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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2016)
WHAT’S HAPPENING THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18 S U N R I S E 7: 0 8 A M ; S U N S E T 5 : 4 6 P M A V G . H I G H 51 ; A V G . L O W 3 5 Is it art? Or is it corporatized commodified schmaltz? Can it be both? Thomas Kinkade, who called himself the “painter of light,” was one of the most commercially successful artists of his time. Critics sneered at Kinkade, calling him a “mall artist” for hawking his cottage and lighthouse paintings on the QVC home shopping network and licensing his work to greeting card giant Hallmark and retail behemoth Walmart. To make matters worse, the painter of sentimental dreck formed a company in 1990 called Media Arts Group Inc. that franchised galleries across the country and raked in a fortune selling mass-produced prints that had only small touches of detail painted in. Detractors called him the “Henry Ford of the Art World.” Despite being a proud Christian who wove re- ligious imagery into his mawkish pastels, Kinkade was known for being a ruthless businessman, infamous for bilking fans, clients, employees and gallery owners out of millions. And it wasn't just business associates who questioned Kinkade's character. The LA Times reported in 2006 that many who knew the artist describe him as an abusive lecher and a drunk. Some even suspect the artist disguised himself as a Christian only to increase sales along the Bible Belt. Certainly, Kinkade’s is a complicated legacy that raises myriad questions about art and consumerism, and the Guistina Gallery in Corvallis hosts one of the first full showings of his work since his death in 2012. “What Will Last? Original Works from the Thomas Kinkade Collection” opens Tuesday and features some his best-known paintings as well as sketches and studies that reveal Kinkade’s process. It seems odd at first that galleries continue to hang Kinkade's paintings when we should probably be trying harder to forget him. That said, there's still much to learn from an artist who achieved such deep market penetration. Like it or not, sales figures drive culture in America, and hackneyed artwork like Kinkade’s will continue to spread like a hot rash so long as money calls all the shots. “What Will Last? Original Works from the Thomas Kinkade Col- lection” opens Tuesday, Feb. 23, at the Guistina Gallery on OSU campus. A reception is scheduled for 6pm, Wednesday, March 9; FREE. — Ben Ricker 16 February 18, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com GATHERINGS Eugene Metro Business Networking Interna- tional, 11:30am today & Thurs- day, Feb. 25, LCC Downtown Center, 101 W. 10th Ave. $12 lunch. Downtown Public Speakers Toastmasters Club, drop-ins welcome noon-1:05pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Les Lyle Con- ference Rm, fourth floor Wells Fargo Bldg., 99 E. Broadway Ave., 485-1182. FREE. Poverty & Homelessness Board, noon-1:30pm, Serbu Campus, 2727 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. FREE. Anti-Discrimination Workgroup, 1pm, Atrium Building, 99 W. 10th, room 297. FREE. Finance & Audit Committee, 1:30-3pm, Public Services Buildling, 125 E. 8th Ave. FREE. Exhibit Talks, 2pm today, Satur- day, Sunday & Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 25, Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 E. 15th Ave., natural-histo- ry.uoregon.edu. FREE with price of museum admission. Retired Senior Providers: “A Good Death” w/spiritual care counselor Rebecca Delzell, 2pm, Sheldon Oaks Retirement, 2525 Cal Young Rd. FREE. Public Art Committee, 3:30pm, downtown library. FREE. Open Figure Drawing, 4-6pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, MECCA, 449 Willamette St. Pay what you want. Home Grown Community Radio Forming KEPW-FM, 6pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Growers Market, 454 Willamette St., 343- 8548. FREE. Santa Clara Region Parks & Rec Planning Workshop, 6pm, Madison Middle School, 875 Wilkes Dr. FREE. Guitar Club, 7-8pm, Cush Cafe, 1235 Railroad Blvd. FREE. Nar-Anon Meeting, beginners, 7pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Wesley United Methodist Church, 1385 Oak Rd. FREE. Doc’s Pad Drag Queen Bingo w/ Karess, 9pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Doc’s Pad, 710 Willa- mette St. FREE. HEALTH Group Acupunctire Clinic, 10-11:30am, Trauma Healing Project, 2222 Coburg Rd., 687-9447. Don. Mindfulness Group, 4-5pm, NAMI Resource Center, 2411 Martin Luther King Blvd., 520- 3096. FREE. KIDS/FAMILIES Wonderful Ones Storytime, 1-year-olds w/care- givers, 10:15am & 11am today & Thursday, Feb. 25, downtown library, 682-8316. FREE. DanceAbility Class for Youth, 4-5pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard St. Call 357-4982 or see danceability.com for registration info. LECTURES/CLASSES League of Women Voters: “How Can We Improve Oregon’s High School Graduation Rate” w/Joy Marshall, 11am, Valley River Inn, 1000 Valley River Way, rsvp to 343-7917. FREE. “Acountability Journalism in the Digital Age” w/Stephen Engel- berg, 4pm, Gerlinger Lounge, UO. FREE. DanceAbility Class for Adults, 5-6pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard St. Call 357-4982 or see danceability.com for registration info. “Exploring the Meaning of Human Evolution,” a community conversation w/Connie Bertka & Jim Miller, part of a traveling Smithsonian exhibit, 6-8pm, Cottage Grove Library, 700 E. Gibbs Ave., Cottage Grove. FREE. Retirement Plans for Small Business, 6pm, downtown library. FREE. UO Visting Artist Lecture Series: Liz Larner, 6pm, Lawrence Hall room 115, UO. FREE. “Race, Justice & Statistics: The Purposes, Controversies & Conceivable Demise of Amer- ican Racial Categories” w/Kim Williams, 6:30pm, Law Library, UO. FREE. How to Sell Your Home for the Highest Price, 7-9pm today, Phoenix Inn, 850 Franklin Blvd.; 10am-noon Sunday, Keller Williams Realty, 2644 Suzanne Way. FREE. Native Plant Society: Biscuit Roots w/Heron Brae, 7pm, Lane County Mental Health, 2411 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. FREE. LITERARY ARTS Book Release: Dating Tips for the Septaugenar- ian & Well, You Just Never Know by Patrice Dotson, 2pm, Tsu- nami Books, 2585 Willamette St. FREE. ON THE AIR “The Point,” 9-9:30am, KPOV 88.9FM. “Arts Journal,” current local arts, 9-10pm, Comcast channel 29. OUTDOORS/RECREATION Obsidians: Hike Finley Refuge/ Hull Oaks Lumber Co., 3 miles, reg. at obsidians.org. FREE. Pool Hall for seniors, 8:30am- 4:30pm today, tomorrow & Monday through Thursday, Feb. 25, Campbell Community Center, 155 High St. $0.25. GEARS Bike Club: McKenzie View & Sunderman, 35 miles, medium pace, 9:30am, Alton Baker Park. FREE. Lunchtime Running Group, 3-4 miles, 12:15-12:45pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Tap & Growl- er, 207 E. 5th Ave. FREE. Duplicate Bridge, 1pm today, Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday, Feb. 25; 9:30am Monday; 6:30pm Wednesday, Emerald Bridge Club, 1782 Centennial Blvd., Spfd. $8. Board Game Night, 6-11pm today, Tuesday & Thursday, Feb. 25, Funagain Games, 1280 Willamette St. FREE. SOCIAL DANCE English & Scottish Country Dancing, 7pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Vet’s Ballroom, 1620 Willamette St. $7, first time FREE. Music & Dance Workshops w/ Taller de Son Jarocho, 7-9pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, American Legion Hall, 344 8th St., Spfd. FREE. SPIRITUAL Open Heart Medida- tion, 4:30pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, 1840 Willamettes St. FREE. Insight Meditation, 6:30-8pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Eu- gene Yoga Annex, 3575 Donald St. Don. Zen Meditation Group, 7-8am today & Thursday, Feb. 25, Blue Cliff Zen Center, 439 W. 2nd Ave. FREE. THEATER No Shame Eugene, short-form improv theatre, 7:30pm today & Thursday, Feb. 25, New Zone Gallery, 164 w. Broadway. FREE. Parallel Lives, 7:30pm today through Saturday & Thursday, Feb. 25, Opal Center, 513 E. Main St. Cottage Grove. $12. VOLUNTEER Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Work Party, 9-11am today; 9am-noon Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, Feb. 25, Native Plant Nursery in Buford Park, rsvp to volunteer@ bufordpark.org. FREE. Care for Owen Rose Gar- den, bring gloves & small hand-weeding tools, instruction provided, noon-3pm, end of N. Jefferson St., 682-5025. FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19 S U N R I S E 7: 0 6 A M ; S U N S E T 5 : 4 7 P M A V G . H I G H 51 ; A V G . L O W 3 5 DANCE Alternative Belly Danc- ing w/Ruby McConnell, 8:30pm, Cozmic, 199 W. 8th Ave. $5. FARMERS MARKETS Mar- ketplace@Sprout, year-round in- door & outdoor farmers market w/entertainment, 3-7pm, 418 A St., Spfd. info at sproutfoodhub. org. FOOD/DRINK Cocktails, Tasting & Music, 4-9pm today & 2-7pm tomorrow, Crescendo Spirits, 4065 W. 11th Ave. #47. FREE. Wine & Music, 4-10pm, Noble Estate Urban, 560 Commercial St. FREE. Wine Tasting, 6-9pm, Sweet Cheeks Winery, 27007 Briggs Hill Rd. FREE. GATHERINGS Yawn Patrol Toastmasters, 6-7:45am, LCC Downtown Center, 110 W. 10th Ave. FREE. Public Safety Coordinating Council Juvenile Committee, noon-1:30pm, Serbu Campus, 2727 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. FREE. City Club of Eugene: “Should Or- egon Tax Corporations?” 12:05- 1:20pm, Downtown Athletic Club, 999 Willamette St. $5. Nar-Anon Meeting, 12:30pm, Springfield Lutheran Church, 1542 I St., Spfd. FREE. Food Not Bombs, vegan meal, 2-4pm, 8th & Oak. FREE. Aloha Friday w/UO Hawai’i Club, 5-7:30pm, Cozmic, 199 W. 8th Ave. FREE. Open Hack, 6-9pm today & Tuesday, Eugene Maker Space, 687 McKinley St. FREE. WREN Volunteer Meet & Greet, 6-7:30pm, West Eugene Wet- lands Partnership Office, 751 South Danebo Ave., 338-7047. FREE. Vegan Potluck, 7pm, McNail-Ri- ley House, 601 W. 13th Ave., 341-1690. FREE. LECTURES/CLASSES Soap Opera Symposium w/Raquel Gutiérrez, Abigail De Kosnik & Nick Davis, 10:30am-1pm, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, UO. FREE. Meditation & Breathing, 12:15pm, Oregon Ki Society, 1071 W. 7th Ave. FREE. “Sharks: Past, Present & Future” w/Leif Tapanila, 5:30pm, Museum of Natural & Cultural History, UO. FREE. “How the Brown Recluse Got its Bite: Spider Venom Diversity & Evolution” w/Greta Binford,
