ART IN NEWPORT WIND DRIFT GALLERY Wind Drift Gallery was established over 40 years ago and is located on the Historic Bayfront. Locals and tourists alike enjoy the large selection of knick knacks and local treasures. Step through the center threshold and enjoy the many local, regional and world renowned craft and jewelry artists. There is something for everyone. With a collection of gifts and ocean themed pottery, t shirts, magnets, hand soaps and lotions, kitchen towels, and more. One of the best gift shops in Newport, Wind Drift has committed to stocking only the most high quality items. They even feature local artist’s pottery! While on your next stroll down the Bayfront, drop into Wind Drift and explore treasures big and small!
PERFORMING ART CENTER The Newport Performing Arts Center (PAC) is the premiere performance venue on the Oregon Coast. It is home to a group of resident companies affectionately called the PACRATs. This Performing Arts Center Resident Artist Team consists of community music, theatre, and dance producers who keep the facility busy year-round. It also serves touring artists, non-profits, for profits, and individuals as space permits. The PAC has two performance spaces, the Alice Silverman Theatre and the David Ogden Stiers Theatre. The Silverman is a 328-seat, proscenium, stage theatre with a full range of technical capabilities. The David Ogden Stiers Theatre is a black box space which can be arranged to seat up to 80. Next time you’re in Newport, check out what’s going on at the Performing Art Center! You could be in for an amazing night at the Symphony Orchestra, a play, or a dance performance.
OUTDOOR ART IN NEWPORT
leatherwork classes at the University of Oregon Craft Center. Then a friend introduced him to spearfishing, and Blackwell said that after 20 minutes in the water, he knew he wanted to do it again. “Now I usually come home with dinner,” he added. He began painting his catch on wood in the Gyotaku — fish printing — method. These days he paints fish directly on the wood and no longer does Gyotaku. His paintings bring home in detail the creatures of the ocean, with varying shades of blue capturing the underwater ocean. “I shore dive — I go into the water to hunt the fish,” Blackwell explained. “I find safe access, make sure I’m not in a protected area, and climb into the water from the rocks. I like to get off the beaten path. He wears a mask, snorkel, thick wetsuit and weights and carries an underwater flashlight, taking a breath to get under the water to be with the fish. He follows this pastime along the Pacific Leighton Blackwell uses driftwood and other found objects to create frames for his artwork. The artist, raised in the Beaver Creek area of south Lincoln County, has painted landscapes, animals, birds, trees and leaves, but his primary subject matter is fish. (Photos by Jeremy Burke)
One of the best things about Newport is the outdoor art. There are numerous murals located throughout Newport. The Historic Bayfront features most of these maritime murals. Done by world famous artists from Wyland to Rick Chambers, these murals are a sight to see! Whales, boats, and fish scenes scattered around Newport are a reminder of the heart of this coastal fishing town. While you’re on your way down the Bayfront, take a moment to admire the giant pieces of art that have been done in tribute to the great history and legacy of Newport’s bayfront. The bayfront is an air art museum. Enjoy the newly painted mural done by local artist Casey McEneny at Mariner’s Square, the Whale mural done by famous painter Wyland in the early 90s, the boats docked in the harbor on the side of the Rogue done by Rick Chambers, and so many more.
THE NEWPORT VISUAL ARTS CENTER
Located at the historic Nye Beach Turnaround, is a facility built by the City of Newport as a public art exhibition space and for art education programs and maintained by the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts. Opened in 1983, the Newport Visual Arts Center is the largest facility on the Oregon Coast built specifically for the exhibition of visual art. The Visual Art center includes three traditional gallery spaces, as well as the newer “media room” and “Classroom Gallery.”
