QuickTake:

Two other visual art exhibits worth a look are running, too: One at the intimate RecRoom and one at Maude Kearns.

Happy July, Eugene! Oh, I was so excited when the sun came out in June; now we’re back to some gray and rain here and there, but I have my fingers crossed there will be plenty of river-worthy days soon enough.

For more Fourth of July-specific recommendations, our Snowden intern Leo Heffron rounded up all of the fireworks (and Eugene Pro Rodeo!) details you’ll need to get patriotic this weekend.

Outside of that, let’s get into it.

Melvin Seals & JGB

If your patriotic duty is to a group of men who expressed their heartfelt beliefs via jam band, then this concert anchored by Jerry Garcia Band musician Melvin Seals will be the perfect way for you to celebrate. (There’s also an after-party at WOW Hall, if you’re so inclined.)

  • When: There will be two nights of concerts, Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. Both shows start at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m.
  • Where: McDonald Theatre, 1010 Willamette St., Eugene
  • How much: General admission tickets are $79.50.

Oregon Bach Festival concerts

Composer-in-residence Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate will present two pieces during this year’s Oregon Bach Festival. Credit: Shevaun Williams

Let there be Bach! The festival continues this week, and there’s plenty for you to pop into. It’s not as easy to provide the usual when/where/how-much for so many events under one umbrella, so you can find more specific ticket and venue information at each concert’s information page.

Here are the Bach Festival concerts from today through next Wednesday, when we’ll pick this back up to close out the festival:

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Each Thursday, Annie Aguiar and Taylor Goebel give you their best bets for the weekend, including where to go and what to eat.

First Friday ArtWalk 

Credit: Athena Delene

Do you have a poet in your household waiting to share their work with the world? It’s the time of month for the Lane Arts Council’s First Friday ArtWalk, the tour of art in downtown Eugene, and this month’s event is anchored by a poetry-and-prose open mic night.

Emcee Jorah LaFleur and spoken word performers Wynter Eddins and Santiago Navia will kick off the evening before an all-ages, open mic night, in addition to the usual display of visual art at downtown Eugene businesses.

  • When: Friday, July 3, from 5:30 p.m.
  • Where: Venues across downtown Eugene. Lane Arts Council publishes a map and list of participating businesses on their website.
  • How much: Free to attend, but bring money for some food, art and local shopping.

Warehouse District Art Hop

If all that art-walking isn’t enough, there’s Saturday for art-hopping in west Eugene. Highlights for this month’s Warehouse District Art Hop aren’t on the website, but check back for details before Saturday morning — next month marks the one-year anniversary of this new community art tour, which could make this weekend a perfect time to check it out.

  • When: Saturday, July 4; participating businesses have different hours, but most should be open and rolling by noon.
  • Where: Participating businesses across west Eugene
  • How much: Free to attend, but bring money for some food, art and local shopping.

Collage exhibit at Maude Kerns

“Piecing It Together: A Regional Collage Exhibit” at the Maude Kerns Art Center brings together work from collage artists across the Pacific Northwest, including Eugene artist Sarah Rose and Springfield artist Sheary Clough Suiter.

The full exhibit’s different visions of collages include alley-cat scenes, political pieces and three-dimensional mixed-media assemblage.

Springfield artist Sheary Clough Suiter’s “FRACTURED MEMORIES,” made from block print on muslin, personal journal entries, encaustic, machine and hand-stitched thread, vintage linens, hand-made earth pigment paint. Credit: Maude Kerns Art Center
Eugene artist Sarah Rose’s “Protect Your Light: Sisters,” made from dried flowers and acrylic paint and printed material. Credit: Maude Kerns Art Center
  • When: Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. The exhibit is on view through July 17.
  • Where: Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E. 15th Ave., Eugene
  • How much: The gallery is free to enter, but a donation of $3 per person or $5 per family is suggested.

RecRoom summer exhibit

RecRoom — the intimate part-of-a-house-turned-art-gallery in south Eugene — recently opened its summer exhibition, a group show called “Love Thy Neighbor” with work from 12 artists from across the world, all responding to “existential distress brought on by the relentless beat of AI psychoses, microplastics, and antisocial media” through painting, photography, collage, video work and more.

  • When: Gallery hours are noon and 6 p.m. Friday, and noon and 4 p.m. Saturday. The gallery is also open by appointment from Tuesday to Thursday, between noon and 4 p.m.
  • Where: 4415 Hilyard St., Eugene, with street parking along 44th Avenue.
  • How much: The gallery is free to enter. 

Movies

Special screenings

Art House has screenings recognizing the 85th anniversary of “Citizen Kane,” if you’d really like to celebrate American history by focusing on the outsize influence of a handful of moguls on our nation.

Playing at the Art House Sunday, July 5, and Wednesday, July 8. 

When I first saw “The Blues Brothers,” I had no idea who Cab Calloway was, just that the guy singing this song called “Minnie the Moocher” was electric. Now, as an adult, I can appreciate how wild and wonderful it is for an early 20th century megawatt star to introduce his work to new generations via comedy movies.

Playing at the Art House from Saturday, July 4, through Thursday, July 9. 

How about Halloween in July? Wes Craven’s 1977 “The Hills Have Eyes” is screening this weekend, in case you’d like your Independence Day festivities to come with a side of Nevada desert cannibals.

Playing at the Art House from Friday, July 3, to Tuesday, July 7.

Box office

The box office is light this week, but the next edition of this newsletter will be packed with titles for you to check out. But for now, there’s “Minions and Monsters.” I have no children, and was not young enough to hop on the Minions train when “Despicable Me” first appeared, but sure! Fine! Minions are known to gravitate, so the lore goes, toward concentrations of pure evil … is it too tongue-in-cheek to point out the Fourth of July weekend release? 

Playing at Regal Valley River Center and Cinemark Eugene Springfield.

Thank you for reading, Lookout members. If my picks aren’t up to your liking, check out our events calendar for more things to do. As always, if there are any events I should include here, or any feedback for this weekly list, drop me a line at annie@lookoutlocal.com.

Annie Aguiar is the Arts and Culture Correspondent. She has reported arts news and features for national and local newsrooms, including at the Seattle Times, the Washington Post and most recently as a reporting fellow for the New York Times’ Culture desk covering arts and entertainment.