(Above: Artwork by Barbara Anheluk at The Lincoln Gallery)

It happens only once or twice a year that downtown Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk also actually falls on the first day of the month, but July 1 is one of those days for 2022.

By now, the new First Friday ArtWalk protocol probably has become a habit for regular attendees, in terms of first stopping by the East Park Street park block at 8th and Oak streets to pick up the monthly self-guided tour brochure and then heading off to see the sights.

It’s also become de rigueur in a way to bring along a face mask, in case certain galleries or shops request that visitors wear one while on their premises.

Alejandro Sarmiento’s portrait of a young Muhammad Ali, when he was still known as Cassius Clay

That’s about as complicated as it gets, and here’s a lineup of places that will be open to welcome visitors from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. — unless otherwise noted — for July 1’s First Friday Artwalk:

Allies LLC (131 E. 11th Ave.) — With the mission of supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Allies continues their summer art theme “Fun Shine Pride!” with new work by their participants. Check out artwork by featured artist Sabrina Bennington and demonstrations of divination through Nordic runes by resident artist Jon Conway.

Art with Alejandro (5th Street Public Market, 2nd floor, 246 E. 5th Ave., Suite 224) — Owner, artist and instructor Alejandro Sarmiento features a new personal collection in honor of his July birth month, along with modern studies by his artist brother, Miguel Sarmiento.

Sunset, by 9-year-old Jackson M., at ArtCity Studios

ArtCity Studios on Broadway (160 E. Broadway, basement) — WheelHaus Arts is a youth-oriented art studio providing professional tools, supplies, teaching, and gallery space. See artwork from the first summer Art Camp, as well as work by students in grades K-12 created this past spring, including sculptures, paintings, and even Lego block-based art.

The Barn Light (924 Willamette St.) — Stop by the new Bloom Room at 271 W. 8th Ave. to see a variety of artisan items, including skin care, general wellness, and food products, as well as a variety of ayurveda treatments and holistic services. Award-winning artist Bekah Zeimetz shows highly-detailed, realistic, and expressive wildlife portraits in acrylic. @bekahzeimetzart

Books with Pictures Eugene (99 W. Broadway, Suite C) — The whimsical work of Erick Wonderly Varela, a freelance illustrator and cartoonist based in Eugene, is on display.

Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway) — Barbara Counsil Burney presents altars expressing admiration for the few remaining undeveloped places in our country. Each installation includes a landscape painting, small portraits of key players in each ecosystem, and dried plants, to demonstrate the tangible elements and intangible spirit of these special places.

Community Cup Coffee (901 Pearl St.) — Experimental photographic work by Barbora Bakalarova, originally from the Czech Republic, but now a 30-year resident of the Pacific Northwest. Her innovative photographic techniques address subjects span arranged scenes to patterns in nature to portraits.

ECO Sleep Solutions and Gallery (25 E. 8th Ave.) — Matt Fonfara is a Eugene craftsman with years of experience making wood furniture for some of the finer retailers in the area, in addition to crafting rare and unique wood into one-of-a-kind tables, bars, mantels, chandeliers, and more. Facebook: PRJ Craftsmen.

Art by Roka Walsh at Framin’ Artworks

Framin’ Artworks (505 High St.) —  Photographic mixed-media art by Roka Walsh as well as pen-and-ink art by Amrita Dutia, who specializes in the abstract.

Karin Clarke at the Gordon (590 Pearl St., Suite 105) — Paintings by artist and art instructor Erik Sandgren, focusing on mountains, trees, water, and skies of the dramatic Northwest landscape, the huge Eugene Airport Concourse project he worked on with his father, the late artist Nelson Sandgren, and large-scale public murals in Washington State. Following his tenure as a one-person art department at Grays Harbor College, he has returned to Oregon to paint full-time.

Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St.) — A two-person show featuring “Return to the Chateau” by Karin Clarke, featuring 25 small oil paintings from her second residency at Chateau d’Orquevaux in France, along with new work responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by retired Lane Community College art instructor Adam Grosowsky.

The Lincoln Gallery (309 W. 4th Ave.) — SHOWCASE features recent artwork created by participants of Oregon Supported Living Program’s Arts and Cultures Program, plus a show of work by Barbara Anheluk in the Beverly Soasey Community Gallery.

Mosaic Fair Trade Collection (28 E. Broadway) — Andre Royal Sr. will be present, signing his books The Hippo Critic and LIttLE BIG Bear, in the shop that features Fair Trade jewelry, homewares, gifts, clothing, and accessories from around the world.

The New Zone Gallery (110 E. 11th Ave.) — In addition to the usual eclectic mix of art created by the New Zone members, special shows for July include:

  • The Imaginary of Steamworks R&D Labs — Steve LaRiccia exhibits and demonstrates his interactive steampunk, dieselpunk, and atomicpunk contraptions;
  • Undressed — paintings by Will Mitchell, examining how we see and show our true selves.
  • Panem et Circenses (Bread & Circuses) — installation of works examining the place of stadium spectacles in a time of global crisis by Ralf Huber, Sandy Sanders, and Asante Riverwind.

Palace Coffee and Bakery (844 Pearl St.) — Contemporary American folk artist Sissy Cutchen demonstrates vibrant images she creates on reclaimed materials. Photographer Erik Stowell shows a selection of birds and landscapes highlighting the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Mary Henzie displays small still life and landscapes in oil, painted with energetic brush work in one session, alla prima. The cafe and espresso bar will be open.

Art by Angela Norman, part of the art at the Primera PopUpShop

Primera PopUpShop (873 Willamette St.) — This PopUpShop features the latest creations of Mija Matriz, including a line of upcycled, wearable art and home decor inspired by stencil graffiti, Mexican textiles, and funk fashion, as well as tinctures and teas.  Other highlighted artists include Vera Gray, Celia Smith, Lisa Sansevere, Demi Ray, Indrani Hawkins, Angela Norman, and Scott Romo. There’s also creation station where art walk goers can hang out and make art. This event is supported in part by a grant from the Lane Arts Council and City of Eugene. www.mijamatriz.com

Starlight Lounge (830 Olive St.) — Bold and whimsical mixed-media work by oOZLA Arts draw inspiration from pop culture and pop art, but also contain nuances that highlight societal changes and anomalies. Instagram: @oozlaart

Windowfront Exhibitions — Downtown Eugene’s empty storefronts become interactive artworks and galleries with new and evolving windowfront paintings and art installations.  The theme of this collection is “Welcome World.”

  • 120 W. Broadway — “Celestial Migration,” a mural by Valentina Gonzalez (VRGNZ) representing the creation story of the Coyote and the Jaguar.
  • 224 W. Broadway — Work by Asian/American Contemporary women artists, including Mika Aono, Kum Ja Lee, Mei-Ling Lee, Helen Liu, and Sandy Honda.
  • 225 W. Broadway — A pop-up book of LIttLE BIG Bear illustrated by Andre Royal Jr. and written by Andre Royal Sr. The book was hand drawn using multimedia materials including Copic style markers, watercolor, and traditional ink.
  • 833 Willamette St. — “Queer Ancestries, Self Prophesies, and Horse Girl Fantasies” by Eric Braman, Alex Ever, and Melissa Rose. This collective of visual and written word artists explore magical realism through mixtures of creative disciplines that examine the unseen moments of new growth.
  • 856 Willamette St. — “Meditative Layers” by Kum Ja Lee, a weaving display that explores the different relationships that exist between contemporary practices and conventional approaches in visual arts.
  • 873 Willamette St. — Primera PopUpShop (see listing above)
    1059 Willamette St – “A Sunset Together,” a mural by Pattrick Price using traditional formline designs and ancient petroglyph styles.
  • 99 W. 10th Ave. — “Touching Balance,” a mural by Esteban Camacho Steffensen showing the give-and-take relationship we have with the ocean.

Special events

Instaballet, a program of Eugene Ballet, where the public becomes the choreographer

#instaballet (Midtown Arts Center, 174 E. 16th Ave., 2nd Floor Studios) — Help #instaballet make a new dance in real-time by suggesting new moves for the dancers to perform. This event features music by Delgani String Quartet, dancers from the Eugene Ballet, and choreography by the public. No dance experience is necessary, and all ages are welcome. Stop by anytime between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to be a part of the creative process. The final community-created piece will be presented at 8 p.m. It’s all free.

The Block is Hot: Artist Showcase, presented by Dayinthelife Entertainment LLC (East Park Street Block, 8th and Oak streets) — The Block is Hot: Artist Showcase mixes different styles of artists on the same platform to stretch boundaries and further the culture in the Eugene community. This event includes performances by The Atmospheres, Cameron Daye, Digital Cash, Theo Sol Energy, and Justice Gbada. In addition, there will be visual art from Lola Buckwald, Lane AABSS, and H.O.N.E.Y, Hula-Hooping with Sharlita Holmes, and Eugene native Bobby Green Jr. A.K.A DJ Smuve & Soul Blessed on the 1’s and 2’s. Open 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with suppor from the Oregon Cultural Trust, Lane Arts Council, Lane AABSS, and H.O.N.E.Y.

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. Dance lesson starts at 6 p.m., with social dancing from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Free, but donations to support the group are gratefully accepted.

Design Arts Apprenticeship Showcase (Midtown Arts Center, 1600 Pearl St., 2nd Floor Studios) — Middle and high school students from around Lane County worked with professional designers to develop new and innovative products including “upcycled” fashion designs, vinyl stickers, biomimicry-inspired designs, and much more. Meet the student designers and learn about their creative process at this interactive and engaging showcase, open from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The showcase is sponsored by Midtown Arts Center.

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.

About the Oregon Country Fair


The July 1, 2022 First Friday ArtWalk is sponsored by the 53-year-old Oregon Country Fair, which is headed back to the shade and splendor of its  fairgrounds off Highway 126 west of Veneta on July 8-10, after two years of online activitites as the result of the pandemic. Fair organizers urge the community to “get your costumes ready, shake out your fairy wings, and be ready to dazzle.” For information about entertainment, tickets, and the fair in general, go online to oregoncountryfair.org.