CURRENT EXHIBITS

Maude Kerns Art Center Presents:

"Mayor's Teen Art Show"

"Emerald Print Exchange"
Online Reverse Auction Fundraiser Begins September 11th at 12:00pm PST

Awards Ceremony & Reception:
Friday, September 11th, 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Exhibit Dates:
September 11 – October 2

Title Sponsor:
Nancy Pobanz & David Wade

Exhibit Sponsor:

View Emerald Print Exchange gallery

The Maude Kerns Art Center is proud to present two exhibits, the 27th annual Mayor’s Teen Art Show and Whiteaker Printmakers 2026 Emerald Print Exchange, both opening on Friday, September 11, with a Reception from 5 – 7 pm. Both the “Mayor’s Teen Art Show” and the “Emerald Print Exchange” are on view through October 2.

The 2026 Mayor’s Teen Art Show features the creative work of 45 talented teens. The artists represented in this year’s exhibit include students from 11 local schools as well as homeschooled students. For many of these young artists, the Mayor’s Teen Art Show is their first experience exhibiting in a professional art gallery. The show was juried by MKAC instructor Karleena Graham, past MTAS award winner Genevieve Fournier, and past Art Education Director Tony Hooks.

At the Mayor’s Teen Art Show Awards Ceremony on Friday, September 11, Mayor Kaarin Knudson presents the Mayor’s Choice Award winner as well as additional awards, including Best of Show, three Juror’s Choice Awards, and the Maude Kerns Art Center Award.

Evan Hurt, 16 years old, from Churchill High School, displays three sculptures in the 2026 Mayor’s Teen Art Show. Organics, a whimsical piece created with papier mâché, acrylic, and tempera, was inspired by simple doodles depicting fluid, flowing shapes. Beginning with a wire armature he created, Hurt built up the surface with papier mâché until he arrived at the form he desired, dry-brushing light colors on the surface until it “popped.”

Iris Sears, 14 years old, from South Eugene High School, displays three of her sensitively rendered works of animal subjects in this year’s exhibit. In Kitty’s Window, a grey cat that stares from the picture frame is portrayed with life-like realism. Sears, who treats every piece like a portrait, says: “Observing animals, getting to know them through their actions, trying to get close to them, helps me feel connected to the natural world.”

Kamilah Voots, 17 years old, who is homeschooled, exhibits a striking female figure in her piece titled Spring Awakening. She combines figurative and abstract elements in her acrylic paintings to delve into complex personal emotions. Voots usually works with centralized figures, particularly women. She uses her work to channel the stories of her subjects, often exploring what she calls “the phases of in-between in womanhood.”

Amelia Wei, 17 years old, from South Eugene High School, shows her painting, The Thinker, a two-dimensional rendition of the UO’s bronze duck statue which is a playful take on August Rodin’s famous sculpture. Wei, who has been engaged with art from an early age, focuses on the gold metallic highlights in both the jacket and the pants. She has been described by friends as “silly, whimsical, and genuine,” qualities that she also sees in this painting.

The 2026 Emerald Print Exchange showcases 157 unique, hand-pulled prints created in a wide variety of print media by national and international artists in the Art Center’s Salon Gallery. Exhibited prints will be auctioned for purchase online on the Whiteaker Printmakers website in an Online Reverse Auction Fundraiser, which begins September 11 at 12:00 pm PST.

The Reverse Auction Fundraiser supports Whiteaker Printmakers and Maude Kerns Art Center. It is a great opportunity to get a limited-edition print from artists from around the world. The prints are limited to an edition of 12 and can never be printed again. Prints start at $95 and drop by $3 every day for 26 days until they reach $20. Buyers not only receive a limited-edition print (only 12 will ever exist in the world) but with their purchase they help support WhitPrint and the Art Center.

UPCOMING EXHIBITS

September 11 - October 2

27th Annual Mayor's Teen Art Show

Whiteaker Printmakers - Emerald Print Exchange

October 16 - November 6

33rd Annual Día de los Muertos Exhibit

November 20 - December 18

Art for All Seasons Annual Member's Show
and Club Mud Holiday Ceramics Sale

PAST EXHIBITS

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