Pictured: Games, pen & ink montage by Bill Rutherford

in “Seen: A Regional Figurative Exhibit,” on view through March 21

In This Newsletter

March is a great time to visit the Art Center and explore!

Be sure to stop by and view “Seen: A Regional Figurative Exhibit,” featuring 54 artists whose work explores the human figure to tell a story. The exhibit, on view through March 21, is a captivating examination of the often-overlooked stories from marginalized individuals.

We have exciting new classes and workshops planned for our upcoming Spring Term along with our Spring Break “Imaginary Worlds” camp for youth and our Middle School “Empower Your Skills” lab. This is a great opportunity to support the curious and creative kids in your life. The Art Center offers need-based scholarships for all ages.

Join us for the annual Jello Art Show and Art Center fundraiser on Saturday, March 22, from 5 – 8 pm. This year’s inspiring theme is “Hell-O Jell-O!” and the always entertaining Radar Angels will be “bringing the silly back” with another fun performance. The Art Center has been the home to the zaniest exhibit in Eugene for 36 years! So much fun and SO MUCH JELLO!

Break out those jello molds, find something fun to wear, and bring your jiggly and wiggly art creations to the Art Center to help us celebrate the beginning of Spring.

Thank you for supporting the Art Center. Happy Jello!

All my best,

Michael Fisher

Executive Director

Pictured, left to right: 2007 Jello A-Go-Go; Jello artwork; Queen of Jello Diane McWhorter

Celebrate the rites of Spring with the Radar Angels at the 2025 Jello Art Show, Hell-O Jell-O 2025 on Saturday, March 22, from 5 – 8 pm. Our fabulous food show – the 36th annual – features artworks made of jello, a Tacky Food Buffet, and a performance by the Radar Angels at 7 pm. The suggested donation for the Jello Art Show, which is a fundraiser for the Art Center, is $3 per person and $5 for families.

Call to Jello Artists: Jello artists are invited to bring their jello artworks to the Art Center for display between 3:00 and 4:30 pm on Saturday, March 22 before the show. There is a $3 display fee for each jello artwork submitted. In this non-juried show, everyone’s creations are welcome.

Pictured: The Radar Angels perform at the 2024 Jello Art Show

Six Studios! 31 Artists!

Get ready for the Art Center’s 2nd annual Studio Tour, which takes place on Saturday, April 26, from 11 am – 4 pm. This year’s tour features six special studios – Whiteaker Printmakers, Clay Space, John Rose Studio, Chris Paulson Studio, Wildling Collective, and The Oblivion Factory – and showcases 31 artists working in a wide variety of mediums. A selected number of studios provide artist demonstrations.

The Studio Tour is a fundraiser for the Maude Kerns Art Center. The cost is $45/person and includes a full-color Studio Tour Guide and one free raffle ticket for a chance to win artworks donated by participating artists. Tour goers can sign up at the Art Center or online beginning March 17. Don’t miss this opportunity to support Maude Kerns Art Center and, at the same time, tour studios, meet artists, and view a wealth of wonderful art!

Pictured: Pomegranates by Melanie Germond & Pete Goldlust (Germlust) who display their work at the Wilding Collective 

Mark your calendars for October 11 & 12, when the Art Center’s popular Art Rescue Sale takes place. October may seem far away, but you might be sorting and downsizing your collections now. Artworks and arty objects of all sorts are needed for our popular Art Rescue Fundraiser Sale. All donations benefit Maude Kerns Art Center 100% and are eligible for a tax deduction. Please bring donations to the Art Center office during open hours: Weekdays 10:00 am – 5:30 pm and on Saturdays from 12:00 – 4:00 pm (when exhibits are on display).

Maude Kerns Art Center is thrilled to announce the promotion of current Exhibits Coordinator Liberty Rossel to the full-time position of Director of Exhibitions. Since joining the Art Center staff in 2022, Liberty has curated, designed, and installed over 30 exhibits, including the Maude I. Kerns "In the Realm of the Spirit" show and David Lunney "Of Dreams and Dragons" retrospective.

Closing on March 21:

Don’t miss Seen: A Regional Figurative Exhibit, featuring an array of figurative work by 54 artists from throughout the Willamette Valley. This unique exhibit showcases artists who explore the human figure to tell a story using a wide variety of two- and three-dimensional media, from painting and mixed media to sculpture and photography. Through diverse approaches to the subject matter, the participating artists highlight the stories and bodies of those who have not historically been portrayed and probe the narrative qualities of the human figure. “Seen” was juried by artist Jeff Leake, a professor at Portland State University.

Among the artists showing work in “Seen” is longtime member artist Marsha Maverick Wells who exhibits Dylan in Repose, a life drawing created in an Art Center Open Studio session. Wells says of her work: “When I see the whole figure in an instant – pose, expression and mood, position in space – and can translate the immediacy of what I see and feel to the page, the drawing works for me.” To see a video about Wells’s drawing practice, see WELLS.

Pictured: Mirror Image, mixed media by Patti Lomont in “Seen: A Regional Figurative Exhibit”

Seasonal Members Gallery & Gift Shop

The Winter Members Gallery is on view through March 22, and includes the work of 13 artists: Kate Bollons, Gene Carey, Suma Z. Elan, Terri Feinberg, Ann Bumb Hamilton, Drew Harrington, Cindy Ingram, Tara Kemp, Dori Koberstein, Johnny Macpherson, Patti McNutt, Sally Schwader, and Sheary Clough Suiter. Watch for the Spring Members Gallery, which opens on Friday, April 4.

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. See the rolling Call to Artists below for more information about displaying your work in the Members Gallery & Gift Shop.

Pictured: January at the Wetlands, oil painting by Sally Schwader displayed in the Winter Members Gallery

Upcoming:

Beyond the Print, featuring the work of Mika Aono, Tallmadge Doyle, Sarah Grew, Julia Oldham, and Libby Wadsworth, opens with a public reception on Friday, April 4, and is on view through May 2. The five local artists in “Beyond the Print” each have their unique approach to printmaking, using innovative materials and techniques. They share a common concern for and engagement with a landscape facing ecological collapse because of climate change.

Pictured: In conversation, archival inkjet print by Libby Wadsworth in “Beyond the Print”

Oregon: Rain or Shine at The Gallery at the Airport, April 17 – July 8, 2025: The Art Center is extending a call to artists to submit artwork for the upcoming “Oregon: Rain or Shine” show to be displayed at The Gallery at the Airport in Eugene. This call is open to any current member of the Maude Kerns Art Center. There is a $5 entry fee. If you're not a member, visit here to become a member. Subject matter that is realistic, imagined, or abstract is welcome. The submission deadline is Sunday, March 9, 2025. For the complete prospectus or to apply, visit GATA FORM

Seasonal Members Gallery & Gift Shop

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

Spring Term Registration Opens March 3!

Our Spring term schedule includes classes for adults, young adults, and youth in a wide variety of media. Go to SPRING CLASSES for the schedule of classes and to register. Check out some of our newest offerings below!

Artful Mending

Wednesdays, 1:00 – 3:30 pm

April 9 – May 28

Register here!

Join us for a fun, hands-on class that combines creativity with practicality! In this course, you’ll learn how to mend clothes with artistic techniques such as embroidery and patchwork. Whether you’re fixing a torn sleeve or giving a whole new look to a pair of jeans, you’ll gain the skills to breathe new life into your wardrobe and reduce waste. Perfect for beginners and seasoned crafters alike, this class will guide you step-by-step in creating beautifully mended garments.

Drawing with Ink!

Thursdays, 6:00 – 8:30 pm

April 10 – May 29

Register here!

Learn about the versatility of ink in just eight weeks! This class is perfect for folks who have taken a beginning drawing or watercolor class and want to take their art to the next level. Together we will explore inking through a variety of techniques, including using fineliners, dip pens, scratchboard, and brushes. Students will work in black and white as well as color to create stunning works of art. Some painting and/or drawing experience is recommended.

Botanical Illustration

Mondays, 1:00 – 3:30 pm

April 7 – June 2*

*No class May 26

Register here!

Learn to stylistically draw this Spring's most beautiful blooms in this demo-based course. We will begin by rendering plants in simple linework and gradually add color throughout the course. Demos focus on how to plan out a drawing and where to make creative decisions. This class is great for beginning artists and advanced students alike!

Spring Break is Almost Here!

See this year's special Middle School Lab below.

Empower Your Skills

March 24 – 28

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Register here!

Boost your confidence and creativity in this exciting, one-week drawing and painting camp! Through hands-on lessons, students will explore essential techniques like composition, light and shadow, and the joy of experimenting with different mediums, including graphite, watercolor, and collage. By the end of the week, you’ll have several art pieces to show off, along with new skills and the confidence to keep creating.

March Weekend Workshops

Open Studio: Eugene Collage Collective

Saturday, March 8

10:00 am – 12:30 pm

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

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.

Layered Landscapes

Saturday, March 8

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 shape.

Summer Camp Schedule Coming Soon!

Whether you have a young child or a soon-to-be-adult, we have something for you. Be ready for March 17th when registration will be open. These spots go fast!

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.

Winter Weather Advisory! 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.

Club Mud will be hosting its annual Spring Sale on Saturday, March 8, from 9 am – 4 pm. For the sale, the potters will have spruced up the studio, shoved the wheels out of the way, and displayed an amazing assortment of clay arts, both pottery and sculpture, functional and decorative, seconds and top-of-the-line treasures. There will be prices to match every pocketbook, gifts for your friends and loved ones, and maybe even your own piece of handmade pottery to take with you to grace your home. 

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 thank the many volunteers, Board members, Staff, Art Center friends, and patrons who contribute their time, talents, and treasure for the benefit of Maude Kerns Art Center. 

MISSION STATEMENT

To nurture artistic expression and creativity in the individual and

to cultivate an appreciation and understanding of art and culture

in our community.