(Above: Calli Beck’s work is on display at the 5th Street Public Market, the first stop on February’s First Friday ArtWalk in downtown Eugene)

Posted by Anne-Allegra Bennett

John Park and Jeremy Schropp are Lane Arts Council’s guest hosts for the downtown Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk on Feb. 1. Park is an animator and artist for Harmonic Laboratory, and a senior instructor of Art + Technology at the University of Oregon, as well as a member of the Lane Arts Council’s board of directors. Schropp is a composer and producer for Harmonic Laboratory, as well as the principle producer of Artistic Encounters Spring and Summer programming for City of Eugene Cultural Services.

Official guided tour

The ArtWalk guided tour begins at 5:30 p.m., and goes until 8:00 p.m.

The first stop, at 5:30 p.m. at the Fifth Street Public Market, is Calli Beck’s project, “A Matter of Perspective: Series I,” showing a crowd-funded collection of works made with the help of Beck’s favorite robots, CNC driven lasers. It’s a collection of abstract representations of mountains incorporating rust, wood, and light.

Next up is work by local artists Erin Even and Candance Berra, at 6:00 p.m. at MECCA (449 Willamette St). Their group exhibition, “The Candace and Erin Show,” is filled with color, puppets, and mixed media pieces. Even will do a puppet making demonstration during the ArtWalk.

At 6:30 p.m., “Winter Light” is presented by Harmonic Laboratory and City of Eugene Cultural Services (856 Willamette & 1044 Willamette St). Harmonic Laboratory is a team of creative thinkers and artists dedicated to art and technology collaborations and community problem-solving. The group has created a project that will provide light projection in Eugene from mid-January through late March, to enliven vacant downtown spaces and encourage the . This projection-based art is meant to enliven vacant downtown spaces and encourage a further sense of sharing and appreciation of the downtown Eugene. Locations include 856 Willamette St. (formerly ScanDesign), with The Best of Northwest Screen dance, collected by John Watson; 1044 Willamette St. (formerly New Odyssey Juice & Java) with “Moonflowers” by Laura King and Alexander Wurts; and 190 W. Eighth Ave. (formerly Sykes call center) with John Park’s “Downward Gaze.”

Photos of Ballet Fantastique dancers are on display as the guided tour makes its way to Euphoria Chocolate Company (946 Willamette Street) at 7:00 p.m. Learn what it’s like to be a professional ballet dancer through photographs by Bob Williams, Stephanie Urso, and Greg Burns. The pictures illustrate a backstage look at the training, performances, and love the dancers have for dance as an art form. Photographers and costumed dancers will be available to answer questions.

The last stop on the tour is Passionflower Design (128 E. Broadway) at 7:30 p.m. emphasizes Valentine’s Day activities, such as stamping your own letterpress gift tag with Kristin from Twin Ravens Press, or having your valentine penned by members of the Valley Calligraphy Guild, which was founded in Eugene in 1976, and is open to anyone interested in the art of beautiful writing; details at valleycalligraphyguild.com.

More arts and culture

As always, many other galleries and shops, many with their own exhibits and entertainment, stay open during the ArtWalk, including:

• Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway) — “Eugene Love Show,” a non-juried art exhibition open to amateur and professional artists; on display through Feb. 22.

• Cowfish (62 W. Broadway) — Work by painter Marlis Badalich.

• ECO Sleep Solutions and Gallery (25 E. 8th Ave.) — Felted wool home décor and apparel by Tylar Merrill; clay tile collages by Annie Heron; hand-painted wood pieces and hand-painted silk apparel and other items by Lybi Thomas; wood and stone carvings and wood sculptures by Cedar Caredio; and Luminessence light sculptures by Stephen White.

• Epic Seconds (30 E. 11th Ave.) — Benjamin Terrell’s show, “Man Above Water,” with multiple oils and watercolors of both large and small scale, examining loss and renewal on personal and universal levels; runs through February.

• Eugene Public Library (100 W. 10th Ave.) — “We Are Neighbors,” a photo exhibit by CALC, featuring portraits of local community members who immigrated to the U.S. Entertainment is a Rock and Roll Dance Party with RIFFLE at 6:00 p.m.

• Framin’ Artworks (505 High St.) — Abstract collages made with ink from recycled National Geographic magazines by Kristina Rust. 

• InEugene Real Estate (100 E. Broadway) — Landscape oil paintings in a variety of sizes by Abbas Darabi. Abbas is inspired by the colors of the Pacific Northwest landscapes, the coast, rivers and creeks, and open fields of green.

• Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St) — “Five Oregon Painters,” an invitational featuring paintings by Oregon artists Craig Cheshire, Margaret Coe, Bets Cole, Humberto Gonzalez, and Erik Sandgren.

• The Lincoln Gallery (309 W. 4th Ave.) — “Let’s Talk About Love,” a group show resulting from an open call to artists to express the theme through visual and literary arts; includes works by M.V. Moran and live poetry readings from local poets.

• LovaKava Kava Bar & Restaurant (120 W Broadway) — Digital painting, photo manipulation, 3D, and mathematically generated art by Chase Williams, exploring the realms of the heart, mind, natural world, and cosmos.

• Oregon Art Supply (1020 Pearl St.) — Work by Sarah Sedwick, Jenny Gray, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Zoe Cohen, and Rebecca Mannheimer in “A Study of Values,” a small works showing value in an 8×8-inch format; open until 6:00 p.m.

• OUT ON A LIMB Gallery (191 E. Broadway) — Work by gallery owner Tim Boyden, in addition to “Art For Art’s Sake,” a benefit show featuring donated work by artists that have displayed at the gallery over the past seven years.

• Starlight Lounge (830 Olive St.) — Abstract acrylic work by April Flores; check out her Etsy store.

• Townshend’s Teahouse (41 W. Broadway) — A continuing show of individual and collaborative works by Peter Licavoli and Isabella Licea.

• White Lotus Gallery (767 Willamette St.) — “Crossing Cultures: Landscapes and Portraits by Li Tie,” through February 26.

Additional free event

• No Shame Eugene (99 W. 10th Ave.) — Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with live music; how begins at 8:00 p.m. with fifteen original, 5-minute acts including monologues, sketch comedy, and the experimental. Each show includes the first 15 acts to register with the host when doors open. Come as a performer, but there’s no shame in just watching

Sponsored by Lane Arts Council

February’s ArtWalk Sponsor: Euphoria Chocolate Company

February’s ArtWalk Media Sponsor: KLCC 89.7FM Radio/NPR for Oregonians