News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Lori Salisbury at work on a sculpture in her new gallery in Sisters.
Lori Salisbury discovered at the age of eight that she would be an artist.
"At that age, I knew what I was going to do with my life," she said. "It was really a blessing to know that young."
Her journey started in Idaho, where her grandmother would paint with her in a cabin in the woods. (And her grandmother is still painting at age 97.) Salisbury would go on to live and work in New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, and now Sisters, where she recently opened Lori Salisbury Gallery on the corner of Cascade Avenue and Pine Street.
Salisbury was living on an island in Montana when she was forced to evacuate.
"It was flooding and I had to leave," she said.
She decided to pack the camper and the dogs and hit the road. The road brought her to Sisters.
"It felt like home here," she said.
She knew she needed to get her art out in front of the public again. Salisbury had owned galleries in Colorado for 20 years, and she decided "it was time to own a gallery again."
The location of her new gallery did not require heavy modification. For years it had been the site of Clearwater Gallery, since moved to the corner of Hood Avenue and Oak Street.
Lori Salisbury Gallery is a working studio gallery, where patrons will be able to watch the artist at work.
"I'll be working on my sculpture and my paintings this summer," she said.
She also intends to launch some classes.
Salisbury's work carries strong themes of Native American culture and spirituality, and a profound love for the natural world.
She describes her work as "art that tells a story, that has a deeper meaning or message."
While the gallery showcases her own art, it also features the work of several other artists, including burl-wood pieces by Harvey Shinerock, pottery by Tina Brockway, masks and gourd vessels by Susan Harkness-Williams and glasswork by Jeff and Heather Thompson and Laurel Hagner.
The gallery features paintings by Dorota Nowak and watercolorist Heather Hagen. Lori's daughter Jasmine also has work on display.
"We're going to do a mother-daughter show, probably in the fall," Lori said.
She noted that she is still seeking jewelry artists.
For more information on Lori Salisbury Gallery, visit her Facebook page orwww.lorisalisburygallery.com.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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