Art Jam Produces an Electrifying Display at Providence Milwaukie Community Gallery

Nov 16 , 2007

WHAT: The results of an “art jam” at the historic T. W. Sullivan Hydroelectric Plant in West Linn are on display in the Providence Milwaukie Community Gallery.

WHEN: On display through Jan. 7.
A reception is being held in the Gallery for the artists
at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 5.

WHERE: Providence Milwaukie Community Gallery
Providence Milwaukie Hospital
10150 SE 32nd Avenue, 2nd Floor
Milwaukie

DETAILS: Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation organized its first “art jam” last May at the T.W. Sullivan Hydroelectric Plant. The plant, built in 1895, is near the site of the world’s first long-distance transmission of direct current, which happened on June 3, 1889, from Willamette Falls to Portland.

Pre-selected artists were allowed a rare chance to tour the site and create art based on the industrial forms of the history plant, thanks to an innovative partnership between the foundation and Portland General Electric. The resulting collection of fine art is on display at Providence Milwaukie Hospital Community Gallery until Jan. 7.

The art jam concept aims to help people see and appreciate the falls-area industrial heritage in a new way. Artists who produced work for the exhibit are: Jonell Covault, Laura Foster, Matthew Letzelter, Jamee Linton, Christopher Mooney, Mark Rupert, Lisa Wilcox, and Martha Wilcox. The photograph of the art accompanying this release is Hawley Power Plant at Willamette Falls, a charcoal and tempura drawing by Jonnel Covault.

Providence Milwaukie Community Gallery was created to demonstrate Providence’s commitment to diversity. At its simplest, diversity refers to the ways in which we are all different from each other. “Human or biological diversity” encompasses all the differences we are born with or can’t change, such as our ancestry, race, physical ability, body type, color, sexual orientation, gender and age. “Cultural diversity” refers to the differences in what we’ve learned and the choices we’ve made in life, such as the languages we speak, our religious or political beliefs, our family or cultural traditions, our level of education or income, and our marital status.

The Providence Milwaukie Community Gallery changes quarterly to showcase the diversity in our community through the works of Clackamas County artists. All proceeds from sales go directly to the exhibiting artist. The gallery is curated by the Arts Action Alliance of Clackamas County.