The Hoffman Center for the Arts is hosting a month-long exhibit of early Oregon artists in celebration of the 2nd edition of Oregon Painters: Landscape to Modernism, 1859–1959 by Ginny Allen and Jody Klevit. A selection of abstractions, landscape paintings, and impressionist views of the North Coast will be on view, with special events scheduled in coordination with the opening. Manzanita was a coastal art hub and a gathering spot for Portland intellectuals in the early 1900’s and many of the paintings in the exhibit and in Oregon Painters: Landscape to Modernism, 1859–1959 originated in Manzanita.

The book itself addresses historical information about the arts in Oregon, as well as their evolution, pointing to the foundation of Oregon’s contemporary art scene. With high quality photographs, brief biographies of 600 artists along with listings for 3,500 additional artists known to be working in the state from 1859–1959, Oregon Painters is a critical starting point for examining the arts in our state. A particular point of inclusion in the second edition is equalizing the presence of women artists along with a new essay on Native American art in Oregon. There is an introduction to Oregon Art History, and essays on The Lewis and Clark Centennial, Impressionism, Federal Art Projects, and Modernist Painters in Oregon. Additionally, this edition has a chronology of important dates in Oregon art history and descriptions of art organizations active during the time covered. You can purchase Oregon Painters at the Hoffman Center, the Oregon Historical Society, and other independent bookstores in Oregon, or online from OSU Press.

In a recent conversation with Bonnie Laing-Malcomson, Hoffman Center board member, X Gallery learned a bit more about the collaborations that made this all possible. While Laing-Malcomson coordinated the design and funding efforts for publishing the Oregon Painters 2nd edition through Oregon State University Press, the Hoffman Center for the Arts provided the non-profit status. As part of the stated mission of the Hoffman Center to serve Oregon’s rural coastal populations, the publisher and the organization agreed to distribute a significant portion of the books to school libraries in the area and to host an exhibit that would be free and open to the public. A recent article in Oregon ArtsWatch highlights the Art Center’s founding focus on community, and gives additional context to their programming.


“Oregon Painters: Landscape to Modernism”
Hoffman Center for the Arts
594 Laneda Avenue, Manzanita, Oregon

Gallery Hours Friday-Sunday, 1–5pm
April 1–May 1, 2022
Free and open to the public

Opening Reception & Book Signing
April 2, 2022

Oregon Post Office Murals
Featuring Author Ginny Allen
April 22, 2022