By Melissa Wagoner “Artists are really struggling with the restrictions due to COVID-19,” photographer Vivienne Frankel said. “Art shows and fairs have closed; galleries are open fewer hours and people have less disposable income. As the time has passed, artists are feeling the brunt. Most of us were not eligible for small business loans being sole proprietors and also did […]
By Steve Ritchie The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed over 110,000 American lives, ravaged the US economy and plunged budgets of governmental entities into the deep red, all in just over three months. It turns out that nonprofit organizations are not immune to the virus either. Among the local organizations suffering from COVID-19’s impact is the Silverton Arts Association, which has […]
By Brenna Wiegand Silverton Mural Society is in desperate need of volunteers to help maintain its collection of historical, hand-painted murals that have become part of the charm of Silverton and a legitimate tourist attraction. Silverton Mural Society finds itself without a president, vice president or treasurer and ten-year volunteer Norm English is the acting secretary. “We cannot continue to […]
By Dixon Bledsoe In many ways, Frank Wuliger’s career as a Hollywood agent is like an onion, with layers upon layers revealing complexities that can be so deep they become frighteningly simple. In some ways, he is a throwback. Who in Hollywood conducts deals with a handshake as the basis of doing business? Wuliger, a partner in The Gersh Agency […]
By Nancy Jennings With her distinctive British accent, June Hiatt, 84, speaks passionately of her past career as a fashion designer. Having lived in London, New York and Los Angeles, she made outfits for the late musical icon David Bowie, and the glamorous actress Raquel Welch. A random Sunset Magazine article about Silverton attracted her. In 2016 she moved here […]
As time goes on, The Man is constantly reminded that “none of us are getting any younger” and hence, the “Bucket List” comes into play. Ever since high school the Man-ette has whimsically talked of going to France so I figured the top of the list was as good a place to start as anywhere and dove in. Paris and […]
By Nancy Jennings She has performed at the White House, attended college in Austria, and held positions as an adjunct faculty member at Linfield College and George Fox University. Now, Debra Huddleston, choir director of the Silvertones for the past five years, is happy assisting locals find their voice. “Whenever you’re in a choir, you become a family,” she said. […]
By Nancy Jennings Silverton is known for its majestic waterfalls and extensive artistic community. Among those artists is author Lisa Lowell. She was raised in a large family of creative, imaginative types. Her maternal grandmother wrote for a newspaper and her paternal grandmother wrote poems. Lowell, 51, found her love of writing instilled by both grandmothers when she was the […]
By Brenna Wiegand The nation recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of Woodstock and a Silverton resident with strong ties to that festival – who also appeared in the classic film of the concert – is now part of a new book. Poppy Shell’s experiences at Woodstock are chronicled in Pilgrims of Woodstock a new book about the festival in Bethel, […]
By Brenna Wiegand The painting chosen to represent this year’s Silverton Fine Arts Festival was the result of an earth-shaking experience. Artist Laura Koppes of Tigard painted “Blue Basin” after a visit to the Painted Hills in Central Oregon. “I’d seen all kinds of pictures of it and it just looked too perfect,” she said. “On my way there I […]
Silverton Eagle Scout leads Rose Festival Color Guard The Cascade Pacific Counsel of the Boy Scouts of America were asked to lead the color guard of the Portland Rose Festival Parade last month. About 200 scouts and adult leaders from around the Counsel marched in the parade. Among the front of the group was Eagle Scout Ethan Frederick of Silverton. […]
By Melissa Wagoner Reverend Michael Carlson is not a politician, nor is he particularly politically-minded. What he is, is a citizen concerned about the welfare of his country and the citizens who reside in it. “Personally, I have been dismayed by the administration’s abuse of power, especially its disregard for the rights of immigrants,” he said. “They are not ‘animals’ […]
By Brenna Wiegand Silverton Friends of Music presented a 41-page status report “Music in Silver Falls School District” to the Silver Falls School District Board at its May 13 meeting. The nonprofit, formed three years ago to promote music instruction in area schools, hired Minnesota-based consultant Dr. John Benham, author of Music Advocacy: Moving from Survival to Vision (www.save-music.org) to […]
By Melissa Wagoner “People think of pollution like a diaper floating in the creek,” Alison Stolfus, a teacher in the Science Department at Silverton High School, laughed. “But it’s sediment and heat and level of flow. Silver Creek needs help now.” Originally a field biologist, Stolfus has taught Environmental Science for 17 years. Now she is taking her students’ education […]
By Melissa Wagoner The annual She Shines Empowerment and Wellness Event has an inter-generational component this year. Now a two-day conference, the second day of the non-denominational event is entirely dedicated to young girls aged 10 to 16. “These girls are really facing so much at their age,” presenter and health coach Amy Gigena said. “We have a speaker that’s […]
By James Day Silverton playwright, poet and musician Christopher Wicks will explore the final days of Queen Elizabeth I in Death Comes for Her Majesty, a new one-act play to be presented March 24 in the Mount Angel Abbey Library auditorium. Wicks will be honoring Elizabeth on the 416th anniversary of her death, which came March 24, 1603. “I have […]
By Nancy Jennings With 16 of his edgy art pieces being displayed in September at Lunaria Gallery, Silverton artist Joshua Kinsey knows how to make an impression. After all, he has sold his creations worldwide. Classifying his art’s aesthetic as “vintage industrial,” he’s quick to point out the differences between his “from scratch” creations to the current trendy “Steampunk” style. […]
By Melissa Wagoner The Old Oak tree – once a gathering place for Native Americans and a landmark for early settlers of Silverton – is being given a spiritual rebirth by the new Talking Oak Studios, an art space and gallery set to open on Main Street in Silverton in December. “[It’s] where early settlers of Silverton gathered to swap […]
By Melissa Wagoner The Old Oak tree – once a gathering place for Native Americans and a landmark for early settlers of Silverton – is being given a spiritual rebirth by the new Talking Oak Studios, an art space and gallery set to open on Main Street in Silverton in December. “[It’s] where early settlers of Silverton gathered to swap […]
By Brenna Wiegand A couple years ago Jim Toler of GeerCrest Farm outside of Silverton approached Oregon Travel Information Council about adding the farm’s historic fruit orchard to its list of Heritage Trees. Oregon Travel Information Council is a semi-independent state agency whose projects include the blue highway logo signs directing motorists to gas, food and other services at exits […]
By Melissa Wagoner Karen Garst didn’t intend to become a writer. A woman with a diverse academic background – including a Doctorate in Philosophy, a Master’s Degree in French Literature and time spent as a Fulbright Scholar – Garst’s writing career didn’t begin until her retirement. “I was having lunch with my friend Kate, who is an author, and she […]
Mount Angel Community Foundation invites the public to the unveiling of a new mural to grace the front of Mount Angel Festhalle Tuesday, Aug. 28 at 4 p.m. The mural is the crowning glory to Festhalle’s exterior. It was made possible in part by a $10,000 grant from Roth Family Foundation, Painted by Silverton artist David McDonald, its design encapsulates […]
By Nancy Jennings You may have noticed the over 10-foot-tall, 450-pound majestic elk looming large on C Street – and the deer family (buck, doe and fawn) on Front Street in Silverton. Making their debut in April, the figures are so lifelike they almost appear to move. Silverton resident Jim Prince, 70, sourced and purchased the wildlife forms, which are […]
The sun is out, the days are warm and it is the time of year when friends and neighbors look for opportunities to be together and share some fun. August features two of Silverton’s favorite festivals, one a celebration of community and one a tapestry of the arts, both in Coolidge McClaine Park. This year’s Homer Davenport Community Festival runs […]
By Melissa Wagoner Alexandra Samoilov’s family business is – quite literally – the berries. South Barlow Berries grows an enormous variety in their fields off South Barlow Road in Canby and every week they haul them to 10 farmer’s markets around the state. Recently they’ve added one more market to the list – the Mount Angel Wochenmarkt. “It’s small but […]
