The Philomath Museum's Moreland Gallery will open a new exhibition titled "Refuge: Where Life Endures" on May 2, running through July 25. The show features works from the Corvallis Art Guild, a community art group founded 80 years ago after World War II, and explores themes of shelter, safety, and survival. A public reception will be held on May 8.
This exhibition matters because it continues a long-standing local tradition of community art-making and reflection on urgent social questions. The Corvallis Art Guild, which helped establish what is now The Arts Center, uses the theme of refuge to prompt artists and viewers to consider how to find shelter and express personal truths in challenging times, connecting past and present struggles.