The Shortcut - Events in Oregon

Navigating Through Centuries surveys the complex trajectory of art in Korea, which was significantly impacted by socio-political upheaval and cultural developments from the fifth century to the present. The exhibition is comprised of six chronological thematic sections — from the power and religion of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE), to the refined aristocratic ideals of the Goryeo (918–1392) and Confucian governance of the Joseon (1392–1910) dynasties, through vestiges of tradition after the Korean War (1950–1953), experimental practices during the modern era, and globalization of contemporary art. Each section examines how aesthetic practices respond to the evolving philosophies, ideologies, critical events, and issues of a specific historical period.

The exhibition begins with materials from the Three Kingdoms period in which are embedded political/religious authority and communal rituals, laying the foundation for Korean cultural memory. The Goryeo dynasty section highlights the refined aesthetics and Buddhist motifs that reflect aristocratic ideals and literati culture, while also indicating Korea’s participation in East Asian cultural exchange. The Joseon section showcases art that embodies the Confucian literati values that fundamentally shaped the moral order, governance, and cultural life of the period.

The modern and contemporary sections focus on twentieth-century art, which has continually questioned, responded to, and been shaped by the last tumultuous century of Korean history. The first postwar section features art that portrays the remnants of indigenous culture in the aftermath of the Korean War. The next section presents experimental works by artists who challenged the canon of art by blurring boundaries of cultures, genres, and mediums. The final section showcases global contemporary art by diasporic creators, many of whom have played central roles in integrating Korean art into the international mainstream.

Navigating Through Centuries narrates the conflicted yet intertwined relationships between art and culture, individuals and communities, and socio-politics and history, inviting audiences to consider the broad history of Korea through the lens of art. The exhibition was curated by Soojin Jeong, 2023–2026 Post-Graduate Curatorial Fellow in East Asian Art, as well as Heejung Chang, 2025–2026 JSMA/Korea Foundation Global Challengers Museum Intern.

Navigating Through Centuries surveys the complex trajectory of art in Korea, which was significantly impacted by socio-political upheaval and cultural developments from the fifth century to the present. The exhibition is comprised of six chronological thematic sections — from the power and religion of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE), to the refined aristocratic ideals of the Goryeo (918–1392) and Confucian governance of the Joseon (1392–1910) dynasties, through vestiges of tradition after the Korean War (1950–1953), experimental practices during the modern era, and globalization of contemporary art. Each section examines how aesthetic practices respond to the evolving philosophies, ideologies, critical events, and issues of a specific historical period.

The exhibition begins with materials from the Three Kingdoms period in which are embedded political/religious authority and communal rituals, laying the foundation for Korean cultural memory. The Goryeo dynasty section highlights the refined aesthetics and Buddhist motifs that reflect aristocratic ideals and literati culture, while also indicating Korea’s participation in East Asian cultural exchange. The Joseon section showcases art that embodies the Confucian literati values that fundamentally shaped the moral order, governance, and cultural life of the period.

The modern and contemporary sections focus on twentieth-century art, which has continually questioned, responded to, and been shaped by the last tumultuous century of Korean history. The first postwar section features art that portrays the remnants of indigenous culture in the aftermath of the Korean War. The next section presents experimental works by artists who challenged the canon of art by blurring boundaries of cultures, genres, and mediums. The final section showcases global contemporary art by diasporic creators, many of whom have played central roles in integrating Korean art into the international mainstream.

Navigating Through Centuries narrates the conflicted yet intertwined relationships between art and culture, individuals and communities, and socio-politics and history, inviting audiences to consider the broad history of Korea through the lens of art. The exhibition was curated by Soojin Jeong, 2023–2026 Post-Graduate Curatorial Fellow in East Asian Art, as well as Heejung Chang, 2025–2026 JSMA/Korea Foundation Global Challengers Museum Intern.

Navigating Through Centuries surveys the complex trajectory of art in Korea, which was significantly impacted by socio-political upheaval and cultural developments from the fifth century to the present. The exhibition is comprised of six chronological thematic sections — from the power and religion of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE), to the refined aristocratic ideals of the Goryeo (918–1392) and Confucian governance of the Joseon (1392–1910) dynasties, through vestiges of tradition after the Korean War (1950–1953), experimental practices during the modern era, and globalization of contemporary art. Each section examines how aesthetic practices respond to the evolving philosophies, ideologies, critical events, and issues of a specific historical period.

The exhibition begins with materials from the Three Kingdoms period in which are embedded political/religious authority and communal rituals, laying the foundation for Korean cultural memory. The Goryeo dynasty section highlights the refined aesthetics and Buddhist motifs that reflect aristocratic ideals and literati culture, while also indicating Korea’s participation in East Asian cultural exchange. The Joseon section showcases art that embodies the Confucian literati values that fundamentally shaped the moral order, governance, and cultural life of the period.

The modern and contemporary sections focus on twentieth-century art, which has continually questioned, responded to, and been shaped by the last tumultuous century of Korean history. The first postwar section features art that portrays the remnants of indigenous culture in the aftermath of the Korean War. The next section presents experimental works by artists who challenged the canon of art by blurring boundaries of cultures, genres, and mediums. The final section showcases global contemporary art by diasporic creators, many of whom have played central roles in integrating Korean art into the international mainstream.

Navigating Through Centuries narrates the conflicted yet intertwined relationships between art and culture, individuals and communities, and socio-politics and history, inviting audiences to consider the broad history of Korea through the lens of art. The exhibition was curated by Soojin Jeong, 2023–2026 Post-Graduate Curatorial Fellow in East Asian Art, as well as Heejung Chang, 2025–2026 JSMA/Korea Foundation Global Challengers Museum Intern.

New Zone Gallery – May Events

In addition to the eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional art created by the New Zone members shown at the New Zone Gallery, located in our beautiful space at 110 East 11th, we will be hosting four Featured Artist exhibits during the month of May.

Opening Reception
Friday, May 1st, 5:30 – 8:30 pm, during the First Friday Artwalk
Live music, libations and snacks.

David Diethelm - “Awash in the Flow”

The Optimistic Struggle
This collection displays the use of thinned oil paint and gravity-led composition. From the spreading shapes of Icebergs Melting in Rain to the upward-moving energy of Driptych, the work reveals a world that is simultaneously eroding and emerging—a testament to the resilience of creativity, offering a vibrant, impressionistic look at the energy surrounding us.

KF Gregory - “Liminal space”

Between two worlds
KF Gregory is an emerging multidisciplinary artist based in Eugene, OR whose oil and watercolor paintings explore liminal, otherworldly spaces. Inspired by years of travel through the American West and beyond, his landscapes feel both familiar and imagined—quiet, atmospheric places suspended between reality and dream.

In the Klausmeier Room

Steven Ferri - “Anonymous”

“These people do not exist.”
"Anonymous" explores the fragile line between recognition and absence. By combining synthetic portraiture with material obstruction, "Anonymous" shifts portraiture away from representation and toward process. It asks not who is depicted, but how recognition itself is constructed — and what happens when that process breaks down.

ECCO School - “In Our Own Words” Special Student Exhibition

Through drawing, painting, and mixed media, students explore personal
expression in their own distinct ways. This collection celebrates
authenticity, creativity, and the power of individual voice.

New Zone Gallery
110 W 11th, (on the corner of Oak St.)
Downtown Eugene
Open Tuesday-Sunday 12-6 pm

The University of Oregon Department of Art's MFA Degree Show culminates three years of independent research and experimentation by a cohort of four artists whose various practices engage in a broad range of inquiry. This year, the MFA exhibition returns to Ditch Projects, celebrating the MFA graduates’ efforts in the professional standard of a highly regarded artist run space and gallery. The 2026 cohort is Yalda Eskandari, Elri Friedman, Afsaneh Javadpour, and Maryam Keshmiri. The four artists showcased in this exhibition represent a diverse range of media and practices, spanning sculpture, installation, photography, painting, and collage.

Artists:
Yalda Eskandari
Elri Friedman
Afsaneh Javadpour
Maryam Keshmiri

On View: May 8-24, 2026

Opening Reception: Friday, May 8, 5:00- 8:00 p.m.

Gallery Hours: Saturdays & Sundays from noon- 4:00 p.m. and by appointment

Location: Ditch Projects, 303 S 5th St #165, Springfield, OR 97477

The Maude Kerns Art Center is proud to present “Forever in Blue Jeans: A Mid-Career Retrospective of Hilary Pfeifer,” opening Friday, May 8, with a public reception from 5 – 7 pm. The exhibit traces Pfeifer’s roots in Eugene and her formative relationship with the Maude Kerns Art Center, where she first studied as a young artist, while surveying 25 years of her work. “Forever in Blue Jeans” positions Pfeifer at a reflective midpoint in her career: looking back at the community and landscape that shaped her, while debuting new work that responds to the ecological and social realities of the present. The exhibit is on view through Friday, June 5.

Pfeifer is an enormously talented multi-faceted artist whose work spans sculpture, collage, installation, and public art. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows in galleries and museums throughout the US, most recently in the “Birds in Art” exhibit at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin in 2025. Her public art commissions grace many sites in Portland and beyond, including in Eugene in the lobby of Huestis Hall at the University of Oregon. Here an installation of laser-cut panels and suspended sculptures called “Confluence” celebrates the site’s revolutionary zebra fish research lab. Pfeifer is the recipient of many grants and awards, including a grant from the Puffin Foundation which supports in part her godseye series on view in the Art Center’s retrospective. Pfeifer’s art has been featured in American Craft magazine and was recently profiled on Oregon Art Beat.

Navigating Through Centuries surveys the complex trajectory of art in Korea, which was significantly impacted by socio-political upheaval and cultural developments from the fifth century to the present. The exhibition is comprised of six chronological thematic sections — from the power and religion of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE), to the refined aristocratic ideals of the Goryeo (918–1392) and Confucian governance of the Joseon (1392–1910) dynasties, through vestiges of tradition after the Korean War (1950–1953), experimental practices during the modern era, and globalization of contemporary art. Each section examines how aesthetic practices respond to the evolving philosophies, ideologies, critical events, and issues of a specific historical period.

The exhibition begins with materials from the Three Kingdoms period in which are embedded political/religious authority and communal rituals, laying the foundation for Korean cultural memory. The Goryeo dynasty section highlights the refined aesthetics and Buddhist motifs that reflect aristocratic ideals and literati culture, while also indicating Korea’s participation in East Asian cultural exchange. The Joseon section showcases art that embodies the Confucian literati values that fundamentally shaped the moral order, governance, and cultural life of the period.

The modern and contemporary sections focus on twentieth-century art, which has continually questioned, responded to, and been shaped by the last tumultuous century of Korean history. The first postwar section features art that portrays the remnants of indigenous culture in the aftermath of the Korean War. The next section presents experimental works by artists who challenged the canon of art by blurring boundaries of cultures, genres, and mediums. The final section showcases global contemporary art by diasporic creators, many of whom have played central roles in integrating Korean art into the international mainstream.

Navigating Through Centuries narrates the conflicted yet intertwined relationships between art and culture, individuals and communities, and socio-politics and history, inviting audiences to consider the broad history of Korea through the lens of art. The exhibition was curated by Soojin Jeong, 2023–2026 Post-Graduate Curatorial Fellow in East Asian Art, as well as Heejung Chang, 2025–2026 JSMA/Korea Foundation Global Challengers Museum Intern.

Gemini Thesaurus, Photographs by Michael T. Williams.
Showing from May 9 through June 30, 2026
There will be an artist reception on Saturday, May 9 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

The O'Brien Photo Gallery
2833 Willamette, Ste. B, Eugene, Oregon 97405
Phone: (541) 729-3572
Open Tuesday through Friday from 9 - 5 pm. Call to be sure we're open.
Email: picmac1945@gmail.com
Website: https://www.waltobrien.net/the-o-brien-photo-gallery.

A free Artist Talk is held in conjunction with “Forever in Blue Jeans” on Saturday, May 9, from 1–2 pm. Pfeifer offers practical working artist advice while telling humorous and insightful tales of her journey to becoming an artist sought after for exhibitions and public art commissions. She gives homage to her mentors along the way.

Pfeifer is an enormously talented multi-faceted artist whose work spans sculpture, collage, installation, and public art. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows in galleries and museums throughout the US, most recently in the “Birds in Art” exhibit at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin in 2025. Her public art commissions grace many sites in Portland and beyond, including in Eugene in the lobby of Huestis Hall at the University of Oregon. Here an installation of laser-cut panels and suspended sculptures called “Confluence” celebrates the site’s revolutionary zebrafish research lab. Pfeifer is the recipient of many grants and awards, including a grant from the Puffin Foundation which supports in part her godseye series on view in the Art Center’s retrospective. Pfeifer’s art has been featured in American Craft magazine and was recently profiled on Oregon Art Beat.

Navigating Through Centuries surveys the complex trajectory of art in Korea, which was significantly impacted by socio-political upheaval and cultural developments from the fifth century to the present. The exhibition is comprised of six chronological thematic sections — from the power and religion of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE), to the refined aristocratic ideals of the Goryeo (918–1392) and Confucian governance of the Joseon (1392–1910) dynasties, through vestiges of tradition after the Korean War (1950–1953), experimental practices during the modern era, and globalization of contemporary art. Each section examines how aesthetic practices respond to the evolving philosophies, ideologies, critical events, and issues of a specific historical period.

The exhibition begins with materials from the Three Kingdoms period in which are embedded political/religious authority and communal rituals, laying the foundation for Korean cultural memory. The Goryeo dynasty section highlights the refined aesthetics and Buddhist motifs that reflect aristocratic ideals and literati culture, while also indicating Korea’s participation in East Asian cultural exchange. The Joseon section showcases art that embodies the Confucian literati values that fundamentally shaped the moral order, governance, and cultural life of the period.

The modern and contemporary sections focus on twentieth-century art, which has continually questioned, responded to, and been shaped by the last tumultuous century of Korean history. The first postwar section features art that portrays the remnants of indigenous culture in the aftermath of the Korean War. The next section presents experimental works by artists who challenged the canon of art by blurring boundaries of cultures, genres, and mediums. The final section showcases global contemporary art by diasporic creators, many of whom have played central roles in integrating Korean art into the international mainstream.

Navigating Through Centuries narrates the conflicted yet intertwined relationships between art and culture, individuals and communities, and socio-politics and history, inviting audiences to consider the broad history of Korea through the lens of art. The exhibition was curated by Soojin Jeong, 2023–2026 Post-Graduate Curatorial Fellow in East Asian Art, as well as Heejung Chang, 2025–2026 JSMA/Korea Foundation Global Challengers Museum Intern.