Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Three Sisters of Clallam Gallery and Healing Center Opens!



On May 26, 2007, "Horizon," the totem pole Charles Forlines has been working on for two years, was dedicated at our opening here in Clallam Bay. That's Charles with Quileute Valley School Superintendent Frank Hanson. Full Photo Stream

Gallery owners -- that's us, Sue Heiny and Diana Goplen -- were excited Charles honored us with this incredible artwork.

This place was transformed from the former Bay Hardware and Supply building. It took a lot of work, but we refinished the floors, rebuilt walls, and painted with gallons of paint we got from the back room at Parker Paints in PA (or, as Diana says, "Five gallon, five dollah!") . That's why the building is that bright green.

The building -- now named "Wilma," because that's the way she wants it -- will be the center of the arts and healing scene in the west end community (no brag, just fact), as well as providing hostel space for visiting artists. We have so much community support, and so many neat things have showed up to give this gallery its character.



The "Flintstone" door and window frames, the giant rootball that came from the former Woody's Restaurant, the chandeliers, the paint, the huge amount of just plain work -- it all came from this hard-working, talented, wonderful community, out here on the West End.

We started the day with a Starving Artists Sale. It was so great seeing all those tables representing our local artists' community, with everything from paintings to jewelry to fancy homemade soap.

The seven-foot-tall totem pole is carved from cedar, its post representing a family of dolphins. The eagle's wings show a man and a woman's face, with abalone inlaid eyes. The eagle's claws are carved from Brazilian coca bola wood. Charles said each claw took him an entire day to carve, the wood was so hard.



Superintendent of Lapush Schools Frank Hanson helped Charles raise the totem pole. It was exciting!



The Quilleute drummers sang a song of dedication -- and then a table song for the community potluck. Drummer Russell Woodruff said about Forlines, “This man is a builder, he's a fixer, he's a welder. He can fix anything. He's fixed this community.”



The Quilleute wrapped Forlines in an honor blanket. That means a lot up here.



Then Forlines presented us with one!



The party went on into the late hours, to the rousing rhythms of bluegrass band Loose Gravel. Sara Grafstrom, Sue's daughter, was crazy dancing!

“It ended up being a girls' party,” said Joan Fabian, who was visiting to show her Roshi healing technique. “Everybody was downstairs playing hide-and-seek in the dark.”

Friday, May 4, 2007

First Floor Finish

The refinished floor at the Three Sisters of Clallam Art and Healing Center, in Clallam Bay, gets its first coat of varnish.

Forlines Feather Art

Charlie Forlines has created a new kind of carving.

Delicate, light-weight feathers hand-carved from cedar. The incised feather-lines show wonderful hand-control.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Grand Opening

Yes, it's happening at last --

The Three Sisters of Clallam Gallery is opening.

10:00, Saturday, May 26, at the old Bay Supply Hardware, Highway 112, Clallam Bay.

It's the big green building on the left as you leave town going west (toward Sekiu).

Charlie Forlines completion of his two-year totem pole project will be unveiled. Starving Artist Sale and Community Potluck and music to follow.

And we will be celebrating Diana's 50th birthday! Come on down after the Sekiu Fly-in and breakfast at the airport in the morning.

Call 963 2854 for more information.