McMinnville Art and Wine

Philip Williamson's ID Card Paintings at Photosynthesis

2010-03-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

My paintings of people's ID cards - driver's licenses, student ID cards, gym membership cards, etc - will be shown at Photosynthesis this month (March-April 2010). The opening is Saturday, during the McMinnville Art Walk. Emerson Vineyards will be pouring for the event.

More paintings on Flickr >>

Curt Chiarelli article in the News Register

2009-05-22T23:13:00.001-07:00

Great article today in the physical paper version of the News Register - an interview and bio of Curt Chiarelli, with a focus on what he loves about art and Yamhill County.

Curt is a fine artist, commercial illustrator/sculptor and art teacher who has made things you yourself have seen - in movies, or on toy store shelves.

Starla Pointer, the author of the piece, is a good writer - she's been writing these local profiles for the News Register since 1996.

Diane Lou and Luke Zimmerman at NW Wine Bar

2009-05-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

The reception at the NW Wine Bar for Luke Zimmerman's paintings and Diane Lou's assemblage sculptures was very enjoyable for me, marred only by the obvious flaw: art opening at a wine bar = no free wine. Rrr.

Still, it was a very social event, especially for me, especially with no wine. I got to see people I like (Stuart Jacobson, James Dowlen), and chat with some great people I only knew by reputation (the Red Barn couple).

The art is good.

I liked Luke's still lifes (lives? that's doesn't sound right) of bags and boxes the best, but that might just be because they were lit the best.
Luke can paint.
I hate the word 'facility,' as in "he has a great facility with paint," because it implies an easiness, or almost a... glibness. Like it's so easy it isn't true, or so easy it isn't good. An ability to dissemble, perhaps. Plus there are connotations of pooping and porcelain, as in "all the modern facilities."

So Luke is a good painter.
I like realistic painting. I'm still stunned by the way colors on a flat surface can fool the eye. I love it. I don't generally like still lifes, but his aren't the standard vases and dead pheasants. His boxes and bags are evocative, and kind of sneaky, because the subjects are the quotidian ephemera of everyday living. A paper sack. A smashed pop can and the corner of a Marlboro pack. They could have come off as painting excercises, but the lighting and paint handling is too good, and make you really want to look at them. They are pleasing, without being "pleasant." I want to go look at them again.
The bigger pieces seem more intellectual, and a little less satisfying. It's probably just me. Did you ever see "Basquiat?" There's a great scene where Jean Michel Basquiat approaches Andy Warhol (played by David Bowie) in a restaurant and offers to sell him some "ignorant art." David Bowie looks at his dining companion and says, "ohhh... ignorant art... that sounds goood."
I like that. I like stuff with an undertow, but on the surface, you can say, "what? jeez, it's just a bag." It's probably because things have feelings, and inanimate objects have personalities and histories...
The bigger pieces deserve another look. They're a little bit surreal, and I hope someone tells me how wrong I am to like the boxes and bags more.

Anyway! Jeez, look at the time!

When Diane Lou makes assemblages, she says she consciously avoids "directing" a piece, and lets it find its own way. Puts the intellect to one side. I relate to this method, and I think she's phenomenally successful with it. There are ten or fifteen pieces up there, and she has more ("not many, maybe ten") that she's done... since August. HOly cow.
Just the first couple were stunning (again, the lighting there favors the far corner - a tip to future artists). My internal monologue went a bit like this: "these are great! I love them! ... why do I bother making assemblages? ...well, it's a relief in a way, because here's someone who can do it for me. ... I wonder if she's a student... I bet she's like 19. Rr."
Well, she's not 19, she's older than me, and her work is an inspiration to make art instead of think about it!

Tom Waits would like it.

The pieces chosen for the brochure are not (in my opinion), her best ones. They are the ones that might grab you from a flyer, because they're more direct, but the really good ones would make no sense on a flyer. You look at them, and enjoy them, and they give you the feeling that you could look at them a LOT, and see a lot more. One of my basic tenets is that fine art and commercial art are opposites. Commercial art must be clear. Apprehendable. Staged for immediate understanding, but fine art takes more time. You have to puzzle it out, and it creates a feeling, rather than a mental 'take away.'
I used to make tee-shirts with incomprehensible graphics. Back then, tee shirts were more straightforward, and one that didn't make any sense was actually puzzling to the people in the checkout line. "You couldn't buy your pointless tee shirts at Target and Hollister back then!" As Mike Ness says, "you couldn't get the crazy color for your hair... at the mall." Whoops, I feel this is a topic for another blog!
Diane Lou's art is something that takes time and reflection - it's part of the enjoyment, and similar to the enjoyment she feels making the pieces. "What does it mean?" Well let's wait and see! I think it's interesting that most people would tell the same stories about particular pieces.

The real arbiter of taste is you. What does it mean to you? What do you think it means?

All-day life drawing at Studio Ink

2009-05-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

There you have it - Saturday May 30th, 9am - 4pm. Two models, 1 pose, all day long. $20 for 3 hours, $30 for all day, easels and drawing boards provided. No advance notice or tickets needed. Show up, draw, paint, sculpt and commune with the muses. Everyone welcome.

303 NE 3rd St., McMinnville, Oregon 97128

Alien Daze - UFO festival and Art Walk

2009-05-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the McMinnville Alien Daze funtime, and some good art on the Art Walk. Curt Chiarelli at the Ford Street Gallery, and (unassociated with the Art Walk) Luke Zimmerman at NW Wine Bar.
Luke will also have an artist's reception on Wednesday May 20th, between 5 and 8. At the NW Wine Bar. Duh. Also on display there is some nice assemblage by Diane Lou. "Nice" is a crappy word. Her stuff looks great, and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

April 18th 2009

2009-04-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

There were freaky ceramic characters by Jacqueline Hurlbert and some spare and elegant little animal drawings by Erica Meyer at Hidden Treasures. Troon was there, pouring a new white, a Pinot and their Druid Fluid. The Druid Fluid was tasty, but I can't get past the name. It just sounds like it's made out of people.

Currents Gallery had a crowd, and a bustle. The standout for me were these clay animals. Expressive and well-proportioned, they show their slab-modeled construction like 3D sketches. The title card seems to say Blythe Eastman, but I'll need to look it up.

Donna Lee Rollins showed her Polaroid transfers, and included some information on the process and displays of the cameras. Apparently the transfer film is unavailable, and will be officially discontinued next year. That's a shame, really. So... buy a few good polaroid transfers now, 'cause they won't get any cheaper!
One of the most interesting things was seeing the same image repeated several times, each one unique, and very different from each other.

August Ridge was pouring some nice wines at Found Objects, including a Marechal Foch, which was described as "like nothing you've ever tasted." I scoffed, but it was true. A very unusual-tasting wine, not that great out of a plastic cup, but I could see how it would work well with barbecue or lamb. Their Pinot was good.

Ghost Hill (at Wine Country Kitchen) had their own glassware to taste from, which was pretty cool. I didn't find the wine that compelling, but I'll give them another try.

I'll take notes next month, to keep better track of the artists and wines. I also plan to talk less, so I can see more...

Ford St. Gallery - Polaroid Transfers

2009-04-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

The new show going up on the 18th for the Art Walk in Mac is of Polaroid transfers. They look good; I usually like a murkier transfer, but these haven't edged into the realm of "well why didn't you just keep the original?"
I feel that if you're looking for perfect fidelity with polaroid transfers, rather than happy accidents, you're barking up the wrong process. I also think making them from slides is like wood-chipping wine, but no one ever wants my opinion.
They're good. Today they were lined up along the wall, waiting for their turn on the exhibition space. I'll check them out in more detail on Saturday.

April 2009 ArtWalk this Saturday

2009-04-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 18th will be the next McMinnville Art Walk and wine tasting event. It happens on Third St., every third Saturday of the month.
Hidden Treasures has its new space (next door to the old space), and it's looking good in there!

McMinnville Art Walk blog revamp

2009-04-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that this long-underutilised blog comes up first when you search for McMinnville Art. That's got to be worth something. To someone. Somewhere.

The new plan for this blog is to:

a) Invite participating stores to post their artists and wineries.
b) Profile local artists' work every week.
c) Invite a few anonymous(?) reviewers to review both the art and the wine.
d) See what the art programs at Linfield and Chemeketa offer.

I work downtown at Gearbox Studios, and I'll see if Adam and Don will let me have a little "how to blog" session at Gearbox one evening, in order to get store-owners familiar with the setup.

If you're interested in any of this, send me an email at philip (dot) williamson (at) gmail (dot) com,

June Art Walk!

2007-06-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

This month's McMinnville Art and Wine Walk will be on Saturday, June 16th, on and around 3rd Street, the charming heart of Mac. :^)

Click HERE to see the participating locations on a Google map.

Information for Artists

2007-06-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Someone just asked me what it takes to show at the Mac ArtWalk (*ahem* "McMinnville Art & Wine").
There's no jury selection process: just set it up with one of the participating businesses!

Make Contact:
I'll go through and add phone numbers to the Google map, but until that's up, you can find most numbers here: http://www.downtownmcminnville.com/bus_dir/showcat_alpha.cfm?alpha=c

It's for one day, from 11:00 in the morning to 8:00 at night, some folks start as late as 2:00, but it's important to stay till 8:00 if you can. The artists are expected to be in attendance, but not every great artist is a great socializer. If this is you, it might be possible to have a lower profile. Arrange it with the store owner ahead of time.
When you are in attendance, please be social! Artists who mingle and chat sell stuff, and it raises the fun factor for everyone.

The shop will provide what the State calls "substantial fare" - art opening staples like cheese, crackers, nuts, etc to complement the wine. The shop will either arrange a local winery to pour tastings, or will provide the wine itself.

John Hawks at Hawk's World Gallery has a list of interested artists. You can call him and ask to be added to the list. His number is (503) 474-2070. Or comment on the blog and link to some samples of your work!

April ArtWalk

2007-04-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

This month's Art and Wine Walk will be on Saturday, April 21st.

Click HERE to see the participating locations on a Google map.

Dustpan Alley - March ArtWalk

2007-03-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun doing it!

Hip Chicks Do Wine sent Nicole to pour, and she was great. Very personable and interesting, and since she's an art student we could talk art and art-school stuff between 'waves'. I was very pleased that I liked the wine, too!
Exactly three people showed an active interest in the art (my Prayer Machines), so I consider that a success, especially since one of them is a stone sculptor, and we seemed to share many interests.

Lots of really nice people came out, and I enjoyed talking with many of them. Our apple was pretty well hidden, so I got to play the "you're getting hotter, cold, cold, cold, you're boiling UP!" game which was pretty fun. It sort of forced an engagement with people who were doing the Hunt.

Regarding the hunt, it seems ideally tailored for kids who are accompanying their parents. Would it be possible to simply remove the wine-bottle-shaped "mystery gifts" if a minor wins?

Hidden Treasures 3rd Saturday Art & Wine

2007-03-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Hidden Treasures will be featuring a, brand new to the art scene photographer, Rob Stephenson. This is Rob's gallery debut and we're really going green for the celebration. Of course, being that it's St. Patricks Day, might have just a wee bit to do with the green part. Yamhill Valley Vineyards will be here pouring and we'll, also, have some good Celtic music setting the mood for the not-to-be-missed party! See you here!

Dustpan Alley

2007-03-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

Dustpan Alley is joining the Art Walk for the first time this month, and we're excited to be part of it.

Hip Chicks Do Wine will pour a red and white between 2 and 8. Of course, there'll be bread and cheese, perhaps a spread or two. :^)

The art on view will be wall-hanging assemblage sculptures from Philip Williamson's "Prayer Machine" series.

Currents Gallery

2007-03-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

We have been closed for remodeling and are now reopen. This month we are featuring the work of our member Brenda Wagner. Brenda is a fused glass artist. Her show, I'm Seeing Red, features an eclectic mix of face masks, chess tables, and wall art. Please stop by , taste some wine, eat some great food and meet Brenda on the night of the Art Walk.

March Art Walk

2007-03-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

March's Art Walk will be March 17th, which is St. Patrick's day.

The treasure hunt will be for a Pot o' Gold: a large pot jampacked with gold-wrapped goodies from all the participating Art Walk shops. Participating players will have to match up numbered apples with the shop each apple's in, and all the completed entries will be thrown into a large bag, and the winning one will be drawn out by a leprechaun, who will notify the winner the next day of their fabulous fortune.

The Hotel Oregon is having a shindig (a ceilidh, in this instance), which should festive-up the street a bit.

McMinnville Art and Wine - 3rd Saturday

2007-03-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is an announcement forum for the Art Walk we have in downtown McMinnville, Oregon, on the third Saturday of each month.

Wineries from the Willamette Valley pour samples of their wines, there're hors d'oeuvres to nosh on, and art to look at. This is an excellent opportunity to sample some great Oregon wines, and discover the ones you really like.
Often, the wine is being poured by the winery owner or the winemaker, and you can really discover what their philosophy is, and what sets their wines apart. It would take you the better part of a weekend to visit the dozen or so wineries pouring for ArtWalk!

The art shown ranges from crafts to fine art, and is largely local. Often, the artist is on hand to talk with visitors, and sometimes you can watch them work.

Personally, I've discovered Kristin Hill, Youngberg Hill and Stone Wolf at the Art Walk. Stone Wolf is the only one I'd noticed in the stores, so I consider that a nice return.