Estate and Art Collection of Oregon Artist Mary Rash at Auction May 7

(McMINNVILLE, Ore.) - Mary Rash is a renowned artist, writer and long-time business owner from the city of McMinnville in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley.

Retired for many years, Mary is now liquidating her estate, including her personal art collection.

She began painting in the early 1950’s, her art leading her on the journey of her life.

The very first time she entered a competition, she won a Blue Ribbon. That told her that “she could paint”, and shortly thereafter she enrolled in the Portland Museum Art School.

Once she began, her thirst for knowledge and experience never stopped. Mary took classes at Loyola University in Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum, and Santa Rosa Jr College.

Soon, her paintings began to sell. When the Student Union Building at Lewis and Clark College was completed, she was given a one-woman show. She won many awards throughout the years, and was asked to demonstrate the process of painting on live TV at Marylhurst College.

Her work was shown in several galleries including the Maude Kearns Art Center in Eugene and Lawrence Gallery near McMinnville. Her paintings have been displayed and sold for decades.

Her painting was quite prolific for many years. When she was in her 30’s she painted an impressive, dramatic, abstract of a forest fire. It is stunning, and is included in the auction. She painted the people, places and things that surrounded her, and she never was at a loss for good material.

The complications of a busy life eventually withdrew her from her love of painting, and instead she put her energy into family and business endeavors- all the while adding to her personal art collection.

Mary ran a fabric store and later a framing store (Frame Corner) in McMinnville for 20 years. Her creative talents were expressed in everything she did.

Forty years went by before storytelling drew her back to painting. A fellow writer overheard her dismay about not having an artist studio, and he helped right that wrong.

Once Mary picked the paintbrush up again, she had as much passion for the canvas as ever. She painted over 40 portraits in the first 6 months.

In celebration of her 85th birthday, Mary challenged herself to produce a painting every day for a year.

The end result was a collection called “Reemergence of an Artist”, including 365 9x12 acrylic paintings depicting various aspects of life including animals, landscapes, portraits and still lifes. Some are silly or humorous, some are dramatic, some are just beautiful.

In 2014, Mary said, “I paint first of all to please myself. That way, I don’t limit myself in style, color or composition.”

A selection of these "365" paintings were sold in the Marilyn Affolter Gallery, but many are part of her own collection and will be sold at Auction May 7th.

For sale will be paintings by Mary Rash, Nancy Tipton Steensen, Earl Hamilton, Carole Clark, & many others.

The Mary Rash collection includes a hanging lamp from the historic Portland Hotel, unauthenticated Picasso prints, tapestries by Francisca Montes Lorenzo and stained glass and metal sculptures by Ken Nelson.

Other specialty items like Roycroft copper bookends, vintage paper dolls, a statuette from Occupied Japan, a WWII canteen and a collection of cookbooks are just a small sampling of what’s in store for auction-goers this weekend.

Even Mary’s venerated Bernina sewing machine and console will be available to the highest bidder.

Mary Rash has been an inspiration for generations of art enthusiasts in the McMinnville area. This weekend, there is an opportunity to see some of Mary’s treasures, to admire them... and to bid on them.