(Above: Students from the Performing Arts Department at Lane Community College will perform at the LCC downtown campus during the First Friday ArtWalk in downtown Eugene on April 7)
Edited by Randi Bjornstad
Downtown Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk for April 7
Guided Tour
The guided tour during this week’s First Friday ArtWalk in downtown Eugene will be hosted by Riley Grannan, a retired professional ballet dancer who grew up in Junction City and co-founded the Eugene Ballet Company with its artistic director and choreographer, Toni Pimble.
Grannan will meet up with art walkers to begin the official tour at 5:30 p.m. at the Lane Community College downtown campus at 101 W. 10th Ave., across the street from the Eugene Public Library, where LCC students will display their skills in the fine, performing, media and culinary arts.
The entertainment will include a 20-minute improvisational dance, two- and three-dimensional studio art, multimedia and graphic designs, a solo cello performance and flambé desserts executed on the spot.
The tour moves on to the The Jazz Station at 124 W. Broadway at 6 p.m., where artist Bill Rutherford — owner of Blackline Designs and a recent arrival in Eugene from Portland — has a show of his design, sculpture and painting.
“Wisdom of Ants” is the name of one of Dan Chen’s bronze sculptures on display at the Pacific Rim Art Guild
Next up is the Pacific Rim Art Guild at 160 E. Broadway, at 6:30 p.m. Guild members Dan Chen and Sandi Grubbs have a show of their work, along with pieces by other Guild members. Chen will display his combinations of silk paintings with bronze or carved acrylics with LED lighting, as well as cast jewelry pieces. Grubbs’ work also involves mixed media, experimenting with acrylic, Chinese brush, pastels and collage.
Then it’s on to the Oregon Gallery at 199 E. Fifth Ave. at 7 p.m., where sixth-generation Oregonian Ron Keebler is showing
Ron Keebler’s photograph of the dunes at Baker Beach is part of a show by the sixth-generation Oregonian at the Oregon Gallery
his scenic Northwest photography. His photographs have adorned Portland Trailblazers tickets as well as jazz festival posters as well as triptychs of Oregon coast, mountain, waterfall and other natural features. He co-owns the gallery with Laurie Keebler, who frames and mats his work as well as well as brought by customers to the gallery.
The last stop, at 7:30 p.m., is MECCA at 449 Willamette St. With Earth Day coming up on April 22, MECCA issued a challenge to artists to create thought-provoking works out of a box of mystery materials, and the results — the ninth annual Object Afterlife Art Challenge — will be on display.
More Arts and Culture
As usual, many other galleries and businesses are open in downtown Eugene from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. during April’s First Friday ArtWalk:
• Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway) — “Another Good Friday Gone Bad,” a collection of acrylic ink works on panel by Dave Henderson, including a giveaway of some free drawings.
• Cowfish (62 W Broadway) — Original art with a cocktail.
• ECO Sleep Solutions and Gallery (25 E. Eighth Ave.) — Felted wool home décor and apparel by Tylar Merrill; clay tile collages by Annie Heron; wall art by Mari Livie; 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 Yoga (245 E. Broadway) — Illustrations of allegorical scenes by Isaiah Lightdancer, plus portraits of some of Eugene Yoga’s instructors.
• Euphoria Chocolate Company (946 Willamette St.) — Live music and artists at work — call it MuseArt.
• gilt+gossamer (873 Willamette St.) — A first-time public exhibition of abstract paintings by Nyssa Perrin Clark.
• Goldworks Jewelry Art Studio (169 E. Broadway) — Original jewelry by Goldworks staff.
• InEugene Real Estate (100 E. Broadway) — Work by Robert Canaga.
Robert Schlegel’s “Red House” is one of the works on display in a new show at the Karin Clarke Gallery
• Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St.) — “Spring Group Show,” with work by Erik Sandgren, Tallmadge Doyle, Robert Schlegel, Adam Grosowsky, Humberto Gonzalez and more.
• The Lincoln Gallery (309 W. Fourth Ave.) — Artwork by participants of the Oregon Supported Living Program’s arts and culture division, including ceramics, sculpture, painting, jewelry ad fabric art; digital art by Marcos Rockwell in the Community Room Gallery.
• Oregon Art Supply (1020 Pearl St.) — Mezzotints and monotypes by Heather Halpern, focusing on her daughter’s struggle with mental illness; open until 6 p.m.
• Out on a Limb Gallery (191 E. Broadway) — Paintings by Jordan Schaefer Limbach.
• Maven Art Boutique (271 W. Eighth Ave.) — Cannabis-related art by Tales of a Taurus Photography, Kendra Abeene, Dave Davis and Marlis; music by Dj Kingdom Sounds.
• Mosaic Fair Trade Collection (28 E. Broadway) — Local Pacific Northwest waterfall photography and fair trade wine tasting.
• The New Zone Gallery (220 W. Eighth Ave.) — “An Eclectic Vision” showcasing Richard Hunter’s clean lines and graphic style; themed exhibit, “Earth Day Every Day,” in the Klausmeier Room.
• Passionflower Design (128 E. Broadway) — Hair braiding, temporary tattoos, hand massages and more in the Passionflower Beauty Bar.
Tia Swenson’s drawing of a lunch familiar to many is on display at Red Wagon Creamery
• Red Wagon Creamery (55 W. Broadway) — Showing “Cup of Noodle” by Tia Swenson.
• Shadowfox (76 W. Broadway) — A celebration and storytelling of “Run4Salmon,” a ceremony to bring salmon to local waters, with salmon art by indigenous artists and original songs by Hawane Rios, accompanied by ukulele.
• Townshend’s Teahouse (41 W. Broadway) — Environmentally focused artwork by Anya Vollstedt, Michelle Alameda, Dianna Montzka and Michael Sherman, with sale proceeds to benefit Freedom from Aerial Herbicides Alliance, or FAHA, which supports a ballot measure to ban aerial herbicide spraying in Lane County.
• Vistra Framing & Gallery (411 W. Fourth Ave.) — Art by Jill Atkin (landscapes plants and animals in vibrant colors, JS Bird (abstracts and texts depicting nature, especially raptors and other birds) and Jacqueline Lukowski (plain air landscapes focusing on wetland areas).
• White Lotus Gallery (767 Willamette St.) — A new show, “Wetlands: New Paintings by Margaret Prentice,” featuring oil paintings of Oregon landscapes.
Special (free) Events
• Eugene Public Library (100 W. 10th Ave., second floor) — Swing dance with live music by the Blue Skies Band and the vocal trio, The Jewel Tones; starts at 6 p.m.
• No Shame Eugene (99 W. 10th Ave.) — Doors open 6 p.m., live music at 7:30 p.m. show at 8 p.m. features 15 original, 5-minute maximum acts including monologues, sketch comedy and the experimental. The first 15 acts to register after the doors open make up the show.
First Friday Artwalk sponsored by the Lane Arts Council, lanearts.org
