Densho Digital Archive - Rose Niguma Interview (denshovh-nrose

<Begin Segment 14>

MR: Can you talk about your studio; why you chose it, where it was?

RN: I was in a, first studio I didn't like. It's way out near First Avenue. The people were nice. They were happy to have me there. I didn't like it, so I moved closer to Second Street near Washington or it was Stark. I was happy there. But when you have a studio downtown, there's thieves. They, you keep your room locked. Sometimes, you forget and you leave it unlocked. Sure enough, somebody will come in and steal your purse or something, whatever, and it happened to me a few times. And there's doors between the rooms, they can go in and out. And I decided, they poked the holes in my oil canvas, and I just thought, well, I want to get out of here because I don't like it because it was just a matter, they come every two years. They go around each building, these professional thieves, so I decided, well, I'm going to move. So I went up to Tenth Street. Mr. Burnelli was kind of leery because he had artists and they're kind of sloppy. You know, you work in paint and it's sloppy. I said, "I'm neat," I told him. I'm very careful, and so I got this nice room. It faced north, but the building doesn't have a cross-ventilation, so I worked in acrylic. And there was a little room there, so I put my painting in there. I could work in the main room. The height was ten feet high, so it was nice, and I put the things up on the top and I hang them. So I worked in there very quietly. But stupid me, I left the door open. I didn't think about it, and a young man came in. He opened the door. He didn't knock. I said, "What do you want?" He said, "I want you to paint a portrait of my wife." So I said, "I don't paint portraits, but I could recommend somebody to you." So I mentioned another artist who did. He wasn't really interested. He was coming to see what he could find. So after that, I locked my door. You forget; happened twice, but I have to be very careful. I finally put Brinks in. And even if I didn't put Brinks in, somebody stole five of my paintings. I reported it to the police. They didn't do anything because the police don't know anything about art. I told him he doesn't know anything about art. They don't know how expensive it is or nothing. And I thought Chief Moose was chief at that time, so I thought maybe I'll go up to him and report it. But I didn't because he didn't take so much time involved, in and out of my studio, and I can't do my work, and I'll be constantly thinking about it. So I thought, well, I'm not going to be bothered. I'll just keep on going, so I kept on going. But I have the receipt from the police. I go back and tell them. They never found it I don't think.

MR: What were the years that you had this studio at Tenth and Morrison?

RN: I think it was in about 1980.

MR: Until when?

RN: Because as soon as I graduated, I went to the first one that was in Salem Building. I stayed there less than a year. Then I went to one on Stark Street which was called Governor Building until I started having all these things. But I have the Laverne Cross. She did that print there. She was head of the print making department at University of Oregon. And I met a few nice people there, friendly, about, then the art, they don't get much feedback from them. But Laverne used to come in once in a while from her, Eugene to come up [inaudible], and I loved her work. And she knocked on my door, you know, and we go to have lunch somewhere. But when she'd knock on the door, she bang bang like a fireman. I thought, oh, I'm having a fire, so I opened the door. There she is. She says, "Here I am," and she cheered me up. I mean I'm very serious and working, and I'm not very open. I'm private. But there she is. She loosened me up and made me very cheerful for me, so I enjoyed her every time she came in. But she passed away from cancer about maybe nine years ago. It wasn't easy for her. And her friend was Dr. Newton of that museum. He passed away I think recently. They were very nice people. So when I have an exhibit or something, they offer their help, and I'm glad they do. Well, I'm not worried about the Nisei artists anymore because they have become well known and not have to worry about them like I did with Mizuno and Furuya. Furuya and Mizuno, they're names are alike, so there is no reason for me to worry about them. So I have my brother, he's my top priority, so I looked after him and did my artwork.

MR: While you were painting in the studio, did you have a job as well?

RN: No. I have my brother, and he got enough money, so I paid his rent for the nursing home. He'd get two-thirds and one-third I get that I used for my own living expenses in art, things like that, and that's how I was able to afford a studio. And I'm very frugal with my money. I look for sales. And I'd go into Nordstrom. Once in a while, I'll buy something. But mostly I go in there to look around because I'm at Tenth and Morrison, and I'm working away all by myself, you know, really concentrate. I did that to loosen up, then I'll go into Nordstrom because it's on my way home. I go check around see if they have a bargain. A very good one, I'll snap it up. Then I'll go on down, and I'll go into Meier and Frank sometime and look around, and I do find good bargains there. And that's to get away from the studio. I'm there all alone. I don't invite people over because they interfere like one woman did come. She wanted to be my agent. She stayed two hours when I got all the work to do. She wanted to be my agent. She tried to impress me how much she knew about art which wasn't much. I didn't know how to tell her to leave, you know. And she left after couple of hours. I was so tired that I couldn't do my work, anything, so I went home to relax, you know. So I decided I'm not going to invite unless I know them or another artist.