November First Friday Artwalk – Register Guard
Art & the City, 11/06/2010
By Bob Keefer, The Register-Guard
Opus VII during the art walk, photo by Dennis Galloway
At last night’s First Friday Art Walk in downtown Eugene, hundreds of people enjoyed a balmy November evening of art, wine and good company.
Among the highlights: The “drawing marathon” at Oregon Arts Alliance, where some 25 artists worked with live models — including reigning Slug Queen Slugasana — to create art on the spot; the drawings and paintings were tacked to the wall and sold for $25 each. The place was abuzz all evening and even had a ukelele player; OAA’s new exec director Robert Tomlinson has got a good feel for doing something that works downtown.
And, around the corner, the new Opus VII was packed all night with people at its official grand opening, even though it’s had its doors open for a few weeks. The main exhibit was a giant display by, of and about Portland’s Ziba Design, which also created the China Design Now exhibit last year at the Portland Art Museum. Live music here, too, meant the whole thing had a very upscale urban feel that was just right.
Opus VII owner Kaz Oveissi has an unusual business model for his new place: He’s asking people who can afford it to buy memberships. I actually met several people last night who have signed on, paying, say, $100 a month to support the gallery/exhibition hall/social hangout, or whatever it plans to be, exactly.
original article here: http://www2.registerguard.com/cms/index.php/art-and-the-city/comments/november-first-friday-art-walk/
photo by Dennis Galloway
