In the past week I went out to Ridgeview school in Springfield and then to the Goshen elementary school. Both are taking part in a program called The Studio in which they have an artist-in-residence work in an empty classroom. As a reward for good behavior the teachers give the students passes to go visit the artist and talk to him/her. The idea is to demystify visual art and to make it a part of the kids lives, even if only as a spectator. Interesting.I think I will be working at the Goshen school in April.  I took down the Reliquary show monday. I’m glad it is over. The show really didn’t work for me. I felt the work had too little tying it together, so it was hard. 

Last night I went to a planning meeting about visual art in the new Eugene city hall.  It was interesting. A number of people mentioned they really wanted local artists to have a primary shot at getting commissions, to which the reply was, “It depends on your definition of local. It has to be a broad enough to get good entries.” I guess that way local can be defined almost however you want; Eugene, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, West Coast, Western States…   I don’t think they’ll be that broad but I thought it was a funny moment.

They want the building to be inviting, with lots of natural light and open space, native plants, rainwater capture… A “green” building. Isn’t that the catch-phrase these days.

As I left I realized that one question no one answered is just when they think this new city hall might be built. It has to go to a bond measure…