(Above: Art by Robert Baret from his pandemic vantage point in France, is paired with Marco Elliott’s pandemic vantage point from Eugene, shown at end of article. The two points of view are on display at the downtown Eugene Public Library.)

Posted by Randi Bjornstad

It’s hard to believe it’s October already, but that means it’s time again for downtown Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk with a lot of seasonal exhibits and activities, and the list of places to visit on Oct. 7 is long and varied. The free event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., unless otherwise noted in the following list of participating places.

For an ArtWalk Guide, stop by the OSLP Arts and Culture Center at 110 E. 11th Ave., and head out to see the sights. (As usual, please have a mask with you in case you are asked at a tour stop to wear one to protect yourself and others.)

Following are the stops on the October 2022 tour:

Allies LLC (131 E. 11th Ave.) — Show of work titled Embrace Imperfection, by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are part of the Allies program, featuring their monster pieces created for October. Featured artist is Martin Debailo, with live demonstrations of creating pendulums for divination by resident artist Jon Conway.

K.S.M., age 13, created this portrait at WheelHaus Arts

Art with Alejandro (5th Street Public Market, second floor, Suite 224) — New work by Romanian artist Bogi, inspired by nature, tribal art, Art Nouveau, fairy tales, and children’s books; Eugene artist Sahara, drawing on everyday life and nature; self-taught Northwest artist Sahara’s vibrant style; and work by studio owner Alejandro Sarmiento.

ArtCity Studios (160 E. Broadway, basement level) — WheelHaus Arts showcase of student work by K-12 artists, including paintings, 3D art, and other creations; plus on-the-spot autumn images on greeting cards being created by Eugene Printmakers from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Barn Light (924 Willamette St.) — Contemporary digital and analog art by Joshua Bacha.

Books with Pictures Eugene (99 W. Broadway, Suite C — Witchy, whimsical, and weird art for the season by TK Krossow.

Paisley Mae’s artwork Paisley Mae starts out human but ends up “a little bit off”

Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway) — In the center: voting through Oct. 17 for Annual People’s Choice Awards featuring local projects by architects and landscape architects. On the walls: Enter the World of Planet Galexia, artwork by Paisley Mae, featuring “familiar but slightly off” humans and other objects in a variety of mediums, plus a $1-per-ticket raffle for an on-the-spot portrait of the winner.

Community Cup Coffee (901 Pearl St.) — Drawings on paper called Neural Magic by Sarjé Haynes; on display through October.

ECO Sleep Solutions and Gallery (25 E. Eighth Ave.) — Felted wool aretwork by Tylar Merrill.

Benjamin Heiken’s work is on show at Epic Seconds.

Epic Seconds (30 E. 11th Ave.) — New work by Benjamin Heiken of Spokane, Wash., made of layered topographies of paint, mud, and clay; on display through November.

Eugene Public Library (100 W. 10th Ave.) — Front windows: Installation by Lane Arts Council and WordCrafters of Eugene with panels by several artists representing a broad range of life experiences. Children’s Center: Embroidery exhibit of napkins featuring flowers, animals, and figures created by students of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art’s Mother’s Art Club, instructed by Jessica Zapata; presented by Eugene Arte Latino and Comunidad y Herecia Cultural. Open until 6 p.m. Second floor: 20Twenty Cage Blues: Art by Robert Baret and Marco Elliott showing pandemic confinement through the eyes of one person in France and one in Eugene. Open until 6 p.m.; on display through Nov. 4.

FUSE Jewelry Collective (112 E. 13th Ave.) — New venue for jewelry lovers, featuring work by local jewelry designers, small-batch gift items, and weekly metalsmithing classes open to the public and all levels of experience.

Horsehead Bar (99 W. Broadway) — 2022 Pabst Art Show of Pabst-themed artwork in all mediums; must by 21 years or older.

Karin Clarke at the Gordon (590 Pearl St., Suite 105) — Views of the Coastland, featuring paintings of the Oregon coast by Oregon artists Mark Clarke, Heather Jacks, Nelson Sandgren, and others.

Craig Spilman’s series of graphite drawings of the Oregon Coast, made during the pandemic, are part of a show at the Karin Clarke Gallery.

Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St.) — The Edge of the Ocean, including varied works along the Oregon coast by well-known Oregon artists Mark Clarke (1935-2016) and Nelson Sandgren (1917-2006) and also featuring Craig Spilman’s new Seascape Series of large-scale graphite drawings created from memory during the pandemic.

MECCA (555 High St.) — Show of entries in the annual BRING Community Product Design Challenge, a design competition to “upcycle” unwanted building materials into usable products; check out MECCA’s  brand-new retail outlet across from the 5th Street Public Market.

The New Zone Gallery (110 E. 11th Ave.) — ZONE 4 All, a show of work by artists of all backgrounds, styles, and media; Home is Where the Heart Is, featuring work by participants in St. Vincent de Paul’s many service programs; limited-time displays of the Zotem Pole and Poseidon’s Dream; live music.

One Vision Nutrition (946 Willamette St.) — Recycle Your Art, a collection of re-purposed etching plates by Robert Canaga.

Oregon Art Supply (1020 Pearl St.) — How to Take Care, installation of sketchbook pages, found objects and other “noticings” by Emily Hildebrand; Small Works on Paper from Everyday, series of drawing explorations from Robin Irving’s personal everyday world, in graphite, colored pencil, and watercolor washes on paper. Open until 7:30 p.m.

OSLP Arts & Culture Center (110 E. 11th Ave, Suite C) — Grand reopening and celebration of 10-year anniversary of the program, featuring photos and artwork created through the decade.

Out of Step Tattoo & Gallery (1022 Willamette St.) — Original paintings and prints from locall and worldwide artists, including five of the gallery’s resident artists.

Starlight Lounge (830 Olive St.) — House of Bozell Halloween Art Show, this year’s collection of Bonnie Bozell’s paintings and decorations of spooky scenes and subjects.

Terra Pacem Winery  (590 Pearl St., Suite 103) — Artwork by clients of Allies, a local nonprofit that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

White Lotus Gallery (767 Willamette St.) — Art from the Meiji Era (1868-1912) marked the evolution of Japan from a feudal society to a modern industrial nation influenced by Western ideas. At the same time, Japanese woodblock printmakers also were influenced and began using synthetic pigments from Germany. Their subject matter also changed to embrace modern topics, as depicted in a new show titled Art in the Time of Enlightened Rule.

Windermere Real Estate (1600 Oak St.) — Artwork by Judy Casad, Todd Davis, David Diethelm, Randy Jordan, Rebecca La Mothe, Kenneth O’Connell, Marlika O’Connell, Tim Owen, Kaya Singer, Wayne Singer, and Karin Spurgin.

Empty storefronts become instant galleries in downtown Eugene, such as this installation by Esteban Camacho Steffensen at 865 Willamette St.

Windowfront Exhibitions — Empty storefronts in downtown Eugene turned into interactive artworks and galleries:

  • 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 Mei-Ling Lee, Sandy Honda, Mika Aono, Helen Liu, and Kum Ja Lee.
  • 1059 Willamette St. — A Sunset Together,” mural by Pattrick Price using traditional formline designs and ancient petroglyph styles.
  • 833 Willamette St. — Embroidered cotton and linen serviettes (table napkins), paintings and bags by Mujeres con Alas, a group of women who reclaim material culture through embroidery, oral narratives, weaving, cooking, music, and dance.
  • 856 Willamette St. — First floor: Charro Attire Exhibition, Origin and Symbolic Details of the Charro Outfit, presented by Comunidad y Herencia Cultural and Eugene Arte Latino. Second floor: Large-scale paintings by Esteban Camacho Steffensen.
  • 1004 Willamette St. — Projections of photography from the book, La Riqueza Natural de México.
  • 100 W. 10th Ave. — Eugene Public Library’s installation by Lane Arts Council and WordCrafters of Eugene of panels by several artists representing a broad range of life experiences.

Special events

Bailamos Latin Dance Network’s Friday Night Dance — Latino music and dance with the network’s collective of dancers, DJs, event organizers, and instructors who are looking to create communities to promote and support LatinX dance culture.  7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free, but donations to support the network appreciated.

Shanna Trumbly Pop-Up (Passionflower Design, 128 E. Broadway) — Trumbly’s original pieces and giclée prints on paper and canvas, as well as her stickers and oracle decks. Complimentary tarot readings. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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.

Marco Elliott’s view of the confinement of the pandemic, spent in Eugene. His work is juxtaposed with that of Robert Baret, who spent the pandemic in France (see above), both on display at the Eugene Public Library.