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e a s t c o u n t y l e a d e r
july 2013
5
SPOTLIGHT
in the doings of downtown Gresham as a
business owner.
She became an active participant in
the former Downtown Boosters Associa-
tion, joined the chamber of commerce and
continually sought ways to engage fellow
merchants in efforts to promote the his-
toric business area.
“I believe there’s a lot of power when
people work together,” Han said. “If you
give back to the community, it will come
back to you tenfold. They will support you
because we support the kids, the schools
and the community.”
Sunny Han’s Wok and Grill rapidly
became ground zero for merchant associ-
ation meetings and a launching pad for
planning community events.
It’s also where the Art Walk idea was
conceived.
Eighteen years ago, Sunny took his
wife to China to visit family. Han became
enamored with the work of local artists
and bought some pieces for the restau-
rant. Shortly after the work went on dis-
play at Sunny Han’s, a woman from the
Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland came
into the restaurant for lunch and compli-
mented Han on the artwork.
An alliance was born. Each year since
then, the Hans have purchased the works
of Chinese artisans from Suzhou, China,
which is not only Sunny’s birthplace, but
also Portland’s sister city. The artwork is
sold at the Chinese Garden, with part of
the proceeds supporting educational pro-
grams offered at the garden.
G r e s h a m ’ s b u i l d i n g b o o m
When commercial development be-
gan to explode in Gresham in the late
1990s, Han decided to combine her two
great passions — art and the downtown
core area.
“I started the Art Walk to raise our
flag because I didn’t want us to get lost
in the big boxes,” she explained. “So many
artists live in Corbett and Troutdale, but
there were no art galleries out here. So
I thought, let’s try an outdoor gallery for
one day.”
In July 2001, Han and her merry band
of volunteers staged the first Art Walk.
Artists set up booths along Main Avenue,
peddling everything from hand-thrown
pottery and paintings to woodworking
and fiber arts.
But something was missing.
“We needed music,” Han recalled,
laughing. “I saw a cellist playing in one
of the restaurants, so I ran in and asked
him to play in the street. His wife had a
screaming fit — ‘My husband cannot put
that $10,000 cello on the sidewalk!’ So I
found some carpet squares he could put
the cello on, and he played on the side-
walk.”
Then came the terrorist attacks on
Sept. 11, 2001. Community events, Han
said, became an important catalyst as a
way for folks to escape uncertainties and
fear.
“After (Sept. 11), people stayed home
for six months and watched the towers
fall time after time after time,” Han said.
“I felt then, and still see, the Art Walk as a
reason to dance in the street. Everybody
gets to be a kid again, and it brings the
community together.”
For the past year, Han has been
“mentoring” Michele Brouse Peoples, as
the latter prepares to take the reins of
the Gresham Art Walk. Brouse Peoples
is a former recreation coordinator for the
Gresham parks department and founder
of the Gresham Little Theater. She has a
passion for the performing arts, Han said,
and a creative way of making things hap-
pen through collaborative partnerships.
“Michele has a lot of energy,” Han
said. “I’m passing the baton to her because
I know she will take the Art Walk to an-
other whole level. We need new energy
and ideas to keep it fresh.”
Han is hardly walking away from her
civic involvement. She will remain on the
Art Walk board and plans to continue
serving on the board of directors for the
Gresham History Museum.
But for now, it’s time to regain some
balance in life.
“I will always be involved in the Gresh-
am Art Walk,” Han said. “But I’m looking
forward to just coming downtown, doing
the grunt work, talking to the artists and
buying something. The mojo is good in
Gresham. It’s become fun to be here.”
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continued from 4
I still see the Art Walk as a reason to
dance in the street. Everybody gets to be a kid
again and it brings the community together.
Judy Han
Art Walk coordinator and Gresham business owner
Af ter opening Sunny Han’s Wok and Gri l l i n June 1994
wi th her husband, Han worked wi th other merchants
to he lp the downtown di stri ct reta i n i ts i dent i ty as
Gresham experienced a bui lding boom in the late 1990s .