Pictured: Where the Spring Begins by Susan Applegate in “Escape to the Forest,”

opening on January 9th

In This Newsletter

• From the Executive Director
• Winter Fundraiser
• Annual Members Meeting and Celebration on Saturday, January 31
• In the Galleries: Opening January 9th: “Escape to the Forest” featuring paintings by Susan Applegate, Joanna Carrabbio, Marco Elliott, and Greg Navratil; Winter Members Gallery & Gift Shop; Upcoming: Group Sculpture Show opens February 20
• Calls to Artists: 2027 – 2028 Biennial Call; Rolling Call for Members Gallery

• Art Education: Upcoming Weekend Workshops; Highlights: Middle School and Adult classes; Scholarships; Winter Weather Advisory
• Whiteaker Printmakers: Naturally Northwest Show; Intro to Photogravure Workshop; BIG INK
• Eugene Darkroom Group: February class offerings
• An Easy Way to Give
• Quarterly Thanks

A very happy New Year from the Maude Kerns Art Center!

As we welcome a new year, I am filled with gratitude and optimism for what lies ahead at the Maude Kerns Art Center. Because of your support, our galleries remain open and free, our studios active and collaborative, and our classrooms alive with curiosity and imagination.

This coming year, we look forward to deepening our commitment to arts education, expanding access to creative spaces, and continuing to support artists at every stage of their practice. At a time when connection and creative expression matter more than ever, the Art Center stands as a place where ideas are explored, skills are nurtured, and community is strengthened through art.

Your generosity makes this possible. Together, we are building not just programs and exhibitions, but a shared future where creativity is valued, accessible, and enduring.

Thank you for beginning this year with us. We are so thankful for your membership and support. 

The Art Center’s Winter Fundraiser is off to a great start with over $37,400 raised so far from more than 100 donors, including 21 new donors. Thank You!

Your support helps ensure that the Art Center will continue to provide high quality and accessible arts engagement opportunities for all ages. We hope our work inspires you and we invite you to contribute to our Winter Fundraiser. Every bit helps!

Donate Today – if you have not already done so.

Annual Members Meeting & Celebration

On Saturday, January 31, you are invited to the Art Center’s Annual Members Meeting & Celebration. Join us at 12 pm for the Members Meeting to learn about the Center’s most up-to-date news, celebrate our successes in 2025, and re-elect selected Board members. At this meeting, we also recognize our 2025 honorees:

Community Partner of the Year: Rainbow Valley Design and Construction

Instructor of the Year: Steve Steinaway

Volunteer of the Year: Tina Heffernan

After the Annual Meeting, from 1 – 2 pm, please join us for our featured “Escape to the Forest” Artist Talk. 

From 2 – 4 pm, the Art Center continues its Members Celebration & Open House when you can connect with Art Center Staff and Board, enjoy refreshments, tour the Center’s studios, and view the galleries.

Opening Friday, January 9:

Escape to the Forest: Paintings by Susan Applegate, Joanna Carrabbio, Marco Elliott, and Greg Navratil

The Art Center is proud to present our exciting season opener, “Escape to the Forest,” featuring work by Yoncalla artist Susan Applegate, Eugene artists and husband and wife team Marco Elliott and Joanna Carrabbio, and Gearhart, Oregon artist Greg Navratil. The exhibit opens on January 9, with a free public reception from 5 – 7 pm. “Escape to the Forest” is on view through Friday, February 6.

The four exhibiting artists, whose work is immersed in the natural world, create distinctly personal visions of the rivers and forests of the Pacific Northwest. Their various interpretations reveal a view of nature that is, in the words of Greg Navratil, both “grounded and magical.”

The public is invited to a free Artist Talk in conjunction with “Escape to the Forest” on Saturday, January 31, from 1 – 2 pm.

Pictured: Leaves by Joanna Carrabbio in “Escape to the Forest”

Winter Members Gallery & Gift Shop

The Winter Members Gallery will be open January 9 – March 20. Among the artists exhibiting are Kay King, Patti McNutt, Sally Schwader, and Laure Shipley. 

Work by Art Center members and Club Mud ceramicists is exhibited in the Members Gallery & Gift Shop throughout the year with artwork changing on a quarterly basis. For more information, contact Director of Exhibitions Liberty Rossel at exhibits@mkartcenter.org. For the prospectus and application, please visit: MEMBERS GALLERY

Pictured: Last Blast, oil on gesso board by Patti McNutt in the Winter Members Gallery

Upcoming

A group sculpture show featuring the work of sculptors Nadya Geras-Carson, Anna Golden, Karen Meyers, Christine Paige, Ellen Tykeson, and Mary Maggs Warren, opens on Friday, February 20. The exhibit brings together six artists who connected originally in figure sculpture classes taught by Ellen Tykeson, who also exhibits her work. The exhibit is on view through March 20.

Pictured: Mermaid’s Song, a bronze sculpture by Ellen Tykeson in the upcoming group sculpture show

2027 – 2028 Biennial Call: Maude Kerns Art Center is currently accepting submissions for the next biennium of exhibits. Local, regional, and national artists (individuals and groups) working in 2- and 3- dimensional mediums, as well as installation art, are invited to submit their work for consideration. Solo, group, and/or themed shows will be curated based on the content, quality, and number of submissions. Established, mid-career, and emerging artists are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, May 3, 2026, at 11:59 MST. Artists may submit online or by mail. Mail applications must be postmarked by May 2. There is a $35 application fee. To apply: BIENNIAL CALL

Rolling Call to Artists: The Maude Kerns Art Center is pleased to open a search among its membership for new artists in the Maude Kerns Art Center Members Gallery & Gift Shop. What is special and sets MKAC’s Members Gallery & Gift Shop apart is that all work is by our member artists. It is a great source of pride to feature the work of our members. For the prospectus and application, please visit: ROLLING CALL

Below are some highlights of our Winter Class Schedule. Visit WINTER CLASSES for the complete lineup of Winter classes and workshops.

Upcoming Weekend Workshops

Eugene Collage Collective

Saturday, January 17

1:00 – 3:30 pm

$15 drop-in fee

Come be a part of the Eugene Collage Collective and celebrate collage with us in this Open Studio session! Meet fellow collage artists and learn from a variety of interesting styles. Open to all levels of experience. Some collage materials will be provided. Please bring your favorite materials and tools.

 *This is an Open Studio - no instruction will be provided.

Layered Landscapes

Saturday, January 31

1:00 – 3:30 pm

Register here!

Come try your hand at watercolor in this step-by-step crash course! By the end of the workshop, we will have created a painting - from sketch to finished art piece - using layered paint to block out lighting and build up colors and shapes.

Middle School Classes

Acrylic Essentials

Thursdays, January 8 – February 26

4:00 – 5:30 pm

Register here!

Join us in this class, where we'll work toward completing finished acrylic paintings by learning the foundations. Students will get hands-on practice, working with color mixing, lighting, and composition, all through engaging exercises. Ultimately, participants will leave with the skills needed to successfully paint with acrylic paints.

Drawing and Illustration

Tuesdays, January 13 – March 3

4:00 – 5:30 pm

Register here!

Develop your drawing and illustration style! In this class, we will work on a series of drawing and illustration projects focused on character, environments, and storytelling. Each lesson covers a concept that will help you create your own artistic style and unique voice.

Sustainable Style Lab

Wednesdays, January 14 – March 4

4:00 – 5:30 pm

Register here!

Gather scraps and some of your well-loved clothes and turn something old into something new! Learn all about upcycling techniques and create wearable art pieces that you can show off around town. From paint to patches, sewing, printing, and more, you can turn your old clothes into something fresh, stylish, and good for the Earth.

Adult Classes

Stories in Cloth: The Textile Book

Wednesdays, January 14 – March 4

10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Register here!

Step into a world of texture and color and discover the magic of storytelling through textiles. You will design and assemble your very own textile books using beautiful fabrics, stitches, and embellishments. Along the way, you’ll learn a variety of hand-sewing techniques and creative ways to bring your pages together. Explore how to combine layers and textures and add personal touches to create something that feels both artful and uniquely your own. A perfect class for fabric and book lovers, makers, and dreamers alike. Come stitch with us!

Digital Drawing with iPads

Thursdays, January 8 – February 26

6:00 – 8:30 pm

Register here!

Do you have some experience with drawing and want to branch out into digital art? Maybe you want to try out digital design or collage? Procreate on the Apple iPad might be the right tool for you. From setting up your first canvas to exporting your finished masterpieces, you will learn everything you need to know about making digital art on the go. Previous drawing experience is recommended but not required.

**Students must provide their own iPad and Apple Pencil.

Scholarships

The Art Center currently offers scholarships for 50% of the cost of tuition for classes. Scholarships are available for all age groups through the Susi Larsen & Cameron Serbu Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Madeleine Christenson Scholarship Fund.

To be considered, applicants must fill out the application prior to registration and payment. You can apply today on our website.

In the event of bad weather, the Art Center will close if the 4-J School District is closed. Classes for that day will be cancelled, and a make-up session will be held at a later date. If the 4-J School District is delayed, all Art Center classes before 12 pm will be cancelled. Please visit our website after 12 pm on the day in question to check for afternoon and evening classes.

Naturally Northwest Show

Reception Open and Free to Public:

Sunday, January 11, 1 – 3:30 pm

Demos, Poetry Readings, and beautiful work on the walls!

Twenty-six Print Art Northwest (PAN) artists are partnered with 26 poets to collaborate on a series of solar plates, combining selected poems with printed elements to create a unique exhibition. The exhibit is on display through Friday, February 6. Be sure and stop by the Whiteaker Printmakers studio to see the prints. For info: NATURALLY NW

Intro to Photogravure Workshop

Saturday and Sunday, January 24 & 25, 10 am – 4:00 pm both days

Join Sarah Grew for this Weekend Workshop and learn all you need to know about the Photopolymer Photogravure Printing Process!

The process uses UV light to etch into a light sensitive polymer attached to a steel plate. You can get an amazing range of values and beautiful image quality.

PHOTOGRAVURE

There's still time to sign up for BIG INK!

April 18 & 19, 9 am – 5 pm

Sign up to print a large-scale woodcut at Whiteaker Printmakers in April! Participants get to carve a large-scale woodblock at home and then join us at WhitPrint to print the block using the Ray Trayle Press. Scholarships are available for students. If you want to carve, we recommend signing up earlier to give yourself time to do so.

Check the link to learn more and sign up! BIG INK WORKSHOP



If you're interested in seeing the printing process, stop by the Whiteaker Printmakers Studio on April 18 and April 19 to watch the Ray Trayle press in action. Viewing the process is free and open to the public!

Eugene Darkroom Group will be offering film camera and darkroom classes in February! We have three classes, each available on two evenings:

Manual Camera Function & Shooting Basics

Monday, February 2 or Thursday, February 5, 6 – 8 pm

This class is for those who are interested in working in a darkroom but are unfamiliar with shooting film. The instructor will guide you through the basics of manual camera function and shooting on black & white 35mm film to prepare you for the work in the darkroom.

B/W Film Processing for Beginners

Monday, February 9 or Thursday, February 12, 6 – 8 pm

This flexible and customizable course is designed for beginners and those seeking a refresher in processing their own black and white film (35mm or 120 format). Bring an undeveloped roll of black and white film (that you have already shot) with you, and we’ll provide equipment and chemistry!

B/W Darkroom Printing for Beginners

Monday, February 16 or Thursday, February 19, 6 – 8 pm

This class is designed for beginners with limited previous experience making black and white prints in a darkroom. Bring a developed roll of black and white film with you and we’ll provide everything you need to make your prints!



Please go to the EDG Classes page for more info and to register.  

We have partnered with Market of Choice to provide you an easy way to support the Art Center! It will only take a moment of your time to register and will help every time that you shop to support our programs and facility.

Here’s how:

Register your credit card. Each time that you use your card at any Market of Choice, Maude Kerns Art Center will receive 4% of your purchase price! Simply sign up at: eScrip Market of Choice and you will be prompted on how to enroll.

Thanks for all that you do to support the Maude Kerns Art Center. It makes a difference!

We want to particularly thank the many volunteers, Board members, Staff, Art Center friends, and patrons who contributed their time, talents, and treasure for the benefit of Maude Kerns Art Center during the months of October, November, and December.

Classroom Assistants: Elsie Ferber, Sonya Roberts, and Alexandra Sielicki

Gallery Greeters: Abby Adebawo, Monika Aldabe-Sullivan, Faye Cohen, Leanne Ellis, Sue Gottschalk, Judith B. Mangold, L Marx, Rachel Petersen, Grace Sinkins, and Wendy Strong

Reception Volunteers: Abby Adebawo, Monika Aldabe-Sullivan, Linnea Birchmeier, Dana Burall, Sheary Clough Suiter, Sonya Roberts, and Wendy Strong

Office Assistants: Monika Aldabe-Sullivan, Tyler Stromme, and Wendy Strong

Exhibit Volunteers: Lilah Basile, Louise Bishop, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Tina Heffernan, Nancy Silvers, Cathy Simard, Alice Strong, and Wendy Strong

Winter Mailing Fundraiser Volunteers: Abby Adebawo, Lilah Basile, Susan Castillo, Susan Feinstein, Evelyn Pruse, and Alice Strong

Budget & Finance Committee: Michael Fisher, Caroline Passerotti, and Fred Tepfer

Facilities Committee: Ann Bumb Hamilton, Michael Heffernan (Chair), Dean Lamoureux, Nancy Silvers, Cathy Simard, and Alice Strong

Sponsorship Committee: Louise Bishop, Susan Castillo, Clare Feighan, Michael Fisher, and Alice Strong

Art Rescue Committee: Hannah Goldrich, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Tina Heffernan, Katie Mason, Scott Morris, Cathy Simard (Chair), and Linda Wheatly