First Weekend returns to Toledo
Toledo’s First Weekend art tour returns after a two-month hiatus this Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, with galleries and studios throughout town opening their doors to connect with the public.
Now at its new location at the Vicarage House Museum, the Yaquina River Museum of Art will display pieces from its permanent collection and select works on loan from the Michael and Judith Gibbons Trust. Included as part of the selected works on loan from the Gibbons Trust is "Wall Woman" a bronze cast by renowned sculptor Nano Lopez.
Born in Colombia and developing an early passion for sculpting with clay, Lopez began his career as an apprentice in Madrid, Spain, at 23, carving marble and fabricating steel under the direction of Francisco Baron. Lopez relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 1983, honing his skills in Washington foundries before starting his own business in 1987, developing his own artistic works with commercial success.
Nano is known for his incorporation of the organic and industrial in his sculptural works. "Wall Woman" is a cast of an early work from the artist showing his skill of sculpting the classical form and seamlessly incorporating the rigidity of walls, brick and machinery.
The sculptural works of Paddi Moyer, Martin Eichinger and Mark deGraffenreid will also be on display.
The Yaquina River Museum of Art is located at 140 NE Alder Street, open noon to 4 pm during First Weekend. For more information, go to yaquinarivermuseumofart.com.
Sharing a space with the Vicarage House Museum is the collected works of Michael Gibbons, a founder of the Yaquina River Museum of Art, who was known for his oil works painted on location. On display is "Pink Forest Hills," a painting that encapsulates the emergence of spring in the Pacific Northwest featuring the red new growth of deciduous trees against the hills of the coastal range while skunk cabbage begin to bloom in the foreground.
See this original as well as other select works by the artist at the Vicarage House Museum located at 140 NE Alder Street, open from noon to 4 pm. For more information on Michael Gibbons, go to michaelgibbons.net
At the top of Alder Street to Highway 20, Posh & Polished Salon will be displaying the candlecraft work of Holli McRae. Her handcrafted candles from Shining Light Candle Co. represent the artisanship of small batch production. Featuring wood wicks and comforting fragrance profiles like fresh coffee, baked banana bread and inviting vanilla, Holli's work is meant to bring another level of experience to admirers' homes.
Posh & Polished Salon is located at 207 E Hwy. 20.
On Main Street, Bruster's Whimsy Game Cafe is opening its doors to the public, displaying dioramas for visitors to enjoy.
“From cavemen to spacemen, every figure carries a story,” Bruster said. “The style shifts with the character. Some demand flash and color. Others call for grit, weathering and the quiet scars of experience. Through layering, detail and atmosphere, paint becomes personality."
Bruster's Whimsy is located at 139 S Main Street, open from 1 to 5 pm on Saturday, and 1 to 7 pm on Sunday.