Eugene’s Queen of Jell-O Art elevates the art of gelatin

In the days leading up to Eugene’s annual Jell-O Art Show on March 25, the Queen of Jell-O Art can be found in the kitchen, mixing up concentrated concoctions of gelatin that she then sculpts into colorful, glass-like abstract art. For the queen of this unusual art form, jiggly isn’t better. These gelatin pieces look more like the work of Dale Chihuly than Betty Crocker.

Diane McWhorter was crowned the Queen of Jell-O Art during the 2012 Jell-O Art Show by her fellow members of the Radar Angels. By that point, she’d already spent more than two decades creating gelatin art.

“Through the process of doing it over these 30-some years, I discovered myself as an artist,” she said.

Jell-O, she realized, “was my true art form.”

Eugene’s first Jell-O Art Show was organized in 1988 by the Radar Angels, a group of artists formed in the 1970s. They chose their name after watching a news report on UFO sightings, which a scientist attributed to either swamp gas or “radar angels,” an echo effect picked up on radar.

“The Radar Angels initially were a group of women with a feminist bent that came together in what we called ‘frivolous teas’ where we would enjoy chocolate, wine and good stories,” said Indi Stern-Hayworth, an original Radar Angel and “lady in waiting” to the Queen of Jell-O Art. “You weren’t allowed to talk about your love interests or complain about your husband.”

The teas evolved into other events and happenings, including the Jell-O Art Show, created to poke fun at stuffy art culture by curating an entire exhibit using a completely silly medium. It was only meant to be a one-time affair but was so popular, the group held a second Jell-O Art Show in 1990. Two years later, the event found a home at the Maude Kerns Art Center, where it continues to serve as an annual fundraiser for art programs.

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“The whole object of Jell-O art is to promote art and make it accessible,” McWhorter said. “The show itself was a gag at first, but when you put something on a pedestal in a gallery and people come and look at it, it becomes serious art.”

And McWhorter takes her art seriously. Over the years, she has refined her gelatin sculptural technique by experimenting with the proportion of water used in her creations.

While a traditional recipe calls for four cups of water and six ounces of gelatin powder, McWhorter uses one cup of water and 24 ounces of gelatin (yes, she buys it in bulk.) As the gelatin quickly sets, she spreads it in thin, even layers along the inside of a bowl or plate. As long as it’s not spread too thickly, it won’t rot.

The dried result: glass-like, translucent sheets that are moldable until fully cured. McWhorter uses those pieces to form leaves, pedals, and other organic shapes. With them, she creates abstract art and Jell-O fascinators, which resemble glass sculptures on her head.

In her day job, McWhorter is a screen printer who sells custom designed shirts, hats and totes, but there was always a commercial element to what she created. Jell-O art was liberating, she said, as something created purely for her own joy.

“I want to promote accessible art to everyone,” she said. “I want everyone to think of themselves as an artist and not have to spend their lifetime figuring that out like I did.”

IF YOU GO: The annual Jell-O Art Show is 5-8 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E. 15th Ave. in Eugene. This year’s theme is “There’s No Bizness Like Jell-O Bizness.” A suggested donation of $3 per person or $5 per family is requested at the door. The public is also invited to submit their gelatin artworks for display from 3 to 4:30 p.m. the day of show. There is a $3 display fee, and all entries are accepted. This is a non-juried show.

— Samantha Swindler, sswindler@oregonian.com, @editorswindler