(Above: Coastal Light by Heather Jacks, on display at the Karin Clarke Gallery)

Edited by Randi Bjornstad

Downtown Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk for April 2025 happens on April 4 and officially runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. A good place to start is the Farmers Market Pavilion at 85 E. Eighth Ave., where the monthly self-tour ArtWalk Guide is available. The Pavilion also has on display the Lane Arts Council’s Design Arts Apprenticeship Showcase and Youth Artist Exhibition, plus music by performers from MEPAA’s KIDZ Rock Festival (Music Education and Performing Artists Association).

The Apprenticeship Showcase features projects created by middle- and high-school students who have spent 10-week apprenticeships working with local professional artists. The accompanying performance by the KIDZ Rock Festival starts at 7 p.m.

As usual, those who need help getting to and from the ArtWalk can go online to lanearts.org on the day of the event and download an app to get a free bus pass for Lane Transit District to get to the ArtWalk and home again.

Following is an alphabetical list of participating locations in the April 2025 First Friday ArtWalk. Unless otherwise noted, they will be open from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Allies, LLC (200 E. 11th Ave., Suite 130) — Featuring original artwork by member artists, with proceeds benefiting the Allies Art Fund.

Art with Alejandro (5th St. Market Alley, Suite 104) — Graphite and colored pencil drawings by Lael Salaets  and acrylic, spray paint, and hand-cut stencil creations by Jai Love.

Bumble Boutique (233 W. Fifth Ave.) — Art by Sophia Cromartie inspired by artistic lineage and practice of Zen Buddhism, exploring revelations of the heart through paint.

Center for Art Research (CFAR) (510 Oak St.) — Here for The Now, a UO Department of Art Visiting Faculty Exhibition and collaboration of artists Kevin Kripper, Briar Marsh Pine, Michael Rey, Gabie Strong, and Claire Webb.

Farmers Market Pavilion (85 E. 8th Ave.) — Woman Working in the Field, a collaboration between the art of Hampton Rodriguez and Sofia Carpenter-Rodriguez, blending visual representation with sociological insights to highlight the vital role of migrant workers.

Hult Center Plaza (Willamette Street between 6th and 7th avenues) —  A’ppealing and Leaf Dance, sculptures of steel and reclaimed materials by artist Jenny Ellsworth.

City of Eugene’s Urban Canvas Murals

  • 941 Willamette St. Alley — Radically Radiant by Wayde Love
  • 957 Willamette St. Alley — Nature’s Child by Mural Mice Universal.

Flux Crystals (280 W. Broadway) — Paintings by Gloria Udosenata, inspired by natural forms that convey movement and mystery.

Framin’ ArtWorks (505 High St.) — Nature-inspired brilliant alcohol inks painted on recycled plastic paper by Sharon Dobra, plus her eclectic collection of watercolors. Artist reception 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 4. Exhibit open through April 28.

Locally made, handcrafted beaded jewelry on display at FUSE Collective

FUSE Jewelry Collective (112 E. 13th Ave.) — Work by local jewelry designers as well as small-batch gift items, including, during the ArtWalk, the Alexis Rood Pop-Up, showcasing locally made, handcrafted Mexica (Aztec) and Muscogee (Creek) beaded art jewelry.

High Street Tonics (267 W. 8th Ave.) — Student Art Showcase, featuring work by students of Eugene area artist-and-teacher Matt Hawk.

Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St.) — WATER, a large invitational exhibit celebrating the beauty of water and featuring some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest artists, including Marit Berg, Margaret Coe, Matthew Dennison, Tallmadge Doyle, Heather Jacks, Hart James, Erik Sandgren, Craig Spilman, and Betsy Wolfston. Show runs through May 24.

Nexus Business Lounge (40 E. Broadway) — Selected works from the inter-tribal artist collective, Burial Ground Society, plus  pieces from Troy Jacobson and Eliza Be.

Show of work by painter and crochet artist Elizabeth Thach  on display at One Wall Gallery at Epic Seconds

One Wall Gallery at Epic Seconds (30 E. 11th Ave.) — Ideas of Order, new work by painter and crochet artist Elizabeth Thach, using the two mediums to “explore futility, failure, and repair.” Show runs April 4-May 31.

Our 21st Century Renaissance (132 E. Broadway, Suite 212) — Exhibiting nano-fiber technology of the Dalton Lab on the Knight Campus at the University of Oregon; with a centerpiece of a tiny silicon wafer, bearing an image of 15th-century Italian artist Sandro Botticelli’s famous Venus. Also aphoto-kinetic collaboration, Revolution in 8 Pieces, by Barbora Bakalarova and Glenn Smith.

PLAY (232 W. 5th Ave.) — Stencil and spray paint creations by traveling street artist Jai Love, also known as FolkRootzJ, consisting of a limited edition of stencil-layered images on traditional canvas instead of art on city walls, bike paths, and alleyways, work inspired by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and Banksy.

Sparrow Nest Coffee (Lobby at 132 E. Broadway) —  Work by graphic designer at Revolution Design Group and illustrator Erik Bourque, with bold geometric forms, retro cartoon aesthetics, and vibrant colors that shape the coffee shop’s branding.

Starlight Lounge (830 Olive St.) — Grady Vandersommen’s Landscapes of Oregon and Northern California, using photography to explore connections among light, land, and atmosphere, reflecting the artist’s background in Alaska and along the McKenzie River, with the goal of sharing the serenity and power of the natural world.

Barbara Bakaralova’s Echoes of Great Minds at The New Zone Gallery

The New Zone Gallery (110 E. 11th Ave.) — Eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional art created by New Zone members, plus two special exhibits:

  • Jerry Ross Preview Legacy Retrospective, an advance showing of Ross’s exhibit that will be shown at the Gordon Hotel in 2026; and
  • Works by Barbora Barkalova and Marilyn Kent.

Wilkins Coffee & Unseelie Chocolates (824 Charnelton St.) — Exhibit featuring the work of Dreamtender Leather artist Leah Markman, inspired by the bold and elegant craftsmanship of the late 1800s combined  with daring, sexy steampunk flair. Also offering free samples of its “MOG Goblin” green drink, plus stickers featuring its Edwardian goblin avatar, “Mad Rose.”

Window Activation (806 Charnelton St.) — Presenting Julie Anderson Bailey’s Origins, comprising three separate installations and viewable anytime, night or day, through the large windows.

Additional venues

  • Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway)
  • OSLP Arts & Culture Center, 110 E. 11th Ave., Suite C

About Lane Arts Council

Lane Arts Council is a nonprofit organization that works to cultivate strong and creative arts communities throughout Lane County by providing high-quality arts experiences, engaging people of all ages in arts education, and encouraging artistic endeavors.

 

Stencil and spray paint art by Jai Love, aka FolkRootzJ, on the wall at PLAY, 232 W. Fifth Ave. in Eugene