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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2017)
6 // COASTWEEKEND.COM ‘BEHIND THE BAR’ SUBMITTED PHOTO Arvi Ostrom, behind the bar, in the Snug Harbor Tavern. Arvi Ostrom, owner of the Snug Harbor Tavern in Uniontown, left behind vast, hidden body of work By KAELIA NEAL FOR EO MEDIA GROUP Seaside’s Gallery AFTER HOURS Every Saturday through summer from 5-7pm Gilbert District Gallery Beach Books Ballery Seaside Coffee House Moxie Fair Trade Sun Rose Gallery T he world is only beginning to ap- preciate the talent and massive output of Arvi Ostrom, an Astoria U-Pic k 100% Natural Blueberrie s Open Daily ‘til 6 pm $2.00 lb. Cranguyma Farms 113th & Sandridge N. Long Beach, WA native who quietly produced thousands of works of art during his lifetime. Ostrom, who owned the Snug Harbor 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 himself, 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. SUBMITTED PHOTOS ABOVE, LEFT: A piece by Arvi Ostrom “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 past 22 years, Carlson has made it his mis- sion to display his grandfa- ther’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 Muse- um to display selections of Ostrom’s work. Carlson collaborated with Astoria artist Darren Orange, who said “it’s really an honor” to be involved. Ostrom has been “fi- nally given a voice and a place to show his work (by) being honored at this exhibition,” Orange said. “It’s inspiring for me as an artist to see the value the community puts on his work.” Continued on Page 16
