Embrace Eugene’s artistic spirit during Visual Arts Week

Enjoy art installations, workshops, educational opportunities and festivities throughout the city

City of Eugene Cultural Services, Lane Arts Council and Maude Kerns Art Center are partnering to produce this year's Visual Arts Week Sept. 27-Oct. 6 at various locations throughout downtown Eugene. The week of exhibitions and activities celebrates arts in Eugene and provides a platform for experimentation, creativity and dialogue.

Visual Arts Week opens with the closing reception of the 25th Annual Mayor's Teen Art Show, which provides young artists a platform to express themselves through the visual arts. This year's show features works by 42 teenagers from 19 local schools. The reception includes live music by Jake and the Hellcats and will be held 5-7 p.m. Sept. 27 at Maude Kerns Art Center located at 1910 E. 15th Ave.

The opening weekend festivities continue Sept. 28 with the nighttime Eugene BRiGHT Parade and AfterParty. Returning for its second year, the parade brings a procession of illuminated human- and electric-powered entries through the streets of downtown Eugene from 7-8 p.m., starting and ending at the intersection of East Eighth Avenue and Pearl Street. Onlookers are encouraged to embrace the theme "lighten up" with their own creative outfits. Following the parade, visitors can join the family-friendly BRiGHT AfterParty at the Farmers Market Pavilion located at 85 E. Eighth Ave. to enjoy live and electronic music, dancing, food carts and unique works of art incorporating light. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the party runs 8-11 p.m.

Several galleries in the downtown area will display unique exhibits catered for Visual Arts Week. Patrons can enjoy a range of artistic styles, mediums and influences that connect artists and audiences in a shared appreciation for the arts:

• City Hall Gallery, 500 E. Fourth Ave.: the community art exhibition "Confluence" highlights a collection of works by seven regional artists spanning a variety of art practices. Featured artists include Amrita Dutia, Analee Fuentes, Arusha Dittmer, Christy Long/Galvloi, Raoul Dittmer, Stephanie Craig and Yvonne Stubbs. Opens Oct. 4 during Lane Arts Council's First Friday ArtWalk.
• Emerge, 99 W. 10th Ave., south-facing windows: "QUEER FACES OF EUGENE" by Kiki Boniki celebrates the intersectionality of queer, trans, BIPOC, gay, gender-nonconforming, drag-loving, sex-positive, interesting citizenry of Eugene and the Pacific Northwest through a series of digital portraits. Closes Nov. 11.
• Karin Clarke Gallery, 760 Willamette St.: "Crow's Fear" by Richard Bartow shares selected pastels, monotypes, drawings and drypoints from the Bartow Trust Collection. Closes Oct. 19
• White Lotus Gallery, 767 Willamette St.: "slightly askew/jamie newton" displays fire drawings, paintings, sculptures, found objects, books and editioned prints. Closes Sept. 28.
• MECCA: Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts, 555 High St.: the "Object Afterlife Show" challenges artists to re-imagine unwanted materials and turn scrap into art. Opens Oct. 4 during Lane Arts Council's First Friday ArtWalk.
• Art with Alejandro, 5th Street Market Alley, 550 Pearl St., Suite 104: visitors can enjoy an evolving gallery of works created or curated by Alejandro Sarmiento, or practice their art skills at scheduled Paint and Sip events.
• Julie Anderson Bailey, 806 Charnelton St.: on display in a street-facing window, "Origins" comprises of three large installations illustrating how biology and geology relate to humanity's fragility and our interdependence to the earth.

Throughout the week, community members have opportunities to engage in interactive experiences with Eugene's visual arts scene. Debbie Williamson-Smith (also known as S.L.U.G. Queen Holly GoSlugly), one of the founding members of the 20x21 Mural Project, will lead two walking tours of the city's iconic murals and share behind-the-scenes stories about the works. New and experienced artists can hone their skills through a selection of hands-on workshops offered by Maude Kerns Art Center. Lane Arts Council is hosting a series of ArtTalks to encourage free community conversations with professional artists. The closing weekend of Visual Arts Week includes Lane Arts Council's First Friday ArtWalk on Oct. 4, with live music, an artisan marketplace and more opportunities to meet local artists during a self-guided tour of downtown galleries and public art exhibits. The week officially concludes on Oct. 6 with the market of Eugene Native American Arts and Crafts Makers, which occurs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month at the Farmers Market Pavilion.

More information, including an interactive map and a complete listing of installations, events and participating galleries, can be found online at www.eugene-or.gov/vaw.

Cultural Services provides year-round programming to promote public art and cultural events throughout Eugene. The team utilizes responsible and catalytic leadership to support the public's vision for a thriving arts and cultural sector that contributes to the community's social and economic well-being.

For more City updates visit our City Newsroom webpage.

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