Join us for the   Ashland Gallery Association First Friday Art Walk Ashland’s year-round celebration of  Visual Arts culture!  Exhibit openings and artist receptions October 5th from 5 to 8 PM   Stroll the galleries downtown & the Historic Railroad District.   Enjoy this free community event filled with a diverse array of artwork, artist demonstrations, live music, refreshments and lively conversation!    Pick up a Gallery Tour Map at any member gallery or download the October Art Walk map off our website. For more about all of our member exhibits visit: www.ashlandgalleries.com Here is a sampling of our October exhibits & special events… Art & Soul Gallery Mountains and More, Paintings by Carla Griffin   “It is my desire to awaken in the viewer the delight that arises from careful observation.”  Carla J Griffin, PSO Carla presents her exquisite, realistic Oil and Pastel paintings.  Her expressive landscapes depict the world through her observations and vision.  Carla’s works will be exhibited through the month of October.  Please join us for a festive opening on First Friday, October 5, from 5-8 PM. Carla has won numerous local awards for her art including Painting of the Year from Southern Oregon Society of Artists and Best of Show from the Josephine County Artists Association. Griffin has also been accepted into four Pastel Society of Oregon’s judged shows with awards in two of them and is now a Signature member. The Pastel Society of the West Coast also accepted an entry from Griffin. Image caption: Carla Griffin, “Smith Rock”, painting   Art & Soul 20th Birthday Celebration We will celebrate bringing Fine Art to Ashland and the surrounding communities on Friday, October 26, from 5-8 PM.  Join us for birthday cake, wine, music and of course fine art! Schneider Museum of Art Fall Exhibitions September 28th, 2018 – January 5th, 2019 Opening Thursday, September 27th, Museum Members and Volunteers VIP reception 4-5pm, General Public, 5-7pm Entry Gallery: Terrain: The Space Between from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. Featuring work by Vija Celmins, Judy Pfaff and Ed Ruscha Main Gallery: Field Burns, a solo exhibition by Patrick Collier Heiter and Treehaven Galleries: Outland About, a two-person exhibition featuring Carl Diehl and Susan Murrell. Curated by Patrick Collier   The exhibitions will be complemented with First Fridays, FREE Family Days and Tuesday Tours – drop in docent-led tours of the exhibition held every Tuesday at 12:30 PM.   Image caption: Patrick Collier, “Gate Burn”, digital print SPECIAL EVENT! Riding Beyond  Healing HeArts – Breast Cancer Awareness and Fundraiser   Riding Beyond is a non-profit organiza­tion that opens doors to the future for breast cancer survi­vors through in-depth experiences in the horse/human connection.  In support of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, local businesses will participate in this fundraiser by providing gifts for a raffle on First Friday and cash donation jars throughout October.   Ashland Art Center Collage Making Event Ashland Art Center will host a collage making event: Horses and the HumanHeart, conducted by Riding Beyond participants and volunteers during October First Friday Art Walk.  Find out how horses provide life-changing benefits for the many after-effects of breast cancer treatment, often lingering for years. Hear stories from participants of their enthusiasm for the “miracles” that unfold for them. See videos of interactions with the horses. Create your own collage to take home the power of the horse to benefit your own life. Find more information at ridingbeyond.org. This event is part of Riding Beyond’s city-wide public awareness campaign on October First Friday: Healing HeArts.   Participating Galleries and Businesses:   American Trails: Gifting a $50 gift certificate  Ashland Art Center: Artists Gifts Basket; plus they are hosting the Collage Event Ashland Art Works:  $50 gift certificate *Be Cherished Salon:  Gift Basket *Imani Institute of Cosmetology: Gift Basket *KIXX : $50 gift certificate  *Lark’s: (Medford) $100 gift certificate Manzanita on Main: Barnwood framed Giclee by Texas artist Mary Gregory Melanie Macinnes: 20% of all her art sold that evening Platt-Anderson Cellars:  20% of sales October 5th; Gift Bag of Wine for raffle Pony Expresso:  Coffee Gift Basket (needs a sign); plus donating 10% of their sales on Oct. 5th POSH Organics: Skincare Boutique Spa: Gift Basket *Sew Creative:  $50 gift card, including a private shopping experience after store hours for up to 5 *Strands Salon: Gift Basket The Crown Jewel: a $35 gift certificate Three Penny Mercantile: $50 gift certificate *Umpqua Bank: wine and treats gift basket Walton Art House: silver and gold ring with a moonstone (valued at $100) handcrafted by Denver artist, featured for the month of October *These galleries/businesses are supporting the Healing HeArts event with a donation to be raffled off the evening of October 5th, although they will not be open for business during the hours of the First Friday Art Walk. Ashland Art Works Rogue Valley Views: Woodworking, Furniture, and Paintings   Visit us this month to see new offerings by painter Michael Gibson, who took inspiration from Oregon’s Bear Creek Wine Trail, and furniture maker John Weston, who uses woods found and sourced in the Rogue Valley. Come by and meet the artists at First Friday on October 5. Michael’s style is unique and at the same time inspired by works of post-impressionist artists. For this show, he traveled Oregon’s Southernmost Bear Creek Wine Trail and painted views from the wineries. The oil paintings are on particleboard, which provides an interesting texture. Michael received his BFA from Houston Museum of Fine Arts. He has worked as a designer, art director and taught life drawing, illustration, painting, graphic design and photography at Art Institute of Houston and the Art Institute of Seattle.     Becoming a part of a cooperative of artists has inspired John Weston to stretch his woodworking and to combine form with function. His work is intended to provide generations of use and enjoyment. Mortise and tenon joinery, mitred splines, dowels, dovetails. and floating tenons are a few of his favorite construction techniques. John’s work consistently attempts to highlight the natural beauty found in selected pieces of lumber.  He collects unique pieces of lumber and finds enjoyment in sharing their beauty with others. When using exotic woods, he tries to purchase certified lumber that is harvested from tree farms. John’s greatest satisfaction comes from using woods native to Oregon.   Image caption: Michael Gibson, oil painting Gallerie Karon Faces, Hidden and Revealed   Masks, Puppets and Portraits There are a couple of twists to the annual mask and puppet show this year at Gallerie Karon. We’ve added portraits to the mix that will include work by Robert Paulmenn, Pam Danielle, Brooks Garden Hauschild and Richard LeVitt among others.   The most unusual offering is from a private collection of vintage ventriloquist dummies. It’s rare to see a grouping like this and all for sale! Hand puppets are also in the evidence and many, many animals are represented.  We even have stringed marionettes! Our extensive mask collection comes from all over the world. It includes helmet, face and shoulder masks. (We have a few fun ones for Halloween wearing too!)   Image caption: Ventriloquist Dummy SPECIAL EVENT! Coming October 13th & 14th! 5th Annual Ashland Open Studio Tour Free public event Come Into Our Studios… The Ashland Gallery Association sponsors the Ashland Open Studio Tour on the weekend of October 13th and 14th  from 11-5 PM.  The public is invited to tour the private studios of visual artists in our region, including Ashland, Phoenix and Talent. On this Studio Tour you will find exceptional artwork and are invited to see working studios and artworks in progress. This is a great chance to engage with the artists and ask questions about their work and individual creative processes. Demonstrations are scheduled throughout the two-day tour.   Visit www.ashlandost.com for more information and a map of the participating studios.  Facebook : www.facebook.com/ashlandost  Instagram : www.instagram.com/ashlandopenstudiotour   NEIGHBORING ART ORGANIZATION Art du Jour Gallery 213 East Main Street, Medford, OR 770-3190 (Tues. – Sat., 10-4) During the months of October and November, Debby Fisher’s work will be featured in the Salon and Millie Clarke will be the featured artist on the feature wall at Art du Jour Gallery, 213 E. Main in Medford. On Third Friday 9/21 music will be provided by the Minstrel Streams, 5-8 pm. Debby Fisher received her art education from many venues majoring in art education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, studying drawing at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a plethora of workshops along life’s journey. In the mid 90’s, after settling in Oregon with her family, Debby studied commercial art with Semyon Bilmes, who now leads Atelier Maui. After a time in the illustration business, she was drawn back to oil painting through the work of great artists, such as Michael Dudash and Chris Hopkins, who she had the privilege of connecting with and learning from through the Masterpiece Christian Artists Conferences.  Now doing commissioned pieces and gallery paintings that reflect the beauty God surrounds us with every day, her work is in many private collections across the country. Millie Clarke is an acrylic abstract artist who enjoys using texture in her painting to achieve depth. She has always loved the paintings of Van Gogh and Picasso so she began copying on of each artist. She is still on an exploration to learn new methods and trying new materials.  Like my mentors, I became an abstract painter learning the meaning of the expression “The Agony and the Ecstasy”. The joy she feels comes from the unexpected surprises that arise from mixing colors and methods.  The agony comes at the beginning when she is looking at a blank canvas.  When asked, she says, “After all, I am an abstract artist, so new paintings come from my mind, my hands, and usually not from the things around me. I continue to learn by experimenting and seeking the counsel of other artists. I have embraced Pablo Piccasso’s philosophy, I am always doing that which I cannot do in order to learn how to do it.” Image caption: Millie Clarke, “Marionette” acrylic painting   The Ashland Gallery Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the visual arts in our communities.