Month long creative arts event seeks artists

Month long creative arts event seeks artists to lead one or multi-day workshops during August

Artists and art organizations are invited to lead workshops for the second annual, month-long Create! Eugene event set for August 1 - 31, 2014. The event encourages creative arts exploration and learning through hands-on workshops and related activities in and around Eugene.

Desired workshops may include painting, sculpting, dance, theater, set designing, jewelry making, creative writing, music, ceramics, pottery, mix media, photography, fiber arts, glass and more. Wine and beer making, as well as other culinary workshops are also desired. Workshops can be one day or multiple days.

Listing a workshop with Create! Eugene is free. Artists design and post their own workshops and determine their own registration fees. Additional marketing support is available through feature stories, blog posts and video promotions.

Workshops will be promoted to artists of all abilities, ages and to the public at large. Create! Eugene will also be marketed to potential summer travelers to bring visitors to Eugene to participate in local arts offerings.

Register your workshop: http://createeugene.com/list-an-arts-workshop
Contact: Mary Duke, Create! Eugene Coordinator, at (541) 953-6604 or info@createeugene.com.

Create! Eugene is a program of the Arts & Business Alliance of Eugene with the objective of branding Eugene and the surrounding area as a cultural and creative tourism destination. Create! Eugene is targeting creative patrons within a 300-mile drive radius. Hotel packages will incentivize participation in multiple workshops throughout the month.
 Contact:
Mary Duke, Create! Eugene Coordinator
(541) 953-6604; info@createeugene.com

Winemakers and Their Labels

Behind the Wine Label by Tamara Belgard in 1859 Magazine

Wonderful article about winemakers and their labels!

Rebecca Pittock-Shouldis | Ghost Hill Cellars, á La Main Wines

As is the case with many winemakers I’ve interviewed, Rebecca Pittock-Shouldis describes her entrance into the world of wine making as “serendipitous.” She also phrased it as “a crazy series of events.” Her career life began as an Oregon National Guard Aviation Technician. How she came to make wines of grace and beauty is a whole different story. Pittock-Shouldis is able to utilize many of the skills that made her a great aviation technician in her wine making—such as reverse engineering and the ability to learn from experience. But it’s in wine making that she seems to have honed her artistic skills. “Wine is a catalyst. It creates a spark that creates the memories and experiences of our lives. Wine seems to tie it all together,” she says. In wine she found her passion. Making wines that become an integral part of people’s lives is what she most enjoys about what she does.
 
Pittock-Shouldis still serves in the Guard once a month. She’s also a mother of two and is busy creating her own brand, á La Main Wines (translation: To be done by hand), a selection of Rhône-style wines that will launch later this spring. Pittock-Shouldis has also been on a quest to revive the old Gypsy Dancer wines, a brand that disappeared after the untimely death of the Gypsy Dancer winemaker Gary Andrus. This revival is more of a stretch for Pittock-Shouldis—not only her own personality into the wines, but to create a different style of wine, like Andrus would have made.
Though Pittock-Shouldis loves Pinot noir (and in my humble opinion, her Ghost Hill Cellars Pinots are some of the best in the Willamette Valley), what truly inspires her are Rhône-style wines, including syrah and viognier—wines she’s now making with fruit from Dukes Family Vineyard. The new á La Main label showcases a piece of art by Robert Canaga featuring her two childrens’ hands with grape juice flowing between them. One look at her label and it’s easy to appreciate not only the strength, but the passion, dedication, love and allure.
Here is the entire piece. 

Bottling at Omera

Turning 65 this month made me a little nervous about some of my abilities and stamina so when my friend Destiny Dudley ask, after my Studio assistant and I had missed Ghost Hill's bottling, if we would like to come help them the next Friday we said yes. Heather had never been around the industry and is a novice to great Oregon wines so we went for it. 

Destiny inspecting corks

Early Friday morning I picked her up from campus and we made it to Carlton Winemakers Studio at 9:00. Destiny put us to work, Heather putting the labels on the cases and me pulling filled bottles. 9:00 to 12:30 then 1:00 to 2:30. I stayed in the same spot pulling bottles the entire time. Sounds like hard work and boring but it is anything but. Fast, and at times a bit overwhelming; when you stop the wine does not, so keeping up is important.It also gives you a chance to clear your mind.

I had had shoulder surgery  14 weeks past and was still a bit sore so this was good therapy. We worked hard and were rewarded with a great meal at Barrel 47  in Carlton where the old bank used to be. I had my first Pelican Tsunami Stout and saw the largest  hamburger EVER and watched two of our companions EAT THEM!
We came home with two mixed cases of  four '12 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir, four '12 Willamette Vally Pinot Noir, and four '12 Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir each. Hard work excellently rewarded.

Now waiting the 6 months (Willamette Vally) and 2 years (Eola-Amity Hills and Ribbon Ridge) will be the hard part. Good thing I have LOTS of great Oregon wines.
When you have the chance, please visit Carlton (This is a wonderfully done web site for visitors) and enjoy a taste both at Omero and at all the other fine wineries withing a short walk. Stop and by some Republic of Jam and eat at one of the many great spots. Great way to spend a day!

Join Carlton Hill Wines for a Tasting in the Barn

"Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"... "It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine..."       Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

Dear Friends,    Does this quote describe our Oregon springs, or what? And, no doubt, if history is any gauge, our day together will produce rain-on-sun or vice versa. The important thing is, winter is behind us and it's time to celebrate its departure!

Join Us for a Memorial Weekend Wine Tasting in the Barn On Sunday, May 25th, between noon and 5:00, the barn door will open to all aficionados of great Oregon wines. From Carlton Hill you will be treated to a vertical consisting of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Estate Pinot Noirs as well as the 2011 Estate Reserve.

Chris Berg, the talented producer of both Roots and Racine Wines, will be joining us to pour some of his latest offerings, including his release of the 2011 Roots Pinot Noir from the Carlton Hill Vineyard. Chris & Hilary always have a nice assortment of white wines available, as does John Zelco, who will be pouring his Z'IVO wines. Finally, Travis Cook, owner and winemaker of Copper Belt Winery, will join us again, pouring his unique Merlot and Syrah blends from his eastern Oregon vineyard. As for food, count on tastebud delights from Alcyone Cafe & Catering in Salem. Karo Thom has surprises up her chef sleeves this year that are sure to be as hearty and delightful as in previous years.  There is a $20 tasting fee per person (two people can share 1 glass for $30; Reserve Club members admitted free) and, unless the turnout is ridiculous, a Carlton Hill Vineyard wine glass will be yours for the keeping. Hope to see you all at the Barn. For directions, please go to www.carltonhillwines.com. Note that MapQuest, GPS navigators and Google Maps direct people to the nether regions of Carlton. Avoid the navigating mishap by using our online driving directions. Best regards, David C. Polite Carlton Hill Wine Co

PS: If you can't make it out to the farm on Sunday, I will also be pouring my wines at Walnut City WineWorks in McMinnville on Saturday, May 24 between 11:00 AM and 4:00PM.

Celebrate Oregon Wine Month!

"May is Oregon Wine Month and there has never been a better time to discover your perfect Oregon wine. Oregon Wine Month was established by decree of Gov. John Kitzhaber in 2012 to celebrate and highlight Oregon's growing community. Throughout May, wineries from all over the state will be pouring special selections, offering unique food and wine pairings and holding fun activities. Be sure to celebrate Oregon Wine Month by visiting your favorite winery, and purchasing Oregon wine at participating restaurants and retail locations. "   Oregon Wine Board

EVENTS

J. Scott Cellars Eugene Tasting Room 541-514-5497 520 Commercial St., Eugene Fridays:  4-9 pm and Saturdays:  1-9 pm Please note:  Food Truck onsite Friday & Saturday nights! Friday, May 9, 1-9 pm:  Friday Wine Down at Eugene Winery.  We welcome John Baumann  (alias Satori Bob) as our musician for a first time visit (5:30-8:30 pm).  John has a unique vocal style that will draw you in with its blues sound. Saturday, May 10, 1-9 pm:  Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 11, and if you haven't purchased your gift yet, it's not too late to please her with a bottle of wine!  This evening (4-7 pm), in celebration of Moms, we will host a pre-release party for our Grenache Rose' with a free glass for Moms, tastings and special pricing on pre-sales!  This is a lovely dry Rose' with tropical notes and a lush, creamy body.  It is a wonderfully versatile wine that pairs well with fish and chicken (anyone grilling this summer?). Friday, May 16, 4-9 pm:  Friday Wine Down at Eugene Winery.  Local favorite entertainer, the young Bailee Jordyn  will be here to awe you with her beautiful voice and style (5:30-8:30 pm)!  There is no better way to Wine Down on a Friday than here at J. Scott Cellars. (As a side note, if all goes as planned, we will release our 2013 Sauvignon Blanc tonight!) Saturday, May 17, 1-9 pm:  Stop on in and enjoy some great wine at J. Scott Cellars!  Remember food truck onsite Saturday evenings too!  If you're at the Oregon Coast, remember to visit...... J. Scott Cellars Yachats Tasting Room Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays:  1-5 pm (or later!) 541-547-3833 504 Hwy. 101, Yachats

IN CELEBRATION OF OREGON WINE MONTH

Jonathan Oberlander

J. Scott Cellars hosts its first.......

MEET THE WINEMAKER EVENT! 

 Saturday, May 31

6 - 8 pm

 Jonathan Oberlander, Winemaker & Owner of J. Scott Cellars, will talk about his winemaking philosophy, the winemaking process and equipment used here in the winery.......and, of course, he will share some of his wonderful award winning wines with you!  Prizes will be raffled throughout the event. Spend a fun, informative evening learning more about the extraordinary Oregon wines produced here at J. Scott Cellars. Light bites and seasonal delights included!

TICKETS: $20 pp

Available at winery or online at EVENTBRITE

TICKETS:  $10 pp for Club Members!

Available at winery or call Vicki at 541-232-4225 

Catching Up on Oregon Wines

Though it has been some time since I wrote so much has happened. My show at Coos Art Museum is up and runs through the 28th of June. They have sold work and I am happy.

Now back to wine.
My studio assistant Heather was convinced she did not like wine so one the way back from Coos Bay I took her through Elkton and stopped at Brandborg Winery and let her taste some of Oregon's finest whites. 
The first taste prompted a surprised look and a smile. The white Pinot Noir (first free run, little skin contact) was a joy. Complex, as a good Pinot Noir should be, but with white peach and citrus swirled around in both mouth and nose. She got a bottle of this one.Here is her reaction to real Oregon wines:
   Until I tasted several wines at Brandborg in Elkton, I had never liked wine. I had tried heavy red wines that I disliked, so I thought that all wine was too strong, heavy and bitter for me. When I told Robert that I didn't like wine, he suggested that I try the 2012 Fleur de Lis White Pinot Noir and suspected that I

would enjoy it despite the fact that I have always avoided wine. We went to Brandborg to taste it, and I was surprised at the light, fresh taste. It defied all of my preconceived notions about wine--it was not the least bit heavy or bitter and didn’t taste strongly of alcohol.
    I was interested to try a few other wines after discovering how much I enjoyed the Fleur de Lis. I found that I liked a few other whites at Brandborg including the 2012 Pinot Gris and 2009 Riesling. I even tried some red wines and liked the 2007 Love Puppets Pinot Noir. I enjoyed experiencing the different character of each wine, and I was surprised at the unique mixture of fruity and floral tastes in each wine. I found that not all wine is strong and bitter after all.
There you have it. Even a novice can grow to like Oregon wine!

MarshAnne Landing Winery has Chamber Music Amici in Concert

We hope you can join us for a unique evening of music!

MarshAnne Landing Winery

Is proud to present

Chamber Music Amici in Concert

7:00 PM Tuesday May 20th

Chamber Music Amici, one of the Northwest’s premier chamber ensembles, will be joined by an all-star team of guest performers for a fabulous evening of music at MarshAnne Landing Winery.  You do not want to miss this concert if you love chamber music!

Canadian trumpeter Guy Few is considered as one of the most brilliant brass players of his generation.  Brazilian Julia Brown, one of the top organists in the world, will perform on harpsichord and harmonium where she is considered a virtuoso.  Cellist Jed Barahal from Portugal performs throughout Europe and the US and has wowed audiences at MarshAnne Landing on two prior occasions.  Brazilian born pianist Alexandre Dossin (UO School of Music) skills are considered extraordinary and phenomenal.  Oregon native bass player Tyler Abbott (UO School of Music) is an orchestral and jazz bassist regionally and nationally.  This all-star team will join Chamber Music Amici core musicians Pilar Bradshaw and Sharon Schuman on violin and Holland Phillips on viola.

The program will feature:      Baldassare’s    Piccolo Trumpet Concerto in F

                                                Persichetti’s    Hollow Men with Guy Few reading TS Eliot’s poem

                                                Dvorak’s          Bagatelles for Two Violins, Cello and Harmonium

                                                Saint-Saens      Septet for Trumpet, Piano and Strings

Due to limited seating, advanced reservations are required (541-459-7998).   Admission $30 includes abundant appetizers.  Guests should plan on arriving by 6:30 for sampling wine, food, and visiting with other guests.

Wine and Friendship

Rebecca Shouldis and Thibaud Mandet

For many years I have enjoyed Oregon wines from all over the state and have been in over 250 tasting rooms. Meeting wine lovers in all walks of life and in all corners of Oregon has given me a great deal of pleasure and I have made some wonderful and lasting friendships.

 I am going to start asking wine lovers what wines they most enjoy and for their most romantic experience evolving tasting great wines. Did they meet their love? Did they find a friend? 

Vonnie & Mike Landt

If you have a story to share please send it to rcanaga@gmail.com

Money in a Bottle

During my show at the Coos Art Museum (April 18-June 28) this jar will be in a glass box below the painting. At the end of the show, someone will break the jar. It will be put up on YouTube and they get what is inside the jar. $$$ . Tickets for a chance to break the jar are $5 and are available from the museum. You can enter and have someone break it for you and you get to keep what is inside.

Break a Jar for Coos Art Museum

Please spread the word. The recent destruction of the Ai Weiwei vase prompted this. Since I was going to have this jar broken at the bottom of the painting anyway as part of the artwork, why not make it more interesting

.

During the show (April 18th through June 28th) we will have a drawing to find out who gets to come pick up the jar from under the painting and drop it. Money will be donated to the Coos Art Museum and the act will be posted on YouTube. $5.00 per ticket. You could be infamous.
Date of breaking will be announced.
Please share. You can also enter from afar and we will have someone drop it, saying "in the name of-------- we break this jar" or whatever clever thing you want said. Send your entry to "Break this Jar" c/o CAM, 235 Anderson Avenue, Coos Bay, Oregon 97420.
We will write your name on the entry form. Enter as many times as you wish. Good luck.

MARSHANNE LANDING WINERY Presents

MARSHANNE LANDING WINERY

IS PROUD TO PRESENT

Sunday April 6^th 3:00 PM

Beethoven's "Ghost" Piano Trio

Gliere's Duets for violin and cello

Deak's "Wager at the El Dorado Saloon"

Come enjoy an exciting performance by Chamber Music Amici, the resident chamber ensemble at the Wildish Theater in Springfield Oregon. CMA is one of the premiere chamber groups in the Pacific NW. Featured artists include pianist Victor Steinhardt, cellist Steven Pologe and violinist Kathryn Lucktenberg.

The epic "Ghost" trio is alleged to evoke the ghost of Hamlet's father while others suggest that it conjures up the images of ghosts and witches in Macbeth. The "Wager..."includes wild moments that call for the musicians to make sounds of a sled stuck in ice and dogs straining to free it. All in all, the program will delight all in attendance. We hope you can be there!!!

Reservations are required (541-459-7998).  Admission $30 includes abundant appetizers. 175 Hogan Rd, Oakland, OR, just 3 miles off I-5 Exit 142.

A Book of My Coos Art Museum Show

"Vessels" Oil and Wax Paintings by Robert Canaga by | Make Your Own Book

TRANSPORTED: Paintings by Robert Canaga at Coos Art Museum

February 13, 2013                                 

"Passage" 36x48 oil and wax on canvas

                                  Executive Director

                                                                                                Coos Art Museum

541-267-3901

For Immediate Release                                                           Contact: Steven Broocks

                                                                                                sbrooks@coosart.org

                                                                                                http://www.coosart.org

TRANSPORTED: Paintings by Robert Canaga at Coos Art Museum

Coos Bay, OR - Coos Art Museum presents TRANSPORTED, a solo show of mixed media paintings, combining raw pigments, oil and wax by Oregon-based artist Robert Canaga, April 18 through June 28, 2014. The opening reception is Friday April 18 from 5 to 7pm and coincides with the opening of Expressions West 2014 the Museum’s Western states painting competition for which Canaga served as juror.

In TRANSPORTED, painter Robert Canaga explores images of the vessel as both object and symbol. The thematic forms bring to mind containers or sailing vessels from antiquity, familiar contours repeated throughout history. Boldly colored and textured in Canaga’s signature style, the series evokes a sense of solidity and purpose with its simple, satisfying shapes.

 

"Shadow" 60x30 oil and wax and acrylic on panel

“These paintings are based on the idea of transport from one place to another,” says Canaga, whose work is influenced by the artist’s two near-death experiences. TRANSPORTED’s metaphorical reference to the body-as-vessel, carrying the soul, cannot be overlooked. The paintings do not convey fragility; quite the opposite, they vibrate with celebration of their own place in the universe. “I’m more whole at 64 than I was at 24, more held together, in a sense,” continues Canaga. “I’ve escaped amazing circumstances, but remained solid.”

Even the smaller paintings seem larger than their dimensions. Their energy radiates outward with the artist’s confident orchestration of color and composition.  Canaga describes himself as a color purist. He elaborates, “I carry precise colors in my mind’s eye. The windows of my studio do not reveal the surrounding landscape, because I deliberately decided not to be influenced by the external Pacific Northwest palette. I’m fascinated by color frequencies and how those frequencies relate to each other.”

"Blue Bowl" 36x36 oil and wax on canvas

Coos Art Museum director, Steven Brooks, comments, ”We are very pleased to have one of the areas most active and innovative artistic leaders exhibiting at the Museum. We are also pleased that Robert Canaga has agreed to jury Expressions West 2014 a painting competition that exposes the Oregon Coast to the art of thirteen western states.”

 

"Moon Jar" 36x36 oil and wax on canvas

About the Artist:

Robert Canaga was born in Oregon and makes his home in Eugene. He is known as one of the state’s most experimental printmakers, and currently focuses on abstract painting in oil, raw pigments and wax. His involvement in the arts community spans decades. He is curator at The Gallery at the Watershed in Eugene, past President of the Board for Oregon Mozart Players and former curator at Opus 6IX Gallery. His work is collected nationally. Canaga is also owner of Robert Canaga Galleries in Portland and Eugene. More information about the artist can be found by visiting his website at http://opus6ixgallery.blogspot.com/

"Celtic Bowl" 30x60 oil and wax on panel

About Coos Art Museum:

Coos Art Museum has been a cultural focal point of Oregon’s scenic Southern Coast since 1966. It occupies the historic 1936 Art Deco US Federal Building in downtown Coos Bay. The Museum offers a wide range of arts activities including exhibitions, art classes and lectures. Hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm, Tuesday through Friday and 1:00 to 4:00 pm on Saturday.  Museum admission: $5 general, $2 students, veterans and seniors, free to Museum members.

 

"Vessel: Jar #1" 5'x5' oil and wax on panel

Know Your Oregon Wines: Chenin blanc

Chenin blanc:  Chenin blanc is arguably the most versatile of all wine grape varieties. Crisp, dry table wines, light sparkling wines, long-lived, unctuous, nectar-like dessert wines, and even brandy are all produced in various areas of the wine world, all from Chenin blanc. This French varietal from Anjou and the Loire has two distinct characteristics: a high natural acidity and susceptibility to botrytis. Even in hot climates and with high yields, its high acidity delivers balanced , but neural varietals, which are commonly used in blends for everyday, mass-market wines.
Some of the best Chenin Blanc in Oregon is grown in the  Rogue Valley by Ledger David Cellars. The tasting room is in Central Point ans is a must stop destination for a number of reasons; Rogue Creamery is on one side and Lillie Belle Farms Chocolates is on the other!
I like this wine for Summer on the deck and often add a lime twist just to make the purists crazy.

Know Your Oregon Grapes: Baco Noir

Baco Noir is a French-American hybrid is a hybrid red wine grape variety produced from a cross of Vitis vinifera var. Folle blanche, a French wine grape, and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia indigenous to North America.
Baco Noir’s origins go back to 1894 when French grape breeder François Baco crossed Folle Blanche with an unknown member of the New World’s Vitis Riparia family. The intention was to create phylloxera-resistant vines that retained their French character. At one time Baco Noir was grown in Burgundy and the Loire, but it was gradually ushered out of the Old World and has since become one of North America’s more successful hybrids.

Not highly regarded among most Oregon wine makers I have spoken to but Girardet Winery in the Umpqua Valley has been pretty consistently good at producing a tasty deep red and rich wine. It stands up to duck and gamey meats but it also is one of my favorite for pairing with dishes made with wild rice.

In cool climates it has a light to medium body, good acidity. Baco Noir is a grower-friendly alternative to Pinot Noir. It does not express the distinctive foxy aromas and flavors of other Vitis Riparia varieties known as River Bank Grape or Frost Grape, but instead shows rich fruit tones, typified by blueberry and plum. In hotter climates such as the Umpqua Valley the wine is richer and more intense.
Another winery that makes a solid Baco Noir is Chateau Lorane, where Linda and I were married. 100 people went through a LOT of Baco Noir
Here is a good story about Baco written by Matt Kramer for the Oregonian:
As some readers have noticed, this column now appears every other week. But the wines --and wine values --keep coming. So let's dive into the deals with no further ado.
Baco Noir "Southern Oregon" 2007, Girardet Wine Cellars: For decades one of Oregon's consistently best red wines has not been its vaunted pinot noir, but rather, the unsung French hybrid called baco noir. Never heard of baco noir? You're in good company, as most folks haven't, either --wine geeks included.
The short story is that in the 1880s the American root louse called phylloxera devastated all of Europe's vineyards. The native European grape vine, Vitis vinifera, had no inborn resistance to this sap-sucking louse --which slowly killed the vines. American grapevines, however, did have an inborn resistance.
Growers everywhere in Europe, nowhere more so than in France, were desperate to find or create vines that could resist phylloxera. For decades, starting in the 1880s, researchers experimented with crossing varieties of Vitis vinifera with various American grape varieties. One of these researchers was Francois Baco (1865-1947), a son of winegrowers who lived in the town of Belus, near the famous Armagnac zone in southwest France.
Although Baco's day job was a schoolteacher, his passion was grapevines. For decades he laboriously tried numerous crossings of Vitis vinifera varieties with American species. In 1902, Baco released just such a hybrid, a red grape originally called Baco 1 that today is known as baco noir. It was a cross between a local white grape known as folle blanche (the grape used for the brandies made in the Cognac and Armagnac districts) and an unknown American red variety.
Eventually, the French decided to spurn these hybrids, preferring instead to simply graft American rootstocks onto their own European varieties. But baco noir made such a tasty red wine, and was so unusually resistant to very cold winter weather, that Baco's creation now is planted in the Midwest and the East (where cold winters are a problem) as well as in the Canadian province of Ontario.