Urban Canvas 2022 Projects
Michael Erickson
Glow Ride - Bicycle Corridor Traffic Boxes
Dates painted: June-October 2022
Presented in partnership with City of Eugene Traffic Operations Team, with funding by Susan and John Minor
Location: 13th Ave bicycle corridor between Charnelton and Alder
About the art: These paintings were made with the thought of promoting bicycle safety. The images are bright and colorful in a way that shows the importance of being seen while commuting on a bike. The characters shown are wearing bubble-like helmets that help keep their heads safe. I wanted to show exciting scenarios that a rider might come upon in a daily bicycle commute.
About the artist: Michael Erickson has been living in Eugene since 2006. Realizing his love of line and color led him on a self-initiated journey through the realms of graphic artistry. He has worked on a broad spectrum of projects and mediums including apparel design, screen printing, sign painting, video production, stop-motion animation, studio painting and a mural project with the City of Eugene’s Urban Canvas program. Of these, he enjoys mural painting the most. Erickson has completed multiple commissioned mural projects in Lane County. From interior floor level walls to 20-foot-tall exterior walls, his previous creative experience has given him a level of professionalism that he is proud to maintain and share with the community today. behance.net/m_erickson_design
Janene Block
Spring Fling
Dates displayed: March 5, 2021 - Fall 2022
Presented in partnership with Windowfront Exhibitions
Locations: 41 W. Broadway
About the art: The intention for Spring Fling was to inspire excitement for life and new beginnings. The flowers spread joy with their new growth and fresh colors. The red cardinal reappears in mid-flight, with a bold and confident flashing of his wings. Celebration and renewal are at the heart of this Spring mural.
About the artist: Janene Block, a Eugene local for 35 years, is a professional illustrator and painter whose work inspires a feeling of belonging and connection. She primarily works as a portrait artist, with a heart for creating memorials, but also enjoys painting landscapes and murals. She has designed and painted various mural projects for clients and public programs, including the City of Eugene, Upstart Crow Youth Theatre, and El Camino del Rio Elementary School. In the past, she has taught art to all ages and abilities, with an emphasis on adaptive environments and student inclusion. janeneblock.com, facebook.com/janeneblockstudios and instagram.com/janeneblockstudios
Eleanor Soleil
Humility Of Narcissus IV
Dates displayed: March 5, 2021 - August 7, 2022
Presented in partnership with Windowfront Exhibitions
Location: 133 W. Broadway (Pipeworks Studios)
About the art: “Humility of Narcissus IV is the fourth iteration of the Narcissus design in my own artistic mythology. It amends the ancient Greek myth of the same name, about a young hunter who is very talented and beautiful and lets it goes to his head, and eventually falls in the water of a reflecting pool and drowns because of his self-obsession. In my amendment, the act of falling into the water comes as a shock to him, and he saves his own life by realizing his behavior and seeing himself for the first time from the outside. He is transformed and reborn. At times in my life when I needed to transform, I would paint or repaint this design, and to do so I would have to act it out, which would create a residual art piece. This mural is dedicated to a friend of mine who was present at the inception of this idea. This is also the first mural I can call my own and I really treasure it, having had the pleasure of putting it up in a very nostalgic part of town.”
About the artist: Eleanor Soleil is an emerging transgender artist in Eugene, OR. Her work is intuitive, emotional, and mystical. Through a variety of self-taught painting techniques, she creates transcendent imagery and visions of liberation. Her process is very dynamic; she is always changing her methods and transforming as an artist. Her technique can be described as meticulous and detailed but not static, there is always movement, flux, and depth. Most of her work uses very bright colors and engages the viewer in a sensual way. Her paintings are deeply felt and admired, they can command and immerse and inspire. Wherever they are visible, they draw in viewers, inviting them to another world.
David Placencia
Winter Owl/Spring Owl
Dates displayed: December 14, 2020 - June 27, 2022
Presented in partnership with Windowfront Exhibitions
Location: 1045 Willamette Street
About the artist: Born in Southern California, David CP Placencia moved permanently to Eugene, Oregon in 2008 to focus on his art practice. 2012 marked his first solo exhibition at a local art gallery and he continues to show artworks, public art and provides art instruction in Eugene religiously since graduating from the University of Oregon in 2013. Teaching and being active in community projects became a large part of his practice. In 2019 he founded WheelHaus Arts, a K-12 art studio/gallery and in 2020 they created a large 40 foot mural at Charnel Mulligan Park. khaostasis.com/