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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2015)
January 2, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 7A Childhood interest lures artist to fairy realm Grant recipient Peter Greaver creates fairy houses for gallery show By Erick Bengel Cannon Beach Gazette Peter Greaver, the 2013-14 recipient of Cannon Beach’s Individual Artist Grant, doesn’t know if he believes in fairies, but he certainly be- lieves in what they represent: the magic and majesty of the natural world. For all the fantasy found in fairy lore — traditional and contemporary — there is an often overlooked spiritual ele- ment that more people should tap into, he said. Our culture is losing its “mystical, romantic relation- ship with nature,” Greaver added. “It’s being replaced with technology.” With his current exhibition (funded by the $3,000 grant) at the Cannon Beach Gallery, Greaver seeks to elicit the same sense of enchantment he experienced while reading large, elaborately illustrated children’s books that depict fairies and the worlds they in- habit. The untitled show, which opened Dec. 20, and runs through Jan. 25, is a joint exhi- bition that includes the work of Carl Annala, a Portland-based painter. The gallery will host an artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 3. Greaver’s half of the show consists of nine dramatically diverse miniature houses that could serve as plausible dwell- ings for adult fairies roughly 7 inches tall. Composed of salvaged twigs and branches; wood glue; bamboo; cotton; copper, aluminum, silver plated and gold plated wire; hemp; jute; glass; stones; acrylic; glitter; varnish; and other materials, the fairy houses are largely in- spired by images from vintage children’s books and Victorian fairy paintings, he said. Greaver wanted the struc- ERICK BENGEL PHOTO Peter Greaver strokes a crabapple tree he is nursing back to life in the Greaver Gallery garden. He is the 2013-14 recipi- ent of Cannon Beach’s Individual Artist Grant. tures to seem “realistic and functional.” Most of the houses are shingled, some with pine cone scales. Sever- al houses are square-shaped, others are round. Some even have chimneys. For the past year, he worked on all of them simulta- neously. “Realistically, I could continue to work on them for another year because I see all these ways in which they could be enhanced,” he said. “Greaver’s work surpasses all expectation,” said Andrea Mace, executive director of the gallery. “It is truly the de¿- nition of exquisite — ¿nely detailed and executed with a highly developed sense of craftsmanship.” Fairy worlds As a child, a trip to the li- brary was an adventure, said Greaver, who was raised in Maine and Michigan. For him and his two young- er siblings, picture books — like Jane Werner’s The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies (1951), illustrated by Garth Williams (who also il- lustrated “Stuart Little” and “Charlotte’s Web”) — “had a lot of importance in our little lives,” he said. Greaver’s favorite stories were about fairies, and be- fore long he started drawing them. Back then, his work was “quite primitive, as you might expect,” he said. But, as he matured, his art shifted away from fairies, “which is a normal part of growing up,” he said. A 2004 visit to Faer- ieworlds, the annual festival held in Oregon that celebrates all things fairy, drew him back into the fairy realm, which he had begun to miss, he said. Until then, he had visual- ized fairies in only a two-di- mensional space. “It wasn’t real physical depth because paintings are Àat. It was more like psychological or emotion- al depth.” Suddenly, though, he was surrounded by people, includ- ing some cosplayers (“cos- tume players”), who took their enthusiasm for fairies to a different level through their arts-and-crafts work. That was the genesis of his ideas for three-dimensional fairy art, he said. “The tricky thing about fairies is, that word means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” he said. YouTube users can watch fairies that range from glisten- ing Japanese anime creations to “computer generated Bar- bie Dolls with wings, from gi- ant entertainment corporations that talk like girls at the mall,” he said. “A lot of it is very far removed from the original source material.” Greaver identi¿es two ba- sic kinds of fairies: the pretty, romantic “girlie girl” fairies with gossamer wings, and the wingless creatures of ancient folklore that tend to be danger- ous and unpredictable. He has studied both kinds and blends the two in his artwork, he said. ERICK BENGEL PHOTO Peter Greaver’s “Daydream House,” in the foreground, and “Amber House” are two of the nine fairy houses on display at the Cannon Beach Gallery. Both are priced at $1,200. Sense of wonder Greaver, a part-time Can- non Beach resident who spends most of his time liv- ing in Portland, has been “drawing and painting since I could hold a crayon or a paintbrush,” he said. “But, I think, growing up in a fam- ily of artists, I stayed with it more than the average kid.” His parents, Hanne and Harry Greaver, own the Greaver Gallery on South Hemlock Street, where Peter Greaver sells his artwork. Though “Fairy Houses” is an all-sculpture show, Peter Greaver de¿nes himself pri- marily as a painter. He pro- duces a great deal of tradi- tional pieces for the general market — landscapes, Àow- ers, cats, abstract decorative art, etc. — and does custom portraits of people and pets. From his late teens to early 20s, Peter Greaver at- tended the Kalamazoo Insti- tute of Arts in Kalamazoo, Mich., then Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He earned his bachelor of ¿ne arts de- gree in Chinese landscape painting at the Museum Art School (now the Northwest College of Art) in Portland. His work is featured in the Portland Art Museum’s Rental Sales Gallery. ERICK BENGEL PHOTO Peter Greaver, recipient of Cannon Beach’s 2013-14 Indi- vidual Artist Grant, fashioned nine fairy cottages for his grant project. He is having a joint exhibition with painter Carl Annala at the Cannon Beach Gallery through Jan. 25. Greaver, who also makes jewelry, grew up playing electric guitar, his rock mu- sic ranging from “very soft to very hard,” he said, add- ing that he’s barely picked up his guitar in the last year since “the fairy houses kind of took over my life.” The sculptures don’t just express his personal inter- est in fairies but a desire to share the sense of wonder he has always felt for the earth and the magic that may re- side in it. If fewer people took nature for granted, “I think that would be a good thing,” he said. ERICK BENGEL PHOTO “Spiderweb Summer House,” a mixed-media fairy house created by Peter Greaver, is selling for $2,000 at the Can- non Beach Gallery. Coast Happenings Calendar YOUR GUIDE TO MUSIC, ART, COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL EVENTS UP AND DOWN THE COAST Friday, Jan. 2 Monday, Jan. 5 January Jazz Burgers & Jam 7 p.m., Cannon Beach History Cen- ter, 1387 S. Spruce St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-9301, www.cbhistory.org, $10 adults, $2 children. World-re- nowned jazz guitarist John Stowell will ring in the New Year with his introspective jazz music and some holiday classics. Seating is limited and complimentary refreshments will be provided. 6 p.m., American Legion Post 168, 1216 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503- 436-2973. The legion offers burgers and music every Monday. Saturday, Jan. 3 “Red Riding Hood” Noon, Astor Street Opry Company, 129 W. Bond St., Astoria, 503-791-6259, www. astorstreetoprycompany.com, $35, 6 to 13. The Astor Street Opry Company will cast for its Children’s Winter Theater produc- tion of “The Real Story of Little Red Riding Hood.” This full-length musical includes parts for up to 20 children in grades one to six. Scholarships are available. Rehearsals begin Jan. 5. Artist Reception 5 p.m., Cannon Beach Gallery, 1064 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436- 0744, www.cannonbeacharts.org. The Cannon Beach Gallery will host an artist reception for Peter Greaver, winner of the 2014 Individual Artist Grant. Greaver will exhibit his yearlong project of “Fairy Hous- es,” mixed media and three-dimensional work. Painter Carl Annala will also exhibit a series of forest paintings to accompany Greavers’ work. Sunday, Jan. 4 Brad Griswold 6 p.m., Sweet Basil’s Café, 271 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503- 436-1539, www.cafesweetbasils.com, no cover, 21 and older. Every Sunday, Brad Griswold offers a night of folk and bluegrass on banjo, guitar and mandolin. Evensong 6 p.m., Cannon Beach Commu- nity Church, 132 E. Washington St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-1222. Evensong features Jennifer Gooden- berger (piano) and Wes Wahrmund (guitar, flute and clarinet), medi- tative songs, Psalms, readings and quiet reflection. Tuesday, Jan. 6 ENCORE Lunch Bunch 12:30 p.m., South Jetty Dining Room & Bar, 1015 Pacific Drive, Hammond, 50 and older. This month’s topic will be Western Zodiac. Guests are welcome to attend and learn about ENCORE. For in- formation about ENCORE, call Lynne at 503-738-3044 or Reta at 503-717-2297. City Council Meeting 7 p.m., Cannon Beach City Hall, 163 E. Gower St., Cannon Beach, 503-436- 1581, www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us. operators meet every Thursday. Ven- ues change on the first Thursday of the month, call for information. Dallas Williams 6 p.m., Sweet Basil’s Café, 271 N. Hem- lock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-1539, www.thewinebarcannonbeach.com, no cover, 21 and older. Dallas Williams plays folk music and Americana every Thursday. Floating Glass Balls 7 p.m., Bill’s Tavern, 188 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-2202, www.billstavernandbrewhouse.com, no cover. Every Thursday, the Floating Glass Balls plays a blend of bluegrass, Caribbean, folk, swing, contemporary and country. Friday, Jan. 9 Pacific Rim Games Wednesday, Jan. 7 Learn Everything French 6 p.m., Seaside Public Library, 1131 Broadway, 503-338-2402, www.clatsop- cc.edu/community-education, $75. Pia Shepherd will engage beginning and in- termediate French students to mental- ly visualize and explore the sights and sounds of French culture. This class is taught on Wednesdays to March 11. The Coconuts 6 p.m., Sweet Basil’s Café, 271 N. Hem- lock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-1539, www.thewinebarcannonbeach.com, no cover, 21 and older. Bill Hayes, Dave Quinton and Gary Keiski play swing, jazz, country, bluegrass and folk every Wednesday. Belly Dance Class 6:30 p.m., Encore Dance Studios, 3631 N. Hwy. 101, Gearhart, 503-717-1637, www. getyoudancing.com, $49/month for one class, $75/month for both classes. This all-level, 45-minute class gives students the understanding of basic belly dance tech- niques, posturing, language, move execu- tion and strengthening. Thursday, Jan. 8 Ham Radio Breakfast 8 a.m., Finn’s Fish House, 227 Broad- way, Seaside, 503-738-9692. Ham radio 3 p.m., Seaside High School, 1901 N. Holladay Drive, Seaside, 503-738-5586, www.cowapaleague.org. Join Seaside High School and support the varsity wrestling team as it takes on 11 teams at the Pacific Rim Varsity Wrestling In- vitational Championships. CULPA Episode 2 7 p.m., Hoffman Center, 594 Laneda Ave., Manzanita, 503-368-3846, www. culpa-online.com. Arch Cape Studios presents the second episode of the web series CULPA with the premiere of “Edgar,” featuring the Hoffman Center’s former Life Drawing Skeleton and a cast of locals. Go online to see a trail- er of “Edgar” or watch Episode 1 “The Pilot.” Saturday, Jan. 10 Anne Weiss Haystack Lectures 7 p.m., Hoffman Center, 594 Laneda Ave., Manzanita, 503-368-3846, www. hoffmanblog.org, $12 to $20. Anne Weiss will perform contemporary folk, blues, acoustic funk, gospel and a few smatterings of classical phrasing and Latin rhythms. 7 p.m., Cannon Beach Library, 131 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436- 1391, www.cannonbeachlibrary.org, free. Charlie Plybon of the Surfrider Foundation will give a presentation on “A Rising Tide: Coping with a Changing Coast.” Sunday, Jan. 11 Thursday, Jan. 15 NAMI Meeting Ham Radio Breakfast 2 p.m., Seaside Public Library, 1131 Broadway, Seaside, www.nami.org. The National Alliance on Mental Illness welcomes anyone who has a friend or family member that suffers from a men- tal illness. NAMI membership is not re- quired to attend. For information, call Myra Kero at 503-738-6165. 8 a.m., Finn’s Fish House, 227 Broad- way, Seaside, 503-738-9692. Brad Griswold Writers at Work 6 p.m., Sweet Basil’s Café, 271 N. Hem- lock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-1539, www.cafesweetbasils.com, no cover, 21 and older. Monday, Jan. 12 Burgers & Jam 6 p.m., Sweet Basil’s Café, 271 N. Hem- lock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-1539, www.thewinebarcannonbeach.com, no cover, 21 and older. 6 p.m., Seaside Public Library, 1131 Broadway, Seaside, 503-738-6742, www.seasidelibrary.org. This group meets every third Thursday of the month and is designed for writers to meet and share ideas with some of the area’s authors. Floating Glass Balls 6 p.m., American Legion Post 168, 1216 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503- 436-2973. 7 p.m., Bill’s Tavern, 188 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-2202, www.billstavernandbrewhouse.com, no cover. Tuesday, Jan. 13 Jorjett Strumme Talk Alzheimer’s Support 2 p.m., 2002 S.E. Chokeberry Ave., Warrenton. Support groups provide loved ones an opportunity to share with others, receive support and learn about the different characteristics of Alzhei- mer’s disease. For information, call Grace Bruseth at 503-738-6412. Pacific Rim Games City Council 10 a.m., Seaside High School, 1901 N. Holladay Drive, Seaside, 503-738-5586, www.cowapaleague.org. 5:30 p.m., Cannon Beach City Hall, 163 E. Gower St., Cannon Beach, 503-436- 1581, www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us. This is a work session. Northwest Author Series 2 p.m., Cannon Beach Library, 131 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436- 1391, www.cannonbeachlibrary.org, free. Oregon coast author Matt Love will discuss his newest published book, Rose City Heist, a true crime tale that almost wasn’t. A Q&A session and book signing will follow. Dallas Williams Wednesday, Jan. 14 The Coconuts 6 p.m., Sweet Basil’s Café, 271 N. Hem- lock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-1539, www.thewinebarcannonbeach.com, no cover, 21 and older. 7 p.m., Seaside Public Library, 1131 Broadway, Seaside, 503-738-6742, www.seasidelibrary.org, free. Jorjett Strumme will give a talk about her move from Seaside to Hollywood and back and her experiences working as a fashion designer for the stars. Friday, Jan. 16 Golf Tourney Noon shotgun start, Gearhart Golf Links, 1157 N. Marion Ave., Gear- hart, 503-738-3538, www.gearhart- golflinks.com, $45 to $55, $15 cart rental, 21 and older. Find a partner and start the year with a two-player scramble while tasting and learning about some of the new winter warm- ers from the McMenamins distilleries during the “Spirits Tour” golf tourna- ment. There will be samples stationed on the course for tastings.