Fire & Ice to open Monday in Roseburg
A show of my photos about climate-change destruction in the Oregon forest is going up on the walls now at Umpqua Community College's art gallery
Yes, yes, I know—I previously said that Fire & Ice would open March 31 in the art gallery at Umpqua Community College, about an hour’s drive south of Eugene in Roseburg. The exhibit features photographs I’ve made over the past couple of years documenting the damage done to Oregon forests by climate-driven fires and ice storms.
But when I delivered 16 framed photos yesterday morning, I learned that they plan to hang the show this week. While the official opening date remains March 31, my work should be on the walls and open for viewing this Monday, March 17. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment with gallery director Jon Hoffman at 541-440-4692.
The gallery at UCC is beautiful—an elegant, 1,100-square-foot white-cube space inside the Whipple Fine Arts Center, which also includes a small theater for student performances.
I had never visited UCC before. The 100-acre campus is idyllic, nestled in a gorgeous rural setting overlooking the North Umpqua River northeast of Roseburg, a city of 24,000. The college even has its own vineyard.
For years, I’ve been a big fan of community colleges. When I became interested in writing about art and artists 30 years ago, I took classes in drawing, painting, and design at Lane Community College in Eugene. The student body was diverse, the instruction first-rate, and the atmosphere one of care and support—very different from some universities I’ve known.
Fire & Ice runs through May 6, when I’ll give a noon gallery talk about my longtime obsession with painting on black-and-white photographs. Hope you can make it!