Check out the special art exhibit from students of ECCO at New Zone Gallery all month long. After that, visit the Emerald Art Center for their juried Spring Exhibition by 64 artists. Jazz pianist extraordinaire Bill Mays returns to The Shedd. Making their first stop at the Shedd is Billy Child’s jazz quartet. Support the NAACP with a ticket to their Freedom Fund Gala with food, drinks, performances, and more. May 6 is Healthy Kids Day at the Eugene Family YMCA, and kids and their families can join in lots of fun events. Watch the Eugene Emeralds play as their alternate identity, The Exploding Whales. The Eugene Concert Choir’s performance “Black is Beautiful” welcomes guest choir Exigence. At WOW Hall, Ruston Kelly shares music from his third album. And that’s only part of what you can choose from this week!
Month of May
New Zone Gallery’s ECCO art exhibit | During the month of May, New Zone will host an art exhibit from students of ECCO. It is free, and open daily, from noon to 6 pm. ECCO stands for Early College and Career Options, and serves students with the desire and potential to succeed in post-secondary education. Typically, ECCO students have not experienced success at the traditional high school and have sought out an alternative environment that better meets their needs. New Zone Gallery, newzonegallery.org
Opening May 2
Emerald Spring Exhibition | From May 2 – June 3, 64 artists chosen from more than 135 entries will exhibit their pieces and compete for more than $4,000 in awards. Opening reception for the public will be May 12, Second Friday Art Walk in Springfield. Emerald Art Center, emeraldartcenter.org
May 4
Bill Mays Trio | Jazz pianist extraordinaire Bill Mays returns to Jaqua Concert Hall on tour with his trio (Bill on piano and vocals, Dean Johnson on bass and Ron Vincent on drums) in support of his just-released CD, “Autumn Serenade.” This concert is part of The Shedd’s Free Jazz & Classical Music Tickets for Youth program. Reserve your table for dinner at 6. The Shedd, theshedd.org
May 4
Biscuit Forest Defense: 20 Years Later | The Biscuit Forest defenders who worked to defend one of the most biodiverse forests in the country will engage in a reflective conversation over Zoom. In 2004, the Bush Administration proposed the largest timber sale in modern history, which resulted in a robust campaign and forest defense effort. Lauren Regan, CLDC Executive Director and Senior Staff Attorney will be joined by forest defenders who will share about their resistance, the lessons learned through their activism and legal fights, and how their participation in the campaign continues to impact them today. Zoom registration required, cldc.org/biscuit20
May 5
NAACP Freedom Fund Gala | The annual NAACP Freedom Fund Gala (partnership dinner) will include food, drinks, live performances, and an opportunity to mingle with community partners. Wheeler Pavillion, Lane County Fairgrounds, naacp-freedom-fund.com
Billy Childs Quartet with special guest Sean Jones | Billy Childs makes his first stop at Jaqua Concert Hall with his quartet featuring special guest Sean Jones on tour in support of his newest release “The Winds of Change.” This concert is part of The Shedd’s Free Jazz & Classical Music Tickets for Youth program. The Shedd, theshedd.org/BillyChilds
May 6
Eugene Family YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day | At Healthy Kids Day, children and families will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of healthy eats, nutrition and physical activity, mental and emotional well-being, and developing healthy habits. Fun events, games, activities, open swim, group exercise, and youth class demonstrations, healthy snacks, contests and prizes, local vendors and community partner booths, and so much more are all free and open to the community. 10 am to 1 pm. Eugene Family YMCA on Patterson Street, eugeneymca.org
May 6
Eugene Emeralds play as The Exploding Whales | The Eugene Emeralds have announced their Exploding Whale alternate identity. Starting in April, the Emeralds will become the Exploding Whales for two remaining games on May 6 and August 19. The Emeralds have worked with the city of Florence, the mayor, city council and other business leaders in Florence to carefully create this alternate identity. All Exploding Whale merchandise can be found at emeralds.milbstore.com. PK Park, milb.com
Through May 6
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” | A group of talented performers are bringing a special performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella to the stage this spring. Come see a modernized version of the classic fairytale, where Cinderella’s magical night with the Prince begins a journey of growth for both iconic characters. This show is presented by Generations Theater Company, a musical theater company that aims to provide fabulous musical experiences for Junction City and surrounding areas. Generations Theater Company, theater.gen-arts.com
May 7
Eugene Concert Choir: Black is Beautiful | Guest choir Exigence, composed of Black and Latinx professional vocal artists, joins the Eugene Concert Choir & Orchestra in a collaborative concert of social justice with deeply intense repertoire including Joel Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, “Glory” from the film Selma, and Scenes from the Life of a Martyr, oratorio on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., by Black female composer Undine Smith Moore. Hult Center, hultcenter.org
May 7 & 8
Michael Anderson & microphilharmonic | Michael Anderson and the microphilharmonic present the premier of Anderson’s arrangement for chamber ensemble of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 (Sinfonia Pastorale). One of Beethoven’s few works containing explicitly programmatic content, the symphony was first performed alongside his fifth symphony in the Theater an der Wien on 22 December 1808. In this production, it will be accompanied by his Duo for clarinet and bassoon No.3 in B flat major WoO 27. This concert is part of The Shedd’s Free Jazz & Classical Music Tickets for Youth program. Reserve your table for dinner at 6. The Shedd, theshedd.org/BeethovenPastorale
May 9
Ruston Kelly at WOW Hall | Before setting to work on his third album, Ruston Kelly moved out of his Nashville home and into an old Victorian bungalow in the small Tennessee town of Portland, then spent months on end in deliberate solitude. Pushing forward with the intensely self- aware truth-telling he’s always brought to his music, Kelly soon immersed himself in the making of “The Weakness,” a blisteringly honest but profoundly hopeful album that ultimately reveals our vast potential to create strength and beauty from the most painful of experiences. WOW Hall, wowhall.org
May 10
Chico Schwall’s American Roots 2022-23 Music All Around Us | Through the work of folklorist and musicologist John Lomax and his son Alan, we can unearth our cultural history, document it, and share it. Schwall started to look at this story in the 2018 American Roots concert “Bonaparte’s Retreat,“ but that barely scratched the surface. Let’s dig deeper! We’ll pick up the trail of the ballad hunters and the tune collectors, the inspired experts and the public servants who never knew what they would find. The Shedd, www.theshedd.org/Schwall_MusicAllAroundUs
May 10
EDSC Wellness Series: Dr. Erichsen — When You’ve Tried Everything: Understanding Insomnia and Finding Peaceful Sleep | Dr. Erichsen has left clinical medicine to focus on his passion, insomnia relief. As an expert in his field, he was recently featured on CNBC. 6-8 pm. No advance registration is required. This series is open and free to the public. Eugene Dental Sleep Center, eugenedentalsleep.com
Through May 20
Contemplate: New Works by Jon Jay Cruson | White Lotus Gallery is hosting an exhibit of works by Jon Jay Cruson, one of the most celebrated Pacific Northwest artists who has become known for explorations of space, shapes, and colors of the land. Opening reception April 8, 1-3 pm. White Lotus Gallery, wlotus.com
Through June 30
PhotoZone at Don Dexter Gallery | Enjoy a selection of works from members of PhotoZone Gallery at Don Dexter Gallery. The group exhibition is on view at 2911 Tennyson Ave #202 in Eugene. Featured gallery artists include Mark Anderson, Bryan Andresen, David Becker, Linda Devenow, Ron Dobrowski, Greg Giesy, Sandy Brown Jensen, Don Myers, Sandi T. O’Brien, Walt O’Brien, Patrick Plaia, Doremus Scudder, David Simone, and Michael Z. Taylor. Don Dexter Gallery, dondextergallery.com
Through July 1
Spring Museum’s “Stories of Labor in Springfield” | “Working Springfield: exploring labor in Springfield through local voices” is a new exhibit on display at the Springfield History Museum through July 1, 2023. Curator Maddi McGraw says that this exhibit is “a celebration of Springfield’s labor history over the past 175 years, and of the people who have made Springfield into the community it is today.” Springfield Museum, wheremindsgrow.org
