Art Adventure gallery was established in 1986 by a handful of people in a vacant building that had formerly housed a restaurant. As their vision for the community broadened, a new corporation was formed as JeffersonCounty Arts Association and in 2001 501c-3 non-profit status was achieved.
This enabled the organization to survive on gallery sales, memberships and grants secured in furtherance of their mission. That mission is to celebrate the arts, provide a venue for exchange of ideas and self-expression and the opportunity to see the richness found in cultural diversity, which is primarily Hispanic, Caucasian and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The goal is to educate in the mechanics of making art and to be its staunch advocate in all its many forms.
An upcoming exhibit scheduled for May will feature the artwork of adult incarcerated individuals from Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras. Gallery artist Jim Smith will provide drawing instructions for interested parties. Future exhibits include the All Jefferson County show, Warm Springs Museum architect Donald Stastny and the traveling Oregon Watercolor Society Exhibition.
“We are very committed to the long-range value of this organization,” said Coralee Popp, long time director of the gallery. “Quite frankly, I do not believe there is another like it anywhere. In this world of competing sorrows and an age of competing appeals for our attention, the arts often are the first to fall by the wayside.”The gallery has survived for 28 years solely through the energy of dedicated volunteers. There are ten permanent volunteers, each giving three hours a week in the gallery and many substitutes, totaling 1,800 hours a year just to keep the doors open. This doesn’t even begin to address the thousands of hours put in by the board, the treasurer and the gallery director who often picks up, delivers and hangs a new show each and every month.
“The arts association purchased its building through fundraising, recently remodeled it through an Urban Renewal grant and is extremely proud of the beautiful space it has become,” added Popp. “Inside our gallery is another world; a world of beauty and imagination.
We are recipients of many awards including beautification award from Chamber of Commerce, twice the “Artie” award from Arts Central and in 2007 the Governor’s Volunteer Award. “Besides collaborating with hundreds of artists, we work with local and regional organizations such as the chamber of commerce, the library, the schools, the Museum at Warm Springs, Oregon College of Art & Crafts, The Oregon Watercolor Society, OSU and Northwest Print Council.
“As far as a measurable outcome for the community a strong case could be made on a purely financial basis, as our presence brings tourism and dollars to the community. But a much larger case can be made for quality of life. Our gallery is critical to the survival of our organization and the arts in Jefferson County.
“Art Adventure Gallery 185 SE Fifth St., Madras541-475-7701.
