THE ART PRESENCE FAMILY—our dedicated board, talented members, and amazing volunteers—want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Jacksonville community and art lovers across the region. Your support has been instrumental in helping our nonprofit art gallery and gift gallery flourish, connecting people through the […]
THIS OCTOBER, we’re conjuring up a gallery experience that’s anything but ordinary. Get ready for “The Imaginarium,” an open call show that promises an enchanting journey through the realms of creativity.
October Art Extravaganza: The Imaginarium—As the leaves transform into a fiery spectacle and the nights […]
HUMANS HAVE KNOWN for thousands of years that arts activities can provide healing properties. Art Presence offers lots of healthy activities in September, from enjoying the art in our gallery, socializing with arts-minded people at our monthly reception, or sitting in on an author’s talk, to more hands-on […]
IT’S HOT OUT THERE! Come visit our gallery to cool off and enjoy the amazing artwork of our members and guest artist. Even better, come join one of our Messy Hands classes or sit in on an Author Talk. Also, in the Main Gallery, our […]
THERE IS A LOT HAPPENING at Art Presence in July with a fresh Guest Artist and Member Artist of the Month, plus a talk about Ginger Rogers’ Crazy Quilt, Messy Hands, a block printing class, and a special exhibition of envelope art. Phew! Come visit […]
TEMPERATURES RISE in June, and Art Presence is heating up right along with the weather! We have lots of creative activities happening throughout June: a special exhibition of envelope art, book readings, hands-on classes, as well as new Guest and Member artists…
June Guest Artist: Catie […]
ART PRESENCE IS DELIGHTED to present a special collection that captures the historic soul of Jacksonville. Our latest exhibition is a selective showcase, featuring pieces chosen from a wide array of local artists, each bringing their unique perspective.
During the open call held in March, any artist within the […]
April Guest Artist: Andre Satie – Tiny Pictures and More—April showers bring local painter and former Member Artist Andre Satie to the Art Presence Gallery with a retrospective of her career. She loves creating “Teeny Tiny Paintings” and works at larger sizes, presenting a unique […]
THE CROCUS ARE POPPING and life is beginning to return to nature as we reflect through our featured artists this month. Both artists focus deeply on nature and its workings through amazing digital compositions and paintings. Get out and enjoy the beautiful days when they happen and stop […]
GREETINGS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ART PRESENCE, Jacksonville’s own nonprofit art center! I’d like to introduce myself as the new column composer and board member for the gallery: I’m Mike Gantenbein. Many readers may know me from my years as the marketing director for Britt, […]
Winter is the time when there is a hush of solitude…whisperings of a winter mind. The weather is cold, the ground hard, bears hibernate, and the natural world has pulled in for a winter’s nap. The season of chill and darkness is upon us and […]
The American West—Sweeping plains, dusty wooden steps, tumbleweeds tossing across arid soil, hot colored sunsets, and the sound of hooves galloping all conjure up romantic images known as the American West. There’s a saying that cowboys don’t bathe, they just dust off. The cowboy is a folk hero. He tips his Stetson to the golden […]
Welcome Autumn—Like a sundial between seasons, there is something about autumn that resonates deep down within our hearts. A kaleidoscopic sphere of color emerges, crisp air tingles our cheeks, and the rustling of leaves reminds me we are all just dancing in the wind. Since ancient times, October has been viewed as the veil between […]
Collage comes from the French verb “colle,” meaning “to glue or to stick together.” A collage describes a piece of art, sometimes music, that is combined from separate forms, pictures, shapes, paper, fabric, and other materials to combine a whole piece that works together. It can be found in objects, coins, shells, textiles, paper and […]
Summer is for the Birds—Summer is flying by. There’s an old saying, “Further in summer than the birds,” which basically refers to the time of later summer, the days of heat, when buzzing bugs are more prevalent than the sweet birdsong of early summer. It’s really hard to believe it’s August.
However, in the main gallery […]
What’s On View?—Here in the Rogue Valley, the vibrant fresh greens, reds, pinks, and purples of spring are beginning to fade into the pastels and muted tones of summer. Yet there are rich and saturated hues that come about as other colors fade, such as the rich gold of dried grasses, and the alpenglow of […]
What Is Given – by Ralph Murre
The likelihood of finding strawberries
tiny and wild and sweet
around your ankles
on any given day
is not great
but sometimes
people find strawberries
right where they are standing
just because it is their turn
to be given a taste
of something wild and sweet.
The moon in the month of June was called the Strawberry Moon by Native […]
Welcome May… one of my favorite months in mountainous Southern Oregon. There are monumental clouds as rain still filters through, yet, as the days get longer and the breeze warms up, evenings are perfect for slow strolls. With May come flowers—from all those April showers—and the sense of place we brought forth last month at […]
April at Art Presence Art Center celebrates the meaning of sense of place through art, word, and the vine. Filled with timeless experiences, memories, and community distinctiveness, a sense of place is what draws people in, enhances emotional attachment, keeps people there, or has them coming back for more. In other words, it evokes a […]
In February I hung out my colorful teapots flag. It’s early this year. Usually not till March. But, I needed color out my kitchen window. Yet it always happens when I hang this flag that I think of tea, tea parties, and then come the six impossible things before breakfast. Curiouser and curiouser I become.
Then […]
February begins the season of sap. As the earth begins to feel a shift that can often go unnoticed in the still wintery landscape, below, deep in the land, a stirring in the roots begins. Rabbi Jill Hammer writes, “The sap in the trees begins to rise, and life runs through all the veins of […]
Lao Tzu says, “It is the empty space which makes a bowl useful.” A bowl is symbolic of holding, giving, offering, receiving, filling, and gifting. A bowl is open: open for possibility. A bowl can be efficient and sufficient. In Buddhism, generosity is the ground for everything else. Small kindnesses make a difference. Let’s each […]
Autumn is the traditional season of bounty, but it can also be a time to reflect on the coming season of transitional change. As artists and writers, we often find this a golden time for reveling in the beauty of nature’s most dramatic costume change. We welcome a bittersweet harmony to our lives as we […]
The influence that artists exert on each other is like a physical force, the pull of gravity of attraction or repulsion. An artist may be influenced by another artist’s technique, choice of materials, or subject matter. But when it comes to day-to-day inspiration, all artists draw from the same limitless catalogue.
Art Presence Art Center […]
Anne Brooke, founder and director of Art Presence, announced the artists’ group has hired Paula Bandy as its Executive Director. “It’s not only comforting to know, it is imperative to know, that we have the hired the very best and that our Gallery will continue to grow and prosper,” says Anne.
Bandy, who is very well-known […]
The first and most important thing of all for an artist is to have a real love of the visible world. The feelings which this evokes are the main motivation for putting brush to paper, composing images in cameras, writing a poem full of images for the senses. Making an object look like what an […]
I have a good friend who has a PhD in Color Theory. This seemed impossible to me, thinking there just couldn’t be that much to absorb, until I studied with him and learned that color is its own divine language, creating meaning through combinations and arrangement.
A certain positioning of complimentary colors can fool the eye […]
It is clear that there are similarities between the worlds of the writer and the artist. Painters exercise some of the qualities essential to good writing—the incredible power of the visual imagination, creating images—while writers use their words to create images, constructing form and color, texture, perspective, and composition. I find myself envying them as […]
Art Presence seeks a new EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. This is a leadership role and our first paid position. The successful candidate would manage a fine art gallery, gift shop, and education program 20 hours per week. They need a strong interest in the creative arts and the ability to work closely with the Board, communicating effectively […]
One definition of “Art” is that which evokes an emotion. What is it about the artist’s eye, their way of seeing, that enables them to create the sensations we feel when observing their work? The artist’s faculty of sight has been educated. Rather than taking for granted the blade of grass, the folds of cloth […]
What is a logo? A combination of image and text that depicts the name and purpose of a business. It can be a lot more than this, telling a story and establishing an emotional connection with the audience. It makes a great first impression and distinguishes itself from competitors. We have been fortunate to have […]
The month of April, Art Presence Art Center celebrates its 10th Anniversary as a Fine Art Gallery in Jacksonville. This is a time to reflect on where we have been and what we anticipate for our next ten years. Our initial Mission Statement spoke to our relationship with our community in Jacksonville. Our new Statement […]
A famous artist once said, “Real artists understand life with a brush in their hand…what does anyone do with rules? Nothing worthwhile!”
It pleases me to see artists break rules and create the most exciting, chest grabbing, eye rolling art, so when I teach, I never really discuss “rules.” When you come to the reception for […]
And it happened again, another 365 days…I have no idea how this happened, because, for me, every day seems to run into the next.
But I want to spend this time to thank you profusely for your support of Art Presence Art Center. We will celebrate our 10th Anniversary this year, an overwhelming achievement in the […]
Art Presence Art Center devotes another special call to artists for the Angels Show. Why, for the ninth year, are we showing such a lively interest in the invisible world? Some of the greatest among the saints and men of God have found a place for Angels. Many of the most difficult questions about their […]
November’s art exhibition at Art Presence begins with a wonderful new member show, opening Friday, November 5, and continuing on-display through Sunday, November 28. The gallery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-5pm and Sundays from 10am-5pm.
You don’t have to miss the show just because you can’t make it to the gallery. See a virtual […]
The 8th Annual October Imaginarium is open! This year’s theme, Reality or Illusion? has resulted in a wonderful collection of artwork depicting Autumn, Halloween, and imaginative ideas building upon the theme. The exhibition opened on Friday, September 17, and continues through Halloween. The gallery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-5pm and Sundays from 10-5pm. […]
The whole of life lies in the verb, “seeing.” Artists master that ability so that you may see through them our unique and beautiful world. Seeing is difficult at the moment as we are struggling with our smoky atmosphere, the extraordinary heat, and the possible risks of Covid. It is with careful study and consultation […]
Paul Cezanne, a Master during the Post-Impressionism era, said, “With an apple I will astonish Paris.” His beautiful still lifes did exactly that, and they continue to astonish around the world today. Not every artist has that lofty goal. The need to make art is what motivates them, but there is no question that […]
Winslow Homer said, “The life I have chosen gives me my full hours of enjoyment for the balance of my life, the sun will not rise or set without my notice and thanks.” Truly the life of an artist, using the shadows created by the sun at every angle to allow for the joy of […]
Art Presence Art Center is cautiously continuing the new hours introduced last month. The gallery is now open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12–5 pm.
Our guest exhibit for June showcases fiber art by members of the Southern Oregon Longarm Association (SOLA). SOLA is a group of textile artists dedicated to educating, supporting, and promoting […]
Art Presence Art Center is still making every effort to control the virus in our environment. We are looking forward to the month of May to transition into a more “normal” life for our gallery. With that in mind we present a truly fun event for which our members have painted images of pets. We […]
“In life, expect many transformations,” a quote from an author I enjoy. Art Presence Art Center has put this into practice many times of late. Our expectations of change are filled with hope as we are open for another month to share the art of many fine artists and craftsmen. The experience of seeing and […]
“In life, expect many transformations,” is a quote from an author I enjoy. Art Presence Art Center has put this into practice many times of late. Our expectations of change are filled with hope as we are open for another month to share the art of many fine artists and craftsmen. The experience of seeing […]
Passion is any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, an outburst of strong desire…the dictionary has twelve answers to define this word. We are all now in the throes of intense and fervid feelings as we have faced this pandemic and political strife. Art Presence Art Center has given us all a place to enjoy […]
UPDATE at press-time—Because of a freeze imposed on Oregon due to a surge in Coronavirus, Art Presence Art Center will be closed through December 2nd. You may enjoy a Virtual Tour of the exhibit by accessing it through the Jacksonville Review website, where all the donated artwork is highlighted for Artist victims of the fires. […]
It seems absolutely impossible that three communities so close to us have been decimated to such a horrific degree. Taking a drive down Hwy 99, I found myself weeping and totally shocked by the devastation. I tried to put myself in the place of someone having to evacuate or, God forbid, lose their home. For […]
Art Presence Art Center is already making plans for member exhibits and guest artists in 2021. Look for virtual tours of all the exhibits in the new year, compensating for our inability to have receptions to celebrate the artists.
The City of Jacksonville has again supported us with a three-year lease. This enables us to take […]
“Without the arts, without music, without dance, without drama, without photography, the civil rights movement would have been like a bird without wings.” ~Senator John Lewis
This is a transition month for our art exhibitions, and you can see a wide variety of art as they change over. Our Summer Daze member show and […]
Art Presence Art Center’s Summer Daze show of member artwork continues on display through September 13. It’s a fantastic show, so please make sure to come in to view this collection. Remember that the gallery is open an extra day through the end of September, so you can stop by any Thursday, Friday, Saturday or […]