Continued from Page 6
from sculpture to jewelry. That is what the
White Bird has been all about.”
Evelyn Georges continued working at
the gallery until her retirement in 2010.
S he died in 2014.
By the time Allyn Cantor took over
the gallery in 2011, she had already been
working there for ten years.
“It has been in the same location for 50
years; it hasn’t moved,” Cantor said.
Even the original cash register, called
the “Wiz,” is still used every day.
The gallery will commemorate its 50th
anniversary with a summer celebration of
rotating artworks in a salon-style hanging
through Sept. 6.
Housed in a building constructed in
1915, the gallery was once a grocery and
butcher shop. Reminders of the past echo
today. The “cold room,” where they stored
the meat, still stands in the gallery, as well
as a shelf that once held the town’s fi rst
library books. The space above the shop
was once a boarding house for loggers.
I t’s now home to a yoga studio.
Local potter Barbara Temple Ayres,
who managed the gallery from 1972 to
1974, called the gallery instrumental in
making Cannon Beach the arts colony it
is now.
“Evelyn kept the standards very high
and attracted infl uential art buyers,” Ayres
added. “It has maintained these standards
over 50 years and helps to support local
and up and coming artists.”
Cantor has expanded the gallery to
include the work of local painters, sculp-
tors, jewelry makers and basket weavers.
She wants to continue Georges’ pursuit
of emerging artists who are trying their
wings with contemporary pieces that res-
onate with the next generation looking for
aff ordable treasures.
“I feel like I’m following Eve-
lyn’s footsteps in giving young artists a
chance,” Cantor said. “Evelyn always
used to say, ‘It’s just wall space, it’s not
Dolls made by Nancy Bell Anderson and Heather Henry.
Continued from Page 7
The heritage center’s birth
Among the newer artists featured at White
Bird Gallery are John and Robin Gumaelius,
who together create whimsical ceramic
fi gurines, including the one held by gallery
owner Allyn Cantor.
going to hurt to try.’”
This year’s anniversary poster, created
by Robin and John Gumaelius, captures
the gallery and its place in Cannon Beach.
Against a backdrop of blue sky and
clouds stands Haystack Rock. In the fore-
ground, a young woman balances on an
elk while holding a rabbit in one hand and
a white bird in the other. Below her, a can-
non fi res, and the words “White Bird Gal-
lery” are framed in the spokes of a bicycle
wheel. A banner at the bottom declares,
“Fabulous 50th at Cannon Beach.”
NEW GO KART TRACK
NOW OPEN!
GO KARTS
MINI GOLF
GYROXTREME
ROCK WALL
KIDDIE RIDES
AND MORE!
SEASIDE, OREGON
HWY 101 (1/4 mi South of Seaside) • 2735 S. Roosevelt • 503-738-2076
OPEN DAILY 11 A M T O 6 P M
14 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
At fi rst, Anderson made individual
dolls to sell for a minuscule price. Then,
realizing mass-producing was “not my
favorite thing,” she started selling her
original clothespin doll designs to sev-
eral diff erent magazines, bringing in
enough money to keep her passion proj-
ect — the Knappton Cove Heritage Cen-
ter — afl oat.
“I sold hundreds of clothespin
designs,” Anderson said. “It created a
nice buff er time.”
After a few years, however, it became
clear the building would need repairs,
such as a new roof. Since Anderson
wanted to maintain the historical accu-
racy of the heritage site, she knew it
would be a substantial investment. When
she learned it would cost $17,000, she
thought, “Wow, I don’t think can sell that
many clothespin designs.”
The next logical step was forming a
nonprofi t that would allow for procur-
ing grants, and in the early 2000s, she
accomplished that goal after nine months
of fi lling out forms and going through
meticulous procedures.
“It was kind of like having a baby,”
she recalled.
‘A work of love’
T he heritage site has been running
for several years and the clothespin doll
designs are no longer a critical part of
its fi nancial success, although Anderson
continues to create kits and sell them at
the museum for a small profi t.
However, the hobby continues. Ander-
son’s daughter Heather Henry, who now
lives in Virginia, got involved in recent
years. Together, they’ve designed new
patterns, made unique dolls and compiled
them for instruction books that are acces-
sible for crafters of various ages.
They’ve also made greeting cards
using pictures that feature the dolls.
About three years ago, Henry developed
a website, using it to virtually showcase
their handmade dolls and conduct some
commerce.
Asked whether they defi ne their
endeavors as an enterprise or a hobby,
they responded that it falls somewhere in
between.
“It’s a hobby we love to share,” Henry
said. “It sort of pays for itself.”
Anderson added, “It’s a work of love,
and it’s fun.”
During the pandemic, Anderson and
Henry explored new ways to have fun
with their clothespin doll creation.
“The pandemic has inspired us on
another whole level,” Henry said.
With the extra time, they could be
more active on the website, using it to
connect with people from all over.
Henry started making videos featur-
ing their creations and writing blog posts
inspired by diff erent seasons, holidays,
current and historical events. Often, the
dolls incorporate a particular heritage or
history piece, such as the popular Votes
for Women dolls or Lady Liberty.
The mother-daughter team doesn’t
take custom orders or sell their dolls en
masse.
“Instead of making the dolls, we’d
like you to make it yourself,” Anderson
said.
Henry agreed, adding, “Mostly, we’re
there to inspire.”