Natural food lovers rejoice; the store of your dreams’ grand opening is on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7 a.m. Natural Grocers will debut its new store off of the corner of Coburg across from the Oakway Center as a new kind of alternative shopping market.

Jaena Barrera, the one of the store’s managers and a CNC, claims that the store is, “working to build our community to promote better health.” As for other stores that claim to be natural, there are a different set of guidelines that Natural Grocers sticks to. “When you walk into the door you know that there are going to be no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives, we don’t allow it,” said Barrera.

The list of things that many eco and locally-minded shoppers think of goes on. The store is bag-free, including both plastic and paper, and uses this as a means to support their community. For each shopper that passes through the check-out with their own bag, the store donates five cents to their local community’s food bank. As for the ecological impact, they vow to practice “green building practices” whenever possible; this is most readily seen in their Eugene location by their use of LED light fixtures throughout the store.

As for college-student and community engagement, the store goes above and beyond. Readily to the left of the store’s entrance is a community kitchen that will be holding free cooking and health education seminars for interested customers to attend. For those experienced and interested, the store also allows for guest speakers to take the kitchen over and share their wisdom using a $100 budget of ingredients from the store.

The store’s nutrition specialist, Yaakov Levine, is a unique asset to the store as he is hired to give free nutritional advice to any shopper who is interested. Yes, this includes any community member looking to change their diet or adjust to their newly diagnosed Celiac lifestyle.

“I’ve gone through a lot of years of diet experimentation from vegetarian to vegan, but I’ve found that my digestive system calls for a more omnivorous diet,” said the experienced nutritional guide. He, alongside the other workers whom the company has vowed to pay a competitive wage, exemplifies a true passion to support a healthy lifestyle by educating the people of the community.

The catches seem limited. The prices are competitive with those of Market of Choice and Sundance and each employee in the store is educated thoroughly on each aspect of the store. An example being that a worker in the produce section is knowledgeable on the supplements on the other end of the store.

The store encourages shoppers to suggest new products and question those which are not carried. The store has even gone as far as to print out a list of supplements and other items not in the store with explicit descriptions. Megan Garland, University of Oregon senior and Board Member of the UO Student Sustainability Coalition, likes this feature combined with the on-site nationalist.

“[Natural Grocers] is giving consumers the reasons for not having certain preservatives and supplements which is also providing the consumer education. Rather than saying ‘don’t eat gluten,’ they explain why,” said Garland.

Natural Grocers will be hosting their grand opening through October 4 with prize giveaways, product sampling and nutrition classes open to the public.

Fashion trends have a way of defining and shaping the culture and atmosphere of a community. In Eugene, you’ll notice a few distinct types of fashion as you make your way down 13th to your first class of the 2014-15 school year. To help guide each student, the following is a list of seven different kinds of styles that you’re sure to see on campus and in the surrounding area.

1. Ducks fanatic: As in many college towns, the students, alumni and even professors love their Duck gear. It would be strange to walk down 13th without seeing anything less than a hundred students sporting yellow and green swag. Even better – professors will often join in on the Duck pride by ditching their usual conservative getups and instead going for the Oregon sweats and jerseys.

2. The gym bum: This person either lives at the gym or more likely, wants to look like they do. They’ll have a closet full of colorful sneakers, spandex shorts and pants and all sorts of cute and probably overpriced workout tops. And what kind of Duck would they be if they weren’t sporting the Nike swoosh on every article of clothing? The funny thing about these students though, is that they never actually look like they just finished a workout. I’ll give ‘em brownie points for comfort though.

3. The granola: With luscious green forests and hiking trails at every street corner, it’s not hard to see why Chacos and Teevas are on the feet of those all around, but there are extremes. In Eugene it is not uncommon to also find the most hippie of them all as many students embrace the outdoorsy lifestyle, both in and out of the woods rocking their climbing gear and tie-dyed shirts around town. Most likely accompanying this outfit is a mason jar filled with some exotic tea and herbal mixture to solidify their thirst for the organic lifestyle. Also just FYI Cali kids: Birkenstocks are actually cool/socially acceptable here.

4. Effortless chic gone grunge: Many may mistake them as hipsters, but it goes beyond that here in Eugene. You may have noticed that Oregon is very casual. Abiding by that unsaid rule, local fashion demands certain effortlessness, while still incorporating mainstream trends. This often plays out as a messy bun with lipstick, a lackadaisically-cuffed flannel or a distressed t-shirt with a blazer, for example. Think: Mary Kate Olsen circa 2006 sans literal trash bag.

5. The Pinterest addict: Chances are, you can find their look on their Pinterest board (#Pinterest). From the ombré hair with the adorable waterfall braids to DIY-lip stain to colorful dip-dyed skinny jeans, this girl wears her craftiness on her sleeve, literally. And don’t even get me started on her dorm room. But hey — give them props for actually trying out these crafts instead of just thinking about it.

6. Music fest baby: Some Ducks take music festivals as an opportunity to dress like flower children. But the ones who believe they are truly wild at heart dress this way every day. Think rich, bright colors; flowy, layered tops, dresses or skirts; flower crowns for days. Again, @Calikids: Birkenstocks and Doc Martens are actually considered cool in Oregon.

7. Snow bunny: Truth is it doesn’t snow much in the Eug (except for last year #Snowpocolypse.) It does, however, get really, really, really cold. As such, be sure to stock up your closet with puffy coats, chunky scarves, gloves, beanies and thick socks. Oregon students find a way to look attractive even under the knitting of an oversized beanie. Popular brands are North Face, Columbia, Patagonia, Uggs (although impractical in the rain) and Hunter.

Dos and Don’ts for Inclement Weather

The forecast looks clear through September, but don’t worry – the showers will hit the first week of October. You’ve probably heard Eugene’s 75 sunny days a year fun fact (most of which occur in the summer), so here are some tips to embrace your inner Jimmy Buffet.

Do:

—Invest in a good rain jacket. Local retailers include Cabela’s at Gateway Mall and McKenzie Outfitters right on 13th Ave. Eugene even has an REI downtown. Even if you’re from Oregon and believe you can “handle it,” chances are when you lived in Portland you weren’t walking at least two miles around campus every day.

—Consider getting rain boots. Weather hasn’t been as bad as the floods of 2012, but even leather boots can only fight off the drops for so long. Walmart has basic black rubber boots for $20 that look eerily similar to the $32 American Apparel pair.

—Get a good winter jacket. You’ll need this when you’re walking around campus during the winter. Waterproof ones are preferred. Yes, freezing rain is a thing.

—Buy waterproof makeup, especially for those fun monsoonal football games.

Don’t:

—Buy an umbrella. Trust us, we know from experience. You simply don’t have enough hands to hold your coffee, your phone AND an umbrella while walking to class. And then you have to carry that sopping thing around the rest of the day. It’s perhaps not as cute, but much easier just to wear a raincoat.

—Think you need to buy Hunter rain boots. They’re just horrendously overpriced.

Horde and the Harem, a Seattle band led by Ryan Barber, is making their way to Sam Bond’s Garage this Thursday, September 18. In honor of their return, Barber chatted with the Emerald to tell us more about how the band became what it is today.

Q: Tell me a little bit about the Horde and the Harem.

A: The band has been around for a little over five years. We’ve had a few members changes but we’ve put out two EPs and an album. We’ve done three tours of South by Southwest and we are looking to do a national tour in the spring and possibly Europe in the summer.

Q: How did you get involved with the other members of the band?

A: None of the original band members are in the band. I look at it as we do well. We tour, we play the bigger venues shows but it’s a commitment. We practive twice a week, we tour, but it’s not always easy. People are always like, “oh, you’re in a band that’s so fun!” and I’m like “uhh kinda.” You know, it’s hard work. I play with a bunch of musicians that — a lot of the time — are even better than I am at their instrument. I think that I chose people that are often able to front their own bands and I think that’s something that is really great, and I support that. They play with me for a couple of years and eventually they have to go and do their own thing.

Q: How did you yourself get involved with music?

A: I’ve always been writing songs since I was really little, like 11 or 12, and then in high school I was in a funk band — I grew up in Bend, Oregon — and so we were actually pretty good; we played a couple festivals in Bend opening up for these big bands. We played for Tower of Power and like all these really big funk bands. So then I was like “I’m not going to college,” and my dad was like, “No. You’re going to college,” so I actually ended up going to UC Santa Cruz and studying composition and voice. I teach music, I perform, I mean that’s just kind of my life.

Q: How would you classify your band’s music?

A: It’s definitely song-based. Originally the stuff from a couple years ago was really like orchestral rock, it was kind of like this three or four part harmony in each song but it’s kind of changed from that. This record, Fairweather Friends, is like a real EP that should be listened to the whole way through, it’s kind of like a story. What I’m trying to get at is the new EP is more a mix of a lot of different aspects. But yeah I guess I would say like psychedelic Americano — it’s also kind of Wilco-ish a little bit.

Q: What are you most looking forward to for this performance at Sam Bond’s ?

A: We have some songs that I’m looking forward to showing people. It’s cool you know, depending on if school’s in or what we’re kind of battling, you can get some pretty good crowds in there. You know people are just like, “hey we saw you two years ago and now we’re back,” so it’s cool to see the people who have stayed connected with the band. It’s cool to see those people who have loved the record and it’s become part of their life.

The otherwise classified indie folk band’s show will kick off Thursday at 9 p.m. and be followed by the Americana band, Beatroot.

**This post contains spoilers**

If I Stay not only gave my screenwriting career hope, but also my dad’s–the king of one liners. Other than last night in the theater, I cannot remember the last time I physically cringed during a movie. What was supposed to be a sentimental movie with a powerful take away was instead a full-scale production mistake due almost entirely to the lowest of low qualities of its script. Yes, I live in Oregon and have obvious criticisms of any portrayal of Portland, but this one was painfully satirical.

The plot goes as follows, main character Chloë Grace Moretz or Mia is growing up as the daughter of a super-cool rocker dad and a washed-out hippy mom. The couple is young, fun and cool. Mia is left as the “outsider” due to her love for the cello. Throughout the movie, it is made repeatedly known that she’s very out of place in her family (that loves music) because she so awfully decided to play the century-old and very beloved instrument that is the cello.

The list of oh-so-terrible occurrences goes on as Mia’s love for cello brings her: a hot rocker boyfriend, admittance to Juliard and pitifully, self-fulfillment. Despite her rocker boyfriend, drugs and alcohol make her nervous so she steers clear, books are way more cool than parties, so she also keeps her mind on those things and her parents never have to worry about anything she does because she is the spitting image of the child that anyone could hope for. This I’m sure was the selling point for a parent who had just spent $25 to sit with their child through an hour and a half of yet another one of Hollywood’s overly-marketed low-quality productions.

I want to say it’s about half-way or bluntly too late in the movie that the climax/ rising-action (still unclear to what the director was thinking) of her family dying from a car accident happens. Yes, that’s the plot of this movie. Not her cello playing, not her fiery adolescent romance, but halfway through a crash that turns her into a ghost? Twist number 16, also a personal favorite, is the ending where Mia has heard that all her family is dead but decides to wake up because her high school boyfriend loves her.

The editing is bad, the filming makes it look fake and the digitization of Mia atop the arms of a talented and actually worthy artist made me cringe. The worst part about it all was that the story and idea behind it is powerful and could be filled with motivation for numerous people going through anything difficult in their life, and it hurts me to see such a real and powerful message so much falsified and made into something that even in the worst of times, may not be reachable.

Case in point, don’t see this move. Already been talked into it? No problem. I suggest  to do something else  beforehand so that it feels more natural to laugh at the poorly timed jokes, lack of plot-line and unnecessary explanations of Juliard–you know, that esoteric school that no one has ever heard of.

Next month, a Simpsons mural will be installed in downtown Springfield, giving the town a chance to finally claim the longest-running scripted television series as its own.

The city of Springfield has spent years working with 20th Century Fox pitching idea after idea with little success, according to Niel Laudati, the city’s community relations manager.

“We went through several ideas: fan festivals, parades, pop-up stores in downtown Springfield, and then this mural idea was presented to them and they liked it,” said Laudati.

With 20th Century Fox’s green light and an approved image from the show’s creator Matt Groening, the City of Springfield began receiving pitches from across the country from artists eager to get their hands on the project. A pitch from a former Duck football player, Erik Nicolaisen, who uniquely also holds a fine arts degree took the cake.

Erik Nicolaisen, alongside a team of talented artist which he insists is are due all the credit, will be covering the Emerald Arts Center in downtown Springfield starting September 21. Nicolaisen and his team at Old City Artists is set to finish the entire mural in a three day time period, closing their work on September 24. Their work is described by Laudati as “miraculous” as he emphasizes the efficiency of each project. Nicolaisen, however, has his own point of view.

“I just think it’s a really cool project to be involved in. Most of what we do is like Tibetan Sand Painting, you know, where they do this amazing piece and it goes away in two or four weeks. The impermanence of what we do, you know, we can’t get away from it. So to do a permanent piece in Oregon and with somebody like Matt Groening is a really cool project to be involved with,” says Nicolaisen.

UO student Walter Demitree is looking forward to the mural.

“I grew up loving the show so I’m excited to see Springfield getting their name out there as the true inspiration for the show,” he said.

The honor is not being taken lightly by the City of Springfield either. The project will end on September 25 with a revealing ceremony that will be presented by Yeardley Smith, who voices Lisa on the show. As for the days leading up to the ceremony, there will also be the chance for those interested in Nicolaisen’s work to stop by and watch him and his team create their masterpiece.

According to Laudati, The City of Springfield will be the first Springfield in the country granted privilege by 20th Century Fox to display a mural honoring the longest running scripted show in television history, The Simpsons.

As for those more interested in the genius himself, Groening told Rolling Stone that he plans to sneak up in the night to sign the mural merely adding another reason for the public to keep an eye on the masterpiece from beginning to end.

This past weekend, Portland’s own MusicFestNW took place in the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, featuring two days of music, art and food.

The most important thing to understand about MusicFestNW is that it is very different from other big name music festivals today. Unlike Sasquatch! Festival and San Francisco’s Outside Lands, MusicFestNW manages to be intimate and low-key. The festival has only two stages, placed at opposite ends of the park, which only takes up a few city blocks, the majority of the attendees appear to be mostly sober and tickets were $65-125 for a day pass and up to $300 for a two day ticket. If you go, leave your flower crown at home and enjoy the vibes that no doubt inspired Portlandia.

The festival started off slow on Saturday as Portlanders and visitors alike eased their way into the festival. Thanks to the weekly Saturday Market, the area along Portland’s downtown Waterfront was packed with some of the best food and top names in alternative snacks and smoking goods.

The first concert of the day, LandLady, had few spectators, but rocked the stage regardless. Most surprisingly, the crowd at the event ranged from college aged festival goers to the age group that could also be represented by that of their parents.

As the first concert transitioned into the next, the crowd made its first of many migrations from the Moda stage at Morrison to the American Apparel stage at Hawthorne, a unique and intimate set up for the still growing festival.

Thundercat, a personal favorite from the earlier acts, jazzed up the stage for the second performance at the Moda stage, entertaining the crowd. There is something to be said for a musical set in a festival, and a separate notion to be made for he who can both preform his tunes and captivate the crowd simultaneously.

Future Islands were a knockout, and surely a band that those previously unfamiliar will follow. The band played song after song with the tempo of the crowd, both introducing each song and adding just the right amount of inspiration and small talk in between each set proving to be just the band you want to see in concert.

The group who took the gold for the day was Run the Jewels a rap duo who effortlessly commanded attention of everyone in the crowd. Their style was playful as they cracked jokes while their DJ cut up a well-mastered set of beats that dropped just as hard as their presence on the stage. The duo could do nothing less than remind one of the dynamic Rob & Big pairing, with the same humor that forced even the most stone-cold to let out a chuckle.

As for the biggest acts, Phantogram took the cake with a great second to last performance at the event. The band, who is becoming increasingly popular, didn’t overdo it on the lighting and effects, but boy did lead female vocalist Sarah Barthel look smokin’ in her black leather pant and jacket outfit.

Girl Talk, ended the night with a performance that was energetic and set with effects and lighting that was a saving grace for the performer. As the DJ cut in lines like “turn down for what,” and over a handful from Snoop Dog and Outkast, the drop for many of the songs hit too on the electronic side hindering the crowd from an experience to get wild. On the positive side, the cuts with Snoop and Biggie tied with a slight mix-up gave the crowd the bit of a jam that made the $65 day pass worth the money.

Sunday continued with an impressive lineup of bands, including Portland’s own Wild Ones, as well as The Antlers and Tune-Yards. Big name groups Haim and Spoon headlined the night.

Haim, an LA rock band consisting of three sisters, played a catchy and energetic set as the sun set over the Portland skyline. I’ve heard that some bands make music for the performing aspect and some for the process of recording albums. Haim is all about performing. Breaking into several minute drum and guitar jams, the three sisters effortlessly played off each other as if Waterfront Park was their living room (a joke they indeed made.)

Afterward, the crowd made their way past the Bunk Sandwiches food cart, the American Apparel sale tent and the poster booth to gather for Spoon. With the recent release of their newest studio album, They Want My Soul, the veteran band is receiving 20 years of due credit for their rock ‘n roll abilities. Onlookers from a nearby bridge looked on the Moda Stage as a relaxed crowd bounced to the band’s killer guitar work, on-point harmonies and unique voice of lead singer Britt Daniel.

High-waisted shorts, one-piece swimsuits and crop tops have made a comeback. Whether it’s a thank you to your mom’s closet, or a “good-lookin’ out” to Macklemore for his thrift shop suggestion, it seems that we can’t get away from the clothes from the past.

Every decade or two, it’s becoming more popular to see fashion trends repeat themselves by taking past looks and incorporating them into high-fashion shows. Eugenians have created a market for vintage looks both old and new. On the gently used side, Buffalo Exchange takes eccentric outfits and contrasts selectively chosen items to showcase a taste for an aged and new-wave taste. Just exactly what stores like this look for may be a secret, but the styles that repeat themselves come from a long line of trends from the last century.

Janelle Derven, manager of the Eugene Buffalo Exchange, talks a bit more about her idea of trends that are seen making a comeback in today’s market.

Derven notes styles that take us back to the “fit ‘n’ flare” styles from the 50s and newer “Boho Fashion” that bring forward bell bottom cuts from the 60s and 70s.

“There are a lot of 90s retro pieces getting updated, too – culottes, overalls, smiley face and daisy prints – I’m not so sure about the staying power of the 90s compared to some of the more classic revived styles, but it is a fun and playful way to mix up outfits,” Derven said.

She, like many other designers and stores, has enjoyed the comeback of high-waisted bottoms claiming them to be more flattering to an array of different bodies.

Buffalo Exchange is not the only store in Eugene to take new and used clothes and juxtapose them to showcase trends of the ages. American Apparel stands out on 13th Avenue with their retro looks displayed in the window.

Brooke Anderson, an employee at American Apparel, defines the styles on the mannequins by saying, “Right now our clothes are 80s and 90s.”

Derven and Anderson agree that high-waisted shorts are the favorite current comeback trend, claiming they are much more flattering than other cuts and styles. Anderson believes the current trend of loose fitting dresses will resurface in the future due to their comfort.

Luca Lin, a China native who doesn’t consider himself to be a fashion icon, has his own opinions on the matter. For him, capris are a thing that he loves and see’s a lot in Asian fashion. As far as reoccurring trends go, Lin has his own idea about it all.

“I grew up watching the movies, both western and eastern, from the 80s and 90s,” Lin said. “You know when you grew up with something you become nostalgic about it and you want to get back to it.”

For Lin, our obsession with bringing trends back isn’t for the fashion or trend itself, but rather a way to get back to another time or to emulate an idol.

No matter how you cut it, it’s clear that fashion has its way of coming back around, keeping some of the best and worst trends of all time.

Wilderness will be holding it’s debut performance at Sam Bonds Garage on Thursday, July 24. In honor of the Eugene performance, band member and creator Jared Smith spoke to the Emerald in a phone interview.

Can you tell us a bit about Wilderness?

Our first record came out last August, Homeward From the Battle, and we’ve been together for about a year and a half. We started here in Bend, Oregon — I actually booked our first show before I had a band.

How did you and your other band members meet?

I have done other projects before, I’ve been doing it my whole life, so I just came up to Bend to see what it was all about. I was at home working on other music and writing songs, and there was this this snare drum on Craigslist that I wanted to check out. The guy who sold it to me ended up eventually becoming the drummer that I started playing with. When I met him I said “What kind of music do you play?” and he told me, “folk music,” I had never heard a drummer ever say that they played folk music. For the bassist I put out an ad on Craigslist, which I had never done before, and he responded to it.

How would you classify your music?

Some people have said it’s sort of like folk music, other people say it’s kind of like country music, but it was well described as a north-of-the-border version of Calexico which I thought was pretty interesting. But yeah, I leave that to the experts.

What makes Wilderness unique?

I guess … I don’t know how to answer that question. The music that I make is going to be what it’s going to be. We’re not trying to be artistic in any sort of scene or genre, although I’m sure some could say ‘these guys sound just like those other guys,’ for me it’s just its own authentic sound.

Before you started Wilderness, what were you up to?

Well I was in a band in Los Angeles that had some moderate success. We had shows everywhere, you know, and we were touring the country and that kind of fell apart — Los Angeles was never really my kind of place to live. So when I moved to Bend I had all these songs and it was just kind of the natural thing to do.

Have you ever played at Sam Bonds Garage before?

I personally have, but this band will be playing there for the first time. The crowd is always really responsive and kind and I think that the space itself is really cool — and they have really good pizza. Our live show is very energetic and dynamic and I think most people have a lot of fun.

Check out Wilderness Thursday, July 24 at Sam Bonds Garage located at 407 Blair Blvd. Tickets will be $5 at the door starting at 9 p.m.

The Goo Goo Dolls have been selling out shows and rocking world tours since their start in the late 1980s. They will be hitting the Cuthbert Amphitheater on July 18 as part of their tour with Daughtry and the Plain White T’s.

The band, which is composed of frontman Johnny Rzeznik, vocalist and bassist Robby Takac and in its earlier years, George Tutuska on the drums, has sold over 10 million records worldwide. The group has held the number one spot on a variety of charts and has earned their fame through decades of continued passion and success.

“When I first started I was playing in front of a hundred sweaty guys with their shirts off  beating the hell out of each other,” Rzeznik said in a phone interview with the Emerald. “That was when I was a young indie rock star. It sort of changed as I grew up.”

As for this summer, Rzeznick had nothing but positive things to say.

“We’ve been having a really good summer just enjoying being out in front of people playing, it’s been really great,” he said.

The Goo Goo Dolls, a name chosen from an ad once seen in a magazine, have been nominated for several Grammys including Record of The Year and Song of the Year in 1998 for their popular record Iris, as well as Best Pop Performance in 1998 and Best Rock Performance in 2000. As of 2013, when they dropped their newest album, Magnetic, it became their fourth-consecutive album to hold a seat on the charts highly regarded Billboard Top 10 list.

Rzeznik, a talented witty guy with the typical rock-star twang shares his secret about how he prepares differently for his shows today than he did in the past.

“I make sure that I don’t get drunk first, and then I’m ready for action,” he said.

During his shows, Rzeznik admits that there are many things that are going through his head.

“Sometimes I try to look to the audience and get some inspiration from them, I like to play off the audience. I love when people talk to me from the audience, we can have a conversation together which generally winds up being pretty funny. But yeah, sometimes I’m thinking about doing my laundry,” Rzeznik said.

Their current tour has earned positive reviews as they have played old and new hits to please their dedicated fans. Rzeznik, who has now achieved musical veteran status, encourages young artists and those who view him as an idol, to follow their passion.

“Both faith and fear cannot exist in the same space so you know, don’t worry about tomorrow. Try to find your own voice — make sure you find your own voice,” he said. “And don’t worry so much about becoming a quote, un quote ‘star’, a celebrity. The world is littered with celebrities that are just absolutely useless, you know?”

The Goo Goo Dolls will be touring across the United States this summer, playing their rock beat and tunes to entertain their crowds with a blast from the past and a series of current favorites for all to enjoy. The Friday night concert will open its gates at the Cuthbert at 5:30 p.m. The concert will kick-off at 6:45 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $41.50 online or $47 at the door this July 18.

The walls of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art are lined with pieces from artists and styles across the globe. Last April, the museum opened up their doors to a new side of the their global display by showcasing their Contemporary Oregon Visions exhibit. This rare and intricate exhibit shares the work of two unique Oregon artists, Jo Hamilton and Irene Hardwicke Olivieri, two different and intriguing artists. Between the two there is a naked 8-foot-tall crocheted man, and different displays of women composed of tiny and delicate rodent bones.

The work of Jo Hamilton, a Scotland native who now resides in Portland, is seen woven throughout the walls. The pieces are stunning as Hamilton’s faces of the employees of Le Pigeon, a restaurant she worked at before her art took off, juxtapose themselves with a series of mug shots that look utterly similar, yet show defining characteristics once taken in. Her pieces, one of which is a woven picture of Portland’s city, are created by threading plarn — or plastic bags made into yarn–to create flawless human depictions.

“You can totally see her understanding of facial features, light and shadow; it’s just amazing,” said Jordan Schnitzer Communications Director Debbie Williamson while looking at the artist’s self portrait.

Irene Hardwicke Olivieri’s exhibit explores a different side of Oregon. Her works range from paintings to small handcrafted pieces. Her dedication to her art and love for nature is seen all at once through her differing works. One of the most astounding parts of Olivieri’s exhibit are the series of Paleo Girl’s, portraits composed of hundreds of small rodent bones that she collects from Owl pellets. Olivieri says the idea came to her on a hike through Fort Rock in Central Oregon.

“The pieces made from bones take a very long time to make but I love everything about the process,” she said.

“I almost tranced out with all the bones and spent hours dissecting, cleaning, and sorting them. I decided it would be fun to make them into alluring women figures – kind of the last thing you would expect to be made out of the tiny bones from dead rodents,” said Olivieri.

As for the overall hope for her exhibit Olivieri aspires to get people out into nature and to inspire.

“I often meet people who tell me they want to do something creative and yet for some reason something or someone has discouraged them. If seeing my work might inspire others in some way that would mean a lot to me,” said the artist.

June Black, the exhibit’s co-curator, points out the intricacy in her paintings which are also on display. Within her paintings are a series of words, some talking about a specific animal and others encasing information about new and evolving species. She also notes Olivieri’s love for pack rats while looking at a painting centering around the species and “Pedro,” Olivieri’s pack rat friend who lives under her porch.

“(Jo Hamilton and Irene Hardwicke Olivieri) are both really great representations of what’s going on within the art scene,” says June. Both she and her co-art curator enjoyed the abstract and “whimsical nature” of the Oregon artists, finding many reasons to pair their exhibits aside one another.

As the two exhibits live within the wall of the museum crocheted faces and delicately placed rodent bones, the Contemporary Oregon Visions show makes for a delightful contemporary experience. As of July the exhibit is entering into its last month on display at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, and for those equally intrigued the exhibit will remain on display through August 3.