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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Stiles “bears” her artistic side
By
Judy Hoyle
IVN Contributing Writer
(Photo by Judy Hoyle, Illinois Valley News)
Karen Stiles and her Cowboy biker bear. You can see her bear at the C.J. Evergreen Bank.
Karen Stiles’ fiberglass cow-
boy bear seated on a motorcycle
will be on display at Evergreen Fed-
eral Bank’s Cave Junction branch
through the summer. The bank will
commemorate its 80th anniversary
with 80 fiberglass bears installed
along the streets of Grants Pass. 20
new bears will join 60 others be-
tween the Memorial Day and Labor
Day weekends.
Established in 1934, the bank
introduced the first Bearfest in
2003 at the behest of then-president
Brady Adams. Over the past decade,
145 bears have been decorated by
local artists. Sixty-five have been
auctioned off, raising over $250,000
for local charities.
Other projects have included
“The Doors of Oregon” and spe-
cially decorated dog houses to raise
funds for the Josephine County
Sheriff’s Office K-9 Team. The ef-
forts of three Illinois Valley artists
have been included in these projects
including works by Lane Cosner,
Alan Laurie and Stiles.
A self-taught watercolor artist,
Stiles has been painting primarily
in that medium for over 20 years.
Her richly colored work has been
displayed extensively in the region
as well as in competitions of the
Northwest Watercolor Society and
the Watercolor Society of Oregon.
Stiles grew up in Medford
and met her future husband, Jeff,
when they were both working for
Chevron stations in the area. They
married and transferred to new jobs
in Seattle, only to learn that the
Oregon Caves Chevron station in
Cave Junction was for sale. They
jumped at the chance to move back
home to raise their family and man-
age their own business.
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its people and its beauty. Our first
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excellent schools, including Dome
school and all three public schools,”
she stated, adding that she has
home-schooled her youngest. “We
take the best field trips ever!” she
exclaims.
Stiles and her family enjoy
outdoor activities, including hiking
and bicycle riding. Currently, due
to the many demands of family life,
Stiles is only able to paint a few
pieces a year.
Stiles’ doghouse for Evergreen
was purchased by Brady Adams’
wife. Stiles’ “Oregon Door,” still
part of the bank’s collection, depicts
familiar scenes of Oregon Caves
National Monument (OCNM). The
door may also be put on display at
the Cave Junction branch this sum-
mer.
Stiles’ first fiberglass bear also
featured images of OCNM his-
tory, including a portrait of Elijah
Davidson, the first white man to
discover the caves. The bear is now
displayed in the Gift Gallery at the
OCNM Chateau. Barbara Fields
won the bear at auction, and then
donated it in memory of Lewis
“Babe” Fields, who was Davidson’s
friend.
Another year Stiles did a pair
of bears on the theme of Crater
Lake. The larger one went to Salem
and the smaller one was won by a
motel owner in Grants Pass.
In 2010, the bank’s theme was
“Wild Bunch” featuring the bears
on motorcycles; and Stiles’ cre-
ation was titled “Giddyup.” Under
the tutelage of Bob Eddings, she
fashioned a large fiberglass cowboy
hat and boots for the bear. The piece
was finished in acrylic paint.
Inscribed on the back of the
bear’s vest is a small heart with the
initials LKS in memory of Linda
Killion Smith, a much loved artist
in Grants Pass who was originally
commissioned to do the bear, but
passed away before she could do
the project.
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