Muralist paints Eugene, has big sights for its future
By Jacqueline Woge
Emerald Reporter
Travelers passing 12lh Ave
nue and High Street may huve
noticed a gray-toned mural
coming to life on what used to
be a pluin 1970s building wall
Painted with water-based,
block and white house paint,
the scene shows a Northern
Italian town, similar to the one
artist Jim Evangelist's grandpar
ents came from.
"I cun't toll you how many
little kids I get coming up all
excited about this kind of
thing," he said. "One family
wus home-schooling their kids
and brought the whole family
out. I sat for a couple hours
talking about murals and an
swering their questions. These
kids walked away with their
eyes like saucers."
Relocating from Plorida this
past summer in order to evade
“crime and crock," Evangelist
learned the building's owners.
Kohnen Larson CPAs, consid
ered hosting a project by anoth
er artist. Dut that project wus
never started.
Taking the initiative, Evan
gelist approached the company
with several ideas. The firm
chose its favorite design and
supplied paint and materials.
To help pay for his lime, the
company agreed that Evangelist
could credit other businesses
on the mural.
Although Evangelist has
gained some financial support,
ho said other sponsors would
be appreciated, especially to
pay for a graffiti-proof, high
tech, guaranteed-for-50-years
sealer coat.
^ rr**o I* M«tu» Srxyflw
People have come from cities throughout the Willamette Valley fuel to tee Jim Evangelist's Italian scene
mural on 12th Avenue and High Street.
The sealer coal would help
the mural Iasi longer: bul I*'
causo of the "rich, deteriorating
and crumbly kind of scene,"
Evangelist said weathering will
only enhance the image
"As a last resort. I'll get a
paint company from I’ortland
to come ill and seal the wall
and do a demonstration ol their
product by trashing the paint
ing," Evangelist said "I always
find a way to get things to
work
Although some artists prefer
to distance themselves from the
public: and outside influences.
Evangulist, enjoys discussing
his work and Ids philosophy
iilxnii the role of public art
"I think landlords. business
owners and building owners
should all c onsider using vv.ill
space for murals." he said
I'rom his threu years ol expe
rience as a nightclub owner.
Evangelist has found that peo
ple! truly appreciate! it when
businesses take initiatives suc h
as putting up a mural
Evangelist said he believes
that when a business puts
S2.&00 into a mural project it
is supporting the artist, slitmi
lilting I ho env iromneiil and
wiirk.pl.il <•, iiiul i muting i h.inge
in .1 dynamic w.iy
hvnngclist •'.nil that fur idtoul
S5U.OOO one-tenth the cost it
look to opi:n Olivo Street liu
gene could i rente uii attraction
t hut It h.it Is iiml visitors could
•ipprtH date
I’copli! Iiiivc i min' (ruin i dies
.ill .irountl the Willamette V.il
Icy lo sec Ins Italian scene One
I,nly from Brilisli Columbia
pl.inned Imr vuciition urountl
visiting hugene to sec the mu
nil. he said
With the fresh, outside per
specnve ui (i newcomer. uvuii
gelist said ho believes Eugene is
ready for a cullurul nmulssuncn.
"Tho community is ready lo
support focused, cleared. pro
fessional and earnest efforts by
creative and talented people in
continuing to make this com
munity even better than it is,"
he said
Evangelist said ho sees nu
merous opportunities in open
buildings and open spaces
around town He lias already
outlined Ills next project, a Ti
betan scene on the liread Stop
building, at Willamette Street
and Ifilh Avenue
Besides working on the Koh
non Larson and Bread Stop
buildings. Evangelist is lobby
ing businesses uIhiuI a down
town dream project .1 mural
on the large wallspuce in the
parking lot at russ from Lane
Community College's down
town annex
Presenting himself profes
sionally lo business people Is a
skill Evangelist got from his
work as a paralegal
Binding work in law "for the
birds." Evangelist was drawn to
painting sets, props and tan
vases work lie had done as a
volunteer Never formally
trained, he learned lo paint by
just "shutting up anti listening"
to skilled people
Evangelist then stumbled
into doing murals and other
publu work "kind of to prove
to my girlfriend at the time that
I really wasn't going lo get the
job that she thought I should
get. iit-t uuse i thought li was all
political"
Since then, murals projects
Have "jusl kept happening "
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