10A • April 7, 2017 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com ACTRESS BRINGS HISTORY ALIVE Portraying the virtuous life of a Victorian woman Pittock was a champion of women and children By Rebecca Herren Cannon Beach Gazette Visitors to the Seaside Library had an opportunity to meet a Victorian heroine, Georgiana Pittock. Pittock championed for the rights of women and children, became a suffragette and founded Port- land’s Rose Society and Rose Festival. She founded the Ladies Relief Society, joined the Port- land Women’s Union in 1912 as a suffragette, played a key role in building the Martha Washington Home for single women, supported the Boys and Girls Aid Society and the Parry Center for Children. “It’s so good to be back in Seaside after such a long time,” said Pittock — never stepping out of character — as she thanked the Seaside Museum, Seaside Library and guests for coming out to hear her talk. Mrs. Pittock and her chauf- feur, Herman Hawkanson, were the subjects for historical re-enactors Mary and Michael Hutchens during their presen- tation “Georgiana Pittock: Her Last 10 Years, 1908-1918” on Thursday at the library. Pittock adored flowers, especially roses. Along with friends, she held backyard rose shows, which gave the Portland Rose Society its first exposure. She became a SUBMITTED PHOTO The real Georgiana Pittock of Portland around the turn of the 20th century. REBECCA HERREN/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Georgiana Pittock (Mary Hutchens) and her chauffeur Herman Hawkanson (Mike Hutchens) visited the Seaside Library. founder and the inspiration be- hind Portland’s famous Rose Festival in 1907 with her good friend Harry Lane, a former mayor of Portland and sup- porter of the Lewis and Clark Exposition. She married Henry Lewis Pittock when she was 15 years old. Henry Pittock, who was a typesetter when Georgiana married him, later became the owner and publisher of The Oregonian for nearly 60 years. He became successful in real estate, banking, railroads, min- ing, lumber mills and the pulp and paper industry. A role in history It all began for Forest Grove actress Mary Hutchens in 2006 when she answered an ad for a Rose Festival his- torical re-enactor. She got the job and thereafter, Hutchens spent months preparing for the role. She researched and memorized Georgiana’s life, down to the most insignificant details that make up both the public and the private life of a historical persona. In 2007, “Georgiana” made her first appearance in 89 years at a rose planting and tea party held at her home, the Pittock Mansion. When Mary’s contract end- ed with the Rose Festival after four years, she became inde- pendent and, together with her husband, they have continued to share the Pittock story to schoolchildren, residents at as- sisted living facilities, libraries, civic centers and philanthropic organizations — always in full period costume. The Pittocks played a major role in the history of Portland and to the growth of Oregon’s largest city. The Pittock Mansion was built on Portland’s original “lover’s lane” above Burnside. Built in the style of a French Renaissance chateau in 1914, it was a progressive master- piece for its time. Amassed on 16 acres with 44 rooms, it included all the latest technology. A central vacuum system, a telephone and intercom system with in- tercoms in every room, refrig- eration, indoor plumbing and electricity. There was a dumb- waiter and a passenger eleva- tor was installed for Georgiana after her stroke. (The elevator is still operable today.) Henry Pittock used Oregon artisans and craftsmen and insisted that all materials used including marble, tenino stone and wood came from the Northwest. The Pittocks were deeply connected in their community and spent much of their time improving the lives of local residents. Family and commu- nity were central to them and they shared their home with some of their children and grandchildren. Generations of Pittocks lived in the mansion up to 1958 when it became too much to endure. Now a museum, the man- sion has become a popular destination for visitors, bird watchers, event planners and gardeners. Though it seems lavish, it is a testament of who the Pittocks were as pillars of the community in both busi- ness development and philan- thropy. Pittock suffered a stroke in 1913, just before the mansion was completed. Sometime af- terwards, she started to read The Oregonian for the first time. She never cared for it before, but started to feel her world getting smaller. Because of the Spanish-American War, there were stories about Ger- man atrocities, propaganda, spies and submarines. “I liked that stuff,” she said. “I know I shouldn’t have, but they opened my mind.” Seaside connection The Hutchens divided their program into two parts. The first story covers the years 1845 to 1907 and includes the wagon trains that brought the Burton family to Oregon; Georgiana’s marriage to Hen- ry Pittock, the formation of the Portland Rose Society; the Lewis and Clark Exposition and the Rose Festival. The Hutchens’ portrayals covered part two of the pro- gram: the last years of Geor- giana’s life, the building of the Pittock Mansion, the evolution of women’s voting rights in Oregon, World War I and her final years suffering from the debilitating effects of a stroke. “In 1905, the Seaside Sig- nal cited that I was here in Sea- side,” said Mrs. Pittock, “and for the next eight summers, I visited Seaside with one of my daughters or with my grand- daughter Georgiana Leadbet- ter as a respite from the city.” She said they traveled by one of the four trains in and out of Seaside, took walks on the Pacific Pier, bought taffy at Pool’s Confectionery (now Phillips Candy) and stayed, not in one of the five hotels in Seaside, but in a local boarding house on Third Street because “I was frugal.” Her daughters always tried to get Mrs. Pittock to try new things like going to the cine- ma. “I would never attend the cinema in Portland,” she said, “it would be scandalous. But I’m at the beach,” she said laughing heartedly. The mov- ies were four minutes long and were mostly about new technology. This news peeked Henry Pittock’s interest and soon he, too, attended the cin- ema in Seaside, arriving by the “daddy train” on weekends. Mary and Michael Hutch- ens visit Seaside as often as possible. But unlike the Pit- tocks who chose to stay in boarding houses, the Hutchens own a vacation home in Sea- side and on those occasions when a respite from their resi- dence in Forest Grove is need- ed, they take the short drive to the coast. ‘Room to grow’ the Cannon Beach arts New director offers vision for the future ‘Part of what drew me into working at a gallery was because I genuinely care about the artists I promote.’ By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette As an artist and newly minted program director of the Cannon Beach Arts Asso- ciation, Cara Mico does not have a preferred medium. Instead, when asked, she started to list all of the differ- ent ways she likes to create art: oil and acrylic, piano, dance and literature. Her answer is reflective of her overall vision for the arts association to diversify the definition of what art can be in Cannon Beach. “Art is translating. No matter the interpretation, it’s still just understanding the world,” Mico said. “It’s all art to me.” The Cannon Beach Arts Association supports, funds and enhances the arts and art- ists in the city and the region through education, events and exhibits, and has been doing so since 1986. The associa- tion provides art scholarships, an internship and an individ- Cara Mico BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Cara Mico stands in the Cannon Beach Arts Associ- ation in front of paintings done by Meagan Sokol. ual artist grant. The summer camp, for which the Stormy Weather chamber grant is designated, draws a mix of lo- cal and out-of-town students. The association’s previ- ous director, Jane Brumfield, stepped down in December to open the new Imprint Gallery and Studio in Cannon Beach. Mico’s journey into the world of art started in Port- land when she was child. She started drawing and painting at a young age, but didn’t re- alize she could make her tal- ents into a career until high school. She attended Otis Col- lege of Art and Design in Los Angeles before she decided to make the switch to study environmental science. She moved to San Diego and then to Oregon State University to study it, with the logic that this degree and her job as a consultant would be more practical. But soon she found herself missing making art. “It wasn’t going to make me happy,” she said. So she made a U-turn, and enrolled in the Univer- sity of Oregon’s master of arts administration and non- profit management program, where she expects to graduate in June. She returned to her North Coast roots and started as program director in Febru- ary. “Now I get to spend my entire day with artists, and have paint all over me, and I get paid for that,” she laughed. As director, her primary work will be to promote local art in the gallery, as well as act as a bridge between the needs of the artists and board of di- rectors. “Part of what drew me into working at a gallery was because I genuinely care about the artists I promote,” she said. As the director, Mico plans to maintain and sustain the scholarship and internship programs, but hopes to ex- pand workshop offerings to make them more consistent, diverse and available. Another goal is to expand representation from artists of color. She hopes to work with local historical organizations to include more work from Hispanic artists, as well as highlight more Asian-Ameri- can and Native American art. “Right now we are fo- cused in the fine arts, but there is a lot of room to grow, like with graphic design or portfolio development,” she said. “There are lots of orga- nizations with similar goals around the coast. I want to connect with those with sim- ilar missions to ours.” SUBMITTED PHOTO Mark Bates’ cheesemaking workshop comes to Cannon Beach. Would you like to make some cheese? “Introduction to Cheese and Cheesemaking Work- shop,” a one-day event, will be held at the Cannon Beach Chamber Community Hall on Saturday, April 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The workshop includes a cheese tasting of the seven major cheese families and a hands-on session where participants work in pairs to convert milk to queso fresco. Other sessions focus on the history and categorization of cheese and learning about the key steps of the cheese mak- ing process. A second tasting rounds out the day. The class is offered and OF PLACES YOU CAN PICK UP A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF THE LOTS G EASTER CANNON BEACH Solid Chocolate Bunnies & ALL the Easter basket treats you might need! AZETTE CANNON BEACH Cannon Beach Bakery Cannon Beach Book Company Cannon Beach Beach Store Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce Cannon Beach City Hall Cannon Beach Conference Center Cannon Beach Family Market Cannon Beach Historical Center Cannon Beach Hotel Cannon Beach Liquor Store Cannon Beach Property Management Cannon Beach RV Resort Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals Cascade Sotheby’s Realty Duane Johnson Real Estate Ecola Creek Lodge EVOO Hallmark Inns & Resorts Inn at Cannon Beach Inn at Haystack Rock Mariner Market Martin Hospitality Mo’s Restaurant Picnic Basket Pig ‘N Pancake Purple Moon/Morris’ Fireside Restaurant RE/MAX Coastal Advantage Sea Ranch RV Park Sea Sprite at Haystack RockSea Sprite on the Estuary Surfcrest Market Sweet Basil’s Cafe & The Wine Bar The Land’s End Motel The Ocean Lodge The Stephanie Inn The Waves Motel Tolovana Inn US Bank/La Luna Loca Windermere Stellar Real Estate SEASIDE Providence Seaside Hospital Rite Aid Safeway Seaside Outlet Center Seaside Signal/Cannon Beach Gazette Office GEARHART Windermere Stellar Real Estate 4,000 COPIES DISTRIBUTED EACH MONTH taught by Marc Bates, the “Cheese Guy of the North Coast.” He has 50 years expe- rience in the industry. During this time he managed the Washington State University Creamery and made “Cou- gar Gold” cheese and more recently managed the OSU Creamery where he assisted with the startup and devel- opment of “Beaver Classic” cheese. Bates has taught nu- merous cheesemaking short courses in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California. For more information, email cheeseguy@charter.net or phone Marc Bates at 509- 595-8652. • 2 LOCATIONS • (Easy & Convenient) Downtown Cannon Beach 256 N. Hemlock St & Seaside Outlet Mall WE CAN SHIP CANDY DIRECTLY TO YOU! CB: 503-436-2641 Seaside: 503-738-7828 www.brucescandy.com