Arts Hound

October 2 is will be a doozy in Eugene’s art scene:

Walk like a slug: The new SLUG queen, Queen Markalo Parkalo, hosts First Friday ArtWalk Oct. 2. First stop is 5:30 pm at The New Zone Gallery for its annual “Salon du Peuple” show. Then follow the slime to Eugene Weekly’s distribution-turned-art boxes — ArtsHound on Broadway — at Bijou Metro, The Wayward Lamb, Tokyo Tonkatsu and Noisette Pastry Kitchen (read more in “Street Views” this issue).

If you like what you see, Noisette and EW are hosting a corresponding art show with the featured artists — Marlis Badalich, Santiago Uceda, Sara Talmadge and Neal Williams. The ArtWalk concludes with stops at Passionflower Design, Pacific Rim Art Guild and Vistra Framing & Gallery.

Indie Game Con and Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts (DIVA) present the “Indie Game Con Art Show” in the public hall of Lane Community College’s downtown campus Friday evening. DIVA says “this free event will show how video games have made an indelible mark on modern culture.”

In other, somewhat odd, news, Eugene’s DIVA has relocated 40 miles southwest to Drain, Oregon. The new DIVA will host its grand opening of the DIVA Gallery and Art Center 5 to 7 pm Oct. 2 at 128 W. C Ave., Drain.

The Barn Light-East (545 E. 8th Ave., Suite A) presents Instagram snaphots from its #SeenInEugene campaign, which was “designed to challenge the way people see our community both in viewing others’ photos of scenes in Eugene and in taking their own photos.” The top 100 photos have been developed and will be revealed at the opening reception 5 to 10 pm Friday, Oct. 2. Prints and catalogues will be for sale with 100 percent of proceeds going to Lane Arts Council. #SeenInEugene will be on view through October.

Oct. 2 is also the last day to see Fast Forward, the Mayor’s Teen Art Show, at Maude Kerns Art Center. The next exhibit at Maude Kerns is its beloved and 22nd Día de Los Muertos, Oct. 16 through Nov. 6.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art opens the exhibit Expanding Frontiers: The Jack and Susy Wadsworth Collection of Postwar Japanese Prints with a reception 6 to 8 pm, Oct. 2, featuring an array of contemporary print techniques — aquatint, etching, intaglio, lithography, mezzotint, silkscreen and more.

On the arts horizon:

ArtsHound alum, oil painter Analee Fuentes (see “Inside the Artist’s Studio,” 9/19/2013), joins artists April Coppini and Harold Hoy for the group show “Natural Selections” opening Oct. 9 at Jacobs Gallery at the Hult Center; it runs through Nov. 21.

Meanwhile at the Lane County Fairground, the 17th annual Clay Fest is back Oct. 9-11 featuring ceramic art and handmade pottery by dozens of artists from “raku to woodfire, from garden art to ceramic sculpture, from functional dinnerware to decorative art.”

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!