(Above: Artist Dan Chen has turned classical Chinese calligraphic brush painting into sculptural pieces, on display at Raven Frame Works at 325 W. Fourth Ave.)

Edited by Anne-Allegra Bennett

The weather may be hovering between winter and spring, but it doesn’t matter — there still will be a First Friday ArtWalk in downtown Eugene on March 2.

Official guided tour

The host for the March official guided tour, scheduled for 5:30 p.m to 8 p.m., is Eric Richardson, president of the Eugene-Springfield chapter of the NAACP. He’s lived in Eugene since 1971, when he moved to the area with his parents from St. Louis, Mo.

Richardson is a jazz bass player and a fixture in the local jazz scene, as well as an expert in African history. He’ll gather up his tour followers at 5:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Gallery at 309 W. Fourth Ave., where the

Aunia Kahn is one of the artist’s who took up the challenge of changing old denim garments into works of art, a show now on display at The Lincoln Gallery

Oregon Supported Living Program’s Arts and Culture has a show called “Denim ‘N Art,” featuring wearable art created used denims donated by Levi’s. The artists altered the pieces to suit, adding new material, paint, cuts rips or dyes, by more than 30 artists. The Community Room Gallery features KindTree’s Autism Artism 2018 exhibition. The KindTree nonprofit organization offers support, services, and information to improve the quality of life for individuals and families living with autism, and the professionals who help them.

Second stop on the tour is Raven Frame Works (325 W. Fourth Ave.) at 6 p.m., featuring work by award winning artist Dan Chen, who works in the mediums of painting, pastel, bronze, and engraved acrylic. Known for his interpretations of nature, for the first time in this exhibit, Dan explores a more abstract sculptural form, including interpretations of classic Chinese brush calligraphy in 3-dimensional bronze.

Next up is Paul Schatz Furniture (566 Olive Street) at 6:30 p.m., where artists Paul N. Prince, Shannon Welch-Kamkar, and Hank Murrow have a show. Prince designs handmade wood objects for the home and office, known for precision craftsmanship and careful hardwood selections. He’s also a slack key and mbira guitarist who has toured with Thomas Mapfumo, and he will play a song or two during the ArtWalk. Oregon native Shannon Welch-Kamkar has been doing Scratchboard since she was in middle-school, after which she studied art but then spent 27 years as a local hairdresser with her artistic passions on hold. Now she is actively pursuing her art, which involves metallic underlay, which requires extreme concentration and a steady hand. Hank Murrow has worked with clay since 1958 and has taught

Asante Riverwind’s “Snow Leopard” is part of a show at The New Zone Gallery

ceramics worldwide,  known for developing kiln designs, while enjoying focusing on useful wares.

At 7 p.m., it will be The New Zone Gallery (220 W. Eighth Ave.), featuring its annual “Spring Zone 4  All” show, with a wide range of work created by many artists throughout Lane County. There also will be guitar music by Jerry Zybach.

Dominique Dillkins’ work is on display at Maven

Maven (271 W. Eighth Ave.) is the last official tour stop, at 7:30 p.m., with acrylic paintings and digital drawings by illustrator and graphic designer Dominique Dillkins, who also is co-founder of the WeGotThis music label, a multi-genre music producer, DJ, and activist who lives in Oakland, Calif.

More arts and culture

As usual, many other galleries and shops will be open during downtown Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk:

  • Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway) – “AfroCreate” showcases Black, African, and African American artwork by UO students Elexus Greene, Donovan Neal, Ricki Marshall, and Marie-Rose Tonguino. The show includes abstract art with acrylic and contour drawings, as well as portraits and figures. The show celebrates Black excellence and Black History Month, and fosters connections between college students and the local NAACP.
  • Cowfish (62 W. Broadway) – Mixed media work by Heather Ulibarri-Devaul.
  • ECO Sleep Solutions and Gallery (25 E. Eighth Ave.) – Felted wool home décor and apparel by Tylar Merrill; clay tile collages by Annie Heron; hand-painted wood and linen pieces and hand-painted silk apparel by Lybi Thomas; stone carvings, wood sculptures and masks by Cedar Caredio; and Luminessence light sculptures by Stephen White.
  • Eugene Public Library (100 West 10th Ave.) – “Painting with Paper,” works in collage by Dori Koberstein. Concert by the Grace Notes women’s chorus, with standards, pop, and jazz favorites, starts at 6 p.m.
  • Euphoria Chocolate Company (946 Willamette St.) –  “Sparky in

    Chen-Yun Yang is the model for photographer Bob Keefer’s series, “Sparky in the Woods”

    the Woods,” hand-colored black-and-white photos by Bob Keefer, taken at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest near Blue River in late 2016, featuring Eugene tango musician and White Lotus Gallery employee Chen-Yun Yang portraying Sparky, an imaginary but well-dressed traveler in space and time who unexpectedly finds herself transported to the Oregon wilderness, where she tries out the possibiities, hiking, camping, picking huckleberries and swimming in the creek.

  • FourWinds Gallery (273 West Eighth Ave.) – Art by M!KL in collaboration with Fenario Gallery; also a clothing line by Quanah Starr; plus local glass art, jewelry, and handcrafts.
  • Framin’ Artworks (505 High St.) – Pop art-inspired acrylic paintings by Kerry Wade and hand-beaded upcycled jewelry by Angela Lees.
  • Goldworks Jewelry Art Studio (169 East Broadway) – Original jewelry by Goldworks staff.
  • Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette Street) – “Carl Hall (1921-1996): Nudes,” featuring oil paintings and drawings from the estate of Hall, best known for Willamette Valley landscapes but also in a period focusing on female nudes
  • Mosaic Fair Trade Collection (28 E. Broadway) – Handmade hearts from around the world, plus fair trade wine tasting.
  • The Northwest Hat Co. (870 Pearl St.) – Ink and digital media by mutlti-disciplinary native Eugenian Richard McConochie, centered on creative creatures and fantastical figures; wine tasting from Eugene Wine Cellars.
  • Oregon Art Supply (1020 Pearl St.) – “Cymbals and Happenstance,” mixed-media artwork by Janine Etherington, with symbol-rich, process-driven paintings and prints inspired by jazz music. Open until 6 p.m. Info at janineetherington.com.
  • Out on a Limb Gallery (191 E. Broadway) – “A Show of Crows,” paintings by Victoria Biedron, a plein air landscape painter who also paints abstracts in acrylics, birds, and still life. Info at victoriabiedron.foliohd.com.
  • Passionflower Design (128 E. Broadway) – Debut of Becky Tonkin’s clothing brand, Shift, for the first time in Eugene, emphasizing plus sizes, natural materials, and tough work wear.
  • White Lotus Gallery (767 Willamette St.) – “Under 21: Small Formats of Paintings and Prints,” through March 24.

More (free) events

No Shame Eugene (99 W. 10th Ave.) — Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with live music; show begins at 8 p.m. with15 original, 5-minute acts including monologues, sketch comedy, and the experimental. Each show is made up of the first fifteen acts to register with the host when doors open. There’s no shame in performing, or just watching.

Downtown Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk is sponsored by Lane Arts Council