Playing with fire

While many pieces of fine art can be found enclosed in glass to keep oily fingers at arm's length, glass is also a material that can stand alone as a usable or display work.

This month both the Keizer Art Association and the Oregon State University MUCC glass guild host exhibits. Each show features fused glass as well as torched and stained varieties. Like blown glass, this art is fired at high temperatures on a kiln.

From December 4-31, Robert Selby's fused glass is on display as part of the Selby Holiday Art Show at the Keizer Art Association. Throughout the entire month, a group of artists feature a collection of techniques in an exhibit at the galleries of the LaSells Stewart Center.

The basic fused glass technique involves creating a design by cutting and layering clear and colored glass elements and then heating the piece in a kiln to a temperature high enough to fuse all of the layers into one solid piece.

Three-dimensional works of art are normally heated at least twice: once to fuse the glass elements together, and a second time, at a lower temperature, to slump the glass into a mold to give it its shape.

The MUCC glass guild hosts a reception on 12/2 from 6-8 p.m., while the Selby hosts one on December 5, from 2-5 p.m.

Handmade art for the holidays

Searching for the perfect gift but falling short in procuring a present that has a personal touch? Willamette Art Center hosts two sales in December of their members and community members' art.

The center continues their Empty Bowls sale through Dec. 18. More than 1,000 bowls were constructed by local potter to benefit the Marion-Polk Food Share. For those looking for a piece more pretty than practical, the center also hosts a Christmas sale from December 5-23. During this event, works of pottery and glass are on display and available for purchase. Each piece was created by Willamette Art Center potters and glass blowers.

Admission to these events is free. For more information, go to www.willametteartcenter.com or call 503.365.3911.

An assemblage that's art

While children make collages and sentimentalists make scrapbooks, Beverly Soasey constructs her own mixed media artwork of various materials to create a story.

December 1-24 Mary Lou Zeek Gallery plays home to her assembled pieces in a show entitled "Found." With no boundaries impeding on her creative process, this mixed media art allows for experimentation. Soasey's art often blends objects and media to convey a concept. Her work is often a study of textures, patterns and color combinations.

Among her pieces are "Nesting," "See Me," and "Trust Thyself" which employ the use of darker hues while pieces like "Taken" and "Juliet" evoke a happier story in conjunction with their lighter shades.

Zeek Gallery hosts an artist's reception for this show on Dec. 2 from 5-7 p.m.