By Oregon Coast TODAY

LINCOLN CITY — Friday will be a big day at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, with an opening reception for two new shows, “Flight of Fancy, Moments of Doubt” by Angela Passalacqua the Columbia Basin Basketry Guild show.

Guests can also view new work from cultural center members in the hallway exhibit area.

The opening reception begins at 5 p.m. Friday and will be followed on Saturday by a virtual gallery tour, posted on the Lincoln City Cultural Center Facebook page.

In the Chessman Gallery, Passalacqua, a graduate of the Pacific Northwest College of Art, presents a series of paintings deeply rooted in mythology and literature and the age-old questions of what makes us human, especially what elevates and nourishes the human spirit.

As a painter, she tends to conjure up imaginary beings in dreamlike, romantic spaces. Often the subject matter is people going about their everyday lives in airports, restaurants and streetcars.

“Groups of these figures often find their way into my paintings, sometimes with wings, or cloven hooves, or next to a Greek column,” she said. “Myths and chimera persist in our dreams, and in the stories we love to tell or hear.”

Meanwhile, the Fiber Arts Studio/Gallery will showcase work by members of the Columbia Basin Basketry Guild, which connects basket weavers, collectors and enthusiasts from across the Pacific Northwest’s Columbia River basin and beyond.

It began with a small group of weavers in 1989. As of 2023, the group now serves more than 200 members at all levels of skill and experience: from gallery-represented artists to new students learning basic techniques. They welcome members, participants, observers or leaders, regardless of location, age, race, abilities, sexual orientation, religion or gender. This exhibit is a representation of all that diversity and passion for weaving.

The hallway display area is showing new and exciting works by cultural center members, a “thank you” exhibit that will display a rotating selection of innovative art. Next to each piece is an information card about the person, their art and what they do and love in the community.

The Lincoln City Cultural Center is located at 540 N.E. Highway 101 and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Co-op Gallery reception

The Pacific Artists’ Co-op Gallery in Lincoln City will host a reception Friday, Aug. 18, featuring work by many of its members.

Running from 5-7 p.m., the reception will showcase Stephanie Reitmajer, with a new collection of paintings in pastels, watercolors and oils.

Friday’s reception is free to attend. Pacific Artists’ Co-op will be offering light food and beverages. Carpooling is strongly encouraged. Parking is available behind the gallery building at 620 N.E. Hwy. 101.

For Reitmajer, painting is an act of love for nature’s boundless yet fragile beauty. She uses pastels, watercolors and oils as her tools, choosing the medium that best achieves her artistic goals, often mixing them within a single painting.

Reitmajer’s work is distinguished by its luminosity, vibrant color, high-value contrast, expressive marks and delicate blending. Combined, they add depth to the visual experience, grace to nature’s many wonders and peace to the viewer’s sense of being.

Reitmajer can often be found enjoying the outdoors, whether painting en plein air, hiking through the forest, or walking the beaches of Oregon, where she now lives. She holds a Certificate in Nature Art Illustration and has taught classes in outdoor watercolor sketching. Her artwork is held in private collections in the United States and Europe.