Gayle and I returned to Ashland last week after a 4 year absence. While the "bones" of Downtown…read moreAshland seemed to have survived COVID, it appeared that the artist community had suffered. Gone were at least 1 gift shop, an iconic art gallery, a main street co-op building, and a cool glass studio. Happily, the Ashland Art Works Co-op remains standing, albeit with relatively short hours. Gayle and I stopped by and visited all 4 buildings that were open on these expansive grounds. We started at the main house and had a great catch-up conversation with one of the principals. Then it was off to the other exhibits of which Gayle found a nice wall piece and a really cool welded metal garden decoration. Surprisingly, I was the observer here and only encouraged her to buy what I probably would have, if she didn't. The artist who made these pieces happened to show up, which added to our appreciation of these pieces.

Fabulous set of galleries set near Ashland Creek. Enjoyed and admired several artists, particularly…read moreShari Southard. Low key and pleasant.

very nice gallery. well represents a nice variety of artists. A nice space, well laid out, and…read moreKathy, the new owner is thoughtful, very polite, and enthusiastic, and shares. She is very nice. Her husband too. Thank You, tom

Great art! Incredible work from some of this valleys artists, Check it out!read more

When I travel, I love visiting galleries featuring local artists. On this Ashland trip, I had the…read morepleasure of wandering into Art on First. It's directly across the side street from the Ashland Springs hotel and featured a nice slice of interesting creative items, across many mediums. I enjoyed a nice chat with the owner, and left with a notebook featuring a cover from a cigar box, a leather backbone, and some pretty heavy duty paper. Of course, I didn't need it, but the whole heft, artistry, and how if fit in my hand, all came together. I felt it was a little pricey, but good value and my local support.

From the owner: ART on FIRST is an artist/woman/latina-owned gallery in the heart of downtown Ashland…read more The perfect place to expand your art collection and shop for unique hand-made gifts. ART on FIRST features artists and artisans, both local and from afar, whose passion and originality truly shines through in their work. ART on FIRST is also the home of AlmaMia Jewelry & Studio, where you can see the collection, meet Karina Mendoza-Wittke, and at times watch her create her pieces. If you are lucky, you may catch other resident-artists at work as well. ART on FIRST truly is a Gallery of Beautiful Things…

It was a sunny and worn Ashland morning, so Gayle and I decided to take a nice walk down to the…read moreSouthern Oregon University Campus and among other things wander through the Schneider Museum of Art. It's a relatively small space that consists of 2 large gallery spaces, plus a little bit within the entrance area, and all situated within SOU's Art School campus. There's some nice less formal displays within those buildings as well. A voluntary donation of $5 is requested at a "free will" box at the entrance to the museum. We happened upon the "Fighting Men: Golub, Voulkos, Kirby" Exhibition. Most interesting were the various comic book displays by Jack Kirby and Leon Golub's cautionary paintings that depict the violence stemming from political power gone awry. Bridging this gap are Peter Voulkos' powerful ceramic pieces. You can easily (and slowly) spend up to ~30 minutes here. I would also recommend entering and leaving the Museum on the University side, just so you can enjoy wandering around this pretty campus.

This is a small art museum on the campus of Southern Oregon University. This is a very modern and…read morecontemporary building with 4 exhibits rooms featuring different artists. It's a great stop and it doesn't matter what time of the year you visit Ashland. It is especially great on a day when it is 100 degrees F. It will definitely not break your budget to cool down while looking at some cool art because admission is free. We enjoyed looking at and comparing how each artist has their own style and that was so great for kids to understand that it's important to be yourself and that it's great that no two people or artists are the same. We came in the summer so it was very empty and parking was easy to find. I'm not sure how it is when it's school season.

My Fiancé and I had the pleasure to go into American Trails gallery featuring handcrafted Native…read moreAmerican jewelry, rugs and culturally authentic items sourced from across the Western Hemisphere from Native American artisans. We wound up buying two rings that we love very much. We had the pleasure to meet the owner Shane, who impressed us with his vast knowledge of the items he sells in his shop/gallery. This store definitely deserves a 5 star review for the large selection, fair prices, convenient downtown location and friendly customer service. We will definitely be back again and recommend this store for quality gifts that will be well received.

From the owner: American Trails Gallery offers a unique selection of Native American Art and Antiquities. Historic…read moreNative American Baskets, Navajo Rugs, Pawn and Contemporary Zuni, Navajo, Santo Domingo Haida Jewelry, Katsinas, Pueblo Pottery, Mata Ortiz Pottery, Pacific Northwest Masks and Plaques from the Tlinget and Haida Tribes. Brooke Stone Animal Totem Jewelry. Paintings and prints from Nationally recognized artists. Animalista carvings from Mexico and much more. Serving Ashland for a third of a century.

I am South African. Living in a small town of 20,000 after a couple of decades in large cities,…read moreespecially having been in the gallery business for much of that time, I was not expecting to see much in Ashland that would compliment my collection of postwar American modern art and ethnographic sculpture. Until I found these guys. Bought an outstanding Congolese nail fetish as well as a Dogon "leaner" from Mali, both in pristine condition. Pricing is very fair, although might be considered expensive by Ashland standards. Owner really knows her stuff and is obviously passionate about what she's doing. A low key place, but don't be fooled....go inside - there are treasures to be had!

Out of the Blue recently moved to a new location, 116 Lithia Way, about a block from its previous…read morelocation on Main Street. It is a great shop with the best selection of buttons in Ashland, African artifacts, and beads, new and vintage.

Stunning Artwork that is surprisingly affordable- Great…read moreselection of unique jewelry and artwork! It feels like New York - I love Artists Dreams It is hands down my favorite Ashland store! The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful about the healing qualities of the precious gems and crystals... I always feel uplifted when I go there- there is something really special about Artists Dreams.

From the owner: Jewelry, Rare Gemstones, Fine Art from around the world, Design, Exotic and Fine Furnitureread more

This is a hangout breakfast spot for my circle of friends. Over the years that we've been eating at…read moreLa Baguette, I've become friendly with the owner, Merrill. If you don't have a problem with carbs, try the Blueberry Bagel (it's stuffed with cream cheese and blueberries). It's insane, and I may have gained 30 pounds when I ate 1-2 of their housemade bagels per day, and now I can't eat them anymore. The music is the main attraction, though if you love carbs the way I do, try the housemade bread.

love the music and atmosphere here. Good stop for cup of Joe and Janes etc.,.,food and pastry are…read morestandard fare.

Holy hannah, what a hidden gem. We had come to this part…read moreof town to check out the crafts and goods that were on display at the street market that is set up. We saw many great things but I knew there was an "art Gallery" of some kind underneath a bridge. It sounded peculiar so of course I had to check it out. We drove over to the spot I knew it was to be at. when we walked under the bridge I smiled, as I saw the paintings above us. The underside of the bridge had a grid of support for the bridge. The grid made rectangle frames which had over a dozen different paintings. Outside of Vatican City I don't think I have ever stared at a series of frescos on a ceiling. some were really good, a couple not so much, in my humble opinion. But it was a fantastic opportunity to gaze on framed art without cost or a line of people behind us. It felt very freeing. Hopefully others are able to search out and find this amazing spot, The Path to Joy and Unity.

Painter Suzanne Etienne recently opened her studio in a cute little stucco cottage with a yellow…read moreawning and a fruit crate inspired sign. It's located in the Railroad District, next to Rogue Books and across the street from Noble Coffee Roasting and the Peerless Restaurant. I stopped in during our recent trip to Ashland and had a nice chat with Suzanne about her art and plans for the cozy and well considered studio. I look forward to stopping in again the next time I'm in Ashland.

From the owner: Art Studio Painting by Suzanne Etienne for sale..teaching..Art Confrontationread more