Avante Garde

Re: “A Return to Beauty” (Jan. 17): Our area is full of many good artists who have worked here for decades, but either they didn’t seek fame or have been forgotten.

The curator of the “Visual Magic” show at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum could have done a little more research, say, over at the Maude Kerns Art Center (which was the Eugene area art hot spot of the ’60s and ’70s), and names such as Madeline Liepe, Ron Tore Janson, Dennis Hepner, Tom Blodgett, Ron Wiggington, Calvin Johnson, Gil Harrison, Charlie Hoy, John Haugse, Bruce Wild and Ed Koch, just to name a few, would have appeared.

These artists set the pace and influenced many who studied with them at Maude Kerns and later at Lane Community College. Those times were “bewildering” and lots of fun.

Some of these artists have passed; some are still around. There are examples of their work online and on YouTube, if one cares to look … and be prepared to be transfixed and see “art you have never seen before.” 

Annie Kayner

Eugene