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Art Galleries

Cannon Beach [1] has long attracted artists and artisans, and here art lovers and purchasers will find nearly two dozen galleries and shops with high quality works. Most of the Cannon Beach galleries and boutiques are concentrated along Hemlock Street, where you can hardly swing a Winsor & Newton No. 12 hogbristle brush without hitting one.

Not surprisingly, the seashore itself is the subject and inspiration of many works you’ll see here, with Haystack Rock [2] frequently depicted in various media. Cannon Beach Information Center has a guide to all the galleries in town, or you can just stroll and discover them for yourself.

At the north end of town, Northwest by Northwest Gallery (232 N. Spruce St., 503/436-0741) showcase works by photographer Christopher Burkett, Native American ceramicist and bronze artist Lillian Pitt, and leading glass artists such as Duane Dahl.

White Bird Gallery (251 N. Hemlock St., 503/436-2681), founded in 1971 and one of Cannon Beach’s oldest galleries, casts a wide net with paintings, sculpture, prints, photography, glass, ceramics, and jewelry.

Nearby, the Bronze Coast Gallery (224 N. Hemlock St., 503/436-1055) shows both traditional Western bronzes and innovative bronze works and paintings that may appeal to those who aren’t crazy about traditional Western art.

In midtown, Icefire Glassworks (116 Gower St., 503/436-2359) is a working glass studio where you can watch glassblowers and artists shape their work and then shop for unique pieces in the gallery.

DragonFire Gallery (123 S. Hemlock St., 503/436-1533) shows the work of a wide variety of artists; on Saturday afternoons throughout the summer, everyone is invited to come and meet gallery artists.

Specialty Shops

Much of the attraction in Cannon Beach [1] is window shopping up and down Hemlock Street, which, in addition to galleries, is lined with clothing stores, gift shops, and other boutiques. Cannon Beach supports a fine kite store: Once Upon a Breeze (240 N. Spruce St., 503/436-1112) and one of the better bookstores on the coast, the Cannon Beach Book Company (130 N. Hemlock St., 503/436-1301), the place to pick up regional titles or a good novel (lots of mysteries) for that rainy weekend.