The last time I took an art walk it felt more like a scrum than an amble. The sidewalks were thick with eagle-eyed shoppers, the street’s main restaurant sported a long waiting list and the slap of credit cards hitting the counter offered rhythmic counterpoint to the live music of guitar and harp.

That walk took place last Friday, on the island of Kauai, where artist Barbara Richter talked about retiring to the coastal town of Port Orford.

Hey, it’s a small world.

Richter hails from Hanapepe, Hawaii, today, but 30 years ago she published a string of weekly newspapers for readers from Arcata, Calif., to points north, along Oregon’s central coast.

Back then she found and purchased six pristine acres just one sand dune back from Crystal Creek, a meandering tributary to Oregon’s artist-rich Sixes River.

“I thought that was where I’d retire,” she told me, and then grinned as she described the aches and pains that pay her a visit each time she returns to the Oregon Coast.

At home in Hanapepe, Richter works with dichroic glass. She creates jewelry and sun catchers, and markets woven handbags as well as art objects carved from the native koa wood.

Art Walk in Hanapepe happens every Friday evening, from 6 to 9 p.m. I met Richter on Friday morning, as she enjoyed a fresh breeze while lounging on a bench outside her tiny gallery, Hanapepe Design Studio LLC.

The town itself is a marvel, a collection of stores and studios strung like blossoms on a lei along Hanapepe Road. An impressive 43 sites meet the criteria for inclusion on the national and state registers of historic places; 14 are marked by plaques. Historic photos of the building in its original state adorn most of these signs — a peek at the past, and hugely appreciated by the tourists who arrive from the island’s resorts and condos. Hanapepe’s Art Walk appeals because of its ease. If the sidewalk becomes crowded, people take to the street. Any passing car is already moving at a crawl, looking for parking or looking out for chickens and dogs. Some galleries proffer wine and island cheese; others will gift visitors with cards or posters.

Our local ArtWalk is more difficult to navigate. A monthly event slated for each second Thursday, it has grown during the past four years. Originally a product of the creatively fertile (and now defunct) Silverfish Gallery, it originally was a North Bend phenomenon.

Today, ArtWalk encompasses studios, galleries, and stores from North Bend to Coos Bay to Empire. To walk North Bend’s ArtWalk means stepping off the main drag, and hoofing it up to the mall at Pony Village. Coos Bay’s participants extend from the Coos Art Museum, Blackwell & Co.’s Hair Design, and Siren’s Song, up to venues centered around the intersections of Newmark and Broadway avenues. Empire’s entry for the March ArtWalk is Java Jones Coffee House.

Becky Kaneen of North Bend’s Crystal Dolphin Gallery coordinates the advertising for ArtWalk. She stresses the attraction of gourmet foods and music, stating organizers feel it is cultural, “not just an art walk.” She says first-timers constitute 20 to 30 percent of ArtWalk’s visitors; definitely a positive for the nearly five-year-old event.

But it’s the people that make it play. Kaneen will talk about the more than 100 Oregon artists who are represented by her gallery, and she will share the bounty through distribution of ArtWalk maps and their info-rich inserts.

Back on Kauai, Barbara Richter is equally generous with information. I watched last week as she wrapped up purchases and handed out change. She was happily sharing her insider’s knowledge of the island: when the next puka shell lei workshop was scheduled, and how to go about finding Kauai’s rare, cobalt blue sea glass.

A newsie then and an artist now, Richter was my surprise find while trolling the galleries. Next month I’ll try ArtWalk here, from 5 to 8 p.m. on March 13. But here, I’ll need a car.



Teri Albert reviews art and artists for the Ballyhoo! page of The World. Comments on or story ideas for this column are welcome, and can be e-mailed to malbert@uci.net.