Then & Now: Art as Foundation

Then & Now: Art as Foundation

Corvallis Museum (411 SW 2nd St, Corvallis, OR 97333)

Exhibition runs July 30 through August 18, 2024

Panel Discussion August 8th at 5:30pm

This program is generously hosted by the Benton County Historical Society.

The Arts Center recently celebrated their 60th anniversary, and Blackfish Gallery is currently celebrating its 45th anniversary. Co-presented by Jennie Castle, curator and public programs manager at The Arts Center, and Kendra Roberts, director of public engagement at Blackfish Gallery, this exhibition celebrates the longevity of both organizations by honoring the vision of founding members, while embracing new members’ ideas.

Artwork selected for this exhibition reflects the depth and breadth of work from former, founding and current artists active within these two organizations. Vibrant color and movement within their marks offer a visual celebration of current and future inspiration and success.

Selected Artists

From Blackfish: Clint Brown, Hannah Theiss, Paul Missal, Barbara Black, Laura Swingen, Anastasiya Gutnik

From The Arts Center: Corrine Woodman, Cynthia Spencer, Jennie Castle, Emily Steele

Panelists

From Blackfish: Clint Brown and Hannah Theiss

From The Arts Center: Cynthia Spencer and Erinn Gavaghan

Join us on Thursday, August 8th at 5:30pm for a panel discussion highlighting several of the featured artists at the Corvallis Museum. Questions about how to honor legacy and history without stifling future generations may include: How does that history guide and inform while keeping these organizations relevant? How can founders facilitate and encourage that similar passion in newer members? This panel discussion will feature long-standing and brand new Blackfish members along with the immediate past and new executive directors of The Arts Center. Panelists will be surrounded by the work of artists from both organizations as we delve into these questions.

About Blackfish Gallery

Blackfish Gallery is one of the most enduring and successful cooperative art galleries in the United States. We have been fully owned and operated by working artists since our beginning, and we are among Portland’s pioneer galleries. Our history can be traced to 1978, when Blackfish was born as a concept among a loose affiliation of Portland art professors. These artists were interested in supporting each other professionally and in exhibiting their work without the usual constraints of a commercial art gallery. They rented an empty storefront and, with their own labor and skills, created an art gallery that opened in May 1979.

We are celebrating our 45th Anniversary in 2024 and have grown and prospered; the gallery has moved and expanded exhibition space three times during that time. Over 100 prominent Oregon and Washington artists have been represented as members of Blackfish Gallery over the years. Blackfish currently represents 31 artists; four are founding members and have been with the gallery from the beginning.

Our mission has not changed since our early days. We are dedicated to the highest standards of excellence, both in the selection and presentation of works of art. We have a reputation for exhibiting challenging contemporary work by both our own artists and invited guests. In association with exhibitions, we frequently produce educational programs for the benefit of the community. Since its inception, Blackfish has hosted a wide variety of events, including talks by visiting artists, panel discussions, musical performances, theater productions, site-specific performances and literary readings. We have also frequently presented multimedia collaborative projects, always anchored by a curated art exhibition and often accompanied by related public activities. These projects all have been dedicated toward increasing understanding of visual art and have often demonstrated the value of art as a tool for exploring contemporary issues.

About The Arts Center

The Arts Center inspires creativity and contributes to community well-being through equitable access to and engagement with the visual arts. We collaborate to offer exhibitions, learning opportunities, artist development, and cultural events centered on art, artists and art enthusiasts in the greater Corvallis area.

The 1960s grassroots, innovative effort of artists, civic leaders, and university art departments was quite radical: they set out to establish the Corvallis Arts Council as the first community-based arts organization in the State of Oregon, and 27th in the United States. We changed our name to The Arts Center in 2008 with the goal of becoming inclusive of all people seeking connections to the arts.

Toward a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive arts organization, The Arts Center embarked on an organization-wide process of learning and change in 2020. The Arts Center is committed to being and equity-centered organization, and actively integrate justice, equity, and transparency into every aspect of our work. We welcome like-minded individuals to join our team and help us shape a better future for our organization and the communities we serve. For more information, please visit The Arts Center website at https://theartscenter.net.

About the Benton County Historical Society

Our mission is to connect our community by preserving and sharing its diverse, evolving stories through history, culture, and art. We are a center of the community, fostering dialogue and ideas that catalyze an inclusive understanding of our past and culture, and consideration of the shared future we hope to create. We achieve this through: Authenticity - We provide access to history and culture through well-documented collections, accurate interpretation, and reliable scholarship. Curiosity - We encourage curiosity about history and culture, within ourselves and our community, when sharing and exploring the relevance of the stories we tell. Cultural Humility - We respect diverse cultures and perspectives and continually challenge our biases by engaging in meaningful dialogue with others. Excellence - We strive to meet the highest professional standards through combining best practices and innovation in order to serve our community and engage at the deepest level.