The Bend Art Center and Atelier 6000 will be leaving the space in The Box Factory Aug. 18. For now, Bend Art Center won’t reopen, but will work as a “de-centered function as a de-centered art center,” according to a letter sent July 5.
In the letter, the board of Bend Art Center explained the decision to close is based on the difficulty in keeping up the lease. Their goal is to continue to hold exhibitions, as well as workshops, in a pop-up manner, partnering with other organizations while securing funding for a new home. Joining the board to help with this endeavor are seasoned arts administrator Elizabeth Quinn and artist and curator Andries Fourie.
Meanwhile, Atelier 6000 members are moving to a new location in Sisters, under a new name, with both printing presses available at the new space. While the Bend Art Center is still open, you can see Andries Fourie’s exhibition, “Nature. Place and Belonging,” on display through the end of the month. The vibrant and colorful work showcase the natural world using pattern and iconography. Fourie is interested in exploring the similarities and differences between his homeland of South Africa and his new home in Central Oregon, to help him gain understanding of his past and present. Fourie is also interested in how we are shaped by the landscapes.
Fourie is also the curator of the exhibition, “Divergence,” also on display through the end of the month at At Liberty. It’s a delight to see Fourie show his own work and also curate an exhibition of other artists whose work diverges from his own only in aesthetic. Both shows beautifully showcase the natural world in both poetic and scientific ways, giving beauty and grace as well as language to our ever-shifting natural world.
“Divergence” is a collection of eight artists who, to quote Fourie’s exhibition statement, “have found a middle path between the austerity of pure conceptualism and a slavish adherence to skill and beauty.” The result is a beautiful and eclectic look at life in its various forms— from the crisp, clean and emotional photographs of dead animals by Frank Miller to the elegant drawings of Kirsten Furlong that explore environmental catastrophes.
Both shows allow us to see what a gem Fourie is in the community—which benefits from his unique lens not only in his own work, but also through the way he showcases other talented voices.
Nature. Place and Belonging
Mixed-media work by Andries Fourie
On display through July
Bend Art Center
550 SW Industrial Way, Suite 180, Bend
Artist’s talk: Sat, July 13, 11 am-12:30 pm
Free
Divergence
On display through July
At Liberty 849 NW Wall St, Bend
This article appears in Jul 10-17, 2019.
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