Above: One of the murals already completed for the 20x21EUG Mural Project was created by Los Angeles artist Steve Lopez, who studied at the University of Oregon. His mural, on the wall at  WildCraft Cider Works at 254 Lincoln St., extols the importance of bees. (Photo by Randi Bjornstad)

By Randi Bjornstad

A half-dozen mural artists from all over the world will flock to Eugene the week of July 30 to add more art work to the city’s outdoor streetscape as part of the 20x21EUG Mural Project, and the public is welcome to watch them at work as well as attend several events during the week, beginning a Eugene Sunday Streets kickoff celebration in downtown Eugene from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 30.

On that day, Broadway through downtown will be car-free, and the festivities will include a 10:30 a.m. parade, food, live musical entertainment, free fitness and yoga classes, test rides of electric bicycles and free bike helmets.

There also will be a reception for the artists on Aug. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art on the University of Oregon campus, followed by an outdoor movie screening,.

On Aug. 4, a tour of the new murals will be part of the downtown Eugene First Friday ArtWalk, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., augmented by a EUGfun! concert at the intersection of Broadway and Charnelton streets, featuring Toni Glausi and band from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the Portland group, Chanti Darling from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The first of 20 street paintings in the 20x21EUG Mural Project was the work of Brazilian artists who create under the name, Acidum Project

The idea behind the mural project is to beautify otherwise blank building walls with 20 world-class murals by 2021, when the International Association of Athletics Federations will stage its world championships in Eugene.

Since the mural project — sponsored by the city of Eugene’s public arts program — began more than a year ago, four murals have been completed. Between July 30 and Aug. 4, there will be finished artwork by several more international street artists:

  • Hyuro — Born in Argentina but now a resident of Spain, she produces surrealist but sometimes whimsical murals that embody themes of politics, nature and feminine identity. She will be painting on the north wall of Grizzlies Brand at 1061 W. Second Ave. (widewalls.ch/artist/hyuro/)
  • Hush — From the United Kingdom, his style has a Japanese influence that includes anime and geisha, for a blend of graphic elements and abstract pop. His mural will be at the Falling Sky Brewing House at 1334 Oak Alley. (studio-hush.com/)
  • Ila Rose — Native Eugenean artist Ila Rose’s first public mural is at Fifth Alley and Blair Boulevard, but her contribution to the 20x21EUG Mural Project is at the Elevation Bouldering Gym at 348 Lincoln St. Her style grew out of awareness of multicultural awareness of the soul through animistic and shamanistic influences and methods where animals, plants and humans share the physical and spiritual worlds. (ilaroseart.com/)
  • JAZ — also known as Franco Fasoli, the Argentinian artist will be working on the south wall of the McDonald Theatre at 1010 Willamette St. His original graffiti style has evolved into “scenography,” experimenting with a variety of materials, scale and complexity that often resembles watercolor and embodies concepts from childhood images to sociopolitical issues. (francofasoli.com.ar/)
  • Telmo Miel — Actually an artistic duo from The Netherlands, Telmo Pieper and Miel Krutzmann have worked together as Telmo Miel for 10 years, since they met at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. Their art falls somewhere between realism and surrealism, characterized by detail and vivid color. They will paint on the west wall of Shaw-Med at 198 W. Broadway. (Facebook.com/TelmoMiel/)
  • Dan Witz — The USA artist hails originally from Chicago but now lives in Brooklyn. His work has been shown worldwide, in the form of books, articles and solo shows of both street and studio work, often on sociopolitical subjects. He will create various small-scale installations throughout Eugene. (danwitz.com/)
  • Blek Le Rat — Born Xavier Prou, the French artist is known as one of the godfathers if stencil art, inspiring other artists such as Banksy and Space Invader. He took his pseudonym from an Italian comic, Blek le Roc, and began stenciling images of rats from the streets on Paris. His mural will be at 100 E. Broadway, as well as several other “agreeable walls.” (bleklerat.free.fr/)

For details about all these events, go online to lanearts.org/.