PROJECT DESCRIPTION

WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Oregon is recognized for its beauty and independent spirit.  Much of that beauty is found in the farming and ranching areas of Oregon's Klamath Basin and the Diamond and Hood River Valleys.  The spirit of independence has its roots in the generations of farmers and ranchers that settled these areas and created a way of life that nurtured not only animals and crops, but families and communities.  Through our artwork, we are creating an exhibit that shares the words of people who live in these areas along with our paintings of them and their land.

OUR GOALS
-To create exhibits that give a voice to people in these rural areas both through our images and quotes from them
-To honestly portray the land and its people as we see them
-To celebrate the beauty of these very different parts of Oregon
-To find ways to show how "community" is lived in rural areas
-To develop an educational component to take to schools in which Vicki will lead the students as they create an art project based on their experience of rural living

OUR APPROACH
Since May of 2011, we've made a number of trips to each of these areas, talking to people and taking the photos that are the basis of our paintings. Individuals, farmers, business people and ranchers have all been so generous in their willingness to share about their lives and their work and letting us photograph them.  

We have had three exhibits of this project: 2 in the Hood River Valley and one in Bend, Oregon. We are excited about the upcoming exhibit in June and July 2015 at The Favell Museum in Klamath Falls, Oregon.  Each exhibit has its own character depending on the geographic area it focuses on.  

We will be looking for other venues to show this body of work as it evolves along with other possibilities for extending the conversation between people who's lives are so intertwined with the land and those whose are not.

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