Strung out by 2020?
Soothe your spirits by taking home a piece of the
Nye Beach Banner Auction
Now in its 12th year, Newport’s Nye Beach Banner Project invites artists to decorate double-sided canvas banners, which are then hung on light posts throughout the neighborhood, creating colorful displays from spring until fall.
The banners are now down, which means it’s time for the auction, running online from October 30 through Nov. 8, allowing people to bring home their favorites while raising funds to support kids’ arts education and permanent public art through the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts.
In-person viewing will be available at the Newport Visual Arts Center on Saturday, Oct 31, and Wednesday and Saturday, Nov 4 and 7, from noon to 4 pm.
During this year’s banner project, 49 adult artists donated their creative talents along with 15 youth artists. Some artists addressed the 2020 theme, “Good food, good vibes, good music,” while others responded to the COVID pandemic.
This year, some of the banners were developed in exchange with artists from Newport’s sister city, Mombetsu, Japan. Four Newport artists sent works east, while four Japanese artists sent works west.
“I heard that the sunset is beautiful in Nye Beach, but since I have never been to Newport City, I referred to some materials and created the banner with the theme of a lighthouse in dawn,” wrote Japanese artist Fujio Ogino in the statement he included with his work. “Mombetsu City is a port town where fishing is the key industry, but during February to early April, drift ice comes and the sea is covered with drift ice. During the drift ice period, fishing boats get healed from tiredness, aiming to sail out in spring, and people here chose to live with the drift ice that nurtures the rich sea. I tried to illustrate the banner while having such image.”
Two storms this year challenged the strength of the banners, and though some were damaged and one was torn in half, all but five survived intact.
“What a great thing the banner project is!” said artist Robin Beckwith. “With the virus upon us, we need an uplifting.”
Though the auction is online, viewing the banners was a perfect pandemic event, offering opportunities for socially distant, outdoor exercise and art appreciation.
“Walking around the narrow streets of Nye Beach in Newport, it’s hard not to notice the creativity of area residents,” said OCCA VAC Director Tom Webb. “Banners hung from light posts like beckoning sentries, inviting residents and tourists alike to watch for the next piece of original artwork at the next street corner. We encourage the community to attend the banner auction and support their efforts.”
The Newport Visual Arts Center is located at 777 NW Beach Drive. For more information, go to coastarts.org. To participate in the auction, go to www.32auctions.com/nyebeachbanner.