Local Artists and Makers
Discover the work of local artists, like Dayna Collins, featured throughout the hotel and available for purchase. Wander through the rooms and hallways to experience each piece up close. Scroll below to learn more about the talented artists behind the work.
The artists featured below have given permission for their work to be displayed on this website and made available for sale at The Independence Hotel. Participating artists include: Carole Van Haaften, Oregon Cedar Company, Beneath the Bark, Kristy Kún, John Tess, Jenny Gray, Paul Gentry, and Dayna Collins.
Carole Van Haaften
This Abstract Landscape featured prominently in our restaurant is called, “Teal Bliss. ”Inspired by nature, Carole Van Haaften’s landscapes reflect the modern painting techniques she developed while attaining her Interior Architecture BFA from CCAC San Francisco. Her understanding of structure, composition, and light, all of which are crucial in her 30-year interior design career, give Carole’s paintings a sense of unique depth and sensitive dimension. In addition to contributing this painting, Carole provided interior design for The Independence Hotel.
Oregon Cedar Company
The Independence worked with Darrell Huskey of Oregon Cedar Company to create beautiful, one-of-kind headboards from redwoods salvaged during the Salem airport’s latest expansion. Huskey does a wide range of custom live edge and woodworking from his shop in Salem.
Beneath the Bark
Beneath the Bark is a family owned business that creates custom furniture pieces using the best materials and working with clients to help their creative visions become a reality. The Beneath the Bark family tree is full of experienced builders pleased to carry on the tradition with the knowledge passed down from generations.
Kristy Kún
Kristy Kún’s innovative work with hand-made felt often parallels environmental transformations; birth, fruition, decay. Formations of water, earth and sky emerge as if breathing and alive. Kún’s hands translate this energy and these textures from nature into new form using altered methods of a timeless craft. She started her artistic journey as a woodworker and upholsterer before transitioning to wool. Her respect for materials and craftsmanship in their reverential structure is planted deep.
John Tess – Fused PDX
We were lucky enough to intersect with John for business, we soon learned that he is the founder and owner of Fused PDX, a delightful studio and gallery, a hub for talented glass artists, in Portland’s pearl district. We began working with John on a custom piece for our lobby (pictured pre-installation here) and on unique handcrafted room number plaques. We get countless compliments and inquiries about our lobby piece and room numbers. John built his studio on the simple idea that quality glass brightens both the home and public space. Whether in functional objects or wall sized designs, the glass of Fused PDX is equally beautiful to look at and look through.
Jenny Gray
Based out of Monroe, Oregon, Jenny Gray creates layered abstract oil on canvas paintings with “informational fragments”—some completely covered, some behind translucent layers, some prominently on the surface. Her paintings’ layers, textures and drawing sell very personal stories but also encourage the viewer to discover and see their own evolving stories.
Paul Gentry
Paul Gentry is a printmaker, painter, and mixed media artist whose focus is depicting the rural landscape that surrounds his home and studio in Independence, Oregon. We are lucky to feature Paul’s detailed and evocative works throughout our restaurant. Since 2001 he has specialized in wood engraving, a form of relief printmaking known for its technical precision and demanding technique. Paul’s work is exhibited nationally, he is a member of the Northwest Print Council and the Wood Engravers Network and of course, a member at the River Gallery in Independence, Oregon.
Dayna Collins
Oregon artist Dayna Collins is an abstract painter who works intuitively, laying down paint in bold swaths of color, then goes back in and refines the composition, finding the story buried in the paint. She wants the viewer to wonder about its previous life, to feel like they’re on an archeological dig, getting a glimpse beneath the surface, but never the full story. Dayna’s beautiful work is in our elevator lobbies on each floor in Independence and is featured throughout our sister property, The Dundee. We get many compliments from guests on the vibrant colors and rich textures that help bring our hallways to life.
