Gabe Stark
Reporter

What began in the gardens of her grandmother’s home in Trenton has blossomed into a five-decade legacy of creativity, education and healing for one of central Oregon’s most respected artists.

Trenton native Marlene Moore Alexander, now a longtime resident of Bend, Oregon, was recently recognized in Bend Magazine for her 50 years as an artist, teacher and advocate for arts in healthcare. The feature highlights a career that has influenced thousands of students while transforming public spaces, hospitals and the local arts community.

Alexander, who graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1968 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking, moved to Bend in 1971. Five years later, she founded Creative Arts, an art school that continues to teach children and adults today.

Despite building an acclaimed career nearly 1,700 miles from her hometown, Alexander credits her Missouri roots with shaping the artist she became.

“My grandmother taught me how to see,” Alexander said in the magazine feature. “She was always pointing out colors and textures.”

Those early lessons developed into what she describes as a photographic memory, allowing her to notice details in nature that inspire her work. Drawing from the landscapes of central Oregon, Alexander creates paintings using oil, acrylic, watercolor, charcoal, alcohol ink, gold leaf and collage. Her artwork has been exhibited in galleries across the country and earned numerous regional and national honors.

While her paintings have received widespread recognition, Alexander’s greatest impact may be found in the generations of students she has mentored.

For 50 years, she has encouraged children to embrace creativity and individuality, often reminding them to “jump out of the box and be you.”

Former students include community leaders, healthcare professionals and artists who continue to credit Alexander with helping shape their confidence and careers.

Many families have returned generation after generation, with parents who once took Alexander’s classes later enrolling their own children.

Her commitment to nurturing creativity never wavered, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alexander modified her studio with plexiglass barriers and air purification systems so students could continue creating art safely.

Alexander’s influence extends well beyond the classroom.

Believing that “art is healing for the soul,” she became a pioneer in bringing art into healthcare settings. She helped establish Arts in the Hospital at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend in 1990, coordinating the program for 12 years while introducing visual art, music, writing and other creative experiences for patients, visitors and staff.

Her work included developing mobile art carts for patient rooms, organizing rotating art galleries and helping individuals facing life-changing injuries rediscover creative expression.

Hospital staff interviewed for the magazine credited Alexander with transforming the atmosphere of St. Charles through art, calling her contributions instrumental in changing how healing spaces were experienced by patients and families.

Today, Alexander remains active as both an artist and teacher. Surrounded by photographs of hundreds of former students in her Bend studio, she continues to inspire new generations while staying connected with many she taught decades ago.

Reflecting on a career spanning half a century, Alexander said her passion has never faded.

“I still love what I do as much as when I started,” she said.

For friends and former classmates in Trenton, Alexander’s story is a reminder that the curiosity first nurtured in a Missouri garden has grown into a lifetime devoted to helping others discover the beauty of seeing the world through creative eyes.