8
SEPTEMBER 29�OCTOBER 6, 2021
BEHIND THE SCENES
FROM THE
COVER
An African
animal parade
By Lisa Britton
Go! Magazine
B
Travel Baker County/Contributed photo
A metal cape buff alo peeks around the edge of Corner Brick Cafe in Baker City.
AKER CITY — It’s hard to
ignore the metal creatures.
It’s not common, generally, to
see a giraff e on Main Street.
Or a crocodile slithering
down the side of a building.
Then there’s that elephant
outside North 7 Brewing ...
The African animals in Baker
City — and several in Halfway
— are courtesy of Jeff and
Susan Jentzsch, founders of
Art Roamers, which represents
African artists. Their mission is
to connect artists with a wider
audience by bringing the art-
work to America.
Their process is explained
like this: “Art Roamers assesses
each market and fairly compen-
sates the artisan for their work.
We also strive for consistency
so they can provide for their
families, and follow their pas-
sion.”
The artists they represent
can be found at www.artroam-
ers.com/artists. The animal
sculptures placed around down-
town were created by Samuel,
who lives in Kenya.
The best way to see the
sculptures is up close so you
can check out the details — like
eyelashes, or the “hair” of the
gorilla. It’s an easy walk around
downtown Baker City, where
residents and visitors alike are
often seen posing with the cre-
ations for a photo.
Another spot is Churchill
School, 3451 Broadway St.,
where the African animals in-
habit a sculpture garden in front
of the historic building.
Beginning Oct. 1, the sculp-
tures will begin migrating to
Court Plaza in downtown Baker
City, near the Art Roamers
shop.
“They’ll be hanging out there
for about a month,” Jeff Jen-
tzsch said.
The animals are usu-
ally stored for the winter, and
migrate out into town the next
spring.
The Art Roamers shop, which
is usually open on the fi rst
Friday of each month, will be
open additional days October
through December. For up-
dates, check Facebook, www.
facebook.com/ArtRoamers.
The metal sculptures are for
sale. To inquire about purchas-
ing, call Jentzsch at 208-312-
9500 or email him at artroam-
ers@yahoo.com.
First Friday at Crossroads
F orms o F ood
By Sarah E. Wynn and Deborah Penning
2020 Auburn Avenue
Baker City, Oregon
541.523.5369
www.crossroads-arts.org
Exhibition on display Friday, October 1 through Saturday, October 30
Crossroads is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Sarah E. Wynn and Deborah Penning
present a fun First Friday evening
filled with lively painting creations
of the foods we love paired with an
eclectic array of hand-thrown ceramics
that enhance our dining experience