The Outsiders Ball — a mash-up of art, fashion, music and philanthropy — is about to celebrate its third year.
“I really wanted to start helping out abuse shelters,” says Tracy Sydor, host and local photographer (and occasional EW photo contributor), of the benefit’s origins. Sydor discovered Womenspace, a local nonprofit working to end domestic violence, and proceeds from the event have gone to the organization every year.
“The name Outsiders Ball came from outsider artists, the unorthodox,” she says. “I wanted to put on something that is more along those lines for those darker artists.”
The ball will feature the work of more than a dozen artists including local talents like Meesha Goldberg, Shanna Trumbly, Rick Zar and Sydor herself. Two bands will play — the electronic Tdawgkorg and the darkwave Black Magdalene — bookending a runway costume show with looks from designer Mitra DeMirza Chester and St. Vincent de Paul, Kitsch-22 and La Femme Noir.
The food truck I Scream For Waffles, as well as refreshments, will also be at The Outsiders Ball, which runs 7 pm to midnight Saturday, Oct. 1, at Sydor’s photo studio, 1000 S. Bertelsen Road, #2; $5 suggested donation.
Downtown Cottage Grove is getting in on Fiesta Cultural, Lane Arts Council’s month-long celebration of Latin culture, 6 to 9 pm Friday, Sept. 30. Florabelle Moses will give a salsa dance lesson 6 to 7 pm at All American Square (aka Opal Whiteley Park, across the street from Axe & Fiddle), followed by live tunes from the Lo Nuestro band. The Opal Center will host sculptor, historian and musician Samuel Becerra.
Make it rain: Lane Arts Council, the nonprofit that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, was awarded $11,360 in grant money by the Oregon Arts Commission “to support intensive, hands-on apprenticeships for low-income middle and high school students in Springfield.” The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is also a recipient, with $12,009 going to its School Visit Program, and that’s not all: David Elliot and Roberta Buffet Elliot (an emeritus member of the OSF board of directors and sister to billionaire Warren Buffet) have donated $5 million to the festival’s Artistic Opportunity Fund — the second-largest individual donation in OSF history.
The city of Eugene and the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene (ABAE) awarded the downtown Shadowfox gallery (and new home to Perk Coffee) the first-ever Arts and Business Loan. With these funds, Shadowfox will be able to host a new exhibit every month as well as weekly and monthly events like Monday Artist Show & Tell, Tuesday Talk and Wednesday Art Bar. According to the city’s press release: “As the space evolves, underground studios will be made available to artists-in-residence, who will collaborate with Shadowfox to present wholly new bodies of work in the gallery. Woodshop, paint and photography facilities will be available for public use on a membership or project basis.”
Mark your calendars for the first Tuesday Talk 5 to 7 pm Oct. 18; the talk title is “Every Body Deserves Respect: A Discussion Hosted By Eugene
Musicians Against Sexual Violence” and it will respond to Portland musician Joel Magid’s Facebook confession to committing sexual assault. Magid has direct ties to Eugene; he used to live in town and started the band The Ol’ Howl and Smash here in 2003; since his social media confession, many other women have come forward to say the musician sexually assaulted them as well. Mental health professionals, university representatives, sexual assault advocates, community leaders and survivors of sexual violence will lead the free community forum.