In 2013, EW debuted ArtsHound, our first-ever special issue devoted solely to the visual arts. In my letter last year, I outlined an ongoing problem I’d seen in Eugene and Springfield — artphobia. Oh how far we’ve come: Art walks are bustling and sprouting up all over the city, local arts orgs and schools have received hundreds of thousands in grant funds and new murals seem to pop up every week. EW even got into the game with our ArtsHound box series now on display downtown through the end of September (see “Outside the Box”).

The creative fervor has not gone unnoticed — the inaugural ArtsHound issue won first place in the Society of Professional Journalists Northwest Region awards for best Special Issue (beating out Willamette Week, the Portland rag came in second and third). What does that mean? In our hyper-connected world, artists no longer need to be in New York City or Paris (or Portland) to make art that matters and moves people. In fact, we came across such an abundance of homegrown talent that it couldn’t fit into one issue; look for ArtsHound stories to fill EW pages for weeks to come.

Lest we forget, however, that the arts are the first to be cut from budgets and galleries are fighting to stay open, especially in our fair city. So my call to arms is the same: Put down your phone, turn off your screen(s) and go engage with the art and artists that make this a beautiful place worth living.

In this issue:

Dark Angel

Tracy Sydor focuses on helping abuse survivors through photography

The Clay Conundrum

The intersection of pottery and sustainability

The Art of Nostalgia

Allison Hyde tries to capture the ephemeral before it’s too late

Outside the Box

Meet the winners of EW’s inaugural ArtsHound box art contest

Take Five

Arts leaders pick their top pieces of local public 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!