Brenda Mallory (Cherokee Nation), "Precession" (detail), courtesy of the Russo Lee Gallery.
Brenda Mallory: The North Star Changes
January 25 – March 22, 2025
Maribeth Collins Lobby and Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
Venture into a landscape full of sculptures and large scale installations by this Portland, Oregon mixed media artist (Cherokee Nation, born 1955). “The North Star Changes,” is based on the idea that humans perceive the North Star as permanent when, in fact, different stars have assumed the position and name over thousands of years. Permanence becomes impermanence as Mallory utilizes reclaimed and recycled objects throughout her work.
Joe Feddersen, "Drizzle," 2018
Indie Folk: New Art and Sounds from the Pacific Northwest
September 28 – December 21, 2024
Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
The Pacific Northwest is home to a unique artistic ecosystem involving craft traditions, pre-industrial cultures, and Indigenous and settler histories. Like folk art, the exhibition features handmade works that are unpretentious, and often blur the line between functionality and aesthetics.
Peter Voulkos (American, 1924-2002), “Gourd Shaped Vase, Vase with Leaf, and Green Swirls Vase,” 1952, glazed stoneware, Museum of Contemporary Craft collection, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, gifts from Dr. Francis J. Newton and Rose Fenz; and recipient of the Osmon B. Stubbs Memorial Award, 1952, photo by Dan Kvitka.
Becoming Peter Voulkos: Works from the 1950s
September 28 – December 21, 2024
The Maribeth Collins Lobby
Becoming Peter Voulkos: Works from the 1950s showcases twelve works by the legendary ceramicist Peter Voulkos, focusing on his early career in the 1950s when he became nationally recognized as a master of wheel-thrown functional stoneware. The exhibition culminates with a single piece exemplifying Voulkos’ revolutionary shift which pushed ceramics into the broader conversation taking place in contemporary art during the mid-20th century.
Dennis Evans and Nancy Mee, "Bibliotheque de Requettes Philosophique," from "Prospero’s Library" (detail), 2015.
Dennis Evans: Apocrypha
June 11 – August 31, 2024
Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
Dennis Evans: Apocrypha explores the myriad artistic accomplishments of Seattle mixed-media and performance artist Dennis Evans (American, born 1946). The exhibition chronicles the artist’s career over the past fifty years, from his early performances and installations of the 1970s and ’80s to his autonomous works and collaborations with his wife, glass artist Nancy Mee, in the 1990s and 2000s.
Gary Westford, “The Raft (evening moon rising)” (detail), 2018-2023 1992
Gary Westford: Lifeline (phases of the moon)
May 4 – November 16, 2024
Study Gallery
Gary Westford is a Salem narrative painter and conceptual artist who explores environmental, social justice, and amendment rights issues in his work.
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Louis Bunce (American, 1907-1983), “Cove #2” (detail), 1947
The Artist's Eye: Selections from the Gary Westford Collection
May 4 – November 16, 2024
Print Study Gallery
Over the years, Salem artist and collector Gary Westford has donated numerous works of art to the permanent collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. The exhibition also includes a number of promised gifts, including works by Louis Bunce, Carl Hall, Gregory Grenon, and Carol Hausser.
Image GalleryRelated EventsAbout the Collector Gary Westford
IN/BETWEEN: Senior Studio Art Majors 2024
April 20 – May 18, 2024
Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
Each spring, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art features the work of senior studio art majors at Willamette University. The exhibition represents the culmination of their four years at Willamette.
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Alexandra Opie
Alexandra Opie: What Remains
April 20 – May 18, 2024
Atrium Gallery
This year’s featured faculty member is Alexandra Opie, a professor of photography and electronic media and co-chair of the art department in the Willamette University Art Department.
Salvador Dalí (Spanish, 1904-1989), "The Golden Age" (detail), 1957, lithograph, collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, Salem, OR, gift of Timothy Beals, 2014.008.003.005.
Dalí’s Dialogues
April 20 – May 18, 2024
The Maribeth Collins Lobby
In Dalí’s Dialogues, senior art history major Matthew Mahoney explores works drawn from several of Salvador Dalí’s portfolios that are part of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art’s permanent collection.
Willem Volkersz, "Vincent in Paris," 2013
Willem Volkersz: The View from Here
January 23 – March 30, 2024
Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
Organized by the Missoula Art Museum and the South Dakota Art Museum, Willem Volkersz: The View from Here presents a 25-year retrospective exhibition for Volkersz, an internationally-recognized mixed media artist who is known for his neon and paint-by-number installations.
Calvin Cooper, “Spotted Cat,” 1992
Singular Visions: Self-Taught Artists from the Permanent Collection
January 2 – April 20, 2024
Study Gallery and Print Study Center
Organized by curator Jonathan Bucci and drawn exclusively from the Hallie Ford Museum of Art’s permanent collection, the exhibition features works by self-taught artists—artists who have not received any formal training in the visual arts.
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