SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019 | 7A
VISION from page 1A
“One of the interesting
things is … Siuslaw is entirely
community led,” Lacer con-
tinued. “This visioning effort
was not sponsored by the city,
by the county or by any gov-
ernment agency. It was spon-
sored and led by community
members.”
Utilizing grants from The
Ford Family Foundation, a
steering team of seven Vision
Keepers, six advisory com-
mittee members, two paid
contractors and “a million
wonderful community volun-
teers,” according to Lacer, the
Siuslaw Vision has accom-
plished several of its starting
goals. These include the cre-
ation of a free, user-friendly
community calendar at Riv-
erCal.org; the second year of
the Florence Farmers Market
each Tuesday from May to
October; and other, small-
er ways for people to engage
with the Vision.
“One of the things we
started recently … are ‘IPAs’
— Initiative Proposal Agree-
ments. We like to say, ‘Have a
beer with the Vision,’” Lacer
said. “It’s a way of allowing
the Vision to find out what
community needs there are,
what specific projects com-
munity members want to
work on and then how the
Vision can help them work
on that. It provides a little
bit of structure for how both
sides to accomplish what the
community wants to see hap-
pen.”
Community-driven efforts
are at the heart of the Vision,
which seeks to come along-
side people’s passions and
equip them to accomplish
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something tangible within
the region. It’s how the Flor-
ence Pickleball Association
has gained recognition as a
driver for bringing increased
recreational opportunities to
the city. And it’s how Flor-
ence’s efforts to create public
art are coming to fruition.
“Art is one of our six main
pillars of the Vision. It’s an
area where the Vision proper
isn’t really hands on,” Lacer
said. “We’ve got all kinds of
little art projects, art efforts,
going on in the communi-
ty and a lot of them happen
without the Vision being
hands on. We still consid-
er them part of the Vision
— they are community-led
efforts working to make life
better for residents in our re-
gion — so we’re here to sup-
port them.”
The focus of the VtA Tour
in Florence was on the arts as
participants got the chance to
go on one of four tours sur-
rounding public and commu-
nity art in the area.
Vision Keeper Jo Beau-
dreau said, “Today we’re go-
ing to be talking a lot about
the arts. Whatever your art is,
whether it’s cooking, poetry,
writing, visual arts, theater
arts, you name it, you can
do that. … Because the arts
are important and what con-
nects us together across cul-
tures, age groups, economic
backgrounds,
educational
backgrounds, etc. You guys
already know this.”
The four tours included
a tour of Florence’s newest
mural at the intersection of
Quince Street and Highway
126, the Old Town Florence
Public Art Tour, the Siuslaw
Public Library Art Tour and
the “Too Tired to Tour” vis-
it to Florence Regional Arts
Alliance (FRAA) Art Center,
where people got the chance
to make art and learn about
Florence’s galleries and art
events.
City of Florence Commu-
nity and Economic Develop-
ment Assistant Sarah Moer-
hke led the Gateway Mural
Tour and hoped to give par-
ticipants the chance to talk
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Florence artist F. Michael Woods is restoring “Sea Life Mural,” by Mark Storaasli,
located on the ICM Restaurant building.
to the artists Angelina Mari- in their towns, including back to the successes and
no and Joel Heidel of Mari- connecting youth, combin- challenges of each commu-
no-Heidel Studios, based in ing visual arts with theater nity.
Portland.
and performing arts, toning
“A lot of people have been
“I’m going to talk about down competitive aspects talking about relationships
the mural that the Public and working together.
and how important they are
Art Committee of the City of
“People need to realize in this process,” Jones said.
Florence has started putting the world is very abundant, “Another challenge is how
up, and conflict and resolu- and there’s enough for all. If to consider your own story
tion with that process,” she I bring someone in, it might and that being a part of the
said.
benefit you as well,” one at- process. The emphasis on
Florence Public Art Com- tendee said. “We need to celebrating in Independence
mittee Chairman Harlen break that kind of idea of is inspiring. They actually
Springer led the tour through scarcity, because we live in pre-celebrate stuff, and I’m
Historic Old Town.
the richest country in the like ‘That’s how you do it.’
According to Vision Co- world and there’s plenty for That’s how you get people
ordinator Stephanie Sarles, everyone, but a lot of it de- to celebrate the start of your
“The group was particularly pends on your attitude”
project.”
interested in the Art Exposed
Jones, who attended the
“It’s nice to see so many
pieces being available for sale. FRAA tour, said that in Illi- communities doing things
One participant expressed nois Valley, “We plan things and the way they do them,”
how beneficial that seems that are beneficial to all the Beaudreau added.
for both the Public Art Com- groups while showcasing the
The Siuslaw Vision is no
mittee and the artists. Harlen different groups.”
longer in planning stages for
emphasized that the public
FRAA President Kristin its vision process; in fact, at
art in Florence doesn’t follow Anderson said, “Everybody four years in, it is looking to
a particular theme, but each who joins FRAA knows that the future.
piece is different to appeal our goal is for them to be-
“It’s been an interesting
to different artists, the com- come part of a community. If mix,” Lacer said. “Our Vi-
munity and visitors who will you sell something, great. We sion is very ambiguous, it’s
view the art.”
will help put your stuff on the fuzzy, and we’re always con-
Springer also said that one wall and help you sell, but if stantly trying to wrap our
of Florence’s most recogniz- you want to be rich, there’s arms around it to better our
able murals, “Sea Life Mural” other private galleries that understanding of it, and it’s
by Mark Storaasli on the ICM can help you do that.”
always evolving. … So where
Restaurant building, is being
She said the art center’s are we going next? We’d like
restored by local painter F. goal is to be a place for artists to know, and you guys are
Michael Woods.
and community members going to help us figure that
“It was fun to show the to come together, adding, out.”
group the ‘art in action,’” “They can hang out here and
The Siuslaw Vision is un-
Sarles said.
be friends. Maybe that would dergoing a strategic planning
The groups could either relax some of the competi- process to look at the organi-
drive to their locations or tion. Let’s all make it togeth- zation, the potential neces-
walk, which offered an on- er.”
sity of changing from being
the-ground tour of the ReVi-
Sarles gave a recap of peo- a steering committee to a
sion Florence Streetscaping ple’s comments about the 501(c)(3) and other aspects
Project on Highway 101.
tours through Florence, in- for what the future could be.
At FRAA, Beaudreau cluding on Florence’s mix
“We hired a consultant to
demonstrated some of her of a city Public Art Com- help us assess where we are,
favorite water-based art tools mittee coupled with artists where we want to go and how
and allowed the attendees to who want creativity and we can best serve the com-
doodle, paint, draw on and grassroots methods and col- munity,” Lacer said. “Right
otherwise decorate postcards, laboration working hand-in- now, … we’re just a group
a big part of the tour for her. hand with city policies for of community members.
She also talked about FRAA meeting requirements.
Should we continue that
as a “community-centered
“They enjoyed meeting the way? We’re also looking at
art center,” the 2nd Saturday people involved in bringing sustainability, of course, just
Gallery Tour, demARTS and art to the community,” she like all the rest of you in this
other area initiatives to unite said. “They also loved think- community-building world,
Florence’s artists.
ing about the impacts that art how to best sustain the effort,
The VtA Tour participants can have in a community and both financially and with
discussed a series of ques- how art can use commonali- volunteers, the human capi-
tions about connecting vari- ties to bring people together. tal.”
ous art groups into the com- One person observed that the
Following the tour groups,
munity-building
process, art gave the town a feeling of the full VtA Team recon-
encouraging collaboration friendliness by creating invit- vened at the Honeyman State
and healing rifts.
ing spaces. Another said she Park East Woahink Meeting
“How do the arts bring learned how important com- Hall before heading to the fi-
people together?” Beaudreau munication is for public arts nal event in Roseburg.
asked. “There are different projects.”
“We wanted to give them a
kinds of art, we all know that,
The purpose of the VtA taste of the Siuslaw Region’s
we all have different ideas Tour was to be an experi- beautiful forest scenery and
and opinions about our art. ential learning opportunity. Honeyman’s yurt seemed like
It’s in the eye of the beholder. Throughout the tour in Flor- the perfect place to reflect on
Some people may like some ence, VtA members talked their time in Florence,” Sarles
things and not like another.” about community building, said. “Each person in the
The attendees talked about specifically on growth and group had an opportunity to
successful arts movements development, and related share briefly about insights
they gained during their time
in Florence or tell everyone
what their favorite part of the
tour was.”
As VtA planned the tour,
organizers wrote, “We hope
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Siuslaw News Readers Choice
gized for the work. We en-
im Hoberg is a Florence native, looking for ways to expand his
courage visiting community
and has been working in
areas of expertise. Recently he has
representatives to plan to
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served as a Realtor for 30 years. He
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has obtained several designations
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that require continuing education,
people fi nd solutions to their real
During the comments, the
which keeps him on the cutting edge estate needs and discovering why
Florence is such a great place to live.
of the industry and he is constantly
participants praised various
communities’ successes.
“We learned so much from
Independence. They’re doing
it,” one person said.
“Illinois Valley has it going
on,” Beaudreau added.
“We think the same thing
about Florence,” a third per-
son answered.
C elebrating 30 Years
Parents:
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Grandparents:
Deadline is Friday, May31st
Just bring in or mail, with the coupon below, your graduate’s favorite baby picture
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Address:
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For more information
on the Siuslaw Vision, visit
RiverCal.org. For more infor-
mation on The Ford Family
Foundation and the Ford In-
stitute for Community Build-
ing, visit www.tfff.org.