Step back in time to the days when agriculture was still King in the Southern Willamette Valley. The fine old collection of buildings at the Farmers' Union still literally carries the feel of the earth, the field and the crops that brought the first pioneers to this valley. Look around at the huge beams, old hoisting machinery and other evidence of its hard-working days providing for the needs of our farmers' coop. Stroll to three vibrant murals springing up nearby.

Lane Arts Council presents the First Friday ArtWalk year-round in Downtown Eugene. Take the guided tour and follow the host to hear from the featured artists, or explore the other galleries and venues from 5:30-8pm on your own. This event happens rain or shine, and is always free!

The guided tour, led by Ada Weeks of the Eugene Symphony Guild, starts at 5:30pm at Vistra Framing & Gallery (411 W 4th Ave), followed by stops at 6:00pm at The Lincoln Gallery (309 W 4th Ave), 6:30pm at The New Zone Gallery (220 W 8th Ave), 7:00pm at MAVEN (271 W 8th Ave), and 7:30pm at Passionflower Design (128 E Broadway). Full details can be found at www.lanearts.org.

Special thanks to our ArtWalk Sponsor Eugene Symphony Guild and our Media Sponsor Eugene Magazine!

Let's talk about power and community. Let's talk about good and bad outcomes at the UO, using judgments that Jane Jacobs encouraged people to use throughout her career. In 1970 the University of Oregon began a radical experiment in campus community-driven planning, known later as The Oregon Experiment. The idea -- proposed by the author of A Pattern Language, Christopher Alexander -- was to improve the quality of the environment by involving the community -- the real experts -- in genuine decision-making. This could lead to beautiful buildings, but Alexander later understood that he had not left enough at the UO to achieve this. We'll briefly train you in the approach he would use today.

The University of Oregon campus has a number of unusual and significant trees. Trees provide a learning tool for students and play an important role in defining the campus character. This Jane's Walk will take a stroll through campus to observe a number of significant trees and the associated open spaces. The walk will begin and end at the Erb memorial Union outdoor amphitheater at the intersection of 13th Avenue and University Street.