Arts Hound

Comedian Brian Regan is beloved for the same reasons Jerry Seinfeld became a household name: He does observational comedy without relying on profanity to edge-up his act. But don’t confuse “clean” jokes with boring — fellow funnyman and f-bomb launcher Marc Maron has said Regan is the favorite comedian of other comedians. Need a refresher or an introduction? Regan’s appearance on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Seinfeld’s latest show, is a good start (watch at wkly.ws/1vj). See Regan’s act 7:30 pm Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Hult Center.

The opening First Friday ArtWalk of 2015 is a lovely swirl of wood sculpture (Robert Horner’s work at New Zone Gallery), wood prints (Josh Krute’s tree forms at Urban Lumber), photography (the images of Tracy Sydor at InEugene Real Estate and of Sam Gehrke at the Broadway Commerce Center), global watercolor studies (various artists at The Gallery at the Watershed) and more. Mija Andrade, resident artist of Oregon Supported Living Program, will host the guided tour. See lanearts.org for details.

Also opening 5 pm Friday, Jan. 2, at WOW Hall is the “kaleidoscopic” art show featuring multimedia works by Anna Helena Jackson, one of the winning artists of the EW ArtsHound on Broadway contest. Her design (of a psychedelic unicorn, mind you) was displayed on the EW distribution box outside of Tokyo Tonkatsu during the month of September. A replica of the unicorn and other beautifully intricate and whimsical works will be up for the entire month.

Made in the USA — the monthly LGBTQ happy hour and fundraiser put on by The Department of Spectacular at The Barn Light — is back for round two 6 pm to midnight Wednesday, Jan. 7, and this time around, the theme state is Kansas. If last month’s inaugural event was any indicator, the downtown bar will be booming with an all-ages crowd sipping on specialty Wizard of Oz cocktails and mugging for the photo booth or, rather, the aptly named “Anti-Westboro Mocking Booth.” There will be Kansas BBQ and music by The South Hills Bluegrass band.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!