The Basement Show: Unexpected Emergence

November 12 - December 3, 2022

Seven artists gathered together in the basement of an historic Astoria home built in 1890. Each individual explored the space and its contents including period fixtures, miscellaneous objects, and surfaces flaunting an archive of beautiful colors and textures from over 130 years of wear. To an artist’s eye each corner can lend a story for artistic interpretation. The final result is “The Basement Show: Unexpected Emergence”, the brainchild of Carol Scott who resides in the historic home. “My art has always been related in some way to found “stuff”, the every day, the non-precious. So this basement is a “playground” for me!” says Carol, who also draws inspiration from contemporary artists including John Chamberlain, Eva Hesse, Tony Fehrer, and Robert Rauschenberg.

The Basement Show features artists Bill Atwood, Greg Carrigan, Annie Eskelin, Lucca Ettienne, Carol Scott, Kate Speranza, and Carrie Mariko Williams who have all made paintings, sculpture, assemblage, poetry, or interpretive sound-scaping as a direct result of interactions with the basement. The resulting exhibit is a unique installation providing a contemporary presentation of artwork meant to inspire others to reclaim and/or reinterpret spaces in which they live, work, and play, and to reframe or remind us all of the possibilities that art can be for each of us.

Show dates: November 12 - December 3

Opening reception: November 12, 12 - 8pm

See the show: Friday, and Saturday 12 - 4 pm or by appointment

AVA Gallery: 1000 Duane Street, Astoria

AVA Gallery Hours:

Fridays + Saturdays

12 - 4 pm

2nd Saturday Artwalk 12-8 pm

1000 Duane Street, Astoria, OR 97103

Also, open by appointment: astoriavisualarts@gmail.com

Interested in submitting a proposal?

Please send a short show premise, bio and a minimum of 3 image to the email above. In your show description, please be sure to include how your show benefits your professional development and our community.

Support artists!
Visit the link below to purchase artwork from the exhibit.

Art Sales

Show Statement by Carol Scott, owner of the basement:

Here am in the basement of our "new" 132-year-old home.... I am trying to appreciate its charm. But it's cold down here and kinda dark. Am trying to avoid cobwebs and wonder what lies beneath that section of dirt floor. Scary thoughts come to mind.

Now am stuck down here while the laundry churns in the washer and whirls in the dryer. (Why does this process take so long?)

So I pass the time by looking around. Julia (the former owner) has conveniently left a chair facing the south wall so I take a seat and gaze for a bit. Interestingly begin to feel like I am at an art gallery. The entire wall in my view appears to have been painted as a landscape. I find it to be quite lovely! Sol continue my basement tour and am amazed to behold more art, appearing in varied styles; for example the wall above the laundry sink sure looks like "pop art" to me. Huh? Really! The floor has interesting lines and splotches......perhaps the "contemporary gallery."

So one can easily surmise it didn't take too long for me, as an artist, to turn this experience into an art show, this time in an actual art gallery. I invited a few artist friends who gathered in the basement and took time to observe not only the walls and floors, but also all the stuff stored there, which had variable appeal....(as one can imagine when experiencing a "catch-all" type space). Back to their studios they went to make art of all kinds....inspired by what they saw or felt.

Now it's 11 months later, and in a few days their work will be shown in a real art gallery. We hope that people seeing it will enjoy this "high art found in low places".

For me, the whole experience has been a high point in my life. Thanks to all who made it happen.

Carol Scott
November 8, 2022