When was the last time you strolled the galleries of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, on the Willamette University campus? Last month? A few years back? Never? Seriously? You’ve never even BEEN there? There’s one major world-class art museum in this town and you haven’t shown your ugly mug there since you’ve been in Salem?
My fugly mug was there last week — and let its toothy smile tell you it’s time to revisit Hallie Ford.
In fact, get thee to Hallie Ford tomorrow night for the opening of the museum’s new rotating permanent collection. If you’ve read my column this month, you know that I think the revamp of the old gallery spaces there is a knockout. But maybe I’m just blowing hot air? (I’m not). Decide for yourself. It’s not often there is not-to-be-missed public opening of a revamped gallery featuring new works by some of Oregon’s most important artists.
For a primer on the new exhibition, called “On the Edge” (insert more specific subtitle here), read Professor Roger Hall’s shakedown on Pacific Northwest Art here.
And to mingle with the hoi-est of polloi, or maybe just some really engaged and interesting Salemites interested in art, you might want to go to the public opening, tomorrow night, 5-8 p.m.
I hope there’s wine and cheese, but if not, I’ll settle for another chance to look at Robert Hess’s “Passage.”
