Up From the Ashes
“Up From the Ashes,” an exhibit honoring and sharing the stories from last year’s Echo Mountain fire and its aftermath, opens this Friday, April 9, with an in-person reception at the Lincoln City Cultural Center.
The exhibit explores the human conditions of grief, loss, healing regrowth, compassion and selflessness in the face of this terrible local disaster.
If weather allows, the opening reception will take place outdoors from 5 to 7 pm, catered by the mobile Hearth & Table Events pizza oven. Complimentary pizza and salad will be served, while supplies last. Groups will be allowed to enter and enjoy the show in small groups. Masks will be required when patrons enter the building. For those still unable to attend, there will be a video documenting this amazing collection of stories, artifacts and images on Facebook @lincolncityculture.
“Up From the Ashes” is, first and foremost, a collection of stories chronicling the immense impact of the fire on the lives of so many community members. Using articles penned by TODAY Editor Gretchen Ammerman, the exhibit strives to tell and preserve these stories and also to show the shimmering light of hope and rebirth. This exhibit also includes objects pulled out of the ashes and photography to illustrate these stories. Much of the photography has been done by professional photographer Bruce MacGregor, who approached this project with all of his heart and skill to capture some very powerful moments.
The exhibit also features artwork done by community members in response to the fire and “Expressing Loss,” an assemblage art dolls designed by art kit volunteer Suzan Sachdeva and given out to fire victims as a way to aid in the healing process. Many of these dolls will have parts that also came “from the ashes.”
Stories are powerful.
And art is healing.
The Echo Mountain Arts Fund is supporting this special exhibit of stories, artwork, photography and objects from the ashes, curated by Krista Eddy and featured in the PJ Chessman Gallery until May 9.
When the exhibit concludes, all of the stories, much of the photography and some of the items from the fire will be donated to the North Lincoln County Historical Museum for preservation and a future exhibit.
The cultural center is still accepting donations for the Echo Mountain Arts Fund. You can give online at lincolncity-culturalcenter.org/donate, mail a check to EMAF c/o The Lincoln City Cultural Center, PO Box 752, Lincoln City, OR, 97367, or call 541-994-9994 and donate by phone. All donations are tax deductible.
The exhibit will be open from 10 am to 4 pm, Thursday through Sunday and by appointment in the Chessman Gallery, inside the Lincoln City Cultural Center at 540 NE Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City.
For more information go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org, the @LincolnCityCulture page on Facebook or call 541-994-9994.