visual arts
BY NATALIE MILLER
Art, Meet Kickboxing
Bird Hat Canvas by Melissa Rae Olsen
Graf Pod by Kryst
The Art of War opens downtown
A
local creative couple wants to
promotes self-defense through mixed
challenge the notion of a traditional
martial arts, Jason also encourages people
art gallery in downtown, mixing
to use the personal fi tness training and
east and west, high fashion and fi tness.
workout equipment, saying, “It’s hard to
Art of War, at 251B W. 7th Ave, is the
defend yourself if you’re not strong.”
newest addition to Eugene’s collection
But Alisha knows that martial arts
of downtown art galleries; it opened
studios can often feel intimidating. By
Saturday, Jan. 16. But owners Jason and
combining the martial arts with the
Alisha Georgianna want to do more than
art gallery, she hopes to create a more
mixing mediums — they’re uniting Jason’s
welcoming environment that will attract
extensive knowledge of mixed martial arts
everyone, including children. Alisha has
(MMA) and Alisha’s aptitude for design.
assumed the role of Art of War’s curator.
The husband and wife team transformed
Her art background lies in costume design
an old automotive repair shop into an art
for theater, editorial fashion and fi lm.
gallery and mixed martial arts school (a
For the Art of War’s grand opening,
tial arts techniques,
Alisha selected pieces from a
fusion of various martial
o-hand combat).
combination of mostly Portland
mixed with hand-to-hand
ided into two
and Eugene artists, including the
The building is divided
work of her sister, Melissa Rae
distinct parts. From the street, you
r ow space
Olsen. Alish
enter into a long narr
narrow
Alisha combined Olsen’s
her fu
f furniture,
rniture,
lack and w
fi lled with white leather
white photographs of
on of urban
women, a han
bamboo and a collection
handful of colorful urban
art paintings
art and classic black and white
paintings, photographs of local
h then
musician Justin King and a life-
photographs, which
size sold
opens into a larger area for
soldier with a gas mask.
With the division of space,
martial arts classes. The
lete
Art of War’s main concepts
fi tness area is complete
iple
remain separate. But as the
with weights, multiple
and
Georg
punching
bags
Georgiannas’ art collection
grow
changing rooms, and
grows, they plan to unite
y
the two by extending
is nearly completely
the art into the fi tness
surrounded by a
area. Alisha says she
chain link fence.
wants to create a space that
The old car garage
incorpor
doors with windows s are
incorporates
both urban and
ng the
classic a art — a “luxury loft”
still in place, giving
y feel.
that is also fun and funky,
building an open, airy
t
With 12 years of training
that
will appeal to
Corporate
as a professional MMA
the people working
Soldier
fi ghter and an M.A. in
out. Because she has
by
physical education, Jason
friends at Hoodz n
Jud
Turner
Gearz gallery (another local
will use the fi tness area to
spot featuring urban art and MMA),
teach self-defense classes.
Alisha hopes to swap pieces back
Art of War will offer classes
and forth betw
for beginners to the e more
between galleries.
g from
In the nea
experienced, ranging
near future, Art of War
ing to
muay Thai kickboxing
will have a Web site, artofwar-
pling
B in the meantime,
jujitsu, yoga, grappling
mma.com. But
head downt
and MMA. A time will
downtown to see Eugene’s
ed
newest ar
also be designated
art gallery and MMA
school; ta
for team practice for r
take a class or simply
s.
enjoy the a art. ew
professional fi ghters.
NATAL
IE MIL
LER
dio
And while the studio
TRASK BEDORTHA
Ryon Haris and Jason Georgianna sparring
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EUGENE WEEKLY JANUARY 21, 2010 25