From May 9-14, Southern Oregon University will be transformed into a playground for grassroots-based performative fine arts exploring this year’s Oregon Fringe Festival theme: The New New. “It’s a critical call to action,” explains Head Producer Muuqi Maxwell, who talks about fringe festivals’ ability to step beyond a sense of

Mother’s Day weekend has seen downtown Medford transform into an oasis of art, education, performance, and community at the Art in Bloom Festival for the past fifteen years. This year will be no different. On May 7th and 8th, Vogel Plaza and the surrounding blocks of downtown Medford will be

“It cannot be stressed enough that an understanding and appreciation of music outside of the US (or at least ‘Western’ music) is instrumental in helping us not just understand, but truly appreciate other cultures,” says Tom Berich, leader of Maraval Road Steel Band. This local ten-member group is, in fact,

If you tuned in last time, you know this column, Art Watch, zoomed in on Laura Heit. What you might not know is that Heit’s work is just one of a collection of pieces on display at the Schneider Museum of Art. This group exhibition features eight artists working in

It’s been over a year since the City of Ashland put into effect an ordinance banning plastic and requiring businesses to charge for paper bags. For many, this is old news. Some residents don’t worry about the dime they are charged for a paper bag, an incentive to encourage shoppers

“You come into the world. If you’re lucky, you have a family. And then you say goodbye to them.” Gabriel Rojas’ narration haunts the scene as the deceased oft-absentee father of Dion and Ed, who have reunited in Colombia to fulfill their father’s final requests. The half-brothers, played by Dillon

“Animated installation is what I’ve been calling it,” explains Portland-based animation artist Laura Heit on “Oregon Art Beat” last year. She’s talking about Two Ways Down, an innovative animation-meets-art-installation project soon to be on display in Southern Oregon. This fascinating video is an insight into both Heit’s thoughts on her

When they started collaborating on their “color map” project, Summer Ventis and Karin Davis didn’t know it was going to get political. Their first piece, “Elizabeth Bishop, You, and Me,” translated said poet’s poem, One Art, into two individual but complementary pieces wherein language becomes color. “We are not synaesthetes,”

Many of us have always imagined what it would be like to be a dancer: what does it feel like to exist in that space where athleticism meets raw creativity? How do you connect with a dance partner on a level that is fully communicative yet uses no words? How

Artistry. Vision. Charm. Prestige. Transcendence. These are some of the words that follow Spellbound Contemporary Ballet around the world. Born in Rome, this highly-acclaimed dance company has been building an international dance community and repertoire that stands out on the international dance scene. Soon, that scene will include the Rogue