Drink the Pond Water Punch and enjoy the show

It’s time to party with lizards, snakes, alligators, frogs and turtles July 28 at the Graduate Hotel. They take center stage for the opening night for The Reptilian Cotillion: An art show celebrating the slithery and scaled. “It’s a very quirky show,” says artist Rae Matagora, who is curating her first solo exhibit, and she promises that you will be immersed in a whimsical realm where reptiles epitomize grace and elegance. Matagora encourages everyone to wear bow ties, gloves or any reptile-themed attire. “At the core of it, it’s dumb fun,” Matagora says. The Eugene artist is a screen printer, illustrator and designer, and the exhibit, she says, reflects that. “I’m really playing with large-scale art.” In addition to the art, The Reptilian Cotillion show features refreshments (non-alcoholic “Pond Water Punch”) and gummy bugs to snack on. Also, there will be a photo booth with Eugene photographer Athena Delene.

The Reptilian Cotillion: An art show celebrating the slithery and scaled — a family-friendly art exhibit from screen printer, illustrator and designer Rae Matagora — is 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Friday, July 28, at the Graduate Hotel, 66 E. 6th Avenue. RSVP at GraduateHotels.com/happenings. 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!