After decades of decline, the Salishan Resort in Gleneden Beach may be looking at a brighter future. New owners, Alpha Wave Investors, took over the property a little more than a year ago and are promising to restore the resort to its glory days. That includes a commitment to showcasing Oregon artists, which has already seen the Gallery at Salishan reopened, once again under the direction of Patricia Williams, a close friend of the original developers.

The resort was built by John Gray of Portland, whose other landmark Northwest projects include Sunriver and Skamania Lodge. “When John and Betty Gray opened the Salishan Lodge in 1965,” Williams said, “their mutual love of art became an important component of the lodge’s aesthetic. They had already started an impressive collection of Northwest art, and worked closely with well-known art professors from Oregon State University.”

When the Marketplace at Salishan shopping area opened in the mid-1970s, Gary Lawrence opened a gallery, partnering with art collectors Patrick and Darle Maveety. Patrick Maveety was director and curator of Asian art at Stanford University.

New owners took over Salishan in 1996 with an eye toward turning it into a corporate retreat. Valued art was lost, rumored to have been given away, stolen, and even found in dumpsters, and the gallery closed.

More than 20 years later, the gallery reopened in September, featuring abstract paintings by Sandy Brooke of Bend and glass art by Kelly Howard of Lincoln City. Howard studied under Sonja Blomdahl, a nationally recognized artist represented in the original gallery, Williams said.

That show gave way in October to one featuring Allen Cox, Grayson Malone, and Braeden Cox.

“Allen Cox, a student of Frank Okada, came to my attention in the late ‘70s when he was recognized at the Portland Art Museum as an up-and-coming artist,” Williams said. She added that his work was featured regularly in the Maveety gallery. “Salishan Gallery was very pleased to welcome him back, along with his daughter, Braeden Cox, a young painter with a promising future.”

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Malone, who has been featured on PBS’s Oregon Art Beat, studied architecture, which “provided expertise in the use of concrete,” Williams said, “which metamorphosed into fine art sculpture and the subsequent development of a new material called metal-infused concrete. This medium was perfect for works influenced by the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi, where beauty is found in the integration and disintegration of things and places.”

During the holidays, Williams brought in additional artists, including Liisa Rahkonen, also one of the original gallery artists, as well as Linda Kostalik, Jesse Narens, and Ralph Elliott.

Williams said her goal is to restore Salishan to its former place as a prominent center for artistic excellence and to continue supporting artists, old and new.

“I will also be overseeing the restoration of the original Gray collection, as it is rediscovered and returned to its proper place as an important Northwest art collection,” Williams said. “Unfortunately, prior resort owners neither understood nor appreciated the artistic and historic value of the Gray collection, so the plans of Alpha Wave and CEO Ken Cruse to restore and support the arts at Salishan come as welcome relief to those who have seen the collection suffer.”

ELSEWHERE ON THE COAST, January seems to be the month for writers.

• • On Saturday, Jan. 12, I will join 18 other authors at the Newport Public Library for the second annual Newport Library Author Fair. Authors will be on hand to sell and sign books from 1 to 3 p.m. in the McEntee Room.

  

  • The Cannon Beach Library is also looking for writers with a connection to the North Coast. The library is soliciting essays, poems, and personal stories of up to 600 words about an experience that illustrates feelings about the North Coast. Selected works will be read at the Writers Read Celebration on March 1. Deadline for submissions is Jan. 18.
  • The Manzanita Writers’ Series is sponsoring a poetry contest. Poems must have a clear connection to the North Oregon Coast and be no more than 30 lines. The contest is limited to the first 50 submissions, and up to three poems per submission are accepted. Entries are due Jan. 31. The winner gets $100 and publication in the Hoffman Center Newsletter. For more information, contact hoffmanwritingprograms@gmail.com.
  • The Seaside Public Library is calling for short stories up to 1,500 words on the theme of books and libraries. Winning entries will be featured April 14 at the Libraries ROCC Fundraiser (Libraries Reading Outreach program, which provides library cards to children in Clatsop County) at the Seaside Convention Center. Winners will have the opportunity to read excerpts from their stories and speak about their writing process. Deadline is Feb. 1. Guidelines are tucked into the middle of the library’s home page.

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  This activity is supported in part by a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust, investing in Oregon’s arts, humanities and heritage, and the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition.