SHS grad creates poster for civility project

The Sisters Country Civility Project introduced its brand-new poster of the nine tenets of civility last week at their quarterly public training at the fire hall.

Recent Sisters High School graduate Alena Nore is the artist who was chosen to create the poster. She designed a unique "do-it-yourself" poster which has been reproduced in black and white, allowing citizens to bring their own posters to life with color any way they wish.

Each of the tenets is printed within its own "puzzle piece" with an accompanying drawing reflecting some familiar facet of Sisters Country. The pieces are assembled into a rectangle surrounded by large doodles just waiting to be colored.

Citizens4Civility had determined they wanted a poster with a local flavor that reflected Sisters Country. Nore obliged, incorporating a hiker, horse, fish, coffee and pastry, and a guitar plus other local items.

"I researched the project and immediately felt inspired, both artistically and personally. The nine tenets that C4C and Speak Your Peace promote resonate deeply with my own beliefs," Nore said.

"The project of creation proved challenging, yet as rewarding as presenting the final project!"

The Sisters poster is not Nore's first venture into that design arena. She was chosen the winner of the 2013 Bend Winterfest Poster Art Contest with her watercolor-and-ink entry illustrating components of the annual event. She was also the Newberry National Volcanic Monument poster artist for 2016.

Her list of accolades includes being a contest winner of the 2010 Oregon Wild Outdoor Photo contest, a recording artist on a number of CDs, logo designer, successful entrepreneur with her business narZart, and numerous art shows.

Last November she was the youth representative from Caldera at an awards ceremony at the White House. She received the award on behalf of Caldera from First Lady Michelle Obama. The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the nation's highest honor for creative youth programs and Caldera was one of 12 organizations so honored.

"When I walked onto the stage to accept the award, I felt as though I was taking every single person involved with Caldera with me. I could feel their support and happiness in my heart. The moment was life-changing. I am still overwhelmed by the beautiful, positive energy that was flowing through that experience," Nore said.

Nore's home page on her WIX.com site says that creation is her meditative practice.

"I aspire to help people understand how they think, to encourage free-artistry, and intend to facilitate therapeutic activity in my future as an art therapist," the site says.

Drawing is not her only artistic pursuit.

"My artistic interests are quite sporadic. Thus, thanks to SHS's arts program and Caldera, I experiment with every visual art form I can get my hands on!" Alena said.

"While painting is my favorite visual art medium by far (I am enamored by watercolors), I also enjoy sewing, sculpting, knitting, collage-making, mono-printing, linoleum-stamp making, and working digitally on my new Surface Pro (which was my Quest for Excellence Visual Arts scholarship award)."

Alena is also a musician. She was a three-year member of the SHS Jazz Choir and the High Desert Chorale during her senior year.

She participated in the SHS Americana Project, which introduced her to the guitar. She is now a singer-songwriter and performer as a result of her Americana experience. Although she also dabbles in piano and drums and creates digital mixes, her guitar is her go-to instrument.

Come fall, Alena will be attending Grinnell College, a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, known for its rigorous academics and tradition of social responsibility.

"Words cannot fully express how excited I am," Alena said when talking about Grinnell.

"Ultimately, I intend to attain certification in counseling and to practice arts therapy," she said of her plans for the future.

Those plans also include travel to Japan.

"I was the first to utilize online self-study of Japanese through Middlebury College to meet SHS required language credits," Nore said.