(Above: Detail from Wanderers, by David Diethelm. The painting is part of a first-ever show on display at Windermere Real Estate at 1600 Oak St. in Eugene.)
By Randi Bjornstad
By now, everyone is used to Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk being concentrated, with a couple of exceptions, mostly in the downtown area. But on April 1, it will be worth it for art walk visitors to trek a few blocks south to 1600 Oak St., where a group of eight artists have a show of their work on the walls at Windermere Real Estate.
It all came about because artist David Diethelm’s wife, Laura Diethelm, is a broker with Windermere, “and she said she was tired of all the white walls,” David Diethelm said. “So she asked Alec Armour, one of the co-owners, about putting up work by local artists, and he thought it was a good idea.”
Diethelm put out the word on his Facebook page and within a day heard from several fellow artists who were interested.
“It turned out to be about the right number, and the people at Windermere said the art can stay up after the art walk,” he said. “When things sell, the artists can replace them with more pieces. This is the first time they have done this, and I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.”
In addition to Diethelm, the artists in the Windermere show include Judy Casad, Ralf Huber, Rebecca LaMothe, Marlika Megan O’Connell, Asante Riverwind, Andrea Ros, Kaya Singer, and Wayne Singer, several of whom also show their work at the New Zone Gallery.
Diethelm’s portion of the Windermere show features a medium he began exploring a few months ago, which he describes as “pyrography on board.”
“I just started playing around with it — I really don’t know what prompted it,” he said. “I start with a torch on the piece of wood, and some parts of it don’t scorch and leave lighter areas that become part of the painting.”
As usual, the First Friday ArtWalk runs generally from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., unless noted differently. It’s still operating without the traditional guided tour, but the ArtWalk Guide for self-guided tours can be picked up at the Fifth Street Public Market at 296 E. Fifth Ave., near the fountain in the courtyard by Provisions.
ArtWalk attendees are encouraged to bring a mask in case individual venues request wearing them.
Crochet pieces by Cromika are on show at Allies LLC.
Allies LLC (131 E. 11th Ave.) — This month features prolific crochet art by Cromika, with original pieces priced around $10, and a demo of divination arts by Jon Conway. Allies describes its mission as a whole life approach that “empowers, encourages, and educates individuals with exceptionalities by providing high quality support with daily living skills at home and in the community.
ANTI-AESTHETIC (245 W. 8th Ave.) — Eugene Contemporary Art’s artist residency program “Public Process” is back with ECA artist-member Noelle Herceg, in residence through April 3.
Art with Alejandro (5th Street Public Market 2nd floor, 246 E. 5th Ave., Suite 224) — This art gallery and working art studio offers Paint-and-Sip classes, custom pet portraits, private events, commissioned projects, and murals, featuring spring-themed work by local artists Nate Brown and David Matchett.
ArtCity Studios on Broadway (160 E. Broadway, basement) — Eugene Printmakers will be printing a variety of “Foolish Fish,” carved on linoleum and woodblocks for April Fool’s Day from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. On April 1 in France, people make paper fish and stick them onto someone’s back when they are not looking.
The Barn Light (924 Willamette St.) — Art by Manuel Lopez that combines his love for animation with mixed media is on display.
Books with Pictures Eugene (99 W. Broadway, Suite C) — The Science and Comics Initiative pairs undergraduate Comics Studies students from the University of Oregon with scientists to create comics about the scientist’s research. Over two shows (April and May), SCIENCE & COMICS will showcase collaborative artwork from 10 of these partnerships.
Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway) — “Tell The Universe Exactly What You Want” is a collection of two years of work by multimedia artist Debra Mae Jacques and features assemblages made from pieces of vibrant, many-layered mono-prints.
ECO Sleep Solutions and Gallery (25 E. 8th Ave.) — Collage by Dori Koberstein features detailed and frequently abstract representations of the natural world such as birds, landscapes, and flowers.
Epic Seconds (30 E. 11th Ave.) — Early Colours, oil-on-paper pieces by Ben Walker, who lives in London, shows fragments of childhood that are emotionally somewhere between first learning and last remembering, offering storyboards of youth depicting memories of early places.
Karin Clarke at the Gordon (590 Pearl St., Suite 105) — New drypoint and monotypes by printmaker and founder of Whiteaker Printmakers Heather Halpern explore local landscape, including a special series called Spiritual Growth, expressing tenacity, recovery, and growth in striking black-and-white imagery.
Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St.) — The Wild in the Flow by Hart James, and Oregon Landscape: Glimpse and Wonder by Humberto Gonzalez, is a two-person exhibit focused on the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. On display through April 9.
The Lincoln Gallery (309 W. 4th Ave.) — NOT MY DAY JOB presents 2D and 3D artwork by people working in community support services. On display through April 22.
A piece by Barry Geller is part of a show of nude figures at The New Zone Gallery
The New Zone Gallery (110 E. 11th Ave. — In addition to a new eclectic mix of art created by New Zone members, three special shows are featured during the month of April:
- Between Heaven and Earth, paintings by Nancy Friedemann, whose study of Chinese calligraphy and painting combine love of color, line, and spontaneous expression.
- Weavings Gone Wild by Sheri Smith features woven baskets, wall art, mats, and wearable items.
- The Collected NUDE, curated by Steve LaRiccia, is an assemblage of nude artwork from past New Zone exhibitions from 1991-2021.
Oregon Art Supply (1020 Pearl St.) — Abstract as Essence by Sumá Z Elan starts in the unconscious and then continues based on what the artist discovers in the first brushstrokes. Open until 7:30 p.m.
Starlight Lounge (830 Olive St.) — Acrylic paintings and canvas prints by Cactus Aoki delve into the world of dark fantasy and creature illustration.
Windermere Real Estate (1600 Oak St.) — A collection of artwork by Andrea Ros, Asante Riverwind, David Diethelm, Judy Casad, Kaya Singer, Marlika Megan O’Connell, Ralf Huber, Rebecca LaMothe, and Wayne Singer. Also featuring tastings with A to Z Wineworks and Euphoria Chocolate Company, and live Cielo music.
Lindsay Swing’s Spring Emerges is part of the Windowfront Exhibitions project that places art in empty downtown storefronts.
Windowfront Exhibitions — Downtown Eugene’s empty storefronts become interactive artworks and galleries with new and evolving windowfront paintings and art installations:
- 856 Willamette St. — Meditative Layers by Kum Ja Lee, a weaving display that explores relationships between contemporary practices and conventional approaches in visual arts.
- 1004 Willamette St. — Walking the Butte/Dancing the City by Hannah Hamalian, combines video footage recorded from the top of Spencer Butte with documentation of a dance performance.
- 280 W. Broadway – Spring Emerges by Lindsay Swing, Honey + Sass, a celebrates the vernal equinox and the early signs of the world around us as it awakens fromwinter slumber.
- 833 Willamette St . — Seeing Within (Seeing Without) presents work by University of Oregon students Abby Pierce, Audrey Rycewicz, Zachary Smith, Tahoe Mack, Ellen O’Shea, and Anastasiya Gutnik examining experiences and emotions in times of the pandemic, social uprising, wildfires, and other challenging events.
Special events
Bailamos Latin Dance Network at 5th Street Market (550 Pearl St., in The Alley) — Experience Latino music and dance with Bailamos Latin Dance Network, a collective of dancers, DJs, event organizers, and instructors who are looking to create communities to promote and support LatinX dance culture. Lesson starts at 6 p.m., social dancing 6:30-8.30 p.m. Free – donations appreciated.
Design Arts Apprenticeship Showcase (Sparklab, 22 W. 7th Ave.) — Middle and High school students from around Lane County worked with professional designers to develop new and innovative products including up-cycled fashion pieces, graphic design posters, custom furniture, and a digital choose-your-own-adventure game. Meet the student designers and learn about their creative process at this interactive and engaging showcase from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Eugene Symphony’s Peter and the Wolf Scavenger Hunt (5th Street Public Market, 296 E. 5th Ave.) — Help find all the characters from Peter and the Wolf that are hiding all around the 5th Street Public Market, following the passport (available for pick up at the Eugene Symphony table by the fountain near Provisions) to locate wooden cut outs (made by The Agency, part of SparkLab and Connected Lane County) of Peter, Wolf, Duck, Bird, Cat, and Grandpa with musical pairings along the way. And on April 24th, see Peter and his friends conquer their fears as they take on the wolf at Eugene Symphony’s interactive and family-friendly concert, featuring Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Michael Djupstrom’s The Seahorse and the Crab.
About Lane Arts Council
Lane Arts Council is a nonprofit organization that works to cultivate strong and creative arts communities throughout Lane County. They provide high-quality arts experiences, engaging people of all ages in arts education and encouraging artistic endeavors.
The First Friday ArtWalk in downtown Eugene offers a Latin dance class followed by social dancing, hosted by Bailamos Latin Dance Network in The Alley at the 5th Street Market, 550 Pearl St.
