(Above: The Stream Divides, by James Hart, part of a water-themed exhibit at the Karin Clarke Gallery in downtown Eugene)

By Randi Bjornstad

The latest exhibit at the Karin Clarke Gallery in downtown Eugene is titled simply Water, and it includes works on that theme by a bevy of well-known Pacific Northwest artists, including Marit Berg, Margaret Coe, Matthew Dennison, Tallmadge Doyle, Heather Jacks, Hart James, Erik Sandgren, Craig Spilman, and Betsy Wolfston.

The show opened in early April and runs through May 24.

Now the gallery has added an additional attraction, a poetry reading on the Water theme, which will take place on Friday, May 9. It features work by two Oregon writers, Eve Müller and Kelly Terwilliger, joint authors of Water Questions, a full-length book about 12 swims in wild Oregon waters.

Both writers are lifelong Oregonians who grew up in small towns on the Oregon coast, and water has been an overarching element in both their lives, from its sound, feel, and power to its changeability, mystique, and importance.

Terwilliger has written two collections of poetry, A Glimpse of Oranges and Riddle, Fish Hook, Thorn, Key, a soon-to-be published chapbook, Night Maps, and a full-length book entitled Endnotes. Her poetry recently won first place in an international contest

Müller’s works in prose and poetry have appeared in many journals, and she also has published two books, Guide to the Ruins and Birds and Saints, the latter about the cult of Rajneeshpuram in central Oregon in the 1980s.

Portions of their joint book, Water Questions, have been accepted by the accepted for publication by The McKenzie River Trust as well as the journals Colossus and About Place.

Water: A Poetry Reading at the Karin Clarke Gallery

When: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on May 9

Where: 760 Willamette St. in downtown Eugene

Karin Clarke Gallery

760 Willamette Street in Downtown Eugene

Special detail: The gallery will donate a portion of the proceeds from artwork sold during the reading to the McKenzie River Trust.

Information: karinclarkegallery.com

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