Willamette University’s 27,000-square-foot, six-gallery Hallie Ford Museum of Art is a staple in Salem and a must for visitors. Its permanent galleries feature Asian, European, Native American, and regional art, and it hosts temporary exhibitions of historical and contemporary art. Learn more here in Salem OR.

The museum typically presents four exhibits a year and has a full-time staff of eight. It also offers lectures, films, panel discussions and artist demonstrations.

HFMA’s acclaimed “Breath of Heaven, Breath of Earth” exhibit, which opened in 2013, took a decade to put together and drew tens of thousands of people. It was the first major exhibition in a new art building and has since prompted a surge in attendance, Olbrantz said.

In addition to its permanent collections, the museum also has a large selection of regional, national and international art on loan from private and public collectors. For example, “Depth of Field: Selections from the Bill Rhoades Collection of Northwest Photography” includes works by Robert Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Mary Randlett and others.

This spring, HFMA will present “murmuration: Senior Studio Art Majors 2022” and “Chelsea Couch: boots, bullets, britches, & bologna.” Both exhibitions showcase the work of faculty members in Willamette’s art department.

“Chelsea Couch: Boots, Bullets, Britches and Bologna” is a solo exhibition of recent work by visiting assistant professor of art Chelsea Couch. She teaches sculpture, video art, performance art, and time-based media at Willamette. The exhibition is on display through March 25.

Colburn’s life and art are rooted equally in his home state of Oregon and on his extensive travels around the world. His most recent paintings are a synthesis of his experiences both as a child growing up in the rural town of Eugene, and as an adult with a deep fascination for the human condition.

His recent work depicts the realities of everyday life in our modern world, while also capturing his dreams for a better tomorrow. Throughout his career, Colburn has been committed to painting with emotion and a strong sense of composition.

He is one of the most well-known and widely exhibited artists in America, whose work has been exhibited internationally and collected by major museums across the country.

As a result, his paintings are considered among the most important and influential in American art history. He is a key figure in establishing the movement of realism and abstract expressionism that is prevalent in contemporary art.

The museum’s newest exhibit, “Art of Ceremony: A Gathering from Oregon’s Federally Recognized Native Nations,” features more than 150 items representing the ceremonial regalia of nine federally recognized tribal nations. It was gathered by curator Rebecca J. Dobkins, a longtime observer of indigenous culture and art in the region.

This show includes obsidian, prized dentalium mollusk shells, beads, coins and other artifacts that are emblematic of the distinctiveness of each tribe’s customs and traditions. It also reflects the sophisticated trading network that existed between the tribes before European settlement. Learn more information about Salem Riverfront Carousel and Artisan Workshops.