Pictured: Ghost by David Carmack Lewis in “Tell Me a Story,” opening on Friday, June 21

In This Newsletter

June brings two new exciting exhibits and the start of Summer Art Camps!

The Art Center is thrilled to present two new exhibits, “Tell Me A Story” featuring painters Jeff Leake and David Carmack Lewis from Portland, OR and “In Full Bloom” featuring artist Jennifer Lugris from Rocklin, CA. Both shows open on Friday, June 21st with a public reception from 5 – 7 pm. All exhibit receptions are free and open to the public.

Soon the classrooms and studios will be filled with young artists in our upcoming “Imagine It!” summer youth art camp and middle school “Acrylic Painting” lab. The Art Center will again be hosting 8 weeks of summer youth camps and 7 weeks of middle school art labs. This is one of my favorite times at the Art Center, filled with young artists creatively expressing themselves and discovering new types of art. The Art Center will also be offering a more expansive Summer Adult class and workshop schedule this year. 

Be sure to join us on July 5, 6, & 7 in Eugene’s Alton Baker Park for the return of the Art Center’s beloved summer community arts festival, Art and the Vineyard. After a four-year hiatus, we are overjoyed to welcome and welcome back an incredible selection of local, regional, and national artists to our Artists’ Marketplace and Art for Your Garden. There will also be a variety of wine, food, and Main Stage entertainment options to enjoy. Come support the Art Center and celebrate the arts in our community.

Wishing you a fun and creative summer!

All my best,

Michael Fisher

Executive Director

The Art Center is thrilled to present the 37th annual Art and the Vineyard Festival, the premier art festival of the Southern Willamette Valley, returning to Alton Baker Park in Eugene after a four-year, pandemic-related hiatus. The festival takes place Friday, July 5 through Sunday, July 7. The Art and the Vineyard Festival is a benefit for the Maude Kerns Art Center, supporting the Center’s yearlong Exhibits and Education programs.

Look for exceptional artwork in a wide variety of mediums in the Artists’ Marketplace, the centerpiece of the festival, garden art displayed in a beautiful outdoor setting in Art For Your Garden, a Wine Court and Beer Garden, International Food Court, special art activities in the new Maude’s Art Arena, and entertainment on the Main Stage all three days of the festival. Headliners are the Grateful Dead tribute band Garcia Birthday Band on Friday, July 5, the pop rock band Candy Apple Bleu on Saturday, July 6, and the funk band SoulStruck on Sunday, July 7.

Pictured: Candy Apple Bleu headlines on Saturday, July 6, from 8 – 10 pm on the Main Stage

Call for Volunteers

Help support the Art Center by signing up to volunteer at this year's Art and the Vineyard Festival. Grab a friend (or two!) and volunteer in a variety of festival areas. Provide festival and Art Center information to festival goers at the Information/Membership Booth, help make art in Maude's Art Arena, or assist with art sales in Art For Your Garden. There are many volunteer possibilities. Volunteers receive a free festival t-shirt and 1-day pass.

Welcome!

The Art Center is very pleased to welcome our new Printmaking Studio Coordinator, Kylie Kuntz. A Eugene native, Kylie recently returned to her hometown after completing her BFA at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she served as a printmaking studio monitor. Kylie also has a background in illustration and has worked as a graphic designer for Creative Soapbox for several years.

Kylie is excited to share her love of printmaking and continue the community that Heather and Paul Halpern have created at WhitPrint. One of her first projects is the installation of new shelving for storage so that table space is maximized. She says: “Everyone in the studio creates beautiful work, and I’d love to help make their workflow quicker.” Welcome, Kylie!

Mokuhanga: Japanese Woodblock Printmaking

Yuji Hiratsuka will be teaching mokuhanga, the traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique, June 8 & 9.

Intro to Copper Plate Etching

Learn copper plate etching with Noelle Herceg. Saturday, July 20th, at Whiteaker Printmakers in Eugene, OR.

We are accepting artwork donations through the end of September for “Marvelous Maude’s Art Rescue Sale” fundraiser, which takes place October 5 & 6. Donations may include drawings, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, collectibles, posters, textiles, and curiosities.

Please bring donations to the Art Center office during open hours: Weekdays, 10:00 am – 5:30 pm, and on Saturdays, from 12:00 – 4:00 pm (when exhibits are on display). Your donations may be tax deductible. Tax receipts are available at the office. If you have questions or need assistance with a donation, please contact the Art Center at 541-345-1571 or email staff@mkartcenter.org.

Ongoing: Through June 7

“Shifting Focus: Photography at Oregon Invitational”

Don’t miss “Shifting Focus: Photography at Oregon Invitational,” featuring a variety of digital and analog photography created by eight artists from across the country. The subject matter touches upon time, technology, culture, and environmentalism. Eugene artist Sarah Grew uses historic printing techniques to highlight the current fragility of the planet in her installation of cyanotype images of plankton. Rochester, New York photographer Eric Kunsman, in a series called “Life-Lines,” explores a technological relic - the payphone - and analyses its role in society. Albany, Oregon photographer Nolan Streitberger documents Oregon’s “Trail of Tears” using an antique wooden view camera and a wet plate collodion photo process from the 1850s.

A free Artist Talk held in conjunction with “Shifting Focus: Photography at Oregon Invitational” and featuring Sarah Grew, Eric Kunsman, and Nolan Streitberger takes place on Saturday, June 1, from 1- 2 pm. The exhibit is on view through Friday, June 7.

Pictured: Mitrocoma, cyanotype by Sarah Grew in “Shifting Focus”

“At Home in Oregon”

at The Gallery at the Airport

This exhibit features the work of 29 Art Center member artists who address the theme of “At Home in Oregon” by interpreting the question of what makes Oregon a place to call home or exploring the idea of who calls Oregon home. Mediums represented include oil, acrylic, ceramics, quilting, photography, steel, brass, and copper metal work, encaustic, pastel, assemblage, papercut, and watercolor.

Exhibiting artists include Britt Anderson, Kathleen Caprario, Joan Chamberlain, Lona Feldman, Rita Fiedler, Tim Fox, Judith Hankin, Laura Jaszkowski, Staci Johnson, Suzanne Keaveny, Jan Lintz, Patti Lomont, Paul Machu, Rogene Mañas, Aurore Maren, Patricia McConnell, Ginny McVickar, Garland Nichols, Cheryl Owen-Wilson, Marty Schmitt, Laure Shipley, Jane Snyder, Leah Sowell, Indra Stern-Hayworth, Brooke Stone, Edward Teague, Rakar West, and the two exhibit jurors, Bets Cole and Karen Russo. 

The Gallery at the Airport is located inside the terminal’s main lobby. The exhibit is on view through July 9.

Pictured: Lift Off, digital photograph on aluminum by Tim Fox in “At Home in Oregon”

Upcoming: Two Shows Open June 21

“Tell Me a Story” features the work of Portland, Oregon artists Jeff Leake and David Carmack Lewis, who both incorporate elements of narrative in their work. In the Salon Gallery is “In Full Bloom,” showcasing the work of Jennifer Lugris from Rocklin, California. Both “Tell Me a Story” and “In Full Bloom” are on view through Friday, July 19.

Jeff Leake explores the intersection of culture and nature in his work, incorporating landscapes, stories, and real events. Leake says of his work: “My paintings often depict landscapes, a combination of real and imagined places, and the stories associated with them, in a style that combines elements of Bruegel, Bosch, alongside the popular history illustrations from my childhood.”

David Carmack Lewis depicts real locales that he has seen in daytime and imagines these places at night, with unexpected elements added. He describes his paintings in this way: “Here are some stories for you: stories about trees, stories about old houses and overpasses and forests and mountains and deserts and lonely places in the dark when no one else is around.”

Jennifer Lugris’s paintings of mothers and children explore the challenges and joys of motherhood. Paintings of blooming plants symbolize for Lugris the realization of personal potential. She celebrates that she has “bloomed” as a wife, mother, and artist. Lugris says of her work: “I paint vibrant images of plants, figures, and ordinary objects from my home to elevate subtle moments around me and celebrate things that are often taken for granted.”

An Artist Talk: “In Full Bloom” takes place on Saturday, June 22, from 1 – 2 pm. An Artists Talk: “Tell Me a Story” is scheduled for Saturday, July 13, from 1 – 2 pm. Both events are free and open to the public.

Pictured: The New Mother by Jennifer Lugris in “In Full Bloom,” opening on June 21 

Members Gallery and Gift Shop

Work by Art Center members and Club Mud ceramicists is exhibited in the Members Gallery throughout the year with artwork changing on a quarterly basis. The Summer Members Gallery opens on June 21 and is on view through September 27.

Pictured: MAMBO, mixed media by Roka Walsh in the Summer Members Gallery

Online Members Gallery

Maude Kerns Art Center member artists are invited to participate in our Online Members Gallery. This online venue is an excellent way to continue to share your work with the community. Members can show up to five pieces of their two- or three-dimensional work online in our Online Members Gallery. Interested parties can shop for pieces and purchase them online. Submissions are ongoing. Email the Exhibits Coordinator Liberty Rossel at exhibits@mkartcenter.org for more information.

Maude Kerns Exhibit Continues at the LCHM

“The Blue Vesper: Maude Irvine Kerns (1876 – 1965),” a companion exhibit to the Art Center’s “In the Realm of the Spirit: Work by Maude I. Kerns” (January 12 – February 9), continues at the Lane County History Museum. The LCHM exhibit features archival paintings on paper, correspondence, and personal objects.

Pictured: Untitled painting on paper by Maude I. Kerns in “The Blue Vesper” at Lane County History Museum

Día de los Muertos Exhibit: The Art Center is accepting submissions for our 31st annual Día de los Muertos Exhibit, October 11 – November 2. Work must be original and must focus on the Mexican Day of the Dead, which blends the ancient harvest rituals of the Aztec god of death and the Roman Catholic holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days. All artists, working in all mediums, are eligible. Up to 5 pieces may be submitted for consideration.

Applications may be made online or with a paper application. For online entry, go here to submit and pay the $20 fee via our online application form. For mail or in-person entry, include a flash drive with jpeg images, a completed application, a resumé, an artist’s statement, and a $20 submission fee.

Entries are due or must be postmarked by Monday, August 9. For more information, call 541-345-1571 or email exhibits@mkartcenter.org.

Summer Class Highlights

Summer registration opens June 7th! Join us for some summer creative adventures in drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, printmaking, and creative journaling! For more information and to register, visit mkartcenter.org.

Drawing Spaces and Places

Diana C. Patin

Mondays, July 8 – September 9

(no class July 22 and 29)

10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Get a fresh perspective this term as we sketch different spaces and places. The first week, we will meet in the gallery at the Art Center where the instructor will provide details about different spaces we will visit. The last class we will spend time in the gallery refining a drawing to create a final, finished work. Learn how to draw perspective, consider overhead views and unique vantage points, frame crowded spaces, and build multiple sketches into vignettes. At the end of the class, we will learn how to photograph our work and select 1-3 images for a “Spaces and Places” slideshow!

Visual Variations on a Theme!

Bogi Pataki

Mondays, July 8 – August 12

6:00 – 8:30 pm

Variety is the spice of life! Spend six weeks with your instructor, Bogi, and learn how to create exciting visual variations from one artwork. You will be choosing an artwork from a favorite artist or an image that you like - perhaps your own artwork - and then duplicating the same image using a variety of different mediums. Bogi will show you methods to alter your image by utilizing acrylic, colored pencils, watercolor paints, and more. Discover how different mediums can entirely change the mood and meaning of the same image.

Handbuildng with Clay

Tuesdays, July 9 – September 9

(no class July 15 and September 2)

6:00 – 8:30 pm

Try your hand at clay! Beginners and those interested in refreshing their skills are welcome in this class as we learn about the materials, methods, simple tricks, tips, and rules involved in handbuilding ceramic items. Learn how to make a layered tile, then move up to three dimensions with a vase or cup. The instructor will guide you through handbuilding methods such as coils, pinch pots, log rolls, soft slabs, hard slabs, stamps, and sprigs. Learn various glaze techniques like staining, sgraffito, resist, inlay, stencils, and more. As you work on projects of your own choosing, you will have the instructor there to help you consider the best design and construction methods.

Summer Family Workshop

Enjoy a little down time together and get creative with a guided art activity! We offer a family weekend workshop once per term. 

Birds of a Feather Collage Together!

Saturday, July 27

1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Learn to collage backgrounds and colorful one-of-a-kind birds using painted papers and colorful, bright collage materials. The instructor will guide you through painting and drying the paper and then using it to form collages. We will spend time creating mystical and magical stories of happy little birds!

Summer Private Lessons

Do you have a budding artist? Private Lessons are available for Youth (ages 6 – 10) and Young Adults (ages 11 – 16). Lessons include (4) one-hour sessions guided by an Art Center Instructor. Held once a week, lessons include instruction in drawing or water-based painting mediums customized to fit each student’s creative interests.

Private lessons are available between Monday and Friday and are scheduled on a case-by-case basis. If interested, please fill out the private lesson form on our website located on both the youth and young adult web pages.

Volunteers Needed this Summer!

If you like to encourage youngsters ages 6 – 11 and enjoy supporting a teaching artist in the classroom, please apply to volunteer! Our summer program has 8 weeks of different camps from June 17 – August 12. Choose which themed week best interests you, from movie making to enchanted storytelling to drawing live animals. Check out our summer camp schedule at www.mkartcenter.org. If interested, please fill out the Volunteer Form.

The Art Center currently offers scholarships for 50% of the cost of tuition for classes and camps. Scholarships are available for all age groups through the Susi Larsen & Cameron Serbu Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Madeleine Christenson Scholarship Fund. You can apply today on our website! 

Club Mud Ceramics Cooperative will be featured at the Art and the Vineyard Festival July 5 – 7. Look for Club Mud’s large sales booth with a variety of exciting ceramic work created by over a dozen potters. Wheel-throwing demonstrations by Club Mud artists take place during the festival. We look forward to seeing you on site!

Pictured: Club Mud artists will demonstrate wheel throwing at the 2024 Art and the Vineyard Festival

We are proud to announce that we will be producing another photography book comprised solely of work by our members. In a new twist, we are considering printing this book in color, which will allow us to showcase the amazing color work our members have been producing in 2023. We have extended our deadline to accept submissions until June 15. We encourage you to submit today by visiting our website eugdarkroom.org and following the link on our home page.

We have partnered with Market of Choice to provide you an easy way to support the Art Center! It will only take a moment of your time to register and will help every time that you shop to support our programs and facility.

Here’s how:

Register your credit card. Each time that you use your card at any Market of Choice, Maude Kerns Art Center will receive 4% of your purchase price! Simply sign up at: eScrip Market of Choice and you will be prompted on how to enroll.

Thanks for all that you do to support the Maude Kerns Art Center. It makes a difference!

Thank You to the many volunteers, Board members, Staff, Art Center friends, and patrons who generously donate their time, talents, and treasure for the benefit of Maude Kerns Art Center.

Quarterly Thank You's: Winter 2024

Budget & Finance Committee: Michael Fisher, Caroline Passerotti, and Fred Tepfer

Facilities Committee: Michael Fisher, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Cathy Simard, Alice Strong, and Fred Tepfer

Sponsorship Committee: Louise Bishop, Susan Castillo, Michael Fisher, and Caroline Passerotti

Art Rescue Committee: Hannah Goldrich, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Tina Heffernan, and Cathy Simard (Chair)

Art Studio Tour Committee: Michael Fisher, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Louise Bishop (Chair), Rogene Mañas, Caroline Passerotti, and Bea Roberts

Movies @ Maude’s Host: Jalen Thompson

Gallery Greeters: Joan Chamberlain, Sandy Crowley, Jim Emert, Sue Gottschalk, Sarah McArthur, Judith Bell Mangold, Renee Nelson, and Wendy Strong

Exhibit Receptions Volunteers:, Louise Bishop, Dana Burall, Susan Castillo, Joan Chamberlain, Jim Emert, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Margaret Leutzinger, Jeanne Maasch, Rogene Mañas, Mireille Machu, Judith Bell Mangold, Lisa Schaup, Cathy Simard, Alice Strong, and Wendy Strong

Office Assistants & Mail Team: Joan Chamberlain, Jim Emert, Sue Gottschalk, and Wendy Strong

Open Studio Facilitator: Marsha Wells Shankman

Newsletter Design: Kris Gruber of Crystal Impressions Graphic Design

MISSION STATEMENT

To nurture artistic expression and creativity in the individual and

to cultivate an appreciation and understanding of art and culture

in our community.