The TEAL Artist Cooperative has been a fixture in the Corvallis art scene since the ‘70s.
Every Halloween until New Year’s Eve, TEAL opens a storefront in downtown Corvallis. This season, over 20 local artists will feature their handcrafted work including jewelry, fuse glass, ceramics, paintings, leather goods, textiles and more.
“It’s like walking into a wonderland of color when you walk into TEAL,” said Avie Meadows, a ceramicist who has been a part of the cooperative for two years.
Meadows is one of TEAL’s most unusual artists specializing in ceramic insects.
From beetles to butterflies, her home studio is swarming with clay critters, each of which have a vintage-style name.
“I don’t necessarily love bugs … they do creep me out a little bit,” Meadows said.
Meadows uses clay for the bodies, metal wire for limbs, gold for the eyes, and is experimenting with paper pulp to make wings.
Although she finds bugs creepy, Meadows keeps an insect anatomy book to draw ideas from.
“When you actually start paying attention to the things that make you uncomfortable, they become more beautiful,” Meadows said.
TEAL encourages its artists to create one-of-a-kind artwork instead of replicating existing patterns.
Pam Pniak Thompson’s most recent collection, for instance, reflects TEAL’s emphasis on originality by using a Korean method of burnishing gold foil onto silver to make a pebble-like design.
Similarly, Carrie Tasman, a painter who has been with TEAL for over 20 years finds inspiration in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She combines acrylic and oil paints to craft vivid landscapes and still-life arrangements.
Beth Rietveld, a textile artist and the current sitting president of TEAL, is an avid quilt-maker who enjoys incorporating color into her striking designs. On a recent trip to Japan, she picked up unique fabrics she will feature in this season’s collection.
TEAL artists incorporate affordable items into their collections to ensure there’s something for everyone. This year, Avie will offer beetle magnets, and Beth will bring cards, coasters and ornaments.
“We try to have a price point at TEAL that people can afford to … buy the ornament for $15 … (or) a painting for $250,” Rietveld said.
Many of TEAL’s artists host workshops where they share their trade with the public: Meadows currently hosts pottery classes at the Benton Center, Thompson teaches classes at summer art camps, and Rietveld has taught classes at West Albany High School.
TEAL is committed to supporting the arts in Corvallis in other ways, such as donations and community events like the Corvallis Art Walk.
The cooperative contributes a portion of its yearly earnings to a local school’s art program. Last year, they donated to Bessie Coleman Elementary, according to Rietveld.
Meadows and Rietveld expressed disappointment about recent budget cuts that have impacted art programs in Corvallis schools, highlighting the importance of TEAL’s contributions.
Despite these cuts, Meadows attests that the local art scene is prospering: “I think Corvallis has a really strong support of the arts. I think the community itself is starting to weave together a little more.”
