Salem Art Association

Located in historic bush's pasture park, the bush barn art center features three galleries, a gift gallery, and a permanent collection. The a.n. Bush gallery presents major interpretive exhibitions of regional, national, and international artists. The focus gallery offers a more intimate setting showcasing small one-person exhibitions as well as exhibitions highlighting community partnerships with other cultural organizations. The camas gallery provides regional artists seeking gallery representation and professional development support with the venue and services they need to thrive professionally. Our exhibitions feature fine art and crafts by artists living or working in the pacific northwest and beyond. The bush barn art center provides enriching artistic experiences for viewers of all ages, fostering a life-long appreciation for visual art. Exhibitions are always free and open to the public.

The salem art association's community arts education program aims to support a broad range of dynamic local arts projects. Most notably, cae engages thousands of students, administrators, teachers and parents each year through our artists in the schools initiative and the high school mentorship program. With the 2016 renovations of the annex and at the bush barn art center cae programming has expanded. The newly renovated bush barn annex now serves as the headquarters for saa's cae program and features a dedicated studio space for a year-round artist-in-residence program, and a main space for art workshops, exhibitions, classes and other programming.

The historic bush house museum is preserved and interpreted to explore the lives and legacy of salem's bush family, the early development of salem, and the history and diversity of early oregon. The rooms are furnished with a significant number of the bush family's original furnishings to show what the house looked like around 1913. The house was modern when it was built, with gas lighting, indoor plumbing, and a central heating system; as the home of a wealthy family, it doesn't reflect the lifestyle of most oregonians living in that era. Salem art association has started the process of re-examining the life and contributions of asahel bush whose racist rhetoric and support of exclusionary government structures still impacts native americans and communities of color today and finding ways to de-emphasize his individual story while creating space for the stories of salem's diverse early communities.