AT THE TOP: CENTER NEWS

DIVA Marchers. DIVA, for the very first time participated in the 2008 Eugene Celebration Parade. This effort, coordinated by volunteer Kristi Koons, included participants Mary Unruh, Jenny Merriman, John Spragens, Carolyn Kranzler and her husband Lynn, and Kristi Koons.     DIVA was an active venue for events during the three day party. Nearly 200 people attended the Eugene Celebration Film Festival held at DIVA and many more came in to see the exhibits and learn more about the Center. A big expression of thanks to all the staff and volunteer assistants who help showcase DIVA during the Celebration.

Open Studios Art Tour. DIVA's Open Studio Art Tour hits the road this month when participating artists open their studios to visitors. The Tour is scheduled for October 18, 19, 25 and 26.
    The Tour is an inaugural fund raising event by DIVA. With the purchase of the Center's 15 month Visual Arts Calendar comes a map that serves as a both a guide and ticket to the 30 studios on the tour.
    The calendar, which is beautifully illustrated with the work of participating artists, highlights monthly events at local arts organizations. The calendar cost $20 and is available at DIVA, and many other locations around Eugene. The calendar also includes a removable "Support Local Art" bumper sticker. A free calendar is included with each new DIVA membership.
    A preview exhibit of work by the 30 artists on the tour is available for viewing at the Center. At left is a slide show that illustrates just a few of the participating artists in this year's Open Studio Art Tour.

Major Photography Exhibit at DIVA. DIVA's first national traveling exhibit begins October 14th when "Rhapsody in Black and White" the photographs of Charles "Teenie" Harris go on view. This collection of 31 photographs have been selected from the Archives of Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, PA. The exhibit coincides with a presentation of "One Shot" by the Ronald K. Brown dance Company appearing at the Hult Center on October 26th. Professor Deborah Willis of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts and one of the nation's leading historians of African American photography, will discuss the photography of Charles "Teenie" Harris at 5:30 PM on Friday, October 17th.

African American Film Festival at DIVA. DIVA brings to Eugene the Early African American Film Festival October 14th-16th, featuring selected films from the archives of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum (MCLM) in Culver City, California. MCLM's President and Chief Executive Officer, Avery Clayton hosts the series.
    The films, selected by Mr. Clayton, are historically significant for their effort to portray African-Americans as individuals with the same-shared humaneness and humanity as others of the time in which the films were made. These productions are in contrast to the mainstream films of the period that often presented African-Americans in demeaning stereotyped and prejudicial comedic roles.
    The films, all musicals, star some of the jazz and musical greats of the early 20th century including Lena Horn, Bojangles, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Ethel Waters, Paul Robeson, and many others.

Exhibits Co-Director Nicolas Chase To Perform in Europe. Nicolas Chase leaves this month for Brno, Czech Republic to spend a week in residence at the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts. This is part of their month-long International Festival of New Music Plus (Setkavani Nove HudbyPlus) which features such contemporary music luminaries as Rohan de Saram (formerly of the Arditti Quartet) and the Recherche Ensemble Trio, to name but two.
    As part of his residency Nicolas will give a master class/workshop, meet with various students of media and composition privately, and give a concert of his own work that will be open to the public and part of the highlighted events of the festival.
    The concert takes place October 14th and will consist of two World Premiere Works: "Ngoma Lungundu (Voice That Thunders)" for electronic surround-sound music and interactive video and "Songs of the Thirsty Sword Part I (For Lucky Mosko)" for solo piano with interactive electronics and video.
    The concert will be reprised in San Francisco in two parts, the first with "Ngoma Lungundu" opening the San Francisco Music By The Eyeful Festival at the Luggage Store on October 23rd, the second with "Songs of the Thirsty Sword" in a private concert at the historic Maybeck Recital Hall in Berkley, CA the evening of October 25th. More information is available at on Nicholas' website www.nicholaschase.net.

LCC and DIVA Team Up To Offer Great Directors Seminar. The History of Film: The Great Directors course is a Lane Community College class held the first Sunday of the Month from 1:30 - 9:00 PM at DIVA as an on-going exploration of the trends and innovations of the most creative film makers. This fall, instructor Thomas Blank will screen and discuss films by Godard and the New Wave on October 5th, the work of Louis Buenel on November 1st, and the films of Lubitsch in Hollywood on December 7th. Registration for the LCC Course, Number 23171 The History of Film: The Great Directors, is $10. This fee includes 3 sessions for a total of 24 hours of instruction and film screenings. Participants may register through Lane Community College's Community Education Program. You can also register at the Downtown LCC Center. For more information call . Free parking on Sundays is available in the city lots on Charnelton, both north and south of Broadway.

Join DIVA's Volunteer Cadre. DIVA is a volunteer based organization and the service provided by its cadre of volunteer assistants has made it an outstanding downtown center for the visual arts. If you have only a few hours a week or many to offer as a volunteer, DIVA would like to hear from you. The Center is looking for individuals interested in serving as Gallery Hosts to greet patrons during the Center's open hours and provide information about DIVA's many programs and opportunities. Volunteers to assist with events, receptions, and other activities are also needed. If you have an interest in film and performances there are needs for individuals to help manage events. There are also special receptions and programs at which food and beverage servers are needed. The Center is also in need of specialized services including administrative assistance and graphic design. Interested? Contact the Center's Exhibit Director for more information. Or, visit the Volunteer page on DIVA's web site.

DIVA Board President Participants in Sculpture Dedication. The monumental sculpture piece, "A Fine Balance" by Ellen Tykeson, was unveiled on September 13th at Peace Health's new RiverBend campus in Springfield. This piece is comprised of 5 circus performers ranging in height from 4 feet to 12 feet and located in a meadow in front of the hospital. DIVA Board President Randy Stender and Dottie Chase, Past President of the Emerald Art Center, participaed in the unveiling of this new work. Stender's speech follows:

"It is a privilege to stand before you today to dedicate this signature work "A Fine Balance" by Ellen Tykeson.   Ellen told us that the piece was inspired by a poem "Mind, Body and Spirit."  My topic tonight is the body and I would like to explore for a few minutes the importance of body in the trilogy of mind, body, and spirit and its importance in the fine balance of life both on an individual level and on the community level.

This wonderful work of art was conceived in Ellen’s mind and expresses the essence of her spiritual message but it was created by her body.  Her fingers held the pencil to sketch the initial drawings, her hands then carefully sculpted the clay models, and finally using all of her physical attributes she finished the sculptures at the foundry and sited this wonderful work of art here.  The body is the instrument of the mind and spirit.  It is when there is perfect harmony between mind, body and spirit that we are happiest and healthiest.  A Fine Balance.

To paraphrase one of the great 20th century philosophers, Yogi Berra.  Remember as you admire Ellen’s work that its creation was 90% mental, the other half was physical.

Institutions also seek a balance between mind, body and spirit.  Sacred Heart had a full understanding of this when building this state of the art hospital.  Fine minds conceived and sited the hospital here which is dedicated to the spirit of healing but it is the facility, the body of the hospital which is the healing instrument.  The hospital is the instrument for healing in our community.  A Fine Balance.

There is a popular book in circulation right now called "The Tipping Point."   Tipping points are the levels at which momentum for change becomes unstoppable.  The author, Malcom Gladwell explores sociological changes that mark everyday life.  He argues that ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do.  It is the grain of sand that tips the scale.

I thought this an interesting analogy as I contemplated my words for tonight.  It strikes me that we are at a tipping point, a tipping point for the visual arts.  Our Eugene/Springfield community or our Emerald City as some refer to the greater metropolitan body, has long excelled in the performing arts as evidenced by the Hult Center, the Shedd and the Wildish Theater.   The visual arts on the other hand have been relegated a Cinderella role.  We have fine visual arts venues which include the U of O Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum and the Jacobs Gallery but both are less accessible than the performing arts venues. 

Fifteen years ago Dottie and I joined forces and founded the Gallery at the Airport whose mission is to showcase local art and art assets at our major port.  Unfortunately the events and circumstances of 9/11 have rendered it less accessible, too. Dottie and I were asked to talk today as champions of the visual arts in our Emerald City.  Some of Dottie’s unlimited energy is currently channeled to the Emerald Art Center and mine to the DIVA, the Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts.  Both of these venues provide a splash of color on our urban pallet and seek to make the visual arts more accessible.

The tipping point I referred to earlier is the commitment of PeaceHealth to the visual arts.  The fine minds that conceived and planned this great facility budgeted $1.75 million to commission 440 pieces of art by 53 different artists.  I believe this is the largest commission in the history of Lane County.  As I thought about this I realized that the book referred to the tipping point of things falling out of balance.  I remember as a child a teeter-totter was most fun when the person on the other side weighed the same as me.  With this commitment to the visual arts Peacehealth as added mass back to the light side of the teeter-totter tipping the scales back into balance.  A Fine Balance."

Wednesday, October 1 Judy Alison "Hands in Clay – A Tactile Conversation"
Time: 12 Noon
Cost: Free
~~~ Ceramic artist Judy Alison will give a free Art Talk about her work and creative process and will also lead a clay meditation in which those attending will have an opportunity to handle clay and make their own pinch pot.
    Judy Alison is a ceramic artist living in Eugene. She has taught children and adults, in schools and in her home studio. An active member of DIVA for nearly 4 years, and occasional leader of First Friday Art Walks, she is one of 30 artists participating in the Open Studios Art Tour happening October 18, 19, 25, and 26.  

Saturday, October 4 - Demonstrations: Fiber Art Process – Weaving and Surface Design
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Cost: Free
~~~ The interactive weaving demonstration demonstration will include looms, a spinning wheel, hand carders, and drop spindles. Come and see how the fiber artist plays with color and yarns to create new materials and structure.
    There will also be a demonstration of printing on the surface of cloth. We will provide cloth samples, or bring in a T-shirt. We will use the thermal imager and the heat press to create unique designs.

Tuesday, October 7 - Art Talk: JulieAnn Mills-Testi
Time: 12 Noon
Cost: Free
~~~ JulieAnn's presentation will focus on her work and her inspirations. Her work is currently on display as part of the Open Studios Art Tour preview show at DIVA. JulieAnn is a member of The Mouth and Foot Painting Artist organization.

Wednesday, October 8 - MOPAN: New Media Opportunities and the Internet
Time: 7:00PM (6:30 social)
Cost: Free
~~~ Mid-Oregon Production Arts Network (MOPAN) hosts Paul Berger, of Concentric Sky web design, who will address the question, "What is the role of media professionals and where are the opportunities for them in the world of Web 2.0?  In a world where content is king how can content creators profit from developing for the web? "

Thursday, October 9 - Art Talk: Sculptor Mark Andrew
Time: 7 PM
Cost: Free
~~~ Sculptor Mark Andrew will discuss his work that will be found on DIVA's Open Studio Art Tour October 18th, 19th, 25th and 26th. Andrew is a member of the Northwest Stone Sculptors Association (as well as the Pacific Northwest Sculptors), and has carved and taught at various symposia.

Friday October 10 - "The Greater Circulation" by Antero Alli
Time: 7pm
Admission: $6
~~~ San Francisco filmmaker Antero Alli will visiting Eugene to screen his docufiction feature "The Greater Circulation" (2005; 96min). The screening will be followed by Q&A.

Saturday October 11 - A-New Poetry with: Jules Boykoff and Kaia Sand
Time: 7:30 PM
Admission: $0-$5 sliding scale
~~~ Jules Boykoff is a published poet and author of Once upon a Neoliberal Rocket Badge. Boykoff runs The Tangent Reading Series in Portland, Oregon.
    Kaia Sand is the author of the poetry collection Interval (Edge Books 2004), and currently teaches at Willamette University in Salem.
   DIVA offers a monthly avant-garde poetry reading series that brings to Eugene emerging poets from Oregon as well as innovative writers touring the Northwest.

Tuesday, October 14th - Early African-American Film Festival: Cabin In The Sky. (1943) 78 minutes.
Time: 7:00 PM
Admission: $3-$6 sliding scale
~~~ Ethel Waters, Lena Horn, and Eddie Rochester' Anderson are caught in a musical version of the Faust legend in which Little Joe, a man killed over gambling debts, is given six months to redeem his soul and become worthy of entering Heaven. Without redemption his soul will be condemned to Hell.

Wednesday, October 15th - Early African-American Film Festival: Song of Freedom. (1936) 70 minutes.
Time: 7:00 PM
Admission: $3-$6 sliding scale
~~~ Paul Robeson plays John Zinga, a black dockworker with a great baritone singing voice. He is discovered by an opera impresario, and is catapulted to fame as an international opera star. Yet he feels alienated from his African past, and out of place in England.

Thursday, October 16th - Early African-American Film Festival: Hallelujah and Stormy Weather
Time: 7:00 PM
Double Feature Admission: $3-$6 sliding scale

Hallelujah. (1929) 109 minutes. The film tells the tale of Zeke Johnson, a sharecropper, and his relationship with a dancer, Chick, who manipulates him with her seductive charm.

Stormy Weather. (1943) 72 minutes. This is one of two major Hollywood musicals produced with primarily African American casts in 1943. The other film is Cabin In The Sky, which is also a part of this Festival series. Stormy Weather casts a number of the top African-American performers of the era, at a time when few black artists were seen in mainstream productions, especially in musicals.

Wednesday, October 15th - Gallery Talk with Avery Clayton, Festival Host
Time: 8:30 PM
Admission: Free
~~~ Festival host Avery Clayton, President and Chief Executive Officer, of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum (MCLM) in Culver City, will give a gallery talk about "The Evolution of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum: From a Backyard Collection to a Major American Cultural Institution".

Friday October 17 - Gallery Talk: Deborah Willis - the Photography of Charles Harris.
Time: 5:30 PM
Admission: Free
~~~ Professor Deborah Willis of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts and one of the nation's leading historians of African American photography, will discuss the photography of Charles "Teenie Harris on view at DIVA through November 22nd. Harris' photographs reflect African American urban life in the mid-20th century from the Depression to the Civil Rights Movement, from children playing on a hot day to celebrities like Louis Armstrong. His ability to capture the story with a single photograph earned him the nickname "One Shot".

Sunday, October 19 - Jump Start Your Youth Visions' Video Entry
Time: 12-Noon - 2:30 PM
Cost: Free
~~~ Come down to DIVA for an afternoon of celebrating teen video making. Meet other teen filmmakers. See winning films made by teens. Learn about local resources. Jump start ideas for your own film entry.

Sunday, October 19 - Artist Salon (No Salon this month)
~~~ The monthly Artist Salon will not happen in October, as the 1st Annual Open Studio Tour will be underway. Get your calendar/maps now and learn directly from some of Lane County’s most successful artists by visiting their studios. Be sure to ask for demonstrations on materials, techniques and business practices. Remember to join us again at the November Salon for an open art critique facilitated by Terry Way of Raven Frameworks."

Sunday October 19 - Video Slam!
Time: 7:00 PM
Admission: Free
~~~ The Video Slam, meeting every third Sunday of the month, welcomes students, amateurs, and professionals. Everyone is encouraged to bring completed videos, or work in-progress, for screening. We will watch, discuss and choose the best of the slam!
    This year the Video Slam will include mini-events, expanded opportunities for discussion, and networking opportunities. Come and help us continue to build Eugene's filmmaker community.

Saturday, October 25th - DIVA After Hours with the Douglas Detrick Quintet
Time: 9:30 PM
Admission: $5-$10 Sliding Scale
~~~ the Douglas Detrick Quintet plays original compositions and arrangements by its founder, Douglas Detrick. The group's repertoire ranges from classic, straight-ahead jazz to re-imagined versions of songs by Johnny Cash, Nick Drake and Radiohead tunes, to groove-oriented compositions that explore pop music styles.

Full Calendar Detail On The DIVA Center Web Site.

News of Area Non-Profit Arts Organizations:

Eugene International Film Festival. More than 70 films from around the world will be screened during this year's Eugene International Film Festival being held at the Valley River Center. For a full schedule of activity visit the EIFF web site.

Moroccan Dinner Fund Raiser Features Iraq Museum Film. The Archaeological Legacy Institute, with Adam’s Place Restaurant, is hosting a Moroccan dinner and benefit screening of "The Iraq Museum: Loss of a Nation’s Memory," the 2008 TAC Festival Keynote Address, by Dr. Donny George on Sunday, October 12, 5-7 PM at Adam’s Place Restaurant, 30 East Broadway. Chef’s Choice menu is made-fresh from the finest organic ingredients, tastefully presented for your dining pleasure (vegetarian entree available)  — $50 per plate. Remit in advance to: Archaeological Legacy Institute P.O. Box 5302, Eugene, OR 97405. Please provide name, contact information, and method of payment ~ (Accepting cash, check, credit card).

Art Education Fall Conference in Florence. The 2008 Oregon Art Education Association Fall conference will be held at Siuslaw High School in Florence Oregon Friday October 10th and Saturday October 11th. The keynote speaker is Nick Bantock. Bantock is the author, writer/artist of the Griffin and Sabine series. For conference details visit the OAEA Conference web site.

Celebrate Clay Fest 2008. This year's Clay Fest, October 10, 11, and 12 at the Lane County Fairgrounds Auditorium, celebrates 10 years of displaying and selling find handmade pottery, sculpture, vessels, jewelry and title. Check celebration web site for details.

Celebrate Arts in Florence. The Friends of the Florence Events Center presents Celebrate Arts! November 7-14. Information and artist application available online at the Celebrate Arts! web site.

Salon des Refuses at New Zone. The New Zone Gallery at 164 W. Broadway will exhibit the Salon Des Refuses entries September 11th - October 17th. An opening reception will be held September 11th at 6:30 PM and the gallery will be open during the Eugene Celebration. For more information visit the New Zone web site.

Korean Funerary Figures: Companions for the Journey to the Other World. The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art host an exhibit of Korean funerary figures through December 14, 2008. Carved by Korean folk artists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these tiny, brightly painted sculptures of clowns, tigers and acrobats—known as kkoktu—have been used in Korea for centuries to decorate coffins.

Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House Summer Exhibit. Patriotism: Heart & Home: The War Years as seen from the Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House. Exhibit draws on personal connections, including letters, photographs, and mementoes from the Spanish-American War through the Korean War. Collections, clothing, toys and household items will also be displayed. Exhibit continues through November.

2008 Mayor's Art Show - Eugene. The 2008 Mayor's Art Show will be held September 6th - October 11th at the Jacobs Gallery in Eugene. The Mayor’s Art Show, sponsored by the Oregon Eye Associates since 1986, is open during the Eugene Celebration to showcase the artistic excellence and diversity of work by visual artists living in Lane County. More information available at the Jacobs Gallery web site.

Maude Kerns 2 Exhibits Prospectus. The Art Center is currently accepting submissions for its 2 exhibit schedule. Regional, national, and international artists working in 2- and 3-dimensional mediums, as well as installation art, with or without video components, are invited to submit their work for consideration. Solo, group, and/or themed shows will be created based on the content, quality, and number of submissions. Download: 2 Prospectus. (PDF).

Call for Photographic Work. The 2008 Portfolio Issue of SHOTS no. 102, Winter Issue 2008 is seeking potential photographers who, if accepted, will be interviewed and featured on at least 4 pages in this annual issue. Learn More.

Call to Artists - The Robert Daniel Gallery. There is a new gallery in Tacoma called The Robert Daniel Gallery, we are located on 25th and Fawcett, we are looking to represent artist who work in Metal, Glass, Stone and Paintings. Our next show is the middle of October. Please send submissions via email .

Call for Art: Nonviolence as the Path to Peace -- A Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
High School Student Art Exhibit, January-February, 2009
Eugene Public Library
~~~ Beyond War is sponsoring an exhibit of student art that envisions a world beyond war. In celebration of the January 21 birthday of Martin Luther King, the art will be displayed at the Eugene Public Library on the second floor during January and February, 2009. Students may use any medium, two-or three-dimensional, and any size. Projects can be created by individual students or groups of students. Deadline date for submission is December 18, 2008. For more information and to arrange dropping off your art, call Anne at or email .

Ongoing Call For Proposals. BRING Gallery also accepts proposals for group and solo exhibits. We are looking for artists who are working with recycled and/or natural materials, and/or address environmental/sustainability issues in their
art. Please submit a short statement, artist resume and work samples to for consideration.

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Art Show: Artists' opportunities are posted in order by entry deadline and include calls for artists to exhibit in art shows, exhibitions, festivals & fine art competitions.