(Above: Artwork by Aidan Holpuch at Bumble Boutique offers “a dreamscape of empowerment and transformation” in a show titled Vocare.)

Edited by Randi Bjornstad

Fiesta Cultural, a celebration of cultural heritage throughout Latin America that is important and enriching to the Eugene community, celebrates its 10th year as part of the Sept. 6, 2024, First Friday ArtWalk in downtown Eugene.

The fiesta will include live music, dance, a multicultural artisan marketplace, activities for families, local food carts, and beer by Xicha Brewing. It begins at 5:30 p.m., with activities continuing until 10 p.m. at the Farmers Market Pavilion at 85 E. 8th Ave. adjacent to the park blocks in downtown Eugene.

Those who need a bit of help getting downtown to the ArtWalk may get a free bus pass from Lane Transit District (LTD) by going online to the LTD website at ltd.org on the day of the ArtWalk to get a code for the free bus pass.

A map for the self-guided tour will be available at the Farmers Market Pavilion showing the large number of galleries and other arts-related shops and eateries that will be open during the ArtWalk from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., unless noted otherwise in the following listing:

#instaballet (540 Charnelton St.) — Creation of a new dance in real time as the audience suggests dance moves for local, professional dancers to perform. No dance experience necessary, all ages welcome. The final piece will be performed at 8 p.m.

Allies, LLC (200 E. 11th Ave., Suite 13) — Featured art this month is Group Art, created member artists at Allies. Proceeds froml work sold benefits the Allies Art Fund.

Art with Alejandro (5th St. Market Alley, Suite 104) — New works by Alejandro Sarmiento and guest artists, including Paisley’s new portraits Goblin and Butterfleyes and Alejandro’s new Furious Tiger and Dragon, along with plein air paintings done on site in nature by feature artist Jerry Ross.

Bumble Boutique (233 W. 5th Ave.) —  Vocare, a study of memory, myth, and magic channeled through the lens of artist Aidan Holpuch, offering viewers a dreamscape of empowerment and transformation.

ColdFire Brewing (263 Mill St.) — Wings and Strings, a watercolor collection of birds by Jessica Ballestrazze, featuring intricate threading adding a unique and winsome flair. Also, a Kids’ Art Contest during the months of August and September, with submissions by preschoolers through fifth graders in the community, and an opportunity to vote for your favorites.

EMERGE Exhibitions — Inspired by Windowfront Exhibitions, the City of Eugene’s EMERGE Exhibitions continues the artistic activation of window spaces downtown and supports professional exhibition experiences for new and emerging artists:

  • 99 W. 10th Ave., south windows — Kiki Boniki’s QUEER FACES OF EUGENE, celebrating the intersectionality of queer, trans, BIPOC, gay, gender-nonconforming, drag-loving, sex-positive, interesting citizenry of Eugene and the Pacific Northwest, in vibrant colors reflecting a rich tapestry of queer people’s lives.
  • 806 Charnelton St. — Showing Origins by Julie Bailey Anderson, themes inspired by the raw elements of the Earth — rock, water, and air — intertwining the natural world with human existence.
  • High Street Tonics (267 W. 8th Ave.) — Photography and glasswork by Thea, turning a passion for nature, light, and color into pieces of functional beauty to turn old materials into new uses, whether practical or simply artistic.

Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St.) — Rugged Land and Rocky Shores by Bets Cole, featuring a series of small- to medium-sized plein air paintings on panel or paper, exploring shape, structure, and color of landscape from Oregon and California, Texas, and on to Maine and Ireland.

One Wall Gallery at Epic Seconds (30 E. 11th. Ave.) — One Wall showcases two artists in September: Courtney Stubbert, visual artist, designer, and musician trained in graphic design and visual communication; and Thomas Pettus-Czar, creator of Mark-making and memory markers.

OSLP Arts & Culture Center (110 E. 11th Ave., Suite C) — Featuring “huge September Art Auction So Small” as well as So Big, an installation featuring six local artists plus a collaborative installation by OSLP staff and participants, all exploring the concept of “larger than life.”

Our 21st Century Renaissance (132 E. Broadway, Suite 212) — September theme is A Celebration of the Female Form, plus Glenn Smith’s plaster Obelisk 2023 and L’Amour Industrielle as exhibited in New Orleans in 1994.

Palace Coffee & Bakery (842 Pearl St.) — Featuring Nuestro Jardín (Our Garden) photography exhibit by children from families participating in Huerto de La Familia con Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad, with art curated by Marina Hajek. Open until 7 p.m. during the ArtWalk and on display through October.

A show of art by participants and staff at ShelterCare includes this piece by Leonie Daniels

PLAY (232 W. 5th Ave.) — Paintings by artist Dhira Lawrence, with themes of legend and myth, energy and spirit via dancing lines, layers, shapes and colors.

Resonance Building (840 Lawrence St.) — Transmedia art installation, Looking At Water, by Christine Olejniczak. Family friendly evening starts at 5:30 p.m., with all-ages sensory activation from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., followed by Symphony for the Senses until 9:30 p.m., an experience of awareness through music and visuals.

ShelterCare (449 W. 4th Ave.) — Featured art by ShelterCare program participants and staff, including work from the behavioral health clinic therapy group where people use art to explore and process trauma and healing.

Above left: an example of Scott Hofford’s art, at Sparrow Nest Coffee

Above right: Sunset at the Pond, by Cassie Gene, is part of a show of her work at Starlight Lounge

Sparrow Nest Coffee (132 E. Broadway) — Visual storytelling through Scott Hofford’s Iconoflage, used in fashion and corporate branding, turns subjects and products into intricate illustrations.

Starlight Lounge (830 Olive St.) — Featuring work of whimsical worlds, surreal spirits, and the Pacific Northwest by Eugene-based illustrator and painter Cassie Gene.

The New Zone Gallery (110 E. 11th Ave.)  — ZONE 4 ALL, a non-juried, open show showcasing thbreadth of the local art scene, with works by more than 150 artists, from traditional to experimental, paintings to 3D and assemblage.

Urban Canvas Murals — The City of Eugene’s local mural program, Urban Canvas, presents:

  • 1059 Willamette St. — Gertrude, a portrait honoring the memory of a friend’s departed hen by Bayne Gardner.
  • 1059 Willamette St. — Take Flight by Teak, Capsel Rock, and Eliza Be (Williams), an extension of Teak’s previous form line murals, representing the traditional Tlingit art from Alaska, already on the building, plus the addition of The Three Sisters Mountain line, coniferous forest, and a sunset, with Eliza and Capsel contributing the colorful figure and osprey.

Additional venues open during the ArtWalk

  • Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway)
  • Cosmic Haus (347 W.5th Ave.)
  • Dark Pine Coffee (954 Pearl St.)
  • Flux Crystals (280 W. Broadway)
  • Nexus Business Lounge (40 E. Broadway)

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.

 

Entries by area preschoolers through fifth graders submitted to the Kids Art Contest — including this one — are on display at Coldfire through September, and you can vote for your favorites.