January/February 2022

THE LEAD
Art in the Mid-Valley
“The main thing is to be moved, to love, to
hope, to tremble, to live.” – Auguste Rodin
By Brian Egan
The Howland Open at The Arts Center
“Twenty years from now you will be
more disappointed by the things that
you didn't do than by the ones you did
do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away
from safe harbor, catch the trade winds
in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.”
These words by Mark Twain seem like a
good inspiration to start the new year.
Explore the first show of 2022 at The Arts
Center, featuring “Vessel” a curated
show of work by 5 artists dealing with the
wonders of the human body: it’s fragility,
illness, injury, healing, birth, aging and
suffering. The body will be explored
directly and through metaphor, using a
range of art media. Contributing artists
include John Holdway, MV Moran, Alana
Risse, Rhonda Vanover and Brenda
Whiteghill. While the name of the show
evokes images of 3 dimensional pieces
most of them will be 2 dimensional images
of human bodies as vessels. The show
runs from now until February 9th in the
main gallery with a reception on January
13 from 4:30 to 7:30.
Discover your inner artist at the ever-popular
Howland Community Open running
from February 15 to March 31 in the main
gallery of The Arts Center. This popular
exhibit features the work of artists of all
ages and skill levels, reflecting the joy of
art-making and the engagement of our
community with the visual arts. Art-making
is a valuable means of expression for
beginners and seasoned professional artists
alike. The pandemic kept most artists
at home in their studios again last year
so there should be many great pieces to
enjoy. The 2021 show featured over 200
artists showcasing painting, sculpture,
fiber arts, and more. If you are interested
in participating you can register and find
full details at www.theartscenter.net.
Arts Center members can drop off their
work from noon to 5pm on February 8th
to 11th, non-members can drop off work
on February 12th from noon to 4pm.
Imagine the Future After Loss by Genece Cupp
Would you like a glimpse into artists’
dreams of the future? You are invited to
come and enjoy “Imagine the Future”,
a juried art show at the Benton County
Museum in Philomath from January 28
– March 5, 2022. Artists were challenged
to envision the future and attempt to
delineate the steps to get there in 2
dimensional or 3 dimensional format.
Themes include environmental issues,
social justice, war and peace, location,
community, and family. Many local artists
will be featured in the show
Nehalem Bay Sunset Low Tide by Mel Archer
Fused glass artist Mel Archer is featured
in a show called “Broken Glass, Re-imagined”
in the Corrine Woodman Gallery
at The Arts Center from January 11th to
February 19th. In his words, “I see many
opportunities using glass frit to fulfill
my urging to see the world thru little
daubs of pure color”. Mel started taking
fused glass classes at Portland’s Bullseye
Glass in 2001 and is now teaching classes
and creating art at his home studio in
Redmond. Fusible, colored art glass is
comparatively new in the world as an art
medium. Developed by Bullseye Glass
of Portland in the late 1970s, fusible glass
is widely used by glass artists all over the
world. Very few glass artists have taken
the time to develop the custom- blended
formulas and techniques that enable
Mel to “paint” with glass. Mel’s work was
recognized in 2006 as a top 20 “emerging
artist” in Bullseye Glass’ international
bi-annual competition.
The Corvallis Art Walk (CAW) is back,
with social distancing measures in place.
The next walk is on January 20th from
4pm to 8pm. Please go to www.corvallisartswalk.com
for location information.
CORVALLIS
ARTS
CENTER
HOURS
Noon to 5:00 pm
Tuesday through Saturday
(check website for updates)
Phone 541-754-1551
www.theartscenter.net
12 Willamette Living Magazine | January / February 2022