It’s a good feeling to see your work exhibited for everyone to enjoy in an important historic building restored for its community. Profile Laser was proud to work closely with local artist Jeremy Furnish, to produce metal elements for artwork he designed and installed as part of the refurbished Clatskanie Cultural Center in Clatskanie, Oregon. Furnish contracted with Profile Laser to laser-cut pieces for fixtures from 80 and 16-ounce copper and 14 and 10-gauge steel. The art deco lights and sconces installed in the Birkenfeld Theatre at the Center are historically accurate and reflect the community’s culture. See more of Jeremy Furnish’s artwork on his website: www.furnishcreative.com.
About the Clatskanie Cultural Center and Birkenfeld Theatre Restoration
About the Clatskanie Cultural Center and Birkenfeld Theatre RestorationThe original building, now known as the Clatskanie Cultural Center, was built in 1926 and once served as a hub of entertainment and community life in the small town of Clatskanie. However, as the membership of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.), who occupied the building, dwindled, and the theatre could not compete with larger cinemas in nearby cities, the building fell into disrepair. By the turn of the 21st century, it had become a warehouse for an absentee owner’s hoard of junk. The only remaining interior element was the once-beautiful maple ballroom floor.
However, in 2005, a bequest of $500,000 from C. Keith Birkenfeld, a descendant of local pioneers, to the Clatskanie Foundation provided the impetus for the building’s restoration. Foundation board member Deborah Hazen suggested that the potential of transforming the old I.O.O.F. building into a multi-purpose theater, ballroom, and new home for the City of Clatskanie would fit well with Birkenfeld’s intent and his interest in history, culture, and civic affairs.
The building was restored with a multi-purpose, 170-seat Birkenfeld Theatre, a business location, a 2,600-square-foot suite of offices and council chambers/courtroom for the City of Clatskanie, and a 2,400-square-foot ballroom. The city donated and paid for the demolition of its old building and the construction of a parking lot, the installation of water and sewer lines, and provided those utilities to the non-profit portions of the building. The lodge/dance hall, with its beautifully-resurrected maple floor, would become available for not only dances but also receptions, banquets, auctions, etc.
Today, the Clatskanie Cultural Center serves as a vibrant hub of arts and culture in the community. The Clatskanie Arts Commission, which has presented annual performing arts series at affordable prices for over a quarter of a century, finally has a home of its own. The building is also used for community theater, movie showings, recitals, weddings, and events of all kinds. The restoration of the Clatskanie Cultural Center stands as a testament to the power of community and the importance of preserving history and culture for future generations.
