(Above: Detail of “Diver II,” a painting by Eugene artist Melissa Sikes, is part of a show called “Bathers & Boats,” now on display at the Maude Kerns Art Center)
By Randi Bjornstad
“Untitled,” by the late Stan Bryan
Just in time for hot summer weather, the Maude Kerns Art Center has opened a new show called “Bathers and Boaters,” featuring work by three Eugene artists that celebrate the importance of
gathering with friends and family for swimming, boating and other water-related activities on languorous summer days.
The exhibit, with works by the late Stan Bryan, Melissa Sikes and Roger Weise, runs through Aug. 25.
Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the artists:
Stan Bryan — A member of the faculty at the University of Oregon School of Architecture from 1955-1986, Bryan’s art media watercolor, oil, wood and recycled materials. Pieces shown in this posthumous display
Melissa Sikes’ paintings of swimmers capture family outings at area lakes
are made of unused balsa wood from model ships that he built, with ordinary objects incorporated in the design. Bryan died in 2016.
Melissa Sikes — Hanging out at the pool or lounging on a lakeside dock obviously loom large in Sikes’ artistic vision of summer as her acrylic-on-panel paintings capture the joy of gliding into cool water after baking in the hot sun.
“Two Bathers at Sunset” by Roger Weise
Roger Weise — Many of Weise’s paintings start life as sketches often completed “plein air” at the coast or a Willamette Valley lake or river, giving his land- and waterscapes a reality that reflects the natural world.
Bathers & Boats
When: Through Aug. 25
Where: Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E. 15th Ave., Eugene
Gallery Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 4 p.m. Saturday during exhibits
Information: 541-345-1571 or mkartcenter.org/
