DIVA NEWSLETTER: UP FRONT

• Up Front: News about DIVA
• Gallery Exhibits: Current Shows
• Calendar: Screenings and Events
• Community News and Events
• Opportunities
• Web Explorations
• Archive: 2006 or 2007 DIVA Newsletter

Artist Salon: Developing Your Presentation Materials. Becky Guy, DIVA Exhibits Coordinator and Scott Huette, Arts and Administration Instructor at the UO will present on the critiquing of presentation packages. The Salon meets on August 19th at 4 PM.

DIVA's Summer gARTen Party. An invitation to Tenold and Karen Peterson's is coveted by artists, epicures, and anyone who enjoys good company. Such an experience will be had on Sunday, August 19 from 3 pm to 7 pm by those who hold tickets to DIVA's first Summer gARTen party on High Pass Road.     Not only is this a beautiful garden setting for an elegant soiree, but you will be treated to a sumptuous feast, Oregon wines and Metropol desserts - locally grown food for locally grown art. Be casual or elegant, but wear sensible shoes. Handicap accessible.     The afternoon will begin with tapas and sangria at DIVA at 1:00 pm. A chartered bus leaves at 2:15 for the party where you will be treated to a variety of High Pass, Rainsong and Pfeifer wines, barbequed lamb, fresh garden salads and veggies, and Metropol bread and desserts. Music will be provided by Mood Area 52 and the Swinging Marmalukeys.      Tickets are $110 and are available at DIVA. Call Mary Unruh at DIVA, to reserve your space, or email .     The gARTen pARTy is a fund raising event to help support DIVA's mission of being a center for the visual and cinematic arts in the heart of Eugene. Reserve your place now for this unique event.

Youth Media Workshops. The Center is offering teens four workshops during the month of August. These include: Manga for Teens , Tooning Around, and The Teen Animation Club. For full descriptions see the Class and Workshop section.

OpenLens Festival Call for Entries. DIVA announces its fourth annual mid-Oregon video and film festival. This festival provides an opportunity for local film makers to showcase their work in a competitive event. Prizes include Best Juried Award and Audience Choice Award. The festival will be held January 11-12-13, 2008. The Center is now accepting submissions of short film/video works of 10 minutes or less by media artists in SW Oregon counties of Benton, Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Lane, Linn, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath. Visit the OpenLens web site for more information.

Second Saturday Studio Art Sale August 12th. DIVA hosts a special sale of art work at the Center each second saturday of the month from noon to 4:00PM. DIVA member artists offer a wide variety of art often including glass, textiles, basketry, original jewelry, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video/film, and other media. Original art for re-sale by DIVA member collectors will be considered. Individuals interested in selling their art can learn more online or call DIVA at or email i.
   Our Second Saturday Art Sale in September falls during the Eugene Celebration.  Since we are going to be staging media events inside DIVA, we are going to make this a Sidewalk Sale (September Second Saturday Sidewalk Sale). It should be a good sale with all the Celebration traffic.  Member artists interested in having work for the sale, must be willing to pull a shift watching the art and helping with sales.  Mary Unruh will need to know by September 1st who will be selling art so the right number of tables can be to set up and volunteers scheduled.  Hours will be extended from 10 am until 6pm.

August Volunteer of the Month. Kristi Koons has been an active volunteer at DIVA, helping out with a variety of tasks. She manages DIVA's general myspace page, uploading exhibit and event information and sending out bulletins. She has also been a big help at First Friday and special occassions or assisting with the Media Arts Program's many screenings and festival activities. Kristi's special interest in film and video comes naturally after years of working with the film industry in Los Angeles. She is currently writing a screen play and is participating in DIVA's advance screen writing workshop conducted by Thomas Blank.   I was missing Denver even before I got to Eugene. That was nearly three years ago and I wasn't sure anything could take the place of the artistic access there. Then I saw that bright, colorful awning at the corner of Olive and Broadway, and I sensed there would be artistic possibilities here too.      DIVA turned out to be rich with access as well. For me volunteering at DIVA has been about learning how other artists experience and express their art. From First Fridays to the film discussion groups, workshops, art classes, video slams and so much more, I have felt welcome and included even when the medium or event was new and unfamiliar to me. DIVA offers so many opportunities to experience art in a first-hand way, and offers artists of every persusion a chance to glimpse and experience each other's work. As DIVA continues to grow and become an even greater artistic venue, how could I not keep volunteering?