THE ARTS
Art in the Mid-Valley
“I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.” – Frida Kahlo
By Brian Egan
AS WE TRAVERSE THE SEASONS OF OUR LIVES WE ADAPT TO NEW CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY. Physical and mental issues often cause us to look at ourselves and decide to take a new path. Sometimes it is just curiosity that leads us in new directions and urges us to try new things. These transformations are all part of “Embracing Brave”, the 2022 theme for the exhibits at The Arts Center. The Arts Center hosts “A Journey”, featuring artists Hanne Niederhausen and Judith Wyss for its next exhibit. We are all familiar with the idea of “youth-culture”, and early peaking of creativity. Artists and scientists are perceived as having their great breakthroughs and discoveries early in their careers. What we see though is that artists and A Journey, scientists can build on their Judith Wyss experience, maintaining their Constructions curiosity. Quite often artists with long careers can be seen changing style, means of expression or techniques to challenge themselves. Experimentation doesn’t have to stop at a certain age. Painters can become glass artists, potters become paper artists and sculptors are suddenly painters. Hanne and Judith are such artists and this exhibit chronicles the artistic journeys they have taken over the course of their Hanne careers. Niederhausen
Hanne (Born in Germany, but now living in Corvallis) has been working in a variety of media with an affinity for experimentation with various materials and techniques, including painting, printmaking, book arts, photography, and assemblage. She values illusion over definition, suggestions over specifics. - Meeting My Shadows
Judith (Portland) is a northwest artist who has worked as a painter, a glass artist, and currently creating three dimensional portraits and installations.
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Willamette Living Magazine | May / June 2022
Most of her early work is small sculpture and she continues work in this genre, now using mixed media rather than paper. In 1999, she began to work with fired paint on glass, a 13th century technique Judith Wyss -Autumn in Oregon
she learned at the Stained Glass Museum in Ely, Cambridgeshire where she lives four months of the year. The show opens on May 19th and runs through June 25th. Arts Alive! is back this year on the Arts Center Plaza! After virtual events the past two summers this year will feature live workshops and concerts on August 13. Artists will be sharing techniques and practices while encouraging participation in the workshops. Save the date for a funfilled day. Look for more information in our next issue. Regional artists, Pam Serra-Wenz and Bill Shumway, have been painting water images featured in their Two Water Ways exhibition series for several years. The Benton County Historical Museum hosts their fourth exhibition, which includes many new works completed during the pandemic. The show runs from now until May 28th in the Moreland Gallery in Philomath. The 39th annual Art About Agriculture Competition and Touring Exhibition 2022: The Sustainable Feast invites all artists from the Pacific Northwest to celebrate the region’s sustainable, diverse, and innovative food. Working closely with Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center, this year’s open call asked artists to reflect on food, including production of ingredients, preparation of food, food packaging, cooking food, sharing meals, dining, and presentation. They were also encouraged to explore important food topics such as environmental impact, food waste reduction, food ethics, local foods, food for medical needs, reduced
waste food packaging solutions, plant varieties for enjoyment and disease resistance, sustainable fisheries, grassland management, food science, and nutrition among many others. Vistas and Vineyards is the oldest continuous plein air painting group in the state of Oregon! Plein air painting, from the French expression en plein air, translates as “in the open air” and is most commonly used to describe outdoor landscape painting. Many plein air painters work quickly, capturing the essence of the natural scene in one setting. Because of this the focus is on natural light, color and brush stroke used to produce forms that give an impression of the scene rather than presenting the viewer with a completely realistic portrayal. They are a Northwest artist group known for responsive and energized landscape paintings. The group meets weekly between mid-May through mid-October to express themselves individually as artists, to enjoy painting “en plein air” at local farms, vineyards, and townships to share impressions with each other and the mid-valley community. The group always welcomes new members. You can find more information at www. vistasandvineyards.wordpress.com The Corvallis Art Walk (CAW) takes place on May 19th and June 16th. A list of artists and venues can be found at www.corvallisartswalk.com. You can get some exercise, meet new artists and maybe purchase some art all in Downton Corvallis.
CORVALLIS ARTS CENTER HOURS Noon to 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday (check website for updates) Phone 541-754-1551 www.theartscenter.net
