(Above: Covid Conversations, by Elmira artist Bets Cole, is part of a new juried show titled Be Here Now, at the Maude Kerns Art Center from June 18 to July 16. A solo exhibit of Cole’s landscapes also is on display at the Karin Clarke Gallery in downtown Eugene, through July 10.)
By Randi Bjornstad
Artist Carol Arian expressed her feelings about the destruction of her home during the Holiday Farm fire along the McKenzie River
It stands to reason that the art produced during the past year-and-some is bound to reflect both global and local themes, depending on where the artists live and what they personally have experienced.
That’s definitely the case with a new juried show, Be Here Now, opening June 18 at the Maude Kerns Art Center. The show includes nearly 70 pieces of art created by 51 Lane County artists. Each of the jurors — Mika Aono, Ila Rose, and Tina Schrager — also has artwork included in the show.
Within the show’s theme — Be Here Now — artists had a wide latitude through which to express their own experience, whether through medium, personal experience, world view, or personal psychology.
For example, painter Carol Arian created a brightly colored piece called Fire on the McKenzie that addresses the loss of her home during last year’s Holiday Farm wildfire. In a completely different take, Bets Cole visually recreated conversations and images that she experienced during the coronavirus pandemic as she maintained long-distance communication with her grown children when personal contact was not possible.
Judy Santee portrays the experience of many young students such as her granddaughter, in Olivia’s Class, as students had to navigate their educations online instead of in class during 2020 and into 2021
Others used the enforced isolation of the past year to interpret their own isolated experiences and impressions, whether indoors or outdoors, ranging from coastal landscapes to portraying a young student pursuing education online.
One of the more unusual entries in the show comes from Jalen Thompson, who identifies as Black and queer and submitted an interactive video installation and performance piece called Summer 2020. In it, Thompson shares the experiences of those months, using eight devices playing 10-minute video loops that focus on the May 29 riot in downtown Eugene as well as audio from the Black Lives Matter rally two days later at the Lane County Courthouse.
Although Lane County has entered the low-risk category regarding Covid-19, the Maude Kerns Art Center continues to adhere strictly to all state of Oregon and Oregon Health Authority Guidelines for in-person visits to gallery shows. This exhibit is open to personal visitation as well as viewing online at mkartcenter.org. Artwork can be purchased either in person or online.
Be Here Now at the Maude Kerns Art Center
When: June 18 through July 16
Where: Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E. 15th Ave., Eugene (corner of 15th and Villard streets)
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday during exhibits
Information: 541-345-1571 or online at mkartcenter.org
Cheryl Owen Wilson depicts her reaction to the events of the past year in a painting, Proposal Rock Sunset 2020, one of her favorite spots on the Oregon Coast.
