Hood Avenue Art, Sisters, SFF 2014

Last May, artist-owned and -operated Hood Avenue Art opened to become one of Sisters’ first major co-op galleries and part of the city’s vibrant arts community.

With a passionate and dedicated team of nine Central Oregon artists, Hood Avenue Art showcases original works of fine art ranging from jewelry, pottery and metal sculptures, to oils, watercolors, hand-blown glass and book art. Also displayed throughout the gallery are stunning pine needle baskets, paper arts and majestic wood carvings.

In its first year, the gallery has been a huge success, said Patricia Freeman-Martin, artist and co-owner.

“We have a really wonderful flow of qualified buyers who are interested and familiar with art,” she said. “Every artist in the gallery has sold something so far.”

The artist partners worked together to create an eclectic mix of art, making a concerted effort to combine a collection of art that flows well together and offers enough diversity that most visitors find something that appeals to them.

The gallery, located at 357 W. Hood Ave., was formerly small office spaces. Gary Cooley, a bronze sculptor and “neighbor” to the gallery, and the building’s owner Dana Bratton, both wanted to open an art gallery in the empty space. At the time, pottery artist Tina Brockway just happened to be looking for a place to open a gallery. Brockway went into the arts community and started talking to fellow artists until she found a group that was interested and able to form a partnership.

Each artist has preferences about media, style and subject. All are familiar with the challenges of creative endeavor and have a personal history of artistic development, beliefs and attitudes. The artists share more than the day-to-day operations of the gallery. There is mutual assistance among the partners as they grow and develop as artists and friends.

“That is a really important part of our approach,” said Freeman-Martin. “When visitors come in and look around, we talk to them about our fellow artists, all of our work, and share our stories with them. We’re simply artists trying to sell our art as honestly as possible.”

As most artists can attest to, creativity is a very personal, almost spiritual process, said Brockway.

“When I’m making pottery, I feel like I’m in a sacred place. Working with clay, it becomes alive,” she said.

The gallery partnership is a collaboration of very unique and talented people from around Central Oregon. Among them is a registered nurse, horse rancher, former teacher, computer tech and even a former professional wind surfer.

Although at some point several of the artist partners had professions outside of art, they eventually made the choice to pursue their passions and follow their dreams of being full-time artists.

“Everyone here is committed to that dream,” said Freeman-Martin. “We’re doing what we love.”

Their sense of community has extended beyond the sidewalk. Three of the partners, Mitch Deaderick (Pottery by Mitch), Winnie Givot and Joann Burgess all donated original artwork to the fundraising auction My Own Two Hands. Money raised from the auction goes directly to the Americana Project, an educational outreach program of Sisters Folk Festival.

Every year the Americana Project provides scholarships to a handful of high school students so they can attend a songwriting workshop one week before the Sisters Folk Festival at Caldera.

Hood Avenue Art showcases a featured artist each month. From now through September, featured artists are Tina Brockway (pottery) and Katherine Taylor (oil paintings). An open house and reception will be held Friday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Pastel artist Joann Burgess will be the featured artist for October. A reception and open house will be held Friday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

More information about Hood Avenue Art and its artists can be found online at www.hoodavenueart.com. They can be reached at 541-719-1800. Special event hours during the folk festival are Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.