Winter, 2007

Message from the Board Chair

Reflecting on the many accomplishments and successes Crossroads has experienced this year, it is time to give credit where credit is due.

   

Without the countless volunteers who have worked on fund-raisers, kept the gallery open and represented the fine work of Baker County artists, provided food and music for First Fridays, helped with mailings, donated printing, supplies, and equipment, taught classes for adults and children, designed posters and fliers, helped with the newsletter and website, and many other tasks, Crossroads would not exist! Our volunteers make the difference and we are grateful to each and every one!

    

A heartfelt thanks to Deanna Davis, Nanci Sheppard and the other volunteers who have kept Crossroads open seven days a week during the holiday season.

    

Crossroads’ membership has increased dramatically and we would like to thank the new business, corporate, and benefactor donors as well as all the individual members who have joined or renewed for 2007. Your support helps Crossroads maintain existing programs and develop new ones to better meet the needs of our community.

    

A special note of thanks to Debbie Friedman and the Artspeak Program she directs. Programs for Baker County youth are vital and we look forward to expanding visual and performing arts programs for our youth. The possibilities are exciting both in the schools and on location at Crossroads.

    

We are also grateful to the many foundations and local donors who have helped Crossroads raise the 1.5 million necessary to reach our dream of a return to the Carnegie Building and a permanent home for the arts in Baker County.

    

As the new year proceeds, we the board would like your input. Let us know what you would like to see happen at Crossroads.

Is there a class or an activity you would like to see offered? Would you like to teach a class or organize a group to do an activity? Would you like to volunteer in any capacity?

Crossroads is whatever its members design. We appreciate your input and would love to hear from you!

- Terri Axness, Board Chair

      

Check Out the Window at Crossroads on Main Street

John Denne is the artist featured in our window for the month of January. John's interest is in hand-built pottery. His initial efforts were to recreate prehistoric pottery traditions of the American Southwest, especially the Mesa Verde cultural area. He is continually experimenting with distinct pottery styles and designs.

John is a contract consultant and tribal liaison for the U.S. Forest Service working with the Nez Perce Tribe in Lapwai, Idaho. He will be at Crossroads during January on the following days: 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 9th, 23rd, 24th, 29th, 30th, and 31st. Come by and visit with him.

     

Crossroads Receives Grant for ArtSpeak Project

In September, Crossroads Art Center received a $2,000 grant from U.S. Bank for the ArtSpeak Project. The grant provides on-site, after school classes at the elementary schools for at-risk students. There is no cost to the students. Currently, ArtSpeak classes are available in dance, theater, and art at South Baker and will soon begin at Brooklyn school.

    

ArtSpeak is an ongoing project providing classes since 1987. The project requires grant funding and substantial community support. The goal for ArtSpeak is to insure that any student who wishes to participate in creative art classes will have the opportunity to do so.

   

Colleen Taylor is our U.S. Bank coordinator. We are very grateful to U.S. Bank for their support for the past two years.

     

Dance class at crossroads. Warm-up exercises led by Debbie Friedman

     

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 Eastern Oregon Regional Theater, mid-January 2007

The Eastern Oregon Regional Theater production for January 2007 is "Sylvia" by A.R. Gurney. The plot involves Greg and Kate who have moved to Manhattan after twenty-two years of child raising in the suburbs. Greg's career as a financial trader is winding down, while Kate's career, as a public school English teacher, is offering her more opportunities. Greg brings home a dog he found in the park bearing only the name Sylvia on her tag. A street smart mixture of Lab and Poodle, Sylvia becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife. To Greg, she is an escape from the frustrations of his job, and the unknowns of middle age. To Kate, Sylvia is a rival for affection. A man and his dog....it's a sacred relationship!

   

Touching and hilarious, their marriage becomes a roller coaster ride with Sylvia at the controls!

    

Performances on January 19, 20 and 21, and January 26, 27, and 28 at the Rodeway Inn. Watch for upcoming information in the local papers.

Construction Notes: Historic Carnegie Library Building

The original architectural “blueprints” drawn by Wayland & Fennell of Boise, Idaho, dated July 15 1908. Early photographs show leaded glass windows around and above the entry door on the north side of the Carnegie Library Building.

   

Using old glass and zinc cane, Irv and Susan Townsend are reproducing the five windows that frame the door. The vintage glass, still in its original wooden shipping boxes, is being supplied by Kim Conklin who located the glass on an old homestead near Sparta in Baker County. The panels of diamond shaped windows will be installed as part of the transformation of the historical 1909 Carnegie Library building.

   

The installation of the elevator has just been completed and marks the end of the rough-in stages of the project. Kathleen Chaves notes that funds for various finishing touches such as the folding partitions and classroom equipment will be needed. To that end, the distinctive fused glass tiles are still available for sale for $500. If you'd like more information about the glass tiles, or the project, please call Kathleen at (541) 523-8545.

   

Over all, it's an exciting time for the project and Crossroads and we all look forward to operating in our future headquarters.

     

December 2 Make-It and Take-It!

On the afternoon of First Saturday, approximately 100 participants came to Crossroads to make one or all of seven projects/ornaments:

-Clothespin snowmen.

-Glittery star & tissue covered glass ornaments.

-Glass ornaments filled with swirling color.

-Sculpy wreaths, snowmen and other stuff.

-EZ cut blocks carved into Christmas stamps.

 -Christmas berry wreaths.

-Snowflakes sparkling with glitter pens.

  

They finished in time to watch the Christmas Parade celebration in downtown Baker City.

Kathy Blank, Claire Duncan, Judy Schroeder, La Vonne Kasper, and Myra Rasmussen provided the inspiration. Meanwhile Pat Leonard, Judy Baker, Kaylin Chaves, Kyana Chaves, Terri Axness, Betty Ann Clark, Jeanne Schroder, Joan Jacobs, and Liz Peyron all joined in to provide instruction and support for this fun event.

    

Due to popular demand, we are already thinking of new projects for next year. Add this event to your holiday calendar for 2007 and join us to make and take your favorite ornaments.

     

Volunteer Profile

This quarter, we profile one of our most enthusiastic volunteers–Deanna Davis. She was born in Kalispell, MT and educated in Western Washington. She worked for the Oregon Beef Industry during the era of the Beef Gift Certificate program, beef cooking schools, and other prominent promotions. She married Ermie Davis in 1983 and moved to his ranch in Haines. She learned about Crossroads soon after, and she remembers visiting when we occupied the Carnegie Library building. Deanna is our volunteer Coordinator and Trainer and bookkeeper. She devoted eight years to the Oregon Trail Museum.

   

Deanna enjoys a variety of music and her favorite opera is Porgy and Bess. She appreciates the strong community support surrounding the restoration of the Carnegie Library building. As Crossroads establishes itself in the new venue, Deanna plans to continue her volunteer work. She thinks that as Crossroads moves to space designed specially for cultural activities, new and exciting ideas will come about rapidly.

   

Deanna was presented with an ESP award in November, as a volunteer at Crossroads Art Center. The Exceptional Service Provided program is designed to reward employees for their knowledge of Baker county exceptional service and friendliness; and sharing of positive information about the community.

   

This year, Deanna celebrates her 20th year as a Soroptimist of Baker County. She is also a member of the Cattlewomen (Cowbelles); and has accepted another year as the hospital auxiliary secretary. We are deeply grateful that Deanna is on our team.

Director’s Report
   

As Crossroads Art Center prepares to move to a permanent home this year, our programs and classes are thriving. There is yoga taught by Kelly Aydelotte, and an early morning stretching class with Debbie Friedman. And then there are swing, jitterbug and Texas two-step dancing lessons. The fencing class, instructed by Ryc and Penny Rienks, has been one of our most popular classes. We now have a Fencing Club that meets Thursday evenings at Crossroads. Please see the class schedule, which is a part of this newsletter.

       

One exciting aspect of our move to the Carnegie is that we will once again be offering pottery classes. Our current window artist, John Denne (see article), is anxious to offer these classes, especially for children.

    

First Friday Opening Receptions are drawing record crowds. Our membership now numbers 618 with some 58 in Benefactor, Corporate, Business and Patron Sponsor categories. Membership benefits include our quarterly newsletter; discounts on some of Crossroads’ events, classes, and projects; and a tax deduction.

Crossroads has been the recipient of generous grants, which contribute to our operations, scholarship fund, advertising and supply needs. D. E. and Jane Clark awarded us a $7,000 grant; the Leo Adler Foundation granted us $12,500 for operations; and we received the Oregon Arts Commission Arts Recognition Award of $1,000. We appreciate the tremendous support extended to us.

    

After four years as the Executive Director, planning and coordinating classes and events in our present location, I am looking forward to the experience in the Carnegie building. Imagine being able to have simultaneous activities in a clean, well-lit atmosphere with adequate room for everyone. We are developing plans for children’s theater, traveling art exhibits, presentations by the Eastern Oregon Regional Theater, performances by the elementary schools and the list continues. We hope to have our move-in date soon.

–Jan Kirby                          

     

Irv Townsend providing some coaching in the "stained glass" class. Irv and
Susan Townsend are offering another "glass" class in March

     

Crossroads Art Gallery Ends Year with Higher Sales

The Board of Directors authorized hiring a temporary, part-time employee for the month of December to guarantee that our doors would be open longer hours and seven days a week.

    

Deanna Davis accepted the responsibility and has done an outstanding job. She worked Monday through Friday from 1 - 7 p.m. beginning November 27th. The gallery volunteers changed their hours to work from 10 AM to 1 PM on the same days. Nanci Sheppard, Board Secretary, volunteered to work every Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM.

    

The results have been a resounding success. Sales in December 2006 exceeded all previous sales in the same time period. We are indebted to our dedicated volunteers and to those who chose to shop at Crossroads during the holiday season.

Several artists, new to Crossroads, are now showing their work in the gallery:

They are Nancy Allen, Lila Barry, Kevin Bradford, Violet Clay, Ethelyn & Jay Carr, Priscilla Crocket, Ellen Evans, Suzanne Findlay, Jo Fleming, Barbara Haytas, Eli Kerns, Janni Kerns, Harry Knickerbocker, Betty Ledbetter, Bill McKusker, Alyssa Peterson, Mary Stiglich, Stephen Thompson, Mary Lou Wampler, Harry Williams, and Leslie Wood.

The “Christmas At Crossroads” artist’s booths included: Courtney Burton, Violet Clay, Priscilla Crockett, Harmony Daniels, Paul Hoelscher, Mary Sue Rightmire, Eric Grove, May Heriza, Kari Whitacre, Betty Ledbetter, Rhonda and Ben Holtby, James Morris, and Marcia Cook.