The Oregon Coast Council for the Arts announces the opening of “Nature, Paper, Fiber, Found” — featuring the art of Cheri Aldrich — on Friday, May 30. The exhibit will be on display in the Upstairs Gallery at the Newport Visual Arts Center (VAC) through July 27.

Aldrich purposefully gathers materials such as sticks, stones, fiber, driftwood, seaweed, kelp, botanicals, and found objects — ingeniously upcycling them into delightfully unique finished art pieces. Strongly influenced by nature, her work encompasses a diverse range of mediums, including jewelry, basketry, clay, gourds, sea kelp, paper and book arts, eco-printing, assemblage, and mixed media. Self-taught and interdisciplinary, Aldrich is currently in her 50th year as a full-time artist.