(Above: Snow in the Village, a painting by Xue-Sheng Her, at the White Lotus Gallery, appropriately ushers in the first First Friday ArtWalk of the year in downtown Eugene)
Kick off the new year with Lane Arts Council’s First Friday ArtWalk of the year on Jan. 4, featuring a mix of work by local and nationally renowned artists. The guided tour is led by Kelly Johnson, executive director of the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene (ABAE). Join the tour to hear directly from the artists being featured, or explore the venues throughout First Friday on your own. Johnson is currently on the board of directors for the Oregon Mozart Players, and has a Bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Colorado at Denver, plus a Master’s in Arts Administration from the University of Oregon.
The ArtWalk runs from 5:30-8 p.m., and it’s always free. More information can be found at lanearts.org.
Official guided tour
The formal tour — feel free to design your own — begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Maurie Jacobs Community Room inside the Hult Center (One Eugene Center at Seventh and Willamette streets), and features the interdisciplinary artist Jojo Abot. Her expression is through music, film/photography, literature and performance art, where her work will be on display through January.
At 6:00 p.m. the tour makes its way to the Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St.), where a solo show of new oil paintings by Lane Community College faculty member Adam Grosowsky is on display. He is best known for his paintings featuring bold compositions and dark backgrounds.This show brings together his large portraits, a dramatic bullfighting series, circus themes and imagined landscapes.
Jacqueline Victoria Davis makes her debut show in the Eugene art scene at InEugene Real Estate (100 E. Broadway) at 6:30 p.m., sparked by the death sof David Bowie and Prince. A turning point in her artistic process happened in a class at Oregon Art Supply, “Creative Paper Clay,” taught by Rogene Mañas, which added 3D effect to her mixed-media work in acrylic, glass, and glitter on wood canvas. Jacqueline, originally a make-up artist, moved with her husband to Eugene from Illinois in 2014 to further her healing after facing Stage 4 breast cancer. She continues to use art as one of many ways to heal. Visit jvdartistry.com to learn more.
Artists Sarah Sedwick, Jenny Gray, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Zoe Cohen, and Rebecca Mannheimer come together for “A Study of Values,” at Oregon Art Supply (1020 Pearl St.) during the tour at 7:00 p.m. It’s a show of small works that shows the artistic value of an 8×8-inch format.
Epic Seconds (30 E. 11th Ave) is the last stop on the tour at 7:30 p.m. Benjamin Terrell’s paintings in “Man Above Water” are timed for the new year and new beginnings, featuring oils and watercolors of both large and small scale, exploring loss and renewal that are both intimate and infinite; the show is up through February. (Below: one of Terrell’s original works in the show)
More arts and culture
As always, many other galleries and shops will stay open during the First Friday ArtWalk, including:
· Cowfish (62 W. Broadway) — Paintings by Troy Jacobson, on display through January 14.
· Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway) — “10 years ofNorthwest Memories,” dozens of pieces by David CP Placencia celebrating a decade’s worth of his experiences in the Northwest.
· Eugene Public Library (100 W. 10th Ave.) — “We Are Neighbors,” a photo exhibit by CALC, featuring portraits of local community members who immigrated to the U.S. Music: Jazz concert by the Joe Manis Trio starts at 6 p.m.
· ECO Sleep Solutions and Gallery (25 E. 8th Ave.) — Felted wool home décor and apparel by Tylar Merrill; clay tile collages by Annie Heron; hand-painted wood pieces and hand-painted silk apparel and other items by Lybi Thomas; wood and stone carvings and wood sculptures by Cedar Caredio; and Luminessence light sculptures by Stephen White.
· Euphoria Chocolate Company (946 Willamette St.) — “Chaos Catchers,” artwork by David CP Placencia and his apprentices. These paintings begin as tarps from class instruction with apprentices ages 6 to 17 years. They clean brushes and empty cups and palettes onto raw canvas to prevent paint going down the drain and entering our streams and rivers. David then stretches them and applies thin coats of paint to interact with chaos.
· Goldworks Jewelry Art Studio (169 E. Broadway) — Original jewelry by Goldworks staff.
· The Lincoln Gallery (309 W. 4th Ave.) — “Let’s Talk About Love,” a group show resulting from an open call to visual artists, poets, and lyricists.
· LovaKava Kava Bar & Restaurant (120 W. Broadway) — Original art and a glass of kava.
· The New Zone Gallery (220 W. 8th Ave) — “Christe Brunson: New Work – AS IS,” mixed media work that has been taken right off the easel, will be up in the main gallery. “The Seven Deadly Sins [& the Seven Heavenly Virtues],” work by New Zone artists, will be on display in the Klausmeier Room. Artwork from this show will be part of an exhibit on February 22 at the John G. Shedd Institute, in collaboration with Siri Vik and the company’s performances of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s “The Seven Deadly Sins of the Petty Bourgeoisie” (original 1933 version). Music: by Just Duet, featuring Tom and Sue Hunnel on guitar and fiddle.
· OUT ON A LIMB Gallery (191 E. Broadway) — “Art For Art’s Sake,” a benefit show featuring donated work by artists that have displayed at the gallery over the past 7 years. This fundraiser will help with expenses through the end of the gallery’s lease (June 2019). In addition, the WhitPrint wall exhibits photography by Heather Jacks.
· Raven Frame Works (325 W. 4th Ave.) — Work by Anne Korn, primarily focusing on flora and fauna, in the ACEO format. ACEO stands for Art Card Editions and Originals and is 2-1/2″ by 3-1/2″.
· Starlight Lounge (830 Olive St.) — Original art.
· Townshend’s Teahouse (41 W. Broadway) — Individual and collaborative works by Peter Licavoli and Isabella Licea.
· White Lotus Gallery (767 Willamette St.) — “Selected Works for the Holiday Season,” featuring art by Japanese, Chinese, and Northwest artists. The art includes mezzotint, woodblock and reduction linocut prints, etching, and oil and watercolor paintings.
Additional Free Events
· Product Design Arts Apprenticeship Showcase (942 Olive St.) — Creations by a collaboration of middle- and high-school students from Lane County and professional product designers of new and innovative products including household furniture, chess pieces, fashionable jackets, and a mental health booth.
· No Shame Eugene (99 W. 10th Ave) — The doors open at 7:30 p.m. with live music. The show begins at 8 p.m. with 15 original, 5-minute acts including monologues, sketch comedy, and the experimental. Each show consists of the first 15 acts to register with the host when doors open. Come as a performer, but there’s no shame in just watching.
January ArtWalk Sponsor: Hult Presents, sponsor of the Jojo Abot residency during January
January ArtWalk Media Sponsor: KLCC public radio 89.7-FM, NPR for Oregonians
