The Columbia Press
August 21, 2020
Art could keep pandemic doldrums at bay
Suffering from pandem-
“Watching the children
ic fatigue?
release their anxieties
One of the best ways to
with their art and music
get out of the doldrums
made me think of how
and improve one’s life
therapeutic art and music
view is to do art, said Jo
are, for everyone,” Pome-
Pomeroy, a profession-
roy said. “After observing
al artist and co-owner of
and talking with people
Astoria Art Loft.
in our community, I find
“You don’t have to be a
that depression, from
professional artist to do
mild to greater is com-
art,” she said. “If you can
monplace.”
draw only stick figures,
In addition to being
that is fine, for this is the
a professional artist,
basis for figure drawing.
Pomeroy also is a trained
Just go ahead and do
therapist.
Courtesy Jo Pomeroy
your art.”
Art is a simple way
Astoria Art Loft co-owner Jeannette
Astoria Art Loft is hold- Davis puts brush to paper.
those suffering from de-
ing its annual August art
pression can help them-
and music camp with 10 chil- to ensure all precautions selves, she said.
dren this year. The studio and protocols to prevent the
What materials are needed?
worked with Clatsop County spread of COVID-19 are fol- Not many.
Public Health Department lowed.
Paper, even a brown pa-
Nordic park effort wins cultural grant
Astoria Scandinavian Her-
itage Association received a
$27,034 grant from Oregon
Cultural Trust to support re-
search, design, fabrication
and installation of interpre-
tive panels at Astoria Nordic
Heritage Park.
The award was part of $2.7
million in funding given to
cultural organizations across
the state.
The $1.2 million park proj-
ect is along the Astoria River-
walk and celebrates Astoria’s
Nordic
Other projects funded in-
clude development of an in-
teractive digital media chan-
nel for nonprofit groups and
independent media makers
by Open Signal in Portland,
a series of cultural programs
by the Tower Theatre Foun-
dation in Bend, restoration
of access to cultural plants
for Native Americans in
Ashland, and development
of the first Oregon Online
African American Museum
by Oregon Black Pioneers in
Salem.
Members of
the Astoria
Scandina-
vian Heri-
tage Associ-
ation lead a
march along
the River-
walk.
5
per bag, crayons, a pencil, a
pen, colored pencils, chalk
or pastels, paints (watercol-
or, acrylic, gouache, etc.), or
scraps cut from magazines
and paste.
Draw or paint anything, she
recommends.
It can be “your self-portrait,
cups and saucers, the view
out your window, or some-
thing from your imagina-
tion,” Pomeroy said. “Make a
design that is pleasing to you.
Play relaxing music while you
are creating.”
Think of being creative as a
form of problem-solving. But
avoid being critical and never
say your creation is no good,
she said.
“Invite your friends, chil-
dren, grandchildren to an art
party,” she said.
“Use materials you have
already and encourage your
fellow artists to bring more.
Encourage each artist to say
what he/she likes about the
artwork. … Play background
music. Save your sanity by
doing art.”
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