Jugaad: Originally from Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, and Urdu

Definition in the Oxford English Dictionary: “a flexible approach to problem-solving that uses limited resources in an innovative way”

One of the side effects of being German is that everybody always comments on the weird words your language generates, and in particular their length. Yes, it’s strange to have (real!) words like Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (loosely translated as the law for the task assignment of monitoring beef labeling,) but then again their length is proportional to the length of German sentences that extend across half a page. There are other languages, less often mentioned, that engage in similar stretching exercises, Turkish, Greenlandic and Finnish among them. How is this for a lingual marathon? Ymmärtämättömyyksissäni suuntautumisvaihtoehtoni opintotukihakemuskaavakkeeseen kuulakärkikynällä kirjoitin is a Finnish statement, I am told, that translates into “In a state of not fully comprehending, I wrote my major thesis on the form for financial aid provided by the state using a ballpoint pen.” Just saying….

In reactive fashion, I have become very fond of truly short words that convey incredibly complex meanings. Jugaad is one of them. Fully aware that I might engage in inappropriate cultural (mis)interpretation, the word implies making do with very little, salvaging what can be salvaged, miraculously coming out ahead. Or, as the Harvard Business Review defines it: “the gutsy art of overcoming harsh constraints by improvising an effective solution using limited resources.”

The word came to mind when visiting the Museum of the Oregon Territories (MOOT) in Oregon City last Saturday, to meet with executive director Jenna Barganski and Tammy Jo Wilson, president and co-founder together with Owen Premore, director, of Art in Oregon.

Gutsy?✓ Harsh constraints?✓ Limited resources?✓ Improvising? ✓ Effective solution? YOU BET.

Art organizations, particular those only arriving recently on the scene, are struggling. Small museums are fighting for survival. Historical societies are not exactly showered with financial support. The need to improvise is paramount and dependent on the creativity of approaches, skill in networking and envisioning of possible resources – all clearly evident in the two young women who are embarking on a shared fundraiser for their organizations, an art auction and exhibition, Art Makes History.

This coming Friday, January 17th, there will be a preview party of art work donated by numerous and diverse local artists, exhibited in the Tumwater Ballroom, the museum’s event space overlooking the Willamette Falls, displayed and lit on a hanging system also provided by a generous donor. Art Makes History will then be open for silent auction bidding (online here) and the winners will be revealed at the closing event, an auction dinner party on February 29th (reservations here.)

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The Museum of the Oregon Territories is one of those cultural institutions that run under the radar, even though it can be reached in less than half an hour’s drive from Portland. Part of the Clackamas County Historical Society, established in 1952, its collection has steadily grown, and is now housing some 30.000 artifacts, including more than 10.000 digitized photographs, a treasure cove. Its mission includes but is not just restricted to preserving and interpreting the County’s history, including the native peoples’ communities, life in the territories with the advent of the pioneers, or industry’s role in the development of the dam and power generation, a family history archive.

With the leadership of executive director Jenna Barganski, who received her B.A. in Art History from Northern Arizona University and M.A. in History/Public History from Portland State University (and also curates he occasional art exhibit) MOOT will open its newest exhibit: Lines on the Land: Mapping Clackamas County at the end of January. Also on offer is a monthly lecture series, the Murdock Talks, that range from local historical topics to cowboy poetry to a history of Oregon’s women murderers, to cite just a few. A new book club aimed at people interested in history meets monthly at the other cultural site of the CCHS, the Stevens-Crawford Heritage House. And now there will be art on view, reflecting a broad cross- section of artists in the community.

It will have to compete with the extraordinary view from the museum’s windows…..

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Just as historical societies are rooted in community, Art in Oregon (AiO) is focused on building bridges between artists and communities. The non-profit wants to link artists, businesses, educational spaces and community spaces to promote art patronage and, importantly, access to art for people who do not necessarily visit museums and established art galleries on a regular basis.

I met Tammy Jo Wilson this summer as one of the participating artists in the Exquisite Gorge project (I wrote about her here) and was impressed by her vision. A gifted artist herself, I think she and her co-founder, sculptor Owen Premore, have put their fingers on the pulse of the current art scene and found it to be, shall we say, erratic. It beats too rapidly when in the presence of the big and shiny, the arrived or the cool, however you want to put it, parts of the established elite. It slows down to a faint murmur, when it comes to local artistic expression, which marches to different standards, perhaps in skill, perhaps in focus of expression, but still pumps the necessary blood to the heart that is community.

AiO wants to change that and offers an on-line database of Oregon artists with their Art Shine Project. Artists can apply on-line to be added to the roster; they can also respond to calls for curated exhibitions. Public venues can easily peruse the offerings and pick what’s appropriate for their needs.

“The Art Shine Project is a grassroots venture which builds relationships between Clackamas County artists and local establishments (i.e. businesses libraries, schools, museums, etc.) and facilitate placement of artwork by regional artists in highly visible, public spaces through a micro-grant program. This project increases investment in local artists and expansion of cultural assets throughout the county.”

Jugaad. Instead of brick and mortar galleries, of art dealers and agents of exclusivity, you have an effective solution based on local talent and local interest matched at an electronic site that makes art (and artists) visible, with little cost involved.

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The artists who donated work for the Art Makes History auction and exhibition are a representative sample of what you can find in the data base, from emerging artists to those who’ve already made their mark in the art world.

There are some lovely pieces hanging on the walls of the museum, some traditional, some funky, some abstract, multi-media creations, photographs, collages. Bidding prices start at comparatively low levels, given the sums some of these pieces fetch at galleries around town.

There was fabric art by Amanda Triplett, a piece that should be snatched up in a second, reminding me of Oregon Coast tide pools with their otherworldly creatures, all from recycled materials to not add more burdens to the environment. A watercolor by Bethany Hayes caught my eye for its unsentimental elegance, and a mix of pastel, graphite, charcoal, acrylic paint, colored pencil, silkscreen and conte’ crayon on paper in three works by Kathryn Cellerini Moore was exquisite. And I, full disclosure, splurged on a whimsical oil-on-panel piece with the buy now option which allows you instant gratification. Hey, there have to be perks if you trudge out on a weekend morning to gather materials for a review. Early bird and so on…

Here is the full list of artists on display: Ronald Bunch, Douglas Burns, Kathryn Cellerini Moore, Tamara English, Dotty Hawthorne, Bethany Hays, Sue Jensen, Kendra Larson, Katherine McDowell, Veronica Reeves, Amanda Triplett, Elo Wobig, Natalie Wood, Beth Yazhari – you see what I meant by variety!

Many of us bemoan the reduction in arts funding, the decreasing role art is afforded in educational settings with tight resources, the lack of inexpensive real estate that would provide gallery space for emerging artists. Here is an opportunity to act on those concerns and support one old and one new organization that try to remedy these failings. Make it a night (or two) out in Oregon City, check out the art, or bid from the comfort of your computer desk chair, just get engaged with your art community – otherwise it might soon be history.

ART MAKES HISTORY

Art Exhibition & Silent Auction

January 17, 2020 6:30 – 8:30 pm Preview Party

February 29, 2020 6:00 – 10:00 pm Dinner Auction

Museum of the Oregon Territory

Tumwater Ballroom – 211 Tumwater Drive, Oregon City, Oregon