The Eugene Celebration and Art Walk

The Eugene Celebration is an absolutely great event ...

... it is a tremendous street celebration held in downtown Eugene, Oregon and it benefits "Food for Lane County" the county food bank organization. Oregon had one of the first food banks in the country and Food for Lane County is one of the organizations of it's kind in the country.

I wondered if the mascot is names Cornelia?

I parked one block from the event at a lucky curbside parking place and looked west. The crowd was gathering fast for the evening festivities.

When I got to Broadway Plaza (also known as Ken Kesey plaza) a stage had been set up and the Vicki Stevens Band was performing some amazing blues.

Vicki was amazing ...

... and even smiled for this shot while singing

This young woman began dancing to the music and later was joined by the crowd (see picture later) in the merriment.

I love Eugene and our wonderful people who are always up for a great time...

... and the merriment never stops.

Especially Broadway but also Olive and Willamette two of the cross streets were lined with mostly food vendors and most of the galleries and shops were also open.

This was a great smiling crew in their portable food stand and no, I didn't ask them to pose.

I arrived at DIVA and walked around looking at the great art there...


... and the works were very colorful and well done.


Even the light on the wall was creative as were the clay balls.



Julie Ann Mills-Testi was on display in the main hall and the show was called "Essence of the Soul."


I really liked this bird image it was very stylized and beautiful.


More from the Mills Testi series and then ...


... I ran into Renee Manford displaying a wonderful new work inspired by the colorful Autumn last year.

The work is titled "On the Road to Marcola." In 1900 there was a community of Japanese people in Marcola who had come to help construct the Southern Pacific railroad line that was built into the Mohawk Valley to help the local lumber mills ship their timber. Marcola is Northeast of Eugene.

In the same room with Renee's work was a beautiful sculpted log showing a River Otter with a Salmon.


Outside DIVA as part of the Eugene Celebration one of the booths featured a woman beating up some poor guy. Just kidding it was a massage therapist hard at work.


Down Olive North of Broadway was another stage and the performers were called "Just People." I hung around there for a few minutes and loved their sound and ability to entertain. They have a great website at http://justpeoplemusic.com/

I crossed the street and turned East toward Willamette and the Karin Clarke Gallery and was greeted with a great surprise, Adam Grosowsky's work was the show tonight. Adam has been one of my favorites since first seeing his work on display at the Karin Clarke Annex across the street.

All of Adam's work I'd seen were large figures, all striking and all bright color on black. These smaller figures are unmistakably Adam's work and the new works were wonderfully unique.

The gallery was full of visitors tonight, all seemed to be enjoying the show a great deal.


Adam was there and gave his permission for my photos and seemed pleased with the show.


The great thing at this show was getting to see some of his landscapes that I thoroughly enjoyed.


I walked back South on Willamette to see Vicki Stevens Band still performing and this time it was a truly great rendition of "Angel from Montgomery."


As Vicki belted out the songs ...


... the audience danced with the kind of joy that only comes from "being in the moment," something Vicki Stevens is very capable of creating. She paints the moment with her voice and joins the audience in all the fun.


While some danced others relaxed at the outdoor tables.


I walked back up Broadway ...


... past the Jazz Station to the sounds of a great female voice inside singing.


A young guy was doing a street performance using a blue spool and string while his Top Hat accepted any gratitude afforded him.


I headed back to the car (mimi-musemobile) that was parked on Broadway ...


... taking a moment to ponder the energy saving taxi service.

On the way back to my car I stopped at Studio Tre Amiche to visit the Studio and Gallery. Studio Tre Amiche is a private studio and gallery it is open several times a year for public viewing. All other showings are by appointment only. I was lucky because tonight was one of those public viewing nights.

Three friends and artists Rogena Degge, Patsy Hand, and Kathryn Hutchinson joined forces to create the studio and gallery and it's a wonderful place for them to work and also show their art that includes etchings, monotypes and art prints.

Both the Gallery and studio are spacious, well lit and appealing.

You can see three different styles on display ...

... three unique expressions ...

... and three examples of art at its finest. What a great end to a great evening!

Scrabble Score ~ Scrabble Queen 313 ~ The Contender 345

Quote of the Day ~

"When Shakespeare was writing, he wasn't writing for stuff to lie on the page; it was supposed to get up and move around." ~ Ken Kesey