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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 2016)
2 B SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016 Artist Michael Wood to judge ‘Little Dickens’ contest WOU stops requiring ACT professional artist. Discovered by the director of the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, Calif., Wood was hooked. Since then he has become a signature artist in Oil Painters of America, appeared in books and magazines and participat- ed in many National Exhibitions. He is nationally recognized for his land and seascapes, animal and figura- tive works. Internationally, his work appears in private collections. View his work at the Vardanian Gallery, Old Town Coffee or on line www. fmichaelwood.com. Wood teaches what he calls, “Holisic” oil painting at Florence Regional Arts Alliance, where the student learns by taking in the whole of the subject matter. Classes are offered on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 4:30 COURTESY PHOTO p.m. Contact Wood at fmwood@ Painting by artist and Little Dickens Juror Michael Wood. msn.com for more informa- bling his palette, quickly sometimes it’s PAINting.” tion. bringing chaos into orderly During high school he start- A reception honoring the resolution with dramatic ed showing his work and had artists will be Saturday, Dec. results. his first one-man show in jun- 10, from 3 to 5 p.m. Wood says of art, “Some- ior college. In 1985, he took Backstreet Gallery is open times it’s painting, and then the giant step of becoming a daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Final house concert of season to feature John Paris Award-winning jazz pianist and composer John Paris returns for his fourth appear- ance in Kathy Parsons’ house concert series on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. This will also be a CD release concert for Paris’ new solo piano Christmas album. Paris received “Best Jazz Album of the Year” awards this year and last year from Enlightened Piano Radio. This year’s award was for his “Piano Jazz My Way” album. Paris made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015. His first instrument was the accordion and he recently COURTESY PHOTO John Paris acquired a new one that he loves to perform with. So this concert will be combination of piano and accordion and will feature a couple of surprises as well. A life-long performer with an impressive resume,’ Paris’ concerts are always a special treat. He has been a featured per- former alongside the Minneapolis Symphony, an accompanist to the Moody Blues and a special guest on The Merv Griffin Show and Jerry Lewis Telethon. His diverse and varied career has spanned four decades. Touring the country’s major cities, he entertained millions as the leader, composer and arranger of his show-band, Atlantis, which was based out of Las Vegas. In addition to composing and performing, John Paris is a music teacher in the Yuba City, Calif., schools. There is a suggested dona- tion of $15 at the door. Reservations are required by calling Kathy Parsons at 541- 999-9720 or emailing her at kathypiano@gmail.com. Her Florence address and directions will be given when reservations are made. HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY, FLORENCE EVENTS CENTER! Home of Last Resort Players Since 1996 or SATs for applications Students applying for admission to Western Oregon University (WOU) will no longer be required to submit an ACT or SAT test score. This change goes into effect for fall 2017 applicants with a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and who have successfully passed the required college prep high school courses. “Our admission require- ments are now better aligned with our role as a public uni- versity with a strong commit- ment to access,” Rob Findtner, director of admis- sions, said. “This change is designed to help us extend our access priority while also ensuring admitted students are prepared to succeed in the classroom.” ACT and SAT scores will be used in some scholarship competitions, the Honors Program and for students who have a cumulative GPA below 3.0 or who did not complete the required number of col- lege preparation courses in high school. Transfer students are not required to submit test scores. “Our retention and student success data revealed that ACT and SAT test scores had no relationship to student suc- cess at WOU,” said David McDonald, associate provost at WOU. “As many other col- leges and universities have determined, the most effec- tive predictor of student suc- cess is the high school GPA and courses taken. We believe eliminating the test require- ments will open the door to college for more students who are already prepared to suc- ceed. “The cost of the exams, optional test-preparation courses and very real levels of testing stress and anxiety are barriers to access and run counter to our mission and institutional priorities.” The university has also revised its President’s Scholarship requirements to match the move to being test optional. Students who have excelled in high school will be able to receive a President’s Scholarship with- out a test score. Students who have high GPAs and submit optional test scores may receive higher awards, if their test scores are sufficiently high. WOU is fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Buying or Selling? I can help. 2126 11th Street – Established duplex in great lo- cation, close to shopping, services and old town. Two, 2 bdrm 1 bath, two story units with detached garage/carport area with driveway. Heavily wooded lot provides good privacy. Seller prefers owner financing. $255,000. #2561-16304216 Richard Beaudro Principal Broker 541 991-6677 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 FROM THE MEMBERS OF LAST RESORT PLAYERS CHICAGO PIRATES OF PENZANCE THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES! INTO THE WOODS JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT THE SOUND OF MUSIC COME JOIN THE FUN! OUR TOWN AUDITIONS Ken Ludwig’s “MOON OVER BUFFALO” DECEMBER 17 & 18 1:00 TO 4:00 FLORENCE EVENTS CENTER WE LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE! KISS ME, KATE LADY PIRATES OF CAPTAIN BREE FIDDLER ON THE ROOF THE ODD COUPLE, FEMALE VERSION CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Backstreet Gallery is hon- ored to welcome nationally acclaimed oil painter, Michael Wood, as the juror for the 10th annual Little Dickens Miniature Show in December. As an Army brat, Wood found his artistic bent early when he and his family around traveled Europe. In one loca- tion, eight-year old Wood found an impressionistic paint- ing in a storeroom that inspired his pursuit of art. After much early experi- mentation with colored pencils moistened with a quick lick, then later with watercolors, Wood’s parents gave him a set of oil paints. He copied tech- niques of artists he respected like Sargent, Wyeth and Parrish, developing his present technique of Impressionism. “The first impression is the heart of the scene,” said Wood. Observation is key in exe- cuting his signature style, where he captures the essence of his subject bathed in lumi- nosity. Wood paints “a la prima.” This is a technique where the artist paints wet into wet paint. Using a large brush he mixes a combination of rich color on the canvas, resem-
