Open house reveals more than a new shop A small home décor and art shop in The Packing House is doing what it can to support local artists and raise money for charities. Although sales have not been what owner Oliver Channing had hoped for thus far, he is dedicated to making his shop, Abodes and Beyond, a place where artists can make a name for themselves and their causes. The shop has been open since mid-June but finally had its official ribbon cutting ceremony over the weekend. The usual brigade of city officials came out for the ceremony as well as an unusual group not often seen in Claremont. Several Buddhist monks from Thailand made their way to the store to support a friend and former monk who is a featured artist at Abodes and Beyond. Phinit Cheamak, now a Chino resident and student at Chaffey College, was asked by the shop to bring some life to the ribbon cutting by painting a watercolor during the ceremony. With several pieces already on display in the shop, Mr. Cheamak has promised 20 percent of all proceeds from the sale of his artwork to go towards Amnesty International. His donations will support the cause of suppressed monks in Thailand’s isolated neighboring country, Myanmar.
“It is very sad what is happening there,” Mr. Cheamak said. “The people are asking for democracy and should get it. I have friends who were there and told me what it is like. The country needs more freedom and better leaders.” Mr. Cheamak grew up on a rice farm in a rural province in northern Thailand. After working the fields for much of his adolescence, he decided to turn his life over to the temple. His time as a monk brought him to the Inland Empire to serve at the Buddhist Temple of America in Ontario. After serving his missionary term, Mr. Cheamak decided to disrobe and study to become a nurse. He began painting in 2000 using only his memory of landscapes that have been permanently etched into his memory. Aside from Abodes and Beyond, his work is currently displayed at Gallery SoHo in Pomona, at Border’s Books in Chino and a children’s shelter in Riverside. “It looks like the work of a child,” he said with a laugh. Others disagree, finding his work both vibrant and calming. “I love the simplicity of his work,” Mr. Channing said. “It’s so lively and bright and it’s almost as if the simplicity represents his happiness.” The store has Mr. Cheamak’s pieces on display next to other local artists and artwork imported from students in China. Most of the shop’s goods - cabinets, chairs, bookshelves and couches - are also imported from overseas. “It’s a great venue for emerging artists,” Mr. Channing said. “They can get their artwork sold, it’s for a good cause and most importantly, the artists get themselves out there.” Samples of Mr. Cheamak’s work and his story can be seen by visiting the website, www.peacethroughart.net.
— Tony Krickl
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December 19, 2007
December 19, 2007