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Portland art blog + news + exhibition reviews + galleries + contemporary northwest art
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Friday 02.27.09 It's the weekend  Martin van Meytens, portrait of Queen Marie Antoinette at age 12, 1767-68 In connection with the ongoing Madame de Pompadour exhibit, art historian Melissa Hyde will speak this Sunday on Painted Women In The Age Of Madame De Pompadour. Her lecture explores "representations of women and the role cosmetics and fashion played in the French court during the lives of Mme de Pompadour, Mme du Barry, and Queen Marie Antoinette." Historian lecture • 2-3pm • March 1 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 (More: George Tice lectures at PAM, Modou Dieng speaks for PMMNLS, the nowhere art collective opens at Disjecta.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 27, 2009 at 10:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.26.09 Festivities  Oregon Painting Society Student-organized Reed Arts Week begins next week. This year's theme is SUB PRIME 2009, "a celebration of uncertainty and incompleteness, and a refusal to value the pinnacle at the expense of the ascent." From March 4 - March 8 there will be exhibitions, lectures, workshops, performances, and more, so make sure to peruse the schedule. Featured artists include Kasper Hauser, Eugene Tsui, Hot Little Hands, Jason Lazarus, Martin Kersels, Tao Lin, Sarah Ross, Dan Shapiro, Oregon Painting Society, Jorge Lucero, Neal Medlyn, Jeffrey Baker, and blackblack. Arts Festival • March 4 - 8 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. (more including films on artists and the Zero Film Festival) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 26, 2009 at 16:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkSave the Oregon Cultural Trust from political raiders  Oregon Cultural Trust license plate, a program that has raised 1.3 million of the 1.8 in jeopardy Notice, if you gave funds to the Oregon Cultural Trust that money is in danger of being reappropriated for things other than culture, RACC has the info here. What's even mindbogglingly worse the 1.8 million dollar war chest the trust has already built up over the years is in danger of being "recaptured." This would effectively kill the program's credibility with donors for all time by breaking their trust. This is the same sort of short sightedness that constantly puts cultural funding at risk, but it's far worse because it decimates a successful program that is trying to pull Oregon out of the bottom 5 for funding of the arts. Time to dig in, sharpen your teeth and definitely click here and let the politicians know what you think. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 26, 2009 at 11:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.24.09 Photography in the Biennial  Michael Kenna, "Broadway Bridge, Study 2, Portland, Oregon, USA," 2004 An unprecedented amount of photography appears in this year's TAM Biennial. Participating photographers Michael Kenna, Doug Keyes, Isaac Layman, and Susan Seubert are lecturing on the subject this week at the Tacoma Art Museum. They will be discussing "photography's role in fine art and commercial imagery." Rebecca Cummins, Associate Professor at University of Washington School of Art, will moderate a panel conversation. Lecture & discussion • 11am-4pm • February 28 Tacoma Art Museum • 1701 Pacific Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402 • 253.272.4258 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 24, 2009 at 11:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkMore institutional linking One of my favorite art writers, Adrian Searle, has some
issues with how a Picasso show has been presented.
The New York Times reports on how some very successful artists are using their art as collateral for loans in these troubling times. Ok it's another newspaper schadenfreude story but it reminds me why museums should act differently than artists do towards their own work. It's the artist's right to gamble with their work, a museum like The Rose isn't an asset to be liquidated. It is a museum holding work for the public in trust. Jerry Saltz discusses White Column's contributions and mission on their anniversary. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 24, 2009 at 10:00 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 02.23.09 fallacy performance  Tom Holmes, "I Make Stuff Up" Curated by Gabrielle Giattino, I know nothing of the weather when I know it is either raining or not raining. opens this Thursday at PNCA's Feldman Gallery + Project Space. Drawing its title from Ludwig Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logioco-Philosophicus, a series of statements about the nature of logic, the show highlights strategies for making art that "willingly defy the necessary usefulness of logic and language." Featured artists include Erica Baum, Ellie Ga, Tom Holmes, Justin Matherly, Andrea Merkx, Jenny Perlin, and Vicente Razo. Artist Andrea Merkx will lecture on Wednesday about the show, curator Gabrielle Giattino will give a tour before the reception, and artist Ellie Ga will give a final presentation on Friday. Artist lecture • 12:30-1:30pm • February 25 Curator tour • 12:30-1:30pm • February 26 Opening reception • 6:30pm • February 26 Artist presentation • 12:30-1:30pm • February 27 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391  Matthew Green will perform Solo Jams at Appendix Project Space this Thursday. The piece begins promptly at 7pm, and elements from it will be on view 3-7pm for the following three Thursdays. Opening reception • 6-10pm • February 26 Appendix • NE Alberta • in the south alley between 26th & 27th Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 23, 2009 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 02.22.09 New PNCA and MoCC integration details and analysis Here's a follow up on the PNCA/MoCC
merger. In the past week I've spoken with both Tom Manley, President of the Pacific
Northwest College of Art and Kathy Abraham Chairman of the Museum of Contemporary
Craft's Board... so PORT has some important details for you now. I apologize for
this having taken me so long but I've got some major projects of my own at the
moment.
 PNCA President, optimist and soon to be craft/design Museum President Tom Manley Despite all I've heard, I'm still just as cautious as before... though I feel PNCA is less in danger of jumping the shark and damaging itself. The school also develops an opportunity to launch its curatorial studies program much faster. That's important since I consider PNCA's fate to be nearly analogous to Portland's goals as a serious art city. Some of the new information: Museum retains separate 501.c3 status and governing board PNCA undertakes fundraising campaign and slightly alters 5 year plan to address museum's financial situation and lack of endowment. ...(more details) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 22, 2009 at 21:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.20.09 Design Media  Jerry French and Charles S. Anderson PNCA and Office PDX present a lecture by design leaders Jerry French and Charles S. Anderson. French is the founder of French Paper, the only independently owned paper mill in the US, and Anderson is the founder of CSA Design, a firm that "approaches design as a continuous evolution inspired by the highs and lows of art and print culture." Design lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • February 25 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391  Althea Thauberger, "La Mort e La Miseria," digital video still B.C. media artist Althea Thauberger is speaking this Monday for PMMNLS. Her recent video and photography work features collaboration with her subjects, "inviting both sympathetic and critical reflection of tropes relating to individualism and self-expression, romanticism and nature and aspects of youth cultures with which she identifies." Artist lecture • 7:20pm • February 23 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 20, 2009 at 10:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.19.09 Viscous Intellect: Drake Deknatel at Elizabeth Leach Gallery  Untitled, (Little Soldier Red) 2005, Drake Deknatel The paintings of Drake Deknatel are a bit like a faint sound in the distance. They are like the attempt at remembering something so familiar yet which somehow remains evasive. They are like descriptors of the mental space that surrounds the second after forgetting a dream. They stand between nightmare and love, between good painting and bad, between the tangible pictoral and the invisible metaphysical. It is an ephemeral experience which lingers. . .(more) Posted by Amy Bernstein on February 19, 2009 at 13:02 | Comments (2) PermalinkEl Corridor of Love and the Eco-Baroque  Artist live/work space Milepost 5 is launching two new bi-monthly exhibition series, MP5 Cubed and The Hallways. Curated by TJ Norris, MP5 Cubed will feature Kate Fenkertitled's Strange Attractor. On the first floor of the hallways, which are curated by Sara Cella, Derek Franklin and Calvin Ross Carl are showing Against Peter Halley : Reconsidering Rothko. Nicole Linde is exhibiting Flights of Fancy on the second floor, and Chris Haberman's El Corridor of Love will be on the third floor. Opening night features a live musical performance by Color Guard. The shows run through April 10. Opening reception • 7-9pm • February 21 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st • 503.998.4878  Bruce Conkle & Marne Lucas, "Sleepwalking Salmon Woman and Primitive Artist," as played by Lucas and Conkle The Marylhurst Art Gym presents Bruce Conkle and Marne Lucas's Warlord Sun King: The Genesis of Eco-Baroque. Coining the term "eco-baroque," this collaborative duo "seeks to combine a sensibility to the natural world that includes acknowledgment of many of its baroque, over-the-top manifestations that are not unlike the excesses of the Baroque era. If you imagine the Palace of Versailles crossed with the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, you will be ready for Warlord Sun King." The exhibition runs through March 25. Preview reception • 3-5pm • February 22 Marylhurst • 17600 Pacific Highway Marylhurst, OR • 503.699.6243 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 19, 2009 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.18.09 Julie Bernard 1st recipient of PADA service to art award  Julie Bernard at her home surrounded by art by Cliffird Gleason (the large red painting) and others The Portland Art Dealers Association has announced its inaugural recipient of its Award for Service to the Visual Arts, Julie Bernard. Julie has been a fixture in the arts community supporting various arts organizations and with her radio program Art Focus on KBOO radio, which she hosted for a staggering 25 years, (it continues on with other hosts). Frankly, I can't even remember how many times Ive been on it but the half hour show was always a blast, focusing on local and national art figures alike. She has a subtle wry wit and knew how to push peoples buttons. Bernard stepped down in 2008 and it is wonderful that PADA is acknowledging her contributions. Here is Joseph Gallivan's interview with Julie Bernard in the Tribune. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 18, 2009 at 18:49 | Comments (1) PermalinkSpeaking & Reading  Glenn Adamson In case you missed the note in Alex's fantastic interview of Glenn Adamson, here's a reminder: He'll be lecture at the University of Oregon in Eugene on Friday, and at their Portland White Stage building this weekend for the Museum of Contemporary Craft's ongoing Craft Perspective series. Lecture 1 • 4-5:30pm • February 20 U of O • Lillis Hall • 955 E. 13th Ave. Eugene Lecture 2 • 2:30pm • February 21 White Stag Block • 70 NW Couch Street  Liza Ryan, "SPILL," installation view In conjunction with her ongoing exhibition at the Cooley Gallery, SPILL, artist Liza Ryan will discuss her work this Friday in Reed's Eliot Hall. Artist lecture • 6:30pm • February 20 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Eliot Hall Room 304  An installation by Anna Gray & Ryan Wilson Paulsen, from OpenWidePDX PNCA alumni Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen have made art out of tragedy with their new book, Integrating a Burning House, which focuses on the September 2008 fire that destroyed their home. They'll read from the book tomorrow. Artist book reading • 6:30pm • February 19 Allied Works Architecture • 1532 SW Morrison Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 18, 2009 at 11:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkMaking the best of a bad situation links Once again Tyler Green has some great analysis, this time on how the so called
victory
of a 50 million dollar arts stimulus inclusion... isn't one. The US is going
to need a new cultural plan to help us gain a new competitive edge in a world
economy where new ideas will determine who is on top. We can't beat China for
workforce or manufacturing but we can innovate. That takes supple minds, a majority
of which need culture to develop.
In Britain there is a slack space movement. This has been happening in Portland for at least a decade but the city could encourage it more. Zach Feuer is downsizing his gallery stable. Frankly Tal R was one of his best artists (and very influential on all of the others), so this might be a good thing for him to step into a bigger spotlight. As ever, Edward Winkleman does a great job discussing the ways gallerists are digging in to hang on. It isn't solid doom but nobody should be underestimating the current situation. The active gallerists will create their own luck. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 18, 2009 at 10:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.17.09 An interview with Glenn Adamson 
Leading craft writer, researcher, educator and theorist Glenn Adamson is the Author of Thinking Through Craft an introduction for artists and craftspeople dealing with the common perception of craft. He will be giving a lecture entitled Craft in the 21st Century: Directions and Displacements Saturday, Feb. 21 for more information check out the Museum of Contemporary Craft's events calendar. (more... PORT's interview with Adamson after the jump) Posted by Alex Rauch on February 17, 2009 at 6:00 | Comments (2) PermalinkMonday 02.16.09 Space & Shadow  Lise Graham, "Untitled (red)" Considered Space opens tomorrow at Clark College's Archer Gallery. This group exhibition explores "the presentation of space in painting, real and perceived." To examine this question, artists use techniques ranging from traditional tools of perspective and scale to the integration of three-dimensionality through materials and constructions. All featured artists are regional: Jesse Hayward (Portland), Mark R. Smith (Portland), Grant Hottle (Portland), Adam Sorensen (Portland), Cara Tomlinson (Portland), Ben Buswell (Portland), and Lise Graham (Seattle). The show picks up a thread from curator Jesse Hayward's The Hook Up at NAAU almost two years ago. Spatial exploration has since become a hot theme around this town - in the words of another PORTstar, is this space camp? Considered Space will run from February 17 through March 14. Opening reception • 4-6pm • February 18 Archer Gallery • Clark College, Penguin Union Building, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • 360.992.2246  Daniel Payavis, "Shadow of a Book" For its inaugural exhibition, east side space Pied-à-terre presents two works by Daniel Payavis. Shadow of a Book and Book draw from recent movements such as Suprematism, Russian Contructivism, and early Abstraction, as well as the ancient tradition of still life, to become "playful and thoughtful, aligning a respect for tradition with a dedicated interest in pursuing the new." This project by McIntyre Parker is open Saturdays and by appointment. Exhibition • Through February 28 Pied-à-terre • 904 SE 20th Ave Apt. 5 • info@pied-terre.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 16, 2009 at 10:58 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 02.14.09 Interview with Laura Fritz by MK Guth  Laura Fritz at NAAU, photo Jim Lommason MK Guth: I wanted to start with the basics like, what is your background? What brought you to art? Where did you go to school? Where was your area of focus and does that connect to how you are making work now? Laura Fritz: Well, I grew up in the Chicago area and I started out being really interested in lights in darkened rooms. They fascinated me. Sometime between Preschool and Kindergarten age there was this one grocery store that had an aisle where the lights weren't working. It was the peanut butter and jelly aisle and all the jars were just glowing because the aisle next to them allowed light to come through the side. I would just run up and down the aisle because I thought it was so interesting... (more) Posted by Guest on February 14, 2009 at 18:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.13.09 Josh Smith at PNCA  Josh Smith's The Righteous Foundation of Us is yet another exciting installation in the Manuel Izquierdo Gallery at PNCA (the only gallery in Portland cool enough to require a buzzer). In this case the show is a multilayered rumination on the goals of modernism, materials, intellectual positioning and it's relationship to us now, aka a generation that must rebuild things taken for granted like the American Dream. Smith has been a fixture in the Portland art scene for many years now as...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 13, 2009 at 14:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkLectures & Leisure  Portland's Japanese Garden On Monday (for President's Day), the Japanese Garden is having a free admission day. Take advantage of the opportunity to experience what has been described as the most beautiful Japanese garden outside of Japan, and while you're there, catch the beginning of the 2009 season of the Art in the Garden series. From February 15 - February 22, calligraphy by Master Calligrapher Yoshiyasu Fujii of Tokyo will be on display in the pavilion with work by members of the Meito Shodo Kai. You can find the Japanese Garden above the Rose Gardens at 611 SW Kingston Avenue. (More... Lectures by: Clement Tobias-Lange, and PMMNLS with Mark Beasley.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 13, 2009 at 11:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.12.09 It's not easy staying green  Curators Justin Bland and Mia Nolting are seeking submissions for a June 2009 exhibition at PNCA, Keep Oregon Green. The theme is "work related to Oregon's natural landscape," and half of the profits from sales will go to the Keep Oregon Green Association. Submissions are due by March 31. Read all about it here. *Update: some valid concerns have been raised about Keep Oregon Green as more timber oriented organization in the comments. PORT doesnt take a stance but artists should look at the composition of KOG's board to more accurately determine if the goals of the organization are in line with the artist's views. Obviously, the timber companies have a huge role in the management of natural resources so the "Green" issue isn't merely black and white. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 12, 2009 at 10:13 | Comments (2) PermalinkWednesday 02.11.09 Visual Valentine  Launch Pad's 4th Annual Love Show Launch Pad Gallery presents their 4th Annual Love Show. With a staggeringly long list of participating artists, this year's open-call salon exhibition on the complexity of love has outgrown its britches and moved to the Olympic Mills Commerce Center. Partial proceeds from the show will benefit the Oregon Food Bank and Buckman Arts Elementary. See a list of participating artists and participatory events on Launch Pad's website. Opening party • 7pm-12am • February 13 Olympic Mills Center • 107 SE Washington  Looking for something heart-free to do on VDay? Don't miss the opening of Shoot You - Shoot Me at Rocksbox. This joint exhibition by Moudou Dieng and Damien Gilley "examines the relationship between contemporary guerrilla warfare, high fashion, and the artist's approach to the creative process, while attempting to breakdown the predictability of perceived artistic production, display, and the consumption of mass imagery." This short term exhibition will be open from February 14 through March 1. Opening reception • 7-11pm • February 14 Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 11, 2009 at 10:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.10.09 Links and leadership First off, Tyler Green's two part interview with Rose Museum board chair Jonathan Lee is a must read for anyone on a non-profit board. Christopher Knight's historical addendum to Tyler's posts also brings the situation into greater focus. It is an incredibly cautionary tale and if this museum is as they say "monetized" it could set off a flashflood of short sighted anti-cultural profiteering. Long standing institutions keep things in trust for the public and its the public that loses when museums are destroyed for convenience. Leadership means looking at the heuristics of the situation, not simply some cause an effect and if Brandeis does move forward I suspect the lawsuits from those who donated to the Rose will make them wish they hadn't. Second, frequent PORT reader and our favorite writer over at the Mercury Matt Davis has a report on the I-5 Bridge. It's good that Sam is taking his measure of this thing and not moving too quickly. Still one major issue remains, the project will need a major architect. An engineer simply cant juggle the competing desires, politics and functions of a project like this and PORT was one of the first to really make this case a long long time ago... pre scandal Sam heard it too. Hopefully our beleaguered mayor can show some leadership on this very important issue and bring more intelligent discussion, but something tells me he needs an architect to take that role over from him. Here's a start: a major bridge design competition will allow architects to help the public understand the bridge in ways this project hasn't manifested yet. A bridge is functional philosophy and the architect takes on the role of whipping boy (freeing politicians to do other things like torment the architect the hired). Last but not least PORT is still thinking about the MoCC/PNCA merger and PNCA has even thanked us for forwarding a more intelligent discussion on the subject (see O we aren't slagging, we know what we are talking about and we were criticizing the plan to make it better, now if that only worked everywhere else). I'm simply cautious about this situation and combining a museum with an art school is tricky business, it can be done right but I don't want PNCA to inadvertently hurt itself and Portland in turn. Here are some more thoughts:... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 10, 2009 at 23:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkNew Artist Talk Series @ PAM  Eugene Delacroix, "Christ on Lake Genesareth" PAM is premiering a new artist talk series with MK Guth this week. At 6pm, Guth will lead museum visitors from the Hoffman Lobby on a tour through the galleries to discuss Eugene Delacroix's Christ on Lake Genesareth and Jeff Koons's Lifeboat. Afterward there will be discourse and happy hour until 8 in the museum café. Artist talk • 6-8pm • February 12 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Also, UPDATE: We apologize for any confusion, the Sara Greenberger Rafferty lecture is this Thursday. Rafferty is an artist/comedian who lives and works in New York, is co-editor of North Drive Press, and has published widely on art and comedy. Artist chat • 12:30-1:30pm • February 12 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 10, 2009 at 10:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.09.09 An Artist's Look at Lascaux  George Johanson PNCA emeritus professor George Johanson is lecturing tomorrow on An Artist's Look at Lascaux. Johanson will discuss his recent trip to France, re-examining the prehistoric cave art of Lascaux in terms of "what these mysterious images tell us about the nature of painting and the nature of homo sapiens as visual thinkers." Artist lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • February 10 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 09, 2009 at 10:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 02.08.09 Worksound's White Noise opening White Noise opening at Worksound, where the crowd became a kind of white noise itself Normally, PORT doesn't care that much for parties that make it impossible to see the show, but this packed feel good get together shows just what a diverse crowd a warehouse show in Portland's art scene can bring. Lets see: lots of artists, too many hipster party goers, some professors and a few major patrons can be seen here. It looks like a nice show and I'll come back later to check out curator/artist Jhordan Dahl's handiwork when I can actually see the show. Till then enjoy this video art scene rollercoaster. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 08, 2009 at 23:22 | Comments (6) PermalinkBetter late than never on the MoCC PNCA merger Looks like at least
someone at the Oregonian is finally willing to start asking more questions
about the PNCA/MoCC merger. Good, but is it too little too late? (PORT asked these questions and more on the 1st day)... and essentially
Row is reversing his earlier
rather wishy washy approach with a slightly harder line? (something I've
been grousing
about and wish I didn't have to, these are basic questions that should have
been asked weeks ago by everyone, not
just PORT).
OK so let's now look at how the University of Wisconsin, University of Washington and Univeristy of California Berkeley all got their top notch university museums and collections too. These university museums somewhat define the schools they exist within, and it would be doubly true for an art school. Depending on the choices made, PNCA could really enhance or screw itself up... but without a separate endowment and serious autonomy for the museum it is definitely even more difficult to get it right. ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 08, 2009 at 18:35 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 02.07.09 Art & Culture: Urbanism & Politics  Rick Lowe in front of duplexes designed by Rice students as part of Lowe's Project Row Houses, from the NY Times Artist / activist Rick Lowe is speaking at Jimmy Mak's this Monday for the second installation of Portland Spaces' Bright Lights Discussion Series. Lowe is the founder of Houston's Project Row Houses, "a nonprofit arts organization, established by African-American artists and community activists to create a positive presence in Houston's Northern Third Ward community." Lowe's mission is to use art and the community it creates to revitalize inner city neighborhoods, and he'll be speaking about "the new intersections of art and urbanism." The Bright Lights Discussion Series happens the second Monday of every month at Jimmy Mak's. Artist discussion • 6pm • February 9 Jimmy Mak's • 221 NW 10th • 503.295.6542  Julie Ault & Martin Beck, "Installation" at Secession 2006 Artist, author, and curator Julie Ault is speaking Monday for PMMNLS. One of the co-founders of 30-year-old social arts collective Group Material, Ault's work "emphasizes interrelationships between cultural production and politics." Artist lecture • 7pm • February 9 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 07, 2009 at 9:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.06.09 Tacoma Art Museum's 9th Northwest Biennial  TAM's lovely building by Antoine Predock Last Saturday I was lucky enough to trek on up to Tacoma and take in The 9th Northwest Biennial. This biennial is notable partly because TAM is the only major Northwest institution that still does a broad survey of the region's art, and they have 1st class facilities. Also, this particular Biennial's execution was doubly important since the previous 8th version of the show was such a letdown. Happily this 9th NW Biennial, co-curated by Rock Hushka (Tacoma Art Museum’s Curator of Contemporary and Northwest Art) and Alison de Lima Greene (Curator of Contemporary Art and Special Projects at the Museum of Fine Arts) Houston is a lot better than the previous attempt. ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 06, 2009 at 14:28 | Comments (1) PermalinkFirst Weekend Picks February 2009  François Boucher, "Les Confidences Pastorales," 1745 La volupté du goût: French Painting in the Age of Madame de Pompadour opens tomorrow at PAM. "Organized in collaboration with the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Tours, France, this international loan exhibition celebrates the patronage of Madame de Pompadour. As the official mistress of Louis XV, Pompadour indulged her 'voluptuous taste' in art to inspire some of the most sumptuous and sensual paintings in history." Among the most famous mistresses in history, Madame de Pompadour was an influential 18th century arts patron whose tastes often dictated the fashion of the day. The exhibition includes over 50 paintings commission or collected by Pompadour, including works by François Boucher, Jean-Baptiste-Marie Pierre, and Carle Vanloo. Exhibition • February 7 - May 17 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 (More: Gallery Homeland, MK Gallery, Autzen Gallery.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 06, 2009 at 10:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkFontanelle gets NADA Congratulations to Fontanelle who was just accepted into the prestigious NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) gallery club. PORT reviewed their last show here. It's associations like this which will help young galleries survive. See it isn't all bad news in Portland gallery world (Tom Cramer is still selling too btw).
Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 06, 2009 at 1:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.05.09 First Friday Picks February 2009  Worksound presents White Noise, a group exhibition on stagnation. Inspired by Portland snow and the struggling economy, 23 artists from the Pacific Northwest & Los Angeles have interpreted this broad theme through video, installation, and other multimedia works. Featured artists include Kevin Abell, Jaclyn Campanaro, Thor Drake, E*Rock, Danridge Geiger, Damien Gilley, Evan B. Harris, Danielle Higgins, Yoni Kifle, Sarah Jane McKinley, Sarah Meadows, Tamar Monhait, Mason Poole (LA), Nick Raffel, Noah and Nathan Rice, Kent Richardson, Rebecca Shelly, Stephen Scott Smith, Corey Smith (LA), Rebecca Steele, Aaron Thomas (LA), and Dylan Walker. Opening reception • 7-11pm • February 6 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More - updated.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 05, 2009 at 11:09 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 02.04.09 Rafferty / Targets  Sarah Greenberger Rafferty Sara Greenberger Rafferty is lecturing at PNCA this Thursday as part of their MFA Chat series. Rafferty lives and works in New York, is co-editor of North Drive Press, and has published widely on art and comedy. Artist chat • 12:30-1:30pm • February 5 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391  Eva Lake Eva Lake will be exhibiting Target Photomontages at PCC Rock Creek's Helzer Gallery. Building on her lifelong obsession with targets, which as a teenager she would steal from the Ashland Police Rifle Range, Lake has layered these target images with beautiful women from nostalgia to modern pop stars, exposing the complex femininity beneath the "babe." Artist lecture • 3pm • February 6 Opening reception • 4-6pm • February 6 Helzer Gallery @ PCC Rock Creek • 17705 NW Springville Road • Building 3 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 04, 2009 at 9:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.03.09 First Thursday Picks February 2009  Sandy Roumagoux, "Stonefield Beach Quartet" In celebration of Oregon's sesquicentennial (150th birthday), Blackfish presents Oregon Seen. This group exhibition of Blackfish members celebrates Oregon & Oregonians, offering artists the opportunity to express both pride and concerns about their home state. On February 14, Oregon's birthday, long time Blackfish member Paul Missal will lecture on Oregon's artistic heritage. Special Oregon Modernist works will be on loan for the lecture, including works by Charles Heaney and Louis Bunce. Opening reception • 6-9pm • February 5 Blackfish Gallery • 420 NW 9th • 503.224.2634 (More - UPDATED.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 03, 2009 at 13:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.02.09 Linked up Tyler Green has a
great recap of the whole Brandeis situation as well as a pointing out Harvard
Art Museum Director Tom Lentz's interesting
interview in the Boston Globe. Seems like Harvard isn't trying to get all
LACMA and try to collect the Rose's collection, obviously Tom Lentz is a class
act.
Yes the Brandeis story has hit the New York Times and Roberta Smith comes out swinging. To corroborate her condemnation... I'm a direct product of universities who had nice art galleries and museums like UW Madison's Elviehjem (now the Chasen), ISU's galleries (which exposed me to serious contemporary art), IWU's Merwin & Wakeley galleries, Eccles Museum at USU (where I learned to love H.C. Westerman). Smith is right to point out Brandeis' myopia towards the teaching value of such an institution at a liberal arts university. Oh and its isn't merely fear that has tongues wagging about the planned PNCA/MoCC merger as Barry Johnson at the O claims, it's very real "institutional culture" head scratcher. PORT pointed out some very real best practices issues over separation of institutions, autonomy and the differences between Museums and Universities... all now highlighted further by the Brandeis' decision. At least the O is now raising some questions, but to date PORT is the only place that has really looked at the organizational delicacy of the situation and like any merger the devil is in the details. C'mon, if Christopher Knight worked at the O he'd be all over this and it's part of the reason Portland institutions have problems... our arts coverage of institutional intricacies is weak (mostly it is just some reporting and little analysis... even when there is research, it isn't contextualized or given simple cautionary case study comparisons... cough, Brandeis, cough). Paul Goldberger looks at Diller Scofidio + Renfro renovation of Pietro Belluschi's Alice Tully Hall. Belluschi, who lived in Portland during his early-mid career ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 02, 2009 at 14:06 | Comments (2) PermalinkVideo  Vanessa Renwick, from "Toxic Shock," 1983 Watch: Curator Marc Moscato presents A Not Too Distant Past: Film & Video From Underground Chicago, a collection of short experimental and documentary videos examining the Chicago's radical history. Featured filmmakers include Vanessa Renwick, Frédéric Moffet, Dara Greenwald, Kartemquin Films (a 1970s student group at the Art Institute of Chicago), The Videofreex (a late 1960s underground video collective out of upstate New York), and Marc Moscato. Tickets are $5. Video screening • 8pm • February 5 The Waypost • 3120 N Williams • 503.367.3182  Film: Like to make film? Like to bicycle? (It's Portland, of course you do.) The 7th Annual Filmed By Bike festival is soliciting bike-themed shorts. All submissions must be under 8 minutes, and the deadline is February 15. Read all about it here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 02, 2009 at 9:23 | Comments (0) Permalink |
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