ArtsHound

A beautiful transformation is happening at Whiteaker CarPark South (5th Alley and Blair Boulevard). After a call for artists this spring, the Whiteaker Community Arts Team (WCAT) chose local artist Ila Rose (née Ila Kriegh) to paint a mural that represents the unique Whit neighborhood and she’s already well on her way. In fact, the mural is slated for its grand debut Friday, June 24, during the Whiteaker Art Walk, despite some ass clown spraying sloppy tags all over it the night of June 17.

Seriously, taggers: WTF? There are enough ugly blank walls in this city to use as a canvas. Defacing art is a rotten thing to do. Rose, however, worked fast and has already painted over the tags.

“It is about coexisting with nature and harmonious relationships that are necessary for sustainable living,” Rose tells EW of the mural. “It is a nod to the native people that once lived on the land; the subversive underground culture that has cultivated an environment of activism and creative thought; and the homeless population that continues to occupy the outdoors.”

She adds: “It is an attempt to present the humanity, beauty and community in one of Eugene’s oldest and funkiest neighborhoods — an area that has often received negative attention. The image is a figure reclining, immersed in a dream where growth, acceptance, change and creativity come together to create community.”

Look for more on Rose in next week’s issue as we chat with her about creating the 2016 Oregon Country Fair poster.

Also on the June 24 Whiteaker Art Walk is “Social Pressure,” a printmaking event 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Whiteaker Printmakers, 1328 W. 2nd Ave. Drypoint printmaking will be the theme, which is a “simple technique using a plastic or metal plate to create an intaglio print,” write Heather and Paul Halpern, owners of Whiteaker Printmakers. “We have room for eight people to participate in the printmaking, and those slots will fill up on a first-come, first-served basis.” No experience is required but there is a $10 materials fee.

Again in the Whit that night, painter Adam Rubin opens his show “Surrender to the Flow” 5:30 to 9 pm at the Bohemia Apothecary & Tea of Life teahouse, 960 W. 5th Ave. His swirling, twisting, kaleidoscopic acrylic works are a trip, and worth a trip. Also, there will be puppets.

If you liked what you read about rising artist Simon Graves in EW’s June 9 issue (“Painting the Good: In an era of vitriolic hyperbole, local artist Simon Graves focuses on the positive”) — he does stunning portraits of Chief Joseph, Frida Kahlo, Abe Lincoln and more — head to The Wayward Lamb downtown. Graves’ work will hang for two days only: June 26-27.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art exhibit Aliens, Monsters, and Madmen: The Art of EC Comics is up through July 10 and comics historian Mark Arnold holds a corresponding lecture on the lasting legacy of cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman and Mad Magazine noon Wednesday, June 29; FREE.

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.

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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!