Greetings!
Happy New Year! Did you notice that the museum logo is different? Thanks to Nancy Sterling, both the museum and Gallery One received a branding facelift. We are very excited to bring in the new year with a new look.
So many good things happened in 2021, even though it was a very challenging year because of the pandemic. We were fortunate to be able to be open for most of the year. People enjoyed being able to see (up close and personal) exhibits.
We were unable to have a live Black, White, & the Blues Gala so we created a virtual event. It was fun and thanks to Pam and Chris Geye, the actual night of the final auction was entertaining and rewarding. We worked with the Swaim Organization in Portland to help us and were so pleased with them.
We were also able to hold our annual Art in the Garden. It was a very joyful outdoor event that highlighted wonderful gardens and fabulous art. Plans are already in the works for this year's event. (Thank you Kate Bortells)
The 2021 membership brought an amazing array of art from our members. We had submissions from 92 artists for a total of 149 works of art. It was a delight for all.
Our final exhibit of the year, Reclaimed Creations, was incredible. We had been planning for it since 2018 and it was definitely worth the wait. We enjoyed having just under 1900 visitors during the exhibit. We even had three elementary school field trips!
It was a travelling exhibit provided by David Wagner, LLC. We were able to finance it with generous sponsors, grants, and donors (Miller Foundation, Pacific Power, Evergreen Federal Bank, the Autzen Foundation, and the Dutch Bros Foundation). Right now it is all crated up and ready to move on to a museum in California. Thanks to our excellent Curatorial Staff (Susan Burnes, Mark Simonds, Ellen Campbell, Val Ornelas, Michael and Katherine Bird) and Installation Crew (including all of them plus Caitlin Rice, Walt Padgett, Dick Miller, Misti King, and Kim Sterling) - everything happened without a hitch. I must also thank The Daily Courier, Sneak Preview (Steve Roe), and The Southern Oregon Magazine for amazing publicity. AND Jes Webb for providing the water effects for the polar bears.
Gosh, I could go on and on and on with more thanks - suffice to say how grateful we are to be open and vibrant. So many galleries and museums were shuttered and never opened again. It is all about the caring community we have - visitors, donors, and friends. Many thanks to our volunteers, greeters, and board members (Penelope DiGennaro, Melissa Hayes, Kate Bortells, Nancy Yonally, Cal Kenney, Laura Acosta, Nancy Sterling, and Pam Zaklan.)
Warm regards,
Hyla
Executive Director