April 9 - May 29, 2010
Corvallis Art Guild and Benton County Historical Society presented a juried art show in support of National Historic Preservation Month. The exhibition featured thirty-eight works by eighteen artists. Featured artists were Rich Bergeman, Mike Bergen, Lois Bottomley, Philip Coleman, Judith Dedek, Richard Helmick, Kathryn Honey, Linda Humphrey, Marjorie Kinch, Mike Kinch, Charles M. Leach, Doyle Leek, Earl Newman, Ross Parkerson, Ella Rhodes, Bob Stebbins, Frances Stilwell, Terry Tallis, and Alice Tetamore.
Dennis Adrian is a retired art critic, curator and professor of art history at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Mary Gallagher serves on Oregon's State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation. She is also our museum's Collections Manager.
Robert Lucy is a professional artist who currently resides in New York City.
Rich Bergeman
Gelatin silver print from 4x5 negative
16"x20"
Rich Bergeman
Gelatin silver print from 4x5 negative
14"x18"
Mike Bergen
Watercolor
16"x20"
"Philomath College was founded in 1867 by the United Brethren Church. The city was incorporated in 1882. The college, which finally closed in 1929, was eventually carefully restored to its original state. At present, the building houses the Benton County Historical Museum, which, with its distinctive bell tower, is a well-known Philomath landmark." --Mike Bergen
Mike Bergen
Oil
16"x20"
"Completed in 1926, the Women's Building was designed by architect John V. Bennes of Portland, who designed more than 20 OSU campus buildings constructed during the period from 1910 to the 1930s. However, the Women's Building was Bennes' only commission on campus that resulted from open competition. It was originally the physical education facility for women." --Mike Bergen
Mike Bergen
Oil
13"x16"
"Waldo Hall, originally built in 1907 as a 115-room women's dormitory, is now the Academic Success Center at OSU. The third floor of Waldo Hall is reputed to be haunted by a female ghost. The building was remodeled in 1911, condemned in 1963, and renovated in 1966." --Mike Bergen
Lois Bottomley
Acrylic
16"x18"
Philip Coleman
Photograph: pigmented ink on archival paper
20"x16"
"A fixture on Main Street at 13th, the CD&J Cafe is a favorite of locals, busiest serving breakfast early in the morning to area farmers and loggers. Old photos show a building on this site before 1910. In 1949, it was named the Chintimini Cafe. At one time, the building housed a feed store. The present owner recalls that a restaurant called Smiley's preceded the CD&J, which was named for the immediately prior owners, Carla, Dorothy, and Jerry." --Philip Coleman
Philip Coleman
Photograph: pigmented ink on archival paper
Montage of four faces of Benton County Courthouse, Corvallis, Oregon
20"x20"
"Perhaps the most iconic view in Corvallis is the Benton County Courthouse, the subject of innumerable paintings and photographs. Its distinctive clock tower dominates downtown in all directions. The building was completed in 1889 and is the oldest courthouse still in use today in Oregon." --Philip Coleman
Richard Helmick
Art Marker
18"x16"
"The Greengables Garden House was built in the 1920s in the 20th century Norman Farmhouse architectural style. The first resident, local contractor J. Thomsen, built the house to resemble the style of home his wife remembered from her childhood in Denmark. Electricity was generated by a dam and power plant located on Greasy Creek, the remnants of which can still be seen by the main bridge.
Logger George Shroyer and his wife, Helen, bought the house in 1945 and later expanded it to accommodate their growing family. From the time she and her husband first moved into the house, Helen never wavered in her passion and dedication for gardening. The thousands of plant species she collected over the years gave testament to her vision for the garden and her legacy of preserving the beauty of nature for others to enjoy.
In the summer of 2002, the Shroyer property was acquired by Greengable Gardens, a collaboration between Greengable Farms and The Flower Garden. Greengable Farms is owned by Demtri Balint, a commercial grower of tulips, daffodils, and other bulb flowers. The Flower Garden is owned by Viesia Konar, a professional florist and landscape designer. The creation of Greengable Gardens is the perfect continuation of Helen's legacy, coupled with the desire of Demetria and Viesia to preserve the past while building for the future." --Richard Helmick
Philip Coleman
Photograph: pigmented ink on archival paper
20"x16"
"The sawmill began operations in 1938, its log pond perhaps as early as 1919. The mill is unique in many ways. Steam powers much of its machinery. Sawdust, bark, and chips fuel the boiler, although the sawdust burner is no longer in use. With a wide range of vintage saws and log handling equipment, the mill is still a viable business because it can handle Douglas-fir logs of very large diameter (6 feet) and great length (85 feet)." --Philip Coleman
Judith Dedek
Pen and ink
16"x20"
Judith Dedek
Pen and ink
16"x20"
Kathryn Honey
Watercolor
20"x26"
"Landmark gas station at the southern end of Peoria. It was abandoned for years and is now gone." --Kathryn Honey
Kathryn Honey
Water color
20"x26"
"Important feed and seed business on SW 13th Street until it was destroyed by fire on October 13, 1981. Painted on location before it burned." --Kathryn Honey
Kathryn Honey
Watercolor
28"x20"
"Large barn from the days of loose hay. Now gone, it was in south Benton County, northwest of Wagner Butte. Painted on location." --Kathryn Honey
Kathryn Honey
Watercolor
20"x26"
"The Hull-Oakes lumber mill at Dawson is the last steam-powered sawmill in the country. It is on the National Registry of Historic Places." --Kathryn Honey
Linda Humphrey
Oil
13.5"x16.5"
"Tyee Trail was painted at the Tyee Wine Cellars near Corvallis. The cellars are part of the Buchanan Century Farm founded 100 years ago. I have painted the farm for many years and I am always looking for a new view to capture. This trail is near the end of the property and I loved the sense of discovery it promised. The dappled sunlight filtering through the foliage sparkled, and the shade seemed so cool. I don't know the name of the tall weeds, but I loved the color." --Linda Humphrey
NFS Pat Moore Collection
Linda Humphrey
Oil
18.5"x22.5"
"The Fiecher House is located at the Findley Wildlife Preserve 10 miles south of Corvallis. It was completed in 1857 and is considered to be the oldest house in Benton County. Glowing in the sunlight, dappled by shade, and framed by the fence and the foliage, the house created a strong emotional impression on me. It seemed peaceful and welcoming, and spoke of an earlier time. I painted as much as I was able to on location to keep that connection and the local light and color. I feel the sense of that moment every time I look athe painting. The painting was lent to me by its purchaser, Pat Moore, for this show." --Linda Humphrey
Marjorie Kinch
Watercolor
29"x37"
Linda Humphrey
Oil
21"x24"
"Shadowed Shed was painted at Beazel Memorial Forest, a park consisting of 586 acres donated to Benton County in July 2000 by Fred Beazel. The buildings on the site were constructed in the 1930s from lumber milled on the site. While walking over the grounds to find a scene to paint, I came across this shed. I loved the colors of the weathered wood, the patterns the shadows made across the side, and the contrasting red roof. My favorite detail is the sunlight showing through the interior." --Linda Humphre
Charles M. Leach
Watercolor
22"x28"
"Wigwam burners were once widely used to dispose of scrap lumber and sawdust. This practice resulted in considerable air pollution. They are now banned. Shown is a relic burner at the Hull-Oakes Lumber Company, in southwest Benton County." --Charles M. Leach
Mike Kinch
Altered Art Triptych
13"x22"x8"
"This is a collage of my great-grandfather's great adventure as a missionary sent from Philomath College to Sierra Leone, Africa in 1912. The piece is a whimsical triptych based on his letters, and photographs. Rev. Lester Franklin (L.F.) Clark was a United Brethren preacher, carpenter, and jack-of-all-trades. He and his family lived in Philomath from about 1900-1913, and he was trained at the United Brethren's Philomath College (now the Benton County Historical Society). According to his letter describing his trip to Sierra Leone he was enchanted by Africa ('nude little boys' diving for pennies by the ship; the amazing heat; and the exotic vegetation). L.F. Clark preached and built a blacksmith shop in Sierra Leone and was lucky to miss the time of the 'Hut Tax Riots' when many missionaries were killed. He moved to Portland on his return and continued to preach until he was killed by a speeding automobile." --Mike Kinch
Charles M. Leach
Watercolor
28"x22"
"A group of old farm buildings located on Nicewood Lane in Linn County. The large barn was built in 1914 at a time when cattle were much more prevalent in the Willamette Valley." --Charles M. Leach
Charles M. Leach
Watercolor
22"x28"
"A shake mill (part of Marys River Lumber Company) was once located northwest of Philomath on Highway 20. It was closed after a worker was electrocuted when his fork lift hit a power line. It has since been demolished." --Charles M. Leach
Doyle Leek
Pen and ink
26"x20"
"Sketch done on location in Albany, Second Street alley." --Doyle Leek
Doyle Leek
Watercolor
20"x16"
"Sketch and painting done on site of the Corvallis First Street alley, with the old Midway drive-in sign." --Doyle Leek
Earl Newman
Acrylic
40" round
"The store was built around 1905; it was a general merchandise store, known as the People's Store, where they sold gas. I painted as it was being remodeled; the scene was discovered under the siding that was being replaced. It is an acrylic, on a 40" round board. I painted it in 1990." --Earl Newman
Doyle Leek
Watercolor
26"x32"
"Sketch and painting done on site looking at the lady justice statue at the top of the Benton County Courthouse." --Doyle Leek
Ross Parkerson
Pen and Ink
18"x16"
"Located in the College Hill West Historic District, this Tudor-style building was built in 1926. Leo Fairbanks was head of the Art and Architecture Department at OSU for 23 years. Fairbanks Hall on the OSU campus is named for him. Tudor features of this house include brick siding, decorative half-timbering, and stucco in the gables with multi-paned windows." --Ross Parkerson
Ross Parkerson
Pen and ink
18"x16"
"This Carpenter Gothic building was built in 1889 for the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan. It was located on the corner of 7th Street and Jefferson Avenue until August 1961, when it was moved to its present site in the South Central Park Neighborhood District. Many of the building materials were salvaged from the Episcopal Girls School then located in Central Park, including the Scissors Truss where the cross beams and arches are the reverse of a railroad bridge." --Ross Parkerson
Bob Stebbins
Acrylic
19"x24"
"Corvallis Feed and Seed had a large building complex near the current location of Denson's Feed and Seed on 7th and Western, adjacent to the railroad tracks. I first painted it in the mid 1970's in water color." --Bob Stebbins
Ella Rhoades
Glass mosaic
22"x17"x9"
"The Troubled Heart was created in response to 911, but it is also deeply rooted in the Willamette Valley. Representative of the faces of so many young generations, my own father, at age 18, once stood beside the Rhine River, a grateful survivor of the Battle of the Bulge during WWII. He trained as one of the 100,000 troops who passed through Camp Adair, Oregon (70th Infantry, Trailblazers)." --Ella Rhoades
Frances Stilwell
Giclee of pastel
20"x16"
"Owens' Farm, a Greenbelt Land Trust acquisition, is the northern gateway to Corvallis. It is still owned by Tom Owens, whose grandfather farmed the place in the early 1900s when Bessie Gragg (Murphy) was a little girl. She would pick the woolly violets along Mr. Notts' south fence. She went to Sunnyside School at the foot of Elks Drive with Tom Owens' mother, who was a couple of years older. The Owens' white farmhouse is in the upper right of the picture." --Frances Stilwell
Frances Stilwell
Ink and pastel
30"x24"
"Built in 1893 with lumber brought in on wagons from Alsea, Oregon. Not much is known about the early owners. There was an apple orchard for awhile around 1908. In 1938 Col. P. T. Wolfe purchased the property and refurbished it. The house at one time had been used for storage of hay. He and his wife finished raising their children on the farm. Col. and Mrs. Wolfe continued to live there after his retirement from the Army. In 1965 he became ill with cancer and died. The property was put up for sale in 1966 and was purchased by Dr. and Mrs. James Newman. He was moving to Corvallis to practice medicine (psychiatry). The Newmans reared four children in this house, which has remained in their ownership since 1966." -- Dr. James Newman
Frances Stilwell
Oil and pastel
18"x15"
"The flood of 1996 affected farmers all around the Willamette Valley. This studio painting was inspired by a photo of Tyee winery fields taken by the artist." --Frances Stilwell
Alice Tetamore
Watercolor
22"x18"
Terry Tallis
Watercolor
14.5"x26"
"Benton Hall is the oldest building on the OSU campus." --Terry Tallis
Terry Tallis
Watercolor
20"x25.5"
"Brownsville, one of Oregon's early settlements, had its beginnings in 1846 when a group of families came west on the Oregon Trail and continued south to claim land in the lush valley of the Calapooia River. Looking at photos from 1911 before the fire, the buildings especially Carleson's, look about the same today. I was intrigued by the great facings of the old buildings and the brickwork." --Terry Tallis