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THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2021
Bruhn: ‘We started the shop with the three of us doing what we love’
Continued from Page B1
After a stint in Seattle,
Bruhn yearned for a change
in environment. She stum-
bled upon Astoria while on a
trip along the Oregon Coast
and quickly fell in love with
the town’s arts community.
Bruhn saw Astoria as a place
she could pursue her art, cul-
tivate a community and live a
hippy lifestyle.
She started a corporate job
in Seaside but soon decided
it was time to return to her
artistry.
Bruhn and Jackson met
through their husbands who
were in a band together at
the time. They soon formed
Luminari Arts with Jackson,
offi cially opening the busi-
ness in 2014.
“Our partnership of more
than seven years has grown
into a relationship based on
our love for the shop and our
intent to keep it interesting,”
Bruhn said.
Expanding
and adapting
The trio envisioned a
space for Astoria’s commu-
nity to stumble upon and
appreciate curated art. In
February 2020, they moved
the store to a larger location
from Marine Drive to Duane
Street.
“We started the shop with
the three of us doing what
we love,” Bruhn said. “We
moved because what we
were doing worked,” Bruhn
said. “We needed to expand.”
Last March, the store
closed during the state’s ini-
tial coronavirus pandemic
restrictions. The trio used the
time to work on the shop’s
interior design. Bruhn and
Jackson also did activities
to keep the space alive and
occupied, Bruhn said, includ-
ing yoga, constructing a papi-
er-mache dragon and paint-
ing positive messages on the
store’s windows.
The trio has also contin-
ued supporting local orga-
nizations and events like the
Astoria Pride Parade, which
the store helps sponsor.
Bruhn credits her busi-
ness’ neighbors for attracting
new customers who wander
in after having a bite to eat.
“We had to close right after
we moved due to COVID-
19 but after we reopened we
were quite busy, in that, we
are across from food carts,”
Bruhn said.
A recent photo of Luminari Arts.
Bruhn’s piece ‘Airborn,’ featured by RiverSea Gallery.
The shop’s variety of mer-
chandise, artistic accessories
and cards is immense. One
wall features hundreds of
journals and writing supplies,
while another has cards,
‘Zodiac’ is another of Bruhn’s pieces featured by RiverSea Gallery.
stickers and unique pens.
“We have curated hun-
dreds of items to make peo-
ple laugh, smile and share,”
Bruhn said. “There’s a little
something for everyone.”
‘First Supper: Activists’ is one of Bruhn’s pieces at RiverSea Gallery.
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