Amici Chamber Music & Art Show at Emerald

I love the murals on this building in downtown Springfield, Oregon that Houses the Emerald Art Center.


I walked in early and had a chance to view some of the art on the walls.


Renee Manford's "Piano Man" (top center) was one of the 10 Art Pieces in a contest being held tonight...

To see better quality pictures of the art [Click Here]


... and there was Renee herself enjoying the show and talking to a friend who came.


The art reception and show is only a part of what was happening tonight. Young musicians encouraged by Chamber Music Amici presented a wonderful music show.

"Chamber Music Amici is the first resident company of the Richard E. Wildish Community Theater, founded in 2009. With five core musicians, guest musicians as needed, a part-time staff, and dedicated community board members, our mission is to produce excellent, affordable chamber music concerts which appeal to all ages. In collaboration with the Springfield School District, District 4J, and the Eugene Arts Umbrella, we also aim to promote the development of a new generation of chamber music lovers."

The young musicians were wonderful and made the reception a real motivational treat.


I walked outside for some fresh air and took a few pictures in the dark. I liked this backhoe shot that looked like it had snowed.


I caught this train passing by a few blocks away...


... and this great pipe system running down the building...


... and around the corner...


... leading to this great mural.


Back inside a new group was playing ...


... then a third group...


... all within a small section of the Emerald Art Center.


I like the contrast of the painting of a man playing the violin with the young woman on the foreground.


This young group was really great ...


... and the concentration of the young people was impressive...


... especially this very nice young man I spoke with just before the performance.


The final quartet all stood while playing ...


... with grace and poise that made their parents proud.


To give you an idea of the area used I walked to the back of this narrow room (there was a larger room with some finger food next door) for a few pictures.


Chamber Music Amici presented a check from the funds raised and announced the winner of the People's Choice for the 10 art pieces and the winner was my friend Renee Manford - Congratulations Renee

Scrabble Score ~ Scrabble Queen 332 - The Contender 329

Quote of the Day ~

"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy." ~ Albert Einstein

Ben plate va à l'Oregon

Flat Ben came to Oregon today to a springlike day full of blooming flowers.


We first took him to University of Oregon. Many do not realize Harvard is known as the University of Oregon of the East.


Flat Ben pointed out U of O was founded in 1876. While Harvard was established in the 1600's, the truth is that it's greatness was formulated much later.

"During his 40-year tenure as Harvard president (1869–1909), Charles William Eliot radically transformed Harvard into the pattern of the modern research university. Eliot's reforms included elective courses, small classes, and entrance examinations. The Harvard model influenced American education nationally, at both college and secondary levels."

On campus is a wonderful Museum of Natural and Cultural History that has a replica of Oregon's Willamette Meteorite the largest meteorite found in the United States and the sixth largest in the world.


Ben read the plaque just to believe it was true.

Flat Ben became part of a great sculpture titled "Spring Run" by Mack Holman. Holman , a U of O graduate, operates Mack Foundry in Drain, Oregon. He teaches occasionally at Southwestern Oregon Community College. Holman was responsible for the restoration of the Knight Library north facade bronze doors, originally designed by O. B. Dawson. Spring Run was unveiled, and the Glen Starlin courtyard was dedicated on May 18, 2000, at the Museum of Natural History.

Then it was a short drive to the coast and the cliffs holding the Seal Caves.


The seal caves overlook one of the most photographed sights on the Oregon coast...


... Heceta Lighthouse.


Yup that is the Pacific in the background.


Hang Ten Dude! Flat Ben decided to do a little surfing.


Then, in the gift shop, Flat Ben went for a snack...


... and some souvenir Seals.


As you can see the seals gather in the cave dug into the cliff by the ocean.


Looking south we can see the beginning of the Oregon Dunes Recreational Area that runs all the way from Florence, Oregon to North Bend.


Ben Enjoyed Heceta beach and built a sand fort and was ready to raise his flag...


... but decided to search the beach for sand dollars.



While Flat Ben found no sand dollars he did find a seagull feather.


You might call the Sutton trails north of Florence the Siuslaw National Forest's mix-and-match trail system. That's because from multiple trailheads you can hike various loops from 1 to 3 miles or combinations of loops with little or no backtracking. Sutton trailheads can be found in the Forest Service's Sutton Campground and near this spot the Holman Overlook.

Sutton Creek is a slow-moving stream that empties into the ocean north of Florence's Heceta Beach area.


It was a special walk to the over look and finding the son of it's namesake C.D. (Dave) Holman. His name is Paul Holman and posed with Flat Ben at the overlook of Sutton Creek.


This is a wonderful plaque dedicated to Paul's Dad.


Flat Ben was thirsty and stopped at Sweet Beans a drive through coffee stand and got a hot chocolate.


When we got back home Flat Ben tried out our neighbor Scott's Quad and loved the chance to to a wheelie.


Saint Frances of the Garden welcomed Flat Ben to the garden for some tea.


Flat Ben then spent the rest of the beautiful day on our front porch watching the sheep mow the grass.

Happy Birthday to Real Ben.

No Scrabble we watched the BAFTA Awards.

Quote of the Day ~

"Painting is the art of protecting flat surfaces from the weather and exposing them to the critic"~ Henry Louis Mencken

Music and Art - Two Muses at the Art Walk

First Friday is usually just about art but this First Friday started with benefit concert at WOW hall.

The W.O.W. Hall (aka Community Center for the Performing Arts) is a performing arts venue in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It was formerly a Woodmen of the World (W.O.W.) lodge. The W.O.W. Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

The first group performing was "The Dead Ringers."


Their music was great Barry Flast is the man on the keyboards who was also the lead singer.


Barry and Paul Biondi (Wind and Brass, Vocals) were wonderful to watch with Paul playing two Saxophones at the same time at one point.


The guitarists was astounding and as good as any I've ever heard.


"The Quattro Four Quartet" was next performing "poetic music" that was different...


... but lively

They got a rousing cheer and participation...


... when they closed with a real washboard country medley .


Blues was at it's best when the Karen Lovely Band took the stage. The band is made up of Karen Lovely - vocals; Joe Diehl - guitar; Allen Crutcher - keys/harp; Bobby D - bass; Teri Cote - drums.

The music was as good as you will ever hear and Karen does thing with her voice that can only be described as turbo-charged velvet. The group came up for this Haiti benefit from Ashland.


It was a great start to a wonderful Art Walk evening.


We then drove over to the parking garage at 7th and Willamette. The first gallery we walked to was the Jacobs Gallery. There were four artists on display.


Shelley Albrect's "Faces" caught my eye immediately and was very reminiscent of something I'd seen before.

When I saw this Albrect painting everything clicked. I had met Shelley about two years ago at Lane Community College when I had visited a printmaking lab to photograph the printing making process. Renee Manford had invited me to document the process. Shelley was in the lab and this wonderful painting was one she had just finished.


The art at Jacobs was all very colorful and unique in style and beauty.



I met the proud father of this artist Rogene Manas whose creativity was ...


... intriguing and beautiful. What father wouldn't be proud of the beauty coming from a daughters mind and the skill of her hand


Just about as tender as an image can be.


I wondered if the point of her art is that the mind is a hidden garden revealed when we create.

From there we walked over to the Karin Clarke gallery. I liked the alcove area and the beautiful display there.


Sorry for the yellow tint in this brilliant pastel by Andrew Johnston titled "Willamette River"



Karin Clark's Gallery show is "A resale Exhibit" featuring work from collections of Oregon Art aficionados. The show includes such artists as Guy Anderson , Arthur Baggs, Russell Chatham, Mark Clarke, Margaret Coe, Martina Gangle Curl, Carl Hall (seen above), Lance Wood Hart, Charles Heaney, George Johanson, Andrew Johnston, Anne Kutka McCosh, David McCosh, Carl Morris, Nelson Sandgren, Margaret Via, Jack Wilinson, Una McCann Wilkinson, Beatrice Wood, Brett Weston, and others.


We walked across the street to White Lotus Gallery and I could tell Sharyn was getting tired part of being an "early to bed early to rise" person.


So we walked back to the parking garage where I tried taking a couple of pictures one of the White Lotus Gallery entrance and ...


... one of a flower arrangement above the gallery. Not much luck but interesting flubs.

No Scrabble

Quote of the Day ~

"There are only two kinds of freedom in the world; the freedom of the rich and powerful, and the freedom of the artist and the monk who renounces possessions"
~ Anais Nin

* Personal Note - One freedom takes and the other gives and freedom doesn't follow it leads.