From fish prints to outdoor yoga, Salem’s galleries are welcoming summer this month with celebrations of nature and community.

Between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, June 6, the Salem Art Walk will bring artists and musicians to local businesses downtown.

Here’s what’s showing this month.

Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery/Artists in Action

444 Ferry St. S.E.

Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Admission: Free

DOGS, ZEBRAS, RABBITS AND MORE – Creatures Great and Small

The gallery’s main show, “Creatures Great and Small,” will showcase more than 90 original pieces depicting animals, both pets and wildlife.

There will be an opening reception during the art walk on Friday, June 6, from 5-8 p.m. The event will include awards for artists and guest speakers.

The gallery will also participate in a Friday, June 20, sip and stroll event from 4-8 p.m. benefiting Garten’s work for people with disabilities. Participating downtown businesses will have complimentary cheeses, and wine, beer and beverages available for purchase.

Make Music Day is June 21, and there will be five acts performing in the gallery. 

Salem Art Association

600 Mission St. S.E.

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 12 – 4 p.m.

Admission: Free

EVENTS – Yoga and architecture tour

The Salem Art Association and Common People Yoga will host several sessions of yoga in Bush’s Pasture Park throughout the summer. This month, it will be on Thursday, June 19, from 6-7 p.m. It is a donation-based event. RSVP and see additional dates here.

On Sunday, June 22, a tour of the Bush House Museum will answer questions about the architecture, history and oddities of the building itself. The tour has limited space, and starts at 1:30 p.m. There is a recommended donation of $15 per ticket. RSVP here.

TENSION – Veiled & Revealed

Through June 28

A series of portrait paintings by Vancouver, Washington-based artist Andrea Lopez Chen will be on display this month. The portraits feature partially concealed faces. 

“The act of masking raises questions—what do we choose to reveal, and what remains beneath the surface?” said a gallery statement.

The artist used a long stick with a brush attached, distancing herself from the painting at first before returning later to add finer details. The portraits are on display alongside mixed media paintings with collage, acrylic, spray paint and oil pastels. 

ARTISTS IN DISCUSSION – Persistent Voices

Through June 28

An exhibition, “Six Artist’s Perspectives,” features work that explores “the complexity of being human, especially the social, political and personal experiences and ramifications of living as a female in our time,” according to a gallery description. It includes a variety of media, including painting and projection, and a variety of themes from bodily autonomy to mythology.

IMAGINARY LANDSCAPES – A Selection

Through June 28

Painter Jennifer Gimzewski’s work will be on display at the art association this month. In an artist’s statement, she said she never works with a finished painting in mind. Gimzewski is originally from Scotland, and moved to Oregon in 2005, currently living in Aumsville. 

“Using imaginary landscapes,  I create my canvases in a way that is suggestive of a place and time but in reality is about the placing of colours next to and on top of one another in a way that speaks to me,” she said. 

BEYOND THE SURFACE – Colorful Chronicles 

Through June 28

Salem artist Eric Wuest will be displaying a selection of paintings from 1990 to today. Wuest’s work spans from drawing to painting to printmaking, and is known for his unique use of depth.

“His work often encourages viewers to look beyond the surface and discover new dimensions,” according to a gallery statement.

Wuest studied art at Chemeketa Community College and Western Oregon University. His work has been on display at the Oregon State Capitol and in galleries throughout the region. 

PORTRAITS AND SHORT FILMS – Favorite Things II

Through June 29

A portrait and short film series by Portland artist Jason Hill, “Favorite Things II,” asked artists to talk about their favorite item while in a studio. 

“The results are an experiment with light and color to create magical portraits and filmed testimonials,” Hill said in an artist statement. 

Keizer Art Association

Keizer Cultural Center, 980 Chemawa Rd., Keizer

Hours: Tuesday 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., Wednesday-Friday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Admission: Free

LOCAL ART – Members Showcase

June 4 – 25

This month, all kinds of art will be on display from members of the Keizer Art Association. The annual event is a judged show, and winners will be announced during a reception from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. 

Level 2 Gallery – Salem Convention Center

200 Commercial St. S.E.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., or for appointment call 503-589-1700

Admission: Free

FATHERHOOD – New Energy

Through June 13

The Level 2 Gallery will feature work by Salem artists Shoki Tanabe and Adam Zeek. “New Energy” is the first collaborative exhibition by two lifelong friends. Tanabe works in acrylic, graphite and oil pastel on canvas or wood and Zeek carves wood panels. 

The work is shaped by their experiences raising daughters, the artists said in a joint statement. 

“Navigating new terrain and gazing upon new landscapes demands a new perspective through aging eyes. In moments of exhaustion, we tap into a new energy, harnessing our lived experiences as kids again,” they said.

Hallie Ford Museum of Art – Willamette University

700 State St. 

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 12 – 5 p.m.

Admission: $8 general, $5 for seniors. Free admission for children up to age 17, educators and students with ID and museum members. Free admission for all on Tuesdays. Passes available for checkout at the Salem Public Library.

PORTLAND MODERNIST PAINTINGS – C.S. Price: A Portrait

June 14 – Aug. 30

A new exhibition will explore the work of C.S. Price, who became one of Oregon’s most influential artists in the 1930s and 1940s for his modernist paintings of the American West. It’s the first major exhibition of his work in over a century, according to a museum statement.

The exhibition features 48 works on loan from collections around the country, including some from Hallie Ford. It will also feature objects from his life, including his worktable. 

There will be several events accompanying the exhibition, including a lecture about Price’s career by Roger Saydack on Saturday, June 21, from 5- 6 p.m. at Willamette University. Saydack will also give three talks in the gallery on June 17, July 8 and Aug. 12. Admission to all talks is free. 

OREGON FORESTS – Nancy Floyd: For the Love of Trees

Through June 21

An exhibition opening at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art this month features recent work by Bend-based photographer and author Nancy Floyd.

The exhibit, “For the Love of Trees,” is a multi-year project exploring the bond between Oregonians and the forest, “including those who study trees, those who protect trees, those who make a living off trees, and those who see trees as part of their daily life,” according to a description.

Floyd was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2022 for the work, which brought her alongside forestry workers, into mills and on tree-planting trips.

Salem on the Edge

156 Liberty St. N.E.

Hours: Wednesday-Thursday 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 12 – 4 p.m.

Admission: Free

THE NATURAL WORLD – A Majority of Wildness

Opens June 6

Work by artist and poet Duncan Berry will be on display this month. His work celebrates the wildlife at Cascade Head on the Oregon Coast. The pieces incorporate gyotaku, a Japanese printmaking using fish, as well as botanical printing and photography. 

“The land, sea and air of this place acts as a muse, sanctuary and teacher for me,” Berry said in a statement. 

There will be an artist talk and reception at the gallery on Saturday, June 14, from 4 -7 p.m. Tea and chocolate will be served.

CYANOTYPE PORTRAITS – The Lineage that Refuge Shapes

Opens June 6

Artist Ebenezer Galluzzo’s experimental portraits will be on display at the gallery this month. His work combines portraits of transgender people with collages of nature. As part of his process, he leaves negatives outside to experience the elements before printing them. 

“Tender and radical, his work reminds us that trans existence is not separate from nature—instead, it’s a vital part of our shared ecosystem,” said a gallery statement. 

World Beat Gallery

390 Liberty St. S.E.

Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by appointment. 

Admission: Free

INDIGENOUS ARTISTRY – Turtle Island: Dances and Regalia

Through July 31

In conjunction with this year’s World Beat Festival, which will be June 27-29, the gallery is showcasing art and culture from Indigenous people around the world. 

“This exhibit invites time for reflection, learning about, and honoring cultures that have walked these lands since time immemorial,” said a gallery description.

Willamette Heritage Center

1313 Mill St. S.E.

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors over 65, $6 students and children ages 6-17. Passes available for checkout at the Salem Public Library. Free admission for Oregon Trail/SNAP/EBT card holders.

FASHION HISTORY – Corsets and Brassieres: How Undergarments Reflect Women’s Freedoms And Autonomy

Through June 27

A new pop-up exhibit shares a collection of undergarments, sewing supplies and photographs from Renska Swart, a 1920s Salem businesswoman. 

“Follow the transition from the Victorian age into the modern age as seen from the lens of undergarments and fashion, and the social, political and economic changes that accompany it,” an exhibit description said.

Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.

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