Heidi Schwegler, Metals faculty, has a solo show this month at the Hallie Ford Museum in Salem. Her new installation will be on display May 23-July 19 in the Study Gallery. The installation will include a range of sculptural objects, prints and film that focus on “a moment of anguish.” The title of the Schwegler’s installation, “Slipping Underwater,” refers to a phrase that is often used when a person is about to drown. It is quiet and beautiful and says nothing of the horrible struggle and anguish that occurs just before the person slips underwater. For the artist, it is very similar to personal anguish.

Christine Eagon, Studio School instructor, is showing “Christine Eagon & Felix: 1990-2009, Travel Photos with a Feline Twist,“ at Angst Gallery in Vancouver, WA. Christine literally let a stuffed animal cat out of her camera bag, and photographed him visiting ancient standing stones, next to classic gargoyles, totem poles, frolicking amongst frogs, or relaxing on a Scrabble board in her studio. The show runs through May 30, with a gallery talk and slide show on Wednesday May 13, 2009 at 7:00PM.

Micki Skudlarczyk, past Artist-in-Residence and Studio School instructor, is showing “Well Finished,“ a mixed media installation May 1-31 at Launch Pad Gallery in Portland. “Well Finished” investigates the artist’s philosophical and emotional struggle with her reverence for the animals that we eat and her dismay at the pain and fear they sometimes experience at the moment of death. In Fall 2008, Micki was awarded an artist residency the Fundacion Gruber, Jez where she developed a relationship with the small slaughter community in the village of Cholul. There, she experienced the process of animal slaughter first hand, from start to finish. An opening reception for the show takes place on Friday, May 1 from 6:00PM-midnight. Micki will also give a slide lecture and artist talk on May 31 at 1:00PM.

OCAC students Nicholas Musso and Ann Coombs are proud to announce the launch of their new gallery, SideShow. They are committed to their curatorial style of artistic experimentation, spacial engagement, & viewer interaction to bring you exhibits that delight and thrill all the senses. The gallery will be open for its initial launch on Thursday, May 7 from 6:00-10:00PM with “Techne ab initio,“ recent works by OCAC alumni Matt Cole. The exhibit runs May 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17 from 1:00-5:00PM. SideShow Gallery | Everett Station Lofts | 25 NW Everett Street #106 in Portland.

Known for his craftsmanship in both wood and metals, Matt Cole’s mechanical creations strive to, “reconnect the viewer with the act of experience through the sensory perception we use to interpret our world.“ He sees his, “devises work(ing) conjunctively as a whole in a larger collective that speaks of the value of life, nature and the human experience.“ Please join us for this unique interaction of motion and mechanism.

Beth Robinson (Book Arts, ‘08) created three images for the Children’ Book Illustration Competition and exhibit sponsored by Minnesota Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and Minnesota Center for Book Arts following the May 2008 children’s poetry contest. Artists were invited to submit illustrations inspired by the five winning poems, to be considered for inclusion in REFLECTIONS, a juried exhibition at MCBa. Please feel free to check her blog:  http://www.robinpress.blogspot.com  for any new updates.

Devon Simpson (Drawing/Painting, ’03), completed a commission of 60 abstract paintings for guest rooms in the new Courtyard Marriott located in downtown Portland, OR.  The hotel is scheduled to open in June 2009.  Devon has also been accepted to an artist residency this summer in Charlottesville, VA and now has a website at http://www.devonsimpson.net

Eve I. Bennett (Metals ‘06) has 2 pieces appearing in a ThroughThe Music Gallery book entitled “Through The Pages.” The book will be out in June of this year. http://www.throughthemusic.com/blog/

Hilary Pfeifer (Metal ‘99) is part of “The Art of Opening: Bottles & Their Toppers” at the Wood Turning Center in Philadelphia PA. The show runs from May 1 - July 18, 2009.  She will also be a featured artist at Portland Community College’s ArtBeat event and will have work on display during the month of May at their Southeast Center Campus.  Hilary has also been working hard for Art on Alberta, a nonprofit organization that creates art and educational events for the NE Alberta Arts District.  Their 10th Annual Art Hop will be on May 16 and features 50 original works by Thelma Johnson Streat, the first African American Artist whose work was collected by the Museum of Modern Art.

Blue Mitchell (Photography ‘05) has recently published an annual photography magazine “Diffusion – Unconventional Photography”.  This first issue profiles OCAC alumni Jeffrey Baker as well as several other Portland, NY, and UK photographers.  Visit diffusionmag.com for more information.

Brennan Conaway (Wood ‘05) recently passed the Oregon exam to become a licensed General Contractor. He has started a small construction company - micro-structures - a design/build company specializing in backyard structures. Brennan constructs sheds, guesthouses and artist’s studios(!). He also remodels garages and basements to give people some extra space. Brennan has been fascinated by micro-structures for more than a decade, and has taught the Backyard Structures class at OCAC for the last two years, leading groups of students in the construction of a couple of Modernist storage sheds for Mark’s grounds keeping tools. The micro-structures company is a continuation and expansion of those projects beyond OCAC’s “backyard.” Brennan’s recent projects are featured on his website: http://www.micro-structures.com

Ellen Reardon (FIber Arts ‘00) will exhibit her photography as part of a group show, Nuance, May 30 - July 31 at Art Factors, 7035 SW Macadam, Portland. The opening is Saturday, May 30th from 6:00 - 10:00PM.

Faith Hagenhofer (Book Arts ‘04) received the Gene and Cande Buccola Award for her piece currently showing in “Art About Agriculture 2009 “ at the Giustina Art Gallery, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR through April 24, 2009.  This show travels throughout 2009, to The Dalles, Grants Pass and Baker City (http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/art).

Maria Cardenas (Photography ’06) has two pieces in the “Staring Back: Portraiture” at Sixth Street Gallery for the month of May. Artist reception May 1st, 5:00-9:00pm. http://www.sixthstreetgallery.com/index.htm

Nicole Gibbs (Ceramics ‘07) is graduating from Ohio State University’s Masters in Fine Arts program in May. She is showing her work in the 2009 009 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition: “Begged, Borrowed, and Stolen” April 22-May 20, 2009. View her work at http://www.nicolemgibbs.blogspot.com or http://www.uas.osu.edu/mfa2009.

Matt Cole (Metals “08) is showing new work, “Techne ab initio,“ at SideShow Gallery.  The gallery will be open for its initial launch on Thursday, May 7 from 6:00-10:00PM, and the exhibit runs May 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17 from 1:00-5:00PM. Known for his craftsmanship in both wood and metals, Matt Cole’s mechanical creations strive to, “reconnect the viewer with the act of experience through the sensory perception we use to interpret our world.“ He sees his, “devises work(ing) conjunctively as a whole in a larger collective that speaks of the value of life, nature and the human experience.“ SideShow Gallery | Everett Station Lofts | 25 NW Everett Street #106 in Portland.