CC Newsletter - 07/29/04 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Whiteaker Neiqhborhood River Festival With temperatures sizzling over the 100 degree mark last Friday, the Whiteaker community was given a cool treat by the River House Outdoor Program. Joining the youth from the Sladden Park Fun For All site, more than 400 people gathered on the banks of the Willamette River (at River House Eddy) to enjoy the first-ever Whiteaker Neighborhood River Festival. This free event gave families the opportunity to test, paddle and splash around in 20 different kayaks and canoes. ^ continuous stream of youth and adults also took turns sloshing down the 60- foot Slip 'n Slide, happy to be hosed down by members of Eugene Fire Department. While drying off, children could take part in the storytelling hour with Eugene Library staff, and families could join in on a drumming circle with Hands On Drumming or step into a Tai Chi demonstration by Suman. The event concluded with a performance by Dance^bility, bringing dancers from all over the world to the Whiteaker neighborhood. The only time that smiles weren't seen on faces was when hotdogs, lemonade, and a huge "community cake" (donated by La Petite Bakery) were being consumed. The response from those who attended was overwhelmingly positive. Many thanks were received by River House staff and much encouragement was given to continue to hold the event in the future. For more information about the event, contact Craig Smith at 682-6340. A Study in Contrasts at the Jacobs Gallery The Jacobs Gallery, which rents space from the Hult Center, has just opened a new exhibit featuring the works of Kris Ibach and Claudia Marchini. Tina Rinaldi, gallery director, calls the show a study in contrasts between two very talented and innovative portrait painters. This is especially significant because portraiture is not much in vogue today. Marchini, inspired by reading the testimonies and letters of blacks who were enslaved in the United States, paints portraits of African Americans on marble. Of her approach Marchini says, "1 took the liberty to give an imaginary face to those slaves whose letters and writings touched me the most." The paintings are displayed alongside relevant passages from the book so the viewer can make the connection. "These accompanying testimonies cross the boundaries of race, gender, religion and origin," adds Marchini. "They carry deep emotions which make us all equal." Ibach always paints either from models or from photographs, and does so with great skill. She has created hundreds of images calling attention to both the personal and the political in her renderings and she finds the human face most compelling. In this exhibition, Ibach is interested in contrasting her very large, confrontational portraits with her smaller, more intimate ones. A patron views Kris Ibach's "Woman with Flowers," The Jacobs Gallery regular viewing hours are: Tuesday - Friday, noon. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The gallery is also open one hour prior to and during all Hult Center performances. For more information, please call Tina Rinaldi at Lane Arts Council (684-5635). Crest Drive Area Outreach Under Way Public Works Engineering staff is seeking public input on street classification in the Crest Drive area through a variety of outreach efforts. A public meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 10, beginning at 6:45 p.m. in the picnic shelter at Morse Ranch Park. This meeting will help frame the issues around street classification and solicit comments and suggestions for options and alternatives. A second public meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 29, at Crest Drive Elementary School, 1155 Crest Drive from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This follow-up meeting will be used to present more specific proposals, taking into account the feedback from the first meeting and from other public input opportunities. Proposals will incorporate techniques such as context-sensitive design. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 July 29, 2004