Eugene Weekly : Arts Shorts : 12.1.11

 

Installations and Precipitation

Untitled by Marshall MacFarland

First Friday ArtWalk continues the tradition of giving fall season gallery goers good reason to get wet and cold as they hop from exhibit to exhibit checking out some of the best art Eugene has to offer. Forecasts claim it could be sunny, but when was the last time you trusted the weatherman/woman? 

Rain or not, the work of several standout artists will be shining throughout downtown.

The Woodpecker’s Muse will host Terry Holloway’s “Invasion of the Fireflies.” This series of sculptures and light installations represents Holloway’s ongoing obsession with fireflies. Each part of the piece represents a segment in the cycle of a successful lightening bug incursion.

Also, along with artist Tina Martinson, Holloway has a hand in another visually appealing installation that can be experienced at 245 W. Broadway, courtesy of the Eugene Storefront Art Project. The “Nightmare Before Christmas,”  a tribute to Tim Burton, will creepily tantalize all who dare to enter.

While braving the elements in the name of artistry, another must-see ArtWalk event you’ll want to catch takes place at White Lotus Gallery, where “Journeys,” the work of Jon Jay Cruson, will be on display. Cruson recently completed a stint in Summer Lake, Ore., at the acclaimed Playa Fellowship Residency — his paintings are sure to be soaked with the inspiration of this unique experience.  

Also, don’t miss the incredible photography of Marshall McFarland at DIVA. Mcfarland’s work is as visually jarring as it is intellectual, often mixing surreal elements of nature and the human form.    

ArtWalk will be hosted by Diane Lang, executive director of HIV Alliance, in observance of Dec. 1, World AIDS Day.

Similar to the rain, wind and other aspects of weather you may encounter while art-walking, ArtWalk is always FREE. — Dante Zuñiga-West