On the second Saturday of every month GALA-the Gallery Association for Learning and Art-holds an Art Walk from 3 to 5 p.m. Actually, it's an Art Ride, courtesy of the shuttle bus provided by Coastal Journeys Unlimited. The public is invited to board to bus at no charge in the parking lot at the Florence Events Center for a guided tour of a handful of local galleries and artful businesses and sometimes artists' studios.
So successful is GALA's Art Walk that it recently received a prestigious award from the Lane Arts Council. The award is currently on display at Frames of Florence Gallery. April's Art Walk on Saturday, April 8, included Frames of Florence, Oliver's Art, the Siuslaw Public Library, the Sublime Gift Gallery, and the Galleries at the Florence Events Center.
But the artful day began that morning with the monthly meeting of the Florence Arts and Crafts Association when the longtime organization presented its annual scholarship award to a local high school student. This year 11 Siuslaw and Mapleton high school seniors vied for the $1,000 prize. Their selected works were displayed, and the students each gave a short talk about themselves and their artful persuasions. Lara Owens was announced the winner, all the runners-up received $50 each for their efforts, and everyone was treated to a sumptuous luncheon. For more details, see the adjacent story.
The GALA Art Walk began at Frames of Florence with an enthralling display of watercolors by Jeffrey Hull of Cannon Beach. A kind of poster boy of coastal art, Jeffrey captures the majesty of the meeting of land and sea, jagged rocks, windswept trees, and beckoning beaches. A charming, mild-mannered gentleman, Jeffrey talked with art walkers about his process. He paints from light to dark but does not use black. His favorite colors, burnt umber (a brown tone) and ultramarine (a dark blue), are mixed to highlight nature's bounty with drama and delicacy. Be sure to view his art at Frames, some of which is on permanent display, or visit his gallery in Cannon Beach.
At Oliver's Art, Weldon Oliver provided a demonstration, turning a blank canvas into a brilliant landscape in minutes. Abracadabra! Purple mountain's majesty indeed! Oliver paints in oils and offers a class where anyone can discover their own artful persuasion, encouraged by this affable teacher.
The lobby of the Siuslaw Pubic Library features an exceptional show by the Siuslaw Viewfinders photography club, including wonderful work by Cliff Roberts, Birgitt Lyon, Marion Hall, Rob Welles, David Mason, Ed Gervais, Arnold Buchman, and many more. The display case features wise and whimsical pottery by Ali Shapiro, especially the Spider Bowl.
There's yet a new gallery in Old Town, and it's sublime. In fact, its called the Sublime Gift Gallery and is located at 1277 Bay St. next to the Grape Leaf. The gallery features such varied sublimity as ceramics (the fabulous pit-fired cats!), paintings, jewelry, glass works, clever clocks and night lights, and delightful gift items, many from artists throughout the country and Canada. Featured artist this month is Florence's own DeVern Pinnock, Renaissance man. In addition to being a painter, DeVern, a retired dentist, is a musician, actor, singer, gardener, classic car collector, father, and grandfather. On this Art Walk stop, participants took tickets, and matching tickets were put into a jar from which one was selected to win one of DeVern's paintings. The lucky winner was Jaro Lupinek, also a Florence artist. Drawing a ticket for selected artwork has become a tradition during the Art Walks. So far this year, lucky art walkers have taken home a pot by Michael Schwartz and a glass work by Armand Chichmanian, as well as the painting by DeVern.
Speaking of Paris, perhaps some month, Armand will lead the Art Walk in French or one of the many languages he speaks fluently. O la la, c'est magnifique!
This month's Art Walk leader Jan Jagoe, herself a fine artist and owner of The River Gallery recently relocated to 1335 Bay St., rounded up the troops for the final stop at the FEC galleries. Gallery One features stunning photography by Dale Barnett on the wall, and in the display case, a collaboration of photography and glass illustrating floral objects in the uniqueness of each medium. Ma Petite Fleur (My Little Flower), as the show is called, includes the work of photographer Jacquie Wagenschutz and glass artist Andrea Mastrangelo. Gallery Five continues to dazzle with A is for Art.
The next GALA Art Walk will be on Saturday, May 13, will an all-new array of artful allure. So grab a seat-you're in for a treat-including a fabulous array of comestibles all along the route!
Florence! An April Art Walk By Burney Garelick
Next to April in Paris, this month's GALA Art Walk was SUBLIME!
- Burney Garelick
© 2005 All Rights Reserved. Burney Garelick, The Siuslaw News, Florence, Oregon.
This article may not be reprinted or linked to without permission from the writer, Burney Garelick, and The Siuslaw News.