County Historical Society
Mounts Exhibit of Art from Collection

Paintings and other works of art from the collection of the Lincoln County Historical Society are on display at the Burrows House Museum of the Lincoln County Historical Society, 545 SW Ninth St. in Newport. Many of these works were on display at the Visual Arts Center in September. Their installation at the Burrows House offers another opportunity to view them and additional works.

“Portals to the Past: Art as History” features about a third of the more than 100 examples of fine art in the Society’s collection and includes oil, acrylic, water color, pastel, graphite, and colorized photographs. The works date from Lulu Miller Nye’s sketchbook of the 1880s to contemporary works by Jeanne Cloe and Elinor deSosa. Several works were donated by winners of past Lincoln County Fair competitions sponsored by the Historical Society including pieces by Marianne St. Marie, Nina Toepher, and Walt Duvall.

“Our collection is very diverse and includes works that convey a sense of time and place connected to the Central Oregon Coast and artists who have lived and worked in the area,” Loretta Harrison, executive director of the Lincoln County Historical Society, said. “We include many of these in our museum exhibits, but this is an opportunity to view them as art as much as historical messengers,” she added.

The Society began formally collecting when it moved into the Log Cabin in 1964 although individual members had maintained private collections. One of the first donations recorded was from the Nye family and included paintings, pencil drawings, and other media, several by Lulu Nye, some by unknown artists. The Society continues to collect art. “We encourage any artist or owner of art relating to the area to consider donating pieces to the Historical Society,” Harrison said.