(Scott Cordner and Cathleen Calkins | Photo courtesy of Hood Avenue Art)
Based in Sisters, Hood Avenue Art has been a cornerstone of the local arts community for the last decade and is now entering an exciting new chapter under the stewardship of its new owners, Scott Cordner and Cathleen Calkins. Both have a shared passion for creativity and cultural engagement and are committed to honoring the gallery’s legacy while introducing new perspectives, dynamic exhibitions and expanded opportunities for artists and patrons alike. This transition marks not only a change in ownership but a renewed vision to make the gallery a vibrant hub where art, innovation and community converge.
Cordner and Calkins are married and have resided in Sisters since early 2018, when they made the move to Central Oregon from Portland. Cordner joined Hood Avenue Art as a member and began showing his large-scale landscape photography with custom, handmade framing.
Cordner has been a full-time photographer for 15 years and his award-winning work – large landscapes and conservation photography — has appeared in galleries and art fairs in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado. As Cordner’s popularity grew at Hood Avenue Art, Cordner became a partner in the gallery in 2020 and has helped shape the current vision of the space.
Calkins is a creative storyteller and editorial photographer whose work has appeared in Longreads, Zocalo Public Square, LA Times, New York Times, Canoe & Kayak, Runner’s World, Trails, Backcountry and O, The Oprah Magazine, to name a few. She will focus her efforts on marketing, social media and community outreach, as well as looking for collaborations with other creative voices to draw visitors into the gallery.
“We are thrilled to carry forward the gallery’s rich tradition while opening doors to new voices and ideas,” says Cordner.
“Our goal is to continue cultivating a space where artists feel empowered, audiences feel inspired and the community feels connected through the transformative power of art,” adds Calkins.
Hood Avenue Art features the inspiring work of more than 30 artists in numerous disciplines, including painting, ceramics, jewelry, wood turning and wood working, mixed media, printmaking, fabrics and photography. Since January, the gallery has welcomed five new central Oregon artists, including jeweler Annie Hinkes, ceramicist Blake Bialecti, mixed media artists Beale Jones and Linda Klein, and watercolorist Rebecca SentGeorge.
For more information about Hood Avenue Art, the artists it represents or general inquiries, please contact Cathleen Calkins at cathleen@cathleencalkins.com or by phone at 323-620-1773.