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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 14, 2017)
1C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2017 CONTACT US Erick Bengel | Weekend Editor ebengel@dailyastorian.com WEEKEND BREAK FOLLOW US facebook.com/ DailyAstorian Submitted Photo Arvi Ostrom, behind the bar, in the Snug Harbor Tavern ‘BEHIND THE BAR’ ARVI OSTROM, OWNER OF THE SNUG HARBOR TAVERN IN UNIONTOWN, LEFT BEHIND VAST, HIDDEN BODY OF WORK By KAELIA NEAL For EO Media Group Paul Conte/For EO Media Group Ken Carlson, Arvi Ostrom’s grandson, looks through his grandfather’s vast collection. Submitted Photos ABOVE AND BELOW: Five pieces by Arvi Ostrom THE BAR’ he world is only beginning to appreciate the talent and massive output of Arvi Ostrom, an Astoria native who quietly produced thou- sands of works of art during his lifetime. Ostrom, who owned the Snug Har- bor Tavern in Uniontown, passed away in 1995. While in hospice care, he had one last request. “He said, ‘Will you take care of my art for me?’ the day before he died,” said Ken Carlson, Ostrom’s grandson. Carlson, an artist and a musician him- self, shared his grandfather’s interest in art, so naturally he agreed. But what Carlson fi gured would be a few hundred pieces turned out to be more than 10,000 that Ostrom left behind. “At that time I didn’t really know what he had done,” Carlson said. “No one did.” In order to create so many pieces, Ostrom must have averaged about three a week. For the last 22 years, Carlson has made it his mission to display his grandfather’s collection. “I felt like his stuff should be honored,” Carlson said. Recently, he opened an exhibit, “Behind the Bar: The Folk Art of Arvi Ostrom and the Snug Harbor,” at the Clatsop County Historical Society’s Heritage Museum to display selec- tions of Ostrom’s work. Carlson col- laborated with Astoria artist Dar- ren Orange, who said “it’s really an honor” to be involved. See OSTROM, Page 2C MORE ONLINE A documentary of Ostrom’s story titled “Portrait of an Unknown Artist,” featuring Carlson, Burns, Orange and Ostrom’s daughter Jean Montgomery, can be seen at https://goo.gl/fEqL6P
