WOODCORE Opening Reception

We invite you to celebrate the opening reception of WOODCORE with us! The event will feature a live ceremonial drum circle led by featured artist Bobby Mercier of the Confederated Tribe of the Grand Ronde. Join us Friday, May 16th, from 5:30pm-7:30pm at Artspace. Many exhibiting artists will be present and light refreshments will be served.

WOODCORE presents work by seven Oregon-based artists and woodworkers who laboriously carve, shape, and transform the raw material of wood. Ranging from traditional Indigenous carving practices to more radical, sculptural experimentation, these sculptors—Megita Denton, Bobby Mercier, Leroy Setziol, Monica Setziol-Phillips, Julian Watts, Ben Young, and Adam Zeek—embody the distinctive energy of the Pacific Northwest.

Each of the artists find pleasure in scraps of wood—respectfully sourced from fallen or salvaged trees, road shoulders, or job sites, often obtained through personal connections or happenstance. Loose wood is a dangerous thing around these artists.

Set outside of major art metropolises, WOODCORE presents modern and contemporary artworks that intrinsically honor the fertile, tangled, even wonky forests that are emblematic of the Pacific Northwest. The full exhibition essay and a photo gallery of select works can be found here.

• This exhibition will be on view at Artspace from May 9–July 11, 2025.

• With popup gallery shop by lowell