Local artists and Cubs fan Hap Reubens forsook the action on the baseball diamond June 11 to take the GALA Art Walk/Ride, and she was glad she did. And so was everyone else riding the art shuttle bus and attending gallery receptions throughout town.Another local artist, Warren Davidson, came for the ride and graciously consented to be the guest tour guide, shepherding art tourists from bus to gallery and back again with considerable charm. Watercolor artist Warren has shown at several galleries
and won a prize at the FACA arts and crafts show during Rhody Days.
The nearly full bus headed for The River Gallery, always a sparkling treat. You could lose yourself in Mike Schwartz' superlative pottery, Vern Oremus' exquisite woodturnings, and George Milliken's stunning watercolors, all part of the ongoing collection. This month the gallery features exotic Chinese brush paintings and collages by award-winning Jan Danielson. Delicate rice paper, Chinese brushes, and Chinese paint in Jan's expert hand reveal wondrous mountain cities emerging from the sea, a lovely seasonal flower, a rascally cat about to pounce, a lush landscape, and two small blue forget-me-not collages.
Also featured this month at the gallery is the panoramic portrait of Old Town on the Siuslaw, created in many parts and woven together seamlessly with extreme detail by mild-mannered photog Rob Welles.
After cheese and champagne, it was back on the bus to visit the brand new Backstreet Gallery, formerly the Oregon Coast Café, a collaborative project of about 18 local artists using a variety of media. The refurbished, freshly painted building sports red steps leading to the wide porch, rolling out the red carpet for all comers. Even windows are artful with paper accordion shades that can hang straight or flared like a fan. Art lovers were entertained by live music, Johnny Midnight, a guitar-flute duo that played sparkling classical and roots melodies.
Amidst the fine paintings, pottery, and titanium cosmos are whimsical junque sculptures by Leo Ellingson, such as Berserker, the Viking Gardener, perhaps homage to SHS grads who are off to cultivate their own gardens.
Tasty cheese spreads, spicy sausage, and champagne fueled delighted tourists who, somewhat reluctant to leave the happy ambiance, boarded the bus to Art Like A wheel for a Surprise show.
This uptown downtown Old Town gallery specializes in vehicular artwork or dogs riding in vehicles or vehicles crossing bridges, two recent smash hit shows. This time the surprise is less vehicular but nevertheless astonishing - four distaff artists of varying vibrations: Susan Canavarro, Leo Ellingson, Marilyn Peer, and Christine Polder. Susan, who originated and owns the new website that showcases Florence Artists, includes a spectacular bright golden delicious orchard in Deadwood. Christine presents a cosmos series, and Leo includes more inventive junquestapositions. Marilyn displays a large quilt-like forest, actually pieces of canvas ripped from larger canvases and sewn onto another canvas for an abstract array of soft, warm colors.
The gallery's culinary art included champagne, a platter to succulent shrimp, and salmon mousse to die for! Alas, it was time to motor on to the final stop at the Florence Events Center to visit its two galleries in Room 1 and 5 on the flat floor, as well as to enjoy more refreshments, including a brie spread to put you under Paris skies. Gallery 1, the original gallery, features three distaff painters, Irene Young, Beryl Adams, and Regina Giandomenico, and one distaff potter, Julie Fiedler.
Each painter has her own approach and because the paintings are hung in individual sections, viewers can grasp their disparate world views. Beryl's large Soul Reflections makes a wonderful centerpiece, mirroring all the surprises of Art Walks past, present and future. Julie's satirical eye shapes clay with outlandish witticisms, like Kangaroo Court and Vacuum Seal.
Gallery 5 displays intriguing pictures by Photozone, an eclectic group of photographers that originated in Eugene.
Before returning home to check the progress of her Cubbies, Hap reminded everyone of the four-county self-guided open studio tour on Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with eight venues in Florence including her own studio. This event, to be held the first weekend of every month, is sponsored by Oregon Crafted, a program of the Oregon Council for Business Education. For more information, call 541/687-8353 or email info@oregoncrafted.org.
Meanwhile, take your own Art Walk/Ride and visit the wonderful world of Florence art, truly in a league of its own.
- 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.