Nurturing community pride through art, Douglas Orr
A stunning flutter of butterflies has taken up residence in downtown Aberdeen. The creation of artist Douglas Orr, the mosaic butterflies live outside the Alder Grove Gallery on West Market Street, part of Orr’s ongoing passion for lifting communities through art. “When you drive down during the darkest days of winter, these butterflies will be a bright, pretty thing that might cause somebody to smile and know that spring will get here eventually,” he explains.
In time, the three columns on the block that Orr has named Pollinators’ Park will also feature hummingbirds and bees, along with mosaics from other local artists. Community-oriented projects like this have motivated Orr throughout much of his adult life.
“Doug Orr is an absolute asset to our community, I don’t know what it would be like if he weren’t here!” says Michael Dickerson, vice president of Our Aberdeen, a nonprofit organization that support projects that enhance the community.
Dickerson and his wife, Sylvia note that Our Aberdeen has commissioned Orr for 14 community projects, ranging from painting murals to restoring the public art installment, “Critters,” in downtown Aberdeen. In addition to being a very good artist, “Doug Orr’s talent is making things happen,” Dickerson says.
In time, the three columns on the block that Orr has named Pollinators’ Park will also feature hummingbirds and bees, along with mosaics from other local artists. Community-oriented projects like this have motivated Orr throughout much of his adult life.
“Doug Orr is an absolute asset to our community, I don’t know what it would be like if he weren’t here!” says Michael Dickerson, vice president of Our Aberdeen, a nonprofit organization that support projects that enhance the community.
Dickerson and his wife, Sylvia note that Our Aberdeen has commissioned Orr for 14 community projects, ranging from painting murals to restoring the public art installment, “Critters,” in downtown Aberdeen. In addition to being a very good artist, “Doug Orr’s talent is making things happen,” Dickerson says.
In time, the three columns on the block that Orr has named Pollinators’ Park will also feature hummingbirds and bees, along with mosaics from other local artists. Community-oriented projects like this have motivated Orr throughout much of his adult life.
“Doug Orr is an absolute asset to our community, I don’t know what it would be like if he weren’t here!” says Michael Dickerson, vice president of Our Aberdeen, a nonprofit organization that support projects that enhance the community.
Dickerson and his wife, Sylvia note that Our Aberdeen has commissioned Orr for 14 community projects, ranging from painting murals to restoring the public art installment, “Critters,” in downtown Aberdeen. In addition to being a very good artist, “Doug Orr’s talent is making things happen,” Dickerson says.
A Harbor native, Orr graduated from Grays Harbor College in 1986 before moving to Southern California to study art at California State University at Long Beach. During his sojourn in California, he and his partner, David Rodriguez, owned and managed a huge art center, always focused on launching young artists into successful careers. “Other than my niece and nephew, the thing that gives me the greatest joy is to see that we started somebody out, and now they are active and thriving,” says Orr, 62.
That dual purpose of community building and empowering artists brought Orr back to Aberdeen in 2014. The former Eagles building on the corner of Market and K streets sat vacant for a decade before Orr and Rodriguez purchased it.
More than 100 years old, the building offered a wealth of history along with a leaking roof and falling plaster. Drawing on his talents in both construction and art, Orr began a transformation project.
Two years later, the Aberdeen Art Center began to emerge from the rubble with the opening of Orr and Rodriguez’s Alder Grove Gallery. Beautifully curated, the gallery features works from artists throughout the Harbor, making world-class art available locally.
“We have a huge variety of art,” explains Orr. “We get tourists here who come back for us and tell their friends who buy homes out at the beach and want artwork. It’s a lot easier than driving all the way to Seattle.”
Over the years, the Art Center has added Mother Crow’s Studio and Gallery, Friends of the Aberdeen Art Museum, Leigh’s Custom Framing, classroom space and a conference room. In addition, the Center sponsors First Friday Art Walks each month, featuring live music and snacks in the gallery, artist demos and a free art class.
Various art-in-the-community projects include phantom galleries in abandoned storefronts and the annual Rain Glow Festival. Now in its third year, the festival attracts thousands to downtown to soak up the sights and sounds of art and light. (Pro Tip: Mark your calendar for next year’s Rain Glow on July 23!)
Meanwhile, Orr continues creating, both in public spaces and in his private studio. Many know him as a muralist, painting murals such as the Bubbles mural and the Hands and History mural in downtown Aberdeen. (They are located on the side of the D&R Theatre and at 120 W. Heron Street, respectively.) But his art spans a broad spectrum from painting to sculpture, mosaic, wood carving, assemblage art and more. As Orr says, “I’m not really afraid to try anything. When it comes to art, my brain will take whatever medium and figure out a way to make it work.”
And he has, from religious art to sand sculptures, landscapes to unicorns. Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali inspired him. Art school helped him build discipline. But for the most part, he has developed his craft through consistent practice and finding art in everything he sees. “My whole thing is to find something that challenges me and fuss with it until I get a grip of it,” he explains.
The massive art studio and Orr’s apartment above the Alder Grove Gallery display a treasure trove of the results of his artistic process. A large acrylic landscape rests on an easel next to his paints. Paintings of eyes line a nearby wall, gazing intently on Orr as he works. And a collection of altars created with salvaged materials adds an old-world feel.
In fact, walking through Orr’s apartment feels like an extension of the gallery itself. Using mostly recycled materials, he fabricated a stunning living space in Spanish style, filled with art he has both created and collected. For instance, wood rescued from the big hall downstairs forms a magnificent archway leading to the dining room.
Orr says that he hopes his legacy will be to leave the world better than he found it. “Just one person can make a huge difference,” he muses. “They don’t think they can, but somebody plugging along makes a huge amount of difference.” Through turning an abandoned building into a work of art, establishing a thriving art center and creating beautiful butterflies one small piece of glass at a time, Douglas Orr is indeed building an enduring legacy for the Harbor.
For more information on the community art scene, visit www.aberdeenartcenter.com or stop by the gallery at 200 West Market St. in Aberdeen from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
Ocean Shores Mural (Courtesy City of Ocean Shores)