Attendees creating art during a mixed media class in late April.
Continued from Page 4
in downtown Clatskanie. When the corona-
virus pandemic started last year, the group
considered permanently closing the gallery,
Odoms said.
“That bothered me because I was going
to be watching the outlet for the artists dis-
appear and in a small community I think
that’s very important. I mean for artists
in general but for a small community, I
wanted to keep it running,” she said.
With the approval of the gallery’s
building owner, Odoms took over the
450-square-foot space and reinvented it
into the GB Studio + Gallery in October
2020. The space now represents up to 25
local and regional artists and artisans.
With the coronavirus going around,
Odoms said, it was impossible to hold art
classes at the gallery due to its limited
space. Instead of waiting in defeat for the
pandemic to end, the lack of a larger space
for art classes and artists spurred Odoms to
open a new location where the surrounding
community could go for a creative outlet.
“People have been sequestering in their
homes for so long, getting stuck in there,
and they need something to do — this is a
safe alternative,” Odoms said. “Some peo-
ple aren’t comfortable with the social gath-
erings and that’s OK but this is a larger
space and it gives them an option.”
What the center offers
After facing medical retirement, despite
not being ready to retire, Odoms began
taking classes at the Astoria Art Loft in
March 2015. Thinking back to that time,
she fondly remembers the sense of com-
munity she felt at the loft and how she fell
in love with the artistic process.
With the room to learn and develop
her skills, Odoms said taking courses at
the loft was the best thing she could have
done. She hopes to give her community the
same opportunities she had.
“That’s my focus, getting people in,
even if they’ve never picked up a paint-
brush or a pencil or anything,” she said.
“My classes right now are extremely basic,
and so if somebody is just curious, I have a
class for that.”
In the month of May, for example, the
new art center will be hosting an “Intro-
duction to Acrylics & Mediums” work-
shop. The course is structured for begin-
ners and will provide participants with all
Workshop participants get creative in the Studio II Art Center.
the necessary supplies.
For those over the age of 21, the center
will also hold a paint and sip event where
attendees will get to hold a paintbrush in
one hand and a drink in the other.
Moreover, the art center contains up to
six studio spaces that artists can lease on
a monthly basis. The Studio II member-
ship will provide 24/7 access to the work-
shop space and tools; a discount on art sup-
plies; and commission for any artwork sold
through the gallery.
“Come on in, bring your own supplies,”
Odoms said. “(The Studio II Art Center is)
a place where we can socially distance and
still get together and learn from each other.”
THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2021 // 5