(Above: Art photography by Don Myers, featuring the hiking trails on Mt. Pisgah, is on display at the Eugene Public Library .)
Edited by Randi Bjornstad
Pick up an ArtWalk Guide at the Farmers Market Pavilion at 85 E. 8th Ave., listen to enjoy live music while meandering through the Artist Marketplace, and then take design your own self-guided tour of the many galleries and other art venues in Eugene’s art scene.
As a part of a new concert series during the First Friday ArtWalk, The Halie Loren Quartet will offer a variety of live musical sounds from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the pavilion, including jazz, blues, pop and “world flavors.”
The First Friday ArtWalk for May 5 includes the following participating locations, open from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted below:
Allies LLC (131 E. 11th Ave.) — An array of artwork created by members of Allies neurodiverse community.
Art with Alejandro (5th Street Public Market, 2nd floor, Suite 224, 246 E 5th Ave.) — A show of Alejandro Sarmiento’s latest creations, from in-progress to completed pieces.
ArtCity Studios on Broadway (160 E. Broadway, basement level) — Terry Holloway and his art troupe,
Fuzzy Beuys, debut their latest work, Electric Jelly, a surreal and immersive installation featuring video projection, sound, UV lights, reflective streamers, fluorescent rocks, and neon jellyfish. The Eugene Printmakers celebrate Print
Day in May with carved alphabets that spell out Happy Birthday and other words, from 6:30- 8 p.m.
The Barn Light (924 Willamette St) — Enjoy a drink and enjoy some original art.
Beaudet Gallery at 5th St. Makers Row (590 Pearl St, Suite 106) — Featuring decades of honing techniques and creating custom projects by shop foreman Jennifer Shaline.
Books with Pictures Eugene (99-C W. Broadway) — Matagora MishMash by BIPOC illustrator and screen printer Rae Matagora whose artwork creates a world celebrating the weird, wacky, and adventurous.
Broadway Commerce Center (44 W. Broadway) — Autism Artism, created by KindTree Productions showcases artwork by local autistic and neurodiverse artists; this exhibit features work by Sarah Newton, Alisa McLaughlin, and Christian Esquival.
Epic Seconds (30 E. 11th Ave.) — Art by London film photographer 7even’s photographs of graffiti and tagged buildings, with artist remarks at 6 p.m. Also, New Light, work by Portland painter Nate Orton.
Eugene Public Library (Second-floor Newspapers and Magazines Room, 100 W. 10th Ave.) — Quilts and carved gourds by Gwen Heineman, plus photos from the hiking trails of Mt. Pisgah by Don Myers. Open until 6 p.m.
Flux Crystals (280 W. Broadway) — A curated selection of crystals for spiritually minded, nature-loving people, along with locally made artisanal goods.
Framin’ ArtWorks (505 High St.) — Watercolor and fused glass pieces by Christy Sno, featuring birds, vegetables, flowers, and more.
FUSE Jewelry Collective (112 E. 13th Ave. — A place for jewelry lovers to learn, shop, create, and connect, including a showroom of collections by local jewelry designers as well as thoughtfully curated, small-batch gift items. Live music by cellist Ben Hamilton, jewelry-making by FUSE cofounder Una Barrett, and studio tours of the FUSE classroom.
J. Scott Cellars on 5th Tasting Room (207 E. 5th Ave., Suite 105) — Impasto impressionist landscape paintings by Jenifer Billman Mann; and The Practice of Discovery, along with abstract paintings by Carolyn Quinn.
Karin Clarke at the Gordon (590 Pearl St., Suite 105) — Work by a mix of Oregon artists, including Tallmadge Doyle, Adam Grosowsky, Heather Jacks, Zoe Cohen, Erik Sandgren, Margaret Coe, Olga Volchkova, and others, plus selected
works from the estates of late artists Robert Schlegel, Rick Bartow, Mark Clarke, and Carl Hall.
Karin Clarke Gallery (760 Willamette St.) — Myth/Reality, the gallery’s largest Rick Bartow
exhibit to date, featuring paintings, pastel drawings, prints, and sculpture from the Bartow estate that portray his personal experiences and cultural engagement plus global myths, especially Native American transformation stories.
Mosaic Fair Trade Collection (28 E. Broadway) — handmade, Fair Trade jewelry, homewares, gifts, clothing, accessories, and more from all around the world.
One Vision Nutrition (946 Willamette St.) — Symmetrical ink/pen abstract art by EmilyEvans.
OSLP Arts & Culture Center (110 E. 11th Ave., Suite C) — Every Piece Matters, featuring work by mosaic arts instructor Stephanie Jackson, as well as mosaics by OSLP artists and community members., a recognition of the healing work achieved through mosaic arts, creating beauty by utilizing differing shapes and seemingly broken pieces to create an intriguing whole. Artist remarks at 6:30 p.m.
Starlight Lounge (830 Olive St.) — Show of acrylic paintings by Vanna, including a series of different subjects such as nature, skeleton, fantasy, and just weird.
The New Zone Gallery (110 E. 11th Ave.) — An eclectic mix of art created by New Zone members, plus live music entertainment and three special shows during the month of May:
- Manifest Destiny, imaginative work by Glenn Jones featuring storytelling, fanciful signage, railroad history, political insults, and magnetic contraptions. Artist remarks at 7 p.m.
- MusArt, paintings and drawings of musicians by JoEllen Gregori Waldvogel.
- The War on Humanity, an art installation by Ralf Huber and Sandy Sanders that addresses society and our planet-under-assault by economic wars, social wars, military wars, and ecological wars, but also offering visions of a more just and
sustainable world.
Windowfront Exhibitions — where empty downtown storefronts become galleries:
- 824 Charnelton St. — Vexing me!, a multi-medium installation by Zoë Gamell Brown welcoming visitors to a Guyanese American meal. Her creative practice speaks to
multiplicity within Guyanese identity and extensions of the Caribbean to the Gulf Coast. Themes in Zoë’s work revolve around culinary catharsis, collective and self-care to move beyond monolithic definitions of artistic expression and ecological knowledge. - 833 Willamette St. — by Stephanie Jackson is the result of a partnership between the Creative Connections Program and Hosea Youth Services to offer therapeutic art opportunities to unhoused youth. These youth were invited to reflect on personal strengths and create stained-glass mosaic art pieces as well as a collaborative stained-glass mosaic tabletop to show how they have the ability to enhance and positively affect lives around them.
- 873 Willamette St. — Diversity Project, a photography installation created by Kenji Shimizu, aims to encourage and celebrate diversity from an immigrant’s point of view. Born in Japan, Shimizu uses his passion for taking portraits that resemble Renaissance paintings to highlight the richness of diversity in our community and celebrate how diversity is already helping us. He hopes to inspire the community to see the values our differences can bring to make us stronger, wiser, more empathetic, kinder, and closer together, and he will be present at the ArtWalk.
Special Events/Exhibitions
5th Street Public Market (296 E. 5th Ave.) — Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Latin dancing, featuring DJ Vito on the second floor near the Eateries and Bar playing a mix of Salsa, Cumbia, Bachata, and more. 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Empty Bowls Sale (5th Street Public Market Alley, 590 Pearl St.) — Food for Lane County’s hunger-relief efforts offer a sale of bowls made by local artists, in an assortment of clay, glass, metal, wood, and fiber bowls, with prices starting at $10. Open 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., but stop by early as bowls are bound to run out.
#instaballet (Capitello Wines, 540 Charnelton St.) — The audience helps ballet experts create a new dance in real time by suggesting new moves for the dancers to perform. Featuring local dancers Sarah Ebert and Shannon Mockli, Eugene Ballet dancers Siobhan Nickell and Katherine Wolfenden, and live musicby Casanostra. 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. when the final version of the dance will be performed.
Live Portraiture by Bonnie Bozell (Passionflower Design, 128 E. Broadway) — In honor of Mother’s Day, local portrait artist Bonnie Bozell will sketch live, side-view portraits in color or black-and-white for $15 per person, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
May 2023 ArtWalk sponsor
Eugene Concert Choir presents Black is Beautiful with guest choir EXIGENCE at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 7.
About Lane Arts Council
The nonprofit Lane Arts Council works to cultivate strong and creative arts communities throughout Lane County, providing high-quality arts experiences and engaging people of all ages in arts education and creation.