It was the picture perfect sunny, warm, no breeze Nye Beach day for The Newport Visual Arts Center opening of Art 363:Representing the Oregon Coast and Ode to the Tides Exhibit. The reception brought out more than 300 old and new friends to view the art, celebrate and toast estuaries and tide pools, listen to music and watch coastal videos. Concurrently, people were stopping to see the rest of the Ode to the Tides exhibit at the Marine Science Center and Newport Maritime Museum.
Having portions of the exhibit at the Marine Science Center, Newport Visual Arts Center and the Maritime Museum unites the common love and appreciation of coastal estuaries and tide pools among science, nature, art and history enthusiasts. Throughout the day people, including the mayor and state representative from Newport, stopped by to thank The Wetlands Conservancy for our conservation and education work on the Central coast.
On Sunday morning TWC’s Coastal Land Steward Paul Engelmeyer and I stopped by Beaver Creek Marsh to soak in the magic of the place and our great community conservation success story. For TWC, it all began with a call from Jackie Niemi that resulted in our Happ Preserve. Over the years, many cups of coffee, tea and glasses of lemonade, conversations, cards and emails with our Beaver Creek neighbors resulted in today’s 886 acre Brian Booth State Natural Area including freshwater marsh, riparian and mature forest habitats. Looking out on the marsh, we reminisced about each of the people, personalities, funny moments, impatience, frustrations and surprises. Recounting the past twelve years, we were reminded that it takes time and patience to build trust and relationships, flexibility, openness to changing goals and visions in response to nature and human lives. We had to smile and agree it was all worth it!!!
-Esther Lev, Executive Director, The Wetlands Conservancy
The Ode to the Tides show is on display at the Marine Science Center, Newport Visual Arts Center and Pacific Maritime Heritage Center through September 26.Check out our events calendar to see corresponding events at the different venues of the Ode to the Tides Exhibit.