Newport exhibit is an ’80s revival
By Sandy Roumagoux
Celebrate the timeless power of creativity during “85 & Over,” a new exhibition featuring large-scale oil and acrylic paintings by artists Sandra Roumagoux, Bobbie Flewellyn and Scottie Howard. The exhibition runs through Sunday, May 3, at the Olive Street Gallery inside the Newport Performing Arts Center.
An opening reception will be held Wednesday, Feb. 11, featuring live music by Newport Symphony Orchestra cellists Charmaine Leclair and Adrienne Welsh, along with light refreshments and artist talks.
The show highlights the work of artists, all aged 85 and older, whose creative practices challenge cultural assumptions about aging. “85 & Over” grew out of an open studio course at Oregon Coast Community College, where instructor Roumagoux discovered shared artistic perspectives with fellow students Flewellyn and Howard.
“In the class, we talked about what effect the aging process had on our creative processes,” Roumagoux said. “All three of us felt the same about our ability to make art. Age didn’t have a damned thing to do with it. We all felt the same inside as we did when we were much younger.”
Roumagoux, a former Newport mayor, is known for work addressing environmental and social themes and is represented in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum and the Hallie Ford Museum of Art.
Howard returned to painting in her early 80s after a long career in psychology and education, drawing inspiration from memory and the ocean’s raw energy.
Flewellyn’s work reflects a lifetime of varied experiences, from occupational therapy to deep family roots on the Oregon coast.
“There is no beginning or end to our creative selves; it is always with us,” said Chasse Davidson, director of the Newport Visual Arts Center. “This exhibition is a celebration of it never being too late to embrace the call.”
Wednesday’s opening reception runs from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, with artist talks beginning at 5:15 pm, at the Olive Street Gallery, located at 777 W Olive Street. Gallery hours are 10 am to 3 pm Tuesday through Friday, or one hour prior to performances. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.