You’re listening to Viz City, KLCC’s Arts Review program. Today we’re talking with Charly Swing, artist, innovator and the brains behind ArtCity Eugene.
"I am Charly Swing. I’m the founder and director of ArtCity Eugene. Art City...I consider it a living, breathing work of art...that is a collaboration of artists with the community."
Hundreds of Eugeneans have encountered ArtCity at Third Friday Studio Without Walls events. Can you describe those events to us, Charly?
"Those events were basically studio environments where artists are making their art and you can wander around outdoors in this, again, outdoor popup gallery scene where artists are simply working on their art work; they’re not selling, they’re making. So you get to experience them in the process of making, talk to them; you can just stand behind them...and almost be as if you were the artist, watching the strokes happen."
Tell us about the ArtCity street event called BEAM that is coming right up?
"The event that is happening on September 20 is BEAM. It’s a showcase of art that incorporates light. It’s from 7:30 to 10 o’clock at the East Park block."
And when people attend this event, what can they expect to experience?
"Magic! These artists are bringing out their creations in an outdoor, popup, art scene that is art that incorporates light, so the art is actually luminous, and part of the magic of it is that they are exploring oftentimes how to incorporate light into their art work. Some people do it all the time; that’s just what they do, but we really like to give people the opportunities who show that they are masterful at their work and they perhaps have never worked with light, but they believe can and they want to explore that, and we give them the opportunity to do that and then present the work out into the public."
In true downtown Eugene style, in addition to light art, expect food booths and music from performers who write their own music. To learn more, hop on over to artcityeugene.com or find artcity eugene on any and all social media, including the Viz City blog.
Viz City is co-produced by Terry Way and Sandy Brown Jensen.
