8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015
Local
Crossroads holds second
outreach meeting
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Museum starts
plan for next
five years
BY SUNNY WERNER
Tuesday morning a sec-
ond of three planned out-
reach meetings was held
at Crossroads Art Center
to get insight into a plan to
expand the center.
The current idea in
the feasibly study being
conducted by architect
Larry Abell is to expand
into the Welch building, a
space that is directly across
from the current home of
Crossroads at the Carnegie
Library on the corner of
Auburn Street and 2nd
Street.
It should be noted that
Crossroads has no plans
to move from the re-
cently renovated Carnegie
Library space, only to ex-
pand in an effort to offer a
greater variety of services.
The outreach meetings
are to give Abell an idea
of what the community
is wanting or lacking that
new space might be able to
provide.
The first meeting culti-
vated ideas that included
creating a media center
that would allow an area
to record voice overs,
produce commercials or
create a radio station—this
idea was geared toward
our community youth. It
was mentioned also that a
media center might encom-
pass some online art school
opportunities.
That group discussed
expanding culinary arts
programs and perhaps
including a bistro with
the addition of a rooftop
garden to support that
endeavor, support of an
artist in residence program
allowing for on-site liv-
ing quarters, expanding
outdoor activities since the
area being proposed has
abundant outdoor space
and expanding performing
arts space.
The second meeting
began with a bang, as ideas
were being tossed out
before even being asked
for, just as the meeting was
beginning.
The second group con-
sisted of a more core group
that included current and
former board members,
current and former instruc-
tors and Crossroads staff,
whereas the first group
was made up mostly of
interested citizens.
The second group tossed
out ideas that also talked
about use of outdoor space
by creating a “plaza” that
could be used for extra
parking when needed but
Sunny@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
The Welch building into which Crossroads is considering expansion.
could also be optimized for
things like a hosing a rotat-
ing sculpture showcase and
other art festivals, outdoor
classes and demonstra-
tions like blacksmithing,
Raku firing for pottery or
plein painting, painting
done outside rather than
in a studio focusing on the
changing light on color.
The group mentioned
using outdoor space to
bring the farmers market
back to the “core” of the
City and possibly even
hosting events such as the
highland games.
The rooftop garden was
brought up by this group
as well however their idea
included having plants
and flowers that could be
used to create natural dyes
for fiber arts, which was a
much talked about point.
Ruth Boyd, who has
taught classes with Cross-
roads in the past and then
moved to a local fabric
shop when space was no
longer available, talked
about the extensive looms
including a large loom
table and other materials
she has that she would like
to donate to the center as
she prepares to downsize
her home and possibly
move.
That brought up the is-
sue of storage.
Their current location
has very little to no storage
and with all of the different
arts they cater to they have
lots of “stuff.”
Ginger Savage, Execu-
tive Director for Cross-
roads told the group that
the Welch building pro-
vided a large area in which
they would be able to store
equipment and if they were
able to secure the Welch
building across the street
the convenience alone was
incredibly desirable.
The idea of moving the
dance classes, which can
be noisy, was suggested
and with that suggestion it
was noted that by moving
the dance studio the gallery
and exhibit space could
be expanded allowing for
the display and sale of
more art, which could be
beneficial to the Art Center
financially.
Savage noted by taking
the dance studio out of the
current location that could
solve some issues she has
concerning young children
and the space that is not
as kid friendly as it needs
to be.
She stated, “I dream of a
space where I don’t have to
be constantly telling kids
to be careful. Just let kids
be kids.”
Savage cited the historic
yet dangerous wavy glass
the building has for win-
dows that shatter terribly if
broken. With the men-
tion of moving the dance
studio, it was also brought
up to have someplace quiet
for meeting space.
“The only place to go
now where you can close
a door and have some pri-
vacy is the kitchen and it is
not very big,” Savage said.
Also brought up was hav-
ing defined office space.
“I know Ginger could
use somewhere quiet to get
things done,” said board
chairman Brian Watt.
Creating space in a
new location for some of
the messier arts was also
thought to be a good idea
since it would be possible
to design it with a floor
more suited to those types
of things.
The floor in the current
location is historic hand-
scrapped wood flooring.
Savage said with a smile,
“A sloped floor with a
drain you could just spray
down would be lovely.”
Space for music classes
was mentioned as was hav-
ing a space for rehearsals
and performances, a stage
that allowed better privacy
for the performers to enter
and exit as well as have
dressing room type space.
Acoustics and special-
ized lighting were added
as necessities for such an
endeavor.
Having better ADA
accessibility was another
topic discussed.
The current location has
only one ADA bathroom
and it is located upstairs.
If an after-hours event
is happening in an area
downstairs the persons
requiring access to those
bathrooms must ride the
elevator upstairs into the
“closed” portion of the
building thus bringing up
security questions regard-
ing valuable items in the
gallery, not that there have
been any issues but it is a
cause for concern.
One final outreach
meeting is scheduled for
Thursday, November 19 at
6:00 p.m.
Abell says the feasibility
study needs to be complet-
ed by December 31, 2015,
so that he can prepare a
presentation to the board.
Those unable to attend
any of the meetings but
have ideas Abell encour-
ages you to let them know
so they can be considered.
Please contact Crossroads
at 541-523-5369 with
any ideas, questions or
concerns.
‘Dirty Rotten Survival’ filmed
near Sumpter airs on NatGeo
On Tuesday evening,
the National Geographic
channel aired the episode
entitled “Fool’s Gold” of
the show “Dirty Rotten
Survival,” which was
filmed in the Sumpter area
as reported in The Baker
County Press earlier this
year.
The premise of the
episode was, “(Former
military colonel) Dick
(Strawbridge) takes the
guys to Oregon, one of
the forgotten frontiers of
America’s gold rush, for
a mid-1800s-style pros-
pecting adventure. Base
camp is a mountain peak,
crisscrossed by histori-
cally gold-baring streams
and overlooked by a mine
shaft.”
From there, the cast and
crew meet up with Larry
Overman, who many locals
may recognize as the
owner of the former Cres-
cent Mine outside Sumpter,
now dubbed the “Ghost
Mine” due to it also being
the setting on that SyFy
Channel television show.
Overman and the cast
eventually divvy up the
gold the cast pans from his
claim.
The cast and crew spent
time in Sumpter during
filming, including a stay at
The Depot Inn.
The Baker Heritage Museum / Leo Adler House
Commission met at for an hour at noon on Wednesday,
November 18, to review and discuss their plans for the
coming five years.
Hal Huntington, the Commission Chair, opened the
meeting by greeting the members and welcoming visitors
Ginger Savage, Executive Director of Carnegie Cross-
roads Art Center and Timothy Bishop of the Tourism
Board.
Huntington asked if there were any suggestions or ad-
ditions members had to the handout, the working draft of
the Strategic Plan for the coming five years.
Secretary Mindy Sherrieb wrote down ideas and sug-
gestions as they were offered.
Lea Hoover, Director of the Heritage Museum, ex-
plained to the assembled members and guests that the
Commission’s goal was for both Baker Heritage and Leo
Adler Museums to become accredited by the American
Association of Museums. One of the steps necessary to
accomplish this is for the Commission to have a five-year
Strategic Plan in place.
Commission members talked about various points in the
Plan, mainly focusing on how to engender more public
interest in both museums and how to increase volun-
teerism. A number of suggestions were offered, including
collaboration with other events in Baker during the year,
as well as reaching out to schools and designing new
programmes to increase attendance.
The Heritage Museum’s new hours were discussed;
previously the Museum was open only during the months
of March through October, but now is open on Fridays
and Saturdays this season. In addition, the Museum
opens for special occasions like the Community Choir
performances in winter and the well-renowned “Night
at Old Auburn,” which brought in $4,000 and had 91 at-
tendees in 2015.
Discussion continued on the subject of curation, which
is a major part of the work at the Museum. Commission-
er Steve Bogart suggested developing a check list to help
those who gave objects to know if they would fall into the
Heritage Museum’s areas of interest.
Mindy Sherrieb recommended further research when
objects are donated. As she explained, “There’s a big
difference between having a veteran’s belt on display
with no other information, and knowing that the veteran
actually went missing over Hungary and nobody knows if
he was killed or captured.”
The meeting ended at the appointed time, with agree-
ment that further work would be needed on the Strategic
Plan before it was declared a finished project.
Birch Creek Ranch
Road closed for
the season
Beginning on December 1, 2015 the Bureau of Land
Management’s (BLM) Vale District will close the Birch
Creek Ranch Road leading to the Historic Birch Creek
Ranch, a popular recreation destination. The closure will
be in effect until February 15, 2016.
Signs will be posted announcing the road closure in
the coming days. While the road remains open until that
time, it is advisable that visitors take extreme caution
when using the road regardless. The gravel road is steep
in many places and a small amount of rain, ice or snow
can render it impassible.
Even during the warmer months, the BLM’s Vale Dis-
trict advises that only high-clearance, four-wheel-drive
vehicles be used to traverse the Birch Creek Ranch Road.
“Those advisements are in place for a reason,” said Pat
Ryan, Field Manager at the Vale District. “Those roads
are tough to get through even in the best conditions.
“Safety is always our top concern, it’s just too risky for
anyone to be using them during the wettest, coldest part
of the year,” Ryan added.
For more information on the status of the Birch Creek
Ranch Road and access to the Historic Birch Creek Ranch
Area, contact the BLM Vale District Office or visit:
http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.
php?siteid=313
Artist and curator
to appear at EOU
Submitted Photo.
Larry Overman, formerly of ‘Ghost Mine’ appears on
‘Dirty Rotten Survival.’
Visiting artist and curator Michelle Grabner will give a
free lecture at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23 in Huber Audito-
rium in Badgley Hall at Eastern Oregon University.
Grabner’s work is widely shown and well known,
encompassing drawing, painting, video, sculpture and
writing. She was a co-curator of the Whitney Biennial
2014 at the Whiney Museum of American Art in New
York and is the sole curator of the Portland 2016 Bien-
nial of Contemporary Art opening July 9 at the Disjecta
Contemporary Art Center in Portland.
Her current solo exhibition is on display through
November at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Other solo
exhibitions of Grabner’s work have been held at INOVA,
The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Ulrich Mu-
seum, Wichita, and University Galleries, Illinois State
University.