Selection from Wild Beauty: Historic Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge on View in Governor's Office

The Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts are pleased to support the publication of Wild Beauty as Oregon's 2006-2007 American Masterpieces project.

Photo courtesy: State of Oregon

(SALEM, Ore.) - Eight historically and artistically significant photographs of the Columbia River Gorge can be seen through April 30, 2007, in Governor Ted Kulongoski's Ceremonial Office in the State Capitol.

The works, archival reproductions of the highly valuable originals, are examples of masterworks that will be included in a forthcoming book, Wild Beauty, the inaugural publication in the Northwest Photography Series, published by Oregon State University Press.

The exhibition also showcases the first Oregon project to be funded in the National Endowment for the Art's American Masterpieces initiative.

Oregon's traditions of history, preservation, culture and the fine arts are often interwoven. Wild Beauty, edited and produced by Portland Art Museum Curator of Photography Terry Toedtemeier and artist/designer John Laursen, will be an extraordinary cultural resource for Oregonians, articulating the intersection of landscape, history, and photographic artistry. Artists included in the exhibit are: Maud Ainsworth, Sarah Hall Ladd, Carleton Watkins and Lily White.

The Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts are pleased to support the publication of Wild Beauty as Oregon's 2006-2007 American Masterpieces project. The NEA intends American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius to introduce Americans to the best of their cultural and artistic legacy across all art forms, reaching large and small communities in all fifty states.

"A number of major cultural leaders, including the Oregon Historical Society, the Oregon State Library, and the Portland Art Museum have come together to open their resources and support Toedtemeier and Laursen in this project," said Christine D'Arcy, Executive Director of the Arts Commission. "The Arts Commission is excited to announce Wild Beauty as Oregon's first American Masterpieces project. We couldn't imagine a more fitting reflection of Oregon's unique arts landscape to the nation."

The Art in the Governor's Office Program honors selected Oregon artists with exhibitions in the reception area of the Governor's Office in the State Capitol.

The program considers only professional, living Oregon artists, and an exhibit in the Governor's office is considered a lifetime honor. Artists whose works have been shown there include, Gordon Gilkey, Yuji Hiratsuka, Manuel Izquierdo, James Lavadour, Henk Pander, Michele Russo and Margot Thompson.

The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of the Economic Development Department in 1993, in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities.

In 2003, the Oregon Legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use of the Commission's expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development.

The Arts Commission is supported with General Funds appropriated by the Oregon Legislature and with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust.