Story by Brit McGinnis
Photos by Kathleen Kelly
David Gibbs adjusts the disco ball on his sculpture, positioned awkwardly at the base of his Jell-O sculpture shaped like a life-size human torso. “I was originally going to use fig leaves,” he says with a sheepish smile. “But they dried up.”
Gibbs has participated in the Jell-O Art Show for the past fifteen years. The event—put on by Eugene’s art group, the Radar Angels—celebrated its 22nd year at the Maude Kerns Art Center on Saturday, April 2. The sculptures ranged from Gibbs’ complex body mold to Kelly McCormick’s “A Toast to Jell-O” (also this year’s theme), composed of two beverage glasses with molds inside, ultimately resembling a glass of red wine and martini (complete with olive).
The event was whimsy incarnate, with colorful Jell-O boxes lining the walls as decorations. The buffet, free with donation, consisted entirely of “tacky foods.” A notable dish was the “Kitty Litter Cake,” consisting of colored pound cake, sprinkles, and miniature Tootsie Rolls.
One artist, Julie Sannes handed out special hand-made boutonnieres: tiny top hats made from Jell-O boxes.
“I only spent a few hours on my part of the piece,” she grins, “but I buy the outfits every year.” For 2011, Sannes and her partner Diana Platas dressed in black and red flapper ensembles, imitating the kicky vibe of their cocktail-themed exhibit, “Salut!”
There were puns on this year’s theme everywhere. One exhibit, by an artist who desired to remain anonymous, consisted only of a vintage 1950s toaster with black Jell-O clumped unceremoniously around it. A small sign read, “Toast Jell-O? Whose idea was THAT?”
Michael Fisher, exhibits designer and curator for the gallery, was no exception to kicking back with a glass of colored gelatin once a year.
“I love that it’s so informal,” he says. “It’s fun to just see all the creations that people create.” The exhibit is a break from the typical exhibits he arranges at the gallery, precisely because of its unusual medium. “It’s really fun to see kids coming around, because they’re learning about art. And it’s more accessible, because it’s Jell-O.”
Indeed, the theme of the entire event seemed to be togetherness as a community. Families were prevalent throughout, with groups of children running around with cups of marshmallows and Tootsie Rolls from the buffet. The 2010 Slug Queen made a grand entrance and gave a loving benediction to the event (“Jell-O, O Jell-O. How jiggly, so mellow…”).
But the climax of the evening was in the Final Hour, with the Radar Angels’ performance. Five men and five women, fantastically dressed, took to the makeshift stage. In the style of a 1950s-era variety show, the troupe sang songs like “Me and My Jell-O” and “The Jell-O Jamboree.” These were truly talented musicians and singers from the Eugene community, coming together to be artistic and have a good time. As Jennifer Andrews, a graphic designer involved in the Angels for five years, proclaimed, “It’s art for art’s sake. It’s just fun and frivolous.”
