january @ thump

New Exhibit: Carol Sternkopf “The Danger Show” (opens First Friday, January 4, 2008)

Continuing through January: Bear Creek Elementary Young Artists Exhibit; Wishes Redux 2008

The conceptual thread linking Bend-based photographer Carol Sternkopf’s exhibition at Thump Coffee this month stems from two ever-vigilant characters from her youth: The Robot from the classic ’60s TV show, “Lost in Space,” and her mother Harriet. Both figures seemed to find “Danger! Danger!” everywhere.

“This series is to honor fear, whether real, fictional, or somewhere in between,” says Sternkopf. “These photos explore the risks we take throughout life. Bungee jumping, ice climbing, swimming with sharks, boarding an airplane, or simply taking on love — there’s potential loss that might happen from doing any of it.”

Sternkopf dedicates this show to her recently deceased mother, “even though I’m pretty sure she cannot possibly be resting in peace.”

With the help of five Bear Creek Elementary School teachers and their classrooms, Thump Coffee owner Hazel Chapple presented the theme "On A Winter's Night, The Sky Showered Us With Gifts." Students created wrapping paper and constructed the paper into small gift boxes. Then, each artist wrote about a non-material gift they wished to give to their family, school, city, country or planet. “Something to make someone else's life a little better,” Hazel explains. The gift boxes hang from Thump’s ceiling.

Now through the end of February, the public is invited to come by Thump and create a new "Wish Plank" for 2008. Artist Mark Bernahl encourages people to take their new plank of wood home to work on it if they choose. The new wishes will be hung at the end of February.

Go to Thump Coffee.