As one chapter of E.S.A.P. is closing, there are many thoughts and emotions floating through me. I feel like E.S.A.P. has been my “baby” for the past year, and now I need to spread my arms and let it go. I don’t want people to see me as E.S.A.P. , but instead to see E.S.A.P. as an entity made up of many parts that work together. I may have been the driving force, but I wasn’t E.S.A.P. – the people who participated in one way or another are the body of E.S.A.P. When Mark Gunther, Paula Goodbar and I started E.S.A.P. in the early months of 2010, I had dreams for E.S.A.P., but never imagined or expected it would reach all the heights it did. The one thing I did know was that E.S.A.P. was a creative endeavor that could enhance the arts in Eugene, Springfield, and many outlying areas of Lane County, Oregon. I also thought it could potentially give many artists a beginning or renewed life in the arts. I served as the Research and installation person from the beginning days of E.S.A.P and have been the Creative Director for the last two years. E.S.A.P. began as the Eugene Storefront Art Project and morphed into the Eugene Springfield Art Project. We have had many great happenings and art events over these years, and we, at E.S.A.P., would like to think that having pop-up galleries and art installations all over downtown Eugene in our earlier years helped contribute to downtown’s economic revitalization. Three years ago, the space at 224 East 11th Avenue was given to us. We made it home to an office and gallery complete with workshops, music events, and monthly artist’s exhibits. The arts were alive here. Meanwhile, with E.S.A.P. reaching across the river to Springfield, four years ago, we were involved in initiating their Second Friday Art Walk. The process involved connecting businesses with artists and placing exhibits in many storefronts. This was an important step in downtown Springfield’s revitalization along Main Street. This summer Springfield held its 1st Annual Sidewalk Chalk Fest, a collaboration between E.S.A.P. and the city. I have great hopes for the growth of Chalk Fest in the years to come. As time moves on and I let go of E.S.A.P. to move back east with my wife Jean, I say: Stay creative, no matter what. Find your place in the entity of E.S.A.P. and support the Board of Directors, who hope to take this arts organization to new heights in the coming years. Peter Herley
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 03:19:01 +0000
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