Five Oaks Museum

Five Oaks Museum is well worth your time. The exhibitions are developed with care, intellect, and empathy, with a a lot of thought to who they are partnering with. I always keep an eye out for what is next. This image is "Butterfly Maker" by Greg A. Robinson (Chinook) part of This IS Kalapuyan Land guest curated by artist Steph Littlebird Fogel.

I recently completed a project with 5 Oaks as an artist and facilitator. They were genuinely welcoming and flexible and creative to work with throughout every phase. It feels deeply connected to their values as a living institution, not just an approach for COVID times. I am excited to see and experience how they keep evolving and living into their mission.

Five Oaks Museum is a cultural museum dedicated to bringing forth the many narratives and perspectives that collectively make up the Pacific Northwest. They are a true gem in the heart of our fair region and I am so excited to watch the museum grow, evolve and continue to provide a platform for previously unheard voices.

This museum has changed from a dark and quiet museum of pioneer artifacts to a vibrant and engaging space for critical dialogue around the past 200 years of Oregon's history. Exhibitions now pair past artifacts with contemporary artists and curators. Engagement is key and (prior to Covid) events held there crackled with energy. The 180º turn this museum has taken is honestly quite astonishing. No small feat. Definitely worth checking out.

About thirty years ago I visited the museum to glean resources about my ancestors, John Philip and Julia Olsen who owned a farm in Orenco from about 1894 to 1920s and other family in Sherwood. Their seven children were born and raised on the farm. This past year, 2019, I finally returned to the museum with my old list, four pages long, to finally make copies of the printed materials. They are now held in one large notebook, 170 pages of precious material. The research staff were very prepared when we arrived and provided great assistance. I left with them information about my ancestors from those areas. Later I returned to the museum with the Oregon chapter members of the Association of Genealogists for an amazing tour of the facility. As a professional genealogist I have researched families in every state and many countries. In research for others I have enjoyed getting to know families of many races and religious beliefs. Being close to the land of my ancestors is always the most significant research that I do.