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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 22, 2004 Taste the finer things By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings Food hounds, wine buffs and art aficionados are already salivating in anticipation of A Taste of Ashland, the city's annual feast of the senses. The two-day Taste takes place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25, giving people an opportunity to experience a wide range of the finer things in life, all packed into one weekend. "There's way too much to do in one day," Ashland artist David Bjurstrom said. "People should pick up an event guide and use the whole weekend." A full plate Every year the Ashland Art Gallery Association invites the area's finest restaurants, wineries, chocolatiers, bakeries, breweries, and coffee roasting companies to share their wares in many of Ashland's art galleries and downtown businesses. Galleries throughout the downtown and the Railroad District will have special exhibitions of the work of local and nationally known artists for the showcase event. In addition, there will be art demonstrations and performances across the city. "What I'm looking forward to is, I hope, a huge kickoff," AGA Vice President Don Binkly said. Binkly, owner of Ashland's Heritage gallery, is the Taste's event coordinator. He became enamored of the weekend walkabout after his first experience two years ago. "We had a terrific time our first time," Binkly said. "It's a nice event and I would like to see it become a bigger one." Local innkeepers, restaurants, merchants, and musicians welcome visitors and residents to take part. In the midst all this, people tour from gallery to gallery, hitting as many venues as they can to sample the offerings of the city's artistic and culinary communities. A worthy cause A Taste of Ashland was originally coordinated by the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, but eventually fell into the hands of the Ashland Gallery Association as a fundraiser - raising as much as $16,000 a year for the association. The AGA is a non-profit organization, run entirely by volunteers. The chamber used the event as an avenue to promote city businesses during the off-season, but the goal has shifted to promoting Ashland's visual arts. "It's a fundraiser which helps fund First Fridays, the gallery guide, and helps promote the town and art," Binkly said. Also, about $500 of the money raised goes directly to support Ashland High School arts programs. But perhaps the most important accomplishment of the event is the spotlight it shines on artists and venues which otherwise may have been overlooked. "I think it creates a new awareness," Binkly said. "Some of these places might not draw people to them." A new twist Now in its 15th year, the event continues to evolve, according to organizers. This time around, for example, the AGA has reached out to businesses beyond the traditional art arena. Along with the nearly 30 galleries involved, an additional 19 businesses will host the works of 20 different artists through the weekend. "It's a broad range of businesses, and some of these places might not draw out-of-town visitors normally," Bjurstrom said. "Ashland Recycled Furniture or All's Well Herbs and Vitamins might not be places you'd necessarily think of as art venues. People are very happy to be a part of it." The shift is also a boon to artists. In past years, the number of artists able to show their work was limited by the number of galleries. Now, an additional 20 artists will get exposure. "If there was an artist who didn't show in a gallery, there was no way for them to be connected to the event," Bjurstrom said. A new tourism Typical of the volunteer spirit which drives the Taste of Ashland is photographer Jason Couch, who has crisscrossed Southern Oregon placing posters, and even ventured down to Mt. Shasta, Calif. to promote the weekend. "It's on my dime," Couch said, explaining how he turned a potential drudgery into an opportunity for a photoshoot. "I'll jump in the Subaru and have an adventure," he said. Couch, who also serves as chair of the AGA's marketing committee, was instrumental in bringing more businesses into the fold. He believes that making the event larger and stronger will reinforce Ashland's reputation as a notable artistic community. "We're trying to get geared up both architecturally and financially to grow," Couch said. "To help people across the nation understand Ashland is the cool little art town we all think it is. It's an art town. We need to find a way to tell people that." While the strong - at least in the summer - tourist base from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival leaks over somewhat to support Ashland's art scene, a different kind of tourist is needed to truly support other arts, Couch believes. "We have some world-class artists here, and we want to create more of an art tourism opportunity in Ashland," Couch said. "There's a difference between art tourists and Shakespeare tourists. With a paid ticket, people receive an event bag that is filled with a wine tasting glass, a poster, an AGA annual gallery guide and the event guide that lists all participants and their locations. There is no cost to experience the weekend without the food or wine, and event organizers invite all to pick up a gallery guide and soak in the scene. 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