What’s showing at Salem galleries, museums in December
Fiber arts, a showcase of all things red and Oregon’s wine history will be on display at exhibits throughout Salem this December.
Between 5 and 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, the Salem Art Walk will bring artists and musicians to local businesses downtown.
Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery/Artists in Action
444 Ferry St. S.E.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Admission: Free
A PERENNIAL FAVORITE – Something Red
Dec. 5 -31
The 23rd annual “Something Red” show asked local artists to make something featuring the color red. Last year’s paintings included vibrant flowers, tomato-red trucks and glowing neon sculptures.
There will be an opening reception with an opportunity for visitors to vote for their favorite piece on First Friday, Dec. 5, from 5-8 p.m. The awards will be presented at 6 p.m.
PHOTOS AND FIBER – Cameron Covey
Through Dec. 31
This month, Artists in Action is featuring pieces by Cameron Covey, who works in felt and digital photography.
“I love a good mystery, and both art forms provide that suspense. I never truly know what the finished felted scarf will look like until it’s completely dry. The photograph is a mystery until the final touches are entered,” Covey said in a 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
ALL SUBJECTS – The Artists Showcase
Dec. 3 – Jan. 7
A showcase open to all artists, in all mediums and subjects, will be on display at the Keizer Art Association this month. There’s also a special youth section for artists ages 4 to 14.
The gallery is accepting submissions until Dec. 3. There will be a holiday-themed opening reception and awards ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 4-6 p.m., with punch and cookies.
Salem Art Association
600 Mission St. S.E.
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.
Admission: Free
PETITE PAINTINGS – Small Wonders
Through Dec. 21
A variety of pastels, paintings, collages and printed photography, all smaller than 12” x 12”, will be on display and for sale at the Salem Art Association this month.
LARGE CROCHET ART – Jo Hamilton
Through Dec. 21
Artist Jo Hamilton grew up in Scotland, and learned how to crochet from her grandmother.
“The process of crochet is intimate and time-consuming, it involves knotting (and unraveling) hundreds of yarns to create each work. Each knot can be seen distinct as a second in time or may disappear into the whole, and this interplay between subject and material animates the work,” she said in a statement.
Her large-scale work explores themes of gender, including male nudes, portraits of women as hidden heroes and cityscapes. Her work is mostly made from post-consumer materials, according to her artist statement.
Hamilton will give a talk about her work on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 11 a.m. RSVP online.
FIBER ARTS – High Fiber Diet
Through Dec. 21
Fiber art from 17 artists, including complex quilts depicting landscapes, people and nature, will be on display this month at the Salem Art Association.
FLYING CATS – I Can Haz Fly
Through Dec. 17
Artist Anna Thoreau, this month’s artist in residence, has been working on a graphic novel about a cat that discovers “the magic of flight and self-belief.” Thoreau will be finishing the last pages of the novel while working in the gallery.
Roy John Jewelry
315 Court St. N.E.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Admission: Free
SWIFTS AND GULLS – Inner Spirits
Through Dec. 29
Artist Susan Appleby will have paintings on display at the downtown jeweler featuring birds and nature.
Stefani Art Gallery
305 Court St. N.E.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 12 – 5 p.m.
Admission: Free
PEACEFUL REFLECTIONS – Woodlands and Waterways
Through Dec. 20
Debbie Robinson has painted “peaceful reflections and calming wooded scenes” which will be shared in the gallery this month. Robinson’s pastoral works are done in sketch and pastel, both on location in nature and from her studio.
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.
AFRICAN AMERICAN ART – Memories & Inspiration
Through Dec. 20
The traveling exhibition “Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art” is showing in Salem through December. It’s a collection of 62 curated works from the Davises, a Georgia couple who collected paintings by Black artists over three decades.
The traveling exhibition is organized by the Washington D.C. based organization International Arts & Artists. A statement by the Hallie Ford Museum said the Davises’ collection is considered one of the finest of its kind in the world.
“The result is a rich and eclectic collection of artworks in different mediums, subjects, and styles by a group of artists of the African diaspora who—in terms of training, experience, and expression—are strikingly diverse but unified in their use of cultural and historical narratives,” the museum said in a statement.
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.
A REMARKABLE TENURE – Caralyn B. Shelton The Nation’s First Female Governor
Through Dec. 6
For three days in 1909, Caralyn B. Shelton made history as the nation’s first female governor. She took on the role between the terms of George E. Chamberlain and Frank W. Benson. Women weren’t allowed to vote in Oregon for another three years. The exhibit shares her story and is the first time artifacts from her collection have been shown.
“Her story was told by newspapers all over the world at the time, but few today know her name and her remarkable story,” said a museum statement.
WINE HISTORY – Mid-Willamette Valley Winemaking Heritage
Through Feb. 13
A pop-up gallery made in partnership with Linfield University’s Oregon Wine History Archive and Salem’s Honeywood Winery will share over a century of local wine history, which predates Oregon’s statehood.
“Despite setbacks from local and national prohibition legislation, the tradition continues,” a museum statement said.
The heritage center also recently opened its first new permanent exhibit since 2007: a renovated caboose. Learn more and see photos below.
World Beat Gallery
390 Liberty St. S.E.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by appointment.
Admission: Free
HANDMADE DOLLS – Dolls from Around the World
Through Dec. 12
This month, the gallery will share a collection of 140 handmade dolls collected by Ruth Harrison during her international travels. Each doll has pint-sized culturally authentic clothing, with materials including wood, leather, wax, bone, and coins.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.
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Senior Reporter Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022, where she covers homelessness and housing. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
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