Toledo’s in bloom

Art is popping up all over town for First Weekend

If you like to start March with a stroll, Toledo is worth a visit this Saturday and Sunday March 5 and 6, when galleries throughout town will welcome visitors for First Weekend.

The Yaquina River Museum of Art will be showcasing works from its growing permanent collection, including pieces by William Shumway of Corvallis, Becky Miller of Toledo, John Hewitt of Fort Bragg, California, Laurel Buchanan of Bend and Susan Bennett of Jacksonville, Oregon.

Each of the featured artists either lives or has worked in the Yaquina Watershed area, creating artwork in mediums including acrylic, graphite, watercolor and oils.

The museum will also be showcasing a number of paintings from Michael Gibbons’ traveling exhibit “Yaquina.”

The museum will be open from noon to 4 pm both days, with light refreshments on offer.

For more information, call 541-336-1907.

Just across the street, oil painter Michael Gibbons will be displaying several pieces that capture the beauty of the Central Coast and Coast Range Mountains, including “Whalen Island Refuge.”

The 10-by-12-inch painting was inspired by a visit to the tiny island, located near Pacific City, and sharing space with the Clay Meyers Wildlife Refuge and a state campsite. After walking three miles around the island, Gibbons turned to its backside for his subject matter, where wildlife thrives and tidal inlets of water meander in from the Pacific Ocean.

“This is my hand painted diary of Oregon,” he said.

Located at 140 NE Alder Street, Gallery Michael Gibbons will be open from 11 am to 5 pm both days, with guests invited to enjoy complimentary Oregon wine and cheese, along with “Vicarage” blend coffee.

For more information, call 541-336-2797.

Nearby, fellow oil painter Ivan Kelly will be showcasing an exhibition of new oils of Newport’s crabbing and fishing boats. The subject matter is familiar territory for Kelly, who is a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists.

Ivan Kelly Studio-Gallery will be open from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday and from noon to 5 pm on Sunday at 207 East Graham Street.

For more information, call 541-336-1124

Oil paintings will also be on offer at Twisted Snout Brewery, where Becky Miller will be showing several of her kelp paintings. Included in the show are three of her three-by-four foot works, which combine abstract design with photo realism. All of the paintings were inspired by her walks along Newport’s Nye Beach. Miller felt such a personal connection with her featured painting that she titled it “The Inner Me.”

Twisted Snout Brewery also features work by several other local artists as part of its permanent décor. These include a kelp installation in the pub skylight by Heather Fortner, handcrafted, one-of-a-kind lamps by Karen Fitzgibbon, fused glass by Alice Haga and photography by Dwan Loomis.

The brewery, located at 300 S. Main Street, will be open from 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday and 11 am to 7 pm on Sunday.

Impressions Pacific will round out First weekend, with a collection of original oil paintings by Talya Johnson.

“Talya has an amazing eye for brilliant color and composition, which is reflected in her paintings,” said gallery co-owner Angela Lehrbass.

The gallery, which also features original paintings, wood, glass and ceramics by several other artists, will be open from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday. For more information, call 541-336-2207.

Resource: http://www.oregoncoasttoday.com