Salut!
Announcements and Things
New Work
Five new pieces will be available through Nucleus Portland in the Salut! 11 Coaster Show, a huge group show opening on June 7th, 2026.
I had other ideas for this show, but with a recent tragedy involving human rights advocates in the Philippines, I changed course and decided to honor some of the lives lost. More words about the work and the incident that inspired it here.
Back in 2017 I went to the Philippines to do similar community immersion work; this tragedy is close to my heart and I know many people who are grieving. Proceeds from the sale of these pieces will go to support the families of the two Filipino-American activists who were killed, Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem.
Online sales open on June 9th.
Other News
Exhibit: The Portland Art Museum extension opened last November, and my husband and I went to view the new exhibits earlier this Spring. I admired, was slightly puzzled by (giant iPad drawings??), and was generally impressed by the breadth of Hockney’s work, but what I really loved was the work of Pacific Northwest Indigenous artist, Rick Bartow. I would absolutely recommend viewing his collection - particularly his sculpture.
Exhibit: My friend Jeff Sheridan had an opening at Antler Gallery this month - peep in person or check it out online here!
Art Grant: ICYMI, because I sure as heck did, the Henry Miller Sparks Award is accepting applications through June 3. It’s one of those rare art grants that is significant in award amount but doesn’t have to be tied to a particular project. I missed the deadline for media/literary artists last year and don’t meet the full residential requirement, but if you’re a midcareer Oregon resident in the visual arts - think about applying!
#CrudGate: If you’re anywhere in proximity to the KidLit world, you likely couldn’t escape the controversy surrounding a published quote (“94.7% of kids’ books are crud”) by the National Ambassador to Young People’s Literature, Mac Barnett. I thought this nuanced analysis by Afoma Umesi was excellent, as well as the continued convo in the comments. I hope this moment persists; it’s an important discussion around what is permitted to be published by who, and what happens when someone (a white male) in a position of power (Ambassador to KidLit, for chrissakes) punches down on their entire community.
doodlin’
Outside of drawing and Mom’ing, I am an avid gardener, and this Spring has been busy. Last year we ripped out our brown weed-ridden rectangle of a lawn that served no purpose and I began installing natives and drought-tolerant plants in earnest. This year - the second season - the garden is growing steadily.
Full Kill Your Lawn post to come at some point, but for now, may some Spring blooms and new growth offer you a tiny bit of respite in your day.
An Abelia (admittedly not very drought tolerant, sigh), fountain grasses, and a Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku'), which has grown a lot this Spring.
New growth on a Vine Maple, a PNW native.
Yarrow ‘Little Moonshine’ poppin’ off in our hellstrip.
This color combo. Can’t get enough. Bamboo Fargesia Robusta 'Campbell', Sunshine Ligustrum, and Winecraft Black Smokebush.
I’ll end this missive with a snapshot from the Philippines. I’ve been thinking a lot of the motherland lately, which weighs both light and heavy in my heart.
Ingat (take care)!
Til next time,
Maryanna
