12A • April 21, 2017 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
BEAVER TALES ART EXHIBITION OPENS IN SEASIDE MAY 6
From near extinction to a place in art
Rene Eisenbart, “Busy Beaver,”
watercolor of beaver in natural habitat.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
By Eve Marx
For Cannon Beach Gazette
N
amed the “state an-
imal” in 1969, the
American
beaver
builds the dams and
wetlands that serve
as habitat for Oregon salmon,
steelhead, birds, amphibians
and insects.
Beavers are nature’s hy-
drologists, “Beaver Tales: A
Celebration of Beaver Art”
curator Sara Vickerman, a
Gearhart resident, said.
Beaver Tales originated as
a traveling art show featuring
beaver-themed images and art.
Presentations and workshops
highlighted relevant research
from multiple academic disci-
plines at its February Oregon
State University debut, ask-
ing the question, “How many
ways can you see a beaver?”
The exhibit inspired a
month of local beaver-related
events in Seaside.
Defender of wildlife
Vickerman retired after
37 years from Defenders of
Wildlife, where her job was
the conservation of wild an-
imals in functioning ecosys-
tems. She holds degrees in art,
anthropology, biology, geog-
raphy and education.
Denise Fairweather of
Fairweather House and Gal-
lery in Seaside said Vicker-
man is a gallery patron.
“She visited a lot during
our art walk events for several
years,” Fairweather said. “Lit-
tle by little she shared with me
Curator Sara Vickerman
what her work is. She asked if
I had artists who paint beavers
and I said yes.”
Fairweather artists Paul
Brent, Mike Brown, Su-
san Curington, Agnes Field,
Jo Pomeroy Crockett, Neal
Maine and Denise Joy McFad-
den created new original work
for this show.
Back from brink
The beaver is a natural
ally in conserving Oregon’s
wetlands and restoring natu-
ral systems, Vickerman said.
Beavers play a central role in
resuscitating stream habitats
and are worthy of a statewide
beaver conservation vision.
The Oregon beaver was near-
ly exterminated by trappers by
1900.
Art exhibits, Vickerman
said, are a way to raise the
profile of the beaver and
wetlands and Oregon artists.
Mariana Mace, “Coat of
Arms, Tail, Tracks and
Teeth,” cedar weaving.
“There is limited art depicting
beaver and their wetlands and
stream habitats,” Vickerman
said. The artwork exhibited
in the traveling show includes
photographs, paintings, prints,
cards, and quilts. Some of the
work is realistic, some abstract,
some of it is whimsical, three-
dimensional, wood, fiber art,
ceramic. The exhibition at Or-
egon State University, which
closed March 1, was viewed
by thousands of people. Of the
125 pieces representing about
80 artists, 17 pieces were sold
for over $5,600 total.
Benefits from the sale of
the art in support the Wetlands
Conservancy, the Necanicum
Watershed Council and the
North Coast Land Conservan-
cy. Local conservation groups
will host educational work-
shops throughout May.
Beaver Tales will be on ex-
hibit in Seaside through May,
Beavers and their contributions to the environment are the topic of lectures and exhibits
in coming months.
kicking off with the opening
on May 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. as
the focus of Seaside Art Walk.
On May 6, from 5 to 7 p.m.,
the Beaver Tales Art Exhibit
becomes the month-long focus
of Seaside Art Walk. Author
Frances Backhouse will be at
Beach Books talking about her
beaver-themed book, “Once
They Were Hats, “ from 1 to
2 p.m. Beach Books also hosts
author and illustrator Margo
Greeve on May 7 from 1 to
3 p.m. The Seaside Library
presents “Beaver Stories and
Crafts” on May 3. The North
Coast Land Conservancy pres-
ents “Stewardship at Beaver
Creek” on May 6, from 10
a.m. to noon.
Seaside Brewing Co. offers
the film “Leave It to Beavers”
on May 11, from 6 to 9 p.m.
and Neil Maine will lecture on
“Beaver Ecology” at the Fair-
weather Gallery on May 25 at
7 p.m.
Fairweather Galley is lo-
cated at 612 Broadway in Sea-
side.
After Seaside, the exhib-
it heads to other areas of the
state including Astoria before
finishing up at the Oregon Zoo
in September.
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