Pacific Northwest painter Morris Graves is celebrated with a new book, exhibitions and events

A weekend of Morris Graves programming takes place April 5-6 on campus and across Eugene, in conjunction with the publication of “Morris Graves: Selected Letters.”

“Morris Graves: Selected Letters” is a collection of letters to and from the Pacific Northwest painter well-known for paintings influenced by Japanese aesthetics and Asian philosophy.

Events include a book signing at White Lotus Gallery during Lane Arts Council’s First Friday ArtWalk; a talk at Knight Library by Robert Yarber, executive director of the Morris Graves Foundation; and presentation by Lawrence Fong and Vicki Halper at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. All three institutions will also have selected works by Graves on view.

“Morris Graves Paintings and Drawings, 1931-1996” will be on view at the White Lotus Gallery, 767 Willamette St., April 5-May 25, featuring works from the artist’s early career.

During First Friday Art Walk April 5, the gallery celebrates the publication of “Morris Graves: Selected Letters” with a book signing by the editors from 5:30 p.m. to 8.

“Art and Nature: An Exhibit of the Life of Morris Graves” will be on view April 3-8 and May 3-31 on the UO campus in Knight Library in Special Collections and University Archives. The papers comprise more than 120 boxes of materials given by the Morris Graves Foundation.

A talk by Robert Yarber, executive director of the Morris Graves Foundation, runs from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 6 in the Knight Library Browsing Room.

The museum, which is home to the largest collection of Graves’ works on paper, features “Effort to Bloom,” a small selection of works on view in the Gilkey Center from March 23 to June 2.

There will be an editors’ presentation and book-signing from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, in the museum’s Ford Lecture Hall & Lobby.

- from the UO's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art