Arts Hound

There are certain artists whose work is like a fingerprint, a signature; their art — in style, technique and content — is unmistakably theirs. Locally, we are lucky to have lots of these artists: Shanna Trumbly, Amy Crehore, Jud Turner, John Jay Cruson, Analee Fuentes and too many others to list here. On May’s Last Friday ArtWalk in the Whit, see the work of another distinctive artist, Bend’s Megan McGuinness, at Sam Bond’s.The quirky, gestural anthropomorphic acrylic, oil and pen pieces in her show “Photosyngenics” are sure to bounce right off the old barn’s walls. Equally masterful are the pastel paintings of Sarah Peroutka on view at Willard C. Dixon architecture firm, 300 Blair Blvd. Hop south to 543 Blair for Countdown Studios’ “Women in Hip Hop,” featuring Ashland’s Sassy D, Eugene’s Valentina (vrgnz), Lisa Vasquez and more. Ye Olde Whiteaker Firehouse is hosting its own evening of LFAW festivities, “UNREFINED,” with performances by dancers Jana Meszaros and the No Shows and readings by EW’s own arts writers Rick Levin and Andy Valentine.

Legalize marijuana: The UO School of Law library is now hosting Reefer Madness: The Legal History of the Loco Weed through December. The exhibit explores America’s legal chronicle of the weed dating back to 1619, “when the first cannabis-related law was enacted by the Virginia Assembly requiring all farmers to grow the plant.”

Bounce Gymnastics is hosting Alice in Wonderland, a year-end recital for its advanced aerial and tumbling students, 2 pm Saturday, May 31, at the McDonald Theatre. In the mad, mad world of Alice, nothing seems more suiting or magical than the flowing silks of the aerial circus arts.

Grantland: The Oregon Arts Commission and the Ford Foundation have awarded 18 Career Opportunity Grants to Oregon artists, including one to Eugene visual artist Mike Stephen. Stephen received $1,500 for the one-month Foundation OBRAS single-artist residency program in Renkum, Holland.