This Bountiful Place

The artwork (in this exhibit) speaks to the beauty and the power of the land and to the industry and resourcefulness of its people. As we celebrate the sprit of aesthetics, we also raise the hope that we as a society continue to appreciate our landscape beyond the role of resource. -- Humberto Gonzalez, Portland artist Food and agriculture represent a trail of our heritage as well as a pathway to our economic future, something to be preserved and promoted in every way possible; something precious to the essence of culture itself. -- John Henry Wells, Superintendent, OSU Food Innovation Center Experiment Station Art About Agriculture does not intend to challenge its viewers, as so much avant-garde work does, but rather, its purpose is to celebrate the earth's bounty and the energy, commitment, and persistence of the many workers who bring from it our life-giving sustenance. It covers far-reaching subject matter that encompasses every aspect of agricultural production, starting with natural resources-the soil itself plus the water and the climate necessary to its cultivation. It also incompasses animals and fish as well as all the humans engaged in their most basic and essential toil. -- Lois Allan, author of Contemporary Art in the Northwest The OSU College of Agricultural Sciences has undertaken the creation of a juried exhibition, Art About Agriculture, occurring on an annual basis since 1983... This show acts as a bellwether of how the artists of the Pacific Northwest see our land and what it provides. Seasons change and with the change of seasons, so changes the rich environment. Regional artists see fit to paint, draw, and sculpt its every change. Just as we have fall, winter, spring, and summer, we also have planting, harvesting, processing, and consuming. Artists see wonder in it all. -- Tad Savinar, Portland artist and playwright

This Bountiful Place showcases works from the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences' permanent collection, which includes more than 200 pieces of original fine art, including drawings, fiber arts, works in mixed media, prints, sculpture, and acrylic, oil, and watercolor paintings. The collection celebrates the natural bounty of the Northwest and the stewardship necessary to maintain it, as well as the science and practices of agriculture as seen through the eyes of the region's artists. Distributed for OHS Press.