Rick Bartow Art Studio at Yakona Nature Preserve nearing completion * Oregon ArtsWatch

"People have been hearing about this or seeing it for months now. Now, finally this summer, we'll be able to share it. We absolutely believe we're honoring Rick and his legacy as an art educator. The whole area has been transformed because of the Bartow studio. It's amazing. The anticipation level is through the roof."

"Bartow died April 2, 2016. He was considered one of the nation's most prominent contemporary Native American artists, according to the Institute of American Indian Arts, and is known for his paintings, drawings, and sculptures, often depicting wildlife in moments of spiritual transformation."

"In 2012, Bartow's pole sculptures, We Were Always Here, were dedicated outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., where they face the Washington Monument in a traditional welcome of Native American culture."

Rick Bartow, a nationally recognized contemporary Native American artist known for paintings, drawings, and sculptures depicting wildlife in spiritual transformation, passed away in 2016. His home studio faced demolition, but salvageable materials were rescued by friends and family. Bartow's nephew Michael Clark worked with JoAnn and Bill Barton, founders of the 450-acre Yakona Nature Preserve in Newport, to reconstruct a new studio. The 16-by-16-square-foot structure combines original salvaged materials with new lumber required by building permits. The studio will serve the public and celebrate Bartow's artistic legacy and role as an art educator, with the facility opening this summer during the 10-year anniversary of his death.

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