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By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
Experimental Abstract Paintings by Alx Fox
We are honored to feature the work of Alx Fox as our Guest Artist for September/October 2022. Her September 2022 Guest Exhibit opens Friday, September 16, with a reception on Saturday, September 17, from 1–3 pm. The show remains on display through Sunday, October 30.
Alx Fox is a fine art abstract expressionist and instructor who has worked in the fine arts since 1985. She studied art, photography, and design at Barat College in Lake Forest, Ill., focusing on experimental art. She was President of the Southern Oregon Society of Artists from January 2012 through 2014 and served as Vice President for the organization in 2011. Her work is held in private collections worldwide and has also been showcased in many national and International shows. Further extending her reach into the art world, she has been a national show judge. Most importantly, Fox won the Cutting-Edge award at the 2016 International Society of Experimental Artists Show. Moreover, she conducts workshops throughout the United States. In addition, Alx currently serves as president of the board of directors at Rogue Gallery and Art Center, Medford OR.
Her years of study made it clear that Alx’s life would be centered upon her passion for art and self-expression. Fox’s art reflects life and the layers of changes that impact it. Using a variety of mediums, such as digital, acrylic, and ink, Alx creates paintings with bold blended colors and distinctive textures. As an abstract expressionist, she is driven by her passion for self-expression through art. Therefore, she believes that working in a single medium is restrictive to her artistic process. As a result, each concept manifests in its own individual style.
Artist Statement:
“For me creating abstract art is a meditative journey. I feel that a blank canvas is not something to be afraid of but an opportunity for an infinite number of unique creative expressions. As in life, it is more satisfying to focus on the journey rather than the destination. My works enable me to experiment with an endless combination of colors, textures, tools, and ideas. Each step in the creative process allows for the opportunity to express any emotion, enhancing the image with each and every layer. Working in the abstract grants the opportunity for endless creativity while incitingthe viewer.”
Join us to welcome Alx to Art Presence at a reception in her honor and get an up close and personal look at her September 2022 Guest Exhibit! Click here for more info.
Can’t make it to the reception? Remember to visit Art Presence Art Center any time through the end of October to enjoy the expressive abstract paintings of our Guest Artist Alx Fox! Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the paintings you can expect to see in person at the gallery:
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
Our members’ show in the Main Gallery Exhibit continues through September. The works below speak to the quality of the art our members faithfully create for patrons to consider adding to their collections.
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
September 2022 Arts & Letters – A Conversation with Author Debbie Chinn
Arts & Letters – Debbie Chinn
The livestream of our September 2022 Arts & Letters features host Ginna BB Gordon having a conversation with author Debbie Chinn, who also reads from her recent memoir. Register to listen and participate here.
Debbie Chinn’s distinguished 30-year career as an arts activist, non-profit consultant, and CEO of major arts organizations has been distinguished by her efforts to champion equity and inclusion.
In this online conversation, Debbie talks about her book, Dancing in Their Light: A Daughter’s Unfinished Memoir. It’s the story of a proud daughter of immigrant parents, growing up and performing in her family’s renowned Polynesian nightclub. Furthermore, she showcases the legacy of her family’s many contributions to the American cultural and international scientific landscape – from moo shu pork to NASA’s “vomit comet.”
She initially intended to document her family’s remarkable journey as immigrants in New York. But with the renewed rise in anti-immigrant and anti-Asian vitriol, Debbie felt it was especially timely to share what one family could do to assimilate, make significant contributions, and bridge themselves to the larger American culture in an era when the Chinese were not welcome.
Quote from the Author
“Growing up in a restaurant and nightclub, selling cigarettes at the age of three, working as a bartender’s helper at the age of six, and spending my weekends performing during my teenage years are naturally good fodder for a memoir. There aren’t many people whose childhood included learning how to walk on fire…” (from the book)
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ABOUT DEBBIE CHINN:
The proud daughter of Chinese immigrants, Debbie Chinn was born and raised on Long Island, New York. While other children participated in sleep-overs, summer camps, and sports activities, Debbie’s childhood was spent at The House of Mah Jong. Because this was her family’s Chinese restaurant, she entered the workforce at the age of three…selling cigarettes. Over time, her responsibilities expanded. Therefore, she sat on a bar stool inserting umbrellas into cherries and pineapple slices for an assortment of exotic drinks by the age of six.
Inspired by her childhood experiences, Debbie established a distinguished 30 year career as an arts activist, non-profit consultant, and CEO. As a result, she has led some of the country’s most renowned cultural institutions and their programs. She has long championed equity and inclusion; to that end, she has an insatiable appetite for forging bridges via the arts, humanities, and cultural heritage.
For more information about Debbie Chinn, visit debbiechinn.com.
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
Come to the gallery and see the fine artworks our artist members have created for our August 2022 Main Gallery Exhibit! This show opens Friday, August 5, with a reception on Saturday, August 6, from 1–3 pm. The show continues on display through Sunday, September 11. The works below speak to the exceptional quality of art that our members faithfully turn out for our patrons to consider for their collections.
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
We’d like to introduce our new Executive Director, Paula Bandy! After an exhaustive search, we are delighted to have found an individual with such strong credentials and commitment to the arts. Succeeding our founder, Anne Brooke, in this position is no mean feat, yet we are confident that she’s the perfect person to lead Art Presence Art Center into the future.
Paula Bandy, Art Presence Art Center’s new Executive Director
About Paula Bandy
Paula loves when people ask her where she’s from. “Paris,” she replies, then hesitates. Watching as their eyes light up, she then smiles and says, “Illinois.” And everybody laughs.
A child of the cornfields, one of her favorite memories is sitting on the old wooden steps of her beloved aunt’s house listening to the squeak of the corn silks as she pulled the husks away from the yellow core. Her dad was a painter and lithographic artist so being artistic and creative were innate in her upbringing. Visits to art museums were always part of visits to Chicago and summer vacations.
As a transplant from the flatlands of Illinois to the mountains of southern Oregon, via Arizona, Israel, and Utah, her first try at college was as a dance and English major. She learned that dance required more physical commitment than she wanted and decided to travel instead. After time spent living in Israel and traveling in Europe, she eventually returned to Arizona and fell into work as a commercial make-up artist/fashion stylist for 20 years before finally returning to college years later.
There she rediscovered her love of writing, cultures, and old things. Many art and writing classes later, while working toward her degree in anthropology, she was the Special Events Coordinator at the Natural History Museum of Utah. To this day this is the job she looks back on as the catalyst to her future. It was love at first artifact.
She and her family moved to Ashland and already a writer and artist, theater and performing arts lover, she then discovered wine. Her love for southern Oregon was sealed.
Paula was a writer and on-air commentator for Jefferson Public Radio, the Southern Oregon University NPR affiliate for a decade. While garnering a couple more degrees she honed in on her writing craft and art skills with the intention of designing a meaningful life.
Currently, Paula is the bi-weekly wine columnist for Medford Mail Tribune. She’s covered wine, lifestyle, food, and home for Oregon Wine Press, Southern Oregon Magazine, and additional national and international academic publications. She’s also a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist (CSWS) and creates a kind of ‘artifact’ jewelry, pb~bodyvine, which is available locally at Carefree Buffalo in Jacksonville.
Coming full circle into art, Paula lives with her dapper dachshund, Copper, in a 120-year-old house in Medford, with rooms filled with art and books.
Please join us in welcoming our new Executive Director to Art Presence and the Jacksonville community!
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
H2O – Works in Watercolor by Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass
We are excited to feature the work of Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass as our Guest Artist for August 2022. An award-winning artist, Lynda has worked in the medium of watercolor for over 40 years. A third-generation artist, Lynda learned much about painting watercolor from her mother, Elaine Hoffman. Lynda received a degree in art from Southern Oregon State College in 1978.
Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass is a signature member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon. She is a past President, lifetime member, and 2014 recipient of the Watercolor Society of Oregon’s Service Award. Lynda is also a signature member of the Northwest Watercolor Society, a lifetime member of the International Society of Experimental Artists, and an associate member of the American and National Watercolor Societies.
For many years, Lynda has judged art exhibitions, presented lectures and demonstrations, taught workshops and private classes, and critiqued for art organizations and individuals. Her paintings hang in collections throughout the United States and around the world.
Artist Statement:
“From shared experiences in realism, tributes to spirituality and journeys into abstraction: my artwork is a culmination and a sharing of my life experiences, dreams, inner visions, of all I that am. As a third-generation artist, I was encouraged to explore and express my creativity at an early age. Predominately, I am a watercolorist; a colorist with a strong emphasis on design. The most important part of a painting for me is the message or experience that I want to share with the viewer. How I handle this dictates the style and medium that I use. If I can do this with watercolor I will, but I won’t limit myself to just that medium.
“Born in Wisconsin, I moved to Oregon in 1964. I have called the Rogue Valley in Oregon my home since 1972. In 1973, I began to work with watercolor on paper and decided to make it my primary medium. It was 1978 when I received my degree in Art from Southern Oregon State College. A past president, signature, and lifetime member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon, I was greatly honored to receive the 2014 WSO Service Award. I am also a signature member of the Northwest Watercolor Society, a lifetime member of the International Society of Experimental Artists, and an associate member of the American and National Watercolor Societies. I have judged Art Exhibitions, presented lectures and art demonstrations, taught classes, and critiqued for art organizations as well as individuals. My paintings hang in private collections throughout the United States and around the world.
“Over the years I have grown and changed, with it, so have my paintings. Today, I want my artwork to stir or spark something within the viewer, to allow their imaginations to play.”
Remember to visit Art Presence Art Center to enjoy the bright and expressive paintings of our Guest Artist Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass! Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the paintings you can expect to see in person at the gallery:
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
Once again, our artist members have outdone themselves with artworks that make a fantastic show for our July 2022 Main Gallery Exhibit! This show opens Friday, July 1, and continues on display through Sunday, July 31. We should have more images come in soon, but for now, we’ll let Anne Brooke’s lovely watercolor, “Roses and Baby’s Breath,” and two beautiful pieces by the Wirfs’ speak for everyone.
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
Fluid Art with Brenda Mills Brannan
Summer Heat, by Brenda Mills Brannan
Did you miss Brenda’s class the first time around? Fluid Art with Brenda Mills Brannan is back for July 2022. In this class, you can enjoy learning about the techniques artists use to produce Fluid Art with plenty of time to practice them yourself! Art Presence member artist Brenda Mills Brannan wants to share her experiences, inspire you, and let you, too, experience the challenge and fun of fluid art. Join her on four Wednesdays—July 13th, 20th, 27th, and August 3rd—from 1:00 to 3:30. All skill levels of painters are welcome. Visit Brenda’s website to see gorgeous paintings created with these fluid art techniques.
Cost: $100 Minimum 6 students, maximum of 8. Supplies: Some supplies are provided; upon registration, a list of additional supplies you’ll need for this class will be sent to you.
July 13th, 1-3:30 pm: Fluid Art Technique: Alcohol Ink. One-hour demonstration. A small hands-on project for the last 1 1/2 hours. July 20th, 1-3:30 pm: Fluid Art Technique: Acrylic Pour. One-hour demonstration. A small hands-on project July 27th, 1-3:30 pm: Fluid Art Technique: Resin Painting. One-hour demonstration. A small hands-on project for the last 1 1/2 hours. August 3rd, 1-3:30 pm: Q&A session on Fluid Art Techniques, plus time to catch up on your projects.
August 3rd, 1-3:30 pm: Q&A session on Fluid Art Techniques, plus time to catch up on your projects.
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
Fluid Art with Brenda Mills Brannan
Summer Heat, by Brenda Mills Brannan
Did you miss Brenda’s class the first time around? Fluid Art with Brenda Mills Brannan is back for July 2022. In this class, you can enjoy learning about the techniques artists use to produce Fluid Art with plenty of time to practice them yourself! Art Presence member artist Brenda Mills Brannan wants to share her experiences, inspire you, and let you, too, experience the challenge and fun of fluid art. Join her on four Wednesdays—July 13th, 20th, 27th, and August 3rd—from 1:00 to 3:30. All skill levels of painters are welcome. Visit Brenda’s website to see gorgeous paintings created with these fluid art techniques.
Cost: $100 Minimum 6 students, maximum of 8. Supplies: Some supplies are provided; upon registration, a list of additional supplies you’ll need for this class will be sent to you.
July 13th, 1-3:30 pm: Fluid Art Technique: Alcohol Ink. One-hour demonstration. A small hands-on project for the last 1 1/2 hours. July 20th, 1-3:30 pm: Fluid Art Technique: Acrylic Pour. One-hour demonstration. A small hands-on project July 27th, 1-3:30 pm: Fluid Art Technique: Resin Painting. One-hour demonstration. A small hands-on project for the last 1 1/2 hours. August 3rd, 1-3:30 pm: Q&A session on Fluid Art Techniques, plus time to catch up on your projects.
By Art Presence, 368 contributed posts
View all Art Presence's posts. About the author: Founded by artist Anne Brooke, Art Presence is an art organization operating as a non-profit under the Arts Council of Southern Oregon. We've grown from a small group of Jacksonville artists with our board meeting at the GoodBean Cafe to over 100 artists with an art center and gallery in the historic core of our charming town. Our mission is to encourage and develop a growing art presence in the city of Jacksonville, to provide venues for artists which will enhance their work and encourage patronage, to work with the merchants of Jacksonville to promote a variety of outstanding events and displays to draw visitors downtown, to inspire and educate and provide additional beauty to our city. For contact information and web links, please visit our listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource
Our July Guest Artist Diana Rasmussen is back with “Landscapes of the Heart!” You may remember her gorgeous display of hand-sewn kimonos a while back. Now she’s offering a collection of quilted textile art that will captivate your imagination with the gorgeous imagery and powerful messages she creates with fabric and thread. See her exhibition at Art Presence Art Center from Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 31.
Here is a preview of what you can expect to see in Rasmussen’s show of fine textile art:
