For February, the town of Toledo will continue to demonstrate its artistic side during its First Weekend of the new year; providing an opportunity for the arts community to showcase their work and connect with the general public.
Although Lincoln County remains in a high risk category for COVID, these studio and gallery spaces will be open this Saturday and Sunday for lovers of the arts — but under the recommended guidance from the Oregon Health Authority.
On Main Street, Crow’s Nest Gallery & Studio, now in a new location, will be showcasing the works of nine artists. Janet Runger, the founder of Crow’s Nest, will be featuring her storybook found object assemblage art. Alice Haga will be showing her fused glass works. Val Bolen, a tile and ceramic artist, will be displaying her pieces. Paula Teplitz, primarily a ceramic and mixed media artist, will be displaying her work, such as her sculptural jellyfish mobiles. Jeff Gibford is a photographer who digitally manipulates his photography. Tish Epperson will be displaying her vivid watercolor works.
This month, the gallery will be featuring a large selection of work from Yeta Bhaktina, whose paintings and illustrations focus on themes of home, nostalgia and manifestations of infinity in nature through the lens of a Russian–American immigrant. Bhaktina grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the end of the Communist era, and credits her exposure to uncharted nature, the rural Russian countryside, and tradition of heritage for much of her inspiration and working style. “Internal Landscapes” is an ongoing portfolio project in symbolic realism in oil and acrylic. The pieces, inspired by the artists heritage and influenced by traditional Slavic Palekh and Khohloma styles, speak to the artist’s immigrant experience and invoke symbolism from trans-cultural spirituality.
Crow’s Nest Gallery & Studio is now located at 305 N Main St. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Continuing from the previous month is the Gibbons Retrospective Exhibition at the Yaquina River Museum of Art. Twenty paintings by Oregon’s renowned regional painter, the late Michael Gibbons (1943-2020), will be on display in the museum’s Schoolhouse Exhibit. Gibbons was known for his impressionistic en plein air (painting outdoors) style that captured the essence of the location. He often described his paintings as an artist’s benediction to nature. This series of paintings features works completed around the world from his many artistic expeditions over the course of his 40-year painting history.
The Yaquina River Museum of Art, located at 151 NE Alder St., will be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit www.yaquinarivermuseumofart.org
Across the street, Michael Gibbons’ Signature Gallery will be featuring “A Summer Afternoon At Salishan,” a plein air oil painting depicting a calm ocean view on the Oregon coast. Gibbons often turned to the sea for inspiration, where he said the constantly changing weather and tides offered a unique challenge for capturing movement. See other coast paintings at the Michael Gibbons Signature Gallery, located at 140 NE Alder St., open from noon to 5 p.m. on both days. For more information, visit www.michaelgibbons.net
Just a short walk from Michael Gibbons’ Signature Gallery, Ivan Kelly’s Studio & Gallery will be featuring new works from the landscape and big game artist. A special spotlight will be given to “A Robin Spring.” In this new year, people now look forward to the promise of spring, when the river bank willows burst forth and the branches fill with song from that perennial favorite, the red-breasted American Robin.
Ivan Kelly Studio & Gallery is located at 207 E Graham St. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
