Art show is a family affair

This Saturday and Sunday the Sisters Art Works building will be featuring four Sisters families who embody a lifestyle celebrating the arts.

The families are coming together to offer folks a chance to acquire unique and original works of art from fine art paintings to jewelry, sculptures and pine needle baskets. While guests browse, they will be entertained by live music and even the art of storytelling.

The Family Affair Art Show includes Cliff, Nancy and Sam Scharf; Paul, Jean and Jonathan Stark; Steve and Crystal Frandsen; Joe Leonardi and Anastacia Beth Scott.

The families have been close friends for years and their kids all grew up playing together when they lived in Panoramic.

"It was a real dynamic community of artists and musicians," said Frandsen. "Now our kids are coming up and carrying on the tradition. It's such a great bond, especially in a community that appreciates the arts like Sisters."

The idea for the collaboration came up at the Oregon Country Fair this summer. Cliff Scharf and his son, Sam, shared a booth and Steve and his daughter Crystal came by for a visit.

"We talked about how fun it would be to do a generational show," said Sam Scharf. "Now here we are doing one!"

The families were so close they often mentored each other in the mediums they had mastered. The parents taught each other's children as well in both visual arts and music.

"It brings me great joy to have the opportunity to come back together as an extended family and show what we all have blossomed into; there will be a lot of creative energy in that room, and a great diversity of work," said Sam.

"The art pieces range in price from $20 to a couple thousand," said Steve Frandsen. "There will be reasonably priced pieces great for holiday gifts."

Steve's daughter, Crystal, will offer feathered jewelry as earrings and hair pieces. Jean Stark will offer pine needle baskets and gourdwork. Her husband Paul and son Jonathan are woodcarvers. They will bring wood sculptures and fine furniture and carvings.

Many Sisters residents remember Cliff Scharf's jewelry store that welcomed visitors to Sisters for over 25 years. In the fall of 2007, the Scharfs moved to the Roseburg area. Still active in producing and selling their artwork, Cliff and Nancy sell their pieces throughout the Northwest. Their son Sam is going to school to become an art teacher while still producing his impressive jewelry pieces.

The show will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Joe Leonardi and his daughter Anastacia will perform on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. Steve Frandsen will do storytelling on Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 3 p.m. On Sunday, the event will end with a family jam session. The Sisters Art Works building is located at 204 W. Adams Ave.