This is a press release courtesy of Lane Arts Council

Lane Arts Council's First Friday ArtWalk on Sept. 5 begins at 5:30 p.m. at La Follette Gallery and Frames, 931 Oak.

This month's ArtWalk will be hosted by Debbie Williamson-Smith, Public Relations Coordinator at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Jill Hartz, the Director of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, will assist her as Guest Host.

Want to report an art opening or First Friday event? Please post a comment and add an item to the free community calendar.

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First Friday ArtWalk map | GET DIRECTIONS

#1 La Follette Gallery – 931 Oak St. La Follette Gallery features the work of Jean Denis. Her exhibition shows encaustics of ancient Egyptian portraits, in an attempt to replicate those done 2,000 years ago. Originally, these portraits were kept in the homes of those depicted, until the death of that person, when the portrait would be placed over his mummy. Concerning her feelings about the process, Denis explains, “I had the sensation that the person portrayed looked at me with expectation in a twilight zone between life and death. That I remembered them and felt very much connected to them and they spoke to me, if only to say, ‘Remember me; I am,’ or ‘I was.’ Their faces have, by some miracle of painting, captured life itself. The depicted person lives on in spite of mortality and the span of millennia. Their subjects have, in a sense, really attained immortality.” You definitely do not want to miss this unique show!

#2 Fenario – 881 Willamette St. Fenario Gallery is pleased to announce that they will be hosting a solo exhibit of new works by former Eugene resident, Steven Lopez. The show will feature works on canvas by Lopez, AKA Frustr8, as well as a limited duration installation piece, the material costs of which were generously underwritten by the Lane Arts Council. Steven lived and worked in Eugene for several years, earning a degree in Fine Art from the University of Oregon. Before moving to Los Angeles to explore a new art scene, Steven completed several beloved local murals, including the Le Petit Gourmet mural at 26th and Willamette. He was also instrumental in leading the 2000 Lane Arts Council project ArtWall, in which he mentored and guided a group of local youths in the design and execution of a downtown mural near Shoe-A-Holic. At the ArtWalk, Fenario will unveil Steven's publicly funded installation piece, feature a performance by premier North West DJ Matt Nelkin, and serve refreshments. | MORE

#3 White Lotus Gallery – 767 Willamette St. The White Lotus Gallery features the works of two internationally renowned printmakers in an exhibition entitled “Shades of Difference: The Etchings of Tanaka Ryohei and the Silkscreens of Kozo.” Tanaka Ryohei always knew what he wanted to depict: the world in which he came from and lived, in particular where man and nature combined. His minutely accurate etchings focus on thatched-roof farmhouses and threadlike tree branches that are quickly disappearing from the Japanese landscape. Tanaka Ryohei’s work has been collected by the Singapore National Museum, International Graphic Art Society in New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Museum of Japanese Culture in Florida, and the David Rockefeller Collection, just to name a few.

Equally interested in nature is Japanese silkscreen artist, Kozo. Kozo began painting while attending Keio University. Gradually, he became known in both Japan and Europe for his silkscreen prints, in which he employs the simplest motifs with gradations of colors in the background. A self-proclaimed “Environmental Artist,” Kozo uses familiar objects such as flowers, butterflies, seeds, leaves, fruits, and vegetables. His work expresses the close relationship between man and nature. Kozo has shown his work extensively in Japan, Europe, and the United States. He has also created murals for both public spaces and private homes, such as National Electric in Tokyo, the presidential palace in Baghdad, and the Daiichi Hotel in Nagoya.

#4 Opus6ix – 22 W. 7th. Opus6ix features the works of Allen Cox with an exhibition called “Dante’s Garden.” He has also included a few works from past series to diversify the collection. His art is mostly abstract, yet he sometimes includes pictorial elements, which only add more complexity to his pieces. Cox received his M.F.A. from the University of Oregon and studied with Frank Okada, another famous abstract painter. In 2001, OPB featured Cox in the series called Oregon Art Beat. He is an artist that is collected not only in the United States, but internationally, as well.

#5 S.L.U.G. Queen Competition and Coronation -- Park Street Blocks, 8th and Oak.
The Society for the Legitimization of the Ubiquitous Gastropod proudly presents The 26th Annual S.L.U.G. Queen Competition & Coronation on Friday, September 5 at the Park Blocks, 8th & Oak on the "Saturday Market" Stage. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., with music from Rich Glauber and Friends. At 7:00 p.m., there will be Queenly introductions and hoopla, a farewell to reigning Queen Glorious Gastropause, and the three part competition, which includes the gaudy costume contest, an on-stage talent performance, and a question designed to test the wit of each hopeful Slug Queen. Finally, the coronation of this year’s Slug Queen will take place. The judging will be done by the Old Queens and celebrity judges, including bestselling author Laurie Notaro, whose There's a Slight Chance I Might Be Going to Hell is a fictionalized version of the SLUG Queen competition, and Kelli Warner, from KMTR.

The following galleries and stores will also be open 5-8 p.m. on Sept. 5 during the ArtWalk:
DIVA, Eugene Public Library, Fenario, Harlequin Beads, Karin Clarke Gallery and Annex, Letterhead, Museum of Unfine Art, Sacred Traveler Gift and Gallery, and the SMJ house (SMJ admission: $5 / adults, $2 /children).

Lane Arts Council's First Friday ArtWalk happens every month of the year, highlighting diverse and dynamic art and art attractions in downtown Eugene and featuring artist interviews.

To participate as an art venue, e-mail advance details to Lane Arts Council, lanearts@lanearts.org