Every spring, a new art collection goes up in Bandon in a most unusual gallery. Instead of in a climate controlled, artificially lit building, these works of art are displayed in the open air, tied to the cable railings of the boardwalk with the lovely Coquille River to one side and Old Town to the other. “A Slice of Life” is the theme for this 14th Port of Bandon Boardwalk Art Show.
For the “Slice of Life” theme, professional and amateur artists alike from Southwest Oregon were charged with the creative task of representing a moment in time, or a snapshot of a scene from everyday life. It’s tough, living in Bandon, to avoid representing sea life and beach scenes as they’re so much a part of life around here, so a number of paintings are centered around Bandon’s most prominent feature.
Many of the paintings and photographs depict a slice of life through Bandon scenes and themes. One of the wooden sculptures on the boardwalk show kids playing and another piece is a painting of a golfer at the world famous Bandon Dunes golf resort. There is even a pelican and two seagulls following a young girl through one of Denny Dyke’s labyrinths with the clever title “What Birds Really Do When We Are Not Watching.”
Others, however, reveal the beauty of a more commonplace and routine slice of life, making them instead feel intimate.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to vote for their favorites in the covered picnic area, and prizes will be awarded in youth and adult categories. Winners of this year’s Slice of Life show will also be decided in a “People’s Choice” category. The winning and honored pieces will be on display for an exhibition in the Bandon Professional Center after the boardwalk show concludes.
“A Slice of Life” runs through September, so don’t waste any time viewing the artwork and voting for your favorites.