Byline: The Register-Guard

Paintings by Maurice Van on show at White Lotus

White Lotus Gallery is featuring a new exhibit by Maurice Van, who arranges blocks of wood in various configurations and makes a visual record of those he likes.

``Playing With Blocks: Watching

The media showcased in this exhibition include acrylic, oil, watercolor, charcoal, chalk, pencil and sumi ink.

Van has said he is fascinated by crows. He creates images those birds and their relatives: ravens, scrub jays and magpies.

Van taught art for more than 30 years, the majority of that time at South Eugene High School.

The exhibit runs through Oct. 6. White Lotus Gallery is located at 767 Willamette St. For more information, call 345-3276 or visit www.wlotus.com.

Exhibit of tribal regalia wins $50,000 grant

SALEM - The Oregon Arts Commission has selected "The Art of Ceremony," planned by the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, as Oregon's 2008 American Masterpieces project. The Commission has awarded the project a $50,000 grant using funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Organized by Willamette anthropology associate professor Rebecca Dobkins in collaboration with American Indian community curators, "The Art of Ceremony" will be an exhibition of and book about historic and contemporary ceremonial regalia from Oregon tribes.

Museum staff will work with the Siletz, Umatilla, Warm Springs and other Oregon tribes in the development of the exhibit, which will open at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art in fall 2008 and then travel to the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute in Pendleton and the Museum at Warm Springs.

Photographer reveals

extremes of natural world

Seattle photographer Bob Fink's dramatic photographs of extremes in climate is on exhibit at the Oregon Law School Gallery through Jan. 6.

``Extreme'' is a collection of 42 photographs taken in the past several years in Antarctica and Namibia - including landscapes and picture of people and animals.

``I try to capture beauty in my visions, and through my work encourage others to see the beauty in the world around us," Fink says.

From the translucent blue of frigid water to the fierce orange of the afternoon sun burning in a desert sky, Fink's collection captures extremes of color and mood, reflecting the diversity of the natural world.

The exhibition is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Northwest Indian-style art being shown in Yachats

YACHATS - Scott Copeland will be showing his work of Northwest Coast Indian artwork through September at Toad Hall at the 3rd Street Gallery, 237 W. Third, Yachats.

Copeland's designs are derived from the Tlingit and Haida nations of the northwest coast of North America.

His media is red cedar and handmade paper. The most common colors are red, black and some blue-green.

The patterns depicted include natural forms, such as salmon, ravens, crabs, seals and orcas. There are also abstract forms - characteristic of the Northwest coastal tribes' artwork.

Copeland's paddles are hand carved from red cedar found in Northwest.

Copeland will be available to discuss his work from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 1. He has studied this art form since 1992 and has been recognized by some Native Americans as a true artist of this form, according to a news release.

For more information, call (541) 547-4934.