Lane Arts Council’s First Friday ArtWalk kicks off its November edition Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Eugene Public Library. The monthly event offers a free tour of various art venues throughout Lane County, giving participants a peek at gallery exhibits, featured artists and other special presentations, according to Heidi Durden, arts program assistant with the council.
Pete Sorenson, Lane County Commissioner, will host this month’s event.
“Every month we get somebody to do the guided tour. Most will go to the galleries prior to the art walk to check it out, and the council provides them with extra information,” Durden said.
Commissioner Sorenson will lead the tour and provide guests with insight into the various galleries and artists. Previous hosts include local artists, gallery owners and public figures including Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy.
This month’s walk features five stops, according to Durden. First is the Eugene Public Library’s second annual community arts presentation, “Art Totes.” It answers the question: “What happens when you give more than 50 local artists the same black tote bag and have them personalize it?” The answer is an array of richly-wrought mediums, from paint to photography to calligraphy.
After the library, the tour leads to the New Zone Gallery for its “Showcase Exhibit” for 2005. More than 40 New Zone members will display work that they feel best
represents their style and reflects New Zone’s experimental philosophy. Several of the artists will be on-hand to discuss their work with interested tour participants.
Next up is Goldworks, which showcases the elegant jewelry design of Gary Dawson and the innovative sculpturing of Mike Leckie. Dawson, who works primarily in gold, has more than 30 years of experience, while Leckie is known for his classical sculpture work and his contemporary work with glass.
After the walkers get their fill of jewelry and sculpture, they’ll visit the White Lotus Gallery where they will be treated to historical pieces at the gallery’s “19th Century Japanese Woodblock Prints” exhibit. The collection depicts scenes from traditional Japanese plays and everyday life in Edo (modern-day Tokyo).
The final stop on the tour is at Jacobs Gallery where they are presenting: “This Everlasting Valley: Willamette Basin Farms from the Art About Agriculture Permanent Collection.” The collection, from Oregon State University’s permanent collection, “Art About Agriculture,” features pieces from artists who investigate the visual resources of agriculture. “This Everlasting Valley” is a visual representation of the role food and agriculture play in the Willamette Valley.
While most of the tour stops on the monthly walk are in downtown Eugene, Durden said the arts council wants to eventually expand the tour to other parts of the county, even if that means taking a bus instead of walking. Any local artist is welcome to apply for a spot on the ArtWalk, including artists who use other mediums such as video production and performance art.
“The council is very open to any artist, and we want to be able to change with the times,” Durden said. She encourages University students to submit information on any galleries where their work is on display. Even if they do not make that month’s tour, they can still be listed in the “Also open, but not part of the guided tour” section of the council’s press release.

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