Recovery Café in Port Townsend holds ceremony to display new piece of Craig Rogers artwork

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A group of eight arrived to the Dove House Recovery Café last Wednesday to celebrate an art piece, recently given to the nonprofit by an anonymous donor.

The painting, titled “The Artist’s Studio,” was created by local artist Craig Rogers. As an outsider artist — a self-taught creator with little influence from mainstream art and a unique personal vision — Rogers’ style of art beckons to past memories and experiences, infused with imaginative elements and bold creativity.

Observing Rogers’ unique outsider artist perspective, and appreciating his recent exhibit at Northwind Art’s Grover Gallery in January, an anonymous individual decided to donate a Rogers painting from their collection to be displayed at the café.

“We’re here to honor Craig’s gifts and talents today,” said Brian Richardson, program manager for the Dove House Recovery Café.

“For me, it feels in line with the Recovery Café. We’ll be able to enjoy this painting for a long time to come,” he said.

As an organization focused on providing community to folks recovering from a wide range of challenges and ailments, the Dove House Recovery Café has a building on Kearney Street where folks meet, and the painting was brought there.

The location was renovated in late 2020, with emphasis on forming a cozy meeting space that allows for a great amount of natural light.

The new art piece will add to the welcoming vibe of the café, and is one of the first things folks will see when entering.

“We have this spot,” Richardson said, pointing to the painting’s location. “When you walk in the front door you can see it right away. It’s bright and cheerful and also intimate; that speaks to the love and belonging here, you can’t miss it,” he added.

The art piece emanates vibrant colors full of energy and brightness, and provides a sense of healing and recovery, said Kathleen Garrett, exhibits director for Northwind Art and an attendee of the celebration.

“Craig merges different places, styles, and everything. He is a visionary, very unique,” said Robert Komishane, a local art patron.

When discussing the inspiration behind “The Artist’s Studio,” Rogers recalled living with relatives in a Port Ludlow home, where the painting is loosely based.

“There’s snippets of reality there, around where I used to live. It’s a really cool place; I was there about 25 years,” Rogers said. “It’s a really healing place that I was a part of.”

After praising the art donor and Rogers for his unique style, Richardson hung the painting with a round of applause following.

To learn more about the Dove House Recovery Café, visit www.recoverycafejc.org.

To view some of Rogers’ artwork, go to his Instagram page at www.instagram.com/craig.w.rogers/?hl=en.