SPRINGFIELD – In the summer, the art walk in Springfield becomes a vibrant and exciting event. With pleasant weather and a diverse lineup of artists, it offers a great evening in town while allowing participants to get some exercise as they stroll from gallery to gallery.
This month’s Art Walk is Friday, June 13, from 5-7:30 p.m.The first stop will be at the Emerald Art Center, where there will be two featured shows in addition to a group exhibit. “
The Bird Whisperers” will highlight the works of Patti McNutt and Nik Skoog, showcasing their oil paintings of birds.
“I am endlessly awed by the beauty, form, color, and magic that are birds,” Skoog said. “It seems that whenever I get stuck on what to paint next, I can always fall back on my old friends, the birds.”
Although an artist for 17 years, McNutt started painting birds during Covid.
“It is most like a compulsion, this desire to see beauty in all things and interpret that vision with paint. It isn’t just about the object or scene. It is about the emotion felt when seeing a magical combination of light, composition, and values,” McNutt said.
The exhibit titled “Past, Present, and Future Relics” by the Museum of Techno Art is also on display. One notable piece is Steve La Riccia’s “Babbage/Lovelace’s Machination,” a kinetic artwork that functions as a Mac computer, all while embodying a Victorian industrial style.
The exhibit also features the works of several artists, including Joe Mross, Barbora Bakalarova, Jud Turner, Renee Mahni, Rob Bolman, Max Rink, and Allen Ott, along with guest artists Ralf Huber and Neil Conner.
Other art around town
The Willamalane Adult Activity Center Island Park Gallery is hosting an art show featuring the acrylic artwork of Maria Julia Nemeth, a Brazilian artist who began painting in 2011. Her work reflects her emotions and experiences, aiming to spread love, peace, and beauty. The exhibition will be available until June 25, with a shuttle service running every 20-30 minutes until 7 p.m.
The Springfield History Museum will have a Frybread Taco Fundraiser featuring live music by Kunu Bearchum and Michael Leslie, with proceeds supporting scholarships for the Illumination team at an international conference on American Indian and Alaska Native history and culture.
The Springfield City Hall Gallery inside the library will feature photography by Gary Sinick, with music by Lee Takasugi and her band Amor Fati. Other art walk stops include Taffy Siefert at Hearts for Hospice, Neato at Black Forest Tattoo, Ry Smith at Main Street Market, Ceil Dickenson at Made By You!, WheelHaus Arts at Stringfield Yarn Collective, Whitney North at Plank Town Brewing Co., Kristen Chaney Beard’s “Ocean View” collection at Squacho’s Bar & Grill, and Alisha B Whitman at Oakshire Commons.
Sarina Dorie covers The Arts for The Chronicle.
