The Oregon Coast Council for the Arts presents work by Rachel Hibbard in her exhibit, “Tree of Living Things,” from June 5 to July 31 in the Upstairs Gallery at the Newport Visual Arts Center (777 NW Beach Dr.). A Portland-based artist, Hibbard will exhibit oil, encaustic and gesso paintings reflecting Buddhist cosmological charts. Following current COVID-19 protocols, a gallery reception with the artist is not currently scheduled, though online interviews and events are being planned for June and July.
“I am interested in the astounding ways these Buddhist charts compress information and their use of both organic and geometric forms,” Hibbard says. “The act of painting, the scale and slight irregularity of each panel, and the gesso I make are all linked for me. The way forms are built out of the paint has a logic that cascades out of each previous decision.”
Born in Portland, Rachel Hibbard is a graduate of the Pacific Northwest College of Art and earned her MFA from the University of Michigan. Her work has been exhibited at The Chicago Cultural Center, State of Illinois Gallery, and the Blue Sky Center for Photography and the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art in Portland. A teaching artist, she has led projects for Gallery 37, Orlo, the Cascade Forest Alliance and Willamette Riverkeepers. Hibbard is also an instructor in the Portland State University School of Art and Design.
“We are pleased to bring Rachel’s work to the Newport Visual Arts Center,” says OCCA VAC Director Tom Webb. “She is one of Portland’s most versatile artists.”
Given current COVID-19 guidelines the Newport Visual Arts Center is open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 4pm. The Newport Visual Arts Center adheres to all health and safety protocol provided by the Governor’s Office as well as the City of Newport. All visitors to the VAC are required to wear proper masks and have their temperature taken prior to entry.