Arts & Culture

ART IS EVERYWHERE

Corvallis Arts Walk Downtown Alley Art Walk

Venture into downtown galleries, studios, and arts and crafts stores to see more of the bustling Corvallis art scene. Monthly art walks take place from 4 to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, when downtown businesses stay open late for art displays, demonstrations and music. Go to corvallisartswalk.com for more information or pick up a walking map from any downtown storefront member.

Corvallis Murals Scavenger Hunt

Be sure to keep an eye out for the vibrant art that continues to pop up on buildings around the city. There aren’t just a few, but more than forty murals and counting. The new art is thanks in large part to the Corvallis Mural Project, an effort to promote new outdoor artwork for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Check out over half a dozen murals on display at “Art Alley,” a narrow passageway between Second and Third Streets and just south of Madison Avenue.

Use a map available from the Visitor Center, 113 SW Third Street, Alley Suite 101, to solve clues from the mural scavenger hunt. Learn more at corvallismurals.com. Take a stroll on Madison Avenue downtown to experience the Alley Art Walk beginning on 8th Street. You’ll find more than twenty-five sculptures, photographs, enamel-onmetal reproductions of poems and silkscreen prints.

The twelve-year Alley Art Project is a creation of the Howland Foundation Fund in The Arts Center Endowment, supported by Jim and Ruth Howland. The project’s result is a series of art installations at the mouths of downtown alleys. Head to visitcorvallis.com to download a map to guide your downtown art journey.

The Arts Center

Originally built by the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan in 1889, the Carpenter Gothic style Arts Center is a work of art itself, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

After admiring the building, you’ll not only see some more art—the center is home to exhibitions, some of which have been featured in The New York Times—but you can browse the well-stocked gift shop, ArtShop, where you’ll find the best selection of arts and crafts in town. Take a bit of Corvallis home with you.

Go to theartscenter.net for the latest events, workshops and exhibit information.

r e The Ar ts Ce n t

Corvallis Museum

The new Corvallis Museum, a facility of the Benton County Historical Society, is situated on the former Copeland Lumber property, 411 SW Second Street, in downtown Corvallis. Exhibits in the Corvallis Museum take a playful approach to Benton County’s history. The museum contains four galleries plus a few unexpected places for artifacts from the Horner Collection—the Society’s impressive collection of more than 120,000 artifacts including all the relics of Oregon State University’s Horner Museum, which closed in 1995.

Current exhibits include “Benton County,” which takes a geographic approach to history, “A College Town,” which delves into the history of OSU, and “Hats & Chairs,” displaying whimsical combinations of, you guessed it, hats and chairs. Also on display throughout the museum are numerous photographs from the museum’s collections and the famous glowing rocks from the Horner Collection. These inaugural exhibitions will begin to be changed out in mid-2022, so make sure to see them while they’re around. More public programs will be offered in 2022, so sign up for the museum’s email list for updates on new events scheduled.

The museum store features local art, books on regional history, and of course, a plethora of moose and beaver souvenirs. When planning your visit, make sure to leave time for shopping!

Corvallis Museum

Whiteside Theatre

Say hello to “Bruce the Moose,” once a fixture from the Horner Museum entrance, Bruce has been restored to welcome guests into the Corvallis Museum. The museum is currently open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 12 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays. The Benton County Historical Society also continues to operate its original museum in Philomath, open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is free for members, so inquire at the front desk about how to join. Learn more at bentoncountymuseum.org.

Historic theatres

Brothers George and Samuel Whiteside are credited with building six theatres in Corvallis during the heyday of Vaudeville entertainment, including The Majestic Theatre in 1913 and The Whiteside Theatre in 1922. A century later, the Majestic and Whiteside are the only theatres built by the Whiteside brothers still standing, and each plays an important role in the lively entertainment scene in downtown Corvallis.

While originally built as a Vaudeville house 109 years ago, The Majestic Theatre was converted into a motion picture house called Varsity Theatre in the 1930s and was eventually closed in 1977. In 1985, the City of Corvallis purchased the theatre and a building next door and a citizen-led capital campaign raised over $1 million for renovations, with the theatre reopening in 1990 as a lively performing arts center. It was then run as a community nonprofit before becoming part of Corvallis Parks and Recreation in 2015. Today the Majestic hosts more than seventy productions and more than 150 performances annually. It’s also a gathering place for nonprofits, businesses, civic groups and clubs. Check out a full calendar of upcoming performances at majestic.org.

Built for cinema, The Whiteside Theatre was also home to live stage productions. The theatre was the second largest movie palace in Oregon in 1922. It survived two fires and a multi-year closure in the early 2000s before The Whiteside Theatre Foundation was formed, bought the theatre and began restoration. Today the Whiteside shows classic movies on Wednesdays and hosts concerts and special events.