Joe Knowles, an artist and nationally famous eccentric, lived in this small Long Beach cottage.

OYSTERVILLE — The Long Beach Peninsula has long been a place of both inspiration and sanctuary for artists of all creative genres. On Thursday, Jan. 2, the History Forum will discuss some of the many visual artists, writers, musicians, and theatrical personalities who have lived and worked here over the years.

Aaron Webster, well-known interpretive ranger at Cape Disappointment State Park, will open the forum with a presentation about Joseph Edward Knowles, Sr. (1869-1942), who was one of the Peninsula’s most eminent artists and prominent eccentrics of the first half of the 20th century.

Other creative personalities who may be discussed, as time permits, include photographer Charles Fitzpatrick, composer Helen Davis, writers Elizabeth Lambert Woods and Walker Tompkins, and dramatist and Oregon Shakespeare Festival founder Angus Bowmer.

History forum organizers Cathy Cruikshank and Debby Halliburton encourage history buffs to bring their stories to share about artists who contributed to the rich fabric of life on the Peninsula. The forum, which is free and open to the public, meets at the Oysterville Schoolhouse from 10 a.m. to noon. Note that due to the Jan. 1 holiday, this first forum of 2025 will be held on Thursday, Jan. 2, rather than on the usual first Wednesday of the month.