former Newport Mayor Sandra Rouagoux.
The nine participating artists are Veta Bakhitna, Barbara Flewellyn, Sylvia A. Hosie, Rebecca Hooper, Herb Kately, Julie Lamberson, Janet Runger, Wendy Schwartz and Carol Shenk.
Bakhtina grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the end of the Communist era, and she credits her exposure to uncharted nature, the rural Russian countryside and a tradition of heritage for much of her inspiration and working style. She works as a muralist, painter and author of whimsical children's books. Her art can be seen at Crow's Nest Gallery in Toledo.
Flewellyn has spent many years exploring art media — woodworking, welding, ceramics, pastels, life drawing and weaving. She moved to the Oregon Coast 17 years ago and has served as the president of the Coastal Arts Guild.
Weaving tapestry is Rebecca Hooper’s favorite means of artistic expression. Over the years, she has taken numerous weaving classes and for the past year has studied intensively with award-winning fine art tapestry weaver, Kathe Todd-Hooker in Albany.
Sylvia A. Hosie is a fine art photographer living in Toledo. The digital revolution has allowed her to give a looser, more stylized look to many of her photographs. Represented in two Oregon galleries, her work has found homes throughout North America, Europe and Australia.
Herb Kately has exhibited at the West Nebraska Art Center and the Alliance Carnegie Art Center and had winning entries at the Dawes County fair. In 2021, he was selected for the first round of the Toledo Phantom galleries.
Julie Lamberson is an illustrator, watercolorist and muralist. She attended Newport High School and Lewis & Clark College. Her work has been exhibited in various galleries and she has published several art books.
Janet Runger is the owner of Crow's Nest Gallery and Studio. She creates imaginative art where forgotten objects have been assembled into whimsical creatures, impossible vehicles and captivating sculptures.
Wendy Schwartz recently relocated to Newport. She was the co-owner of Stampadoodle, a paper-crafting and art store in Bellingham, Washington, for 29 years. Pen and ink work has been her main focus over the past two years.
Carol Shenk is a mixed-media artist living on the Oregon Coast. She recently returned to studio work after decades in local government records and archives. In 2021, she completed illustration for a children's book to be published in 2022.
The Newport Visual Arts Center is located at 777 NW Beach Drive, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 pm. For more information, go to coast arts.org or call 541-265-6540.