Lake opens new gallery in Sisters

Modern American folk artist Jennifer Lake has once again hung her shingle in Sisters.

Her new gallery, the Jennifer Lake Gallery, at 370 E. Cascade Ave. opened in May. Lake says that the opening of this new gallery represents the commencement of the second chapter in her more than 20-year career as a professional artist.

Lake has long had a presence in Sisters.

From 2000-2003 Lake owned and operated the Jennifer Lake Miller Gallery in Sisters; the gallery was located where the High Desert Gallery is now. From the late 1980s until 2000, Penny and Kris Kristovich, former owners of Soda Creek Gallery, exclusively represented Jennifer’s works in Sisters.

“I have been drawing since I was hatched,” Lake said.

Since both of Lake’s parents were artists, this is not surprising. Her mother was an advertising illustrator and Lake grew up in her mother’s studio with a pencil in her hand. On display in Lake’s new Sisters gallery is one of her mother’s almost life-sized drawings, titled “The Mink.”

Lake’s father was also an artist and a gallery owner. Lake’s distant ancestor, George Catlin, is renowned for creating the first portraits of North American Indians.

In 2003 when Lake closed the Jennifer Lake Miller Gallery, she had not taken time off from her professional career in 20 years. The first chapter of her life as an artist was drawing to a close and Lake wanted the time to reflect upon the past and to begin working on Chapter II.

“Everyone should live life as a book,” Lake said.

For Lake, Chapter I was long, complex and diverse. Combining her love of nature, American history and the American West, she created 300 original images categorized in five different series.

Using offset lithography, Lake produced 1,000 open poster sizes and 250 limited editions of each of her 300 original images. She says that “almost all have sold.”

When asked what is most significant to her about Chapter I of her professional career, Lake responded: “More than one and a half million dollars was raised for non-profits.” Donations were given to the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, the Boys and Girls Club of Oregon, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, as well as to many other organizations.

“We built the kitchen at the Fairgrounds in Redmond for the Deschutes County 4-H Foundation,” she said.

Featured at Lake’s new gallery in Sisters are the minutely detailed and defined works that are evolving in Chapter II of her professional career. This chapter will consist of 20 original paintings categorized in five series titled: “Against All Odds”; “Bark”; “Friends Come to Tea”; “Todd Lake”; and “The Oregon Paiutes.”

Ten of the 20 original images have already been released and are on display at the gallery.

In September, Lake plans to open the Sugar Cone Arts Academy in the upstairs space above her gallery. Photographers, attorneys, Web site designers, accountants and the like who are experienced in working with artists will come together to teach aspiring artists how to market themselves and their art.

“Artists think in a different way,” Lake said.

This makes it necessary to provide a service that allows artists to understand how to relate to the non-artist community. Seminars, private consultations and a six-week motivational course will be offered at the Academy. The goal of the six-week course, says Lake, will be “to put the artist together as a package before he sells. People will leave with a portfolio and a good feeling.”

The Jennifer Lake Gallery is open Wednesday-Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information visit http://www.jenniferlakegallery.com.