The Creative Way

(Northwest Review )

After several years on hiatus, the Northwest Review has relaunched as an independent, nonprofit digital magazine produced in partnership with the University of Oregon.

Founded at the university in 1957, the journal has published early work by writers including Ken Kesey and George Saunders. Its latest revival brings the publication back to Eugene, where undergraduate and MFA students work alongside professional editors to produce the journal.

Editor-in-chief Brian Trapp said he is excited to revive the literary publication in partnership with the university.

“We're really proud to bring it back,” Trapp said.

The journal relies heavily on its open submissions to find new writers. Trapp said that process remains central to its mission.

“We are really committed to that process,” Trapp said. “What makes a great literary journal is giving a platform for beginning writers trying to hone their voice and offering them up to the literary world.”

The relaunched Northwest Review plans to publish two issues a year, along with reviews and interviews with Northwest writers online throughout the year.

The revival received a $17,530 grant from the University of Oregon’s Williams Instructional Fund.

Trapp said literary journals also have an important role to play at a time when artificial intelligence can generate stories, essays and poetry.

"We're getting inundated by AI slop,” Trapp said. “What it means to be human and what stories matter now to humans is more important than ever.”

The Northwest Review accepts submissions from writers in the United States and abroad.

Guest

• Brian Trapp, editor-in-chief, Northwest Review

"Night fire" is an oil on canvas painting by Abby Lazerow, one of the 25 women artists featured at the Womankind exhibit at the Rogue Gallery and Art Center in Medford, from Sept. 18 - Oct. 30, 2026. (Abby Lazerow )

What can an art exhibit do beyond putting work on gallery walls? In Medford, Womankind brings regional women artists together and invites visitors to contribute hygiene products for a local domestic violence shelter.

Curator Beca Blake describes the biennial show as a community-based art project shaped by the artists taking part. One of them, Abby Lazerow, says it gives women room to show ambitious work while drawing attention to the challenges of making art in Southern Oregon, including the cost of housing and studio space.

Their conversation explores how the artists came together, what visitors will see and how the exhibit connects art with the needs of the community.

Event

Guests

• Beca Blake, creator, Womankind contemporary art exhibition and activation
• Abby Lazerow, contributing artist, Womankind art exhibition

Image courtesy of Open Sky Gallery (Open Sky Gallery )

When Open Sky Gallery opened in Montague, California, its exhibitions centered on people affected by incarceration. Now, director and curator Snow Thorner is broadening the gallery's focus.

The gallery has expanded to include work by artists, writers and musicians whose lives have been affected by experiences such as mental health challenges, childhood adversity and abusive relationships.

For Thorner, the change reflects a broader interest in how people use creative expression to explore difficult experiences.

Her interest in the subject developed through years of work in community service, coaching and child advocacy.

"All of those nonprofit contact points and learning connections in my life were my wake-up about trauma," Thorner said.

That experience eventually led Thorner to Open Sky Gallery. After renovating a historic building in Montague, she decided to turn the space into an art gallery centered on justice and personal experience.

Snow Thorner, director and curator, Open Sky Gallery. (Courtesy of Open Sky Gallery )

“The moment I did, I was very excited because I knew that that was my purpose,” she said.

The gallery's exhibitions combine artwork with the stories of the people who created it. From Shadow to Light, for example, featured portraits and stories of women who had experienced difficult circumstances. Other exhibitions have featured work by incarcerated artists.

Thorner said bringing those experiences into the open is an important part of the gallery's mission. She hopes the exhibitions give visitors opportunities to talk about experiences that can otherwise be isolating.

“We really want to normalize these types of conversations,” Thorner said.

She said creating space for those conversations can help people connect with one another.

“We begin to heal the moment we're heard,” she said.

Guest

• Snow Thorner, director and curator, Open Sky Gallery

Participants at the MusicOregon Bend Listening Session at the Tower Theatre in June 2026.(MusicOregon )

A statewide listening tour found that Oregon musicians want more opportunities to connect with one another and more help navigating the business side of their work.

MusicOregon met with 130 people during nine events between May and July. The 1,500-mile tour included stops in Bend, Tillamook, Eugene and Jacksonville.

Board President Tim Wilson said musicians across the state described feeling isolated from other artists and music professionals.

One potential solution is a statewide directory of musicians, venues and other businesses connected to the industry.

Tim Wilson, board president, MusicOregon (MusicOregon )

“What musicians are looking for is a directory that could be useful not only to musicians but other music-related businesses,” Wilson said.

MusicOregon also plans to develop regional forums where artists can meet and build connections across communities.

The tour followed MusicOregon’s merger with MusicPortland, a Portland trade association formed in 2018. MusicOregon itself was established in 2022 as a charitable nonprofit.

Wilson said the merger allows MusicOregon to expand its advocacy and programs beyond the Portland area.

The listening tour, funded by the Oregon Community Foundation, also found demand for professional development. Wilson said independent musicians often operate as small businesses without formal training in marketing, accounting or administration.

“There’s a real need for training on the music business side,” he said. “On management, on accounting, on how they promote themselves — and social media is changing all of these kinds of dynamics.”

MusicOregon plans to use the findings to shape its statewide programs, partnerships and advocacy.

Guest

• Tim Wilson, board director, MusicOregon

(Northwest Review )

After several years on hiatus, the Northwest Review has relaunched as an independent, nonprofit digital magazine produced in partnership with the University of Oregon.

Founded at the university in 1957, the journal has published early work by writers including Ken Kesey and George Saunders. Its latest revival brings the publication back to Eugene, where undergraduate and MFA students work alongside professional editors to produce the journal.

Editor-in-chief Brian Trapp said he is excited to revive the literary publication in partnership with the university.

“We're really proud to bring it back,” Trapp said.

The journal relies heavily on its open submissions to find new writers. Trapp said that process remains central to its mission.

“We are really committed to that process,” Trapp said. “What makes a great literary journal is giving a platform for beginning writers trying to hone their voice and offering them up to the literary world.”

The relaunched Northwest Review plans to publish two issues a year, along with reviews and interviews with Northwest writers online throughout the year.

The revival received a $17,530 grant from the University of Oregon’s Williams Instructional Fund.

Trapp said literary journals also have an important role to play at a time when artificial intelligence can generate stories, essays and poetry.

"We're getting inundated by AI slop,” Trapp said. “What it means to be human and what stories matter now to humans is more important than ever.”

The Northwest Review accepts submissions from writers in the United States and abroad.

Guest

• Brian Trapp, editor-in-chief, Northwest Review

The Shedd Institute in Eugene hosts the annual Oregon Festival of American Music.(Shedd Institute)

Brazilian and American music have influenced each other for generations, from jazz and samba to bossa nova. A Eugene music festival is exploring those connections and the cultural exchanges that helped shape them.

The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts will hold its 35th Oregon Festival of American Music Aug. 12-22 in Eugene. This year’s festival, “Beyond the Sea: Crosscurrents and Convergences,” examines the international influences on American music, with a particular focus on the musical relationship between the United States and Brazil.

Founded in 1991 by Jim and Ginevra Ralph, The Shedd has grown from a weekend festival focused on classical music into a year-round arts organization. It now operates seven concert series, a music school and community programs.

“For us, music is one of the tools with which we accomplish the goals of creating community, through creation, education and celebration,” said Jim Ralph, the institute’s executive director.

The festival is part of The Shedd’s broader effort to build programming around the interests of its community. Jim Ralph said organizers try to listen to audiences rather than dictate what they should appreciate.

“Let's figure out what they really care about and really have an institution which assists that in happening,” he said.

Accessibility has also become a significant part of The Shedd’s work. Ginevra Ralph, the institute’s director of community and cultural services, leads its Center for Hearing Access.

The center grew out of The Shedd’s work installing hearing loops, which transmit sound directly to compatible hearing aids and cochlear implants.

“And what's interesting, the reason we founded the center was that we put in hearing loops,” Ginevra Ralph said, describing them as “the absolute best assistive listening system.”

Ginevra Ralph has also received the Hearing Loss Association of America’s National Get in the Hearing Loop Award for her work on hearing accessibility.

Event

• The Oregon Festival of American Music runs Aug. 12-22 at The Shedd in Eugene.

Guests

• Jim and Ginevra Ralph, cofounders, John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts

The Flynn Creek Circus performs in Ashland Aug 19-23, 2026.(Philip Pavliger)

Flynn Creek Circus returns to Ashland in August with performances under the big top and a series of workshops at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum.

The Flynn Creek Circus performs in Ashland Aug 19-23. Clinics are offered to the public during the week leading up to performances. (Philip Pavliger)

The touring circus combines acrobatics with original storytelling rather than presenting a series of standalone acts. The company also performs without animals, focusing instead on human performers.

Artistic Director Blaze Birge said the company's shows are built around original stories woven together with circus arts.

"I don't want to call it a play because it's a circus, but a story interwoven with acrobatics," Birge said.

Birge said her background in philosophy and theater has influenced the company's approach, moving beyond the traditional format of unrelated circus acts connected by a master of ceremonies.

Technical Director David Jones said the company's focus has always been on human performance.

"Humans are pretty good at telling stories and expressing themselves," Jones said. "We've never had animals in our show. "

Jones said performing without animals allows the troupe to focus on original acts and custom-built equipment.

Events

• Flynn Creek Circus will offer workshops Aug. 12-19 for children, adults and advanced students, with instruction in skills such as aerial silks and Chinese pole.
• Performances run Aug. 14-23 under the big top at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum, including family matinees and a 21-and-older show featuring adult comedy.
• Tickets and workshop registration are available on the Flynn Creek Circus website.

Guests

• Blaze Birge, Artistic Director, Flynn Creek Circus
• David Jones, Technical Director, Flynn Creek Circus

Broadway’s Steffanie Leigh is back home at Ashland High School's Theatre to premiere a new solo cabaret about her lifelong relationship with her voice. 'My Little Voice' opens on May 29.(Steffanie Leigh )

Ashland native and Broadway performer Steffanie Leigh is returning to the stage where her theater career began.

After a three-year run as Mary Poppins on Broadway, Leigh will perform her one-woman cabaret, "My Little Voice," at Ashland High School Theatre on June 12.

Leigh said the performance feels like a full-circle moment and a tribute to the community that helped shape her career.

"I feel so lucky to have grown up here," she said. "I absolutely fell in love with theater here."

Leigh credits local mentors and a partnership between Ashland High School and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival with helping prepare her for a professional career.

While her career has taken her from Broadway to international tours performing Disney music, "My Little Voice" explores her relationship with her singing voice.

The production also reunites her with director Richard Jessup, who taught her dance in Ashland and directed her senior musical.

"He has made me so much better in this," Leigh said.

Guest

• Steffanie Leigh, cabaret performer, "My Little Voice"

Event

• "My Little Voice" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. June 12 at Ashland High School Theatre.

(Southern Oregon Polish Festival)

Iwona Erbe spent years telling her friend Aga Paschal that Southern Oregon needed a Polish festival — and that Paschal Winery would be the ideal place to host one.

When the first festival quickly sold out in 2025, Erbe said it confirmed her instincts. This year, the event returns with increased capacity, more food vendors and performances by regional musicians.

The Polish rock/folk band Zabavva is traveling from Portland to take part in the Southern Oregon Polish Festival.( Iwona Erbe)Music helps preserve cultural identity

Erbe will perform at the festival as a member of Zabavva, a Portland-based Polish rock and folk band whose name means "fun" in Polish. The group includes her husband, a conservatory-trained musician from Wisconsin, and their two adult children.

Erbe said the band began as a family project but expanded over time.

"Now we include other people, and we always encourage and invite young musicians from the Polish community to perform with us and promote Polish culture," she said.

Between working in various ensembles in the Rogue Valley, Michal Palzewicz will perform Chopin at the Polish Festival.( Palzewicz.com )

Rogue Valley cellist Michal Palzewicz will also perform at this year's festival. He selected works by Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, often called the "poet of the piano."

Palzewicz said choosing music for a solo cello performance required some creativity because Chopin primarily composed for piano.

"When Aga asked me to perform, I started thinking about what I could play," he said. "There is a lot of modern music for solo cello, but Chopin was mostly a pianist. There is a cello sonata, so I'll perform an excerpt from that, and I was also able to find arrangements of some of his other pieces."

Agnieszka 'Aga' Stachurska Paschal loves the foods of her native Poland...and all things Christmas.( paschalwinery.com)Food creates connections to home

Traditional dishes such as pierogi, borscht and pastries bring another dimension to comfort food, connecting people to their heritage while giving others a taste of another culture.

Paschal, who was born in Krakow and moved to Oregon in her 20s, said she has become increasingly nostalgic for the foods and traditions of her childhood.

"Now in my 50s, I'm starting to look back and get nostalgic," she said. "I miss the flavors and traditions I grew up with."

Festival attendees will have the chance to experience those traditions through food, music and community — elements organizers say are helping fill a cultural gap in Southern Oregon.

"Heaven is not blue" is a work of art by Biru, which is featured as part of the 2026 Ashland Fringe Festival. The festival runs May 15-17, and includes 55 live events and 11 art installations.(Ashland Fringe Festival)

Ashland is preparing for a wave of eccentric, out-of-the-box creativity as the Ashland Fringe Festival takes over the city from May 15-17.

Featuring 55 live events and 11 visual arts installations, the festival, now a standalone nonprofit, continues its mission to amplify underrepresented voices and connect them with the Rogue Valley community.

Executive Director Mary Snelgrove said the festival's focus remains local.

"About 80% of our artists are local," Snelgrove said.

She added that the organization’s mission is to increase access to the arts by keeping the festival free and open to the public.

The diverse lineup includes theater, film, and eclectic arts such as puppetry and drag, alongside interactive experiences like wheat-paste workshops in Lithia Park.

One local highlight is Mitchell Winters, the creative force behind the indie rock/electronic pop project Slow Corpse, which performs Saturday at the Butler Bandshell in Lithia Park.

The band got its start at the Ashland Fringe Festival, and Winters said the event reflects the festival’s grassroots spirit. Having built his career with a simple home studio, he encouraged aspiring artists to start creating with whatever tools they have.

"I encourage people, don't worry about having big crazy stuff," Winters said. "You can get this stuff down with just a computer."

Winters said the festival has helped artists build both confidence and community.

“Our first year at Fringe really showed me that if you put your mind to it, people are going to come and support you,” he said.

From films focused on sustainability to music from Southern Oregon University students, the Ashland Fringe Festival offers events for a wide range of interests. Most performances and installations will take place in and around Lithia Park.

Guests

• Mary Snelgrove, founder, Ashland Fringe Festival
• Mitchell Winters, band leader, Slow Corpse

Event

• Ashland Fringe Festival takes place May 15-17.