(Above: Cropped detail of Rogene Manis’ painting, Great Blue Heron, winner of the 2024 Springfield Mayor’s Choice Award at the Emerald Art Center.)

By Randi Bjornstad

The city of Springfield’s annual Mayor’s Art Show opens at the Emerald Art Center on Sept. 30 and runs through Oct. 31.

This year’s judges are Barbara Counsil Burney and Michael Fisher.

Burney is an artist and art instructor based in Oakridge, who specializes in large painted “portraits” of wildflowers as well as installations that she calls “altars,” which she describes as “oil paintings, dried plants, and special shelves to hold offerings to deities such as Mount Hood National Forest and Lake Superior.” Her interest in nature and wilderness stems from her work with Oregon State Parks and her observations of the “the power of nature bringing people together.”

Fisher is executive director of the Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene and also executive director of the Whiteaker Printmakers Studio, which became a program at Maude Kerns in 2025. His education includes a background in arts administration and nonprofit management as well as participation in a wide variety of local arts grants, panels, and juries. His own artistic expression tends toward watercolor painting.

The show

Entries in the Springfield Mayor’s Art Show must be delivered to the Emerald Art Center at 500 Main St. on Saturday, Sept. 27 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to be considered for display.

Entries will be judged on: 1) excellence of composition, color, line, value, subject, content, technique, and originality; 2) outstanding/innovative expression in concept, medium, and style; and 3) overall presentation in framing and display.

Two-dimensional art may be submitted in the following categories:

  • acrylic
  • oil
  • pastel, colored pencil or colored prints
  • photography
  • watercolor
  • pencil, ink, charcoal prints (black-and-white)
  • digital art
  • mixed-media

Three dimensional art includes any medium, such as metal, clay, wood, glass, fabric, fiber, ceramic, porcelain, sstone, basketry, or any combination thereof.

There also is a program for youths, divided by age:

  • Kindergarten and younger
  • Grades 1-5
  • Middle- and high-school, grades 6-12

Entry fees: $25 for adults and $5 for children/youth; entries limited to one per person

Prizes

In addition to cash awards at the discretion of the judges ($60/$40/$30 for adults and $20/$15/$10 for children), several special awards also will be bestowed by local business/civic/arts groups:

  • Mayor’s Choice Award ($500, sponsored by Leahy Cox, a Springfield legal form)
  • Springfield Arts Commission Award (three $200 awards for adults and one $100 award for youths)
  • Springfield Chamber of Commerce ($100 Chamber Choice Award)
  • Travel Lane County ($100 Award)
  • Photography at Oregon ($100 Merit Award)

2025 Springfield Mayor’s Art Show

When: Sept. 30 through Oct. 31

Where: Emerald Art Center, 500 Main St., Springfield

Special event: Reception for the artists, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3

Regular gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday