First Weekend
Head to Toledo this Saturday and Sunday, July 6 and 7, to celebrate the arts community with a unique look at local galleries and a chance to connect with the artists behind the work.
Now on display at the Yaquina River Museum of Art is the "Summer Selection" series, works chosen from the museum's permanent collection that capture the spirit of long summer days and dazzling sunsets in our coastal region. John Hewitt's "Sunset Near the Oregon Coast" is an expansive watercolor depicting the drama of the ever-changing cloud formations and striking colors of the sky against an Oregon farmscape. Hewitt lived in Toledo with his family for three years and was a close personal friend with museum founder Michael Gibbons. At the time, his artistic career was secondary to his profession in the medical field as an emergency room doctor. Now, post-retirement, Hewitt lives in Fort Bragg, California, where he pursues his artistry full time as a plein air painter. See the works currently on display in the "Summer Selection" series at The Yaquina River Museum of Art, open from noon to 4 pm at 151 NE Alder Street. For more information, go to yaquinarivermuseumofart.org or call 541-336-1907.
Just across the street, The Michael Gibbons’ Signature Gallery, will feature a special spotlight on "Laguna Gold," a warm seascape by the late regional artist that makes the viewer want to wade out into the crystal blue water. Although known for his works in the Pacific Northwest, Gibbons had strong connections with many plein air groups in California, including the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association in which he was a Signature Artist. "Laguna Gold" was painted in 2000 for the Laguna Plein Air Invitational. See this piece, and many more summer scenes by Michael Gibbons at his Signature Gallery open from noon to 4 pm at 140 NE Alder Street. For more information, go to michaelgibbons.net.
Over on Graham Street, Ivan Kelly's Studio & Gallery will be welcoming visitors to view the artist's landscape, big-game and maritime works. Included in the studio space is "Summer Time River Banks," a depiction of grazing cattle on the far bank of the Yaquina River as wildflowers overrun the foreground on a hot afternoon. Kelly's work has shown in multiple juried exhibitions, and he is a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists since 2000. Ivan Kelly's Studio & Gallery is open from noon to 4 pm at 207 East Graham Street.
On Main Street, Crow’s Nest Gallery & Studio features the works of more than 15 artists including whimsical oil paintings by Veta Bakhtina, found art assemblage by Janet Runger, fused glass by Alice Haga, photography by Sylvia Hosie, sculptural jellyfish mobiles by Paula Teplitz, digitally manipulated photographs by Jeff Gibford, Tish Epperson’s watercolors, ceramics by Val Bolen and woven fiber jellyfish created by Susan Jones.
Crow’s Nest Gallery & Studio, open from 10 am to 5 pm, is located at 305 N. Main Street.