Arts Hound

Keep the Whit original: The Whiteaker Tattoo Collective opens its door for Last Friday Art Walk from 5 to 9 pm Friday, Jan. 29, at 245 Van Buren St. See new work from Sharden Killmore, the lord of “fly art” (yes, his medium is dead flies) and oil paintings by Erich Scwhartzwald of human-animal hybrids.  Also on Last Friday Art Walk, The Photography at Oregon group will screen the fantastic and mysterious documentary Finding Vivian Maier starting at 7 pm at Jon Meyers’ studio, 385 W. 2nd Ave.; free or by donation. Continue reading 

Red All Over

Local comics illustrator Mike Allred talks Silver Surfer, killing the Comics Code and the dearth of superhero penises

Hey kids! Look, no penises

Eugene-based comics artist Mike Allred smiles wide. “I’m a professional child,” he says. Allred’s understated style turned heads when his Madman hit stores in 1992, paving the way for him to work with many of the best writers in the business as he drew the shiny, spandexed heroes he grew up loving. A couple years back, when Marvel Comics green-lit a new, light-hearted series based on the classic brooding hero Silver Surfer, editor Tom Brevoort knew instantly this project had Allred’s name written all over it. Continue reading 

Painting the Political

'Feel the Bern' by Jerry Ross

Artist Jerry Ross recently spent a lot of time with Donald Trump’s face. As a Bernie Sanders supporter, this was no easy feat. “I got a lot of praise for that Trump painting because it captured his arrogance,” Ross says. “Also, his jaw, it’s very much like the jaw of Mussolini,” he adds with a laugh, referencing the fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Continue reading 

Arts Hound

For those willing to brave the cold, First Friday ArtWalk will be brimming with holiday cheer. Courtney Stubbert, of Eugene Contemporary Art, partners with Threadbare Print House to host a pop-up print shop —  “Give Shop” — 5:30 to 9 pm Friday, Dec. 4, at 945 Olive in Broadway Alley. “Give” posters will be screenprinted on the spot. All proceeds go to Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Lane County. Continue reading 

A New-World Old Master

The brilliant, challenging outsider art world of Henk Pander comes to Eugene

Henk Pander

Henk Pander’s Portland studio is how I imagine an Old Masters’ pad — be it Vermeer, Rembrandt or Hals — in 17th-century Europe. Strewn about are remnants of still lifes, palettes with fat slabs of oil pigment and enormous canvases, all dwarfed by 20-foot ceilings. With the afternoon sun filtering in through skylights, it’s nothing short of glorious.  Continue reading 

Arts Hound

In Eugene, one of my favorite markers of the season is the Día de los Muertos opening reception at that old dame on 15th Avenue — the Maude Kerns Art Center. By opening night (Oct. 16 this year), the sun sets early, hastily swapping out for a harvest moon. In the moonlight, the campus neighborhood buzzes with families, students and other show-goers crunching through the leaves and up the steps into the cozy, glowing art center.  Continue reading