This past weekend Crow’s Shadow hosted the fifth annual four-day monotype printmaking workshop retreat, part of the Pacific Northwest College of Art’s continuing education courses. Artists from around the region spent the better part of the weekend taking in the Eastern Oregon landscape and putting ink to paper through the etching presses. Master Printer Frank Janzen taught several helpful techniques and helped guide both novice and experienced printmakers through the various processes.
First-time participant Joanne Oleksiak, utilizing a drawing sketchbook, said she derived inspiration both from the vast scenery and historic St. Andrews mission building. She said she looked forward to leaving with “hopefully, a few prints that aren’t too horrible,” emphasizing, however, that wasn’t her prime goal.
“My goal has been to relax and renew and find some new skills, which I’ve done. Frank (Janzen) is great,” Oleksiak said. “I appreciated the opportunity to be away from my routine for this many days, and I’m deliberately not checking my e-mail.”
Kris Andrews, printmaking hobbyist and another first-time participant, traveled all the way from British Columbia, having discovered Crow’s Shadow during a trip to the Umatilla Indian Reservation in 2010.
“I just discovered it by accident and I was thrilled,” Andrews said. “I’ve learned so much and I’d like to come back.”
We’d like to thank everyone who participated, including Debby Sundbaum-Sommers, who returned to volunteer as studio and press assistant.
Master Printer Frank Janzen traveled to sunny Davis, Calif., earlier this month along with 30 framed prints, which currently are on display at the University of California’s C.N. Gorman Museum in an exhibition titled “Extended Voices: Prints from Crow’s Shadow Press.”
The exhibition, which is showing through June 12, spans close to 10 years worth of Crow’s Shadow collaborations, including a 2001 18-color lithograph from Edgar Heap of Birds to a monotype from the 2011 “Sumojazz” series by James Luna.
Janzen, who printed each of works on display, gave a lecture presentation for the April 5 opening reception.
“I think the thing that impressed me was when students came to look at the exhibition … they studied the prints carefully and read all the notes,” Janzen said.
The C.N. Gorman Museum was founded in 1973 through the university’s Department of Native American Studies and named after retired faculty member Carl Nelson Gorman. Veronica Passalacqua, the museum’s curator, said the department recently offered an introductory course on contemporary native art, with course material covering the artwork of multiple artists represented in the Crow’s Shadow exhibit.
“The names they saw on the walls. They were all in the first-year books they were reading,” Janzen said.
Passalacqua said she and the museum director tried to select a variety of artists and styles for the exhibition, which also represents emerging artists.
“It’s going over very well. We’ve had good response from our visitors,” Passalacqua said. “People have always spoken very highly of the [Crow’s Shadow] residency program.”
For more information about the C.N. Gorman Museum you can visit their website here.
Crow’s Shadow would like to thank two Oregon-based foundations—The Ford Family Foundation and Wildhorse Foundation—for their recent generous contributions toward our “Studio and Gallery Enhancements Project.” The capital improvements project includes the purchase of new studio equipment and the completion of a minor facilities renovation.
In March, with funding from the Wildhorse Foundation, Crow’s Shadow completed the first phase of the project with the purchase of a multi-spectrum exposure unit, ideal for the production of large-size lithographic plates.
“The exposure unit is a tremendously valuable asset as I now have more control on exposure time and I don’t have to rely on the sun,” Master Printer Frank Janzen said. “It cuts down on processing time as well as making everything more efficient.”
A grant from The Ford Family Foundation will fund the purchase of a photo scanner, as well as industrial storage racks for the improvement of studio storage space for prints in our permanent art collection.
That space renovation will be ideal for creating a better managed system of safely storing and tracking the movement of fine-art prints in our permanent collection, which regularly travel to various exhibitions both for educational and promotional purposes.
The Ford Family Foundation was established in 1957 by Kenneth W. and Hallie E. Ford. Its Mission is “successful citizens and vital rural communities” in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. The Foundation is located in Roseburg, Oregon, with a Scholarship office in Eugene. For more information about the Foundation, please visit the website at www.tfff.org.
The Wildhorse Foundation was established January 1, 2001, for the purpose of formalizing charitable giving on behalf of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. For more information about the foundation, please visit http://www.wildhorseresort.com/footer/foundation.html
Thanks to both foundations for their financial support.
Those who missed out on last weekend’s photo-lithography workshop with Master Printer Frank Janzen, March 26 & 27, will have another opportunity. Due to popular demand Janzen is offering a second session scheduled for May 7 & 8 at Crow’s Shadow.
The workshop is a two-day introduction to photo-lithography that will guide participants through a simple step-by-step process for creating a print and small-size edition.
“I thought watching the other participants print was super useful for building problem solving skills. I really enjoyed seeing the range of styles and interpretations of materials,” participant Mare Blocker said. “I’ve been a relief printer for the last 32 years and it’s really great to shake up your routine and try something new. I came home and ordered some plate materials and developer to try it in my own studio, so that sums up the enthusiasm level.”
For a full description of the workshop, read more here. There also are spots remaining for Janzen’s four-day monotype workshop, April 21-24, offered through the Pacific Northwest College of Art, more info here.
For questions regarding either workshop, please call (541) 276-3954 or e-mail fjanzen@crowsshadow.org.
In this video, artist James Luna talks about performance art, humor and how his travels to Japan and resurfacing background as a painter influenced his two-dimensional work at Crow’s Shadow.
Watch the video and check out images of his two series of monotypes on the prints section of the website.
Crow’s Shadow was fortunate to host Seattle-based artist John Feodorov, who completed a 10-day collaborative printmaking residency this week with Master Printer Frank Janzen. During his stay Feodorov worked with Janzen on creating approvals to print for four lithographic editions.
Feodorov also led a Saturday workshop project involving 15 community members. Participants were asked to come to the workshop with a small selection of personally or culturally significant photographs. Each participant selected two photos to be scanned, cropped, digitally manipulated and printed out as 11’’ x 17’’ prints. Group members were encouraged to write on the photograph a secret, a worry, a hope, a belief, a memory from the photo or something else regarding the photo that no one else might know.
Feodorov guided group discussion regarding parameters and artistic considerations, including goals, themes, colors, layout design and more.
“I was very aware that I’d be coming as an outsider to the community,” Feodorov said. “I wanted to involve the participants in not only the conceptual decision making but also the aesthetic decision making.”
Contributed photos ranged from family portraits to local landscapes and spanned several decades. After the workshop the prints were collectively mounted to an approximate 3.5’ x 12.5’ foamcore base, currently on display in the Crow’s Shadow gallery.
“It was fun,” David Quaempts, participant and longtime photographer, said. “It makes me want to get into my totes of photos and slides and switch some of my things to digital.”
For each of the four lithographs Feodorov incorporated photographs of abandoned cars from around his mother’s Navajo homeland in New Mexico, as well as drawn cross marks and serpent images.
“I kind of get a memento mori feeling from them, sort of a reminder of death,” Feodorov said, recalling a prominent artistic genre of medieval Europe. “There could be other ways of reading it, but that’s what I get out of it.”
Crow’s Shadow owes a warm thank you and extra salute to Feodorov for enduring several unanticipated hurdles, including the delayed arrival of critical equipment and a bout with sickness.
“I couldn’t be as productive as I’d like to have been,” Feodorov said. “But that said, I think it’s a great program. … Especially for artists that don’t usually do printing, like myself, it’s a great new experience.”
Check back soon for images of the four new editions.
If you haven’t yet checked out the website for our upcoming artist in residence John Feodorov, be sure to do so. The site includes, among other things, a great selection of images from his portfolio of paintings, sculptures, installations and more.
You also can go to the PBS website to watch the artist’s featured profile segment on the series “Art:21 – Art in the 21st Century.” His profile on the “spirituality” video episode begins at the 18:21 minute mark.
Once again, we’re excited to announce Feodorov’s upcoming residency at Crow’s Shadow, March 13-23.
If you’d like to meet the artist and get a first look at his collaborative work with Master Printer Frank Janzen, you can come to the public reception, 5:30-7:30 p.m. on March 22 at the Crow’s Shadow gallery.
Feodorov also will be leading a free workshop and group arts project incorporating contributed photographs from local community members. That event will be held 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on March 19 at Crow’s Shadow. You can read more about that opportunity and how to register here.
For any questions, please contact us at (541) 276-3954.
Due to popular demand, Master Printer Frank Janzen will be offering a second session for our upcoming photo-lithography workshop.
The new offering is scheduled for May 7 & 8 at Crow’s Shadow and will follow the same format as the previously announced offering for March 26 & 27. You can read a full description here.
Those interested in attending who were not put on the waiting list for the March workshop are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. Once again, capacity is limited.
For questions, please call (541) 276-3954 or e-mail fjanzen@crowsshadow.org.
Crow’s Shadow will be hosting artist John Feodorov for a 10-day residency, March 13-23.
Born in Los Angeles and currently living in the Pacific Northwest, Feodorov is of mixed Navajo and European American heritage. In addition to his extensive personal work in visual arts, performance and music, Feodorov works as an Assistant Professor of Art at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies in Bellingham, Wash.
From his website bio, “Feodorov often utilizes pop culture detritus, as well as sound and video, to create what he considers contemporary ‘sacred’ spaces in order to question ideas of spirituality, identity and place. In addition, his paintings and drawings are experiments in creating hybrid mythical iconographies.”
During his time at Crow’s Shadow, Feodorov will collaborate with Master Printer Frank Janzen to create an original body of prints.
“I’m interested in using some photographs I took from my family’s land in New Mexico near the Navajo Reservation, but I hope to have lots of options to pull from,” Feodorov said. “I’ll probably do some free drawing as well.”
Having previously taken an undergraduate lithography course, Feodorov said he enjoyed the medium, despite lacking the patience for grinding lithography stones.
“I’m a little nervous about the process, so I’m glad Frank will be there,” he said. “I had the opportunity to visit (Crow’s Shadow) a while back when I had a show at Whitman College and was very impressed with the space and its relevance to the local community. I look forward to meeting members of the community and working with Frank on several ideas I have.”
As part of his residency, Feodorov will be leading a free half-day workshop and community project using contributed photographs. The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on March 19 at Crow’s Shadow. You can read more about that opportunity here.
Others interested in meeting the artist are invited to attend a public reception, 5:30-7:30 p.m. on March 22 at the Crow’s Shadow gallery. For questions, please call (541) 276-3954.
For more information about the artist, you can visit his website at www.johnfeodorov.com.
This residency will primarily be funded by the Administration for Native Americans. Additional funding is being provided by the Oregon Arts Commission and the Lamb Foundation.
The Wildhorse Foundation awarded Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts a $4,500 capital improvements grant for the purchase of new studio equipment.
The foundation was established January 1, 2001, for the purpose of formalizing charitable giving on behalf of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Thanks to the foundation for their ongoing generous support.