March 2023
Greetings!

As the saying goes, March came in like a lion. Or at least a polar bear! (Picture is the view from one of our board member's window.)

As you will see in this eNews, the museum has been a venue for so many different activities in February - it's really a community hub. Now if we could just get more people to actually know we are here - that would be fabulous.

Please make it a point to bring a friend sometime soon. Just yesterday we had a fifth grade field trip with students from Allen Dale Elementary. Later that day one of the students brought his dad back saying he wanted to show him what he had seen earlier that day.

We also had, by far, some of the most unusual visitors. One day a couple came in and we found out they were "in labor." They live on the coast but had to come here for the delivery. She wasn't quite ready, so the hospital suggested they walk around downtown. They chose the museum to visit!

Another day a different couple arrived and she was wearing a gorgeous lei. I asked if they had just come back from Hawaii and she said that this was their first time meeting in person. He had flown over that morning and this was their first face to face date. They chose the museum to visit!

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Enjoy!
Hyla
Executive Director
Current Exhibit
Karen O'Brien's exhibit, Elemental Dreams, is February 24 through March 31.
Through the generosity of The Ford Family Foundation, we have a free catalog of the exhibit for you that Karen created.
What's Next?
Who Knew?
Gallery One Artists Have Interesting Lives
These fun facts have been gathered by a friend of the museum. She prefers to remain anonymous. We are including pictures of the artists' work. You can see more by checking out the artist directory HERE!
KATHERINE BIRD
Call her Katy, Katiedid, Chatty Cathy or Katherine .As a toddler, she actually painted before she learned to draw!
And has continued on that remarkable passion for art.
She is a consummate gardener and baker (with a cookie monster at home). Also added to her art education to keep up with her four boys.
Her art starts with water media and adds color on color until a luminous creation emerges...as a wonderful surprise to her and you. You only have to look at her paintings to let it stir your imagination. You can tell that her art comes from within and flows from her heart.
DOUG IVERSON
It took Doug until he retired to recognize his compulsion to create! He is an avid gardener and equally avid artist, 
Working with watercolor on (slippery, plastic paper) Yupo...adding color and removing and adding until the results are fabulous or ready to be given up. The last doesn't apply if you've ever seen Doug's stunning abstracts..
Doug facilitates the Life Drawing Mondays at the museum.Come, join in the fun.
He claims to be an invisible man but his art is anything but....take a look.
CAL KENNEY
Fifty years ago, a budding "poet laureate" penned: 
to exist in that living way
use axe, hammer, needle, hoe
language, experience and your mind
create you life and live it so
Cal has started Poetry Night once a month at the Museum for other aspiring poets
His history exemplified his goals. A Peace Corps volunteer for two years on the island of St. Vincent in the Eastern Caribbean. It gave him a sense of community, health, beauty, sharing, travel, culture, love and a lot of fun.
Besides that feather in his cap, he creates handsome leather pouches and authored a book on Haiku. (He wrote one Haiku poem a day for a year!)
If you are marooned on a desert island, Caryne Mount is who you want. She can use any leaves or sticks for clothing and even add sea shells for a little embellishment. She can also sew a professional grade tutu and has for Sugar Plum fairies and Snow and Waltz queens and other roles of great ballets.

Her background is as unique as her designs. A long distance runner in high school and U of Kansas which led to Avon Women’s marathon in LA (which was a trial run for the ’84 Olympics) along with a 10K in the Grand Caymans. She took off her sneakers and switched to bike racing and competed in the ’92 Olympics road race trials.
Whew! Now she has taken a breather and creates the dreamiest designs in bags and scarves and tops. She also creates adorable pin cushions while watching TV! She is the ‘typical’ renaissance woman!
Workshops
Today we had to cancel the needlefelting workshop due to snow. Who would have thought we'd have snow in March. Oh, well, we have rescheduled the workshop for June 3. It will be available for signups on the website along with other workshops that will be happening during the next quarter. You can CHECK OUT WORKSHOPS HERE. There won't be any workshops in April because extra walls have to be placed in the museum for the huge exhibit, Best of the Best.
Classes for kids!
Normally, we only have kids' workshops in the summer. However, the Do Good Foundation contacted us and asked if they could hold after school classes for kids at the museum two days a week for six weeks. We said yes. It is very fun and as you can see, the kiddos are having a great time creating!
In the meantime - Google is offering their Google Doodle contest right now. The deadline is March 14 at 11:59pm to submit art. So, if you know of a young person who would like to participate - here's a link.
The New Gallery
The "Community Gallery" was put into use for the first time this month. We are celebrating Women's History Month and showing paintings of women who were born before women could vote and became prominent artists in Southern Oregon. Thanks to having art loaned from Dr. Heather Kahn, Tommi Drake, and Barb Hochberg, this exhibit is very inspiring.
Featured Greeter
Cindy Hernandez
I've been making art since I had to sit on phone books at my grandparent's farmhouse table. Art was the only subject I enjoyed throughout school. In the Summer between 9th grade & high school, I was invited to a special art camp at one of the universities in Iowa. It was my first real experience interacting with other artists of my age. Art was set aside after becoming a mother & a nurse so, now that I'm retired, I find I can experiment and play to my heart's content. I like to find new to me techniques and play rather than stick with one medium. At times, I step away from the art and delve into my other hobby- genealogy. I've written 2 books for my family and currently have 2 more simmering on the back burner. Variety is important to me. The stimulation of one project impacts the next.
(Cindy is pictured making an "exploding box" which will be the feature of her next workshop in May. Our greeters are encouraged to enjoy their time here and when they are not busy with other tasks - they can work on their own projects.)
Happenings In February & Early March
The Josephine County Foundation chose the museum as the backdrop for their photo op. They received a grant from Pacific Power for art projects with their Student Enrichment Projects.
Pictured are Frank Ault, JCF founder and board chair, Alan Meyer, Pacific Power regional representative,
and student members of the JCF organization.
We had a wonderful visit with the new CEO of the Oregon Community Foundation, Lisa Mensah. She was in Josephine County visiting recipients of the OCF grants. OCF helped pay for our Community gallery.
Alice Di Micele was our very first concert for 2023. She is very popular in Southern Oregon.
For the first time since we have been featuring concerts, we had a sellout. Over 50 people were in attendance.
The Do Good Foundation has three different workshops: One is a multi media class, one is a painting class and there are three needle felting opportunities. As you can see, the classes are very well attended and the middle school students are thriving with the addition of art opportunities in their lives.
You just never know who will want to use the museum for a venue. The Gateway Rotary Club of Grants Pass had a Super Bowl party here.
One of the members is highly creative with goodies. These were chocolate covered strawberries! Yum!
One of the favorite adult workshops we feature is Kristen O'Neill's "Paint Like A Famous Artist" series. This one was all about painting like Picasso. The budding artists are told to find an image they like and copy it in their own style. The results are always wonderful. All supplies are furnished and they get to take their own painting home to hang.
Our second concert of the year featured Roger Jaeger. Here he is seen playing an Indian Sitar. This was the first time he played a concert with this new instrument. (Although he's been playing sitars for over 17 years) The concerts are fun because they are intimate and you can ask the musician questions. He also plays guitar. Our next concert is in May.
First Friday Stroll in Grants Pass is always a treat at the museum. This month we featured Karen O'Brien and her exhibit, "Elemental Dreams." Here we see Karen talking to another artist, Julie Bickle.
We had 191 people visit on First Friday. It is a great time to enjoy wonderful art, see old friends, meet new friends, and be out an about in our wonderful historic downtown.
Events
We have one concert almost every month. Our first concert is sold out. You can purchase tickets for any of the other ones on the website by clicking the image below. We are happy to announce that Weekend Beer Company will be providing beverages to purchase at each of our concerts.
Second Friday Poetry Sharing is back at the museum. March 10 at 7pm.
The optional topic is The Gems In Our Life. Admission is free!
In honor of Women's History Month our film for March is all about Mary Cassatt. She was a beloved American Artist and one of the first women artists to be recognized in the art world. Last month we almost had a sellout so sign up quick.
Tickets are $5 each.
More Events
March 16 at 6:30pm: AAUW is celebrating Women's History Month by having their meeting at the museum. The topic of the program is "The Advancement of Women in the Arts." To that end we are presenting a panel of three local artists who have achieved recognition for their creativity: Eileen Bowie - a visual artist, Janet Higgins - a sculptor, and Jen Roberts - an author. The meeting is free and open to the public.
May 19 and 20 will feature a Day and Night at the museum with AIM (Authors' Innovating Marketing. This was so successful in the past we are bringing it back by popular demand. This area has some really good authors you will get to meet.
Our annual garden tour will be June 10 and 11. You don't want to miss it.
We are busy deciding on which gardens will be in the tour this year. If you are interested in having your garden featured - let us know.

AND...a new fundraiser for the museum and a great event for you to attend. We are going to host a talent show called "Let Us Entertain You."
We are waiting for a firm date from the Performing Arts Center for this fall.
Could you volunteer some of your time?
There are lots of different things a volunteer can do at the museum. One of the biggest needs we have right now is for greeters. These are people who act as a host when people visit the museum. The "shift" is four hours from 1pm - 5pm or noon - 4 Tuesday through Saturday. Click the pix on the left to sign up! It's really fun.
Gallery One News
A great place to shop for gifts of all kinds - all original art creations by Southern Oregon artists. The best place for one of a kind ornaments and cards too.
Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am - 5pm.
Featured Artist for March is Cherri Van Syoc.
"Being an abstract artist, I love waking up in the morning with a fresh idea for a new painting and having that idea linger in my mind throughout the day. I then start composing it that evening, turning on music (it must be jazz), then digging in. I gravitate to colors like cerulean blue, yellow ocher, and a touch of orange/red, using black or dark blue to ground my paintings.
"Every painting, as with life, has many layers. I have had rough spots throughout my years, which in my paintings I call texture. There have been times of trials, I call those the depth of the painting. And the happy, beautiful moments which every painting needs, I call highlights. The times of peace and calmness are the resting areas. And then there is the now, the reason for life, where you have been and where you are going -- the focal point.
"Abstract painting isn’t at all just a splattering on the canvas, it’s the artist exposing their soul."
Help keep the museum free for all!
HELP US TO PROVIDE YOU WITH
ART EXPERIENCES
Over the last 43 years, the Museum has showcased art that connects us across time, geography, and cultural differences. We couldn’t fulfill our important mission without the generous support of our members and donors. Today, will you go above and beyond and make a gift to empower our vital work of connecting our community with the power of art?
If you get this far....
I love street art. So clever!
THANK YOU!