Annual Membership Meeting, 2023


Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. to Attend the May 13 Annual Meeting of the Lincoln County Historical Society

Date & Time: Saturday May 13, 2:00 PM

Location: Pacific Maritime Heritage Center, 333 SE Bay Blvd, Newport, OR

Contact Person: Susan Tissot, 541-265-7509 or director@oregoncoasthistory.org

Cost: Museum admission rates apply.  Free admission to members of the Lincoln County Historical Society, Children aged 12 and under, Active-Duty Military.

The Lincoln County Historical Society is hosting its Annual Membership Meeting in the Doerfler Family Theater at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center, Saturday May 13 at 2 PM. The business meeting is from 2 – 2:30 PM followed by a special living history performance entitled, The Great Dissenter: Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. This is a unique opportunity to experience Oregon attorney William A. Barton bring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. to life in a living history performance that explores personal aspects of his life missed by some biographers and readers. The Justice also plans to talk about how the 1923 Supreme Court differs from the Supreme Court of today.

The Lincoln County Historical Society held their first annual membership meeting in 1948. This program is a part of what would have been the 75th annual membership meeting for the Lincoln County Historical Society; due to the pandemic the LCHS did not hold in person meetings in 2020 & 2021. The performance is open to the public. Museum admission rates apply; current members of the Lincoln County Historical Society, children aged 12 and under and active-duty military get in free. Not a member? Membership lapsed? No worries, arrive early and the museum staff will help you update your membership status when you enter the building. 

More about the program:

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) served on the United States Supreme Court from 1902-1932.  He is known as “The Great Dissenter.”  Before being appointed to the U. S. Supreme Court, he served on the Massachusetts Supreme Court for 20 years and is the author of The Common Law (1881).

The justice is buried in Arlington and will be appearing pursuant to subpoena issued by attorney William Barton.  Holmes is one of America’s most celebrated jurists.  He was featured on the cover of Time magazine, received the Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, and addressed the nation by radio on his 90th birthday.

In 1950 a movie, The Magnificent Yankee, chronicled his life.  It was nominated for two academy awards.  It was based on a 1946 Broadway play in which the justice was portrayed by Louis Calhern.  In 1965, the Hallmark Hall of Fame series presented The Magnificent Yankee, a movie made for television which received three Emmy’s.  In 1968 the U.S. Postal Service commemorated Holmes on a stamp.

As a courtesy to the justice, Dvorak’s New World Symphony, which was performed at his funeral, will be played prior to his appearance.

About Oregon Attorney William A. Barton:

William A. Barton has performed as Justice Holmes around the country and before the U. S. Supreme Court.  He has practiced law for 51 years as a plaintiffs’ personal injury lawyer solving around 500 cases, including litigation for sexual exploitation of youth in the Archdiocese of Portland and the Boy Scouts. Barton resides in Newport, Oregon with his wife JoAnn.

The Lincoln County Historical Society operates two historic properties that include 5 buildings: the 1895 Burrows House/ Carriage House/Garages & Log Cabin Research Library located at 545 SW 9th St., Newport, Oregon, AND the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center located at 333 SE Bay Blvd., Newport, Oregon. The PMHC is open to the public Tuesday – Sunday 11 am – 4 PM. The 1895 Burrows House is currently closed for repairs but is scheduled to reopen Summer 2023. The Log Cabin Research Library is open by appointment. For more information call: 541-265-7509, email director@oregoncoasthistory.org or visit www.oregoncoasthistory.org. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.


Lincoln County 400′


Exhibition Run Dates: March 10 – July 16, 2023

Opening Reception:  March 10, 4-7 PM; free and open to public

Drone Demonstration in the Doerfler Family Theater inside the PMHC: April 9, 1PM

Click here for a teaser:

March 10, 2023 we celebrate the opening of our newest exhibit, Lincoln County 400′ which is an exhibition focused on contemporary drone photography AND historical aerial images from the LCHS collection. This invitational exhibition features the work of drone photographers who fly under 400 feet while documenting the landscape of Lincoln County, Oregon. Technology has created a new avenue for photographers to work, creating still or panoramic images and video footage taken from the sky via drone. In comparison, historic aerial images from our archives will be juxtaposed amongst the drone work. Some of the drone work will be available for purchase; pick up of  sold work after the exhibition run completes.

Special thanks to videographer Casey Felton and the Newport News Times for their videography support.


Portraits in Red: Missing & Murdered Indigenous People Painting Project, Feb. 2, 2023 – May 7, 2023

Exhibition Run Dates: February 2 – May 7, 2023

Opening Reception:  February 2, 4-7 PM

Opening Event:  Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Blessing Ceremony – 4PM

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH EVENTS AT THE PMHC

Panel Discussion: March 23, 6PM

Featuring visiting artist Nayana LaFond and others

Art Demonstration: March 25, 1PM Painting Demonstration by Nayana L

Exhibition Summary

The Lincoln County Historical Society is proud to host this very important and timely exhibition by indigenous artist Nayana Lafond. According to Executive Director Susan Tissot, “this exhibition is about bringing awareness and healing to the communities it visits. The MMIWG2S has reached a crisis stage impacting indigenous communities throughout north America. There are four Siletz tribal members in this exhibition which illustrates that our community is not immune to the issues related to this horrific crisis. We bring this exhibition to the community in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the non-profit, My Sisters Place. The exhibit contains 40 portraits of indigenous people who are either missing, murdered, or working as advocates to bring forth awareness. LaFond has taken great care to respectfully represent the people she paints for this project.”

“I want to paint them the way the spirits would see them,” the artist Nayana Lafond says of the 40 portraits in the exhibition.  All are of missing or murdered indigenous people, or activists committed to the cause for generating awareness and honoring those who have been lost.

I began this painting project without the intention of it becoming a project at all. I intended to make one painting as a catharsis and tribute to a domestic violence survivor and my matrilineal line.  The response to the first painting was so strong I decided to paint another. This began on May 5, 2020 when I was in quarantine and looking for something to occupy my time.

After an even larger online response to the second portrait, I decided to tell people that if they send me their images, I would paint them to raise awareness about the crisis. Within the first day I received 25 emails and private messages with images and stories. I soon figured out that I needed to paint them all. I could not say yes to some and say no to others. As of September 2022 I have completed 90 works and have a constant queue of 30 or more at a time.

I paint them all for free, and I provide unlimited free prints to the families while exhibiting the originals to raise awareness. Because of so many messages and requests coming in, I declared it to be a project – the MMIWG/P Painting project began.

Each portrait is painted in black and white with red being the only visible color because spirits can only see red. Through painting these people, I seek to elevate their voices, promote healing and spark discussion while contributing toward change. Each painting brings me healing from my own experiences and the experiences of my family members and I hope it brings some healing to those I paint and their families.

Among Nayana LaFond’s subjects in “Portraits in Red”, four are members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, three are missing or murdered and one is an activist:  Delight Attebury, Manuel Bayya, and Anthony Tolentino; Lucy is an 18-year-old advocate.

I also hope to raise awareness about this issue through exhibiting the work. Eventually if I do make the work available for sale I will donate to various charities including the NIWRC (National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center).

Artist Statement

Nayana (B 1981) is a full-time multidisciplinary artist and activist who resides with her child in Western Massachusetts. She attended Greenfield Community College and Massachusetts College of Art for Photography and then dropped out to become a full-time painter. Her paintings can be seen in collections, galleries, and museums around the world.

Nayana has been a curator and community arts organizer for over 20 years including former founding Chief Curator for The Whitney Center for the Arts. She also sits on several arts organization boards, including “Artist Organized Art”, and is an advisor for “Be The Change” and “The Native Youth Empowerment Foundation”.

Nayana’s work often deals with issues related to trauma and violence including her experiences as a Leukemia and Bone Marrow transplant and DV survivor.

Exhibit Support & Partners: Newport News Times, Central Oregon Coast NOW, Advantage Real Estate, Best Western Agate Beach, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, My Sisters Place (MSP).

Additional Information

Because our region has been impacted by this horrible crisis, we reached out to our museum colleagues in Oregon and Washington to ensure that this important project is seen in our region. Here is the schedule of PNW exhibition run dates:

  • Pacific Maritime Heritage Center, Newport OR, Contact Person: Susan Tissot Jan 27 – May 7, 2023 
  • Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, Ilwaco, WA, Contact Person: Madeline Matson May 19 – July 8, 2023. 
  • Wanapum Cultural Center, Ellensburg, WA, Contact Person: Angela Neller July 15 – October 15, 2023
  • Yakima Valley Museum, Yakima, WA Contact Person: Heath Lambe October 20 – January 15, 2024
  • Tamastslikt Cultural Center in Pendleton, OR, Contact Person: Randall Melton Feb 3 – May 6, 2024.

Press:

Listen to the Artist discuss her work on OPB: Portraits in Red’ portray missing and murdered Indigenous people and the loved ones they left behind.

Read ‘Portraits in RED’ artist Nayana LaFond honors missing and murdered Indigenous people in Oregon Artswatch

Press:

Read “Seeing red Newport exhibit shines light on hidden tragedy.” in Oregon Coast Today

Read “‘Portraits in Red’ in Newport draws attention to missing and murdered Indigenous people” In the Oregonian.

Moving Image Show at the PMHC

Did you know that the LCHS has a large historic image collection in our archives? With help from museum volunteer Carol Shenk, we are strutting our stuff in the form of a Moving Image Show on the exterior front windows of the Doerfler Family Theater at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center. Using about 60 images from our collection, Carol spent 150 hours creating this very cool production. Come check out the image show after dark on Thursday – Sunday evenings. The show runs until 10 PM. The best vantage point is from the boardwalk directly across from the museum. The Moving Image Show will remain active during the next few months until daylight hours restrict the viewing time. The show is free and provides a great excuse to hang out and have dinner on the Newport Bayfront.

Check out the recent article featured in the news:

https://www.oregoncoasttoday.com/home/a-window-into-the-past