Salem Art Festival on Lawn of Bush House C1960. [Photo:Salem Art Assn. Collection] June 6, 2019 Episode.
In 1919, Sally Bush and her sister-in-law Lulu Hughes Bush, along with Elizabeth Lord, Edith Schryver, and other creative folks, developed the Salem Arts League to promote enjoyment of various forms of art in Salem. They met on a regular basis to share their talents and interests, and hosted exhibits and seminars in various locations around town.
In 1938, following the Great Depression, the group became part of the Works Progress Administration network, a federal program to help unemployed artists spread the arts to communities across the nation, and changed their name to Salem Art Center Association. At this time, the organization was housed in the basement of the Salem High School. During 1942, they moved to a property in Pringle Park. In 1948, Bush House housed this organization, now known as the Salem Art Association (SAA). However, the construction of the new Capitol Mall required demolition of the home of A.N. Bush, now 90+ years old, necessitating his relocation back to his childhood home, thereby ousting the arts organization once again.
In 1919, Sally Bush and her sister-in-law Lulu Hughes Bush, along with Elizabeth Lord, Edith Schryver, and other creative folks, developed the Salem Arts League to promote enjoyment of various forms of art in Salem. They met on a regular basis to share their talents and interests, and hosted exhibits and seminars in various locations around town.
In 1938, following the Great Depression, the group became part of the Works Progress Administration network, a federal program to help unemployed artists spread the arts to communities across the nation, and changed their name to Salem Art Center Association. At this time, the organization was housed in the basement of the Salem High School. During 1942, they moved to a property in Pringle Park. In 1948, Bush House housed this organization, now known as the Salem Art Association (SAA). However, the construction of the new Capitol Mall required demolition of the home of A.N. Bush, now 90+ years old, necessitating his relocation back to his childhood home, thereby ousting the arts organization once again.
Renovated Bush Barn Art Center C1965 [Photo: Salem Art Assn. Coll.] After the death of his father Asahel Bush in 1917, A.N. and his wife Lulu deeded the lower 57 acres of the property to the City of Salem. The remaining 47 acres and the Bush House were offered to the City in 1944, with the sale finally closing in 1946. Following the death of Sally Bush in 1947 and A.N. Bush in 1953, the City took possession of the home and grounds. The arts group moved back into the "new" Bush House Museum. The barn adjacent to the Bush House was used for storage of parks equipment by the City, but the interior was later greatly damaged by fire. In 1963, the Salem Arts Association (SAA) raised $25,000 to join with the City in renovating this building as their new home. Quite a heavy bit of fundraising for the time, I suspect.
Sandra Burnett, Executive Director, Salem Art Association [Photo: SAA Coll.] Sharing this information with us on the program today was Sandra Burnett, the executive director for the Salem Arts Association for the last 10 years. Her broad life experiences include early life in South Africa and Kenya and living in London as a young adult. She has always been involved with nonprofit groups in some manner. She moved permanently to the United States twenty years ago, continuing her work with nonprofit organizations and her love of the arts movement and experience. She was living and working in Olympia, Washington, before coming to Salem for her "new" job.
Chloe Lawton, SAA staff, displays 100 years commemorative collectible [Photo: SAA Coll.] Sandra describes Salem as being rich in cultural resources, with ten cultural organizations being located within its city limits. Statistics show that for every $1.00 invested in arts and cultural endeavors, a community gains a $7.00 return on that investment. One of the main reasons for Salem's cultural "richness" is the cooperative and collaborative partnerships formed by its historic and cultural resource organizations. An outgrowth of this collaboration is the Salem Cultural & Heritage Forum, a unique coalition that supports and assists its fellow nonprofit organizations to better serve the community.
Currently, the SAA provides a gallery with permanent and changing exhibits for us to enjoy, as well as sponsoring several programs benefiting the youth of Salem. These programs include providing art teachers in area schools, arts events for kids throughout the year, and the Arts & History Immersion Program for area elementary school students. These are totally supported by funds raised by this organization.
 [Photo: SAA Facebook Collection] The photo above is of gallery director Dave Wilson leading a group of 4th Grade students in an Arts & History Immersion program visit. The photo to the right shows two young visitors enjoying the annual Young Artists' Showcase in 2019. |  [Photo: SAA Facebook Collection] |
Salem Art Fair & Festival 2018 [Photo: SAA Facebook Coll.] For the last 70 years, SAA has produced the Salem Art Fair & Festival annually on the third weekend of July. This major arts and entertainment event in our community has grown from its early beginnings of art works by SAA members being displayed on clotheslines strung across the Bush House lawn to becoming the largest three-day art festival in the Pacific Northwest, and the most well-known fundraiser for the many ways SAA contributes to the quality of life here in Salem.
As any leader of a vital organization, Sandra has her eyes to the future, both for SAA and its namesake town. She would love to see a formal walking path connecting the Deepwood Estate gardens and Bush's Pasture Park, then continuing across Mission Street to the other Lord & Schryver gardens in this neighborhood. Another wish is to see Salem capitalize on the "art in the park" tradition began with the c1930 installation of the pioneer statue in the rhododendron garden at the park's southern section continue with placement of more public statuary throughout this walkable park. If you didn't hear Sandra's description of the missed opportunity Salem had to have a genuine Renoir sculpture installation, I'm sure someone over at the Bush Barn Art Center would be happy to fill you in!
Salem Art Association has been educating and enriching the lives of Salemites of all ages for 100 years! We look forward to what they will accomplish in the next 100 years, knowing that whatever it may be, Salem will be even richer for it!
~~ Posted by Deb Meaghers
RSS Feed