ART Elements Gallery

As three women enter the serene yet inspiring gallery, Loni welcomes them with a warm smile. “Do you know James Frey?” Loni asks, indicating the month’s featured exhibit.  They don’t, but they like what they see.  “He’s a local winemaker,” Loni explains.  “And a wonderful artist, a fabulous man.”  She chats with the women about James, Newberg, and the gallery, then leaves them to explore the gallery on their own.  “I love having people come to this gallery,” she says, then clarifies.  “We don’t push sales.  What I want people to do is come and experience the art.  I love to educate.”  The ART Elements Gallery was opened in May of 2010 and features over 60 Oregon artists in a variety of forms including paintings, sculpture, glass, jewelry and photography.

The gallery is the confluence of much of Loni’s life’s passion and work.  She began working as an artist and in art galleries right out of college, but after her children were born, focused on projects that kept her closer to home.  She volunteered in local schools as a teacher and an artist, and did large mural projects for non-profits.  Loni also developed an art literacy program and helped organize fund-raisers to support it. The 500 original works of Oregon art on display in the Allison Inn and Spa were sourced by Loni, and she was instrumental in the opening of the Chehalem Cultural Center.  “I’m really involved in downtown Newberg,” Loni says.  “I spent my childhood on these streets and I love it here.”

Loni speaks eloquently on the benefits of art in everyday life.  “It is a source of joy and hope; it offers a new outlook; it keeps the inner child alive.”  But she is emphatic that for children – the work force of tomorrow – art is vital.  “I think everyone is familiar with STEM,” she says, referring to the curriculum that emphasizes science and math.  “Now they are teaching STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.”  This is because employers now recognize the limitations of diagnostics and analytical thinking, and seek workers who can think outside the box.  “Being a creative problem-solver comes from art,” Loni says.

From the most luxurious guest accommodations to the schools, streets, storefronts, and stages of Yamhill County, Loni is committed to keeping the arts at the forefront of everyday life.  “Art is an integral part of a well-rounded life,” she says.  Then she’s gone, out the door and across town to inaugurate an event at the Cultural Center.