ROSEBURG, Ore., Sept. 23, 2022 — The Art Gallery is thrilled to present The Land Remembers: Photographs Inspired by the Rogue River Wars, an exhibit of black-and-white infrared photographs that explore the landscapes of the “Rogue River Indian Wars of 1851-56.” The images by Rich Bergeman will be on exhibit from September 27 to October 27. A reception and gallery talk will be held Thursday, October 27, 1 pm – 3 pm.
The Land Remembers exhibit features more than 20 prints by Corvallis photographer Rich Bergeman for the various tribes who populated the southwest corner of what is now Oregon, the remoteness of their homeland served them well for centuries. But that suddenly changed in 1850 with the passage of the Oregon Donation Land Claim Act and the nearly simultaneous discovery of gold in the region. Settlers and miners streamed in, leading to conflict with local tribes. Skirmishes flared up multiple times between 1851 and 1854 before erupting into an all-out war involving the U.S. Army in 1855-56. It ended with the forced removal of the Rogue Valley and the South Coast tribes to reservations at Siletz and Grand Ronde, which descendants today memorialize as Oregon’s own “Trail of Tears.”
Bergeman said the goal of his two-year project was “to bring the largely forgotten war back into our collective consciousness through a reflective study of the landscapes that played host to those tragic events.”
About the Artist
An Oregonian since 1976, Bergeman is a retired instructor of journalism and photography at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany. The 73-year-old photographer has exhibited his work throughout the Northwest since the 1980s. Over the past two decades, he has focused primarily on portraying forgotten Northwest histories through photographs of what’s been left behind. His portfolios can be seen at richbergeman.zenfolio.com and in book form at blurb.com.
About The Art Gallery
The UCC Art Gallery is located in the Whipple Fine Arts Building at Umpqua Community College located at 1140 Umpqua College Road in Roseburg, OR, 97470. Gallery hours are Monday – Wednesday and Friday, 10 am – 4 pm. The Art Gallery is a 1,100-square-foot exhibition space that features six exhibitions per year, showing in a variety of media from emerging to established artists. The primary focus of the Art Gallery is to exhibit high-quality artwork for the education and cultural benefit of the students of UCC and the citizens of Douglas County.
Contact
Susan Rochester, M.A.
Chair of Arts and Humanities
Associate Professor of Visual Arts
Office: 541-440-4692
[email protected]