((L) Handsome Jack, bronze, 23 in tall x 6 x 11 by Kim Chavez (R) Something Fishy, watercolor 10×12 by Annie Ferder)
Right in the heart of the Old Mill District, where it has been for 12 of its 20 years of operation, Tumalo Art Co. is a place of inspiration, for curious visitors who wander in, serious collectors and the artists themselves. From its beginning at the Tumalo Junction in the tiny burg of Tumalo, to its second location just off the hub of Downtown Bend on Greenwood Avenue and then moving to the Old Mill District just as the great recession began in 2008, Tumalo Art Co. has always been filled with some of the best art the Northwest has to offer, and all the artists are local. Owned and operated by artists, the gallery was referred to as a “gem” in Bend Magazine when bestowed with the “Best of Bend” award in 2019.
Based on a collective model, where members who are gallerists run the gallery and in return have a guaranteed amount of space and creative control over their work, Tumalo Art Co. has thrived through good times and bad. “As a group, we affirm and challenge one another and form lasting relationships with our art clients. And we have a great time doing it,” says Gallery Manager Susan Luckey Higdon. Currently with 15 members and 16 represented artists, the gallery offers a lot of diversity in mediums and styles of art. “We want the gallery experience to help each artist be successful so we can continue creating art and, believing that art has enlightening and even healing properties, to provide a meaningful art experience to our community.”
A 20th Anniversary Event
During the Old Mill District First Friday Gallery Walk on April 1, Tumalo Art Co. opened its 20 Year Anniversary Retrospective show, which will include art from about 40 members and represented artists over the years. This celebration will be from 3-7pm with music, libations and special food from Luckey’s Woodsman Off-Grid Provisions.
The History of Tumalo Art Co.
Making art can be a solitary lifestyle, and artists face tremendous competition for gallery space. When a group of artists share gallery space, it allows them to also share the formidable task of running it. The work it takes to run a gallery is offset by having a space they can call their own and the benefits of working as a team. Marta Batha had the vision for this kind of gallery when she drew artists from Art Partners, an art mentoring group she was part of, and began Tumalo Art Co. at Tumalo Junction in a building owned by her husband, Vince, in 2002.
In the beginning, seven artists worked at the gallery, and were each responsible for a job that supported its growth. Marketing, public relations, art opening events, bookkeeping… all of these were handled by the gallery artists. Batha also began a furniture and accessory business that added a unique blend of original fine art arranged in home-like vignettes.
When Tumalo Junction was sold in the fall of 2004, the decision was made to move the Tumalo Art Co. into Bend, and the search was begun to find a location. Luckey Higdon and Tracy Leagjeld became the new principals, forming the nucleus of the restructured gallery and, with the other collective members, remodeled an industrial space at 136 NW Greenwood Ave, two blocks from Wall Street in Downtown Bend. In 2008, as the great recession began, a decision was made to move the gallery to the Old Mill District in Bend, where it could benefit from pedestrian traffic. The gallery opened in its new location at 450 SW Powerhouse #407 on June 1, 2009. Leagjeld stepped down as a partner at the end of 2010 but continues as a represented artist.
Evolving Through COVID Closure
When the COVID Pandemic began in March of 2020, collective members entered a time of uncertainty along with the rest of the world. The Old Mill District closed for two months. Not knowing what the future held, the members started repainting the gallery and began an online shopping cart, emailing the Weekly Art Fix to its customer list once a week from then on. Many recipients emailed back, thanking the group for the gift of beauty during that dark time. When the gallery reopened in May of 2020, they had the ability to be open full hours, wearing masks and taking precautions, serving art lovers as they gradually ventured back into the world.
Tumalo Art Co. is built on relationships, both between the artists themselves and their collectors. When you visit Tumalo Art Co., you are greeted by one of the 15 member artists. As artists themselves, they can talk knowledgeably about all the art, explaining their colleagues’ techniques, styles and stories. Customers meet the artists whose work they love. One of the group’s goals is to make art accessible to all and take away the intimidation of entering a gallery. People coming in for their “art fix” are encouraged — whether they purchase art or not — to spend time and be inspired. They also offer many ways for people to get started collecting art, from original art cards to limited-edition Giclée’s and tiny art. Collectors looking for larger pieces for their homes and offices will also find many items from which to choose. The gallery represents artists making ceramics, glass, sculpture, photography, digital media, original hand-pulled prints, hand-turned wood and hand-made jewelry as well as painters in all mediums.
Current Collective members are Nancy Becker, Helen Brown, Danica Curtright, Dorothy Freudenberg, Sarah B Hansen, Susan Luckey Higdon, Anne Gibson, Alisa Huntley, Bruce Jackson, David Kinker, Dee McBrien-Lee, Danae Bennett-Miller, Adell Shetterly, Katherine Taylor and Shelli Walters.
Represented artists are Marlene Moore Alexander, Amber Bremmer, David Carlson, Judy Clinton, Nancy Dasen, Janice Druian, Annie Ferder, Linda Heisserman, Judy Hoiness, Pat Horsely, Pamela Kroll, Tracy Leagjeld, Mary Marquiss, Marty Stewart, Tom Willing and Alison Wahl. This varied group of artists are all well-known professionals, with deep roots in Central Oregon. The art ranges from abstract to realism, in all media. The result is an interesting collection of art that “hangs together” beautifully.
Tumalo Art Co. is open seven days a week, Monday-Saturday from 10am-7pm and Sunday from 11am-6pm.
tumaloartco.com • 541-385-9144