Eugene Weekly

03/16/2025

The range of work is impressive — from watercolor and oil paintings, reduction linocut prints, fine jewelry, sculpture, tapestry and drawings with southeastern Oregon mineral pigments as well as mixed media pieces dyed with homegrown indigo pigment. Even more impressive are the accomplished artists whose works are on display at White Lotus Gallery through April. Making Her Mark: Works by Women Artists is an exhibition that features 10 regional women artists and their works that both captivate the imagination and are professionally well done, all in time for Women’s History Month. The 10 artists are Analee Fuentes, Helen Liu, Satoko Motouji, Connie Mueller and Judy Ann Ness as well as Barbara Setsu Pickett, Lillian Pitt, Nancy Pobanz, Margaret Prentice and Christine L. Sundt. In addition, there will be works displayed by Japanese and Chinese artists such as Shinoda Toko, who died in 2017 at 107 years old and specialized in abstract sumi ink paintings and prints; Iwami Reika, a renowned figure in modern Japanese printmaking who died in 2020; Yoshida Chizuko, who died in 2017 and whose work reflected the development of art in Japan following World War II; Wang Gongyi, known as a leader of the new art movement that started in China after 1989; and Chen Haiyan, who, according to the website INKstudio, was “an important participant in the seminal China/Avant-garde exhibition held at the National Art Museum of China, Beijing (1989).” The work of all five of these artists has been collected by major museums from London to New York City and the National Art Museum of China.

Making Her Mark: Works by Women Artists runs through April 19 at White Lotus Gallery, 767 Willamette Street. Gallery hours are 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Making Their Mark in Art Art works by women are on exhibit at White Lotus Gallery to celebrate Women’s History Month Visual Arts by Dan BuckwalterPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in ...

03/16/2025

It’s more important than ever to speak up and show up.

• Know Your Rights Training for Activists, Civil Liberties Defense Center, 4:30 pm, Friday, March 21, The Lavender Network, 440 Maxwell Road, Eugene.

• Stop the Corporate Coup pocket protest, Indivisible, 1 pm- 3pm, Saturday March 22, at the corner of Seneca and West 11th in West Eugene. “This is designed as a legal and non confrontational event to spread a sense of solidarity & strength, and to reach out to former MAGA voters who are reconsidering their position on the Trump/Musk machine.”

• Hell No to Dismantling the Postal Service! Rally to Save USPS, Noon, Sunday, March 23, Federal Courthouse, 7th and Pearl.

• Legal Observer Training, Civil Liberties Defense Center, 5 pm, Monday March 24, Growers Market 454 Willamette Street.

• Know Your Rights Training for Immigrants and Allies, Civil Liberties Defense Center, 4:30 pm, Thursday, March, 27, The Lavender Network, 440 Maxwell Road, Eugene.

Email Editor at EugeneWeekly.com with “Activist Alert” in the subject line to add protests to this listing, and add them to the Weekly‘s What’s Happening Calendar.

03/16/2025

The city manager retiring, where to get yarn in town, tariffs on newsprint, Juneteenth and more in Eugene Weekly’s Slant!

A crochet monkey named Piccolo, made by calendar editor Emma J Nelson Slant — Sew Much? Slant by Editorial BoardPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)Click to email a link t...

03/16/2025

The hero of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a newbie U.S. senator who speaks on the Senate floor for 25 hours to save himself and democracy. I did not have 25 hours when I went to Salem March 3 to speak to the Oregon Senate Committee on education. I had two minutes. But, like Mr. Smith, I was an innocent, and, in my own small way, I was trying to save democracy.

I belong to Authors Against Book Bans and drove to the Capitol to testify in favor of Senate Bill 1098, introduced by a former teacher, Sen. Lew Frederick of Portland, and co-sponsored by another former teacher, South Eugene’s own Rep. Lisa Fragala. In brief, the bill would prevent schools from banning books when banning them constitutes discrimination based on race, s*x, gender identity or s*xual orientation.

Read Marth Freeman’s adventures at the Legislature in a Eugene Weekly viewpoint.

Illustration by McKenzie Young-Roy Ms. Freeman Goes to Salem Testifying in the Senate to prevent book bans Viewpoint by Guest ViewpointPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)Cl...

03/14/2025

Acclaimed Italian classical pianist and composer Antonio Pompa-Baldi premieres new work March 15 at Beall Concert Hall on the University of Oregon campus. Pompa-Baldi comes to Eugene as part of the inaugural Murdock International Piano Series presented by the Oregon Piano Institute (OPI), a new volunteer-led organization dedicated to highlighting piano in education and performance settings. UO professor of piano and chair of keyboard Alexandre Dossin, OPI’s artistic director and co-founder, says Pompa-Baldi, a Cleveland Institute of Music faculty member, is “one of the top pianists in the world today,” who will perform a new piece in Eugene by Italian composer Roberto Piana, called “Ravel En Reve.” “Piana is a famous composer, and having one of his works premiered in Eugene is a rare honor and a great opportunity for the community,” Dossin says. According to Dossin, OPI and the Murdock International Piano series — named after Dr. James Murdock and Marilyn Murdock, noted supporters of arts and music education at UO — “fills an important gap” for Eugene music fans who once had to travel to other nearby cities to hear piano performed at such high levels, but “not anymore.” The three award-winning pianists in the Murdock’s first season, Dossin adds — Jon Nakamatsu, who performed at Beall Hall in November; Pompa-Baldi, who performs March 15; and Valery Kuleshov, who comes to Eugene in May — are all medalists in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, considered the “Olympics of Piano.” “Winning a Cliburn medal is one of the highest possible honors a pianist can achieve,” Dossin says.

Antonio Pompa-Baldi premieres “Ravel En Reve” by Italian composer Robert Piana along with performances of Ravel’'s “Gaspar de la Nuit,” Liszt’'s “Dante Sonata,” Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” and more, 7:30 pm Friday, March 15, at Beall Concert Hall on the UO campus, 961 East 18th Avenue. Tickets are $10, $5 for students and free for UO students with valid student ID.

Antonio Pompa-Baldi. Photo by Ron Eshel. The Italian Premiere Award-winning classical pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi performs new work and old favorites at Beall Concert Hall in Eugene, part of the inaugural Murdock International Piano Series. Music by William KennedyPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share....

03/14/2025

On March 11, the faculty union at the University of Oregon, United Academics, will vote on a strike authorization arguing that faculty compensation is not keeping pace with inflation since the pandemic. At the same time, the UO Student Workers union has been in negotiation with the university for nine months over wage protection against nondiscrimination and consistent pay in a timely manner.

Read more about potential strikes at the UO in Eugene Weekly.

Smells like Strike Season UO’s student and faculty unions take a stand on possible spring strikes News by Samantha SobelPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)Click to email ...

03/14/2025

You knew PeaceHealth was for sale but did you know Eugene Police Special Operations and Tactics (SWAT) is using the abandoned PeaceHealth Sacred Heart University District Hospital for training? In an email to Eugene Weekly, SWAT Lt. Chuck Salsbury writes via an EPD spokesperson that the SWAT team has partnered with the hospital for several years.

Salsbury says that the purpose of the training is to simulate police tactics such as hostage rescue and active violent incidents, commonly known as active shooters.
“EPD SWAT trains monthly in order to keep up with industry standards and training protocols and to better prepare our officers for real world incident situations that we may come across,” Salsbury writes. He confirms that SWAT utilizes a special kind of ammunition during these training sessions called “simunition.”

Read more in Eugene Weekly.

Eugene SWAT Lenco Bearcat armored vehicle outside of the PeaceHealth Sacred Heart University District Hospital. Photo by Eve Weston. SWAT Training at University-Area Hospital The Eugene Police Department has partnered with PeaceHealth to conduct tactical training in the unused University District Ho...

03/14/2025

On Feb. 11, I turned 21 years old and entered the bar scene for the first time with one thing in mind — get free birthday drinks. Pro-tip to a night of going out for free drinks: wear an annoyingly flashy birthday tiara with a sparkly hot pink 21 and a birthday sash and people have no choice but to buy you drinks.
At the end of the night I got three free drinks, one from a friend and two bar specials. I will be rating them on a scale of stomach churning, to dancing on my kitchen table to Lady Gaga.

Read more in Eugene Weekly.

Rogers with birthday cake and tiara. Photo courtesy Emily Rogers Free Legal Libations Rating the free drinks you can get around Eugene for your birthday Culture by Emily RogersPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to....

03/14/2025

Why go to a bar and get bored on your night off, when you could go to an arcade? From nostalgic classics to new modern style games, there is something for every age. Despite arcades losing popularity from the ’70s and ’80s, the craze has had a resurgence (stranger things have happened), and there are plenty of hidden gems around the community for pinball wizards and arcade enthusiasts alike.

Read more in Eugene Weekly.

A night at Blairally Vintage Arcade. Photo by Mason Falor. Pinball Wizards Lane County arcade roundup Culture by Samantha SobelPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)Click to e...

03/13/2025

The Springfield Library’s annual book sale offers thousands of books, CDs, DVDs and collectible items at a reduced cost every year. This community event attracts people from all walks of life and widens access to educational resources for those who need it. The event is hosted by a nonprofit called Friends of the Springfield Library and History Museum. Its mission is to strengthen and expand services, donating all proceeds to the library and museum. Michele Tierney, lead circulation specialist with the Springfield Library says, “It provides access to the community to very low price materials. We are talking about entertainment, education, all the fun things you can do at a low cost, which is very important in this day and age, in this economy.” Cash and cards are accepted at the event, and bringing your own bag is recommended. If you pay $10 to become a supporting member of the Friends of the Springfield Library and History Museum, you’ll gain early access and discount coupons for the book sale, notification of special events and access to the monthly newsletter. “Every year we have families that come, in particular, and this is where they stock up on the books for their children,” Tierney says. “This is the opportunity to stock up on all the reading materials they can at a very low cost.” The Friends of the Springfield Library and History Museum have a bookstore located in the library, and an online bookstore as well.

The Springfield Library’s Annual Book Sale is 10 am to 5 pm, Friday, March 14, and 10 am to 3 pm Saturday, March 15, at the Springfield City Hall Lobby & Library Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield.

Photo by Michele Tierney A Bibliophile’s Dream Stock up on cheap reads at Springfield Library’s annual book sale Whats-Happening by Samantha SobelPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens i...

03/13/2025

This may be the biggest real estate news to hit Eugene-Springfield in decades.

No, we’re not talking about Chick-fil-A opening in Gateway.
We’re talking about PeaceHealth’s announcement earlier this week that its sprawling University District campus in Eugene is up for sale, lease, demolition, redevelopment or a mix of all of the above.

The 12.5-acre property includes the aging, largely empty two-building PeaceHealth Sacred Heart University District hospital; two medical/office buildings occupied by medical and other tenants; three under-used parking garages; retail spots rented to a multitude of tenants; a four-acre parcel of open land; and a PeaceHealth inpatient behavioral health center that any buyer must keep as a tenant. PeaceHealth isn’t publicly disclosing a sale price.

A brochure for the property lists the two University District hospital buildings as “planned for demolition.”

Read more Bricks and Mortar n Eugene Weekly.

© OpenStreetMap contributors PeaceHealth Eugene Campus Up for Grabs Hospital, parking garages, offices, the works News by Christian WihtolPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new windo...

03/13/2025

Since 1978, you were always welcome at Shari’s Cafe and Pies. The Pacific Northwest late night dining chain was notorious for its comfort food, as well as its hangover-prevention prowess. With all Oregon locations closing in late 2024, however, college students and other late nighters have been left without their cures.

Five restaurants, all near the University of Oregon campus and not far from downtown, have taken their shot at filling the hole Shari’s left behind.
Read more from Emma J Nelson and Eve Weston in Eugene Weekly.

Dave’s #4, one slider with fries at Dave’s Hot Chicken. Photo by Eve Weston. Dine & Dash With the demise of Shari’s in 2024, other late-night sites have stepped up to the plate Culture by EW-staffPosted on 03/13/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Ope...

03/09/2025

Activist Alert: Did you miss the March 4th for Democracy protest this week? Never fear — the time of protest is here! At noon on Friday March 7, there will be a Stand Up For Science rally at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. Organizers say it’s a “grassroots effort to foster and support science advocacy nationwide,” pushing back attacks on DEI and censorship and for government support for science. More at StandupforScience2025.org. Want to put your money where your mouth is? At 1 pm Saturday, March 8, there will be a discussion of “Tax resistance as a valid tactic of solidarity and divestment” at Trauma Healing Project, 631 East 19th Avenue, Building B.

Read all this and more in Eugene Weekly’s Slant opinion column.

Slant — Suits & Strikes Slant by Editorial BoardPosted on 03/06/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new win...

03/09/2025

Former mayor Kitty Piercy and retired pastor Dan Bryant write about Eugene’s fire service fee in a guest viewpoint:

A core principle of social justice is this: Budgets are moral documents.

Whether city, county, state or federal, government budgets say much about who we are and what we value. Tragically, the primary message being conveyed today by our federal government is that we place very low value on public service. Understandably, the morale in many federal agencies is at an all-time low as many wonder whether or not they will have a job tomorrow.

In times like this, we need our local government and the services it provides more than ever.

The city of Eugene is faced with a serious budget shortfall. We can debate all the reasons and actions taken, but at the end of the day, the fact remains that without additional revenue, the city will have to cut critical services.

Read more in Eugene Weekly.

Eugene SOS (Save Our Services) Don’t cut the public services that let this community thrive Viewpoint by Guest ViewpointPosted on 03/06/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)Click to email ...

03/08/2025

When it comes to painting, even professionals struggle with drips, splatters and spills. Between the preparation, choosing the right paint and making sure every coat is applied evenly, there are plenty of potential obstacles.

When I first moved into my apartment, I was excited to know my lease allowed me to paint the walls. While most people would unpack when they first moved in, I was sanding my kitchen cabinets, determined to execute a vision. I wanted my kitchen to feel like a forest, so I didn’t have to leave the comfort of my home to feel surrounded by green. Looking back, I’m glad I took on this project, but I wish I knew then what I know now about painting.

Read more from Sam Sobel in Eugene Weekly’s Fixer-Upper issue.

Painting Takes Patience A newbie’s guide to interior paint Culture by Samantha SobelPosted on 03/06/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new win...

03/08/2025

Ethan Guillen has spent his career working as an HIV activist to broaden access to equitable HIV medicine and other prescriptions for those in need. His work centers around giving visibility to those who are systemically marginalized. This week, Guillen celebrates the first showing of his full-length choreographed piece, The Unknowing, featuring original music composed by Daniel Brawley. The show combines Guillen’s love for physics and astronomy with his affinity for activism, relating the creation of the universe to the start of society and the formation of self through contemporary movement. In May 2024, Guillen premiered a short version of an individual act from The Unknowing with the help of Brawley’s original music. After around six months, it has blossomed into a full-length piece with four acts and three interludes. Almost all the dancers in the piece have trained with Bonnie Simoa, previously a performing arts instructor at Lane Community College. “As you’'re growing up, you rely on those around you to sort of help you identify your value, your worth, your place in the world,” Guillen says. “And there has to come this moment where you realize that society can be wrong. Society can lack empathy and be unable to actually see you.” Guillen says he hopes the performance will help us think about the ways we treat each other and help people show love for themselves in a time where society is lacking in love and empathy.

The Unknowing is 7:30 pm to 9 pm, Saturday, March 8, and 2 pm to 3:30 pm Sunday, March 9, at Lane Community College’s Ragozzino Theater, 4000 East 30th Avenue. Tickets are $5–15 at the door.

Photo by Ali Selman ( on Instagram) ‘The Unknowing’ Questions Society’s Lack of Empathy Ethan Guillen debuts his first full-length contemporary dance March 8 Dance by Samantha SobelPosted on 03/06/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (O...

03/08/2025

The Oregon Badlands is the strangest wilderness in Oregon, with no mountains, lakes or streams. This desert landscape east of Bend was buried by a basalt lava flow about 10,000 years ago. As more lava welled up it buckled the cooled lava crust on top into pressure ridges. Then in 5677 BC, the Mount Mazama eruption that created Crater Lake dumped a foot of volcanic ash here, filling the gaps between the pressure ridges with what look like sandy paths.

The result is a lonely labyrinth of random lava walls in a sagebrush desert sparsely dotted with juniper trees, some of them 1,000 years old. Viewpoints are few. If you wander off the official trails — old dirt roads now closed to vehicles — it is easy to get lost.

Much of the area’s charm is simply the solitude of this arid maze. But there are also three genuine destinations. Flatiron Rock, three miles from the Flatiron Rock Trailhead, is a natural lava castle in the desert, complete with walled ramparts and rock windows. The Dry River Channel, 1.4 miles from the Badlands Trailhead, is a narrow canyon where an Ice Age river once flowed.

I’m going to recommend that you seek out the third, less visited destination in this labyrinth: Badlands Rock.

A rock outcropping in the Badlands near Bend. Photo by William L. Sullivan. Good Badlands Hike to a desert outcrop near Bend Outdoors by William L. SullivanPosted on 03/06/2025Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Click to share on Mastodon (O...

03/08/2025

To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, Viking Brewing Company and Threadbare Print House — two women-owned Eugene businesses — are partnering to host the Raise a Glass to Women event. Jonna Threlkeld, owner and event producer at Viking Brewing, says she and Threadbare founder Amy Baker hatched the idea for the collaborative event in January. “It just seems like maybe the government’s trying to take some things away from us that we should hold on to,” she says. “And so this is really a day to celebrate women, but so much more than that: embracing our community, looking people in the eyes who are living in this world, too.” To celebrate, Viking Brewing will be releasing its Shield Maiden Raspberry Saison at the event, which was brewed in early February by a group of seven women involved in the Eugene brewing scene. “It’s a sort of symbol of staying strong and just celebrating our strengths as women in the community,” Threlkeld says. Starting at 5 pm, Fiddlin’ Sue Hunnel of the Big Sue Band takes the stage to lead an acoustic women’s jam session. Be sure to bring your instruments! Threadbare Print House, which specializes in high-quality screen printing, will be live-printing free commemorative posters throughout the evening. Last but certainly not least, the Civil Liberties Defense Center will be tabling at the event to discuss relevant resources in relation to the current uncertainty of the future of women’s rights and the rights of other marginalized communities. “Who doesn't want to drink good beer with loud ladies and people who love women,” Threlkeld says, “and, you know, have some women energy music going on in the background?”

Raise a Glass to Women is 4 pm to 8:30 pm Saturday, March 8, at Viking Brewing West, 520 Commercial Street, Unit F. FREE.

(Left to right) The brewers of Shield Maiden Raspberry Saison: Breann Goulette, Sarah Holtschlag, Lucy Kelly, Jonna Threlkeld, Dana Garves, Kiley Gwynn, Anne Arasin, Chelsea Swan. Photo courtesy Jonna Threlkeld. Raise a Glass Two women-owned businesses are partnering to celebrate International Women...