Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story included a reference to a lecture by Dread Scott at Linfield University. That lecture, however, is not open to the public. A press release by Linfield was incorrect.
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It’s not exactly a party yet, but Yamhill County’s long pandemic thaw continues. Intriguing events coming this week and later this spring include a chance to fire up your own raku in Willamina and a virtual lecture by LGBTQ+ educator Trystan Reese. Let’s begin with the raku, then take the rest in chronological order.
EAST CREEK IS A COMMUNITY ART STUDIO and retreat on 20 forested acres in the Coast Range outside Willamina with a 40-foot anagama wood-fired kiln. Artist/host/owner Joe Robinson has filled the 2021 calendar with a wide range of workshops and camps, from beginner friendly to a family weekend to an advanced, five-day intensive. Robinson has been part of the East Creek community for 15 years and owned the property for four. He has an MFA in Applied Craft + Design from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and Oregon College of Art and Craft. Tuition is $140, plus $30 for materials. Check the website for details and COVID protocols, or email Robinson at joe@eastcreekart.org
WOMEN’S HISTORY month at Linfield University means an opportunity to hear A Woman of Genius: The Life and Music of Pauline Garcia Viardot. The virtual recital at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25, by mezzo-soprano Julie Cross and pianist Susan McDaniel honors the 200th birth anniversary of “one of the greatest divas and overlooked composers of the 19th century.” Check here for details and the Zoom link. Also, keep an eye on the Linfield arts and culture calendar for upcoming theater productions and podcasts, previously covered here.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSGENDER DAY OF Visibility will be marked by Linfield University with a free and open-to-the-public lecture by Portland-based LGBTQ+ educator and speaker Trystan Reese, streaming live on the university’s YouTube Channel at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 31. Reese, a transgender man, appeared on the national stage four years ago when he went viral as “the pregnant man.” Reese will detail his experience as an activist in the fight for LGBTQ equality over the past two decades.
CURRENTS GALLERY IN DOWNTOWN McMinnville celebrates its 16th birthday next month with a Sweet 16 Show featuring work in a wide variety of mediums by Kathleen Buck, Sharon Cook, Phyllice Bradner, Claudia Herber, Ann Durley, Ilsa Perse, and Marlene Eichner. The show runs April 13-May 16. Check the website for days and hours, which are subject to change, email currents.gallery@gmail.com or call 503-435-1316.
THE CHEHALEM CULTURAL CENTER is back in the live music business. The Spring Boxed Show series kicked off last week with Sherry Alves and George Colligan, and subsequent concerts (with limited, socially distanced seating in the Grand Ballroom) will include the Noah Simpson Quartet on March 26, Carissa Burkett & Friends on April 23 and the Jason Okamoto Duo on May 21. Shows start at 7 p.m., and $25 tickets are available through the website. Masks required.
THE CAMELLIA FESTIVAL IN NEWBERG is a go this year, although in a scaled-down version. The traditional full-day festival that celebrates Newberg’s flower and its Asian origins will be held April 10, with a plant sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Bloom Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chehalem Cultural Center. Check here for a complete breakdown.
FINALLY, A NOD TO THE CHEHALEM Center’s executive director, Sean Andries, who has been appointed to the Oregon Cultural Trust Board of Directors by Gov. Kate Brown (along with Myong-Hui Murphy, co-owner of Global Art of Dance in Beaverton). The group provides grants and funding to arts, humanities, and heritage organizations around Oregon, including the Chehalem Cultural Center, which is an active partner. “Great art makes great communities and great communities make great art,” said Andries in a press statement. “I am excited to join the board of directors and help ensure all Oregonians have the same access to arts and culture I have always enjoyed.”
