SEPTEMBER 1, 2004
Smoke Signals 11
Tribal member Richard Fenwick teaches from the heart.
ByTobyMcClary
Tribal member Richard Fenwick
makes a career out of teaching art to
children. He has been teaching
around the Grand Ronde and
Willamina area for three years but in
all has been teaching for about 20
years.
Richard is the son of Wilma and the
late Tribal Elder Dick Fenwick. He
resides in the Grand Meadows in
Grand Ronde, Oregon and has an art
studio in Willamina.
Fenwick teaches children ages five
years up to 16 years old. He teaches
water-media painting and has his
whole life. He has studied calligra
phy for 38 years and describes it as
"beautiful writing." He has taught cal
ligraphy in many places in Oregon
including Klamath Falls, Portland
and now the Grand Ronde area.
Fenwick plans to teach a calligraphy
class for adults in the fall.
On average, Fenwick teaches about
10 classes per week and explains that
he has to "stay on top of it." He has
worked in many local towns recently
including Dallas, Monmouth,
Silverton and Woodburn.
In between his sophomore and jun
ior years in high school, Fenwick re
ceived an art scholarship for a six
week course at Kansas University. He
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Richard Fenwick
also attended Portland Community
College for two years and in 1986 he
earned an associates degree in offset
press.
Originally, Fenwick wanted to pur
sue a career in litho printing but found
that it wasn't going to be personally
profitable, so he decided to follow the
press industry. He worked in a print
ing shop for about seven years but
didn't like all of the chemicals so he
then drove a delivery truck for two
years.
Fenwick finally made his way to
Grand Ronde where he teamed with
other local artists and began a non
profit organization called Artists with
out Barriers.
"Our sole purpose was to just teach
kids art classes," said Fenwick.
The organization didn't work out, so
he decided to start his own business
and called it Kidz Art. He teaches pri
vate classes and charges $15 a month
per student.
"I am trying to make art affordable
for everyone," said Fenwick.
Fenwick also has been designing a
calendar for the children in the Before
and Aftercare program for the last two
years. He uses a picture that each
individual child painted for each
month. Fenwick then takes the paint
ings home and adds the final details.
"It's like having their own art show
for the whole month," said Fenwick.
"Seeing the results and how the kids
react is a very positive thing for me
and them."
Former K-5 teacher, Matt Bucknell,
used to help Fenwick with the design
of the calendars.
"It really blended their creativity,"
said Bucknell. "The kids always
seemed to be really impressed."
Fenwick says that he enjoys teach
ing art very much and will continue
to do so for years to come.
"I feel that the kids need a new out
let," said Fenwick. "I am trying to
give them an alternative way to ex
press themselves."
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Talent Tribal member Nikia
Mooney enjoyed the classes put on by
Fenwick. If interested, Richard Fenwick
can be reached at 503-876-74 1 8.
Tribal Member Is "Mr.-Never-Give-Up"
By Peta Tinda
Tribal member Chris Martin
recently completed his General
Equivalency Diploma (GED)
becoming the first in his family
to do so. Chris is the son of
Kathy and Myron Martin and
the grandson of the late Vivian
and Richard Martin and
Eleanor Pritchard.
He took classes in writing and
math in the morning and then
went home to study. By 4 p.m.,
he was back in Grand Ronde,
working in housekeeping until
early in the morning, sometimes
until 1 a.m. to get his work done.
"This was a pretty easy sched
ule compared to what some
people have to go through," said
Martin. "I think this should help me
as I take more classes this fall."
Martin is hoping to go to school
full time with the eventual goal of
becoming and Alcohol and Drug
counselor "to help others like me to
achieve their goals and achieve so
briety." Joanne Carr, Tribal GED instruc
tor who worked closely with Mar
tin called him "Mister-Never-Give-Up.
"Chris persevered and set up a
schedule to tutor every day before
his shift in housekeeping. He was
serious. He had a notebook. He
reviewed and he completed
worksheets and he passed math,"
said Carr.
Like many Tribal members, Carr
said, Martin's GED testing went
well until the math portion, but
Martin studied for and passed the
test.
When he was in college this sum
mer he went to class in McMinnville,
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then, in
Grand Ronde, he worked in house
keeping until early in the morning.
When asked what values or eth
ics he uses to guide him for the fu
ture, Martin said that he believes
in himself, works hard at what he
does and asks for help when he
needs it.
"I always encourage others be
cause people have helped me and I
want to return the favor," said Mar-
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Chris Martin
tin. "Jlelping others makes you
feel good about yourself."
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Inspiration Author and motivational speaker D.J.Vanas (right) spoke in Grand Ronde on Tuesday, August 10. He
spoke at two different sessions, one for the youth and then again for Tribal employees and parents. Vanas travels the
nation speaking his motivational words. Vanas focuses on wellness and strength among youth as well as adults.
... . . . . .."
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