Western Oregon University’s Cannon Gallery of Art in Campbell Hall will present David George Andersen’s Wish You Were Here beginning Feb. 21. The exhibit opens to the public with a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 and will be on display through March 23.
Andersen (1960-2017) was a Salem artist known for creating politically charged, irreverent mixed media assemblages. His work combines found objects, photography, cast pieces and mechanical components to create whimsical social commentaries that are sometimes clear and other times cryptic. He also worked until 2016 as exhibition designer and chief preparator at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem.
“The WOU community is extraordinarily lucky to have this exhibit on campus,” said gallery Director Paula Booth. “The work is both thought-provoking and timely. It’s witty, fun and also poignant. Sadly, Andersen passed away last year, so this is perhaps the last time the public will be able to see this body of work together in one setting.”
Andersen was renowned as an artist and exhibition expert in the Pacific Northwest and California. He was the exhibition designer at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle and the then-Cheney Cowles Museum in Spokane. He taught art at the Spokane Art School, North Idaho College and the University of Idaho. He also consulted on projects at the Seattle Art Museum, the Columbia City Gallery, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Wash., and the Log House Museum in Seattle.
Wish You Were Here runs until spring break. Gallery hours are weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit the gallery website.
About Cannon Gallery of Art
The Cannon Gallery of Art is located in the heart of Western Oregon University’s campus in the beautifully renovated Campbell Hall. Campbell Hall was built in 1871 and is the oldest building still in use at an Oregon public university. The gallery has approximately 700 square feet of exhibition space and holds six exhibitions during each academic year. Thematic and media-specific exhibits by regional and nationally acclaimed artists are included in each annual schedule.
