14
S moke S ignals
JUNE 1, 2016
Chachalu exhibit features Willamina student art
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
With all the concern about a
massive earthquake hitting the Pa-
ciic Northwest, retiring Willamina
High School art teacher Bill Boyson
says he might be partially to blame
if and when it does happen.
Boyson, who has taught art at
Willamina since 1976, is currently
teaching photography and ceram-
ics, and as many local families can
attest their homes are illed with
student art projects created in his
classes.
“I like to joke that if we ever have
the big earthquake and Oregon
falls into the ocean, the amount of
ceramics in the Willamina, Grand
Ronde and Sheridan communities
might just be the tipping point,”
said Boyson.
His student’ artwork is currently
on display at the Tribal museum
and cultural center, Chachalu, in
Grand Ronde through June 30. The
exhibit is titled “chxi-tilixam” and it
features photography, wood work-
ing and ceramics by local youth.
Twenty students have their art
represented, including the work of
six Tribal members, in the exhibit
of 33 photographs, 29 ceramic piec-
es and two wood carvings. Boyson
has one of his ive-piece tea pot sets
and three of his bowls and plates
displayed and Cultural Interpre-
tive Specialist Bradley Leno has
two ceramic pieces on display that
he made when he was in Boyson’s
class from 1998 through 2001.
Also on display as part of the
exhibit is a 7-foot-tall painting of
Boyson by Tribal Artisan Travis
Stewart. Stewart was in Boyson’s
class at Willamina High School in
the early 1990s.
Boyson, who is retiring at the end
of this school year after 39 years
teaching at Willamina High, said
he was honored to be asked to pro-
vide student artwork to Chachalu
for the exhibit.
“Kathy (Cole) approached me
about showing some student art-
work and of course I thought that
would be a great idea,” said Boyson.
“The main thing going on at the
school right now is ceramics and
photography. I went through and
found some things in my class that
I really liked.”
Cole, who is the Culture De-
partment manager, said when the
staff at the museum found out that
Boyson was retiring they thought
an exhibit of his students’ art would
be the perfect way to honor him.
“We have been doing these rotat-
ing exhibits to bring more people in
and we really wanted something
for youth,” said Cole. “He (Boyson)
is very well loved. We gifted him a
blanket.”
Cole said it was Leno who was
charged with bringing everything
together and worked with Boyson
to make it happen.
“I did all the contact with Boyson
about arranging what pieces were
going to come in and making sure
that we had all the information for
the bios (individual student artist
biographies) that we did,” Leno
said. “It’s a great feeling.”
The exhibit features photography
from Jessica Nolen, Emma Nolen,
Jared Shaffer, Vanessa Hilpert,
Emilee Elwood, Daisy Gray, Erin
Ross, Yuting Tang, Alyssa Ken-
nett and Tribal members Emily
Sterling, Andrea Grijalva, Jillian
Thomas and Micah Rogers.
Students providing ceramics
work are Cian Bailey-Saucy,
Brooke France, Stella Shaefer,
Ethan Howard, Orion Boyd and
Tribal members Madison Leno and
Justin Fasana.
Fasana, who was selected by
Boyson as student of the year at
the high school’s annual awards
for 2015-16, also has two wood
carvings on display.
“That’s one of the sadnesses I’m
feeling right now is that I won’t
get to be with him next year as a
senior,” said Boyson of Fasana. “I’m
hoping he will do a senior project
that involves clay and that I’ll get to
be his mentor because then I’ll get
to keep up with him. He has really
advanced at such an astounding
rate. He is in here (studio) all the
time. To have that kind of youth-
ful energy is inspiring for me and
also infectious to the other kids.
The next guy that comes into my
ofice is coming into a pretty good
situation.”
Boyson said he has had a special
relationship with many young
Tribal members and that he has
watched them grow up and become
part of the Tribal community.
One of the close relationships he
Ceramics made by Justin Fasana are on display in “chxi-tilixam: An exhibit of
the arts of our youth” at Chachalu Tribal Museum and Cultural Center.
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Willamina High School art teacher Bill Boyson throws a bowl in his classroom at
the school on Thursday, May 26. There is currently an exhibit, “chxi-tilixam: An
exhibit of the arts of our youth” at Chachalu Tribal Museum and Cultural Center,
featuring artwork of Boyson’s students and a few of Boyson’s pieces, who is
retiring at the end of this school year after 39 years teaching at the school.
developed was with former student
Stewart.
“It’s hard for me to consider Tra-
vis as an ex-student, he’s just more
of a contemporary of mine,” said
Boyson. “He’s a great artist.”
Boyson said the most touching
moment of the whole exhibit effort
was receiving a Tribal Pendleton
blanket and seeing the larger-than-
life painting of himself created by
Stewart.
“I think the thing that surprised
me the most was when I went to
the museum on the opening day
and I turned around and saw that
big portrait that Travis Stewart
did of me,” said Boyson. “It kind of
overwhelmed me a little bit. I was
really honored that Travis would
pay homage to me that way.
“It just brought home the fact
that I’ve been here a long time and
I’m really proud of my association
with the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde and seeing the Tribe
evolve since 1976 when I irst start-
ed. I was a witness to that. Just
seeing the Tribe go from where it
was in ’76 to where it is today has
just been incredible to see it happen
and to know people that have been
involved in that.”
Boyson said the student display
at Chachalu is more than just an
exhibit to him.
“The event out there just meant
a lot to me,” said Boyson. “The two
cultures coming together the way
they have, it’s the greatest thing.”
When Boyson received the blan-
ket, he said he thought of his late
father and grandfather.
“I was talking to my mom and I
said, ‘Dad would have gotten the
biggest thrill out of hearing that.’
It is just so unique that that was
able to happen. When my grand-
father retired from the railroad he
received a gold watch. How cool is
it to get a blanket presented to you
by a Native American Tribe. This
is awesome. There is a lot of love
going both ways.”
Lamprey harvest slated
at Willamette Falls
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has set the lamprey
harvest season at Willamette Falls as June 1 through July 31.
Harvesting will be allowed Friday through Monday between the
hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Harvesting is not allowed Tuesday through Thursday.
Harvesting is conined to the east side of Willamette Falls and
does not include the horseshoe area at the peak of the falls. Gear
is restricted to hand or hand-powered tools only.
A permit is required, but Tribal members are allowed to use
their Tribal enrollment card in lieu of a state-issued permit. In
addition, Tribal members may harvest for distribution to other
Tribal members. However, this must be free of charge.
Catches also must be recorded on an ODFW harvest card
available from the Tribal Natural Resources Department or by
contacting the Clackamas ofice of the state Department of Fish
and Wildlife, 17330 S.E. Evelyn St. All harvest cards must be
returned by Aug. 31.
For more information or further speciic regulations, contact
Natural Resources Administrative Assistant Michele Volz at
503-879-2376.