Bill and Sandy Featured in Tigard Times article about Art in the Burbs

Below is the text from an article written by Leah Weissman of the Times.  The accompanying photo from our studio was included with the article.

If you are local we hope you are able to get to the show and stop by our booth and say hello.

Local artists will donate 20 percent of sales to Tigard-Tualatin school’s art fund

By Leah Weissman

      Stage lighting for drama, new instruments for the music program, special printers for photography class – these luxuries were afforded by Tigard-Tualatin schools last year, thanks to the Art in the Burbs fund-raiser. And this year, with the help of more than 100 artists from Beaverton to Eugene and thousands of Portland-area residents, Oregon communities will help raise more money for the school district’s art grant fund this year.

“Our tagline is ‘Local Artists Supporting Student Artists,’” said Susan Cameron, co-chair for Art in the Burbs and member of the Foundation for Tigard-Tualatin Schools.

The art show, which is in its eighth year, has transformed from a small gathering to a giant exhibit and draws crowds throughout Oregon with its unique collection of pottery, paintings, glass, photography and other Pacific Northwest art.

While many artists come back each year, others are joining the exhibit for the first time. Beaverton artist Sherrie Rieger will show her work, which includes digitally-enhanced photographs of nature scenes. 

 “I refer to them as ‘photo paintings,’” Rieger said. She transforms photos of trees, vineyards, landscapes and giant roses into oil or water color paintings using her computer. As the sharp images of leaves and flower petals get smudged with each Photoshop brush stroke, her pictures take on a softer, more pastel look.

“And I think it’s really neat that a portion of my proceeds will go to fund school art programs,” she said. “There isn’t much money for that nowadays with all the cuts, so I’m to happy to help there.”

Each artist donates 20 percent of his or her sales to the Foundation for Tigard Tualatin Schools, which plops the money into a special art grant fund. The 15 schools in the district then apply to the grant to support their performing or fine arts programs.

Cameron listed projects the grant funded last year, including art literacy materials for Metzger Elementary School and a new sound system for Fowler Middle School just in time for its performance of “The Wizard of Oz.”

“We were able to net $10,000 last year – which was the first year we did this,” Cameron said. Before, Art in the Burbs was run by a group of Bull Mountain artists in their homes to benefit a specific charity each year. Rather than let the concept die, they handed the show over to the foundation to benefit the schools.

Now the show is held at Alberta Rider Elementary school for three days in a row.

According to Cameron, when the exhibit is set up, teachers attending the show barely recognize their school.

“When you walk in, you’re just wowed by the class of art,” Cameron said. “It’s well-rounded, very colorful and full of energy, and you have a chance to ask the artist questions about their work. You can’t help being pulled in.”

As an added bonus, the foundation has also included a student gallery in the art exhibit with work from the two high schools and three middle schools.

“It’s built up a reputation as being a well-run show,” said Margie Greene, also co-chair of Art in the Burbs. “You see what’s new with the art trend, and it’s around the holiday times so you can fill up your basket with gifts.”

Sandy and Bill Sanchez, owners of the pottery business From Dust to Clay, are participating in the show for the second time. The studio in their Tigard home is full of handmade bowls, vases and plates with unique fish and nature designs. Their specialty at Art in the Burbs is their handmade clay nativity scenes.

“It was extremely busy last year, and you see people having a good time shopping and looking,” Sandy Sanchez said.