arts & culture

With its strong sense of community and pioneering spirit, the Mid-Willamette Valley is a hotbed of creativity. As a result, the visual and performing arts truly thrive here.

Visual Arts

At Willamette University’s Hallie Ford Museum of Art, visitors can see just how deep the region’s art roots run. Hallie Ford is Oregon’s third-largest fine-arts museum, with more than 9,000 works from all over the globe, spanning from antiquity to modern times. In particular, the museum showcases stellar examples of native art from the region and around the world. When artist Melanie Weston opened the Salem on the Edge modern-art gallery in July 2020, she sensed the area was on the cusp of a cultural awakening. The downtown Salem gallery now offers diverse exhibits and events that focus on Pacific Northwest artists, from fine art to graffiti muralists. Entry is free and the 1,700-square-foot space is worth a wander. About a mile south in Bush’s Pasture Park, Bush Barn Art Center offers additional inspiring sights. Here the Salem Art Association brings fine arts to the masses through three galleries that are free to visitors. Works range from traditional to contemporary and feature Pacific Northwest artists. One recent exhibit was “Ofrenda,” a community altar created in collaboration with local Latinx mixed-media artist Stephanie Juanillo. If you want to create your own masterpiece, the Willamette Art Center offers kid and adult classes that allow you to explore art through clay and watercolors.

Performing Arts

The Gothic architecture of the 95-year-old Elsinore Theatre in downtown Salem is itself a work of art, but the real magic happens on its iconic stage. Known for its great acoustics, the Elsinore hosts all types of performances — music from local and national acts, theater, comedy, symphonic performances and more. Recent performances include the off-Broadway comedy “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.” Located in Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre, Enlightened Theatrics is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the arts in the Mid-Willamette Valley. The 2021 lineup included the Tony Award-winning “Annie,” and 2022 is slated to present “Opry Divas,” paying homage to women country musicians, and “All Shook Up,” featuring the songs of Elvis Presley. Enlightened Theatrics also offers summer performing-arts camps for Salem youth. Community is the heartbeat of Keizer Homegrown Theatre — a local theater group run entirely by volunteers. The love shines through in the company’s diverse productions, which have included “The Revolutionists” and “Together Alone.” About 6 miles west of downtown Salem, Pentacle Theatre hosts performances in a rustic playhouse surrounded by Oregon oaks. The 68-year-old community theater company offers eight-play seasons that showcase a variety of styles; recent seasons have included Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.”