The Springfield Arts Commission is pleased to feature the Earth, Sky and Water, an exhibition of plein-air painting by artist Mara Thyegeson in the City Hall Gallery, and Dye Like a Natural: Exploring Natural Dyes, an exhibition of dyed work by Bertha Holt Elementary students with artist/instructor Alex Ever in the Young Artists Gallery.

The exhibitions will run from March 1-31, 2020 and the Springfield Arts Commission invites the community to attend the 2nd Friday reception from 5-7 p.m., Friday, March 13 to meet Mara Tygeson and enjoy live music by The West Winds Flute Choir.

Thygeson credits her interest in plein-air painting to her love of nature and watercolor. Exploring the wilderness has been part of her life since childhood. After starting her art training at U.C. Berkeley in ‘73, she studied plein-air watercolor at the U of O and completed a BFA in painting and drawing March in 1990. A married, stay-at-home mom of four, combining art with motherhood, Mara took her young sons to rivers and lakes. While they played and caught crawdads, she painted nearby.

Since 2007, Mara’s work shifted through studying with Adam Grosowsky, Umberto Gonzalez and Erik Sandgren. Her watercolors have been exhibited in solo and group shows in venues and galleries in Bolinas, California, Eugene and Portland. To this day, Mara’s passion for beauty and solitude solidifies in painting. Heavy pack on her back, she hikes for miles through forested mountains, rivers and lakes until a landscape compels her.

Visitors to the gallery will also enjoy Dye Like a Natural: Exploring Natural Dyes in the Young Artists Gallery, an exhibition of dyed pennants by Bertha Holt Elementary students with artist/instructor Alex Ever that was completed as part of a Lane Arts Council Artist in Resident Program at the school. Students worked hands-on with Ever to explore the potential of materials found in backyards and made their own dye vats and created various dye swatches. Students also learned the basics of the natural dye process, including the methods that were used long before the advent of synthetic dyes.

The Springfield Arts Commission invites the community to attend the gallery reception on Friday, March 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. to view the exhibitions, and enjoy light refreshments and live music by The West Winds Flute Choir, which features amateur flutists from Eugene and Springfield Area. Founded in 1999 by Lee Ann Sterling, flutist and teacher, the choir began in her converted garage as a teaching tool for her private students. With the support of one of the members, The West Winds Flute Choir features playing beyond the traditional size C Flute and enabled a true choir of flutes.

 

About Springfield’s City Hall & Young Artists Galleries

Located on two walls just outside the entrance to the Springfield Library, City Hall Gallery and the Young Artists Gallery are seen by approximately 3,700 visitors each month. Since 1989, City Hall Gallery has featured monthly shows by regional artists chosen by the Springfield Arts Commission. The Commission issues a public call to artists each year.

A new addition to City Hall, the Young Artists Gallery is the only year-round space in Springfield dedicated to showcasing the work of children and young adult artists. The Commission collaborates with youth-related organizations throughout Lane County to represent the diverse creativity of young people in our community.

 

About Springfield Arts Commission

The Springfield Arts Commission promotes artistic and cultural richness and diversity in the City of Springfield and assists in the preservation of the cultural heritage of the community as expressed through artistic endeavors. The Commission seeks to support opportunities for artistic creation, exhibits, performances and events, and to facilitate awareness, communication, education and collaboration to increase the accessibility of the arts and art-related resources in the community. The nine-member volunteer Commission manages City Hall Gallery, administers the Heritage Arts Grant program, maintains Art Alley, a collection of outdoor murals, and supports youth arts programs in collaboration with the Springfield Public Library. The Commission is funded by City of Springfield room taxes. More information is available at springfieldartscommission.org.