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.

Photo by Katie McGregor

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.

Photo by Katie McGregor

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)

Ocean Shores Mural (Courtesy City of Ocean Shores)

Razor Clam as artistic muse

For anyone who grew up on the Washington Coast, razor clams are much more than a recreational enterprise – they are part of the soul, the artwork, the lore, the generations.

Humorous clam-inspired art by Elton Bennett (Image courtesy of Museum of the North Beach)

Humorous clam-inspired art by Elton Bennett (Image courtesy of Museum of the North Beach) Barbara Bennett Parsons recalls many childhood digs with her father, the world-renowned Grays Harbor artist Elton Bennett. Her father would take the whole family to go clam digging “on every tide” in the Iron Springs area.

Many of Elton Bennett’s most treasured and prized pieces capture scenes of clam digging, and Barbara noted that her father even worked in a commercial clam operation in the 1930s during the Depression era. He is likely the most well-known of any artist who captured the essence of the razor clam experience.

“It wasn’t until after WWII that he was able to attend art school.  And what, you may ask, was his first success as an artist?  Yes, it was a silkscreen print that portrayed razor clam digging,” she says. Elton Bennett original silkscreen artwork now is

known and treasured around the world.
“Even those who have never seen a razor clam in their lives appreciate scenes of people on the beach, cherishing their oneness with the sea in all of its glory,” she observes.

Elton Bennet’s work can now be seen in several Grays Harbor locations and museums, as well as in the Ocean Crest Resort restaurant, dining room and lounge, and at a showroom in Hoquiam.  For information about Elton Bennett, visit www.eltonbennett.com, or contact Barbara Bennett Parsons at (360) 532-3235 to arrange for a visit to the Elton Bennett showroom.

Viewing razor clam art

Razor clams have indeed inspired some of the most famous artists from the Washington Coast. One of the best locations to view and experience the art of razor clam digging is at the Museum of the North Beach in Moclips.

“We do have some razor clam art dating back to the 1950s,” says Kelly Calhoun, museum curator. “And we have Elton Bennett’s serigraphs of clam diggers as well as Moclips artist Uldine Burgon.”

 

Pen and ink drawing by Uldine Burgon (Image courtesy of Museum of the North Beach)

Burgon’s pen-and-ink drawings capture life along the North Beach, and her sketches have been donated to the museum, which has several pieces and greeting cards on display. Before she died in 2017 at the age of 101, Uldine’s Bluff House Studio was located one block from the museum on Highway 109.

Razor clam art recently made a bigger-than-life splash in Ocean Shores with the colorful mural painted on the side of the Ocean Shores Convention Center by Aberdeen artist Douglas Orr and designed by Ocean Shores artist Judy Horn. Completed this past summer, the mural shows a wide beach landscape that includes several different clam-digging scenes. (Orr is featured on page 29 in this issue of Coastal Currents.)

“It really depicts what you might see out on our beach,” says Horn. “We have clam diggers, we have kite fliers, we have horseback riders and we have kids playing in the sand.”

Image courtesy of Museum of the North Beach

Orr, who owns Alder Grove Gallery in Aberdeen, can recall at least a couple of razor clam-related pieces he has painted over the years, including one of clam diggers on the beach for a piece he sold locally. However, the clam diggers actually were an afterthought when it came to the new mural. The design originally didn’t have clam diggers in the scene, but Orr says, “I wanted the mural to take up the whole space. So, I had stretched the design out, and then Judy saw it and we added the clams afterward.”

Locally, the most famous – or infamous – razor clam artwork, the iconic carved cedar clam that once graced the front of Executive Villa offices in Ocean Shores, now is one of the oldest mysteries in town. Radio station KOSW last year even went on an unsuccessful search for what happened to the 8-foot-high razor clam that for years towered over the intersection of Ocean Shores Avenue and Chance a la Mer Boulevard.

A 7-foot-tall replacement clam has been carved from an old-growth cedar log by North Beach chainsaw artist Anthony Robinson. (Robinson was featured in the Summer 2021 issue of Coastal Currents.) In 2020, Robinson was commissioned by the Ocean Shores beautification committee to carve a replacement for the original. However, with Covid-19 precautions slowing city projects down and other more pressing city business, the new clam has yet to see a home.

Once the Ocean Shores Razor Clam Festival returns in March, razor clam artistic flair will be highlighted during the annual decorated razor clam shovel contest, which gives artists of every ability a chance to create, producing an array of artifacts more suitable for mounting on a wall than plunging into the surf.

Artistic flair blossoms at Harbor Blooms

It is not an ordinary flower shop

An amazing reputation and intriguing window displays draw people into Harbor Blooms in downtown Aberdeen. But once inside the store, the various vignettes, comprised of silk flowers, home decor and a myriad of gifts, keep one moving deeper and deeper into the 3,000-square-foot space in a treasure hunt of beauty and delight. Frankly, the experience is less like shopping at a store and more like entering an art gallery and an artist’s studio combined. It’s a place brimming with creativity and possibility.

Photo by Gail Greenwood Ayres

“You would be surprised how many people come in here and say, ‘I just had to come in to get some happy,’” says owner and lead designer Sheril Woodruff.

It’s no wonder that the flower arrangements that leave Harbor Blooms are so often pieces of art themselves and that the store at 118 East Heron St., has been voted the Harbor’s favorite florist since it began in 2016.

“At Harbor Blooms they are really good about keeping up with the trends in the floral industry,” says frequent customer Stacie Barnum of Aberdeen. “They add things to your arrangements that you wouldn’t find in, say, a grocery store florist shop. They know how to personalize arrangements to the person and the occasion. They are so good about putting together something unique that represents what you are looking for.”

Woodruff has many years of floral arranging experience, having worked at Flowerland in Hoquiam, Wynan’s Florist in Aberdeen, Enchanted Florist in Hoquiam, and Flowers by Pollen in Hoquiam. A few years after Flowers by Pollen moved to Aberdeen, the owner, Janis Pollen, retired. Woodruff decided to stay on and began her own business, Harbor Blooms, in the same location.

Despite all the years of experience, Woodruff, 57, says she has no formal floral training. However, it’s clear when it comes to floral design her instincts have served her well. “Here, we don’t do things that taught florists do,” she explains. “Everything grows in nature and it grows together so it goes together,” she says. “The rules aren’t to be followed. It is what looks good to the eye, not what the color wheel says, or even what the rules of design dictate.”

“We don’t have the same cookie-cutter approach,” she says. “It’s a little about winging it and following how the flowers want to go in their own direction and letting it happen rather than following the rules.” While of course customers’ preferences are honored and people can order arrangements such as a traditional vase of a dozen red roses and other more customary designs, what sets Harbor Blooms apart is its less static, often asymmetrical designs. “It’s just more interesting to look at than very tight and put together,” she says.

The shop tends to use unusual greenery in their arrangements, typically forgoing salal and leather fern for eucalyptus, cedar, eriostemon, curly willow and the like. “If you have a good base with your greenery then that is like the cake and the flowers are like the frosting. If you start with bad greenery, it’s a struggle,” Woodruff says.

Not only is Woodruff an artist with flowers, she seems to have a keen ability to determine who else will be a quality designer, and has high praise for her staff of six. “When I’ve interviewed for new designers, I hand them a vase and have them put together an arrangement. I can tell immediately if they will be good. It’s hard to explain, it even has to do with which flowers they choose to work with and how they handle the flowers.”

 “It’s not a craft, it is an art,” she says, “It is, I think, an eye, and it is also partly being able to read people, too.

Certainly, something is resonating with her work. The shop stays busy, especially in the summer when the designers provide flowers for three to five weddings each weekend. Well-known for exquisite wedding displays, Harbor Blooms’ flowers have been highlighted in several publications including Rock n Roll Bride magazine, Seattle Bride magazine and the Wedding Chicks blog.

While it’s always nice to have your work acknowledged, Woodruff says what she especially enjoys about her work is the relationships developed with her customers over the years.

Photo by Gail Greenwood Ayres

“What brings me the most joy is just having the opportunity to be a part of people’s lives,” she says. “There are people I’ve been part of their life story as they’ve grown. It starts with flowers for dance recitals, then corsages for the prom, then their wedding flowers and later baby bouquets and sometimes, sadly, arrangements for the death of a parent.”

There have actually been studies that receiving flowers in difficult times helps with recovery, she says. “There is something about flowers that feeds the soul. It’s bringing in nature; I mean, what more beautiful thing is there?” Periodically Harbor Blooms offers various classes. For more information, visit www.Harborblooms.com or check out their Facebook page.

Photo by Gail Greenwood Ayres

Well-known potter John Benn fired up to teach at Grays Harbor Potters Guild

When experienced potter and artist Sandy Early of Hoquiam decided to take a break from teaching pottery, she was thrilled when award-winning potter John Benn answered the call. “I have been teaching for 30 years,” Early says. “I wanted to take the summer off to work in my studio and so I placed an ad. … I was very happy when John Benn responded and agreed to teach at the guild during the summer. We are now also talking about fall.”

The Grays Harbor Potters Guild, which opened its doors in November 2020 at 2222 Simpson Ave. in Hoquiam, began with a group of potters from Studio 6 of the North Beach Artists Guild in Ocean Shores. These artists formed their new non-profit in the more central Hoquiam location to open a gallery and to focus on teaching.  Early taught the first set of “Pottery 4 All” classes. John Benn demonstrating a technique to students in a class at the Grays Harbor Potters Guild in Hoquiam. (Photo By Christine Vincent)

John Benn demonstrating a technique to students in a class at the Grays Harbor Potters Guild in Hoquiam. (Photo By Christine Vincent)

She is excited that Harborites have had the opportunity to take the newly named “Clay 4 All” class from Benn, a ceramic artist and potter whose remarkable work has been featured in national and international exhibitions and books. An adjunct professor of ceramics, drawing, painting and design at Olympic College in Bremerton, Benn’s pots are highly sought after by collectors. Teaching pottery online because of Covid-19 hasn’t been easy, Benn says, noting how much he misses the personal contact with his students. That’s why the opportunity to teach face-to-face in the guild studio has been especially rewarding.

Benn is known for his wood-fired pottery which receives its complex beauty from the firing process. In the studio of the Grays Harbor Potters Guild, he teaches the basics of shaping clay and glazing, which precede any kind of firing technique. While learning to wheel-throw or hand-build their pieces, students are exposed to their teacher’s vast knowledge and love of pottery history and philosophy. In the guild studio, the students work is fired in a brand-new electric kiln purchased with a grant from the Grays Harbor Community Foundation.

While his specialty of wood-fired pottery is mind-blowingly complex, Benn waves his arm around the guild studio: “(Creating pottery) can be very simple.  Here, it is all about the students. They can do whatever they like starting with very simple shapes fired in the electric kiln.” Benn is married to Colleen Gallagher, an award-winning ceramic artist, who is a professor of art at South Sound Community College in Olympia. Together, they have built their lives around the two great wood-fire kilns that Benn has constructed in a former boat shed on their Harstine Island property.

Benn with a student in the class in Hoquiam. (Photo By Christine Vincent)

“Here, in the guild’s studio, we place the pot in the electric kiln and the work is done,” he says. “With wood-fired pottery, the hard work begins with placing the pots in the kiln.” Benn uses a beautiful figure of speech: “I paint with fire.”

An electric kiln is used at the Grays Harbor Potters Guild. (Photo By Christine Vincent)

In imitation of the ancients, Benn creates large round-bellied vases, a foot or more in diameter, with stunningly complex surfaces. Gazing at them, one discovers entire universes of colors, textures and shapes, often mirroring the seashore from which they received much of their beauty. Amazingly, these pots have never been touched by the artist’s brush. They have been truly painted with fire!

Then comes the wood – a lot of wood! Benn and Gallagher own a wood splitter, which is very much needed, considering that it takes eight cords to stoke their 25-foot, two-chambered kiln. The couple has named the enormous wood stack, which occupies a large area of their workshop and their lives, the Wood Palace.

It takes a week to get the large kiln up to firing temperature of 2300 F.  Then, to maintain this heat level, a bundle of wood needs to be added to the fire every three to five minutes! The kiln requires constant attention. Benn and Gallagher have assembled a reliable firing crew for this task. Not surprisingly, the kilns are only fired three to four times each year and always in the winter because of the fire danger.

Wood-fired pottery is a community effort by people who are willing to dedicate a lot of time to serving the fire.  Wood-fired pots cannot be made in isolation, nor can the process be controlled. Unlike factory-made pottery, the finished pieces are alive with the labor of the potters and their crew in their interaction with the forces of nature.

An electric kiln is used at the Grays Harbor Potters Guild. (Photo By Christine Vincent)

Different trees draw different kinds of minerals from the soil which are vaporized in the extreme heat of the kiln creating patina on the clay surfaces. The wood ash settles on the pots creating colored glazes. Benn and Gallagher use only dead wood from their land. Occasionally, neighbors donate different types of wood for the potters to play with.

Japanese tradition is particularly focused on the appreciation of wood-fired pottery. It became popular in the United States when American soldiers saw and loved Japanese pots in World War II and brought the techniques home with them. In Japan, pottery pieces are valued for the way in which they engage the senses and induce mindfulness.

Benn explains the irregular shape and texture of a “chawan,” a tea bowl, used in the ritual tea ceremony.

“Not only the look is important; the feel of the uneven lip, which I allow to form naturally, draws attention. Even the sound created by the shape of the bowl is important.”

The Grays Harbor Potters Guild is currently offering the opportunity to study ceramic arts with John Benn at the beginner and intermediate levels. Register at GraysHarborPottersGuild.com. 

Pottery by John Benn and Colleen Gallagher is currently on exhibit at Childhood’s End Gallery in Olympia. Visit their website to see photos of their pottery and of the kilns:

John Benn and Colleen Gallagher: Woodfired Pottery.  http://benngallagher.com

Public Art at its finest in the Grays Harbor County Courthouse

On July 2, 1999, a Friday evening, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook Western Washington. Just 10 miles west of its epicenter, the Grays Harbor County Courthouse sustained significant damage, necessitating months of repair. In addition to reconstructing the dome and fixing broken stonework and windows, county officials took the opportunity to restore the majestic artwork throughout the courthouse.

For the first time since 1910, artisans took down the magnificent murals that grace the domed ceiling and the walls of the courtrooms. As the murals traveled to Seattle for restoration, the county took stock of the remaining artwork. Damage also marred the lovely stained glass at the top of the dome, as well as decorative panels throughout the building.

Fortunately, local artists brought the necessary talent. Skip Unterseher, of Aberdeen, worked on the panels and paintings, while Hoquiam artist Cathy Rusley Smith repaired the stained glass.

Working on scaffolding several stories high, local artist Skip Unterseher restored murals in the courthouse dome after a recent water leak. This is the second time Unterseher has stepped in to save the artwork, first working on the courthouse murals after the 1999 earthquake. (Photo By Juliana Wallace)

Working on scaffolding several stories high, local artist Skip Unterseher restored murals in the courthouse dome after a recent water leak. This is the second time Unterseher has stepped in to save the artwork, first working on the courthouse murals after the 1999 earthquake. (Photo By Juliana Wallace)

 “I couldn’t believe how good the repairs were,” remembers Superior Court Judge Katie Svoboda. “It’s interesting to me that you have these major things that need to be done and that we have the artists here in the county and are able to use them.”

In fact, the artists did such exceptional work that when a water leak caused more damage in 2020, Director of Facilities Mark Cox immediately suggested that the county hire Unterseher. Once again, Unterseher restored the murals and other artwork. He meticulously matched 100-year-old paint colors and re-created decorative panels on muslin to allow for easier repair in the future.

Scaffolding in the courthouse (Photo By Juliana Wallace)

Much of Unterseher’s artwork flies under the radar. For instance, some of the “marble” in the courthouse is actually wood painted to look like marble. On the other hand, the original doors, though they look like wood, are in fact made of metal. Unterseher has mastered the art of creating faux marble and wood, allowing the county to maintain the original appearance even through repairs.

Unterseher, 72, loves his work. “I’ve made my living doing this for almost 50 years,” he says. “And to think that at my age you get to do this, not once, but twice. It’s so cool.” The results are stunning. And with the restoration and the addition of new, carefully placed LED lighting, visitors can now see the courthouse art in all its original majesty. “It’s hard not to be taken aback when you look up and see that beautiful artwork jump off the canvas,” states Cox.

The artwork begins on the grand stairway leading up to the second floor. Six murals grace the walls, depicting local history and scenery. German American artist Franz Rohrbeck and his crew painted the centerpiece murals, as well as murals in Superior Courtrooms 1 and 2 and the murals in the dome. Murals in Superior Courtroom No. 1, where Judge Katie Svoboda presides, portray the role of justice. (Photo By Juliana Wallace) While exceptional pieces of art, the downstairs murals misrepresent the Native Americans.

Murals in Superior Courtroom No. 1, where Judge Katie Svoboda presides, portray the role of justice. (Photo By Juliana Wallace)

“Rohrbeck didn’t realize that the Northwest Coast Indians were different than the Plains Indians, so the Native Americans that he portrayed are wearing big, long headdresses. We know that’s not the way our Coast Indians lived and dressed,” explains Cox. The “Transgression” mural is one of two murals in Superior Courtroom No. 2. (Photo By Juliana Wallace)

Once upstairs, courthouse visitors should take the time to stop and gaze up at the four dome murals and the stained glass, as well as the stenciling and wall art on all sides. Judge Svoboda recognizes that the artwork plays a significant role in how visitors approach the work that goes on in the courthouse. “When people come in, they respond to the solemnness, and for the most part they act appropriately,” she explains. “You never get desensitized to it.”

As a prosecutor, Svoboda found an extra benefit to the beautiful art in helping to put child victims at ease in a painfully difficult situation. With so much to look at, the children gain some welcome distance from the tension of the court proceedings.

The “Transgression” mural is one of two murals in Superior Courtroom No. 2. (Photo By Juliana Wallace)

In addition to the paintings, decorative touches throughout add to the beauty and maintain the historical feeling of the building. Most of the furniture is original. Likewise, the original gas light fixtures have been retrofitted for electricity. And the county took special pains to restore details like the egg-and-dart molding with help from Unterseher, as well as Miller & Sons plasterers from Olympia.

That same attention to detail drove the remodel of the second-floor law library, which has now become a third courtroom. “The way we designed that, you wouldn’t realize it wasn’t historical,” says Cox. “Even the egg-and-dart moldings and the pilasters on the railings mimic what’s on the third floor.”

And while the new courtroom currently has no paintings, Svoboda suggests it might prove the perfect place to bring some authentic Native American art to the courthouse.

The iconic clock tower adds a crowning touch to the courthouse art. When the clock recently stopped working, county officials made the decision to repair the original clock instead of replacing it with a digital version. Even though most people never see the clockworks, the painting and gilding make it a piece of art in and of itself.

Mark Cox, Director of Facilities, is passionate about preserving the art in the courthouse, including the original courthouse clock. (Photo By Juliana Wallace)

Mark Cox, Director of Facilities, is passionate about preserving the art in the courthouse, including the original courthouse clock. (Photo By Juliana Wallace)

Looking forward, Cox feels a significant responsibility to maintain the building and its exceptional artwork. “The people of Grays Harbor own this building. I’m always aware of that,” he says. “I have to keep it up, because my bosses drive by here every day. Every person in a car is part owner of this building. And I think they want it nice.” The Grays Harbor County Courthouse is located at 102 West Broadway Avenue in Montesano and open to the public between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Art classes available on the Harbor this fall

Whether dabblers or pros, Grays Harbor County offers a variety of opportunities for those interested in creating art to learn more!

In addition to the Grays Harbor Potters Guild in Hoquiam, other Grays Harbor organizations offer various types of art classes. Another option would be to explore art classes available through Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen.

 Cosi Art Center

The Cosi Art Center, 1136 First Street in Cosmopolis, features art instruction for children. Founded and directed by Judi Lohr, the children’s art school is a non-profit entity that teaches classic art techniques.

The after-school program will resume Sept. 27. It offers art instruction and a chance for kids to socialize in small groups once their homework is done, according to Lohr.

In addition, art programs on Saturday will restart this fall beginning Oct. 2. The programs include digital media, pastels, water colors, acrylics and crafts. Most of the classes are designed for students 6 years and older, however, the digital art class is for students 8 years and older.

For more information, go to the website at cosiartcenter.com or check out the Facebook page. Registration is via cosiartcenter@gmail.com.

 Gallery of Ocean Shores

The North Beach Artists Guild’s Gallery of Ocean Shores is full of opportunities to enjoy art and learn how to create it. Located at 849 Point Brown Ave. in Ocean Shores, it is open each day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artists create right there in the gallery for the instruction and enjoyment of visitors and to share their process of creating the artwork that’s on display there.

Classes in many different mediums are available. Check out the website at galleryofoceanshores.com or call the gallery at (360) 289-0734 for more information. The interactive website includes a way to register and pay for art classes. Each class has a fee, but scholarships are available for both art classes and workshops.

Currently the classes include:

  • Figurative sculpture in clay with Scott Hawn from 10 a.m. to noon for four Monday sessions. For additional information, contact Hawn directly at scotgallery@gmail.com.
  • An online Wet on Wet Watercolor class taught via Zoom with Roy Lowry each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  In-person classes are scheduled upon request.
  • Colored pencil and pastel weekly online art class with Penny Dalton is from 1 to 4 p.m. each Thursday. In this class Dalton will teach how to create translucent flowers using layers of colored pencil.
  • Fused Glass Workshop with Cammie Zielinski is offered for four sessions from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays. The class will teach the basics of fused glass with new projects each week.
  • On Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 8:30 Zielinski offers a drop-in class on fused glass. (Cost is $50.) Projects vary each time so contact her directly for more information at  cammiez@comcast.net.
  • Many Saturdays Scott Hawn teaches how to create FOBOTS,  that is robot sculptures with found objects. This takes place at the studio. Call or check online for details.
  • An introduction to oil painting is taught from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays by Margaret Ooyen Lemke. The class is both in person or online via Zoom. For more information, contact the instructor  at margaretooyenlemke@gmail.com.

 South Beach Arts Association

Located at 800 N. Montesano St., in Westport, the South Beach Arts Association offers classes to learn and experience a variety of different art media from ceramics to basic weaving, mosaics to painting.

For up-to-date information on classes, check out their website at southbeacharts.org.  Classes listed include pottery classes by Cindy Reed. However the fall sessions are all full.

 Aberdeen Art Center

The large Aberdeen Art Center, 200 W. Market St., offers a variety of classes in addition to the gallery of art to enjoy. Currently the only scheduled class is a watercolor class taught from 3 to 6 p.m. each Thursday by Tammy Barns. The $25 fee includes all materials. For more information about this class or others, contact the gallery at (562) 208-4226 or check out the website at aberdeenartcenter.com.