Eugene Weekly‘s Gift Guide 2009:
Tak a Cup o’ Kindness Tippling under the tree
The Art of Holiday Shopping Campus museums make the season bright
Beyond Water Pipes Alterna gifts from the “pipe & tobacco” shops
Won’t You Light My Bike Tonight? Seasonal cycling gifts
Purl It Together The joys of fuzzy yarn shops
Plantin’ in the Rain Winter supplies to brighten a gardener’s heart
First Time’s A Charm Two artists take on the Holiday Market
Annex of Art DIVA delights in new holiday space
Annex of Art
DIVA delights in new holiday space
by Natalie Miller
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| Photography by Brian Lanker |
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| Tiles by Steve Reinmuth |
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| Sculpture by Ellen Tykeson |
Are you looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the art enthusiast in your life? Or simply looking to enhance your own art collection? Then head downtown to the DIVA Holiday Annex at 80 E. Broadway, where you’ll find an assortment of Eugene’s finest art, ranging from bronze statues and jewelry to light sculptures photographs and paintings. And if you participated in DIVA’s Studio Tour this year or have visited the gallery recently, you’ll recognize some of the artists at work, including metal artist Ryan Beard and light sculptor Stephen White.
By shopping at the DIVA Holiday Annex, you’ll not only be making your loved ones happy with local works of art, but you’ll also be supporting DIVA. Half of the money from all of the art will be donated to the gallery, except for the pieces from the collection of Lynn McDonald and Carolyn Kranzler (Kranzler is a founder of DIVA), in which DIVA will receive 100 percent of the proceeds. Included in the Kranzler/McDonald collection are Pulitzer Prize winning-photojournalist Brian Lanker’s black and white portraits (Portrait of a Man, $350). Lanker’s work has also appeared in LIFE magazine and Sports Illustrated.
Another artist displaying work at the Holiday Annex is jewelry maker Ruth Von Buren. The collection of Von Buren’s work at the annex includes handmade silver earrings, necklaces, bracelets and broaches, “all reasonably priced,” says DIVA’s executive director, Mary Unruh. Von Buren’s jewelry resembles very organic shapes and colors. One of the pieces that instantly stands out is a silver necklace with a simple chain, accompanied by an extravagant turquoise sphere ($425). If you’re interested in the jewelry, you may want to head downtown soon; Unruh says she has already sold a significant amount of Von Buren’s work.
The annex also carries work by figurative sculptor Ellen Tykeson. An Oregon native, Tykeson grew up in Portland and later graduated from the UO with an MFA in sculpture. Her piece titled “Spin Me” is a 12 x 12 bronze statue of a woman and child pair, twirling by the hands the sculpture itself spins on bearing.
The DIVA Holiday Annex has a large variety of mediums to choose from, all from local artists. And whether you are looking to make a purchase or not, check out DIVA’s first Holiday Annex. Karen Alvarado, a DIVA volunteer, has created a stunning display of the work, installing each piece of art in its seemingly perfect place. The yellow, green and orange walls of the building (loaned to DIVA by Summit Bank) are the ideal backdrop for DIVA’s collection.