If you love the beauty and wonder you can find at the Oregon coast, there is a spot, in between Lincoln City and Newport, where there is beauty you can take home.
The Lawrence Gallery has hundreds of examples of awe-inspiring artwork that will add that spark to any business office, living room or entry way. The gallery shows many different media including bronze sculptures, paintings and wall-hangings. Styles range from metalwork, to ceramic, to oils and pastels.
“Really we carry many, many different types of art,” said Ron Lahey, one of the partners in the gallery. “We have everything from five- to six-panel pieces to the small print, and the prices range from $100 to thousands, depending on what you are looking for.”
The 5,000 square foot gallery sits right along Highway 101 between Lincoln City and Newport in a resort area called Salishan. It is surrounded by outdoor-mall that features many different types of shops, from bookstores to gift shops and wine tasting rooms.
The space is bright and lots of natural light comes through the space, giving you the best view of the artwork inside. When I visited the gallery there was some interesting Asian-influenced pieces, as well as sculptures that were made out of everyday things that were crafted into tugboats and streetcars that caught my fancy.
That really is the best part of the gallery, its big space allows for different media, light, and types of artwork to be scattered about in a flowing design that keeps you moving, yet is arranged in a way to where if you want to stop and look, there is room to do that.
“It shows well, and we are able to display a lot of art – we have at least a couple hundred pieces up at any given time,” Lahey said. “We rotate the gallery once a month, and try to feature a different artist in the center of the gallery, so it is constantly changing. The thing to keep in mind here is we feature original art, so this isn’t something you will find somewhere else.”
Most, if not all, of the art by Pacific Northwest artists, meaning Oregon, Washington and Idaho, however sometimes other artists will be included, Lahey said.
“There is a lot of talent in the area, it’s incredible,” he said.
Garry Lawrence is a founder of the gallery. The gallery was at Salisahn in the early 1980s, but later sold. Nine years ago the new owners of the resort asked Lawrence Gallery back, and they have been there ever since.
The location, being in the resort’s shop area, has brought clients to the gallery from all around the world, Lahey said. Some people he sees once a year, to see what new items he has.
Since Lawrence’s studio is in Sheridan, Oregon there is also a gallery there – right along the highway 18 as you head to the coast from Newberg and McMinnville. That gallery features 3.5 acres and has outside bronze sculptures as well as an indoor gallery.
One of the things that the Lawrence Gallery does is they deliver and hang pieces for their customers at no charge. Lahey said they would travel as far as Seattle to delivery pieces and hang them.
“We will bring bronze sculptures out too,” he said. “We have had customers who are interested in four or five different pieces and we have brought them out so they could see them in the space and make the best decision possible.”
About The Lawrence Gallery: For 35 years, collectors and artists from around the world have known Lawrence Gallery as Oregon's foremost purveyor of fine art. Lawrence Gallery is dedicated to showcasing the finest art the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Specializing in original paintings, indoor and outdoor sculpture, clay, glass, and wood, Lawrence Gallery features world class work by local artists with special exhibitions of modern masters such as Dali, Picasso, and Chagall.
What to bring: An appreciation for Pacific Northwest art. In addition, make sure to give yourself enough time to enjoy the gallery.
Tip: There are nooks and crannies in the gallery, and if you don’t look around corners and behind displays, it’s easy to miss some treasures. For example when I visited I went into a back area that had some display cases and shelves with amazing small bronze sculptures of wildlife and carved wooden santas. Take your time and look around and you are sure to find something in your price range and taste.
Season: The gallery is open year-round.
Getting there: You can see the gallery from Highway 101 at the Salishan shops area. The address is 7755 Highway 101 N, Gleneden Beach, between Lincoln City and Newport, Oregon.
By Patrick Johnson
For Oregon.com