If you’re a bored college student floating through summer or an art enthusiast, you’ll definitely want to participate in Visual Arts Week 2022. This exciting week is hosted by the City of Eugene Cultural Services, Lane Arts Council and Maude Kerns Art Center between August 5-12. Visual Arts Week is full of free activities for the local community, so come on out and enjoy an agenda full of creative events, galleries, workshops, art installations and mural tours throughout downtown Eugene.
EVENTS
One of the most exciting parts about Visual Arts Week lies in community events curated for art-lovers and explorers. Local artists of the Eugene area as well as neighboring cities are coming together to present an intimate experience of their work. This August, you’ll be able to check out the work of local artists like Axon, Ila Rose and the Ken Mastrogiovanni Trio. Get ready for a week of meet & greets, live concerts and Michael Boonstra’s public exhibit called “Willamette River Contours” which was recently installed in Farmers Market Pavilion.
GALLERIES
Downtown Eugene isn’t just known for bar hopping. (although it’s great for that too!) It’s also home to various art galleries. Check out the acrylic paintings and drawings at Art With Alejandro, farmer’s market themed paintings held in Karin Clarke Gallery and more. One of the more anticipated is Mayor’s Art Show, which offers a virtual option for those looking to participate from home. On August 5, the contemporary visual arts will be celebrated through the recognition of local artists who made it into the show. To raise even more excitement, The New Zone Gallery is hosting “Salon des Refusés”, in honor of the artists not selected to be a part of the Mayor’s Art Show. These are just a few of the various galleries participating in this event. Who knows, maybe you’ll leave with a new piece of art for your living room.
WORKSHOPS
Ready to get your hands dirty? Well, you’re in luck. 10 creative workshops are being offered this year with each one focusing on making art with different techniques, including oil paint, spray paint, stencils, wool, photographic paper, water-based inks, and even your iPhone. Although some prices range from $25 to $90, free workshops are also up for grabs. This way, everyone in the community can benefit from open access to free materials and guidance. The diversity of the workshops and acceptance of all levels of experience ensures that everyone who participates is bound to learn something new whether one considers themselves an artist or not. I don’t know about you but knowing how to oil paint or make botanical dye printing art sounds pretty impressive to me.
ART INSTALLATIONS
If you’re a free spirit and would like to do your own thing instead of following a timely schedule, we recommend exploring the many art installations around Eugene. Naseem, a giant blue heron made out of metal that you might’ve seen by the UO campus on 13th street, stories following the theme of belonging painted on panels in “StoryHelix” located on the Eugene Public Library, window fronts used as canvasses in “Windowfront Exhibitions” located throughout downtown and more are all installations you can find around Eugene. It’s one thing to see photographs of these beautiful projects, but seeing them up close and personal can make you feel like a real aesthete.
MURAL TOURS
This one’s for the adventurers out there. So far, there are 63 murals located around downtown Eugene that are depicted on the Eugene Mural Map. This adventure can be taken in your car, on bike or by foot. So, get a gang together and see what you’ve been missing! We’re talking about traffic boxes brightly painted with peculiar patterns, a portrait of trackstar, Jesse Owens, made from recycled materials and even a huge white canvas known as the “ Free Wall Project” waiting for human expression. With so much art, don’t hesitate to make visiting this long list of murals a summer goal of yours.
It’s easy to miss some of Eugene’s best art exhibits on your way home from work or school, so Visual Arts Week acts like a guide for anyone with a desire to not only experience local art, but also engage themselves in it. If you’re looking to learn something new, gain inspiration, or feel understood then tie up your shoelaces and make your way downtown!
For more specific information on Visual Arts Week check out the official website
