What: Book Release Event: "A Night in the Gallery"
When: First Friday Artwalk, November 6 from 5:30–8 pm
Where: New Zone Gallery, 110 E 11th Ave, Eugene
Who: Local tiny house maker Alex Daniell creates a children's book

Artists Create "A Night in the Gallery"

New Zone Gallery is so beloved by tiny house maker Alex Daniell that he wrote a children's book about it. The gallery is the oldest artists collective in Eugene, embracing community, individual expression and artistic freedom. Before it was done, three members of New Zone would collaborate on a creative project celebrating the gallery itself.

Daniell reached out to fellow New Zone member and Aurora Books publisher, David Diethelm, who decided to publish the story. Daniell then contacted New Zone artist and author Uyen-Thi Nguyen to create art for the book. This was not a typical writer/illustrator relationship; Daniell and Nguyen collaborated on both the text and illustrations. The story shifted and changed as they exchanged edits, and Nguyen decided to experiment with the visuals, branching outside her normal oil painting approach. At one point, she got stuck and told Daniell, "I'm not sure this is going to work out."

In any creative endeavor, there is that moment of delving into the unknown. This can happen when you're using a new recipe, reorganizing/re-envisioning a home space, or making a Halloween costume. You don't know for sure, and you won't know until you finish. Daniell allowed this process to unfold, not trying to "fix the problem" or "find out what was wrong." He waited.

After a couple of weeks, Nguyen started sending pages and pages of drawings, now clear on the direction that "the book wanted to go." The project sailed forward. Along the way, Daniell invited longtime friend and artist Jennifer Morrell to enhance the colors as he envisioned, Nguyen in turn, respectful of his vision. The book emerged quite differently than anyone had expected, yet it held on to the heart of Daniell's inspiration.

"Have you ever gazed deep inside of a painting? Danny and Lilly have. They are young enough to do more than just look. And they will take you with them."

"A Night in the Gallery" will celebrate its book launch at November's First Friday Artwalk at New Zone Gallery. Meet the trio of New Zone members who created this whimsical tale, a story of two children's adventure during a First Friday Artwalk in Eugene.