This month, floral paintings will brighten the walls of Salem galleries, and free events will invite guests to consider art slowly and discuss how art and historical moments interact. Between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday evening, April 4, the Salem Art Walk will bring artists and musicians to local b usinesses downtown. Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery/Artists in Action 444 Ferry St. S.E. Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission: Free PASTELS AND FLORALS – Colors of Spring Thirty local artists have submitted work celebrating springtime colors to Artist in Action, whose jurors will select awards including best in show and best colors of spring.  The gallery will host an opening reception during First Friday on April 4, from 5-8 p.m. with award presentations for artists at 6 p.m. Visitors to the gallery will be able to vote for a people’s choice award. The gallery will also feature pastel work by artist Lorraine Dye and paintings and jewelry by Susan Grace Branch.  Artists in Action is also seeking work to display during its June show “Creatures Great and Small.” Submissions open on April 10 and end May 12. See the application for more information. Framed 19″x15″x1.5″. Original abstract acrylic multimedia collage. Vibrant colors and movement bring energy and inspire couriosity to you, the viewer. $540 “The Essence of the Northwest” by pastel artist Lorraine Dye. (Courtesy/ Artists in Action Gallery) Keizer Art Association Keizer Cultural Center, 980 Chemawa Rd., Keizer Hours: Tuesday 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., Wednesday-Friday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Admission: Free COLORFUL DRAWINGS – 33rd Annual Colored Pencil Exhibition April 3-30 The Portland Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America is sharing its talent in an exhibition of colorful art, some of it photorealistic, at the Keizer Art Association. Visitors will have the chance to vote for a people’s choice award winner.  There will be an opening reception on Saturday, April 5, from 2-4 p.m. “Hwy 99” by Richard Helmick, The 2024 first place winner of the Keizer Art Association’s Annual Colored Pencil Exhibition. (Courtesy/ Keizer Art Association) Salem Art Association 600 Mission St. S.E. Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 12 – 4 p.m. Admission: Free CONNECTING WITH ART – Slow Art Day Saturday, April 5, from noon to 4 p.m.  Slow Art Day at the Salem Art Association invites guests to examine a single work of their choice for ten full minutes, as part of an international event encouraging people to engage with art.“Put your phone on silent and take some time for yourself. Connect with art,” the gallery’s description said. “Even if you get bored, keep looking to see if you notice anything new as you absorb the work.” HOPEFUL ENCOUNTERS – The Silver Lining April 4-30 Salem artist Heidi Preuss Grew is celebrating moments of daily life in her exhibition, “The Silver Lining,” on display at the Salem Art Association. It features work created over the past five years. Grew teaches at Chemeketa Community College, and is known for her figurative sculptures.There will be a reception from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, with an artists’ talk starting at 6:30 p.m. “Super Flower Blood Moon” by Heidi Preuss Grew. (Courtesy/ Salem Art Association) ART HISTORY LECTURE – Creativity in Revolutionary Times April 16 at 6 p.m. Philip Nickel, a longtime art history teacher at Sprague High School, will give two free lectures on the subject of creativity under revolutionary times. The first lecture, on April 16, “will survey art as a political statement of power and authority. It considers how governments and leaders express concepts to a public and how that messaging can be interpreted,” according to a gallery description. Examples include portraits in the Oregon State Capitol and the Pantheon in Rome.The second lecture will be on May 14, focusing on rebellion against power. Register for one or both free sessions online. ARTIST IN RESIDENCE – Kelly Taylor April 4-30 This month’s artist in residence is oil painter Kelly Taylor, who will be working at the gallery’s studio or in Bush’s Pasture Park. Anyone is welcome to visit and chat while he’s working. ART BY STUDENTS – Young Artists’ Showcase Through April 27 The 16th Young Artists’ Showcase will share paintings, drawings and sculptures by hundreds of K-12 students in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties.  “The energy and creativity of these students are electric, and it’s an honor to spotlight them alongside the works of our local art educators. Your support and encouragement mean the world to these budding artists!” a Facebook post from the art association said. ART BY TEACHERS – 2nd Annual Art Teachers Showcase Through April 27 A tribute to art by educators is showing at the Salem Art Association this month. Local K-12 art teachers have submitted 2D and 3D works, including oil and acrylic paintings, in conjunction with the Young Artists’ Showcase. CELEBRATING SALEM – The Cherry City of the World Through April 27 Spring is here, and an exhibition from the Salem Art Association is celebrating its arrival with the vibrant colors of the season. Local artists have submitted painted work “capturing the beauty of Salem as it blooms into ‘The Cherry City of the World,’” according to an art association description.  PORTRAITS AND SHORT FILMS – Favorite Things II Through June 29 A portrait and short film series by Portland artist Jason Hill, “Favorite Things II,” asked artists to talk about their favorite item while in a studio.  “The results are an experiment with light and color to create magical portraits and filmed testimonials,” Hill said in an artist statement.  World Beat Gallery 390 Liberty St. S.E. Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday by appointment.  Admission: Free MERMAIDS, DRAGONS AND MORE – Mythical and legendary creatures from around the world Through April 5 The World Beat Gallery has collected cultural artifacts featuring mythical creatures from the community, and felt creations from Waldo Middle School students. There will also be a free dragon coloring activity.  On Saturday, April 12, the gallery will host a linocut printing class. Instructors will guide participants through using a linoleum carving to make prints. Tickets are $30, and materials are included. Willamette Heritage Center 1313 Mill St. S.E. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors over 65, $6 students and children ages 6-17. Passes available for checkout at the Salem Public Library. Free admission for Oregon Trail/SNAP/EBT card holders. FASHION HISTORY – Corsets and Brassieres: How Undergarments Reflect Women’s Freedoms And Autonomy April 11 – June 27 A new pop-up exhibit shares a collection of undergarments, sewing supplies and photographs from Renska Swart, a 1920s Salem businesswoman.  “Follow the transition from the Victorian age into the modern age as seen from the lens of undergarments and fashion, and the social, political and economic changes that accompany it,” an exhibit description said. HISTORY OF SPORTS – Let’s Play! Through May 24 The museum exhibition features “forgotten sports memorabilia from the Mid-Willamette Valley’s past,” including vintage uniforms and a scoreboard of local team heroes, according to a museum statement. “Sports foster teamwork, but they can also create a sense of community and belonging. This Heritage Invitational exhibition explores how Mid-Willamette Valley communities have come together through competition,” the statement said.The exhibit includes artifacts from over a dozen museums and organizations throughout the region, including the Oregon State Hospital, Willamette University and the city of Salem Parks and Recreation Department. Level 2 Gallery – Salem Convention Center 200 Commercial St. S.E. Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., or for appointment call 503-589-1700 Admission: Free FATHERHOOD – New Energy Through June 13 The Level 2 Gallery will feature work by Salem artists Shoki Tanabe and Adam Zeek. “New Energy” is the first collaborative exhibition by two lifelong friends. Tanabe works in acrylic, graphite and oil pastel on canvas or wood and Zeek carves wood panels.  The work is shaped by their experiences raising daughters, the artists said in a joint statement.  “Navigating new terrain and gazing upon new landscapes demands a new perspective through aging eyes. In moments of exhaustion, we tap into a new energy, harnessing our lived experiences as kids again,” they said. Hallie Ford Museum of Art – Willamette University 700 State St.  Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 12 – 5 p.m. Admission: $8 general, $5 for seniors. Free admission for children up to age 17, educators and students with ID and museum members. Free admission for all on Tuesdays. Passes available for checkout at the Salem Public Library. STUDENT WORK – ALL OVER THIS PLACE! April 19 – May 17 The museum will feature work from seven seniors in Willamette University’s studio art program. The showcase includes paintings, sculptures and photography.The student artists will talk about their work during free gallery walks at noon on Tuesday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 29. There will be different artists each session, see the gallery’s website for more information. FACULTY WORK – Holden Head: A Day Goes By April 19 – May 17 Holden Head, a visiting assistant professor in sculpture at Willamette University, will have a solo exhibition in the museum starting this month. Head will discuss his work during a free gallery talk on Tuesday, May 6, at noon.OREGON FORESTS – Nancy Floyd: For the Love of Trees Through June 21 An exhibition opening at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art this month features recent work by Bend-based photographer and author Nancy Floyd.The exhibit, “For the Love of Trees,” is a multi-year project exploring the bond between Oregonians and the forest, “including those who study trees, those who protect trees, those who make a living off trees, and those who see trees as part of their daily life,” according to a description.Floyd was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2022 for the work, which brought her alongside forestry workers, into mills and on tree-planting trips.  Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: abbey@salemreporter.com or 503-575-1251. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post What’s showing at Salem galleries, museums in April appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less