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Portland art blog + news + exhibition reviews + galleries + contemporary northwest art
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Friday 05.17.19 Time>Space>Place  AmazonComPandaTreeLoraZombieFineArt by Jeannette Mill Portland's art scene has taken some hits lately but it also has new venues and a continuing tradition as an incubator of new talent. So instead of celebrating failures head out to see this new venue called 1122. This promising group exhibition called Time>Space>Place features some of my favorite new talents like Tabitha Nikolai and Wiley so I suspect the company they keep will be worth checking out. Artists are; Shannon Anderson, Ralph Barton, Ricky Bearghost,Tess Bidelspach,Jackie Boden, Aaron Cunningham, Job Erickson, EM Fuller, Sam Hancock, David Hunt, Jeannette Mill, Tabitha Nikolai, P.A.L.S. Video Collective, Brianna Rosen, Ivan Soliton, Gena Sophia, Mathew Spencer, Jason Triefenbach and Wiley. TIME > SPACE > PLACE promises to be , "the first manifestation of Standard Practice Co:Creative, a soon- to- be-incorporated community arts nonprofit dedicated to catalyzing creative potentials through engaged discourse and collaborative action." Seems like an opportunity to grow from and that's what artists need. Time>Space>Place | May 17 - June 15 Opening: May 17 6-10PM 1122 Gallery 1122 SE 88th Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 17, 2019 at 16:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 04.28.19 Weekend Picks  Just some of the Northern Lights exhibition at the Portland Japanese Garden Guest curated by Sachiko Matsuyama, Northern Lights: Ceramic Art of Hokkaido, features works by 21 established artists of the Hokkaido Pottery Society, with additional works by other members. Northern Lights is a follow up to an exhibition held at the Portland Japanese Garden a decade ago and celebrates the occasion of 50th anniversary of the Hokkaido Pottery Society. This is my 20th year of living in Portland and for that entire time the Japanese Garden has consistently put on the strongest craft based shows in the city. This exhibition is no exception with personal favorites like Masaaki Ishikawa's swirl patterned vessel with blade ridges, Shichiiro Koyama's Bishamon tortoise-shell lattice vessel and my favorite a tiny little green ah glaze bowl by Hideki Takai. 2019 is the Year of Hokkaido at Portland Japanese Garden, which commemorates the 60th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Portland and Sapporo. In many ways the Portland Japanese garden is the Japanese cultural embassy in the USA. Northern Lights: Ceramic Art of Hokkaido April 27 - May 27 Portland Japanese Garden 
Far Right Nancy Grossman's Cob I, at PAM's Modern American Realism from the Smithsonian Museum (last day) Perhaps one would expect a show titled Modern American Realism: Highlights from the Smithsonian's Sara Roby Collection to be about staid Americana but the opposite is true. In fact one could just as easily call this American Surrealism. The iconic Edward Hopper has such a mood... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 28, 2019 at 9:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.12.19 America's Whispered Truths closing at Archer Gallery  Willy Little (fg) and Reneee Billingslea's Lynching Shirts (bg) at Archer Gallery It ends Saturday so dont miss America's Whispered Truths at the Archer Gallery, which I reviewed recently within a cluster of related shows. In this duo exhibition Renee Billingslea and Willie Little dont pull any punches as they each explore the not so subtle violence of racism through powerful assemblage and installations. If you want a truly unvarnished yet nuanced exhibition, America's Whispered Truths screams in silent terror, giving scope and sobering scale to the whole discussion of racism in America. America's Whispered Truths February 19 - April 13 Closing Reception: April 13, 3-5PM Archer Gallery Clark College, Vancouver WA. Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 12, 2019 at 11:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 12.01.18 1st Weekend Picks  Manga Hokusai Manga at Portland Japanese Garden The latest show at the Portland Japanese Garden, Manga Hokusai Manga: Approaching the Master's Compendium from the Perspective of Contemporary Comics, takes a look at the connection of early Manga to today's modern form. This is the US debut for a traveling show, which compares acknowledged masters from all eras. The show takes us from Hokusai to today's best and brightest. I'm personally struck by the way all forms are stylized visual compendiums, like stored visual thinking about basic and sometimes capricious aspects of life that are normally fleeting or nigh impossible to capture in photography or words. One could call it a kind of essential visual theater on the page. There are lots of events set with this show including a scholarly lecture on December 15th... and a closing panel, which will be announced. Manga Hokusai Manga: Approaching the Master's Compendium from the Perspective of Contemporary Comics | December 1 - January 13 Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Ave 
This is your last day to catch Victor Maldonado's Liberation Stories at Froelick Gallery and it is one of the strongest painting shows Ive ever seen in Portland, which is interesting because the artist tends to be more of a conceptualist. But here he's visceral, engaging the history of street art, Philip Guston, Baselitz, Guggenheim Mural era Pollock and perhaps even Hermann Nitsch? The thing is it all comes from being the city of Portland's most visible Mexican/American artist who is paradoxically "not Mexican enough" and at the same time always summoned to be on any multicultural panel (the essential voice who is always on the panel but never given the award, which makes me furious). The truth is Victor has always walked a tightrope... being a bit of a provocative troublemaker as an artist and as a great ombudsman as an administrator. These paintings just burn through all the stereotypes and their tornadic vorticies coalesce into bodyslammed wrestlers... or are the dead? Always too smart, too nice, too handsome, too considerate and too perceptive to sit into left and right wing political schemas his works are troubling and put the viewers on the ropes in paintings like The Fallen and Ofrenda. I like his newfound confidence, now on display many years after earning his US citizenship, Victor is taking the victory lap nobody seemed to be willing to give him (including himself). True, he's a friend and I couldnt be prouder of him but ultimately this is a cultural comeuppance. Victor's paintings simply cannot be ignored... and in any other progressive city besides Portland would have been celebrated more. But Portland's institutions do not acknowledge true provocateurs like Victor... yet it is exactly what the smugly woke need. The "liberation" here is the fact that Victor has been crucial for over a decade and somehow despite not really thinking of himself as a masterful painter has become just that. The sheer economy and bravura of works on display arent about revisiting traumas... they are a all in your face testaments to the considered vitality paint can convey. No more hiding, this is the strongest solo painting show in years from the Pacific Northwest (only about half of the recent works are on display). *He also has an excellent Chapel on Display at the Archer Gallery and today is the last day to see it. Liberation Stories | October 30 - December 1st Froelick Gallery 714 NW Davis  Jeffry Mitchell's Tyger! Tyger at PDX Contemporary Another last day, in this case to catch Seattle's Jeffry Mitchell. He is on a roll and one had better be to intone William Blake's great poem by calling his latest at PDX Contemporary, Tyger! Tyger! What makes this baroque conglomeration of delicate ceramics and wall works the the way the ceramics feel like folk art. Somehow Mitchell's latest works feel like they are pantomiming the often touted schism between western art and the far east rendering the argument moot. I enjoy that and by using folksy spun lathed stools as plinths Mitchell purposefully confuses crockery, mysticism and furniture. He's been doing some of the very best art of his long career lately. Tyger! Tyger! | October 30 - December 1 PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 01, 2018 at 9:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.27.18 Meow Wolf The Movie PORT has followed Meow Wolf since the early days and even visited them in Santa Fe last year. What is important is the way the artists of Meow Wolf have taken back the modes of production and presentation to support themselves and in the process have become the biggest art draw in Santa Fe (a place full of heavy hitters). In fact, two Portland artists, Nathanael Thayer Moss and Chelsea Linehan were involved in the Santa Fe warehouse project and you can see their work scattered all over the trailer above. The movie plays all over the country on Thursday night, including Portland. Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 27, 2018 at 16:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 10.06.18 Haunting October Picks October is usually one of the premier months to see work in Portland's art scene. Perhaps partly because every day in Portland is Halloween the bar for standing out is already pretty high and October becomes a double down. Here are my picks:
maximiliano Ghosts and Venus by Maximiliano and the collaborative trio of Rise x Fall shows just why the Littman Gallery continues to be one of the Portland metro area's most challenging art spaces. Most of Portland's University galleries are pretty conservative in their embrace of liberal values (more Hillary than Bernie or Ocasio-Cortez) but the fact that the Littman is programmed by PSU's students means it is closer to its student body and Portland's far more progressive citizenry. Here in another multimedia exhibition Maximiliano's still developing work explores the gauzy liminal veils of understanding between gender identity, the USA's Imperial posturing and its citizenry's somewhat haunted interface with society's so called norms. "Rise x Fall is an ongoing collaborative series of both video and live performances by Maxi Miliano, Ruben Marrufo and Jaleesa Johnston. Using the veil as an indicator of otherworldly presences, rise x fall explores the liminal terrain of transition, between stability and instability, and the rise and fall of empire. Taking inspiration from the crashing of the waves against the earth, this piece inhabits a space of the simultaneous pain and fear of death, as well as the hope and growth of rebirth." Ghosts & Venus | October 4 - 25 Live performances October 18 & 25 at 6PM Littman Gallery (Smith Student Center, 2nd floor) Portland State University  Victor Maldonado at Archer Gallery I Say, "Radical!" You Say, "Feminist!" is one of those shows about gender, identity and the human body that you'd think had been done a million times in the Portland area, but in fact I havent seen this sort of edgy survey of artists working in the subject attempted in a very long time. Way to keep a keener edge 'Couv and people who are really fired up should find it to their tastes. At the Archer you will find a who's who of up and comers as well as experienced guides like: Roz Crews, Kelly Bjork, Wynde Dyer, Emily Endo, Alexa Feeney, Klara Glosova, Junko Iijima, Tyler Mackie, Victor Maldonado, Patricia Melton, Matthew Offenbacher, Alyson Provax, Kelly Rauer, Maggie Sasso, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Ann Leda Shapiro, Naomi Shersty, Alisa Sikelianos-Carter, Anthony Sonnenberg, Alexander Wurts. Though to tell the truth they could probably restage the show every year for 5 years without using the same names. The thing is the show seems to be actually curating work that invigorates and bounces off each other... none of the old, "who can humblebrag the best" that has become a cul-de-sac of tepid liberal elite thinking. With today's news nothing could be more relevant than visiting this show. I Say Radical, You Say Feminist | September 25 - November 10 Closing Reception November 6 2-4PM Archer Gallery Clark College 1933 Fort Vancouver Way Vancouver Washington ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 06, 2018 at 7:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.20.18 Post Analog at Grapefruits 
The latest show at Grapefruits Post Analog featuring the work of Paloma Kop and Sara Goodman. Grapefruits is a space specializing in non digital programming so I've been looking forward to this as a signature kind of exhibition for the space. I also like the fact that much new media is already old media. Here is a curatorial statement from Sarah: "Within the last 20 years, we've seen the transition from analog to digital video tools in the creation and distribution of moving images. Between maker and consumer, there’s always been a collaboration between user and tools, but now we rely less on physical labor and more on access to digital software and platforms. Although there is a long history of analog video creation, within recent years, there's been an increased resurgence of analog tools to create and distribute newly created video content. A renewed fascination with physical labor. We take a larger role in the collaboration with the machine from the start. We fetishize the passage of time; the destruction of magnetic medium. We aestheticize the failure and decomposition of a tool that always had planned obsolescence. Nostalgia for a past that had an optimistic future. Now, we master the imperfection and glorify it. Intentionality of destruction; yet generative in its genesis. Paloma Kop and Sara Goodman produce video works of generative materials that they then manipulate through physical analog video processing tools. These time based recordings are both performative and ephemeral. A ghost on the screen, tracking, glitching, transforming. Both Sara and Paloma transcend this art form by creating prints of their works. Using a screenshot to hold onto the chaos. Printing out a screenshot, instead of sharing it online. The progression of glitch from electronics to paper, manifests our ubiquitous perception of technology ruling our world. The tools we use, either analog or digital, manifest metaphysical changes to the way we perceive the world." Ok, that is a tall order but that only gets my attention more.... nothing liker a little ambition to make Portland work better as an art scene. Besides I like analog glitchcraft, it speaks to that road warrior aesthetic or the lived in star wars univers where Han Solo had to smack the hyperdrive to avoid obliteration by an Imperial Cruiser. Post Analog | September 20 - October 21 Opening: September 20, 6-9PM | Performance @ 8PM: drc / erc Grapefruits Art Space 2119 N Kerby, Suite D Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 20, 2018 at 15:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.13.18 Utopian Visions Art Fair  People often ask me, is there anything new going on in the Portland art scene. Answer, a resounding yes and though the world really doesnt need another art fair the Utopian Visions Art Fair is exactly what the world needs... new faces and ideas looking for hope and a new way. Some of my favorite artist and art agitators like Maximiliano, Victor Maldonado, Chicken Coop Contemporary etc. are all involved. Tune in and catch up. Utopian Visions Art Fair Friday, September 14 2018 5-8PM Saturday, September 15 11AM-4PM Sunday, September 16 11AM-4PM 518 SE 76th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 13, 2018 at 18:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.31.18 Labor Day Weekend Picks Unlike most art scenes Portland's Summers tend to bring extra activity. To that a bunch of new shows have arrived and a few worthy ones are entering their last days. Catch these shows and of course that Ann Hamilton is still up, I felt it was a bit cobbled together and needed some more tailoring to fit its site but decide for yourself...
here are my picks: 
Carnation Contemporary is a new collective and they are launching their gallery venue today. I love their studio space off Interstate ave but they are also opening up a proper gallery space in the Disjecta Compound. The inaugural show is called First Date and has my full attention. Portland needs to support these artist driven initiatives to retain its enviable edge as a creative epicenter. First Date | August 31- September 30 Opening Reception: September 1 | 6-9PM Carnation Contemporary 8371 N Interstate 
As a domestic house that converts to a gallery Indivisible is perhaps the most intriguing of Portland's alternative spaces. Their latest show Encounters by Jeleesa Johnston should not be missed. The opening vibes are always pure Portland. Encounters | September 1 - 22 Opening Reception: September 1 | 6 - 9PM Indivisible 2544 SE 26th ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 31, 2018 at 19:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.21.18 Wendy Given at Vernissage  Wendy Given, Nighthawk True, I find a simple restatement of stereotypes like; trees, rain, and more trees to be a Northwest narrative that doesn't really require another show but a better way to look at it is, "what kind of wilderness?" Is it a deep dark, conceptual one triggering the lizard parts of the brain and filtered through modern concerns? It sure can and Wendy Given is one of those area artists who goes into the woods so to speak with her latest show... You, Darkness. It is a major theme in the region that has international reach... see Twin Peaks (which is just one instance of this strong artistic subject mater regarding the unknown, nature and animals). You, Darkness | August 7 - October 30, 2018 Opening: August 21, 5- 7PM Artist Talk: September 18, 5 - 7PM Vernissage Fine Art 1953 NW Kearney Street Tel: (971) 277-4118 Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 21, 2018 at 11:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.15.18 Grace Kook-Anderson in Conversation  Grace Kook-Anderson Normally the skies of the Northwest shower us with constant rain but lately it has been stinging wildfire smoke. True the air is better today but perhaps your lungs are still burning. I suggest arts fans check out this free curator conversation at the Portland Art Museum Between the somewhat newish Northwest Curator Grace Kook-Anderson and her boss PAM Director and Chief Curator Brian Ferriso. Grace has largely avoided the traditional Northwest art cliches, while reminding us of the diversity of the region's art... which has been very international for a long time. Artists like Sam Hamilton and Hannah Piper Burns have signaled that we should expect the unexpected... rather than the march of obvious craft, trees and rain, presented by frequently overexposed local names. Instead, she has been concentrating on many artists who are less, "regional feisthists." ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 15, 2018 at 18:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.02.18 August must see picks  Jenny Holzer at PNCA Jenny Holzer's work couldnt be more relevant at this moment in history so her Use What is Dominant in a Culture to Change it Quickly exhibition at PNCA's 511 gallery is especially timely. Consisting of the artist's Sentences and Sentiments from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation the artist holds forth on the questioning of power through words and the redaction of words. It is also part of next week's Converge 45. Use What is Dominant in a Culture to Change it Quickly | July 19 - August 22 First Thursdays 5-9PM Opening Reception August 9, 5-7PM PNCA 511 NW Broadway  . Kitai at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education Perhaps the strongest exhibition on display in Portland at the moment is R.B. Kitaj A Jew Etc., Etc. at the OJMCHE. A virtuoso painter who scraped the paint ever so lightly on the canvas here... Kitaj romances his life as a Ohio come British transplant to LA, influencing today's LA painting scene significantly. Even though my British art friends have grown callous to him we hardly ever see Kitaj in the Pacific Northwest and this one is full of quality. On full display at OJHCHE Kitaj romances the studio and his outsider status as well as drawing upon the chilling loss of the love of his life. So many of the noted painter's best works are on display and every First Thursday goer should stop by the OJMCHE. Check out Jesse Hayward's more in depth look at one Kitaj painting that stars in the show. R. B. Kitaj A Jew Etc., ETC. | June 6 - September 30 Open Free on First Thursday Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education 724 NW Davis Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 02, 2018 at 12:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 07.15.18 Teeth and Consequence at Private Places 
Portland has seen a lot of excellent private art openings and events this weekend but here is an artist organized event we can point you to. Organized by Christopher Russell and Bobbi Woods Teeth and Consequence at a space called Private Places explores violence in an intellectual way via the writings of Jean Genet. Unfortunately this subject matter is completely relevant today. "I give the name violence to a boldness lying idle and hankering for danger. It can be seen in a look, a walk, a smile, and it's in you that it stirs. It unnerves you. This violence is a calm that disturbs you." - Jean Genet I'm always suspicious of artists leaning on writers when exploring things that emerge from the lizard part of the human brain (because I think the artists understand better than the writers) so lets see how Heidi Schwegler, M. Page Green, Sweaterqueen and writer Dennis Cooper do. It is certainly has the markings of a classic summer group show and being in an artist's studio shows how Portland's artists still drive our scene. Teeth and Consequence | July 15 - August 26th Opening Reception: July 15 3-5PM (by appointment after) Private Places 2400 Holladay Street Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 15, 2018 at 9:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.30.18 Annual Seed Building Open House 
North Coast Seed Building The North Coast Seed Building is one of Portland's great artist work spaces (many have disappeared or have been threatened). Today it hosts its annual open house. I loved last year's Seed Building Open House. The building is made up of three separate warehouses constructed over thirty years, beginning in 1911. Originally zoned only for industrial use, artists working in the space in the early 1990s were nearly evicted by the fire marshal. Years ago, due to the intervention of a sympathetic member of the City of Portland's Bureau of Buildings, an artist's work was reinterpreted as a manufacturing process, and the North Coast Seed Building became an officially sanctioned artist space. This is one of the best annual events in Portland and we need more of these spaces since several have been redeveloped, robbing the city of its important artist workspaces and overall ethos. Many top Portland artists have studios here. Open House | Noon-8PM | June 30 North Coast Seed Building 2127 N Albina Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 30, 2018 at 9:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.02.18 Mother Shape at Indivisble 
As PORT readers already know Indivisible is one of the most interesting alternative spaces in Portland and this house/gallery continues its programming with Mother Shape by Amy Conway. To paraphrase, apparently the exhibition replicates, documents and transcribes the shape of motherhood in the artist's life as a reflective attempt to define the role in on her own terms. It's a heady topic that is very current... especially considering there is a very mom-oriented strain running through Portland's contemporary art scene (in most other places it is more of a liability). Is this the MOm Jeans of contemporary art? Let's see what Conway offers to the discussion? Mother Shape | June 2-30 Reception: June 2, 6-9PM Indivisible 2544 SE 26th Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 02, 2018 at 14:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.11.18 Weekend Picks The weather is finally fantastic and there are a lot of thesis shows from new grads. Here are some adventures to have:
Every year my favorite thesis show seems to be the OCAC BFA offering. This year they are calling it Coalesce and the MFA students are also showing in the same building but for some reason the BFA student offer more gems and better ideas even if sometimes less practiced in presentation. Some of the standouts this year were the woven tapestries of Luciano V. Abbarno, Cathie Carroll's multimedia paintings and Michaela Coffield's installation of child-like wonder. Many others showed a lot of promise but those three are ready to show. Coalesce | May 11 - 25 Opening Reception: May 11, 5 - 9PM Gallery hours of 11AM - 5PM daily 120 SE Clay St. 
Thirdspace is one of the most interesting alternative spaces in a scene that has seen a lot of pressure on such places. Their latest show is called [Home] and is photography based around the theme. I suspect the lack of details is an attempt to keep gentrifying developers from turning their space into a spa or luxury tanning facility. [Home] | May 11 - 13 Opening Night: May 11th 6:30 - 9:30PM Hours: Saturday, May 12th @ 6:30 - 9PM Sunday, May 13th @ 5:30 - 7:30PM Thirdspace 707 NE Broadway St Suite 205 Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 11, 2018 at 13:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.03.18 May Gallery Picks 2018 Spring is in full effect and the weather is sublime, time to emerge from your homes and catch important shows to ponder. Dont miss them.
 Bespoke Bodies at PNCA ends soon I'd argue that art is an appendage and so is design. All of which should remind us that the Bespoke Bodies: The Design and Craft of Prosthetics show at PNCA is entering its last week and if you have not seen it, you must. A wide ranging show that goes from physical artificial limbs to more digital enhancements this show covers a huge amount of ground, from simple replacement and mimesis of typical human limbs to to enhancements undreamed of in science fiction this is an important exhibition for anyone curious about humanity, where it has been and where it is going. Bespoke Bodies | February 15 - May 9th, 2018 First Thursday: May 3, 5:00-9:00PM PNCA 511 NW Broadway  Horatio Hung-Yan Law's DACA Lounge A Dream Sanctuary at Archer Gallery The current plight to DACA "Dreamers" in today's political climate is a very real destablization of the lives of those who know nothing but their lives in the United States of America and DACA Lounge a Dream Sanctuary by Horatio Hung-Yan Law is a multimedia exhibition in collaboration with students and dreamers about their lives. The exhibition has been up for a while but was just completed today as part of Law's residency in collaboration with dreamers in the community. See it, it is one of the best multimedia exhibitions the area has seen recently. DACA Lounge A Dream Sanctuary | April 10- May 5th Archer Gallery Clark College 1933 Fort Vancouver Way Vancouver Washington  Prosoography (2018) Matthew Dennison Ive been keeping on Matthew Dennison for years but lately his odd figurative works of oblivious humans and wise animals have taken on a new poignancy and I am excited to see his latest show, Democracy. It is an ambitious title, fraught with all the hopes and fears of the moment... I suspect it may live up to the billing as each painting is a reaction to the day's news. Democracy | May 1 - June 2 Froelick Gallery 714 NW Davis ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 03, 2018 at 12:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 03.17.18 Louise Bourgeois in Pendelton  Louise Bourgoise at Pendelton Center for the Arts One of the best shows to see in the Pacific Northwest at the moment is the surprise appearance of Louise Bourgeois' work in the small western town Pendelton, mostly known for its rodeo and woolens. The Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation continues to do good things by making important work available to audiences and places that wouldnt otherwise have access to it. I also found the Pendelton Center for the Arts with its excellent architecture, being a former Carnegie Library to be more than just another white box gallery space... it brings out an almost baroque aspect to Bourgeois' surreal imagery. Bourgeois is incredibly topical right now with her focus on the the psychological positioning of women and judging from the very well attended opening last night its going down well in cowboy country where the crowd was more varied than anything I've ever seen considering the ages, backgrounds and ethnicities present. Pendelton itself has a long tradition with women breaking ground through its rodeo so I cant help but think the combo would have pleased her. In particular the Crochet series of prints with their focus on knotwork, texture and routine... often evoking ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 17, 2018 at 12:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.01.18 First Thursday Picks March 2018  Ma'at Mons (installation view at PDX Contemporary) After the 2016 presidential election the constant stream of intolerance and hate has made it difficult for many artists to produce work (and have been collecting pitchforks and torches instead). Still, the mark of a true artist is they need not a vocational requirement to make art, its simply what they do. Storm Tharp is one of those artists and he has been busy. This work, provides the viewer room to breathe as well as vent... a series of large scale prints, it is very different from anything we have seen from him before, though the lumpy forms do evoke his sculpture... recalling the work of Morris Louis and Ellsworth Kelly it is surprisingly Apollonian. Ma'at Mons | February 28 - March 31 First Thursday Reception: March 1, 6-8PM PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders 
Sadly it is the last show for Una gallery at the Everett Station lofts but they have provided a needed haven to see emerging POC and queer work. This last show Portland in Color is a fitting photo biography. "Since the summer of 2017, Celeste Noche Photography has been collecting the stories and experiences of creatives of color living in Portland, through the photographic blog series Portland in Color. The project is simple and honest in nature, yet yields vulnerable and empowering portraits of artists actively creating and organizing in a town deemed the whitest city in America." Portland in Color First Thursday: March 1 6-10P Una Gallery 328 NW Broadway #117 ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 01, 2018 at 14:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.19.18 Josh Smith at Northview Gallery  Joshua W. Smith at PCC's Northview Gallery I've always liked Joshua W. Smith's work as one of the best artists to graduate from OCAC he always seemed to walk the tightrope of design and art without getting hung up on the conventions of either one. He lives in LA now but his latest show, Every truth blocks another is a good time to catch up in one of the more interesting gallery spaces in Portland (if mid century brutalism is your thing, and it is definitely Josh's). Not certain if I buy the zero sum concept but that seems built in doesnt it? ... absolutely an appropriate subject at the moment. Every truth blocks another | February 20 - March 25th Talk then reception: Tuesday Feb. 20, 2 - 5pm Northview Gallery (hours M-F 8am-4pm and Sat 11am - 4pm PCC Sylvania (Communications Technology Building) 12000 SW 49th Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 19, 2018 at 13:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.12.18 L&CC Faculty Exhibition 2018  Barely There (right), Jess Perlitz I like how Lewis and Clark College doesn't just do some faceless group annual faculty exhibition. Instead, it puts a dual show and this year it features professors, Joel W. Fisher's Abridged Proof and Jess Perlitz's Forever washing itself exhibitions. Both seem to traffic in the unreliability of information so it makes sense to pair them. Having seen the show it counts as one of the best things to see this winter in Portland... well worth the trip. Overall, I find this school's faculty intriguing because they always seem to consistently produce an interesting crop of students every year (along with OCAC), whereas it comes and goes with most of the others. Abridged Proof and Forever washing itself | January 18 - March 18, 2018 Artist's reception: 5-7PM, February 13, 2018 Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery Lewis & Clark 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 12, 2018 at 12:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 02.04.18 Hanakago at the Portland Japanese Garden 
For my money the real super bowl this weekend is the Hanakago (flower basket) exhibition at the Portland Japanese Garden. It features bamboo basket masterpieces from Portland collector Peter Shinbach's bamboo art collection, further brought to life with the ikebana art of Mrs. Etsuho Kakihana. Kakihana is a master teacher of ikebana of the Saga Goryu School at Daikakuji, Kyoto. It is one of the oldest and most revered Buddhist Temples in Japan. I think it is important to remember there are things to be gained from 2 different things working together... if only the world could follow this modus operandi more, eh? The exhibition encourages a closer look in an age lacking much of that. For a long time the Garden has arguably and consistently put on the strongest craft exhibitions in Portland (if not the West Coast) but what I love is how each exhibition are treated as living, iterative and evolving practices... like Jazz. Instead of some simple collector's vanity show the Garden's efforts are charged and expanded through the inclusion of flower art in the baskets. I am not a football fan, and in contemporary art (and this is contemporary) this use of vessel and object has been of prime interest to so many artists like Eva Hesse, Anish Kapoor, Lee Ufan, Damien Hirst, Rachel Harrison and Michael Heizer. Locally MK Guth, Midori Hirose, Ellen George, Laura Fritz and so many others also focus on the display support as part of the object... an interrelated charge that goes beyond surface and support. It is often a delicate visual ecosystem that can be traced to Asian traditions that Brancusi then brought to modern art museums and furthered by Noguchi. hat I like is the way life animates art, it tells us that art history is still made in the present, besides what could be better than spend the super bowl in quiet contemplation? Hanakago | February 3 - April 1, 2018 Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 04, 2018 at 9:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.01.18 First Thursday February 2018 Picks 
Robert Frank (installation view) at Bluesky He's ultra influential and considered by many to be one of the fathers of street photography but Robert Frank's work is rarely seen because of the fragility and value of the work. To remedy this situation Frank and Gerhard Steidl conceived of a traveling exhibition of photos, books, and films. Rather than as ultra precious objects Frank's images are printed on sheets of newsprint and hung on the walls or from the ceiling. This is one not to be missed. Robert Frank Books and Films 1947 - 2018 | January 4 - February 25 First Thursday Reception: January 4, 6-8PM Blue Sky 122 NW 8th  Portland's Winter Light Festival at PNCA Portland's Winter Lights Festival seems to get a little more serious every year. Some of it can be just eye candy spectacle for burners but some of the venues like PNCA are focused on the art... not just arty aspects of light. Portland is an installation art town though none of our festivals and institutions seems to make a point of featuring it... could the Light Festival be that venue some day? 24 different installations by artists are spread throughout the PNCA grounds. Winter Lights Festival at PNCA | February 1-3 (6-9PM), 2018 First Thursday: February 1, 6:00-9:00PM PNCA 511 NW Broadway ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 01, 2018 at 13:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 01.27.18 Last Chance: Wyeth family reunion at PAM  Andrew Wyeth, On The Edge (2001) This weekend is your last chance to catch The Wyeths: Three Generations at the Portland Art Museum, which feels more like a family gathering than a museum survey of the Wyeths. Frankly, that is exactly what this is, a family reunion ...and it is very good thing. Whether you love Andrew Wyeth's bone ghostly landscapes or his masterful wisps of existential hair in hardscrabble Americana or not this exhibition extols a waspy New England generational presence, like a Thanksgiving Day rendezvous with all the familial dramas, humor and warmth simmering underneath. That said, I am an unrepentant Andrew Wyeth fan despite the work never really being couth in Greenbergian... then Artforum circles (a sign he was on to something) and I also grew up appreciating N.C Wyeth's illustrations. All of which contributed to a more fluid appreciation of visual culture that doesnt put artificial barriers up between graphic art and Art. As a family, the Wyeths cover the whole spectrum... but Andrew Wyeth is the great one and the reason there is a traveling exhibition of his family's work. There's a vitality in this filial arrangement. Patriarch N.C. Wyeth has a fantastical bent, Andrew's world is haunted and Jamie brings humor and nature's animus. True, this a lot of waspishness here in a time when all white male Newenglanders are reviled as a kind of LLBean clad Brahman class in the US socio-political landscape but I am a firm believer that no one be they Mexican, Jew, Irish, Italian, Nordic or Hmong should have to apologize for what they are and what their culture brings to the table. There are some truly marvelous works, especially the large Andrew Wyeths that are not behind glass, several N.C. Wyeth oil paintings that became book illustrations and a witty conclusion with Jamie Wyeth, whose painting of empty adirondack chairs sums it all up. Family, it is a thing... The Wyeths: Three Generations | October 7 - January 28, 2018 Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 27, 2018 at 9:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.04.18 First Thursday January 2018 Picks 
Robert Frank, Santa Fe - New Mexico, from the book The Americans He's ultra influential and considered by many to be one of the father's of street photography but Robert Frank's work is rarely seen. To remedy this situation Frank and Gerhard Steidl concieved of a travelling exhibition of photos, books, and films. Rather than as ultra precious objects Frank's images are printed on sheets of newsprint and hung on the walls or from the ceiling. This is one not to be missed. Robert Books and Films 1947 - 2018 | January 4 - February 25 First Thursday Reception: January 4, 6-8PM Blue Sky 122 NW 8th ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 04, 2018 at 14:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.22.17 NTVTY VIII 
It is an annual tradition but XChurch's experimental NTVTY, a pan-media-dimensional holiday happening will have it's 8th and last iteration at this tiny church this weekend. Be there to know how Portland does its artiest of holiday events. Three nights only. NTVTY VIII | December 23-25 @ 7:00PM XHURCH 4550 NE 20th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 22, 2017 at 16:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.14.17 Opening a third way  Forecasting Cascadia: metabolic architecture and climate change by Abigail Emiko Inoue Cox It has been a brutal couple of years for Portland's alternative art spaces (with bright spots like Una, Grapefruits, C:3 and Indivisible) but we continue to add exciting new venues here and there. Thirdspace is the latest, featuring the work of Abigail Emiko Inoue Cox. Her installation Forecasting Cascadia: metabolic architecture and climate change comes right after yesterday's 4.0 earthquake so it has remarkable timing. She is interested in the intersection of ecology and design (a favorite subject of mine) and her use of carbonized wood forms recalls the forest fires and building boom of 2017 as well. Afterwards there will be a community discussion about opportunities for the space in the coming year. Let's hope the find a third way in these too binary times, Launch | December 14 - January 20, 2018 Opening: December 14 | 6 - 7:30PM -ish Introduction to the space with dir. Kalaija Mallery: 7:30PM Roundtable discussion: 8:00-ish Thirdspace 707 NE Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 14, 2017 at 14:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.07.17 First Thursday Picks December 2017 
Lorna Simpson, Wigs (Portfolio) 1994 From the collection of Jordan Schnitzer Blue Sky is concluding the Embodied: Asserting Self exhibition series with an exhibition of Lorna Simpson's Wigs. Focusing on the human obsession with hair as well as ties to self, family and society this is one of her best bodies of work and extremely topical today. Lorna Simpson | December 6 - 31 First Thursday Reception: December 7, 6-8PM Blue Sky 122 NW 8th  Focusing on the way female voices and contributions are constantly mitigated Caitlyn Clester has curated works by; Eden Gately, Kailyn Hooley, Emily Schwartz, Kalaija Mallery,Caitlyn Clester, Jaleesa Johnston, Kimmy Munoz, Anita Spaeth, Helen Hunter and BloC. I like the title of the show and it is certainly a topical subject. Conceiling the Ambient Obscuring the Encompassing | December 7 - 15 First Thursday: December 7, 6:30-9:00PM PNCA (in the commons) 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 07, 2017 at 13:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 11.25.17 Thanksgiving weekend picks Ok, many have cabin fever with the family and or loved ones and have already had their fill of holiday shopping (I detest it). The clear antidotes are some art exhibitions that allow one to stroll and contemplate while getting far awy from the house or stores. Here are my picks:
Andrew Wyeth, On The Edge (2001) The Wyeths: Three Generations at the Portland Art Museum feels more like a family gathering than a museum survey of the Wyeths... because that is exactly what it is. It is a good thing. Whether you love Andrew Wyeth's bone ghostly landscapes or his masterful wisps of existential hair in hardscrabble Americana or not this exhibition extols a waspy New England generational presence, like a Thanksgiving Day rendezvous with all the familial dramas, humor and warmth simmering underneath. That said, I am an unrepentant Andrew Wyeth fan despite the work never really being couth in Greenbergian... then Artforum circles (a sign he was on to something) and I also grew up appreciating N.C Wyeth's illustrations. All of which contributed to a more fluid appreciation of visual culture that doesnt put artificial barriers up between graphic art and Art. As a family, the Wyeths cover the whole spectrum... but Andrew Wyeth is the great one and the reason there is a traveling exhibition of his family's work. There's a vitality in this filial arrangement. Patriarch N.C. Wyeth has a fantastical bent, Andrew's world is haunted and Jamie brings humor and nature's animus. True, this a lot of waspishness here in a time when all white male Newenglanders are reviled as a kind of LLBean clad Brahman class in the US socio-political landscape but I am a firm believer that no one be they Mexican, Jew, Irish, Italian, Nordic or Hmong should have to apologize for what they are and what their culture brings to the table. There are some truly marvelous works, especially the large Andrew Wyeths that are not behind glass, several N.C. Wyeth oil paintings that became book illustrations and a witty conclusion with Jamie Wyeth, whose painting of empty adirondak chairs sums it all up. The Wyeths: Three Generations | October 7 - January 28, 2018 Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave  Bill Will, House of Mirrors It is a great time to reflect on the state of the USA at the moment. To that end perhaps no Portland artist illustrates the risks that have always been present than Bill Will. Will is one of Portland's biggest trickster satirist installation artists and in times like these what could be more appropriate than a lil art sideeye? Funhouse at the Hoffman Gallery is just what we need, a reminder of just how wrong we have always been as a nation. The entire menagerie of installations themselves form a funhouse with a specific route of whirling twirling theatricality that the viewer completes as a participant... predictably ending in a gift shop. Funhouse | September 10 - December 10 Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road  photo: Yamazaki Kenji What could be a better antidote to holiday shopping and being cooped up with relatives for days? ... a quick trip to Japan, sure. Well, the Portland Japanese Garden is one of our premier cultural gems and the latest exhibition Mirrors of the Mind: The Noh Masks of Ohtsuki Kokun is perhaps the ultimate exploration of sophisticated mask creation. Noh masks are incredibly subtle as they are meant to be animated by the slightest turn transforming mild into sly and the demonic into loyal or honorable in the hands of a capable actor. This gives Noh masks an otherworldly aspect that draws viewers into a kind of phantasmagorical understanding/experience of why and how faces convey complex meaning through manipulation of light and posture. Master mask maker Ohtsuki Kokun elevates what in the USA has been thought of as merely an entertaining past time into something more sublime and hard to pin down. Certainly these mask reflects on a place of shadow where humanity dwells and communicates... masks can reveal the ghost in the machine. On top of that the Garden in Fall is simply outstanding. Mirrors of the Mind: The Noh Masks of Ohtsuki Kokun | October 14 - December 3rd Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 25, 2017 at 10:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.02.17 First Thursday Picks November 2017 
Adam Sorensen's Places at PDX Contemporary I've followed, championed and worked with Adam Sorensen .. going way back and Places is easily his strongest exhibition to date. I think it is the sublime aspect that isnt just filled with wonder but a certain terror of impossible discovery and landscape that lets us locate our own fantastical expections for nature that works here. It is also his most zen-like un-fussy but precise paint handling that works here. In these somewhat terrible times Sorensen shows us a fantasy that is at once both appealing and synthetically off. It provides a fantastical recalibration and spa-like perceptual respite at the same time. Places | November 1 - December 2 First Thursday Reception: November 2, 6-8PM PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders 
Rockstar Wayne Coyne is also a visual artist and his immersive multimedia installation King's Mouth is making a stop at PNCA's 511 Gallery. Is psychedlia enough? Probably... since the spectacular happenings at The Flaming Lips shows are in many ways their signature it would be interesting to explore the aesthetic in a gallery. King's Mouth | November 2 - January 6, 2018 First Thursday: November 2, 6:00-8:00PM PNCA 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 02, 2017 at 15:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.26.17 All Hallows Picks True, every day in Portland is Halloween... so I dont particularly celebrate it other than as an excuse to explore that which humanity has a tenuous understanding of. Still, artists are the masters of the kind of exploration... here are my picks of the best things to see during this holiday.
photo: Yamazaki Kenji The Portland Japanese Garden is one of our premier cultural gems and the latest exhibition Mirrors of the Mind: The Noh Masks of Ohtsuki Kokun is perhaps the ultimate exploration of sophisticated mask creation. Noh masks are incredibly subtle as they are meant to be animated by the slightest turn transforming mild into sly and the demonic into loyal or honorable in the hands of a capable actor. This gives Noh masks an otherworldly aspect that draws viewers into a kind of phantasmagorical understanding/experience of why and how faces convey complex meaning through manipulation of light and posture. Master mask maker Ohtsuki Kokun elevates what in the USA has been thought of as merely an entertaining past time into something more sublime and hard to pin down. Certainly these mask reflects on a place of shadow where humanity dwells and communicates... masks can reveal the ghost in the machine. On top of that the Garden in Fall is simply outstanding. Mirrors of the Mind: The Noh Masks of Ohtsuki Kokun | October 14 - December 3rd Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Ave Bill Will, House of Mirrors What could be more frightening than the state of the USA at the moment? (Ok there are worse moments in human history so lets hope things arent heading there). To that end perhaps no Portland artist illustrates the risks that have always been present than Bill Will. Will is one of Portland's biggest trickster satirist installation artists and in times like these what could be more appropriate than a lil art sideeye? Funhouse at the Hoffman Gallery is just what we need, a reminder of just how wrong we have always been as a nation. The entire menagerie of installations themselves form a funhouse with a specific route of whirling twirling theatricality that the viewer completes as a participant... predictably ending in a gift shop. Funhouse | September 10 - December 10 Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 26, 2017 at 18:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 10.07.17 Weekend Picks: domestic edition Andrew Wyeth, On The Edge (2001) The Wyeths: Three Generations at the Portland Art Museum feels more like a family gathering than a museum survey... because that is exactly what it is. It is a good thing. Whether you love Andrew Wyeth's bone ghostly landscapes or his masterful wisps of existential hair in hardscrabble Americana or not this exhibition extols a waspy New England generational presence, like a Thanksgiving Day rendezvous with all the familial dramas, humor and warmth simmering underneath. That said, I am an unrepentant Andrew Wyeth fan despite the work never really being couth in Greenbergian... then Artforum circles (a sign he was on to something) and I also grew up appreciating N.C Wyeth's illustrations. All of which contributed to a more fluid appreciation of visual culture that doesnt put artificial barriers up between graphic art and Art. As a family, the Wyeths cover the whole spectrum... but Andrew Wyeth is the great one and the reason there is a traveling exhibion of his family's work. There's a vitality in this filial arrangement. Patriarch N.C. Wyeth has a fantastical bent, Andrew's world is haunted and Jamie brings humor and nature's animus. True, this a lot of waspishness here in a time when all white male Newenglanders are reviled as a kind of LLBean clad Brahman class in the US socio-political landscape but I am a firm believer that no one be they Mexican, Jew, Irish, Italian, Nordic or Hmong should have to apologize for what they are and what their culture brings to the table. There are some truly marvelous works, especially the large Andrew Wyeths that are not behind glass, several N.C. Wyeth oil paintings that became book illustrations and a witty conclusion with Jamie Wyeyth, whose painting of empty adirondak chairs sums it all up. Make certain to stream Victoria Wyeth's sold out talk on Sunday on PAM's Facebook page (It wont be archived so you have to watch it real time)... Victoria is a hoot and really brings the family history into perspective. The Wyeths: Three Generations | October 7 - January 28, 2018 Granddaughter talk: October 8th 2PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave 
The latest show at Indivsisble, Coded Albumen, features artists Bukola Koiki and Angelica María Millan Lozano. The work explores the way immigrant women have always been crucial instigators of political action though code. Just to restate the obvious I love how Indivisble brings art into a domestic space and in many ways this is what contemporary art at the institutional level has lacked... a sense of extraordinary connection to everyday life... hopefully this latest show at Indivisble distills this important thread... Coded Albumen | October 7-28 Reception: October 7, 6-9PM October 14, 21, 28, noon to 5PM, and by appointment. Indivisible 2544 SE 26th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 07, 2017 at 9:35 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 10.05.17 First Thursday October 2017 Picks  Calvin Ross Carl is one of those bright spot artists in Portland who effortlessly combines design and art into the restless tensions of the age. His latest works at Russo Lee Gallery titled, "I am here till I am not," are perhaps his most realized to date, combining the exciting patter work of years ago with the hipster sloganeering of his recent series. It seems to have deepened, becoming both abstract and poetic, not just merely cool and positioned. He's maturing into something special, not just the latest pop-spoit-splainer. I am here till I am not | October 5 - 28th Russo Lee Gallery 805 NW 21st 
The final exhibition for Compliance Division is Maximiliano's drwned cities. Maximiliano is one of my favorite new Portland artists and always has an incisive take on gender, fashion and identity. Too bad it is Compliance Division's last show but it is best to go out strong and Everett Station Loft Galleries are always turning over. 2-5 years is all that can be expected of them and Compliance Division has been memorable. drwned cities | October 5th 6-9PM Compliance Division NW 6th between Everett and Flanders, #101 ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 05, 2017 at 13:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 09.30.17 Weekend Picks 
The Boathouse Microcinema is one of the brightest spots in the Portland scene and their latest, "PDX Cinematic Psychogeography," features Portland artists who use the filmmaking process to explore and better understand the world around them. "There will also be films by visiting artist Deborah Stratman, whose own experimental landscape films have screened at venues ranging from the Sundance Film Festival to the Whitney Biennial. Artists include Dustin Morrow, Jodi Darby, Eric Fox, Julie Perini,Pam Minty,Ross Reaume, and Deborah Stratman. Program curated by Matt McCormick, Adam Simmons will be on the video wall." PDX Cinematic Psychogeography September 30 | doors at 7:30 - show at 8:00 $8 - seating is limited Boathouse Microcinema 822 North River Street 
Jovencio de la Paz (detail) We all still wonder what will become of the Art Gym since newish director Blake Shell left to head Disjecta (her curating seemed hemmed in at the school) but at least her last show Breaking Symmetry shows a return to what we loved about her stint at the Archer Gallery. Breaking Symmetry focuses on contemporary fiber artists including: Emily Counts, Jovencio de la Paz, Jo Hamilton, Anya Kivarkis, Brenda Mallory, Kristen Miller, Emily Nachison and Jane Schiffhauer. It's the sort of obvious show idea nobody has had the curatorial temerity to do yet so its important and we all wonder what is to become of the Art Gym... it seems like all University Gallery programs have cone under a lot of institutional pressure and its a shame. Open-ended arts exhibition programs enrich campus life in important ways at any university campus, especially ones far removed from the city core. Marylhurst used to be an art powerhouse but even under founding director Terry Hopkins it had been waning... without a strong, fresh and adventurous eye at the helm the situation is concerning. At least we can enjoy this show. Symmetry Breaking | October 3 - December 10 Opening Reception: October 1, 4-6PM Art Gym 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy. 43) Marylhurst University Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 30, 2017 at 9:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 09.09.17 Bill Will at Lewis and Clark College Bill Will, House of Mirrors Bill Will is one of Portland's biggest trickster satirist installation artists and in times like these what could be more appropriate than a lil art sideeye? Funhouse at the Hoffman Gallery is just what we need, a reminder of just how wrong we have always been as a nation. The entire menagerie of installations themselves form a funhouse with a specific route of whirling twirling theatricality that the viewer completes as a participant... predictably ending in a gift shop. Leave it to Lewis and Clark College to bring another strong season opener by trusting an artist to push the envelope. Funhouse | September 10 - December 10 Opening Reception September 10, 3-5PM Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 09, 2017 at 11:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.07.17 First Thursday Picks September 2017  Installation view of Crepuscular Blue Alison Saar is considered one of the most important and sometimes controversial artists doing public art today so it is timely to have her work back in Portland. PORT interviewed her here 7 years ago in a discussion that explored race, identity and the artist's way. What her current show at PNCA's 511 gallery reveals is she is also a formidable print maker, giving us another facet to consider in addition to the sculpture, which are also on display. Upon visiting the show I was struck by just how successful her prints are, often using inventive non traditional support materials, coupled with a keen graphic sensibility. All of the works come to the 511 Gallery via the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation as part of their ongoing series at PNCA. It is one of the year's best shows and with everything else going on at PNCA the school (usually 2-4 other professional and student shows) is typically a best bet for 1st Thursday goers. CREPUSCULAR BLUE: PRINTS AND SCULPTURE BY ALISON SAAR | September 7 - October 14, 2017 First Thursday: September 7, 6:00-8:00PM Artist Talk: September 18, 6:30PM PNCA 511 NW Broadway  Marie Watt, Companion Species (Canopy), 2016
Marie Watt has been on of the Pacific Northwest's stalwart artists for decades but this new series combining the depictions of a dogs (like the Capitoline Wolf) on various fabrics as well as sculptures argues to be her strongest work to date. I like to see an artist actually hit a new stride after getting a lot of awards and museum attention... it is a mark of distinction. Companion Species | August 31 - September 30 First Thursday Reception: September 7, 6-8PM PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 07, 2017 at 13:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.22.17 Kate Simmons at Alexander Gallery  Kate Simmons' Slow Cooked at Alexander Gallery First off, the Alexander Gallery in Oregon City is an under appreciated and under exposed gem in the region with its high ceilings and overall nice layout. If you want to do a large scale work it is one of the best spaces in the State of Oregon. Making use of those features, Kate Simmons' exhibition Slow Cooked: An Interior Monologue, explores "the cyclical nature of domestic tasks and are infused with a healthy dose of self-talk. In this work the artist explores and juxtaposes ideas of balance inspired by being a career oriented female and homemaker. This exhibition spans a three year period of making and features works of many media including, large scale photographic installation, bronze and mixed media sculpture." My own Mother was once a Home Ec teacher so I have a personal interest in this subject. On the world stage there has been a great deal of refocusing on female artists but I've found the talking points surrounding Art are still dominated by the very 19th century male-centric value structures and axioms. I think we simply need to apply a different set of values/virtues to apply to all artwork rather than modes that have existed since before the beginning of the industrial revolution (a discussion of space alone would be refreshing rather than objects as investments). Simmons is doing her part and you can hear her KBOO interview here and she's speaking tomorrow at 1:00. Slow Cooked: An Interior Monologue | August 7 - September 1 Artist Talk: August 23rd, 1PM rm N140 (Niemeyer Center) Alexander Gallery Clackamas Community College 19600 Molalla Ave. Oregon City Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 22, 2017 at 10:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 08.19.17 Understanding the Sublime, Free day at PAM  Jennifer Steinkamp's Orbit at PAM (photo Jeff Jahn) One day before the total eclipse the Portland Art Museum is having one of their essential Miller Free Days. Since PAM is the biggest repository on the study of the sublime in Oregon and an eclipse is the epitome of the sublime by Burke's influential definition something fraught but ultimately not dangerous if viewed in a safe way) looking at art will enrich the eclipse experience and vice versa. A great deal of art works with the sublime, from Picasso's Guernica to Damien Hirst's sharks or even Anish Kapoor's bean. The sublime can be political, abstract... even photographic. To that end there are several worthy examples on display at PAM. For example, Jennifer Steinkamp's Orbit is an immersive mandelbrot net of both natural seeming imagery conveyed through patently unnatural means, making it fraught with definitions. There's also an tasty little Clifford Gleeson painting show on the 3rd floor of the Northwest wing and Several works in Sam Hamilton's Standard Candles, particularly one video installation where the artist walls upon books into the landscape. Last but not least is the Greenberg collection itself... most of which traffics in the sublime and is extremely relevant (museums often neglect their strengths, its one of their main paradoxes). Of course, it is unfortunate there isnt a major Rothko on display as his work is some of the most sublime in history... we are all hoping that PAM gets the Rothko Pavilion idea sorted out so the can connect those dots better. Great Rothkos rival solar eclipses. Miller Free Day August 20, 2017 | 10AM - 5PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 19, 2017 at 16:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.10.17 Art & Ecology at Indivisble  Detail from Buster Simpson's "Captiva Raft Revisited 2017" from Rising Water Confab, a collaborative residency at the Robert Rauschenberg studio on Captiva Island, Fl. Portland isnt that strong in its formal institutions but as was pointed out by Peter Plagens years ago its alternative space is very interesting... perhaps that is why Converge 45 feels like it doesn't quite present Portland's A game. Perhaps the most interesting alternative space in Portland is Indivisible (in a residential house deep in Portlands Southeast neighborgoods) so it is great that they are having a special open house this evening (Thursday, August 10th, 6-9 pm) for the Art & Ecology show. Curated by Linda Wysong it features works by Peg Butler, Bruce Conkle, Egg Dahl, Ardis DeFreece, Adam Kuby, Vanessa Renwick, Buster Simpson, Linda Wysong. Art and Ecology | August 6-26 Special reception: August 10, 6-9PM Additional viewing Saturdays, August 12th, 19th, and 26th noon to 5PM Indivisible 2544 SE 26th Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 10, 2017 at 12:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.17.17 North Coast Seed Building Open House 
The North Coast Seed Building is one of Portland's great artist work spaces (many have disappeared or have been threatened). Today it hosts its annual open house. The building is made up of three separate warehouses constructed over thirty years, beginning in 1911. Originally zoned only for industrial use, artists working in the space in the early 1990s were nearly evicted by the fire marshal. Years ago, due to the intervention of a sympathetic member of the City of Portland's Bureau of Buildings, an artist's work was reinterpreted as a manufacturing process, and the North Coast Seed Building became an officially sanctioned artist space. This is one of the best annual events in Portland and we need more of these spaces since several have been redeveloped, robbing the city of its important artist workspaces and overall ethos. Many top Portland artists have studios here. Open House | 2-10PM | June 17 North Coast Seed Building Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 17, 2017 at 12:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 06.11.17 Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education reemerges  Grisha Bruskin's Alefbet I cannot think of a better time for Oregon's Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education to reemerge on Portland's Park Blocks. Beset with hate crimes its astounding how humans seem to repeat their mistakes and the greatly expanded museum's exhibition of intolerance by all is just what we need to see right now (and always. International art star Grisha Bruskin's Alefbet (the Alphabet of Memory) comes to us from Russia and is a stunning and mysterious tapestry that everyone should see. The revamped museum is free and open to the public today. Grand Opening: June 11, 12-4PM (free) Alefbet | June 11- October 1, 2017 Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education 724 NW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 11, 2017 at 9:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.07.17 Women To The Front  Keep Me Safe, Tracey Emin What I like about collectors putting on their own shows is not every one of their open house efforts is worth recommending but Women to the Front at Lumber Room fits the bill. First of all as a single collector show of female artists it refreshingly isnt trying to be comprehensive history making exercise since important artists like Lee Bontecou, Agnes Martin, Anne Truitt, Eva Hesse and Helen Frankenthaler and are not present though crucial artists like Lynda Benglis, Kiki Smith and Tracey Emin (some would debate her being crucial but they forget she is the King of confessional art, male or female). Instead, knowns like Ana Sew Hoy and Eve Fowler (who is unveiling a site specific work) are rounded out with other Artists who happen to be women. This is Part II of an exhibition where some of the artists are moved or subbed in. In the past I was not impressed with the space's previous all ladies attempt Interior Margins, whose language and curatorial assumptions seemed to make a lot of younger female artists bristle (a schism that played a part in the last presidential primaries for Democrats) but I think these shows play a part of developing new language and contexts and checking out this less formal arrangement is interesting because it keeps the exhibition itself a kind of experimental gathering. Women To The Front Opening Reception: June 8 5-7PM Regular Hours: Fridays 12-5PM Lumber Room 419 NW 9th Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 07, 2017 at 12:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.03.17 Weekend Picks: In House Edition With Portland's intense real estate market perhaps the last refuges for Portland's vital alt-space scene are its excellent in-house galleries which turn residencies into art spaces. Does RACC support them enough? Emphatically, NO... but we should be valuing and supporting them. Here are two to check out this weekend. These are the sorts of places emerging art stars launch build national and international art careers... less so our University and commercial galleries, which often catch on to things late... way after an artist builds a career outside Portland. There is a disconnect between the dynamic experimental scene and institutions.
Indivisible continues to do interesting things with the home as gallery concept so their latest "Interchange: is of interest. Featuring Sharyll Burroughs, Jaleesa M Johnston, Mary Edwards, and Ju-Pong Lin it is a multimedia installations & performance group show. Interchange | June 4-24 Opening reception: June 3, 6-9PM Additional viewing June 10, 17, and 24th, noon to 5PM Indivisible 2544 SE 26th 
Clay Mahn Another great house gallery is Falsefront, which presents an intriguing show by Clay Mahn called Bad Habits. Though the press release gives no information except an obstruse poem (a bad habit?) I'll go by the Chicago based artist's previous work and still recommend it. Clay Mahn | June 4 - July 2 Opening Reception: June 4 12-5PM Falsefront 4518 NE 32nd Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 03, 2017 at 12:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.31.17 Mikalene tells it like it is 
Mickalene Thomas I've known Mickalene Thomas for a long time and interviewed the one-time Portlander years ago just as she was conquering New York. With all that has happened in Portland recently I think her free talk at the Portland art Museum Tomorrow will be a breath of fresh air. Mickalene Thomas June 1, 6-7PM (free) 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 31, 2017 at 12:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.26.17 Weekend Picks Suddenly the never ending soggy February has ended and Portland is awash in summer-like sunshine. Time to emerge from the caves to feel the heat at these cool shows:
 P.I.M.G.'s Liminal Passage, this weekend at Pioneer Square One of the best things to happen to the "under rent pressure" Portland art scene is the Housguest series of well-funded exhibitions in Pioneer Square. The latest comes from the Portland Immersive Media Group who specialize in Virtual Reality and otherwise altered reality situations. Titled You Are Here there is a full weekend long program starting this afternoon. It is all free and open to the public, with viewing accessibility Friday 6-10PM, Saturday 11AM-10PM, and Sunday 11AM-6PM at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Full details of program can be found here. "During the weekend, visitors to Pioneer Courthouse Square will be able to interact with Virtual Reality (VR) through multiple experiences. Audiences will be able to traverse the physical and digital world through "Liminal Passage," experience an idealized digital version of Pioneer Courthouse Square in VR, escape to anywhere in the world through Google Earth VR, and be transported by several experimental performances throughout the weekend. Join in throughout the weekend to hear from VR experts Kent Bye and Amber Case, and attend performances by Golden Retriever." You Are Here | May 26 - 28 Houseguest @ Pioneer Courthouse Square 701 SW 6th  Rainen Knecht at Never Not Here | PPROT-SE With new spaces like Grapefruit Juice and already established house spaces like Indivisble, Portland's alt-space scene is really the crown jewel of of an active art ecosystem. Time to check out OV Project space this weekend for Never Not Here | PPROT-SE Curated by Midori Hirose, Never Not Here | PPROT-SE looks like another anthroplogical art encampment within a house. There will be new works by Natalie Anne Howard, Shawn Creeden, Rainen Knecht and Dino Matt. There will also be performance with Mia Ferm and visiting artist Michael Reinsch as well as The Tenses. The statement is proustian, "Some of us live within the daily rituals of waking to an alarm, walking the dog, running late in traffic to the office, catching glimpses of celebrity gossip and cooking magazines at the grocery checkout counter or sitting on a park bench reading political twitter feeds on the phone. Switch off this light. What if these daily happenings were swept away? Stripping away day to day enjoyment or woes, Never Not Here | PPROT-SE are collected expressions of what could resonate. An analysis of the parameters we set for ourselves from a cataclysmic perspective." Never Not Here | PPROT-SE When: Saturday, May 27, 6-9PM OV Project Space 7604 SE Washington Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 26, 2017 at 12:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 05.20.17 Weekend Picks 
Clifford Still, PH-405 (1967), private collection @ Portland Art Museum My first pick is easy, the Portland Art Museum is participating in the National Museum Day today so it is free. There's lots of good stuff like the John Yeon show and Sam Hamilton in the Apex Series but its some of the special guests that are soo absolutely worth a visit. In particular this absolutely fantastic Clifford Still PH-405 from 1967 is an absolute stunner. The painting envelops the viewer like walking into a furnace and the heartwood of a tree at the same time. The surface also has the delicacy of scales on a butterfly's wings. It is sublime and since you have to go through that much dreaded tunnel to get to it the crowds likely wont follow you... The museum really does need to fix that floorplan problem with the Rothko pavilion (City Council members get it together, the Rothkos alone will be the crown jewel of Portland's cultural offerings so it needs to happen somehow). Portland Art Museum Museum Day (free): May 20 1219 SW Park  Another easy pair of picks are the annual PNCA MFA and BFA shows. It has been a crazy year and its always interesting to see how graduates contend. TBH, last year there was a lot of hyper-attenuated neoliberal drivel (some good stuff too)... but I bet this year's graduates will have more of an edge. At least I hope so because we need more radical thinking in this world. Frankly, the status quo for perhaps the last 17+ years has not been working and art should challenge the status quo, especially the art world's status quo (please no more grotty pottery on raw plywood plinths and emptied trashcan contents in piles that are glued together, it is done). PNCA MFA & BFA thesis shows | May 21 - June 16 Opening receptions: May 21, 6-9PM MFA @ Falcon Building 321 NW Glisan St, 6th floor BFA @ PNCA 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 20, 2017 at 10:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.12.17 May Thesis Show Picks  OCAC's 2017 BFA show It is that time again, new graduates have their thesis shows and there are often group show aggregations of various school's programs. My consistent favorite of these always seems to be OCAC's BFA graduating class show. I am not sure why this is but every year the BFA grads from Oregon College of Art and Craft just seem to be consistently both more probingly self-aware and actualized than other schools. That said you never want to peak at your thesis show. Perhaps it is because OCAC BFA students are not afraid to show their best (because there is always more when you have technique) or they simply have great teachers. Either way it shows, check it out. I certainly will. *Update: Highlights include Emile Kelly, Paul Cooley, Katrina Kauffman and Williejane Dent. Fulcrum | May 12-21 Opening Reception: May 12 5-9PM 321 NE Davis 
My other pick is another consistent performer, the joint PNCA+OCAC Applied Craft and Design MFA program. This year, brilliantly titled, "Otherwise Chaos," it seems apt. *Update, there were standouts from: Marisa Garcia, Aaron De Lanty and Diane de Ribaupierre. Otherwise Chaos | May 12-26 Opening Reception: May 12, 6-9PM 421 NE 10th Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 12, 2017 at 12:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.12.17 Paul Clay at Archer  Paul Clay's Push/Pull at the Archer Gallery Archer curator Senseney Stokes is doing great things up in Vancouver Washington. Her Mary Henry micro-spective was perhaps the best solo exhibition of 2016 and now she's tapped Paul Clay for Push/Pull. He is one of the most interesting new media artists in Portland. PORT reviewed Clay's daring Portland Building show in 2014 and I've been waiting for Portland's institutions (frankly slow to support local new media despite being awash in riches) to feature him and others. Interested in the evolution of humanity and technology as well as conscience transference (more common than you'd think), Clay's Push Pull at the Archer has my full attention. He's been one to watch for years. Here's your chance. For the performance April 13 at 7:00 remember to bring a wifi-enabled smart device + earbuds or headphones. Push/Pull | April 11- May 6 Opening Reception and Performance: 6-8PM, April 13 (7:00 performance) Artist Talk: April 19 Archer Gallery Clark College 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 12, 2017 at 12:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.06.17 First Thursday Picks April 2017  Tabitha Nickolai, Vorpal Cuck-Knives (2017) Costumes, Reverence and Forms features eight artists from two river cities (Portland and Philadelphia) together in both cities. There has been a year's worth of curatorial exchanges involving two institutions and six curators fostering new connections. The exhibition itself is more of a sampler than a survey. Costumes, Reverence, and Forms features artists; Avantika Bawa, Tabitha Nikolai, Jess Perlitz, and Ralph Pugay (all from Portland) as well as Marianne Dages, Beth Heinly, Anna Neighbor and Kristen Neville Taylor (from Philadelphia). For quite some time costume and guise have been an important way to subvert cultural norms and to impose new ones so this exhibition should be of great interest to anyone who has been paying attention Costumes, Reverence and Forms | April 6 - June 3, 2017 First Thursday: April 6, 6:00-8:00PM PNCA 511 NW Broadway 
Brother sister team Merridawn and Georgie Duckler present Roboyat: Omar Khayyam's "Rubaiyat" Reimagined. Promising cacophony and the "anti-topical" this looks like a must. The artists state, "We are interested in ideas of translation, the ephemeral and daily image, what lasts and doesn't, the lineages that keep poetry and visual art alive, in science and in language as a visual medium." Roboyat: Omar Khayyam's "Rubaiyat" Reimagined | April 4- 29 Opening reception: April 6, 6-9PM Lecture: April 9, 7PM Blackfish Gallery 420 NW 9th ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 06, 2017 at 9:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.24.17 Not NCECA picks Nothing against the NCECA conference (I've collected ceramics myself since college) but like many arts people I crave variety. That said I am looking for a new coffee mug, which shouldn't be impossible in Mudtopia Portland. Take all that into account and here are my weekend picks:
 Sam Hamilton, Apple Pie (Still) For her inaugural exhibition at PAM as its newest curator of Northwest Art Grace Kook-Anderson has chosen Sam Hamilton, an artist who has recently made his home in Portland, originally hailing from New Zealand. Titled Standard Candles... the films mark the artists first show in Portland. It is also incredibly significant as Portland really has done a poor job institutionally of paying attention to newcomers... the very people who have redefined this now extremely vibrant and internationally active art city. What's more you will see there is a long run for the exhibition. I think this is a good thing as the APEX series and CNAA's have languished somewhat by not having very clear differentiation programmatically. Hamilton, refreshingly considers himself non disciplinary and shows internationally... another problem the museum has had is with being far too traditional in terms of disciplines and regional identification as belonging to certain institutions or cliques when the vibrancy comes from excellent artsist who just came here to work and show abroad. Basically, artists just dont work/think in proscribed ways (institutions do, often for for grant writing/funding purposes... understandable but it is 2017). Standard Candles | March 25 -August 12, 2017 Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park  Taj Bourgeois In true Portland fashion this is a closing party For Taj Bourgeois' hardflip on a sad dog exhibition and a community meetup. It features short films by Bourgeois as well as a community canvas (bring your art supplies or just yourself). The artist also wants you to, "feel free to bring your zines, patches, prints, whatever to share with others and for trades." Taj is one of the most interesting short form video artists in Portland and the Everett Station Lofts has long been a den for interesting developing artists so check it out. Closing Party: hardflip on a sad dog | Taj Bourgeois March 24, 6-10PM Funeral Diner 625 NW Everett #103 Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 24, 2017 at 13:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.17.17 Art & Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon 
It is a strange fact but Wikipedia editors tend to be men and the site tends to under represent women. For example, it is very true of this wiki on Portland art ecology, despite the fact that a majority of curators, gallerists and critics in Portland are women. To combat this PICA is hosting another of these edit-a-thons and they ask that you RSVP. Also, considering that a majority of the artists, curators, gallerists and critics in Portland are women I also find it odd that men tend to get gallery representation and awards more than the lades do. BTW Last year, every review PORT published was of a female artist and if you ask me who the 10 strongest artists in Portland are 7 of them will be ladies. Art & Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon | March 18, 10AM RSVP PICA (west side) 415 SW 10th Ave, Suite 300 Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 17, 2017 at 13:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.24.17 Weekend Picks 
2016 was a difficult year institutionally for the Portland art scene but it seems like a new guard is rising... one which acknowledges the importance of new media as craft oriented and worthy of resources, awards etc. To that end perhaps no development is as noteworthy as the restructuring of Portland Community Media into Open Signal as a resource for artists, filmmakers and other new media developers. With equipment, fully stocked studios and a simple process for being able to use that gear Open Signal is just what the rapidly less affordable Portland needs to keep its creative edge. They've partially renovated the building (its a multi-staged process) to better serve this more open mission so come to their first Open House this weekend. Whats more they join PICA in an area on the East Side as part of a growing new arts district in close-in Northern East-side Portland between MLK and Williams Ave. Come tour the facility and meet the excellent staff. There will be free food and drink, courtesy of Sizzle Pie, Lagunitas, Ninkasi Brewing Company and Two Towns Ciderhouse. Open House | February 25 4-10PM Open Signal 2766 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd  Tad Savinar , Survival (2006) *note that's a pre-Portlandia bird on it There have been numerous talks on the subject but the latest, Responsibility and Relevance: The Role of the Artist in an Ever-Changing Contemporary World should be worth a trip up into the West Hills (and you can catch Tad Savinar's exhibition at the Hoffman too). Somewhat more academic and multi- disciplinary than some of the panels on the subject "Responsibility and Relevance" features panelists; Samiya Bashir (poet and assistant professor of creative writing, Reed College), Eleonora Beck, James W. Rogers (Professor of Music and director of musicology, Lewis & Clark College), Jon Raymond (novelist and screenwriter), Tad Savinar (visual artist, urban planner, playwright, and director), Luan Schooler (director of new play development and dramaturgy, Artists Repertory Theatre)and the Moderator is Randy Gragg. True it would have been interesting to add in a younger rabble rousing artist like Tabitha Nikolai, Victor Maldonado or Ryan Pierce into this mix but I am all for exploring this subject as many times and ways as possible. It isn't a one and done situation. Responsibility and Relevance: The Role of the Artist in an Ever-Changing Contemporary World | February 26, 3PM, Miller 105 Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 24, 2017 at 14:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.15.17 Alt-Perfect? 
ALTcade is doing great things and tonight you can play more than 20 unconventional video games created by artists and game designers at Open Signal (formerly Portland Community Media... they will have their reopening on the 25th). Portland has move past the idea that craft is just handmade work and there is craft in coding and game design as well. It is a legitimate aspect of contemporary art and our regressive art awards which dont take new media forms seriously must change their ways (looking at you Ford Family Foundation Fellowships, Contemporary Northwest Art Awards etc.). The Andy Warhol Foundation funds the small, experimental Precipice fund awards and they do support these things (I sat on the panel this last round) but we need to bring Portland's art institutions up to speed with the scene itself. To that end Open Signal is focusing on these needs as center for new media tools and production. ALTcade's lineup: d i v i n e r by Dante Douglas & The Eldritch Teller by Arielle Grimes, Ghost by Daniel Glendening & offline by Pol Clarissou, Cute Crate by Paige Ashlynn and Caidence Stone & VANITAS by Tale of Tales, Program for Self Anamorphosis by Tabitha Nikolai & Tonight You Die by Duende Games, NEST by Cullen Dwyer & meow by sentvyr and takorii, Super Hyper Ultra Starlight Warriors Advance by Vile and Angel Sera & 2sWitches by Arielle Grimes, Interior Stroll by Hannah Piper Burns & VIRTUA BLINDS by Daffodil, Birthday Idea Generator by Tegan Valo & Frog Pets by Nathalie Lawhead, Soundscapes by Lexis Mason-Davis & A Cosmic Forest by Titouan Millet Altcade | February 15 6-10PM Open Signal 2766 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd  Laura Hughes latest show at Linfield Gallery titled "Almost Perfect" explores with her obsession with interesting experiential effects caused by interesting materials that often have specific light oriented properties. One bummer is the choice og when to do the opening and talk from 5-7PM today. In the glory days of Cris Moss as director the gallery found ways to do openings that both McMinville residents and Portland residents could attend. Sometimes they would do the talks on Saturdays so people would not have to fight the extensive rush hour traffic and make it a destination on weekends. Almost Perfect | February 15 - March 11 Opening & Talk: February 15 5-7PM Linfield Gallery Linfield College Miller Fine Arts Center 900 SE Baker St., McMinnville Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 15, 2017 at 10:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.02.17 First Thursday Picks February 2017 Apologies for being quiet, it is because I've been traveling and preparing a major piece, which should be out shortly. That said February is typically a good month for art shows and this one keeps up the tradition so brave the cold.
Maximiliano, Una Gallery Una Gallery has only had a few shows but is already a bright spot in the cultural scene, focusing on POC and queer identity work. Last December they were awarded a Warhol funded Precipice Grant (as a panelist I was thrilled how it all turned out). Una's latest titled, "Resist," should be even more fiery and required in these far too interesting of times. Resist features work from Maya Vivas, Dan Pillers, Andrea Beck, Carlos Gonzalez Acosta and Maximiliano. Art as Resistance celebrates local POC, Femme, and Queer artists employing personal identity as a means of opposition. In addition, Stacey Tran and Sara Sutter will perform from their project: Resistance Somatics. This is the place to be this chilly First Thursday in Portland. Resist | February 2 - 26 Opening: February 2nd 6-10PM Una Gallery 328 NW Broadway #117  Resonance at PDX I love it when PDX Contemporary teps outside the box and their latest show Resonance by James Girardoni makes use of an interesting cellphone app interface that creates sound and visual resonances. Resonance | February 2-25 Reception: February 2, 6-8PM PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 02, 2017 at 14:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 01.21.17 Post Snowpocalypse Weekend Picks  Mother with Julia Oldham and Roxanne Jackson What could be better the day after the Women's March on Washington DC (and round the country) than a show titled, Mother at the Art Gym? Hopefully nothing. Since Blake Shell has taken over the Art Gym its shows really havn't had the same frission and edge that she previously brought to the Archer Gallery but this show's inspired pairing of Julia Oldham and Roxanne Jackson... two artists who always bring the macabre/mythical phantasmagoria and physical encounters with their work threaten to bring things back into form. Besides you can also catch the Tad Savinar exhibition a few miles away (you know you want a little roadtrip out of Portland after these storms). Mother | January 17 -March 18 Reception: January 22 4-6PM Art Gym (Marylhurst University) 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy. 43) 
Tad Savinar, 2064: England's Master Architect Presents, to the House of Commons, the Plan to Add Minarets to Buckingham Palace (2014) Tad Savinar is a Portland fixture as an author, conceptual artist and intellectual so this overview collection of work youniverse-past, present, future might be just what the doctor ordered after a brutal election season and winter storms. What Ive always appreciated in Savinar's work is the way they work as set pieces for the sort of ridiculous human dramas that always seem to occupy civics. Perhaps he is Portland's Aristophanes? youniverse—past, present, future | January 17 - March 5 Reception: January 22, 3-5PM Lecture: February 26, 3PM, Miller 105 Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road ...(more Rodin at PAM) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 21, 2017 at 9:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.05.17 First Thursday Picks January 2017 January is always an odd month in the Portland art scene, usually a lot of group shows and holdovers with one or two big shows by top shelf artists that everyone follows. Well we have the group shows and holdovers. Here are my picks:
Christine Nguyen Here is an interesting first, I have never seen a curator from the Portland Art Museum at the Everett Station Lofts... and I actually brought the museum's Contemporary Art Council down there when I was VP. Hopefully today that ends because Grace Kook-Anderson, the new Curator of Northwest Art is the guest curator for the Portland Pataphiysical Society's Christine Nguyen exhibition titled Constellations. A LA based artist it should be interesting though the lofts have showcased an enormous # of significant artists over the years. True the lofts ebb and flow but seem to be on an upswing with Una and Pataphyscal Society as rents rise out of control in the city.... the lofts can hopefully remain an essential incubator? Will the new curator finally break PAM's earned reputation of being nearly completely isolated from what is really going on in the Portland art scene? (a scene that is very active nationally and internationally) Christine Nguyen | January 5 - February 18 2017 Opening Reception: January 5, 6-8PM Portland Pataphysical Society 625 NW Everett St, # 104 
More sad news Duplex gallery will be closing after a good run, but at least it is concluding with Emily Wobb. Her exhibition, titled Bad Dreams... seems appropriate and her work has always had an unsettled quality. Emily Wobb | January 5 - 31, 2017 Opening Reception: January 5, 6-9PM Duplex 219 NW Couch St ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 05, 2017 at 13:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.04.17 Jason Berlin + Alanna Risse at Rainmaker 
Alanna Risse Overall, Portland's best cultural cards are generally not its major institutions but rather its alternative spaces and artist enclaves... the very things that are threatened by rapid real estate development. One of the brightest lights is the Rainmaker Artist Residency program, which gives recent art school graduates a stepping stone once out in the real world. I liken it to an estuary for young fish. Therefore tonight's opening is the first "truly Portland" opening of 2017. Featuring current resident artist Jason Berlin's solo exhibition upstairs in the gallery and Alanna Risse's by invite installation, "A Bigger Boat," it should be a proper start to things in Portland's NW Industrial District. Jason Berlin and Alanna Risse | January 4 - 27, 2017 Opening Reception: January 4, 6-9PM Rainmaker Artist Residency 2337 NW York St Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 04, 2017 at 12:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.01.16 First Thursday Picks December 2016  Cauleen Smith at PNCA's 511 gallery Recently the list of Whitney Biennial artists came out and Cauleen Smith, whose show Asterisms... currently on display at PNCA is one of them. Now, Im not exactly wild about the WB list and have my misgivings about this show which according to the artist, "collects, arranges, projects, and draws connections between bodies unrelated, which together, create space and place. Objects from the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Craft intermingle with objects from the artist’s own personal collection to create the mise-en-scene for cinemascapes that require an a curious and slow-looking eye." (seems strained and MoCC collection feels strained. Still, I like the fact this is a new media show. Besides, it is a sneak peek at everyone's favorite group show train wreck in the Spring and frankly I like going to shows that I am deeply skeptical of. Art simply isn't about seeing your ideas and values reflected back upon you, though that's part of my criticism of this work so have a look and see what you think? Asterisms | November 3 - January 6, 2017 First Thursday: December 1, 6:00-8:00PM PNCA (511 Gallery) 511 NW Broadway ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 01, 2016 at 15:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.25.16 Mary Henry and Erik Geschke in the Couv It is time for Portlander's to envy The Couv as the Archer gallery kills it with two great programmatic choices.
A mini survey of Mary Henry's abstract greatness at the Archer Gallery Mary Henry is one of the greatest under recognized female modernists of the 20th century and the Portland area is being treated to a micro-survey of her work at the Archer Gallery called Practiced Exuberance. Last Spring, PORT reviewed another micro-survey of just her drawings to give you a taste. As part of the American Phase of hard-edged Bauhaus work under Maholy-Nagy she occupies an important place in art history and is a favorite among those with good eyes and taste in the Pacific Northwest. Mary Henry | Practiced Exuberance | November 22 - February 11 Reception: November 29, 4-6PM (The gallery will also be open for Erik Geschke's talk Nov 30th, see below) Clark College | Archer Gallery 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington  Detail of Erik Geschke's Arena (2015), photo Jeff Jahn Erik Geschke is one of Portland's most meticulous and slightly unnerving artists. Through a variety of materials (often with a twisted pop art sense of humor) he upends expectations, often with a sense of uncanny disasters, which have already occurred. Frankly, I loved his last major Portland solo show and reviewed it here. Erik received his M.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art's Rinehart School of Sculpture in 2001, attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture with a full fellowship in 1996, and received a B.F.A. from Cornish College of the Arts in 1993. Erik Geschke | Clark Art Talk November 30th, 7PM (Archer Gallery will be open before and after talk) Clark College | PUB 161 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 25, 2016 at 18:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.11.16 Weekend Picks Portlanders, the election is over and we need some new information to fill our head. I suggest these experiences:
 Needless to say immigration is going to be veritable forest fire of disputes in the next 4 years, so check out Jose Carlos Tassara's Amigos Imaginarios at Worksound. Curated by Jesse Siegel, "Amigos Imaginarios explores the relationship of facial features and the socio-economic disparities in Latin American culture. The public perception of predominantly caucasian features as more commercially viable, a reality which is broadcasted via social media, billboards and television featuring mainly white men and women to a largely non-white population. Tassara subverts this ideology by creating concrete representations inspired by his own native features and repeating them to create patterns reminiscent of ruins, mutation and mixing." Perhaps Tassara's show is what I'm talking about when I recently called for contemporary art needs to stop treating groups as monogenic with the kind of very surface deep moderate liberal way of looking at things. Edgier and more rigorously detailed art is needed because there has been a wake up call. Amigos Imginarios | November 11 - 18 Opening reception: November 11 6 - 9PM Worksound International 820 SE Alder St. ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 11, 2016 at 17:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.03.16 First Thursday Picks November 2016 November is traditionally an odd but good month for art viewing in Portland. The month is short but prime for those who collect so the galleries usually roll out a heavy hitter or do something very experimental.
 Anne Appleby, Gentian June 18, 2016 For my money Anne Appleby is the best abstract painter in the Northwest and one of the top tier artists on this side of the continental divide. Drawing from color in nature her luminescent works show how deft her surfaces are with pulsing energy and life. She is our Matisse and so poetic. Mind you, I've split a desert with her but looking at her work is exactly the same... tough, life affirming and intelligent all at the same time. But That Was Then | November 1-26 Reception: November 3rd 6-8PM PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 03, 2016 at 15:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.01.16 Lauren Stumpf at Rainmaker 
Portland's available artist studio space has been under increasing pressure from real estate development. That's why I am impressed with the Rainmaker Artist Residency program, which gives recently graduated artists a bit of a leg up so they can get their footing. November kicks off in an interesting way with Lauren Stumpf's debut solo show titled ConTact as part of her residency. She's shown some promise with her deft use of skins of contact paper. Besides it is always interesting to catch a debut if you truly enjoy art. Lauren Stumpf: ConTact| November 2 - 30 Opening Reception November 2, 2016 | 6 - 9PM Rainmaker Artist Residency 2337 NW York St, # 201 Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 01, 2016 at 16:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.25.16 Art talks to talk about 
Paul McCarthy and Ed Ruscha in Open This End Open This End at the Hoffman Gallery at Lewis & Clark College is the best group show Portland has seen in 6 months and should not be missed. We also have an opportunity to hear from its curator Joseph Wolin on October 25th. Open This End is traveling selection from Blake Byrne's excellent collection, the exhibition isn't just a scattered trophy room of; Warhol, Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley, Gerhard Richter and Bruce Nauman. It follows several threads of intertwined societal and personal narratives. I think the installation of Jimmy Carter by Jennifer Steinkamp alone should be compelling because it isn't just the same old political art, it is subtle in a way politics usually are not. What's more, Steve McQueen's groundbreaking multi-channel Drumroll video is on display at PAM as part of Open This End as well. Open This End| September 8 - December 11 Curator's talk: October 25, 7PM, Miller 105 Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road 
Ralph Pugay is one of Portland's favorite artists and will be the featured speaker at the next Clark Art Talks. As always there is humor but there is something about our awkward times... the way our customs and institutions seem like ill fitting suits these days that makes his work ring so true. The Archer Gallery also has an interesting poster show called HASTA SIEMPRE. Clark Art Talk: Ralph Pugay Wednesday, October 26th, 7PM Clark College: PUB 161 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way, Vancouver Wa. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 25, 2016 at 16:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.07.16 Weekend Picks It's been a crazy art week filled with press conferences and constant questions about PAM's new Rothko Pavilion expansion but frankly I'm more interested in looking art. I might even do a few studio visits to get back to the source next week. This weekend has some great opportunities to step out though.
 Flash-November 22, 1963 with soup cans and flowers reflected The big event this weekend is Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation at the Portland Art Museum. First, this is a full retrospective and I think the breadth of early work like the blotted ink technique shoes to a pop up book and album covers will give a more intimate personal view of an artist that most immediately associate with Soup cans and Marilyn Monroe. Those are present too but the exhibition does a good job of filtering in social concerns, politics and erotica in a way that goes beyond the celebrity obsessions that defined Pop Culture. In particular an entire gallery space devoted to the entire folio called Flash-November 22, 1963 is eye opening. It throws the entire show into a different relief. The folio has rarely been shown and it is a crucial piece of Americana that combines concrete poetry, political idealism and tragedy. I'll have an interview with scholar Richard Axsom published here this weekend where we discuss it and other works in depth. Warhol is a crucial artist and in Portland we so seldom experience well executed retrospectives that seeing this show is mandatory. What is great about Warhol is his art was all about "accessibility" a trend which has come to even further define the 21st century, yet somehow Warhol's work isn't the spent force of yet another meme, they age well. Overall, with Warhol's close knit cadres of filmmakers, fashion designers, actors and musicians Warhol predates many of the concerns of Millennials, long before they came of voting age. I'll be curious to hear how they and those even younger respond? Warhol came from a living practice of an extended artistic family so the way the work lives today essentially creates an indexed benchmark of the American identity... similar to the way the Greek Pantheon galvanized that culture. There will be a variety of events and films as well. Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer | October 8, 2016 - January 1, 2017 1st lecture: Collecting Warhol with Richard Axsom and Jordan Schnitzer | October 9, 2-3PM Film schedule here Beginning October 8th Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Avenue ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 07, 2016 at 15:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.29.16 Organic Encounters 
Artists who deal with organic or biological forms and concerns are a major theme in Portland's art scene as it acts as an interlocuter between humanity and everything else... a kind of macrocosm in miniature. Thus, the Organic Encounters residencies at C3:Initiative from 2015–2016 are exciting and will culminate in an eponymous exhibition. A collaboration between c3:initiative and Pulp & Deckle Papermaking the residency artists Ellen George, Laura Foster, Tyler Peterson, and Ryan Woodring utilized handmade paper as a medium to create new works that will be on display. Organic Encounters | September 30 - November 13 Opening Reception: September 30 6-9PM C3:initiative 7326 N. Chicago Ave (St. Johns) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 29, 2016 at 12:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 09.24.16 Open This End Panel Discussion and Reception
Paul McCarthy and Ed Ruscha in Open This End A few weeks ago Open This End became one of the most exciting group shows we have had in Portland in months. Partly, this is because it comes from one excellent collector, Blake Byrne, and the work maintains a sharp edge about it. Lately, most group shows of multiple artists in Portland have been pretty bland so everyone should take note. What's more, we can see how collecting art that takes risks rather than fill out some comfortable/worn idea (ex. craft = handmade is an intellectual bunt)serves humanity better. Instead, by collecting something that carries an implicit challenge takes on the responsibilities of what Art with an "edge" demands and therefore occupies a special place between civics and taste. Not all patrons fully participate beyond writing checks... but what a serious and very curious collector like Blake Byrne presents here is something more Portlander's should consider. Yes PADA has been doing collector events for the past year but this one outclasses them all with a panel discussion and reception for an exemplary exhibition with a broad based panel with some serious and very articulate collectors providing additional context. The panel topic will be: Art Collecting, Philanthrophy, and Ethics with Bob Rennie (principal of the Vancouver BC based Rennie Collection), Jordan Schnitzer (founder, Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation), Barbara Schwan (executive director, The Skylark Foundation), Jane Beebe (PDX Contemporary) Panel Discussion: "Art Collecting, Philanthrophy, and Ethics" | September 25 4:00PM (reception following panel in Alumni Circle) Location: Miller Hall 105 Open This End | September 8 - December 11 Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 24, 2016 at 10:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.08.16 September Swing Picks Lately, Portland's art world has been suffering most of the same "look at this estate sale" art the rest of the world has been subjected to but no more... September gets exciting this week:
 Jennifer Steinkamp's Jimmy Carter There hasn't been much talk about it since somewhat underwhelming festival style glut-art seems to saturate the generalist press... but Open This End is a heavyweight at the Hoffman Galler at Lewis & Clark College and should not be missed. A traveling selection from Blake Byrne's excellent collection, the exhibition isn't just a scattered trophy room of; Warhol, Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley, Gerhard Richter and Bruce Nauman. It follows several threads of intertwined societal and personal narratives. I think the installation of Jimmy Carter by Jennifer Steinkamp alone should be compelling because it isn't just the same old political art, it is subtle in a way politics usually are not. What's more, Steve McQueen's groundbreaking multi-channel Drumroll video is on display at PAM as part of Open This End as well. There isn't an opening but on September 25th there will be a panel about serious collecting (with serious collectors like Byrne), a practice Portland could have more of. Open This End| September 8 - December 11 Collector's Panel with Blake Byrne: September 25, 4PM Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road ... (more including TBA) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 08, 2016 at 8:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.01.16 First Thursday Picks September 2016 Though Portland's art scene is one of the few that remains active during the Summer, this year it was mostly a cascade of group shows and frankly almost all of those group shows have been weak on execution for the past 12 months (it takes a lot of care to pull them off and most Portland institutions think more is more and spread themselves amateurishly too thin). So it is exciting that the rains have returned as have the serious solo and duo efforts have as well in September. Here are my picks:
 Carol Benson's Regalia at Blackfish There is an intriguing duo show at Blackfish with Carol Benson's Sewn Constructions and Michael Knutson's Recent Paintings and Monotypes. Both explore some timeworn aspects of abstract wall based work but both seem like they are at the top of their game for more than just one or two works each. The energy these two bring to bear reminds us that Clement Greenberg's personal collection lives at the Portland Art Museum (I think institutionally they may have forgotten... a pity because the local + international scene shows how he does still have legs). In particular, Benson's "physical" recycling of other painters work is intriguing, while Knutson has consistently been one of the West Coast's best abstract painters for decades now. Carol Benson & Michael Knutson | August 30 - October 1 Opening Reception: September 1 | 6 - 9PM Gallery Talk: September 10, 1PM Blackfish Gallery 420 NW 9th ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 01, 2016 at 16:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.19.16 Bending Nature, Bamboo at the Portland Japanese Garden 
Portland is in the middle of a heatwave and though its hardly anything that would phase Midwesterners or those from Houston (we don't have much humidity) it is still hard for many as air conditioning can be rare. Thus, it is a great time to climb up the West Hills, where it is cooler and check out the latest at the Portland Japanese Garden for Bending Nature. It features, "traditionally trained bamboo artist and craftsman Jiro Yonezawa and Shigeo Kawashima, well known for his community engagement-based art-making" who "will team with Portland artists Charissa Brock and Anne Crumpacker to create work on site. The exhibition is a rare opportunity for visitors to see art situated in three outdoor locations within the iconic Japanese garden. Each of these artists attempts to 'bend nature' in new directions, challenging conventional bamboo craft techniques and forms to reflect the close relationship between nature and ourselves." Bending Nature | August 20 - October 16 Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 19, 2016 at 14:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.04.16 First Thursday August 2016 Picks 
Wendy Red Star Wendy Red Star's Tokens, Gold, & Glory is one of those very rare installation are exhibitions that HAP gallery seems to be doing quite often, this gets my attention. Red Star draws on; "ephemera, real or imagined narratives, and her traditional Crow background. Her multifaceted Deer Decoys entice the viewer with shiny, golden surfaces, not unlike the natural-looking decoys used to lure other deer." Tokens, Gold, & Glory | July 19 - August 6 2016 First Thursday Opening: August 4 6-8PM Hap Gallery 916 NE Flanders ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 04, 2016 at 13:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.29.16 Weekend Picks  Ralph Pugay's Chicken Pox Orgy Ralph Pugay's work is a bit too edgy for some of Portland's more conservative establishments (Seattle gave him a Betty Bowen Award though) but this hilarious artist is probably the most Portland of painters and he's developing a national reputation. His latest will be on display for only 2 days at Worksound International who is kicking of their new partnership with Upswell (Portland's artists find a way to make this exciting scene happen)... be there. Ralph Pugay | July 29 - 30th Opening Reception: Friday, July 29 from 6-8PM 107 SE Washington Street, Suite 238 
As part of the Converge 45 series of events (a kind of guided tour for visitors to the somewhat difficult to access but super vibrant Portland art scene three curators will discuss the topic of creative Migrations at the Portland Art Museum. This is interesting because PAM hasn't done a particularly good job of tapping one of the most active art scene's in the country. The panelists; "Kristan Kennedy (Visual Art Program Director/ Chief Curator at PICA) in conversation with Converge 45 Artistic Director Kristy Edmunds, Irene Hoffman (Phillips Director and Chief Curator, SITE Santa Fe), and Wallace Whitney (artist, curator, and co-founder, CANADA, New York) to consider creative migration within the United States, and the impacts and potentials presented to the Pacific Northwest." Converge45 seems to be a branding of what regularly happens in Portland every month but this is a discussion that should occur more often. The subject of artist enclaves is near and dear to my heart and have written/tracked the phenomenon of Portland as an enclave more than anyone... I'll be there. Discussion: July 30th 10:30AM - Noon Portland Art Museum (Whitsell Auditorium) 1219 Southwest Park Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 29, 2016 at 17:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.15.16 Weekend Art Occupation Picks  Karl Burkheimer at North View Gallery, PCC Sylvania As an educator Karl Burkheimer is a Portland fixture but he has chops an artist and since I was one of the first to curate him into higher profile shows (VoLume back in 2008 at Worksound) I track his work closely. Myself and many others felt his work in the 2013 CNAA's was an 1980's throwback but lately he's been transitioning to more current work with a stronger built environment edge... one which channels the angst that rapid development is foisting upon Portland Neighborhoods. It is an important theme that isn't being explored curatorially in group shows in any sufficient way. Thus, it is great that North View's director Mark Smith has turned over this exemplary brutalist space to Burkheimer for such an extended time (His Erik Geschke exhibition last year also explored the theme). Stop in multiple times this summer to see how Burkheimer puts his skills to use in this evolving occupation. Simulated Archetypes | July 16 - September 16 Opening Reception: July 16, 5 - 7PM PCC Sylvania (North View Gallery) 12000 SW 49th ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 15, 2016 at 12:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.07.16 First Thursday Picks July 2016 
Summertime often signals a glut of group shows in Portland, but one of the best traditions is Blackfish Gallery's 21st annual Recent Graduates exhibition. The artists are selected by the faculty from their respective programs and the result is always worth a tour. Recent Graduates | July 5 - 30 First Thursday: July 7, 6 - 9PM Blackfish Gallery 420 NE 9th. 
One of the solo exhibitions that has my attention is by a recentish graduate, Colin Kippen. His latest effort, Indices, at Duplex should be the latest chapter in his exploration of the way the optical and material properties can render an object somewhat out of phase with daily encounters of similar but less artfully combined media. I've been following his work since his graduation exhibition and a lot of other people are too. There's a bit of the Dave Hickey school meets Rachel Harrison going on but his work feels a bit grittier and more intimate and it will be interesting to see how this work develops with its penchant for out of phase optical texture. Indices | July 7 -28 First Thursday: July 7 6- 9PM Duplex Gallery 219 NW Couch Street, Portland Oregon ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 07, 2016 at 13:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.05.16 Jane Schiffhauer at Rainmaker Gallery 
An Alleged Truth Acting as a Distortion is the apt title for this already quite nasty political season so artist Jane Schiffhauer is definitely on point while pivoting towards something more universal. Consisting of abstract 2d and 3d work regarding the body perhaps Schiffhauer's reappraisal of humanity is what we need during this season of spin? Schiffhauer is one of the brightest up and coming artists in Portland and should be on the short list of anyone taking stock of what is truly going on in Portland. An Alleged Truth Acting As a Distortion | July 6-30 Opening Reception: July 6, 6-9PM Rainmaker Gallery 2337 NW York St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 05, 2016 at 18:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.23.16 Ethan Rose + Parallel Studio as Houseguests 
The Houseguest public art series for Pioneer Courthouse Square, aka "Portland's Livingroom", is showing great promise with their latest project by sound artist Ethan Rose and Parallel Studio titled, Exchange. Described as, "a contemporary, interactive sound and light experience.... 'Exchange' invites passersby to create their own sonic performance through movement.... The work draws from a new technological future that is shaping the city, while recounting Portland's history of intimate scale and small city connectedness." I love the idea of an interactive outdoor sculpture space (at night) and it will only exist for 3 days. Also, with a serious budget of 25k per project it also gives artists the respect and resources they require rather than trying to fund as many artists as possible with a meager amount. Exchange | June 24-26, 2016 (free) Friday 6PM-12AM, Saturday 9PM-12AM, and Sun Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 23, 2016 at 15:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.04.16 Hot Picks June 2016 Portland has record breaking heat this weekend, here are the coolest things to check out:
 Installation view of a Clyfford Still painting and models of the Still Museum at PAM Brad Cloepfil and his firm Allied Works Architecture are the most notable building design firm from Portland Oregon... leading Portlands transformative path from architectural underachievers to an emerging design capital. It is great that the Portland Art Museum is presenting this exhibition chronicling past and current projects. Unlike most architecture model exhibition it isnt merely models but a kind of catalog of material/spatial test cases that the firm uses to understand and design structures developed with an inherent and essential understanding that arose from playing with these materials and spaces. What's more the models have mostly been displayed in wunderkammern display cabinets... making the viewer's experience more intimate and playful as one discovers the architect's own discovery process. PORT has covered Brad's career extensively... perhaps more so than any other publication has, here are some of the major pieces: Interview's part 1 and 2 reviews of the PNCA's 511 part 1 and 2, Sokol Blosser winery and an early exhibition at PDX Contemporary, whose galleries they designed. There will also be a talk on Sunday June 5th and we are curious how this exhibition might influence any expansion plans the museum might have in the near future... currently the museum does not make good relationship to the South Park Blocks. Case Work | June 4 - September 5th 2016 Opening Talk: June 5th 2 - 3PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 04, 2016 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.02.16 First Thursday June 2016 Picks Last month's shows were so good that June feels like going back to school, literally.
I may be Portland's toughest critic but there is no beating what the King School is up to today... the kids just upstaged the Pearl District's art offerings. Today, the King School Museum of Contemporary Art presents That's Old School, "a guided tour and exhibit based on interviews with Steve Willis, the head of school maintenance and an alumni of King School." I love this... these will be guided "museum tours" where visitors will experience the King school through the eyes of the maintenance staff, and learn evolution from past into present. King students will conduct the tours during the opening reception on June 2. Leave it to kids to make social practice MFA's seem tired. They also just ate the lunch of museums around the world who keep trying to open their experiences to be more porous. That's Old School | June 2nd Opening reception 4-6PM KSMOCA-King School Museum of Contemporary Art 4906 NE 6th Ave  Caitlin Rooney, Do You Like Music In case you missed the openings a little while ago PNCA's thesis exhibitions at the 511 NW Broadway headquarters and the former MoCC building are still going on. Standouts include Caitlin Rooney's skewering of "art school" fetish of hypocrisy, Anastasia Greer and Brianna Rosen at the 724 NW Davis space and Margaret Parsons, Alexandra Husey, Kanani Miyamoto, Colin Cheong and many others at the 511 building. PNCA Undergraduate and Graduate Thesis Exhibitions | May 22 - June 17 Reception: Sunday May 22, 2016 6-9PM Pacific Northwest College of Art 511 NW Broadway (and 724 NW Davis) ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 02, 2016 at 12:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.01.16 Matthew Barney's River of Fundament at NWFC  Still from Matthew Barney's River of Fundament (2014) With the current heat wave Portlanders have an excellent opportunity to wait out the heat while taking in a marathon of screenings of Matthew Barney's River of Fundament. The two part film is an opera-scale cycle involving Norman Mailer, an Egyptian quest for immortality, mixed with an undercurrent of majestic American industry and landscape this is a challenging commitment to watch (for mature audiences). Is Matthew Barney the USA's 21st Century Picasso or a bloated and excessive caricature of himself like Salvador Dali became? River of Fundament | June 3 - 5 2016 $10 - $25 Northwest Film Center (Whitsell Auditorium) Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 01, 2016 at 12:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 05.21.16 Weekend Picks  Coastal Redwood, Ryan Neil (photo Chris Hornbecker) Oregon based Ryan Neil takes the centuries old tradition of Bonsai and blending his own familiarity with Western North American flora. This is an excellent example of how the Portland Japanese Garden has become a world leading bridge and a new template for the living traditions of Japanese arts and culture into the present day. American Bonsai, the unbridled art or Ryan Neil | May 21 - June 19 Portland Japanese Garden (outdoor courtyard) 611 SW Kingston Avenue 
As part of PNCA's Collaborative Design MFA graduate exhibition I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest one element of this thesis exhibition called Street Food Sites in the Innovation Studio space in the 511 building. (yes I'll report back on the whole show in an update to this post) Street Food Sites chronicles a beloved hallmark of Portland's cultural makeup... its food cart culture and artists like canaries in the coal mine explore the challenges Portland's status as a hot city have presented to our vibrant cultural fabric. I'd like to note that other cities have faced this and survived, but only through progressive and proactive thinking and zoning. PNCA Undergraduate and Graduate Thesis Exhibitions | May 22 - June 17 Reception: Sunday May 22, 2016 6-9PM Pacific Northwest College of Art 511 NW Broadway (and 724 NW Davis) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 21, 2016 at 11:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.13.16 Weekend Picks Most city's art scenes kinda die in the summer but Portland tends to ramp up, we do have great weather at this time of the year. Generally, May, June, August and September are almost always the best months and this May is no exception.
 Traditional western notions of property, resources and the public good are under a lot of remediation lately so in keeping The Ross Island Residency, a renegade project initiated by Taryn Tomasello and curator Will Elder, spanning June 2015 - June, 2016, "at the site of a sand and gravel mine in the center of the island in the center of city looks interesting. This exhibition is the residue of symbolic gestures of replacement and a ritual-relational witness of trespass." Trespass: Ross Island Residency | May 14 - June 26 Reception: Saturday, May 14, 12 - 6PM Hours: Saturday & Sundays 12 - 6PM Publication Release: June 25, 5 - 7PM HQ objective 2235 W Burnside  OCAC 2016 BFA graduate exhibition I've always enjoyed OCAC's BFA shows and Making in Evidence: featuring Oregon College of Art and Craft's BFA graduates of 2016 looks like another good one to hit. With seventeen students from diverse backgrounds and creative disciplines they will explore a wide range of concepts and media. OCAC's thesis exhibition comes as the culmination of an immersive mentor-based, craft-oriented and creative community a kind of proof in concept of OCAC's unique and varied curriculum. *Update: highlights include Una Rose, Lillian Reed, William Whitehead, Oliver Wilson and Jessica Oakes with a sense of polish that puts most MFA programs to shame. Making in Evidence | May 13 - May 22, 2016 OCAC's BFA 2016 graduate exhibition (free) Opening Reception: May 13 5 - 9PM Food, drinks and music Regular hours: 11am - 5PM 525 NW 10th ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 13, 2016 at 12:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.10.16 Emily Nachison on Odilon Redon at PAM  Odilon Redon (French, 1840-1916), Oannes et le Sphinx, 1910, oil on wood, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Binney The next artist talk at the Portland Art Museum will feature Emily Nachison this Thursday May 12 from 6-7PM. I'm a particularly big fan of PAM's artist talks on works from their collection and not just because I've done one of them. There is something important about creating living relationships with art of the past so I'm especially happy that Nachison has chosen Odilon Redon's Oannes et le Sphinx. It is a lovely little gem in the collection that matches up well with Peter Doig, Katharina Fritsch, Anselm Kiefer and Chris Ofili's contemporary penchant for mysticism. In fact, Portland's art scene is full of all sorts of allusions to sorcery (there is a reason Grimm is shot here too, another obvious curatorial theme that never gets discussed) so I'm curious what she teases out. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 10, 2016 at 20:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.04.16 First Thursday Picks May 2016 For the past year or so I've noticed that First Thursdays have been waning as other parts of Portland have frankly been more ambitious and noticeably fresher than our main gallery enclave in Northwest Portland's Pearl and Old Town districts. This is partially due to the fact that smaller galleries everywhere have had it tougher as mega galleries have ruled the universe. Obviously, Portland has no mega-galleries and that is part of our charm.
Well, this May's First Thursday looks like it is back with a vengeance serving up perhaps the freshest and most ambitious collection of exhibition receptions in perhaps a decade (anchors like PNCA and the U of O are in full effect after lots of changes but there is depth everywhere). What's more, not a single traditional media exhibition makes the cut. Nothing against them (obviously) but no oil paintings or cast metal sculpture are to be found on this list... we did that last month with 2 out of the 3 I picked. Another trend in may is women who are not academics or graduates of local art schools also making themselves felt. (Both new media and non academically affiliated females as groups are routinely and embarrassingly ignored in regional art awards... if you want an award over 5K prize one typically has to be a man, do traditional media work and or have some tie to a larger local art school as an alum or faculty). This is simply wrong as many of the ignored artists have national/international careers and frequently education from more elite schools. It makes us look clubby and closed minded, when in fact Portland has a very international, otherwise supportive and porous scene with excellent variety of traditional and cutting edge media.  Ellen George, Untitled (Elemental 14) at PDX Contemporary It has been a while since we have experienced a solo show from Ellen George... one of the most interesting and lyrical artists on the West Coast. Her latest titled May looks like another tour de force. Specializing in something akin to manageable installation art, few artists can claim to be as consistently excellent and poetically graceful as Ellen George. May | May 3 - 28 PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders  Memory Theater at Upfor Installation art at PADA galleries is understandably rare but Upfor has taken on new media work like few west coast galleries. Their latest is Srijon Chowdhury's Memory Theater. According to the PR... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 04, 2016 at 18:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.19.16 Rowland Ricketts talk 
As part of Portland Design Week the MFA AC+D Studio is presenting a talk by Rowland Ricketts tomorrow. Trained in indigo farming and dyeing in Japan, Rickett's textile based work combines three things of enduring aesthetic interest, the color blue as mediated by texture and revealed through light. Rowland Ricketts Lecture | April 20, 6:30PM 2016 MFA Applied Craft + Design Studios 421 NE 10th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 19, 2016 at 16:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.07.16 First Thursday Picks April 2016 Well this First Thursday is a hot one, here are some of the coolest shows to check out. Here are my picks:
 James Rosenquist at PNCA James Rosenquist is a living legend... his pop art works took the melange of British pop artists like Richard Hamilton and gave it a cleaner, sleeker more muscle car meets slick advertising sheen that likely paved the way towards minimalism but it also reflected the state of advertising imagery at the time (Hamilton, Johns even Rauschenberg nearly always come off as more more nostalgic, whereas Rosenquist feels immediate). You absolutely must check out his Lifetime Achievement Award Exhibition: James Rosenquist at PNCA's 511 building, drawn from Jordan Schnitzer's collection. Lots of other interesting exhibitions happening at PNCA too so I'd hit 511 NW Broadway for sure. Lifetime Achievement Award Exhibition: James Rosenquist | March 30 - ? First Thursday: April 7, 6:00-8:00PM PNCA (511 Gallery) 511 NW Broadway ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 07, 2016 at 13:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 03.12.16 Ruth Gruber retrospective at OJMCHE 
For those who looking for something beyond the standard MFA puppy mill art (self-serving research and drawings of crystals with a couple pieces of detritus stacked upon each other in white room) this traveling survey of groundbreaking photographer and journalist Ruth Gruber will absolutely blow your mind. She was the world's youngest PHD in the 1930's and her intense curiosity lead her to witness the rise of Hitler (she got within feet of him at a rally... a Jewish girl with epic Khutspah). She was also the first correspondent permissioned to travel throughout the Soviet Arctic and Siberian gulag from 1934–35. Later, her coverage of the Holocaust and its survivors were instrumental in the forming of Israeli statehood. She was an important early influence for me at age 3 or so along with Thor Heyerdahl (I was very precocious and needed role models). Ahead of Time Trailer The associated documentary film has won numerous awards as well. This is a must see historical show that the International Photography Center curator Maya Benton has vowed will tour for as long as Ruth Lives, Gruber is 104. I Love that and her photographs have a philosophical sensitivity and empathy that is rare at any time. This is a master class in true intelligence and gives me hope for humanity. It is also incredibly relevant with so many refugee situations throughout the world. Ruth Gruber: Photojournalist | March 13 - June 13 Opening Reception: March 13 with Film screenings at 12:00 and 2:00 Film screenings Friday at 2:00 Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education 1953 NW Kearney St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 12, 2016 at 14:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.09.16 Every Day Is International Women Day Picks  Mary Henry Jeffrey Thomas' new gallery is doing a lot to build understanding around the work of the departed and seminal modernist Mary Henry. She studied under Laslo Maholy-Nagy and eventually chose a career as modern painter rather than homemaker and the sheer excellence of her work has Major national museums bringing her into their cannonical collections. The latest exhibition Mary Henry: The Fabric of Space explores her studies and process for creating her often large abstract paintings. Henry absorbed the teachings of the New Bauhaus thoroughly but gave them a West Coast vibrancy and Arcy conveyed a while back here on PORT. So often female artists have to traffic in a sense of vulnerability in their work but Henry, like Agnes Martin and Frankenthaler, is just excellent and justifies how abstraction gets us back to basics by removing gender norms from the work all together. Mary Henry: The Fabric of Space | March 9 - April Opening Reception: March 9 6-8PM Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art 2219 NW Raleigh  Wengechi Mutu The big art event in Portland this week is Wengechi Mutu's talk at PNCA. She's currently showing the Hybrid Human, a series of prints from The Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation's collection at the 511 gallery and Im curious what this international mediator of chimerical feminine anthroplogigical forms drawn from science, fashion and her own more surrealist imagination? She presents a chimerical grotesque that pushes back rather than points and in my mind she's a bit of a modern Mary Shelly with these (one could say) monsters as her beautiful creations. We will have more on this soon. Wangechi Mutu Talk March 10: 6:30-8:00PM PNCA (Mediatheque) 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 09, 2016 at 14:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.04.16 First Weekend Picks March 2016 
Worksound International presents Innenraum with German artist social practice artist Per Schumann and international but one time Portlander Zefrey Throwell (I curated him into the 2001 Portland Independent Salon back when he was painting huge oil paintings). I like the subject matter of this show, which according to the press release is, "When looking for the liminal spaces created by city life and art, there are often niches that form part of both. The exploration of the areas of intersection of freedom, community and exhibition gives a space for performative interventions and installations that may widen our interpretation of our perceptions of all." Sounds like a great reason to get out on the town tonight. Innenraum | March 4th, 2016 - April 7th, 2016 Opening reception March 4, 6-9PM Worksound International 820 SE Alder > 
This talk, The New Deal's Local Legacy: Pioneering Historic Preservation And A Landscape Aesthetic looks intriguing. On March 5th AHC Education Committee member Judith Kenny, "explores the history of 1930's New Deal projects in the Portland area and how they contributed to the preservation of our pioneer architectural heritage and the development of a regional landscape style. Elaborating upon HABS and WPA construction projects, the architectural work of Ellis F. Lawrence and Jamieson Parker, and the lasting beauty of Timberline Lodge, this unique educational event will be perfect for both History buff and lovers of the natural world." Note the image above isnt technically a new deal building... but the famous and privately commissioned "witches cabin" is a paragon of that era's "parkitecture" and the ruin itself is an important way to spur discussion about the interchange of the built and so called natural environment. You can get tickets here. The New Deal's Local Legacy: Pioneering Historic Preservation And A Landscape Aesthetic Talk: March 5th 10:00AM, Tickets required $12-20 Architectural Heritage Center 701 SE Grand Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 04, 2016 at 14:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.03.16 First Thursday Picks March 2016 Finally, things are getting more interesting in the galleries, with a certain explosion of material and geometry as well as heightened states of awareness. Kinda like springtime for Clement Greenberg in Portland?
 Jonathan Berger at Adams & Ollman
The show has been up since mid February but you still have till March 12th to see Jonathan Berger's A Future Life. Of course, nothing stands out like a funeral in Springtime but this reliquary of funerary forms and carbonized cubes has the kind of thoroughness I'd like to see more often in solo shows in Portland. Not sure how I feel about it overall (too many great people died in the last few months) and pulling a Louise Nevelson where everything is black (or white for that matter) can be a hack's strategy but at least there is a gestalt and a mood. Americans don't contend with death very much either and it seems like the artist is holding a wake for many lame art world strategies... That is a cheery thought actually. All that said, this is the must see among the commercial galleries this month. A Future Life | February 12 - March 12 First Thursday: March 3rd Adams & Ollman 209 SW 9th ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 03, 2016 at 14:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.12.16 2016 Contemporary Northwest Art Awards at PAM It is that time again the 2016 Contemporary Northwest Art Awards and according to the video above there is a subtext of welcoming those who were not born in the USA featuring the work of; Willem Volkersz, Samantha Wall, Victoria Haven, Lead Pencil Studio (Daniel Mihalyo and Annie Han), Dana Lynn Louis, Helen O'Toole and Akio Takamori. So, will that chamber of commerce kind of ideation be enough to head off the oft repeated nickname of the Conservative Northwest Art Awards? True, many artists in the Northwest are from elsewhere but there is also a tradition of rewarding those who don't shake things up so much... even when Portland and Seattle are dynamic places. True, Seattle's top troublemaker Jack Daws won the Betty Bowen award last year but that should have happened a decade ago! Overall, we may be welcoming but for whatever reason we don't rock the boat much at the institutional level with few surprises. Usually it is just a lot of Northwest cliches of like nature, craft and figuration without much interrogation of what kind of nature, craft and figuration? At the same time so many artists have international careers so I ask, why? Frankly most group surveys have a similar problem where the announcement of the list overwhelms the actual exhibition time and again. Maybe this one will be different? These were initially designed to be like the SECA awards. The show is curated Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson, The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Northwest Art and curatorial advisor Jessica Hunter-Larsen, curator of IDEA Space, Interdisciplinary Experimental Arts, at Colorado College. The show is Laing-Malcolmson's last exhibition and it is somewhat of an impossible job... especially when your own back yard has the most adventurous art scene with conservative collectors who are not very involved. Each year though Laing-Malcolmson has moved PAM in the right direction, question is if they can replace her with someone both dynamic and convincing enough to move the needle reflecting the tectonic changes we have undergone? 2016 Contemporary Northwest Art Awards | February 13 - May 8 Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 12, 2016 at 12:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.10.16 The Fifth Wheel at Linfield 
"Speak, Thou Vast and Venerable Head" (video animation still) Julia Oldham, 2016 The Fifth Wheel is a multimedia exploration of the arguably hypermasculine novel Moby Dick by four female artists, Julia Oldham, Sarah Nance, Jane Schiffhauer and Alanna Risse. The exhibition takes its title from a description in the novel and though the gallery is rather difficult to get to for openings (from 5-7 on a weekday) unless you are already in McMinnville its a perfect weekend sojourn. Not It | February 10 - March 19 Reception: February 10, 5-7PM Artist Talk: Saturday, March 12 5PM Linfield Gallery | Linfield College 900 SE Baker st., McMinnville, OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 10, 2016 at 10:01 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 02.08.16 Celebrating James Archer  James Archer The Archer gallery is celebrating its namesake James Archer on the occassion of his donating 129 artworks to the college. 40 of the artworks are on display at the gallery and you can read a little more on the gift here. I have a thing for the way these personal collections enrich institutions as it is the way most people first experience art. Often in a very casual way they simply come across something that strikes them when they are on their way to a class or some other activity. There is tremendous value in this and art isn't just for museums, so go and tell him how much he has done. One things we dont do well around here is thank our leaders... especially the ones who stick their necks out enough, James is one of those leaders. Celebrating James Archer | RSVP khukill(at)clark.edu Celebration reception: February 9, 7PM Archer Gallery (Penguin Union Building) Clark College 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 08, 2016 at 11:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.04.16 First Thursday Picks February 2016 February has always been a good month for art exhibitions in the Portland art scene and everyone seems ready to get out and meet each other once again. Here are my picks:
The Histology of the Different Classes of Uterine Tumors, Wangechi Mutu (2005) Internationally famous artist Wangechi Mutu creates chimerical anthropomorphichuman constructions exploring gender, identity and wry positioning within society... including immigrants. Her exhibition at the 511 gallery titled The Hybrid Human are a in that great tradition of the anthropological grotesque, like international Frankensteins for our time. This is the first in The Jordan D. Schnitzer Exhibition and Visiting Artist Lecture Series. The Hybrid Human | January 19 - March 12 First Thursday: February 6, 6:00-8:00PM PNCA (511 Gallery) 511 NW Broadway ...(more with Portland Japanese Garden and Portland Pataphysical Society) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 04, 2016 at 10:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.27.16 Intersecciones: Havana/Portland at L&C 
Rafael Villares Portland has had its typical sleepy January start but Intersecciones: Havana/Portland at Lewis and Clark College's excellent Hoffman gallery looks like the official kickoff to an exciting 2016. The exhibition explores contemporary art in Cuba through the way 6 Cuban artists approach the Oregon trail as cultural ambassadors. It has been over half a century since relations between USA and Cuba have been normalized so this exhibition is a kind of document of emergent familiarity/unfamiliarity. According to the Press release: "Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo creates installations and public actions that poke at the troubled cultural space for people of African ancestry. Reynier "El Chino" Novo's reimagined cultural objects reveal the depleted energy of true political action. Elizabet Cerviño's spare performances draw from the haunted contradictions in historic spaces. Adriana Arronte's installations of exquisitely crafted glass, plastic, and metal objects complicate spaces of personal consumption. Rafael Villares's displaced landscapes create tensions between desire and reality. Yornel Martínez’s alternative magazines provide manuscripts for artist exchange. When the idea to curate a show of Cuban artists first emerged, we had no inkling of the historic change about to take place between the two countries. We happened to be in Havana on the day that President Obama met with Raúl Castro and announced he would take Cuba off the terrorist list. This provides the backdrop for Intersecciones. In the US public imagination, Cuba is either a Communist failure or a victim of US imperialism." Intersecciones: Havana/Portland | January 28 - March 13, 2016 Opening Reception: January 28, 5 - 7PM Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road MSC 95 Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 27, 2016 at 12:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.25.16 Candidates Forum for Arts & Culture 
2015 was a year when a lot of what we love about Portland was put under pressure by the years of success in tourism and certain types of job creation. Though we hate the word "creative" when used by politicians it is good to find out what some of the candidates for Mayor and City Council have to say about the future of our city. Confirmed participants include: Ted Wheeler, Jules Bailey, Amanda Fritz, Steve Novick, Stuart Emmons and moderated by April Baer of OPB. *Note there is some controversy as several recently declared candidates did not make the cutoff for the forum. In particular the savvy visual art community has an interest in; ways to keep rents affordable, support for alternative spaces (a crucial seedbed for talent development), why nearly all the major art awards seem to regressively go to hand craft oriented academics to the exclusion of new media and less traditional concepts? (I'm calling for balance.) Lastly, I'd like to see the candidates answer about the perpetual fetish of quirkhype regarding Portland's cultural community rather than a serious discussion? To clarify, Portland is full of artists doing important work nationally and internationally and it is the root of Portland's competitive advantage over most other cities... we have a great community of very serious peers who get very little formal civic support and this is a question of how versed candidates are on talking points regarding patronage and stewardship? Quite specifically, Portland's next Mayor and Commissioners need to be on point culturally, not mere photo op purveyors of quirk or culturally passive regarding Portland's identity. I covered the topic in my 2012 Op Ed in the Portland Tribune but recent financial pressures have made the topic more pressing. Candidates Forum for Art And Culture | January 26 (free) Doors: 3:30 PM, begins at 4:00PM Gerding Theater and Armory 128 NW 11th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 25, 2016 at 13:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.21.16 Saving Centennial Mills?  Centennial Mills (before partial demolition) The remaining Centennial Mills structures at the northern edge of the Pearl District and the last major historical building cluster still sitting upon the Willamette River is still in peril and tonight developer Jordan Schnitzer and historian Chet Orloff along with Patricia Gardner (President, Pearl District Neighborhood Association) will discuss the building with the community. There is tremendous historical texture at the site and we have covered it numerous times here and here as has Portland Architecture and frankly its a complicated project that doesn't pencil out financially very easily (pollution cleanup, degraded structures, etc). That's why the news that the PDC was backing away from a deal last year was so disheartening as Schnitzer was interested in it beyond simple economic terms. Culturally it was an opportunity to both mine and preserve our past... something that has been rapidly been erased as exemplified by the Lovejoy columns. It could have been a moment to articulate Portland's ethos through placemaking. Now it is in limbo and the first public meeting is being held at 6:00 today. The opportunities go beyond the sorts of developments that we have seen in other US Cities, instead think Thief's Island in Oslo... only with a Portland identity both new and old? Recently we lost the Portland Gasco building because a suitable 3rd way could not be found and the preservation/future development question has become a civic crisis. In this case a third way was on the table... Thursday, January 21, 6:00PM 1315 NW Overton (Pure Space in the Pearl District) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 21, 2016 at 12:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.15.16 Weekend Picks  "Hero" (2015), Marc Matchak It was sad when HQ Objective left their Oak St. space in 2015 but they are back... on East Burnside now with Fortune Gallery and Press. Their latest exhibition, Folded Object Instructions and Recent Poems, features Marc Matchak and Jabari Jordan-Walker. The exhibition looks like a rebus of sorts: "Marc says there is a tennis match going, but there is no victory and the rules are somewhat fictive. Jabari gave us instructions on how to build a folded object out of copper, yet its final form is impossible. Given these circumstances we may feel irresolute. These selected objects, companions in our small space for a time, are gently voicing concern about our expectations of fairness and order in our world." -Will Elder, curator Folded Object Instructions and Recent Poems | January 16 - February 21, 2016 opening reception on Saturday, January 16, 12 - 6PM HQ Objective at Fortune (Sat-Sun 12-6, or by Appt.) 2235 W Burnside St. 
Michael Knutson, Symmetrical For-Layered Ovoids and Latices II, 2015, oil on canvas diptych, 60 x 80 in. One of my main complaints with local curation of the Portland art scene is we dont do a lot of great thematic group exhibitions. In this case a group of hard core serial pattern abstractionists have stepped up and self-selected themselves at one of Portland's best spaces. Featuring; Cynthia Mosser, James K-M, Matt Cosby, Michael Knutson Rae Mahaffey, Sally Finch, Shu-Ju Wang and Tamara English. I always pay attention when artists organize and I'm a fan of Knutson, Mahaffey and English so I can recommend the trip. THE PULL OF REPETITION | January 14 - February 13, 2016 Weekend Reception: Sat, Jan 16th, 2-4PM North View Gallery Portland Community College Sylvania Campus 12000 SW 49th Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 15, 2016 at 17:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.11.16 2016 getting in gear There are two especially interesting exhibitions opening this week:
 Guestwork Sometimes the strongest art makes us question what we want and require and the parsing of those two becomes a kind of existential sublimation. What happens when the artwork itself is a questionnaire or poll? Portland collective Guestwork attempts to find out by polling Portlander's on what their ideal city would comprise. The Ballots will then become infographics. Titled, Accounting for Public Interest, Guestwork's Travis Neel and Erin Charpentier are the latest to tackle the Portland Building's installation space and it is not a bad way to kick off the year. It certainly mirrors the intense political season ahead. Accounting for Public Interest | January 11 - February 5, 2016 RACC Installation Space Portland Building 1120 SW 5th Avenue  William Harvette #3, Collage on Paper, 2006 (Collection of James Archer) Archer @ Archer explores the private collection of James Archer at the public art gallery that carries his name. Knowing the man it should be a diverse opportunity and viewing any collectors collection is an exercise in personal Anthropology. Archer @ Archer | January 5 - February 20 Opening January 12 4-6PM Archer Gallery (Penguin Union Building) Clark College 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 11, 2016 at 9:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 01.09.16 Weekend Picks 2016 still isn't extremely active with no major statement solo show in the elite venues. To be fair only Portland's elite artists ever do a big January show... remember this statement maker anyone? Still, things are waking up and these two exhibitions are worth planning your Sunday around:
Taj Bourgeois' work is more than a little in the fluxus tradition and has the penache somewhat like an early Charles Ray or a young Tristan Tzara, while filtering all of his poetic absurdism through social media. This artist weaves a lot of life into his situations and rather worth checking out (the show began last year but is opening in 2016... another good sign). Nice to still have coffeehouses acting as a legitimate place to check out new talent, part of what makes Portland "Portland." Dreams | December 16, 2015 - January 28, 2016 Opening Reception: January 10, 4 - 6PM Stumptown @ 3356 SE Belmont St  Pat Boas, Three Triangles and Three Colors, Sumi ink on paper, 2015 The latest group show at the Art Gym is a look at abstraction titled, and from this distance one might never imagine that it is alive. Painters included are; Pat Boas, Calvin Ross Carl, Jack Featherly, Ron Graff, Robert Hardgrave, Grant Hottle, Amy Bernstein, Michael Lazarus, Michelle Ross, and Amanda Wojick so it should be a good discussion primer. It needs to be because Portland is where the Clement Greenberg Collection lives and the city does have a very strong abstract painting scene. That said, institutionally Portland tends to do fairly conventional surveys of its genres (Art Gym probably being one of the most conventional). One interesting twist here is that many of the artists in "aftdomntisa" are less pure abstractionists and more semioticians or proto linguists being somewhat abstract. Check it out to see if that's just the conventional expressing itself or perhaps an interesting angle? and from this distance one might never imagine that it is alive | January 10 - March 5 Opening: January 10, 4-6PM Art Gym (Marylhurst University) 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy. 43) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 09, 2016 at 15:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.07.16 First Thursday picks January 2016 Like many January First Thursdays this one isn't firing on all cylinders with holdovers and some galleries opening a week or more later. Still, after the ice storm in Portland earlier this week many will want to get out and there are some good things to see (I'll publish the extensive rumination on 2015's Portland art scene this weekend, I think we are all in the right mood for serious reflection now).
 Alien She at MoCC Perhaps the best holdover from 2015 is Alien She, an extensive survey of Riot Grrrl counterculture at the Museum of Contemporary Craft and PNCA. It is the final week to catch this exhibition on the North Park Blocks with its feral sasquacherinas and pink squirrels. Alien She | September 3 2015 - January 9 2016 First Thursday: January 7 6:00-8:00PM Museum of Contemporary Craft 724 NW Davis PNCA (511 Gallery) 511 NW Broadway 
Perhaps the most promising new show opening in Portland today is Eyeshine, a double barrel pair featuring two of my favorite Portland artists, Ryan Pierce and Wendy Given. Both are nature aficionados interested in shifted para-histories, mystery and the way nature circumscribes both humans and itself. The exhibition arose while camping together on the excellent Signal Fire Residencies that Pierce co-operates. Eyeshine | January 7 - 29 Reception: January 7, 4 - 7PM Autzen Gallery | Neuberger Hall, room 204 Portland State University 724 SW Harrison St ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 07, 2016 at 13:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 12.19.15 Weekend Picks The year is winding down so there are fewer events but the "Progressive" art galleries of Portland's downtown are having a little gallery crawl party today. I suggest starting at Melanie Flood Projects (420 SW Washington #301) from 3-5PM today. Bring food for the Oregon Food Bank.
...and from 5-8PM today there is a closing reception for Erik Geschke's Amalgam show at the North View Gallery. One of the best shows of the year.  Jamison/Thomas 1985 area view Last but not least there is a wrap party for the Jamison/Thomas 1985 redux exhibition at Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art. We normally don't shill for fundraisers but this silent auction supports the William Jamison Scholarships at PNCA (education is the one exception for our no fundraising rule). Overall, the exhibition has that incredible atavistic energy you saw in the 1980's. This timewarp show has all that high and low maelstrom, marinated in a punchbowl spiked with many things that still aren't legal. Jamison/Thomas 1985 Closing Reception: December 19th 4-6PM Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art 2219 NW Raleigh Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 19, 2015 at 13:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.09.15 Tammy Rae Carland Lecture  Tammy Rae Carland As one of the artists in the excellent Alien She exhibition at PNCA and MoCC Tammy Rae Carland will discuss her multifaceted role as a voice for the more recent versions of feminism. Whether it is photography (sometimes for bands like Bikini Kill), zines or video art distribution she's been a force. Tammy Rae Carland Lecture | December 10, 6:30 - 8:00PM PNCA (Mediatheque) 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 09, 2015 at 10:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.03.15 First Thursday Picks December 2015  Within Within at Nine Gallery Jerry Mayer and Ellen George always seem to do something interesting with the Nine Gallery and Within Within featuring 200lbs of colored pearl rice looks like the most promising thing on display during First Thursday. Within Within | December 3 2015 - January 3 2016 Opening: December 3, 6 - 9PM Nine Gallery (within Bluesky) 122 NW 8th Avenue  Melody Owen is one of those artists whose work is strongest when it seems to be the stuff of waking dreams... familiar yet surreal. Her Ever Drifting exhibition with its conifers and boats looks like a great holiday installation at W+K. More Portland buildings with extensive and often under used lobbies should partner with artists like this. Ever Drifting | December 3 - 23, 2015 Opening reception: December 3 6-9PM Wieden + Kennedy 224 NW 13th Ave ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 03, 2015 at 14:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.20.15 Erik Geschke at PCC Sylvania  It is a busy weekend in the Portland art scene but my pick is a gallery talk by sculptor Erik Geschke for his show Amalgam on Saturday. We've only seen small glimpses of Erik's freaky and superbly crafted work in the past but this is a bit of a survey. In an odd twist I think his his rarefied craftsmanship actually works against him as the craft Portland typically celebrates (I think too much) often features the traces of hand or a kind of expression of "work". Instead, Erik's stuff looks seamless and it heightens the surreal discomfort and humor in the work.... you see more of this in Seattle where he once lived and studied. Maybe Erik isn't humblebragging enough? This is the largest show of Erik's work weve been treated to in Portland and beacause the excellent Northview gallery's hours are kinda dodgy this is one of your only weekend opportunities to catch the show... be there. Amalgam | November 19 - December 19 Artist Talk: November 21 1-2PM PCC Sylvania (North View Gallery) 12000 SW 49th Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 20, 2015 at 15:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.18.15 Art Talk Armageddon I remember when I first moved to Portland in 1999 and we were lucky to have one good art lecture a month. These days most institutions have a weekly program and this Thursday looks like perhaps the most impossible schedule to choose from. Unless you can fold time and space you have to make a choice between these three options:
 Still from The Ride at PAM At the Portland Art Museum Paige Powell and Director Brian Ferriso will discuss New York in the 1980's (arguably one of the strongest cultural flowerings in human history) as a necessary addendum to The Ride photography and video exhibition. It is on view for the next couple months. A Portland native, Powell was part of the scene as a New York City "IT" girl and had a front row seat to the likes of Andy Warhol, Kieth Haring and her onetime boyfriend Jean Michel Basquiat. This can't help but be interesting but it is also tricky when everyone from Madonna to artist's estates all have lawyers looking to generate billable hours. Still, Powell's photos and memories provide a crucial pov in this important era. It should be fascinating as museums often feel like the cultural residue minus the human stories about what happened. This should fill in some gaps and hopefully isn't too weird for Powell. Stops Along The Ride: A conversation with Paige Powell Lecture November 19th 6:30 - 7:30PM Portland Art Museum 
Watering Hole (2005) by Amy Stein from The New Explorers The New Explorers by OCAC alum Kris Timken looks like an excellent book chronicling the work of female artists who also explore our planet. Join Kris Timken along with artists Camille Seaman, Linda K. Johnson, curator Prudence Roberts and PSU's Professor Ethan Seltzer in a conversation about the project. I reviewed one of the artists, Amy Stein here on PORT when she exhibited at Bluesky. With an essay by Lucy Lippard it looks like an excellent project worthy of greater discussion. This is part of OCAC's excellent Connection series. The New Explorers Conversation and Book Signing: November 19 7:00PM OCAC (Vollum Center) ...(more with Michelle Grabner at PNCA) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 18, 2015 at 15:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.12.15 What I Know Is  photo Dakota Gearhart Portland's art scene has been facing challenges with affordable space being pressured by rents and developers for years but Precipice Fund projects like Prequel have been a bright spot (there still needs to be more). For Prequel over the past six months, nine artists have met on Monday evenings ascribe and revise what it is that they think , "they know." As a kind of open source charette they have invited guests from Portland, Seattle, Pittsburgh and New York to shape these discussions which are, "prone to sprawling entries and circuitous connections." It sounds like a turgid but interesting basis for a group exhibition and I'm curious what is both lost and gained in the translation. Featuring new work by; Travis Beardsley, Kello Goeller, Erin Mallea, Brittney Connelly, Genevieve Goffman, John Whitten, Dakota Gearhart, Lara Kim and Emily Wobb. What I Know Is | Presented by Prequel | November 13 - 22, 2015 Opening Reception: November 13, 6-9PM S1 4148 NE Hancock St Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 12, 2015 at 14:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.05.15 First Thursday Picks November 2015  Paige Powell: The Ride at the Portland Art Museum (photo Jeff Jahn) A lot of people don't realize that the Portland Art Museum is free from 5-8PM the First Thursday of every month and they should take the opportunity to catch Portland native and one time NYC "It Girl" Paige Powell's photography and video exhibition at PAM. Titled, "The Ride" the opening last night was one of those rare moments where the crush of people overrode the museum's climate control in very localized areas to create the sweaty human mass you normally only get in smaller private galleries and warehouses. Everyone you suspect like her onetime boss at Interview magazine Andy Warhol to Keith Haring, Madonna and former beau Jean Michel Basquiat is here. There is also a fun Kenny Scharf installation called Cosmic Cavern. It makes every blacklight exhibit I've seen by younger artists seem timid by comparison. It's an 1980's zoo of activity that emphasizes the way proximity and ladders to climb allowed some to gain reknown and take Powell and her camera along for the ride. The Ride & Cosmic Cavern| November 5 - February 21st First Thursday: November 5 5-8PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 05, 2015 at 13:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.03.15 Upgrade Culture at PNCA 
The Upgrade Culture panel at PNCA looks like one of the more interesting and cutting edge new media art discussions in Portland this year. Featuring new media artists, "Erika M. Anderson, Paul Clay, Mathew Lippincott, Megan McKissack, and Tabitha Nikolai on the impact of emergent technology on creative practice." These are some of the artists that I follow most closely in Portland and I personally nominated Paul Clay for the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards (they needed to tech-up and drive the new art/artist discussion more). Topics for Upgrade Culture will include: "the function of fad and novelty in consumer and fine art aesthetics, the shifting nature of place, self, and access amidst near-constant connectivity, the ways in which art and design create an aesthetic veneer for corporate interests and what the role of the artist is or could be in this context." I like this skeptical embrace of a shifting technology... and Portland is doing a lot of great stuff that is difficult to classify, providing a kind of exploration of technological/scientific uncertainty. It is also why I was so excited about the Mediatheque space in PNCA's new building. Upgrade Culture Panel Discussion: November 4, 6-7PM PNCA (Mediatheque) 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 03, 2015 at 14:05 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 10.31.15 Final Rites at Surplus Space  Surplus Space Appropriately, Surplus Space is ending its run today with senseofplace LAB's curation, a title/happening that accurately describes the venue's brief existence. Instead of finely tuned exhibitions I'd characterize its output as a laboratory for inhabiting space with art and functioned almost as a kind of clubhouse. It is a kindred to other experimentally minded alternative spaces like the now closed Recess, Appendix and HQ Initiative and similarly its output tended to be more of a becoming rather than a a presenter of tight fully realized statements. That isn't a slight, interesting art cities like Portland need laboratories where things develop and these spaces need more financial support... and acknowledgement from more established institutions to complete the circle of relevance and patronage. In the past, some spaces like Haze Gallery and the New American Art Union managed to achieve both experimentation and excellence... they remain perhaps the two best programmed spaces in the past 16 years. Other newish spaces like Muscle Beach, S1 and Melanie Flood Projects carry a similar sense of influence and promise as they resemble how another now longish running alt space, False Front, always seem oriented towards putting on a good show. Sometimes a lab can just be a place of experimentation without judgement like Surplus Space... or at least it seemed a tad phobic of being judged as a final product. That's fine. Thus, let's celebrate the diffuse nature of Surplus Space with its 5 part senseofplace LAB curated egress... here is their description: 1)Commemorative Donations as Installation senseofplace LAB invites meaningful (to you) contributions that will become the materials for this work. Contributions can take any form, and will communicate and tell your stories. 2) Surplus Space Marker The Surplus community is invited to design a small marker to be placed in front of the space, to mark the imprint of the gallery on the neighborhood. Markers should be made of materials that can withstand the elements, and be on the smallish side so when they are left outside they will be less likely to be removed. All the markers that are made will be installed in the gallery as part of the installation, and then placed out front as part of a ceremony during the opening. 3)Median as Commemorative Space Over a period of two days before the opening, senseofplace LAB will invite collaboration to turn the median in front of the gallery into a location to acknowledge the gallery's presence. The space will be 'launched' during an event at the opening. 4)Markings (Surplus) During the opening, the community will have an opportunity to fill out tags that are printed with 'This is where...' and attached to flags in the gallery as part of the installation. 5)Radial Shadows (Surplus) will be a series of site-responsive shadow drawings. senseofplace Lab curates Surplus Space | October 31 - ? Opening October 31 6 - 9PM Surplus Space 3726 Ne 7th Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 31, 2015 at 12:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.28.15 Exploring Mechanisms of Perception 
Dr. David Wilson, Director of the Casey Eye Institute at OHSU Although there is a tremendous history of science influencing art (James Turrell and Robert Irwin basically founded light and space art on it and others like Anish Kapoor or Olafur Eliasson owe much to it) the science of perception rarely is discussed openly in regards to the way we perceive art and the world around us. As part of the Seeing Nature exhibition Dr. David Wilson will present a wide ranging discussion on the brain science behind visual perception, looking at art, and the mechanisms for experiencing the world. I'm very excited about this as the subject is something I follow closely. The Nature of Seeing | October 29 6-7PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 28, 2015 at 17:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.23.15 Weekend Picks  Custom Paradise wallpaper for Fallen Fruit at PAM This Saturday is your best chance to catch a lot of great shows at the Portland Art Museum because it is the Miller Family Free Day. Once there you can take in Paradise by the collective Fallen Fruit, which opens Saturday 10/24 with events all day (I contributed an abstract photo of apples to Bruce Conkle's contribution). The exhibition mines the museum and the Northwest's ideological, physical, sociological and metaphysical relationship to the apple. It is also great compliment to Seeing Nature. There are great show by two of my favorite artists Anish Kapoor (final weekend)and Margie Livingston on view as well. Miller Family Free Day | 10/24/2015 Portland Art Museum 219 SW Park  Another great bet includes two of my favorite artists in Portland PORT's own Amy Bernstein and Patrick Kelly at Nationale. It is an interest choice in contrasts... Kelly's deep and dark textural abstracts couldn't be more different than Bernstein's abstractions of partially digested semiotic societies. Bernstein & Kelly | October 21- December 4 Opening Reception: October 25 2-5PM Nationale 3360 SE Division ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 23, 2015 at 16:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.20.15 Stephanie Syjuco Lecture 
As part of the Alien She survey at PNCA and MoCC, installation artist and sculptor Stephanie Syjuco will give a talk on her production and strategies. A Guggenheim Fellow, she often incorporates vending machines and other inversions of consumer culture... leveraging, "open-source systems, shareware logic, and flows of capital, creating frictions between high ideals and everyday materials." Market Forces: On Errant Productions and Improper Consumptions with Stephanie Syjuco Lecture: October 22, 2015 6:30-8:00 PM Bison Building / MFA AC+D Studios 421 NE 10th Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 20, 2015 at 15:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 10.04.15 Kartz Ucci, new media stalwart revisited  Kartz Ucci's work at the Archer Gallery January 2011 (photo Jeff Jahn) Only a few years have flown by since Kartz Ucci passed away (obituary here) so it is a fitting tribute that a 2 location show will examine her work. The one at the Art Gym opens today. She was a friend and I always appreciated her unvarnished assessment of students and various new media forms. As I mentioned at the time of her death, she was one of Oregon's biggest proponents of new media pioneers (something that pretty much guarantees you wont get any of the big awards... something which is both wrong and sad). I look forward to revisiting her work at both the Art Gym and at Clackamas Community College's excellent and under utilized Alexander Gallery space where her last work 256 shades of grey will be installed from November 9 to December 11. Kartz Ucci - an opera for one |October 4, 2015 - December 5, 2015 Art Gym Opening Reception- October 4, 4-6PM Screening of Ucci works at Hollywood Theater and catalogue release | October 25, 7:30PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 04, 2015 at 12:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.02.15 Jason Hirata at Muscle Beach  Jason Hirata Muscle Beach has been doing impressive things and the latest features Jason Hirata (seems a little like a David Byrne project from the teaser image... not a bad thing). Jason Hirata | October 2 - November 2 Opening Reception: October 2, 6 - 9PM Muscle Beach Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 02, 2015 at 13:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.01.15 First Thursday Picks October 2015 I'm back from my recent travels and looking forward to seeing everyone on First Thursday. A theme of technology in art has presented itself this October... something welcome when so much of the discussion of art in Portland gets bogged down in retarde definitions of hand made craft. Look, a lot of bleeding edge technology art involves a kind of craft, be it coding, the fetishing of glitches or gene splicing. "Craft" is more simply an expression of technique and sometimes tradition, whereas "Art" acts more like the absence of clear definition... a rebus we project our understanding of the world and ourselves upon (Art and Craft are not mutually exclusive of course).
That said, here are the technology art shows I suggest you see this month (PNCA's Alien She and Malia Jensen at W+K from last month are still up as well): 
I can't think of anything better than the faux pop up shop Dynamic Horizons in the Everett Station Lofts at Composition Gallery to punctuate the tech theme. Described or positioned as a, "Premium trend start-up Dynamic Horizons Ltd. debuts new line of ephemeral wearable technology in a stock Portland-style pop-up shop.... The Intangibles line of ephemeral wearable technology meditates on the shifting nature of place, self, and access in the climate of fiber-optic-fast obsolescence. Comprised of 3 chimeric amalgams of preexisting wearables, the line conjectures at the form factors of future gadgets as they grow more intimately on and into us. Technology is often tritely described as ethically neutral. This is to ignore the built in complexities of new technologies as well as the inherent goals of their makers (i.e., profit.) Determination about the fundamental purpose of a thing is foreclosed well in advance of its use, swathed in impenetrable terms of service. Moreover, the devices and services we use also change us. We become bots in their net. This intent and tendency can be redirected, but requires cognizance, cultivated skill, and solidarity among creative networks, both IRL and URL. Intangibles devices are made from the 'biodegradable' plastic, PLA*, popular in disposable table ware, and will rot for compulsory participation in the upgrade culture." There is a lot of sci-fi related work in Portland (the three best practitioners being Brenna Murphy, Damien Gilley and Laura Fritz) and the tongue in cheek Dynamic Horizons Ltd: Intangibles was designed by Tabitha Nikolai, deSolid State, Matt Dan, Jason N. Le, and is funded in part by the Regional Arts & Culture Council. Dynamic Horizons | October 1 - 31 (Saturdays 12-5) Product Launch & Opening: October 1, 6-9PM Composition 625 NW Everett St. Suite 102 (on 6th) ...(more Upfor and Albatross) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 01, 2015 at 14:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.25.15 Avantika Bawa at White Box 
Avantika Bawa exhibits a lot but her Aqua Mapping show at the White Box is perhaps the best realized of her shows on the North American continent. In it an inflatable buoy in India becomes a point on the map and a location as a rebus. Perfect for the smartphone tracking era... Avantika Bawa | Aqua Mapping Artist Talk: September 26, 2015 3:00 - 4:00PM White Box University of Oregon in Portland 24 NW First Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 25, 2015 at 12:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.18.15 Demos 
Bay Area based Ernest collective has been in a residency at St. John's C3:initiative for some time now creating the Demos: Wapato Correctional Facility project and it is time to finally unveil it. It seems like all of the pressure on artist facilities closer to downtown should spawn more activity in St. Johns, which has a long history of alternative spaces and studios. Demos: Wapato Correctional Facility | September 18 - November 22 Opening Reception: September 18 6:30 - 9:30PM Wapato Roundtable: September 19 11AM - 1PM at St. Johns Community Center c3:initiative 7326 N. Chicago Ave (St. Johns) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 18, 2015 at 10:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.03.15 First Thursday Picks September 2015 This September is eclectic lady land for the Portland Art Scene:
 Alien She is in depth and groundbreaking survey of the influence of Riot Grrrl on artists today and the culture at large. Extremely topical it is easily the one must see show this month, even if it is in 2 locations, both PNCA and the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Curated by Astria Suparak and Ceci Moss. According to the PR: "Riot Grrrl formed in reaction to pervasive and violent sexism, racism and homophobia in the punk music scene and in the culture at large. Its participants adapted strategies from earlier queer and punk feminisms and '70s radical politics, while also popularizing discussions of identity politics occurring within academia, but in a language that spoke to a younger generation. This self-organized network made up of teenagers and twenty-somethings reached one another through various platforms, such as letters, zines, local meetings, regional conferences, homemade videos, and later, chat rooms, listservs and message boards. The movement eventually spread worldwide, with chapters opening in at least thirty-two states and twenty-six countries Question is if this will have any effect on the sexist bias in the local art scene, one which still favors men (despite most of our curators and gallerists being women) and rewards women more for their "role" than the work? (I'll save that in depth discussion for later) Alien She | September 3 2015 - January 9 2016 Opening: September 3 6:00-8:00PM Museum of Contemporary Craft 724 NW Davis PNCA (511 Gallery) 511 NW Broadway ... (more with Malia Jensen and Lauren Hartman) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 03, 2015 at 14:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.28.15 Jim Dine reading and installation 
Jim Dine Jim Dine is a legendary artist whose heart series became perhaps too popular in dorm room posters in the late 1980's and 90's. I prefer his odd pop assemblages of the late 1950's through the 60's... extremely underrepresented in the art historical cannon and on museum walls. He will be at Passages's Bookstore this weekend for a reading and book launch for Dine's, "Poems to Work On," published by Cuneiform Press. It is in the Towne Storage building (their last event there) so it is a back to roots sort of event rather than a dead museum setting. Jim Dine Reading and Installation | August 29th 12-3PM Passages Bookstore 17 SE Third Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 28, 2015 at 12:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 08.22.15 Lecture on Ai Weiwei  Ai Weiwei, Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, on display at PAM (photo Jeff Jahn) Portlanders love a good lecture and it can't hurt that wildfire smoke has made outdoor activities difficult so a lecture on Ai Weiwei by Lilian M. Li on The Zodiac Animals in the Garden of Perfect Brightness: Orientalism, Occidentalism, and Cultural Patrimony in a climate controlled museum might be just what you need this weekend. We interviewed Mr. Ai here years ago but it should be interesting to most to find out how this art piece is more of a reflection on the rest of the world's familiarity with Chinese culture than Chinese culture itself (a majority of Chinese restaurants have something related to their zodiac so instead of something like the Three Friends of Winter he parrots back a Western version Chinese culture back to the West). It's a bit like me wearing a plastic Viking helmet on the Irish Coast (something I'd never do btw)... it recalls a kind of cultural invasion/subjugation that has been turned into tourist fodder. Most non Chinese know little about their history and other shows like Margie Livingston, Gods & Heroes and Anish Kapoor make it a good time to visit the museum. The Zodiac Animals in the Garden of Perfect Brightness: Orientalism, Occidentalism, and Cultural Patrimony Lecture: August 23 2-3PM Portland Art Museum 12129 SW Park Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 22, 2015 at 12:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.17.15 Melody Owen at Hand-Eye Supply 
Generally artists are most effective as speakers when they are discussing the particular and often esoteric interests that fuel their practice. That is why the latest conversation at Hand-Eye Supply, Cut Away World, with artist Melody Owen looks intriguing. For years she has collected cutaway cross-sections that reveal the anatomy of the subject... creating a kind of intimacy and an illusion of objectivity. The thing is they are essentially maps and like all maps they have a certain subjective angle or set of world view assumptions that they are derived from. I also feel this is the opening salvo of the new season in Portland (things kinda go on hiatus or at least become very "volitional" from July through mid August in Portland's art scene.) Cut Away World | Melody Owen Talk: August 18 6-7PM Hand-Eye Supply 427 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 17, 2015 at 14:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 08.08.15 w a r e @ Surplus Space 
Site responsive, specific and spatially engaged art is a major part of Portland's art scene and the latest show at Surplus Space, curated by Will Elder titled "Ware" is the latest in a long string of shows. "w a r e" features works by Eli Coplan and Rose Dickson and promises to explore, "themes of spatial relations and synchronicity." This makes sense since over the past 15+ years Portland has experiece a major influx of new residents and a building boom, but the question of sucessful work isn't just "responding" to site and using space so I'm very interested in all of these shows. There are poets and philosophers of space and then there are those who simply take it up. As the planet has become quite crowded this question of space has become a defining issue for humanity. w a r e | August 9 - 21 Opening: Sunday, August 9, 3-6PM Closing/Panel Discussion: August 21, 7PM Surplus Space 3726 NE 7th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 08, 2015 at 13:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.06.15 First Thursday Picks August 2015 
Ellen George is simply one of the very best artists in Portland... if you don't know this it is likely because she is a woman and doesn't teach/or an alumnus of one of the local art schools. She's one of the very sci-fi/design savvy artists I keep mentioning (Damien Gilley, Avantika Bawa, Laura Fritz, Jordan Tull, Paula Rebsom, Laura Hughes, Tony Chrenka, Wendy Given, MSHR, Matt Leavitt, Nathaniel Thayer Moss, Jenene Nagy, the former Appendix guys etc.) The genre is significant because they thrive on the shifting uneasy future of civilization as channeled by the Portland ethos, which isn't restricted to Portland). Also, her projects with Jerry Mayer are consistently very strong as well, and their latest "Formation" at NineGallery looks like another winner. Formation|Jerry Mayer & Ellen George August 5 - August 30 2015 Opening Reception: August 6th 6:00 - 9:00PM Nine Gallery (Enter through Blue Sky Gallery) 122 NW 8th Avenue 
PNCA's Low-Residency MFA in Visual Studies is one of my favorite programs in Portland and the thesis exhibition for the 2015 is something you should catch. Drift: PNCA's Lo-Rez MFA Thesis 2015| July 30 - August 9th First Thursday Reception: August 6th, 6:00 - 8:00PM Regular Viewing Hours: Mon-Sat, 9am-10pm, Sunday, 10AM-6PM Pacific Northwest College of Art| Lemelson Innovation Studio (ground floor) 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 06, 2015 at 14:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.28.15 Renters on the move with Recess Last night PORT's Tori Abernathy was on Koin 6 news discussing the Portland Renter's Assembly and the idea of rent control and its something we have been following (check out this review). First of all, the Koin story conveniently cut out any mention of art but the "space" Tori discussed was Recess's old home with studios etc. It was a thriving hive for Portland's vaunted "creative class". I hate that term but it is true a lot of what has made Portland so desirable (artists re-imagining the world) has also pushed many artists out of their hives. The artists are still here (for now) but something should be done as artists are the canaries in Portland's realestate coalmine. Is rent control the answer? Probably not, but it is worth exploring... perhaps 1 year residencies built into new residential projects? What about Vancouver BC's style of Community Amenity Contributions, which I've brought up many times? The simple % for art that such building projects generates isn't the kind of cutting edge art it is displacing. It is tame in many ways and I think of the difference is analogous between that between wild and hatchery salmon when I consider Portland's artist ecosystem and the type of art that is produced in undeveloped vs developed spaces.
With all that in mind Recess is renting from Air BnB for two events in Portland's Alphabet District. The first will be a series of talks on Wednesday then an exhibition on Friday.  Air BnB rental for Recess' latest. A Good Place To Live: Talking Summary by Steve Kado When: Wednesday, July 29th 7-8:30PM Kado's talk is "is an effort to transplant the central issue of classical philosophy, the goal of understanding what would in both material and ethical terms constitute 'a good life.'" Capacity is limited so RSVP info@recessart.com to reserve a space and address The second part of the program is an exhibition titled Modern Apartment in Alphabet District. It takes place July 31th, 2015 from 3-7PM with hour long appointments starting and ending on the hour (space is limited to 15 so contact info@recessart.com to get your time and location) Artists include: Will Elder, Steve Kado and Rebecca Peel and their "Interventions, both architectural and sentimental, agitate the uncanny viscosity of our unknown host's personal brand." It sounds intriguing. Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 28, 2015 at 12:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.21.15 Wendy Given speaks at PNCA  Part of Wendy Given's Creatiio exhibition at Hap gallery in 2014 Tomorrow Wendy Given will discuss her work in the brand new Mediatheque hall at PNCA. Given is one of numerous local artists who explores the way nature creeps into our consciousness via the way it disrupts the sense of what is contemporary. In fact, it is often pagan and sci-fi at the same time... making the genre an heir to surrealism in some important ways. Basically, animals have a way of taking viewers out of time and creating an empathetic and or fight or flight present (some bright curator could do a challenging survey with her Malia Jensen, Vanessa Renwick, Vicky Lynn Wilson, Ellen George, Laura Fritz, Paul Clay, Paula Rebsom, Julia Oldham, Melody Owen, Rick Bartow, sometimes Heidi Schwegler and Seattle's Jeffry Mitchell exploring animal in the contemporary art ecosystem but our institutions don't really look all that hard at trends regionally, even though nearly all of these artists show outside the region in major institutions). Maybe it is the fact that most of these artists are women? We tend not to value empathy/nature in art, especially when it is existentially unsettling. Which is a great lead in to checking out Given's talk. Artist Talk: Wendy Given July 22, 6:30 - 8:00PM PNCA (Mediatheque) 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 21, 2015 at 13:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.02.15 First Thursday Picks July 2015 It is a hot one for the Portland art scene this First Thursday, here are what look to be the coolest shows (hint they all involve mandala-like symmetry):
 Honour Mack,Emerging, oil and acrylic on canvas Yale trained Honour Mack is the visiting artist for PNCA's Low-Residency MFA in Visual Studies and her exhibition Resolving Chaos should be a good introduction to students and the art scene alike. Her work traffics in the fascination with spirituality that some ascribe to the younger so-called millenial generation (it is sometimes true, as a gen-xer I reject the rule of stereotypes... for example I'm not cynical and it is obvious neither is Mack). It should be of interest to many Portland artists, though one has to ask, why would one want to resolve chaos if it is the natural state of flux for the universe? Resolving Chaos | July 2 - August 8 PNCA 511 NW Broadway 
Iconoclast Nathaniel Thayer Moss's Incision at Hap Gallery marks his debut solo show in the Pearl District. Becausehis work challengs perception and draws on uber-geek/design source material, Moss was the first name I gave when this newish gallerist wanted some leads to check out. I've worked with him and he shows immense potential that doesn't really translate in photographs. Incision | July 2 - August 1 Oprning Reception: July 2 6-8PM Hap Gallery 916 NW Flanders ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 02, 2015 at 15:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.29.15 Environmental Impact Statement at Surplus Space 
It is strange how rare group exhibitions that consider the environment are in Portland. Somehow, most of the institutional curators are unwilling to approach a major thread of discussion here (the 2012 Northwest Biennial at the Tacoma Art Museum did though). In that void... enters Environmental Impact Studies, a group who won a Precipice Fund grant and will be taking over Surplus Space for a week. Lead by Lisa Schonberg, Leif J Lee and my arch nemesis Amy Harwood (long story, she dressed in a bear costume in 2003 and attacked me with her sandwich board... then we co-curated the enviro-conversantIn Vicinity together in 2009. She's great.) Basically Environmental Impact Statement will be conducting interventions in Mt. Hood's forests, where logging and pipelines have been threatening ecosystems for many years and the Surplus Space show will ideally bring some of that back to Portland featuring work by: Featuring work by: Jodie Cavalier, Jodi Darby, Lisa Schonberg, Heather Treadway, Amy Wheeler Harwood, Leif J. Lee, Alison Jane Clarys, Danielle Ross, Gary Wiseman, Sam Pirnak and others. Environmental Impact Statement | June 29th - July 17th Opening: June 29, 6:00 - 9:00PM Closing Reception & Talk: July 17th 7:00PM Surplus Space 3726 NE 7th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 29, 2015 at 12:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.19.15 Weekend Picks  Sneak peek of No Boundaries at PICA (photo Jeff Jahn) Aboriginal art (like all great things) is controversial, facing relentless questions of authenticity and exploitation... yet the strength of the best work stands and you will be able to see some of it in PICA's latest show, No Boundaries. It also foregrounds a strong discussion around collecting art (all coming from the Scholl's world renowned collection)... an example Portland's young patronage system needs more of. Great Art transcends, while embodying all orbital questions and tensions and this exhibition does occasionally deliver those moments where all the minuses become plusses. True, No Boundaries is new territory for PICA in many understandably head scratching ways. For example, many of the contemporary aboriginal artists presented are no longer living yet PICA typically works directly with living artists. Also, this the only West Coast leg of a national museum tour, yet PICA is definitely not a museum. Still, I understood why PICA curator Kristan Kennedy wanted to do this (PICA is the least linear thinking of all of Portland's art institutions). So why? First, the Scholl's collection represents some of the most vital abstract work of the past 50 years, the kind no serious painter can ignore. Contemporary aboriginal art came of age in the 90's and caught on in Britain before other places... they are filled with contraditions. For example, some of the works on display are legitimate masterpieces, though the Scholls don't baby them with museum requisites like climate control. Lastly, No Boundaries is heart stoppingly good in addition to being a turbid collision of worlds... some of the greatest aboriginal artists on view like Paddy Bedford and Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri exemplify the joy and heartache of this collision and thereby form a commentary on both a now vanished world outside of the art market, tragic race relations and true contemporary influence. It is incredibly current and nobody, especially painters should miss this traveling gem of an exhibition organized by my friend Bill Fox at the Nevada Art Museum. Where? The venue is in Chinatown kitty corner from the old PCVA and across from the old Portland Art Center's spaces. Artists: Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri (1958-), Paddy Bedford (1922-2007), Jananggoo Butcher Cherel (1918-2009), Tommy Mitchell (1943-2013), Ngarra (1920-2008), Prince of Wales (Midpul) (1938-2002), Billy Joongoora Thomas (1920-2012), Boxer Milner Tjampitjin (1935-2009), and Tjumpo Tjapanangka (1929–2007) No Boundaries | June 20 - August 16, 2015 Opening Reception: June 20 7:00PM Historian's talk with Henry Skarit | June 22 6:30PM (free) PICA (main exhibition at Mason Ehrman building annex, with a few leftover works at PICA HQ) 467 NW Davis, Portland Oregon Hours: Th-Fri, 12:00-6:30PM Sat-Sun, 12:00-4:00PM 
Last Fall, globetrotter & local art scene stalwart Liz Obert's latest work Dualities went viral with some nice media attention from Slate and today you can catch the work in Portland. Dualities explores the complexities and bifurcations present in those who live with mental illness. Obert's approach is diaristic, slightly reminiscent of Sophie Calle and I'm fascinated by the subject matter... myself and those nearest me are mostly very fortunate to not have to experience these issues but still I think all of us would be surprised how common, manageable yet untreated mental illness is. Liz Obert Dualities | June 15 - August 15 Opening Reception June 19 5-7PM The Olympic Mills Commerce Center 107 SE Washington St ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 19, 2015 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.13.15 Weekend Picks: Gods, Heroes and Hipsters The Portland Art Museum's Gods and Heroes, Masterpieces from the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Historically the Ecole des Beaux Arts was one of the toughest and most prestigious of all of the art academies in Europe. It boasts a heavy hitting "last name only necessary" alumni roster including: Gericault, Delecroix, Moreau, Manet, Degas, Renior, Cassatt, Bonnard and Rodin... spanning into the 20th Century. The collection is one of the world's finest including 200 works from Prix de Rome contestants. They wouldhave studied some of the works on view in Portland. The PAM Exhibition will focus on 140 pre Twentieth Century works by; Jacques-Louis David, Jean-Honore Fragonard, Anne-Louis Girodet, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Antoine-Louis Barye, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Jean-Antoine Houdon, Francois Rude and drawings by Simon Vouet, Antoine-Jean Gros, and Theodore Gericault. The Homeric and classicaly versed allegorical subect matter has always held an unexpected allure for Portlanders and I suspect it is the enmeshed civic/moral storytelling/ambiguities one finds in these works that endears them so. I certainly enjoy a good scene from the Trojan War and the way an artist might interpret a particular moment in Achilles tale. Perhaps check out the curators talk on Sunday at 2:00 to get a better grounding on the subject matter? Gods and Heroes, Masterpieces from the Ecole des Beaux Arts | June 13 - September 13 Curators In Conversation: June 14, 2:00PM | Whitsell Auditorium Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park 
What could be more different than Gods and Heroes?... Todd Johnson's Hipster-ish Malt Liquor and Cold Cuts photography exhibition at FalseFront tonight. Who knows, maybe 500 years from now academy trained painters might be painting their interpretation of what happens at Falsefront tonight? Malt Liquor and Cold Cuts | June 13 - July 12 Opening Reception: June 13 6-9PM FalseFront 4518 NE 32 Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 13, 2015 at 12:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.06.15 Weekend Picks  Mel Katz 2009 (photo Jeff Jahn) Mel Katz is easily one of the most important figures in the history of Portland's art scene so his 50 year retrospective at the Hallie Ford Museum is much anticipated. As a PSU and PNCA professor as well as a founding force within the PCVA, he brought new international standards to Portland. As an artist he was the only Portland based artist whose name and work I was familiar with (from afar) when I moved here 16 years ago. We interviewed him extensively here on PORT and the work remains as vibrant today as it ever was. Art can become cynical or defensive as a career progresses and it is a testament to Mel's achievement that no trace of those sentiments can be found in his work. His work stands as a proof in concept for worthy, high minded ideals and engagement. Make the trip to Salem. On and Off The Wall | June 6 - August 23 Hallie Ford Museum 700 State Street Salem Oregon 
Vase by Tatsuzo Shimaoka The Portland Japanese Garden does the best craft/design exhibition in Portland, partly because Japanese craft and design traditions are simply incredible. Their latest exhibition Kizuna, The Rebirth of Mahiko Ceramics explores the the work of Mahiko, a remote pottery town whose legendary kiln was destroyed by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami incident. The term Kizuna is loosely translates to, "the bonds between people," and has been repeated frequently since the 2011 disaster. Kizuna, The Rebirth of Mahiko Ceramics | June 6 - July 5 Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Avenue ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 06, 2015 at 10:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.04.15 First Thursday Picks June 2015 
Ethan Rose at PDX A great deal of sound art becomes gimicky quickly but what I like about Ethan Rose's latest "Entwined" is the way he uses sound waves to create visible waveforms. There is a lot of promise in such an honest approach and soundwaves are incredibly interesting visually. Entwined: a sound installation | June 2-27 PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders  Gordon Parks, Department Store, Mobile Alabama (1956) Gordon Parks is a legend in both photography and the history of civil rights. Sometimes Art simply is History. This is one of those confluences and Portland is lucky to have this show at Blue Sky. I think the press release says it all: "In September 1956, LIFE magazine published a series of 26 color photographs by Gordon Parks that documented aspects of everyday life for the Thorntons, an African-American family, in and around Mobile, Alabama during Jim Crow segregation. The photo-essay, 'The Restraints: Open and Hidden,' contained only a fraction of the countless images that Parks shot during this time, but until the fortuitous discovery of 70 additional color transparencies in 2011, the bulk of the photographs taken for this assignment were thought to be lost. Throughout the month of June, Blue Sky will show a limited-edition portfolio of twelve of these rarely-seen color images, reprinted and loaned by the Gordon Parks Foundation for this special exhibition." Gordon Parks | June 3 - 28 Blue Sky 122 NW 8th ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 04, 2015 at 16:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.27.15 Richard Hunt & Lee Kelly at PNCA 
My favorite Richard Hunt, Slabs of the Sunburnt West (1975) at University of Chicago There is something about heavy existential metal and by that I mean sculpture sited in public spaces. Richard Hunt and Lee Kelly are both synonymous with heavy form art in their respective cities of Chicago and Portland so it should be interesting to hear them compare notes Thursday at PNCA. Both are lyrical but I liken Hunt to being more influenced by the Futurists like Boccioni and Kelly more to language, perhaps even the design of typefaces? Moderated by Pietro Belluschi's son Tony and his wife Marti since the two artists had interacted with the noted midcentury architect. Artist conversation: May 28 6:30 - 8:30PM PNCA 511 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 27, 2015 at 18:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.26.15 Slow Fall To Earth 
Shaking off the holiday, time to reengage? Today at HQHQ as a component of Central's symposium, Peripheral to What?, Amur Initiatives Media and Research presents an, "inquiry into the actuation of an airdrop." Slow Fall to Earth | May 26 7:00PM HQHQ Project Space 232 SE Oak St #108 Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 26, 2015 at 13:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.19.15 Gamblin at Curiosity Club 
Tonight Scott Gellatly of Gamblin Paints will give a presentation on Portland own premium oil paint manufacturer to Curiosity Club. Oil paint may seem old school to some but the proliferation of color in modern life is a relatively new thing. Before the impressionists paints had to be produced in individual artist studios, which by necessity resembled factories in their own right. Ive taken the factory tour several times and it is always fascinating, so do yourself a favor and check this out if you have any interest in painting or color itself. Gamblin Lecture: May 19th, 6-7PM Hand Eye Supply 427 NW Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 19, 2015 at 10:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.13.15 Mary Henry at Jeffrey Thomas  Mary Henry at her home During the Twentieth Century the story of Modern Art was mostly one of men but in the past 20 years a more varigated and gender accurate history has been rediscovered major contributors like Sonia Delaunay, Gabreiel Munter and Lygia Clark. There is still a long way to go though and the fact that Helen Frankenthaler's work still sells for less than Morris Louis' is galling since she introduced the staining technique and was more than a little involved in the development of Greenberg's most important theories. We are just beginning a major revision. Enter the late Mary Henry to that list and her estate's first exhibition with Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art titled Gardens of Delight. A student of Laslo Maholy-Nagy at the New Bauhaus in Chicago Henry distinguished herself by absorbing the Bauhaus teaching of forms conveying underlying spiritual information. Today we call it good design but back then it needed to have an more exotic terminology. Henry is an exceptional poet of forms as Arcy conveyed a while back here on PORT. So often female artists have to traffic in a sense of vulnerability with their private lives or nakedness being used. Henry, like Agnes Martin and Frankenthaler, she's just excellent and justifies how abstraction gets us back to basics by removing gender norms entirely from the work. Garden of Delight | May 13 - July 11 Opening Reception: May 13 6-8PM Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art 2219 NW Raleigh Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 13, 2015 at 12:16 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 05.07.15 First Thursday Picks May 2015 With the very early Spring it seems like the Summer season of group shows is out in full force already. Yet it is still Spring and this is what is in bloom:
 Midori Hirose is one of those artists that the Portland art scene loves critically (we were the first to review her when she was relatively unknown and again and yet again). I has been a while since we have seen her go all out so this exhibition at PSU's often excellent Littman Gallery is quite welcome. We shall see what this humorous alchemist is up to this time? The Joker Is Wild | May 6 - May 27, 2015 Reception: May 7, 2013, 7 - 8PM Artist's talk: Artist talk and performance: Thurs, May 14, 7-8PM TJIW w/ special guest Rattledick (music for the high strung) Littman Gallery, Smith Hall, Room 250 Portland State University, 1825 SW Broadway ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 07, 2015 at 14:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.01.15 Weekend Picks It is you final weekend to catch Italian Style at PAM, Hakkodo at the Japanese Garden as well as Italian Style at PAM, Hakkodo at the Japanese Garden as well as Julie Alpert at the Archer Gallery. These are my picks for this weekend art wise:
 Megan Whitmash at Reading Frenzy Sunday afternoon Jennifer Armbrust (PORT co-founder) and her co-curator Michelle Blade present Feminist Bookstore at Reading Frenzy. Artists; Lisa Anne Auerbach, Michelle Blade, Alika Cooper, Edie Fake, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Whitney Hubbs, Jessica Hutchins, Jessie Rose Vala and Megan Whitmarsh have re-imagined covers of feminist classics. On Sunday 1-3PM you are encouraged to bring in your own feminist classics and create your own custom dust cover with supplies on hand. All covers created during the event will be scanned and posted on feministlibrary.org According to the press release, "Drawing attention to the role of feminist thinking in artistic practice, Feminist Bookstore celebrates the contribution of writers, theorists and intellectuals. Each artist created a custom dust jacket for a book that has shaped their life, work, or way of being. These jackets will be displayed on the original books, inviting viewer to engage not just with the art, but with the texts themselves." Feminist Library | May 1-31 Dust Jacket Event: Sunday May 3, 1 - 4PM Reading Frenzy 3628 N. Mississippi Ave  Acanthus, lacquered bowl by Naoko Goto Dont miss the last weekend to catch 4 generations of the Goto family's lacquer work in Hakkodo, The Artisans of Kamakura. It is also a reunion of sorts since Unkyu Goto won the Gold Medal for outstanding Craftsmanship in Portland's 1905 World's Fair. There is a reason the Japanese Garden has put on the strongest craft shows in the city for several years now and this is no exception. In a rare move a woman, Keiko Goto is now head of the family's workshop while her younger sister Naoko has opened a more moder solo practice. Definitely check it out, besides the Japanese Garden itself is sublime and a top shelf experience. The sheer scope of the exhibition with its exquisite craft presents a living continuity that a lot of artisanal crafts have trouble with (trendy retro might seem "authentic" but the genuine is the real thing that "authentic" makes pretenses of being but is not). This doesn't feel antiquarian so much as an exquisite family reunion. I'll have more on this but since it is such a lovely weekend go to the garden. Hakkodo, The Artisans of Kamakura | April 10 - May 3 Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Avenue" Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 01, 2015 at 12:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.29.15 Frameless Continuum  Cantaloup (still) Vasulkas inc. Most art has a technical aspect, from the innovation of mass produced pigments to the mechanics of photography... the history of most artistic genres is an index of crafted technology. Video art is obviously very influenced in similar ways by technology and Frameless Continuum: Image Processing in Early American Video Art is an exploration the way the craft of image processing technology helped develop the video art genre in the 1970'sand 80's. The look is all the retro rage again and colorizing, keying, switching, and fading have come back in digital apps so here is your chance to learn the history and marvel at the massive processing power your smartphone now has. Of course that ubiquity and ease can lead to overuse. What's more why doesn't the discussion of craft extend to processing electronics and computer code? Frameless Continuum | April 30, 7:30PM PNCA Mediatheque 511 NW Broadway $8 Suggested Donation | Free for PNCA students with current ID Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 29, 2015 at 19:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.24.15 Weekend Pick: Laser Gilley 
It had to happen, it was inevitable... one of Portland's favorite artists, Damien Gilley, has harnessed the power of lasers and for one night will turn Carl & Sloan Contemporary into laserland. It will also be a book release for his monograph Vibrations. I've followed and worked with Damien over the years being the first to review him while he was still in grad school (I normally wait till they graduate). He's grown a lot from a local favorite to an artist with an international career. Basically, this is chief art event this weekend in one smallish gallery and it continues to reiterate that science/design/scifi art (I call them space invaders)is a major trend in work here that hasn't been adequately addressed by any institution in Oregon yet. They all explore the tension and promise of technology/design in a city obsessed with the quality of life. Damien Gilley | April 25 6-10PM Carl & Sloan 8371 N. Interstate Ave. #1 Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 24, 2015 at 16:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.17.15 The Space Between 
I generally don't plug shows by artists that are still in school unless it is a thesis show but this 2 day pop up exhibition titled The Space Between looks promising. It explores one of my favorite themes of symmetry/asymmetry and teaser images look like it is installed in intriguing ways. It is related to an old zen principle of breaking symmetry in order to to bring life to the space (the Japanese Garden is full of it and the implications in mathematics are vast). Curated by two OCAC MFA's Sarah Eaton and Shiloh Gastello it features; Christiana Hedlund, Caylee Hoover, Colin Kippen, Sarah Miller, Jennifer Sindon and Emma Weber. The Space Between | April 17 and 18 Opening Reception: Friday, April 17th, 6 - 9PM Ash Street Project Studio, 524 SE Ash Street Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 17, 2015 at 13:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.13.15 Julie Alpert's Splat! at Archer Gallery  Julie Alpert Julie Alpert is a Seattle based painter and installation artist and along with hercurrent exhibition Splat! at the Archer gallery, she is the artist in residence at Clark College. I like how the Archer has become an embassy in the Portland area for Seattle artists over the years. It would be good for everyone if there was a similarly reciprocal venue outside but still near Seattle. Then there is the difficulty of showing artists from Vancouver Canada in the States despite being so close by. Ah borders, the arts are naturally inclined to cross them, governments... not so much. Seattle and Portland's art scenes can actually learn a great deal from each other, both from their differences and similarities. Show up and compare notes at Splat! Splat! | April 6 - May 7, 2015 Reception: April 15, 5-7PM Artist Talk: April 15: 4:00PM Archer Gallery 1943 Fort Vancouver Way, Penguin Union Building Vancouver Washington Gallery Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 10AM - 7PM, Fri. and Sat. 12-5PM Phone: 360 992 2246 Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 13, 2015 at 20:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.10.15 Weekend Picks 
Hakkodo, The Artisans of Kamakura, is the finale in a trio of of exhibitions tracing traditions in Japanese lacquer and brings 4 generations of artists (all from one town) who have for 29 generations handed down the tradition from father to son. Now a woman, Keiko Goto, is building a new tradition along with her sister Naoko, building upon the past but moving in a new direction. PORT reviewed the exquisite second in the series by Kazumi Murose, and the first Rediscovering Lacquer was our top pick of 2014's craft/design exhibitions. Definitely check it out, besides the Japanese Garden itself is sublime and a top shelf experience. Hakkodo, The Artisans of Kamakura | April 10 - May 3 Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Avenue ...more (Heidi Schwegler + Richard Mosse) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 10, 2015 at 14:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.07.15 Amy Whitaker Lecture 
There is a great deal going on midweek in Portland visual arts wise but Amy Whitaker's lecture looks promising. Whitaker is the author of Museum Legs a collection of essays on the life of museums and public art and explores the intersection of art, business, and everyday life. . She is also the president of the Professional Organization for Women in the Arts (POWarts) and a mentor for fellows of the TED Conferences as well as full-time faculty at the Sothebys Institute of Art in New York. Amy holds an MBA from Yale and an MFA in oil painting from the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Her undergraduate degree is in political science and studio art from Williams College. Amy Whitaker | MFA AC+D Visiting Artist Lecture Lecture: April 8, 6:30- 8:30PM AC+D STUDIOS 421 NE 10th Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 07, 2015 at 11:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.02.15 First Thursday Picks April 2015 Well spring is in the air, bringing a sense of newness and renewal. Here is what should be fresh tonight:
There's nothing fresher than new BFA's (hopefully that's true). Enter PNCA's 503/971 exhibition, organized by two students, Joseph McGehee and Joseph Greer the exhibition will survey current art students from PNCA, PSU, Reed, OCAC, and Lewis & Clark. Curated by Kristan Kennedy (Portland Institute for Contemporary Art), Robert Snowden (Yale Union), Libby Werbel (Portland Museum of Modern Art) this will be the first real shakedown of the new commons space so Im extra curious how it plays out as a gallery space. 503/971 | April 1 - April 29 Opening Reception: April 2 6-9PM 511 Commons PNCA 511 NW Broadway ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 02, 2015 at 15:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.30.15 Burkheimer & Antoni  Burkheimer is at Linfield Karl Burkheimer's ambiguous architecture for "Not It" will be the final show curator Cris Moss curates for the Linfield Gallery... one of the very best spaces in the region so let's hope his replacement is up to the task (the U of O likely snagged Moss as a way to compete more effectively with PNCA, which now has a vastly enhanced profile with the 511 building). Burkheimer is at his strongest when he's more of an architectural gadfly and less sculptural, yet still not architecture( he has strayed into both areas lately so I sense this is a return to form/unform) and Linfield's soaring gallery is one of the few in the region which presents a lot of room for such fugitive interlocutionary spatial experiences. The fact that this trickster is opening this on April 1st is another good sign to go see "Not It"... both Burkheimer and Moss enjoy a smart prank and sometimes that strategy works wonders. Not It | April 1 - May 6 Reception and Talk: Wednesday, April 1, at 5:30PM (artist talk) Delkin Recital Hall, 6:30PM reception in gallery Linfield Gallery | Linfield College 900 SE Baker st., McMinnville, OR  Janine Antoni Ingrown, 1998 7 years ago Reed used to have the best college art programming/shows in the region... That isn't true anymore but their Ostrow lecture series remains one of the best bets. What's more, it has been over a decade since PICA was the last to bring Janine Antoni to speak to Portlanders. Antoni's work presents the body and its functions as a kind of aesthetic intelligence made manifest in the tradition of greats like Ana Mendieta, Chris Burden, Richard Long and the once great Marina Abromovic. There is a current crop of younger practitioners like Tino Seghal and Rossana Martinez (whose work I brought to PNCA in 2010) to name a few. Considering the popularity of such physical intelligence work it will be interesting what she has to say about not jumping the shark. Janine Antoni | Ostrow Lecture Series Artist talk: March 31 7:00PM Reed College | Kaul Auditorium Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 30, 2015 at 12:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.05.15 First Thursday Picks March 2015 It is one of the strongest First Thursdays in years for Portland. Here is where you gotta go. (Liz Leach, Adams & Ollman and Portland's newest major gallery Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art all have shows that were up last month but worth a look). Here is what is new:
 Gathering Autonomy: Justseeds Artists' Cooperative at PNCA's new 511 Gallery Obviously the opening of PNCA's 511 building is a crucial part of Portland's visual art scene and the school is throwing a First Thursday Festival from 6-9PM. Explore the building, which will be filled with multimedia art installations, even outdoor projections upon the building. Check out the new 511 gallery, which presents Gathering Autonomy: Justseeds Artists' Cooperative. First Thursday Festival | March 5 6-9PM PNCA 511 NW Broadway  Gate E at Muscle Beach Muscle Beach has taken over a great space in Morgans Alley for Gate E a group show featuring, Erika Ceruzzi, Zack Davis, Lali Foster, Heather McKenna and Rebecca R Peel. Gate E | February 20-March 25 First Thursday open til 7PM Muscle Beach @ Morgan's Alley 515 SW Broadway ... (More) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 05, 2015 at 12:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.16.15 Vicky Lynn Wilson's Era at Alexander Gallery  Vicky Lynn Wilson at CCC Vicky Lynn Wilson is one of those artists we here at PORT track. Partially, it is because she always puts such exhaustive effort into her exhibitions. Her previous Cumulus was a tour de force so an exhibition tracing her milestone of turning 40 plus a look back at her transition from art student to professor called Era should be worth the trip to Oregon City (but its only open during the week but contact them to see if something can be done: kates(at)clackamas.edu). Wilson has always effectively mined her own life and material experiences and the Alexander Gallery is one of the nicest in the state (wish it were programmed accordingly with the same rigor/vigor/hours as say the Archer Gallery because it is a great space). ERA | February 17 - March 19 Opening & Talk: Thursday, February 19th, 12PM Alexander Gallery | Gallery Hours are 9-5 Monday-Friday Clackamas Community College (Niemeyer Center for the Performing Arts) 19600 Molalla Avenue, Oregon City Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 16, 2015 at 22:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.11.15 Midweek doings  Area view Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art's inaugural show (photo Jeff Jahn) We broke the story a few weeks ago but tonight marks the return of one of the gallerists who started First Thursday, Jeffrey Thomas. He's charmingly bemused the unveiling isn't ON First Thursday but that hardly matters, the exhibition shows off Jeffrey's zen tinged tastes brought back from his days as a gallerist in SOHO and the Portland branch of Jamison Thomas, which was one of the first Pearl District spaces. PDX Contemporary and Froelick (now 20 years old) both learned the trade at the Jamison Thomas Gallery. His background simply makes him different than any other gallerist in the Northwest, it shaped him but it has also given him a tremendous amount of perspective that being out of the game for 20 years can give you. If he hadn't been a consistent part of the art scene here this would be a massively jarring re-introduction... but to many of us it wasn't an if but "when" situation. The space is a nicely proportioned white box and the inaugural show The Sum Of Its Parts - Part 1 consists of few area ringers like Mary Henry, Brain Borello, Sean Healy, Laura Fritz and James Lavadour. There are comparative newcomers as well like Ben Buswell and Brad Mildrexler (among others) as well as former Jamison Thomas artists Cyrilla Mozenter and Heather Hutchinson. The Sum Of Its Parts 1 | February 11 - March 21 Opening Reception: February 11 6-9PM Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art 2219 NW Raliegh  Aly Khalifa On Thursday the talk by Aly Kalifa looks like a very interesting talk for designers and entrepreneurs. "Aly Khalifa is design entrepreneur that is addicted to inventive culture. He has specialized in innovation development and launched products for some of the most exciting sports brands in the world. Trained as both an engineer and a designer, Aly has traveled extensively for 19 years to manufacture sporting goods design and technologies. His collaborations have garnered more than 16 patents, been nominated for a Grammy Award and exhibited in the Louvre." Aly is the co-founder of Designbox, a multi-disciplinary workspace of creative professionals. He is also the founder and leader of SPARKcon, the nation's largest open source festival that promotes local creative culture. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 11, 2015 at 12:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 02.07.15 Italian Style in Portland  Italian Style: Fashion Since 1945 opens today at the Portland Art Museum. I can't tell you how many times longtime Portlanders have expressed surprise at this show... Portland and fashion? Yet it is no secret that Portland has changed. Now there is a tight knit and respected clothing design scene here and design of all types is one of the major new economic drivers of this hip yet not following anybody else city. The subject appeals to Portland on numerous levels. There's the obvious design connection, but it is also the way fashion is a way to express optimism on a personal meets community level. Portland gets that. Then there is the strong Italian influence you can find in our cafe culture, espresso anyone? Lastly, there is the museum itself with its Belluschi designed wing where the exhibition begins. The travertine marble floors and palazzo style arcade of the Schnitzer Atrium didn't need any Italianification. The show itself is exquisite. My personal favorite being Mila Schon's gown for Jaqueline Kennedy for Truman Capote's Black and White Ball. It is all here, Marucelli, Gucci, Versace, Dolce and Gabana, Prada... there is even a kitty sweater. A room of Portland designers with Italian influence rounds out the exhibition. There is some menswear including a suit for JFK and as local designer Elizabeth Dye mentioned at the preview fashion is really for everyone. Sure, some of this is ultra bespoke couture but a lot of it is an expression of handmade values and an expression of community pride. A large portion of it is about comfort and style and the Ferrari in the lobby shows just how Italian Style as a mode caught on in the USA with much broader appeal than French fashion. The Ferrari induces constant Ferris Beuller references and references to Audrey Hepburn's old Hollywood glamour are everywhere. About the only thing missing is Bjorn Borg's icon 70's Fila sportswear (Nike and Adidas wouldn't be half of what they are today without Bjorn's immense appeal, Nike snagged McEnroe quickly), it is something Victoria and Albert Museum curator Sonnet Stanfill admitted, though she points it was added to the book for that reason. Still, the exhibition is stunning and a must see as an expression of community pride in design, craft and style. Portland might be relentlessly casual but it is a studied relentlessness that makes this contrasting approach so interesting to us. Italian Style | February 7 - May 3 Curators's Talk: February 8, 2-3PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 07, 2015 at 12:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.05.15 First Thursday February 2015 Picks  My top pick for First Thursday this month has got to be Bill Will's Love Thy Neighbor at Nine Gallery because any artist who uses bread makers, tent poles and felt rockets to explore the absurdity of short range missile warfare simply cannot be ignored. The installation makes a lovely clicking noise too... is it a bomb or bread? Love Thy Neighbor | February 5 - March 1 Opening Reception: February 5 6-9PM Nine Gallery (inside Bluesky) 122 NW 8th  Joe Rudko's Flat Wave at PDX Joe Rudko's latest show Picturesque mines the way the distortions of nostalgia turn once recognizable photographs into a kind of abstraction. In some ways it is a full circle and very zen way of recursively turning photography into an icon but somewhat in reverse of Rauschenberg and Warhol's methods. It also makes sense that his work graces the cover of Death Cab for Cutie's latest album, Kintsugi. Picturesque | February 3- 28 Opening Reception: February 5, 6-8PM PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 05, 2015 at 16:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.23.15 Weekend Picks  Jordan Schnitzer speaking to 5th Graders for Under Pressure (photo Jeff Jahn) Under Pressure, making its stop in Eugene, is the most encyclopedic of the exhibitions collector Jordan Schnitzer has touring the country but it is the way the educational program around it presents a pantheon of worldviews and strategies that is so valuable. The list of artists tells the rest of the tale: Radcliffe Bailey, John Baldessari, Jennifer Bartlett, Robert Bechtle, Mark Bennett, Vija Celmins, Enrique Chagoya, Chuck Close, Richard Diebenkorn, Richard Estes, Joe Feddersen, Eric Fischl, Helen Frankenthaler, Ellen Gallagher, Red Grooms, Damien Hirst, Robert Indiana, Jasper Johns, Donald Judd, Alex Katz, Barbara Kruger, Sol LeWitt, Roy Lichtenstein, Hung Liu, Brice Marden, Kerry James Marshall, Sarah Morris, Judy Pfaff, Martin Puryear, Robert Rauschenberg, Edward Ruscha, Richard Serra, Roger Shimomura, Lorna Simpson, Kiki Smith, Donald Sultan, Fred Tomaselli, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol and Terry Winters. The variety of approaches in the media of printmaking gives a multifaceted opportunity to do exercise one's muscles for comparative aesthetics. Under Pressure | January 24 - March 29 Collector's talk andtour: January 24th 11:00AM Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art | University of Oregon Campus 1430 Johnson Lane, Eugene  White Noise2 looks like the art part that kick off the Portland art scene's 2015. A while ago Worksound introduced the idea of a Contemprary Triennial and this fundraiser/info event should give everyone more to chew on. Installations by: Corey Smith, Judith Sturdevant, Mack McFarland and Cintamani. Video by: Ajna Lichau, Eileen Isagon Skyers, Paul Clay and Santi Chandravongsri. White Noise 2 | $10 or $15 for 1+1 January 24 8PM - Midnight 916 NW Hoyt ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 23, 2015 at 12:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.20.15 Allan Sekula at Lewis & Clark College 
Still from Sekula and Burch's The Forgotten Space (2010) When the world lost photographer, critic and theorist Allan Sekula a few years ago it was a huge loss. Still, his legacy of interrogating the long and isolating arms of global commerce lives on and now Portlanders finally have a chance to take in an extensive survey of his work Reinventing Documentary: The Art of Allan Sekula at the excellent Hoffman Gallery. Sekula's career spanned everything from a Guggenheim fellowship to participating in Documenta XII and was one of the cornerstone professors in Los Angeles' art scene. His presence alone at openings gave things weight, and for a flavor of what he brought to the table check out this interview in Bomb. His wife Sally Stein will make some remarks at the opening. Reinventing Documentary: The Art of Allan Sekula |Januray 22 - March 15 Opening Reception: January 22 5-7PM, Remarks by Sally Stein at 5:30PM Lecture: Blake Stimson: "Allan Sekula and Paul Strand", February 24 | Miller 105, 6:30PM Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark College 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 20, 2015 at 9:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.19.15 Takahashi | Kennedy Conversation  Mami Takahashi C3: Initiative presents a screening and conversation with multidisciplinary Portland-based artist Mami Takahashi and curator Kristan Kennedy. On Wednesday January 21st Takahashi will present and discuss recent video and performance work, which uses the body to explore, "cultural identities, inbetweenness, and legibility." The conversation with Kennedy will follow. Screening + Conversation Wednesday, January 21st, 2015 | 6PM c3:initiative (in St. Johns) 7326 N. Chicago Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 19, 2015 at 15:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.12.15 Exploring Images of Africans at the Archer  Mohau Modisakeng, Untitled (Frame Xii), 2012 Seattle gallerist James Harris has curated an exhibition of African photographers who explore self portraiture, culture and identity titled, Am I Not a Man and a Brother? Am I not a Woman and a Sister? It features: Hasan and Husain Essop, Nomusa Makhubu Mohau Modisakeng, Abraham Oghobase and Adeola Olagunju with additional works by; Jodi Bieber, Kudzanai Chiurai, Frank Marshall, Ebony Patterson, Lindeka Gloria Qampi, Nontsikelelo "Lolo" Veleko, Saya Woolfaulk. Am I Not a Man and a Brother? Am I not a Woman and a Sister? | January 6 - February 7, 2015 Reception: January 13, 4-6PM Archer Gallery 1943 Fort Vancouver Way, Penguin Union Building Vancouver Washington Gallery Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 10AM - 7PM, Fri. and Sat. 12-5PM Phone: 360 992 2246 Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 12, 2015 at 12:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.08.15 First Thursday January 2015 Picks January's First Thursday kicks everything for the year off a week late for 2015. Here are my picks:
 Eva and Franco Mattes, last days of the Feldman Gallery I know I picked this a while back but this time it is your last chance to say goodbye to the Feldman Gallery for good with Eva and Franco Mattes' exhibition Breaking Banality: The Dysfunction of Remediation at PNCA. The school's new 511 building should be an improvement though. The exhibition's title was created by an online random exhibition title generator and will restage, "ten reiterations of one performance from their series 'BEFNOED - By Everyone, For No One, Every Day,' for which they commission anonymous workers to realize webcam performances." Related to Fluxus events and the general way in which instructions manage computers of all sorts it should spark further discussion of the quirk-core performances that are popular on youtube and amongst recent art school grads these days. Breaking Banality: The Dysfunction of Remediation | November 6 2014 - January 10 2015 Feldman Gallery PNCA 1241 NW Johnson  Victoria Haven Award winning Victoria Haven's latest exhibition, Subtitles, at PDX Contemporary is comprised of a massive array of 100 wood block prints. It should be cinematic... just without the movie and there is something about the gallery's architecture that should really work well with this refreshingly dry way to kick off the year in the Pacific Northwest. Subtitles | January 6-31 Opening Reception: January 8, 6-8PM PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 08, 2015 at 14:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 12.21.14 Ntvty V 
It started 5 years ago as a parody of holiday nativity scenes but these days the annual display by Xhurch (it is housed in a former church) is now simply spiritually pluralist cacophony. I think of it as a more artistic take on this sometimes crass season. Cyber-Vikings, Excessive Yogurt Yogis, Trekkie Twitter Tolkienists, Donut Sandwich Apocalyptics, Block Party Federalists and Sea Monkey Capitalists unite? Overall, one thing I appreciate about Portland is the the way most everyone can get on without trying to homogenize everything. Embrace the season like the Portland art scene does... NTVTY V | December 22-24 Hours: 6 - 9PM Xhurch 4550 NE 20th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 21, 2014 at 12:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.12.14 Weekend Picks Though the year is winding down with lots of year end parties and held over group shows there are still a few openings this weekend.
It is the giving season so artist Jesse Hayward is doing a kind of autobiographical exhibition, showing many of the works that were given to him over the years at galleryHomeland tonight. Exhibition includes; Olivia Brown, Elias Crouch, Sally Finch, Bryan Friel, Nathan Gibson, Bill Hayward, Midori Hirose, Byron Kurtz, Hannah Lockhart,Mark Moore, Lisa Mir, Jarrett Mitchell, TJ Norris, Tim Schwartz, Sibel Sunar, Liz Walsh. Givers | Opens December 12 6-9PM galleryHomeland Portland 2505 SE 11th Ave 
Thomas J. Gamble's latest show at S1 titled "It's Really Cool To Be Here" focuses on the here and now. The the show title is taken from an interview the night the Eric Garner protests started. Opening 6:00PM S1 4148 NE Hancock Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 12, 2014 at 12:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 12.06.14 Kerry James Marshall at PAM 
With all of the racially driven strife bringing people across the US out into the streets, perhaps Kerry James Marshall's talk at PAM is the most contemplative thing Portlanders can do on a cultural level to address this moment in history. Afterwards, catch the Richard Mosse Enclave show for an unimaginable humanistic perspective on a situation with far fewer solutions. Kerry James Marshall | Critical Voices Artist Talk: December 7, 2-3PM (free to members, $15 non, $12 seniors and students) Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park *Update, for those who could not attend Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 06, 2014 at 21:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.05.14 First Weekend Picks Lots of interesting things going on this weekend in the Portland art scene. Here are my picks:
Worksound International presents Spiderland an installation by Mitsu Okubo. Hailing from San Francisco the work mimics the cacophony of numerous voices all speaking at the same time with no real comprehension. Okubo then translates this universalized disconnect onto canvas. Spiderland | December 5 - January 23 Opening reception: December 5, 6-9PM 820 SE Alder St ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 05, 2014 at 13:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.04.14 First Thurday Picks December 2015 December is always the oddest month for Portland's art scene since many of the main galleries are showing in Miami, group shows are the default and numerous other venues are holding over shows from last month so you can check our picks from last month too. Also, check out the Gabriel Liston show we just reviewed. It is held over as well. Here's what is new:
 Sandra Rouxmagoux Sandra Rouxmagoux is one of the very best paint handlers in the Pacific Northwest and her juxsapositions of the man made and nature skewer that often tense conversation with tragicomic zest. Even more surprisingly she is beginning her second term as the Mayor of Newport. Thesecond half of this dual person show Oriana Lewton-Leopold explores intens emotional reactions of women from the Olympics to Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Blackfish should be the place to check out expressionistic brushwork in Portland for the Month of December. Sandra Rouxmagoux and Oriana Lewton-Leopold | December 2-27 Opening: December 4 6-9PM Artist's talk: December 6, 11:00 AM Blackfish 420 NW 9th Ave ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 04, 2014 at 14:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.21.14 Laura Hughes at PSU 
Laura Hughes has taken on an unenviable task in visual art... somehow trying to find a way to carve out something new while building on the careers of light and space artists Robert Irwin, Dan Flavin, James Turrell and Doug Wheeler. Later today she will speak about this challenge and her latest show at PSU's excellent Littman Gallery, a space which typically has one of the best programs in the city (it is run by students). This exhibition has more Flavin in it than I've seen from her before and the use of sequencing and stations points in a new direction for the artist. The Lines Along Which Anything Lies | through December 4 Artist talk: November 21 6:30 - 8:00 PM Littman Gallery (Smith Center) Portland State University Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 21, 2014 at 10:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.14.14 Weekend Picks Portland just had what passes for a Winter storm here and perhaps people want to get out. Here's what I suggest for those who like a little adventure:
Last Summer Tony Chrenka was one of those newly minted artist/curators that I felt should be watched closely. Today he's having a solo show titled Slow Grow at S1. Chrenka's practice is a hybrid of design and millennial zeitgeist and the press release is promising. In it he states, "I am attempting to break away from Earth. Every day would be a new start. Each would be a first day of a bright life on a long summer solstice, with a body unrestricted. The Earth restricts us by providing us with limited the amount of space and material, and if we keep using them at this rate humans would surely need more than one Earth. It would be better to not have 4 or 5 Earths, and instead abandon our reliance on this planet all together. I have lowered my consumption of limited resources to become more sustainable. Zero emissions vehicles and LEED Platinum architecture help me lower my consumption of these resources. I am slowly starting to transcend. I spend less of the Earth's resources through each of my actions, and since I am affecting less I am less worried with what I am doing. I can tread in any direction without leaving a trace of destruction, and so I do. My path is my own, uncompromised by the bounds of Earth." It sounds ambitious if slightly obstruse. Slow Grow Opening Reception: November 14, 6 - 9PM S1 4148 SE Hancock  Dana Lynn Louis' Clearing A visit to Lewis and Clark College is always a bit of a treat so consider a conversation about Dana Lynn Louis' show Clearing at the Hoffman Gallery. On Sunday there will be a, "facilitated dialog" on the exhibition, featuring a panel discussion, "followed by small-group discussions in which you are invited to participate." Clearing Conversation: November 16 2:00PM | South Chapel Lewis and Clark College Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 14, 2014 at 14:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.12.14 Growth: multimedia art in Director Park 
Sporting a geodesic dome in Director Park, Umpqua Bank presents a series of interactive art experiences assembled an exhibition titled, Growth. Artists include digital artists; Fake Love and The Mill with sculptural works from Portlanders Aaron Rayburn, Blaine Fontana, and Blair Saxon-Hill as well as work from visitors Huy Bui, Michael Murphy and Tofer Chi. I've often wondered why there aren't more pavillion-style multimedia popup shows in Portland's parks (the Buckminster Fuller-esque dome seems like a predictable prerequisite) so this attempt will have Portland's attention. The holiday shopping season seems like an auspicious time to attempt this but as always the curatorial voice and integrity of execution for artists who aren't usually found in urban parks will ultimately determine how well this works (remember Levi's Station to Station project?). The exhibition tours to; Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento Spokane and Eugene. Growth | November 14- 23 11AM - 9PM Daily (free, with a slight wait) Director Park at SW Yamhill and Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 12, 2014 at 12:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 11.08.14 Richard Mosse at PAM  Richard Mosse, Film still from The Enclave, 2012-2013, showing a rebel from Mai Mai Yakutumba posing in Elephant Grass in Fizi, South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Richard Mosse's documentary film Enclave represented Ireland at the 2013 Venice Biennale and was a standout for bringing the relentless humanitarian disaster in Congo back into public view in such a compelling, even sublime way. Mosse describes the situation as a, "Hobbsian state of war," and over 5.4 million have already died in the conflict since 1998. This weekend, the Portland Art Museum is bringing both Mosse and his work to Portland with a talk Sunday November 9th at 2:00 PM. The exhibition runs through February 15. For this visually stunning project Mosse used the now discontinued Kodak Aerochrome III infrared film, which was created for military surveillance purposes. The intense colors create a psychedelic/sublime effect while depicting rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo in greater contrast. *Update: this is an excellent, engaging exhibition and should not be missed (interview on the way). Enclave | November 9 2014 - February 15 2015 3rd floor Jubitz Center Artist Talk: Sunday November 9, 2:00PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 08, 2014 at 12:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.05.14 First Thursday Picks November 2014 November is an odd month in the Portland art scene where shows are either truncated to a few weeks or extended through December and often into January. It also means the shows sometimes take a few more chances or explore broad themes that resonate with the holidays. Here are my picks for First Thursday:
Originally from Italy, Eva and Franco Mattes present Breaking Banality: The Dysfunction of Remediation at PNCA's Feldman Gallery (the clock is ticking on this important space once the 511 building opens). The exhibition's title was created by an online random exhibition title generator and will restage, "ten reiterations of one performance from their series 'BEFNOED - By Everyone, For No One, Every Day,' for which they commission anonymous workers to realize webcam performances." Related to Fluxus events and the general way in which instructions manage computers of all sorts it should spark further discussion of the quirk-core performances that are popular on youtube and amongst recent art school grads these days. Breaking Banality: The Dysfunction of Remediation | November 6 2014 - January 10 2015 Artists talk: November 5, 6:30 - 8PM Feldman Gallery PNCA 1241 NW Johnson  Jesse Mejia Light Wash by Jesse Mejia presents itself as, "an immersive, interactive audio-visual installation," and its great to see the Everett Station Lofts coming alive again with some ambition and taste. Featuring 5 channels and several related performances on November 28th... there is a theme developing this month. Light Wash | November 6 - 28 Opening Reception: November, 6 7-10PM (performance 8:30) Performances: November, 28 7-10PM Composition #102, NW 6th and Everett ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 05, 2014 at 14:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.29.14 I'm Afraid, Will I Dream? at HQHQ 
HQHQ Project Space presents I'm Afraid, Will I Dream? Featuring; Matt Leavitt, Izidora Leber, Justin K. Moore + John Tage Johnson and Anastasia Tuazon. Taken from the famous line in Kubrick's 2001 this exhibition looks to sidestep the more sensational aspects of the Halloween season to explore the transcendental by tuning out the existential mitigation that reliance on automation and computers brings. I'm Afraid, Will I Dream? | October 30 - November 17 Opening Reception: October 30 6-9PM HQHQ Project Space 232 SE Oak St #108 Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 29, 2014 at 18:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.23.14 Weekend Picks  Kazumi Murose Portland's Japanese Garden has been doing the strongest craft-based shows in Portland for several years now, though it helps that the Japanese craft tradition is fully appreciated with their top practitioners being revered as "National Living Treasures." The Portland Japanese Garden's latest exhibition Urushi: Masterpieces of Lacquerware by Kazumi Murose, Living National Treasure of Japan (October 25–November 16) brings one of these national treasures to us. Lacquer has been undergoing a resurgence in innovations of late avoiding the relicquery assigned to any form that purely looks to the past. Kazumi Murose will also be giving a talk on the 26th (at PAM), which should be inspiring to anyone who appreciates skill, design and Japanese culture. Urushi: Masterpieces of Lacquerware by Kazumi Murose, Living National Treasure of Japan | October 25 - November 16, 2014 Artist Lecture: October 26, 2-4PM at Portland Art Museum (free but RSVP) Portland Japanese Garden in the Pavilion Gallery 611 SW Kingston Avenue ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 23, 2014 at 15:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.17.14 Weekend Wanderer Yes, PORT will have my Bruce Guenther piece for you after the weekend (it is as complicated, personal and historically versed as its subject matter and I want to let it marinate a little more). Still, you should get out and see some art this weekend (shows that opened last weekend, Lumber Room and Abigail Newbold at PNCA are all still up) and these three new additions might just make your weekend.
 (L to R) Homage to Delacroix: Liberty Leading The People (1976) Robert Colescott, Trinitarian (2007) Mark di Suvero, Brazilian Screamer (1931) Morris Graves, By the River (1927) C.S. Price, Chu Culture deer funerary guardian (Late 5th early 4th Century BCE) In Passionate Pursuit (The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Collection and Legacy) is retiring Chief Curator Bruce Guenther's final exhibition at the Portland Art Museum and it is a massive undertaking where the subtext itself is the act of collecting as sustaining patronage. True collectors like Arlene and Harold Schnitzer share their lives with the objects they relentlessly acquire, creating an anthropological biography in a way that others can experience. Curatorially, sifting through the over 2000 objects in the collection in a cogent, focused and yet representative way to come full circle for the Schnitzers, PAM and Bruce all in one fell swoop. It is clearly very emotional for PAM's staff and the Schnitzers. Also, what I like about Bruce's approach to the show is he didn't group by genre or even chronology, instead it is a conversation of objects and truer to the way the collection has operated in Harold and Arlene Schnitzer's lives. For example, my favorite corner features a socio-politically challenging Robert Colescott (image above) that has never been exhibited publicly ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 17, 2014 at 15:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.10.14 Weekend Wanderer It is one Very Busy weekend in Portland's art scene since Saturday is the last day for TBA visual art shows, Nationale has a new space and Surplus Space is doing a performance night. Here are my picks:
Stream Room by Deep White Sound at FalseFront sounds a lot like attending numerous trance raves at the same time with its cacaphonous presentation of multiple sound art pieces at the same time. Everything is streamed to multiple handmade streaming devices. Curated and produced for deepwhitesound by DB Amorin with design and visuals by Dana Paresa + programming and consultation by Matt McVickar. Stream Room | October 11 - November 2 Opening Reception: October 11 6-9PM FalseFront 4518 NE 32nd Avenue ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 10, 2014 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.07.14 Polly Apfelbaum & Tony Feher at Lumber Room  (teaser image)Apfelbaum (bg) All the Colors Under the Sun, Feher (fg) Portland can be a difficult town for outsiders and this goes doubly true for traveling artists and curators who use their credentials like a calling card. Basically, Portlanders are very accepting but they don't accept received wisdom like other places do (it really does take 5+ years to build up your reputation here). Culturally this fact can make the city seem a tad like some lost island (full of dinosaurs or misfit toys, take your pick) but it also means it is a protective enclave for experimentation. That is what Lumber Room's mission has been... a kind of low pressure guesthouse for art and two recent shows by Tony Feher and Polly Apfelbaum allowed each to pursue their own brand of post-minimal/neo-formal exploration in separate shows. Both shows, by virtue of being "explorations" weren't their most memorable efforts but they were an unfolding of the creative process that would be put under a microscope more in New York or London. That is freedom... and important when developing new work. *Update, this tag team show is more successful than the individual solo exhibitions.... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 07, 2014 at 13:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.29.14 Dana Lynn Louis Talk Dana Lynn Louis' Clearing People are rightly talking about Dana Lynn Louis' show Clearing at Lewis and Clark's excellent Hoffman Gallery. Tomorrow at 6:30PM she will be discussing the work... which to my eyes has elements of Judy Pfaff and some roots in Eva Hesse. Clearing Artist Talk: September 30 6:30PM | Miller 105 Lewis and Clark College Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 29, 2014 at 16:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 09.27.14 Free day at PAM 
Erich Heckel (German, 1883-1970), Zwei Verwundete (Two Wounded Men), 1915, woodcut on wove paper from This is War! at PAM There are a lot of interesting openings in Portland tonight at Wierd Shift and Surplus Space to name two but sometimes it's good to revisit the Portland Art Museum for something more historically meaty... and since it is participating in the Smithsonian's National Museum Day program it will be free today. Besides the collection, there will be a new Chris Antemann show beginning and I found the This Is War! exhibition very rewarding (a lot of my graduate degree work related to these artists). That makes sense since one of the museum's greatest strengths is its collection of German Expressionist woodcuts (thanks to Gordon Gilkey). Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 27, 2014 at 10:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.23.14 Dirk Staschke at Archer Gallery  Dirk Staschke's Consuming Allegory (2012) Portland based but internationally active Dirk Staschke is finally having an exhibition near his new home base, congrats to the Archer for being on it. Staschke's stunningly crafted ceramics aren't just impressive visually, the conceptual exploration of excess is so well honed that the idea hits you before the technical elements can be geeked upon. In my book that is successful work so you won't want to miss this. Bounty | September 23 - October 25, 2014 Reception: October 1st, 5:30 - 7PM Artist's Talk: PUB 161, October 1, 7PM Archer Gallery 1943 Fort Vancouver Way, Penguin Union Building Vancouver Washington Gallery Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 10AM - 7PM, Fri. and Sat. 12-5PM Phone: 360 992 2246 Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 23, 2014 at 10:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.03.14 First Thursday Picks September 2014 If you really know the Portland art scene... you already know that the new season really starts in August (mostly in alt spaces and University galleries.) We know this place better than anyone else and here is what you shouldn't miss for September in the Pearl District.
 Victor Maldonado's Doug Fir It started a few years ago but the arch affable, talented and very bright Victor Maldonado (yes he writes for us) has been revamping his work to outwardly question the visible/invisible aspects of the Mexican immigrant experience. Since gaining his citizenship last year he has finally given himself permission to go Mexi-Amercan Beuys on lilly white Portland Oregon by negating his skin and embracing ludicrous stereotypes (in a way that strangely isn't attention grabbing). He calls it Mad Mex for the way the Luchador masks grant freedom in the constriction they require... call it cultural camouflage. The gloves are off, the mask is on. Let's see what Maldonado can do? Lucha | August 26 - September 27 First Thursday Reception: September 4 till 8:00PM Froelick Gallery 714 NW Davis  Jenene Nagy's Pavillion Onetime Portstar Jenene Nagy is making some gorgeous work these days and her latest, titled "Brilliant" mines the world of subtle values, shades and nuanced perceptions recalling the likes of Dorthea Rockburne and Robert Irwin all on a works on paper format that has become increasingly distinct. Brilliant | September 2 - 27 PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 03, 2014 at 18:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.26.14 Peter Campus at Linfield 
Linfield's gallery just keeps giving us the strongest programming of any college gallery in Oregon, this time with an exhibition by video art pioneer Peter Campuscalled Isthmos. Campus' work is grounded in a background in cognitive psychology and the golden era of film, which in his hands unexpectedly turn the video experience into an exploration of boundaries between self and the revealed otherness of perception. His latest works onm view at Linfield have as much to do with Edward Hopper's landscapes and Claude Monet's haystacks as they do with digital technology as a mediator of sensation and experience. We will have a fantastic and intellectually ambidextrous interview on PORT soon but till then you can check out this essay by Bill Viola on Peter Campus (which one could say is possibly more about Bill Viola than Campus but that's typical of artist essays). Peter Campus | August 25 - September 30 Artist Talk: Wednesday, August 27, 6PM, reception following Linfield Gallery | Linfield College 900 SE Baker st., McMinnville, OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 26, 2014 at 12:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.20.14 People's history of art  Tomorrow, Ampersand will be presenting a book signing and talk by Nicolas Lampert, the author of A People's Art History of the United States. The book focuses on the history of ideas, movements (political, social etc.)rather than the way a lot of art history focuses on patronage. Thus instead of a history of trophy hunting it seeks to reconnect Art to the people that it reflects. Very topical considering the focus on the art market and academicism (the "other" art market which is very demonstrative/illustrative) rather than the exploration of ideas these days. Reception: August 20 7:00PM Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books 2916 NE Alberta Street, Suite B Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 20, 2014 at 10:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.13.14 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 
We pointed out a few of their members last month but now Muscle Beach is producing a show called, "4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42" at PSU's Littman Gallery. The #'s are a reference to the TV show LOST and deals somehow in object animism so there is a sense of unfolding at work here. It will feature; Luc Fuller, Nick Fusaro, Malcolm Hecht, Jonah Porter, Willie Young with a screenplay by Marc Matchak. 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 | August 14 - September 4 Opening Reception: Thursday, August 14, 7 - 10PM August 14th - September 4th The Littman & White Gallery Portland State University [Smith Student Union] 1825 SW Broadway AVE, 2nd Floor Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 13, 2014 at 13:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 08.09.14 Shifting into Weird 
One never knows what to expect from Weird Fiction or the Precipice Funded Weird Shift Storefront but apparently today's official Boring and Dull day wont be boring and dull if WFT has anything to say about it, "Weird-Fiction (((WFT))) will be sharing tales of Strange Weather at Weird Shift Storefront, the warehouse of the weird, center for marginalia studies, coffee and conspiracy" "...also on the bill Justin Lincoln and Devon Wootten and Jewelry Rash." "All Month: work by Dakota Gearhart, Jane Long, and Klaus Pinter" Weird Shift Storefront Reception: August 9 | 7:30 PM - ??? 201 N. Alberta ST Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 09, 2014 at 12:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.07.14 First Thursday August 2014 Picks  James Lavadour at PDX Contemporary James Lavadour is a treasure and what I've always loved about his work is the way it deals with the chaos of science and more intuitive disciplines like music. His latest show title comes from the way science describes processes like the mixing of oil and water where fingers of instability create regions of change. His work lives up to any billing so check out one of the strongest painters working today. Fingering Instabilities | August 5 - 30 Reception: August 7, 6 - 8PM PDX Contemporary Art 925 NW Flanders ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 07, 2014 at 14:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.04.14 Nicola Lopez at OCAC  Half-Life by Nicola Lopez OCAC is presenting an installation, Half-Life, by Brooklyn based artist Nicola Lopez from the collection of Jordan Schnitzer. Half-Life's space shaping properties juxtaposing natural and built forms in a gigantic print format should be very interesting in OCAC's sylvan setting. The artist will be in attendance for the opening. Nicola Lopez Half-Life | August 5 - September 27 Opening Reception: August 5, 5 - 7PM Oregon College of Art and Craft Hoffman Gallery 8245 SW Barnes Rd, Portland Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 04, 2014 at 10:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.31.14 First Weekend Picks It is always interesting how August plays out in Portland's visual art scene. In most art cities in the northern hemisphere August is kind of dead but Portland gets a lot of visitors from the Bay Area and elsewhere during this often hot month so there is a summer camp vibe that oozes indie charm. Here are my picks for the weekend:
 Michael Trigilio at 12128 12128 Boatspace continues its Precipice Funded (in residence) series with Michael Trigilio, a video and performance artist from San Diego who took part in the 2008 Whitney Biennial. If you want a summertime art adventure the trip to this crab boat as an alt space is tough to beat and a sound performance at 8:00 should contribute to the vibe. Michael Trigilio | Augst 1 2014 Reception : 6 - 9PM (performance at 8PM) 1 2 1 2 8 12900 NW Marina Way (be careful in Linnton's speed trap and be sure to park in the lot) ... (more Falsefront & HQHQ) Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 31, 2014 at 13:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.25.14 C3: Initiative Open House & Block Party  Last week we pointed out C3: Initiative as an all new alternative space to watch in Portland. It's partly because they have a great space (inside and out) and want to work with independent curators. Well here is your chance to check things out and introduce yourselves. It is also the closing for their Blue Moon Camera staff photography show (St. Johns does have a wealth of working artists and studio spaces and is easy for those West Hills recluses to visit). C3: Initiative | July 26th Open House 10AM - 7PM 10-11AM: Outdoor papermaking 11AM-12: Live music from Mike & Olyn 12-2PM: Live music from The Ragshakers 2-5PM: Shanti Om Yoga class with live music and a potluck 5-7PM: Live music from Joe Little, Pulp & Deckle pulp spraying demos, and snacks. 7326 N. Chicago Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 25, 2014 at 17:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.18.14 Jordan Wayne Long at 12128 Boatspace  Often, performance comes off as self congratulatory attention mongering... BUT the fact that Jordan Wayne Long's "Impact Piece #1" comes with a warning against bringing any children is a good sign. Also, the fact that is is at 12128, everyone's favorite alt-space crab boat means that just the location alone is worth the trip. JWL's work comes from his his participation in 12128's micro residency program funded in part by the groundbreaking Precipice Fund. Show up and see if it is worthy enough to justify using the middle name professionally. Jordan Wayne Long | July 19 2014 Reception : 6:00PM (performance at 7) 1 2 1 2 8 12900 NW Marina Way (be careful in Linnton's speed trap) Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 18, 2014 at 17:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.03.14 First Thursday July 2014 Picks First Thursdays in July are often my favorites. Partially because the openings are so low key and the hometown vibe with all the group shows and recent graduates makes for many unexpected surprises. This year July looks like it has some serious cultural firepower... it used to be mostly a month for group shows consisting of second and third stringers.
 Shirley Tse at PNCA
My top pick has to be Quantum Shirley at PNCA's Feldman Gallery. Quantum Shirley is Shirley Tse's attempt to partially rebrand relational aesthetics with the relativism of physics as her jam but one can't blame her for trying. It promises to be the mixed media, genre bending melange that Tse originally became famous for before it was the art world's default mode of art production 5 years ago or so. For that alone it is worth checking out as artists are always trying to create implausible realities where their rules somehow gain traction. Quantum Shirley | June 19 - August 10 Opening Reception: July 3, 6:30 - 7:15PM PNCA | Feldman Gallery 1241 NW Johnson ... (more, including Jesse Hayward and recent graduates) Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 03, 2014 at 13:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.26.14 Peter Burr at FalseFront 
Peter Burr's solo show of projection, sound, and lenticular prints at FalseFront titled "digging fills" should be an ideal kickoff for the summertime season of shows in Portland. What's more it is one of the projects funded by the Precipice Fund, designed to support these very crucial alternative space shows (which traditional granting orgs have had trouble getting behind). digging fills | June 28 - July 13 Opening Reception: June 28 6 - 9PM FalseFront 4518 NE 32 Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 26, 2014 at 11:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.13.14 Gardening Weekend  Re-discovering Lacquer: 12 Artists Reinvent a Timeless Tradition, (FG) chopsticks by Gallery Shili (photo Jeff Jahn) I'm very excited about what may be the best craft/design exhibition Portland has seen in decades titled, Re-discovering Lacquer: 12 Artists Reinvent a Timeless Tradition at the Portland Japanese Garden. Not only does it seamlessly explore some of the newest and most radical uses of lacquer today through its 12 artists and designers... it also features a stunningly simple and elegant exhibition design that highlights the work. This attention to presentation addresses a problem most craft shows in Portland have been undercut by lately. If you love design and craft this is THE show and exquisite work deserves the same level of presentation. I've seen it and this won't disappoint, all while hinting at the coming garden expansion by architect Kengo Kuma (interviewed last year) who also has work in the show. The exhibition premiered last year in Tokyo and is specificly configured for the Portland space, along with a few different pieces. According to the PR: "A wide variety of pieces are included—from exquisitely and inlaid lacquered boxes by Yamamura Shinya, whose work was recently featured in a major exhibition in New York, to lacquered acrylic rings by Masako Ban, and gilded lacquer sake cups by Koichiro Kimura. This stunning installation was designed by Javier Villar Ruiz, originally from Barcelona, Spain, who is a partner at Kengo Kuma Associates, and the exhibition includes a tiered lacquer shelf by the renowned architect Kengo Kuma himself." Guest curated by Duneghan Park it features work by: Masako Ban,Yukio Hashimoto, Naomi Kamata, Koichiro Kimura, Kengo Kuma, Gang Yong Park, Heigo Sato, Hirotatsu Saito, Gallery Shili Tokyo, Kosho Tsuboi, Satoshi Umeno, Amano Shikki, Shinya Yamamura Re-discovering Lacquer | June 14 - July 6 Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Ave  Pissaro, Place du Carrousel What could be more Portland than an exhibition on a park? The Tuilleries in Paris to be precise, featuring sculpture, models, photography, paintings and even video exploring the civics of that famous park. Similarly, Portland is a city of parks and gardens and has long had an odd little-discussed affinity for French things (we do like food, wine and liberty-egality-fraternity does describe Portlanders). But the roots of our francophilia goes way back to early settlements like Champoeg and later in the early 20th century many of Portland's top cultural patrons spent a great deal of time in Paris collecting works by Monet, Brancusi and Picasso, which are still on display in the collection today. That bit of history aside, the Portland Art Museum lives on the South Park Blocks a grand boulevard with some of its roots in the civic design for The Tuileries/Champs-Elysees in Paris. Yet, unlike the Louvre/Tuilerties PAM hasn't really fully engaged the civic leverage inherent to the Park Blocks (which PNCA is beginning to). To that PAM is staging The Art of The Louvre's Tuileries Garden, with the not so subtle implication that it is actively looking at its own place on one of Portland's most famous parks. Featuring works by, Pissarro, Manet, Cartier-Bresson, Coysevox, Bosio, Atget and Kokoshka the exhibition is a wide ranging and multifaceted look at the way a public space is used by and inspires visitors. This inherently civic approach filled with photography and more than a few colossal sculptures (some with bullet holes) tells a story that the museum is wisely leveraging to explore Portland's own stunning park system. Thus, instead of a vault... PAM has turned into an interpretive civic mirror for Portland to look upon its own parks with via Capture #Parklandia. The Art of The Louvre's Tuilleries Garden | June 14 - September 21 Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 13, 2014 at 13:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.09.14 SuttonBeresCuller Talk  SuttonBeresCuller, Ring of Fire (2014) Seattle based SuttonBeresCuller are perhaps one of the most ambitious art producers in that city and they will be speaking in Vancouver Washinton on Tuesday for the latest Clark art talk. Their work often creates a surreal sense of displacement through the use of mundane and often large scale objects... kinda like Duchampian ideas on steroids, frequently with a performance element. SuttonBeresCuller | June 10, 7:00PM Clark Art Talks Clark College | Penguin Union Building GHL 213 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 09, 2014 at 16:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.05.14 First Thursday June 2014 Picks True, June is a month where most everyone already has one foot in summer and it is filled with group and thesis shows. Still I'm gonna go old-school and pick three classic looking solo shows for you to check out.
Mandy Stigant At Blackfish Gallery Mandy Stigant presents Basketcase, exploring the ancient art that is making a vessel out of clay. It feels like a back to basics show for June and there is something really compelling about her ceramics. The classics are classics for a reason. Basketcase | June 3 - February 28, 2014 First Thursday Reception: June 5, 6 - 9PM Blackfish Gallery | 420 NW 9th 
Andre C. Filipek has a poetic and very precise aesthetic (tuned to design and class) that could turn into something interesting. Check out his latest, ELYTES, at Valentines tonight. ELYTES: New Work by Andre C. Filipek | June 5 8:00 PM - Midnight Valentines 242 SW Ankeny ... (more, including Sean Healy) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 05, 2014 at 16:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.20.14 Bingaman-Burt at Clark College 
Kate Bingaman-Burt's work is concerned with the consumerist impulse and accretion. An educator, illustrator, curator, author, speaker and workshop giver she is represented by Jen Bekman ballery in New York City. Her first book, Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today? was published by Princeton Architectural Press. Her design clients range from the New York Times, MoMa, the Gap, as well the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland. Catch her talk. Kate Bingaman-Burt | May 21, 7:00PM Clark Art Talks Clark College | Penguin Union Building GHL 213 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 20, 2014 at 18:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.16.14 Jennifer Steinkamp: Critical Voices lecture at PAM  Jennifer Steinkamp, Madame Curie (2011) Tomorrow, Jennifer Steinkamp will give the next Critical Voices lecture at the Portland Art Museum. Steinkamp is one of the world's premier video installation artists and has been a pioneer of digital animation in a real world setting, often with spatial and perceptual consequences. Typically a different sense of scale or time is also at work. Also, she often implicates human biographies in a vaster less human-scaled way, for example she has dedicated pieces to 0her former teacher Mike Kelley, Jimmy Carter and Madame Curie. Overall, it is great to see so much new media work being featured at the Portland Art Museum these days with Jesper Just as well. Jennifer Steinkamp Lecture: May 17th 2:00 PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 16, 2014 at 15:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.12.14 Tony Feher Lecture  Part of the Tony Feher Retrospective at the Des Moines Art Center (2012) Artist Tony Feher is a poet of mundane often quite domestic objects and you can catch him Wednesday at PSU. He's one of the very best and most influential of the relational aesthetics practitioners out there and it is partially because his touch is so incredibly deft. I caught his excellent retrospective at the Des Moines Art Center a few years ago and seeing his work you might think, OK Ive seen hundreds to thousands of other artists use plastic bottles, pennies etc... but his is different. Perhaps it is because of the addition of a deeper personal narrative that informs the work or perhaps it is simply his rigor. Thus, collectively his work stands out as he isn't simply being a witty constructionist, he's illustrating the personal understanding of events in his life through the palimpsest of the everyday. Also, he's been at it longer than most RA practitioners and I consider him the true heir of Richard Tuttle. You should see his talk at PSU (he's also currently doing a residency in Portland at the Lumber Room, show opens on the 18th) and I'd consider it mandatory for any current art student in Portland or recent grads who arrange objects to attend. Tony Feher | PSU MFA in Studio Practice Lecture Series Artist Talk: Wednesday, May 14 7:00PM Portland State University | Shattuck Hall Annex 1914 SW Park Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 12, 2014 at 14:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.07.14 Last exhibition at current Recess HQ  Heidi Nagtegaal Recess will host its last opening in the Oregon Brass Works building this Saturday with a solo exhibition by Coast Salish People artist Heidi Nagtegaal. Titled, Paying off My Student Loans it is supposed to be an optimistic enterprise, selling 1000 shirts for $20 a piece but it also indirectly underscores the way artists are keeping spaces like Recess open on their own dime with very little support. Recess has moved before but one senses the popularity of Portland and its red hot real estate market are definitely putting the squeeze on artists here (there is a fundraiser planned for May 27th at Holocene). Recess isn't just a presentation space, it is also a warren of artist studios and uprooting this community does signal a danger to Portland's arts ecosystem... one whose strongest contributions typically come from these artist run spaces. There will also be by a talk on by Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen titled The Ghost of vanished Ideals, exploring the oppression of debt upon the poor and frequently incarcerated. Lastly, a short musical set by Brian Mumford of Dragging an Ox Through Water and Jackie-O Motherfucker should make this the must see art event this coming weekend. If you haven't been to Reccess yet (institutional curators many of you fit that that description) now is the time. Paying Off My Student Loans May 10-27, 2014 Opening Reception: May 10th, 2014 6-10PM Anna Gray & Ryan Wilson Paulsen talk: May 10th, 7-7:45PM Mumford Performance: May 10th, 8PM RECESS Headquarters 1127 SE 10th Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 07, 2014 at 14:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.01.14 First Thursday May 2014 Picks Portland has a lot of very good shows up right now including Luc Tuymans at PNCA but we at PORT are really picky and these are your very best bets for something new,exciting and interesting in Portland's art scene tonight:
 Three Chants Modern at PICA We just reviewed PICA's Andrea Guyer show Three Chants Modern, which opened recently. It is an internationally important exhibition delving into the way we value the contributions of women in the visual arts. It is a must see and PICA (which normally doesn't have 1st Thursday hours will be open from 6-8 tonight. It's the best show PICA has done since 2003 and the US premier of a crucial work. Andrea Geyer: Three Chants Modern | April 19 - June 21, 2014 First Thursday Hours: May 1, 6:00 - 8:00PM PICA 415 SW 10th Ave, Suite 300 Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11:00 - 6:00PM | Saturday 11:00 - 4:00PM  Wesley Peterson at PSU's Autzen Gallery Also in the Southwest are several PSU MFA openings. There are generally some of the better thesis shows in the city and checking them out puts you way ahead on what is really going on in Contemporary art in Portland. Opening Receptions for all 3 (in respective galleries): May 1, 4-6PM Exhibitions: April 28 - May 9, 2014 Wesley Petersen - TOIL - Autzen Gallery Kathryn Yancey – Like One Each Another - AB Lobby Gallery Kaila Farrell-Smith - S? aa Mak’s - MK Gallery PSU MFA Graduate Project Shows  April Brimer May also happens to be Portland Fashion Month and Christine Taylor has culled together an exciting group of Portland photographers for Notions of Beauty: NW Fashion Photography Now. Featuring a pretty comprehensive sample of fashion photogs: Holly Andres, Megumi Shauna Arai, Rafael Astorga, Lindsey Avenetti, Julia Barbee, Willyum Beck, April Brimer, Hannah Piper Burns, Theresa Crim, Brendan Coughlin, Carmen Daneshmandi, Ashley Helvey, Dane Kyckelhahn, Bryan Kyckelhahn, Evie McShane, Sara Moskovitz, Jason Parker, JD White, Elizabeth Rudge, Charlie Schuck, Strath Shepard, Emily Smith, Robin Stein, Cara Swift, Christine Taylor, BriAnne Wills, Hana Ryan Wilson. Notions of Beauty: NW Fashion Photography Now | May 1 - June 1 Opening Reception: May 1, 6-8PM Steven Goldman Gallery, Art institute of Portland 1122 NW Davis Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 01, 2014 at 13:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 04.26.14 PORT on OPB's State of Wonder  Obligatory selfie, yes State of Wonder's Green Room is actually green As part of my 15 year anniversary of coming to Portland I'll be guest curating OPB's State of Wonder radio program at noon today. Here is a preview interview (I was trying to use approachable language in that preview but on the show I don't pull any punches), numerous artists and interviews are part of the program. You can tune in or check this page for links to the archive so you can stream at your leisure after it airs. I'll also include links below to topics we referenced during the show as well as expand some ideas that were tossed about... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 26, 2014 at 1:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.21.14 Rodrigo Valenzeula at Archer Gallery  Rodrigo Valenzuela at Archer Gallery (photo Jeff Jahn) Chilean born and Washington State based Rodrigo Valenzeula's work deals in all sorts of labor and his latest show "Help Wanted" at the Archer Gallery looks like it could be one of the best shows on view this April. Dealing in everything from mining to odd jobs and construction Valenzeula interacts with laborers and Clark College students to explore the unofficial labor forms that economies rely upon. Help Wanted | April 8 - May 3 Opening Reception: April 23, 5 - 7PM | Artist Talk: 7-8PM Archer Gallery | Clark College| Penguin Union Building 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Gallery Hours: T-Th 10AM to 7PM, F & S noon to 5PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 21, 2014 at 12:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.17.14 See it Saturday  Clement Greenberg looking at a Kenneth Noland Blackfish is 35 this year and Blackfish member and Reed College professor Michael Knutson noticed coincidentally that Clement Greenberg's much hated and yet relentlessly referenced essay Avant-Garde and Kitsch is celebrating its 75th birthday as well. It was kismet so Knutson set about convening a panel of art writers, critics and historians to discuss both Greenberg's most famous work and the way its influence becomes a lens on art today. Greenberg later he recanted many of his definitions of kitsch. Panelists include; Randy Gragg, Eva Lake, Barry Johnson, Paul Sutinen, Sue Taylor and myself. It should be an interesting mix as our backgrounds vary from artists like Lake and Sutinen to journalists like Gragg and Johnson to historians like Taylor and myself. Knutson will moderate and we have been asked to discuss some of our favorite exhibitions as well so it should provide ample opportunity to learn some insights into your local art press corps, all in one convenient place. I've lived here 15 years and Portland has never convened a panel like this. Avant-Garde and Kitsch Today | April 19th, 2:00PM Blackfish 420 NW 9th ave 
Josef Albers (American, b. Germany, 1888-1976) Homage to the Square, edition 35/125, 1967 screenprint If you are in the Bellingham area catch Radical Repetition: Albers to Warhol at the Whatcom Museum. Culled from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation's collection of international prints and Northwest art the show explores the effects of serial sequencing in art imagery in figurative and abstract art. Radical Repetition: Albers to Warhol | April 19 - August 17 Whatcom Museum Bellingham Washington Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 17, 2014 at 16:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.15.14 Andrea Geyer at PICA  Andrea Geyer, Three Chants Modern It has been obvious that 2014 is the year of heightened attention on women's representation in the art world and roles in its history. So it is exciting that PICA has tackled the subject head on by presenting the U.S. premiere of Andrea Geyer's two-channel video installation, Three Chants Modern. Geyer will also speak tomorrow at PSU's Shattuck Annex, April 16th at 7:00PM. The video was, "Commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, New York during a research residency at the museum in 2013 and made possible by MoMA's Wallis Annenberg Fund for Innovation in Contemporary Art through the Annenberg Foundation, Three Chants Modern looks at the network of women thinkers, social and political activists, artists and philanthropists who were the creative drivers and institutional pillars of the Modernist Project in New York in the early part of the 20th century. Three Chants addresses how history and power are constructed, in part, through the undeniable legacy of these women in contrast to their sparse representation in the formal history of the period." Andrea Geyer: Three Chants Modern | April 19 - June 21, 2014 Opening Reception: April 19, 6:00 - 9:00PM Artist Talk: April 16, 7:00PM, PSU Shattuck Hall Annex PICA 415 SW 10th Ave, Suite 300 Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11:00 - 6:00PM | Saturday 11:00 - 4:00PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 15, 2014 at 16:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.08.14 PSU MFA Project Events, 2014 Part I  Perry Doane Carbonaut In the past 5 years or so PSU's MFA and BFA project shows for their studio arts program have become one of the few reliably exciting student exhibitions in Portland. PSU's program has produced artists like Damien Gilley, Holly Andres, Chase Biado and Derek Bourcier and too many others to list. To kick things off this year there are 3 MFA candidates with openings and artists talks on PSU's campus; Perry Doane, Mark Martinez and Isaac Fletcher Weiss. Opening Receptions for all 3 (in respective galleries): April 10, 6-8PM Exhibitions: April 7 - 21, 2014 Perry Doane - Carbonaut - Autzen Gallery Mark Martinez - CREAM - AB Lobby Gallery Isaac Fletcher Weiss - Musings in the Face of Certain Death - MK Gallery Artist Talks: Perry Doane & Isaac Fletcher Weis @ Shattuck Annex @ Wednesday, April 9 2014, 6-8PM Mark Martinez @ Shattuck Annex Wednesday, April 15, 2014, 6-7PM Portland State University galleries & Shattuck Annex Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 08, 2014 at 16:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.03.14 Reflecting Pool 
Lewis and Clark often graduates art scene leaders who create interesting venues like Kyle Thompson and Caitlin Ducey (12128), Jack Shimko (Haze), Justin Oswald (Gallery 500) or even Katherine Bovee who invaluably helped to launch PORT itself back in 2005. Here is this year's crop of L&C Seniors in a show titled Reflecting Pool. Larissa Board Flynn A. Casey Tony Chrenka Matt Cogdill Matthew Colodny Sophia Dagnello Kelsey H. Davis Hilary Devaney Jonas Fahnestock Rhianna Feeney Elaine B. Fehrs Stephanie Kudisch Chloe McAusland Matt Mulligan Savannah Prentiss Samantha Sarvet Camille Shumann Helen Regina Rosenbaum Taylor Wallau Amelia Walsh Kelsey Westergard Julianna Winchell Rachel Wolfson Em Young Irene Zoller Huete Reflecting Pool | April 4 - May 11 Opening Reception: April 4th, 5-7PM Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11-4PM Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art Lewis & Clark 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 03, 2014 at 14:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkFirst Thursday Picks April 2014  Eva Lake's Anonymous Woman #55 Eva Lake is another of those Portland stalwarts that really makes Portland what it is. She is from Oregon but has put in her time in New York, London and San Francisco etc. To a certain degree (like all artists and in particular female ones) she was taken for granted but when her fantastic collages of women were debuted that all changed and she started to get a following in New York and Switzerland. I was the first to point out how good this work was and it is exciting to finally see another of her shows in Portland. This series focuses not on Hollywood Starlets of the Target Series but on those anonymous faces that seem to be perpetuated in the media. It is the way she amplifies anonymity that she gives the work an even stronger surrealist charge. Anonymous Women | April 3- 26 Augen Gallery 716 N.W. Daviss ...(more Blackfish and Mies van der Rohe damage) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 03, 2014 at 11:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.25.14 Tom Stefopoulos at HACCM, Original Portlander to put a bird on it? 
They were still in place in 1999 when I first moved to Portland but for the past 18 years the Friend's of the Lovejoy Columns have been trying to find a way to preserve and find a new home for these historic artworks by Tom Stefopoulos. Stefopoulos was a Greek immigrant who worked for a time at the rail yards that used to be located in the now redeveloped Pearl District and I think it is very important for Portland to preserve its artistic past. The columns appear in the open scenes of Drugstore Cowboy and even appear in musician Elliot Smith's history. When the professional artist, Stefopulos saw the colonnade for the one time Lovejoy viaduct to the Broadway bridge he was reminded of his homeland but he also brought his new world pluck and started an elaborate series of scenes depicting Greek myths and his signature bird designs. His work has an instantly identifiable graphic flair known mostly for his signature birds. In a way he may have been the original Portlander to "put a bird on it" and this exhibition at the Hellenic-American Cultural Center and Museum gives wider context to Stefanopoulos' work as a print maker, master calligrapher and idiomatic public artist. Considering the merely "quirky" public works that Portland has put up in the last decade it would be a good thing to see these historic relics from a bygone era be reinstalled in a new home. They tell an immigrant's story, mixed with Americana, Hellenistic references and a general connection to the culture of the railroads before there was a Pearl District and condos. Filmmaker Vanessa Renwick even has a related video piece in the show so come on out and get caught up on what has been and can be still done. Master Penworks of Tom Stefanopoulos | July 9 2013 - April 30th 2014 Reception: March 29, 3:30 - 6:00 PM Hellenic-American Cultural Center and Museum 2nd Floor Greek Orthodox Church 3131 NE Glisan Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 25, 2014 at 12:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.14.14 Weekend Picks  Polly Apfelbaum, Color Stations Portland (detail) photo Jeff Jahn This Weekend, Lumber Room opens Polly Apfelbaum's Color Stations Portland. Apfelbaum is internationally noted as a colorist who starts with a few simple rules, which then are improvised upon as installation to create a structured aesthetic zone. It is very Epicurian in the true philosophical sense and rehabilitates some of the less desirable aspects of Greenberg's Formalism. Overall, the way she develops structure sets her improvisational approach apart, something any top Jazz musician also has to develop. Color Stations Portland | March 16 - April 27, 2014 Opening Reception: March 16, 12 - 2PM Lumber Room 419 NW 9th  Calvin Ross Carl Calvin Ross Carl is a Portland based painter who has been developing at a steady rate for the past few years and has deserved an unfettered solo show for quite some time. Well, Ditch projects is making it happen by presenting CRC's A Beggar on Horseback. It should be an interesting moment to ponder the tectonic collisions of domestic and civic found patterns (hazard signs, table clothes etc) and painterly texture that CRC has been mining lately. There will also be a group show of drawings called LOOKS ON PAPER. Both should constitute a worthwhile trip to Eugene/Springfield. A Beggar on Horseback | March 15-29 Opening Reception: March 15 6-9PM Gallery Hours: Saturdays, 12:00 to 4:00PM Ditch Projects 303 S. 5th Avenue #165 Springfield OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 14, 2014 at 14:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 03.08.14 Second Weekend Picks March 2014  Amy Bernstein We have waited an incredibly LOOOOOOOONG time for PORT's own Amy Bernstein to do a solo show of her paintings but on Sunday it will finally be here with Notes at Nationale. I can safely say she's obsessed with possibilities and permutations of meaning... and I don't think there is a distinct difference between the visual moves of painting and the meaning of words in her world. She moves between the two fluidly but never really settles. Perhaps the visual and language are two sides of the same coin, one which always comes up heads as she keeps tossing it? She's one of Portland's best painters and really pushes herself hard. Notes | March 6 - 30, 2014 Reception Sunday, March 9, 2 - 5 PM Nationale 811 E Burnside 
Once again Disjecta's biennial offering dubbed Portland 2014 will open in various locations (some better, some worse) but the main opening is today march 8th from 6-10PM at Disjecta. Already, this year is notable for not having very many female artists... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 08, 2014 at 14:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.06.14 First Thursday Picks March 2014 This March looks like a particularly strong series of exhibitions.
 The top pick for this month has to be Belgian artist Luc Tuymans' print exhibition at PNCA's Feldman gallery. Curated by Mack McFarland and Modou Dieng the exhibition titled, Luc Tuymans: Graphic Works - Kristalnacht to Technicolor gives Portland an in depth chance to take in this politically provocative artist. Previously, we have only seen a stray painting or two at PAM. PORT interviewed Tuymans a few years ago here. Luc Tuymans: Graphic Works - Kristalnacht to Technicolor March 6th- June 13, 2014 Reception: March 6, 6 - 8PM Lecture: March 7th, 6:30PM Phillip Feldman Gallery | PNCA 1241 NW Johnson 
Of all the artists that PDX represents I've always thought that Wes Mills best exemplified their quiet aesthetic. Mills himself absorbed a lot from direct contact with the great Agnes Martin and Richard Tuttle and this latest show, Hamilton Drawings, stems from a consciousness changing (and potentially dangerous) incident while hiking in Oregon. We are glad he is all right but this exhibition has us seeing stars too. Hamilton Drawings | March 4 - April 1 Reception: March 6, 6 - 8PM PDX Contemporary Art 925 NW Flanders ... (more, PSU and Duplex) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 06, 2014 at 14:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.03.14 Robert Storr on Kara Walker Lecture  Robert Storr Robert Storr, Dean of Visual Arts at Yale will be giving his lecture, Kara Walker: Shadow Caster at the University of Oregon, on March 6th at 6:00 PM. The school will live stream it, but you should absolutely try to see their on campus exhibition, Kara Walker: Emancipating the Past at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. As you can see... it is very different and executed far better than the Walker show at Reed in 2012. The install is spacious and the video work, "National Archives Microfilm Publication M999 Roll 34: Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands: Six Miles from Springfield on the Franklin Road," at the JSMA is perhaps my favorite of her video works. It is a must see and bound to be one of the best shows of the year in Oregon.  Kara Walker at JSMA Besides being perhaps the most accomplished academic/critic/curator combo on the planet, Storr has a special window into Kara Walker's work. He curated the 2004 Site Santa Fe Biennial, "Disparities and Deformations: Our Grotesque," which included Walker's first video. I was there when it was unveiled and Storr's grasp of history as a continually evolving grotesque makes him better at talking about Walker's work than Walker herself (that isn't a slight, I'm very sure she'd rather not talk much about it and just let its subversions and ugly truths operate visually but no artist gets to do that). Robert Storr: Kara Walker Shadow Caster March 6th, 6:00 PM Lawrence Hall, Room 177 University of Oregon 1190 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 03, 2014 at 11:27 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 02.25.14 Amjad Faur at Archer Gallery  Amjad Faur Today there is an opening reception for Palestinian American Photographer Amjad Faur for his current show, Liban, at the Archer Gallery. Faur's photos have a dense personal feel that belie a longing for Arab self-determination when outside interests always seem to be pulling the strings. In a way they retake the put upon and borrowed exoticism of Dutch still lives and reevaluate them as cultural patrimony. It should make the panel discussion on March 5th a lively one. "The title of this exhibit, Liban, (French for Lebanon) pertains to the impermanence and elasticity of the physical, social, cultural, and psychological spaces in the Middle East. Lebanon is just such a brutal example of what happens under colonial rule that utterly negates the identity and interests of native populations." Amajad Faur | February 18- March 15 Opening Reception: February 25, 3 - 5PM Panel Discussion: March 5, 7 to 8:30PM Archer Gallery | Clark College 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 25, 2014 at 9:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 02.22.14 Provocateurs at Place  Still from Paul Clay's Parking Lot Dance Tonight, Place's White gallery presents Paul Clay's Parking Lot Dance, Shit Balloons by John Dougherty and The High Improbability of Death: A Celebration of Suicide with the ever quixotic Michael Reinsch. Should be an interesting evening with three of Portland's most promising provocateurs. According to the PR: Paul Clay's "Parking Lot Dance" is a 4 minute, surround-projected, 4-channel video loop. Filling a strip mall parking lot, thousands of duplicated dancers march, shoot guns, wave flags and writhe to a dark dance club beat. The video is a dream sequence and a response to our over-the-top, self-infatuated American shopping culture. One part ceremony, one part protest, one part broadway chorus line - the parking lot is reimagined as a surreal video canvas for digitally generated choreography." John Dougherty's "Shit Balloons" is an installation that utilizes waste materials and celebratory aesthetics to seduce viewers with tricks and humor. Also, there will be brownies. "For "The High Improbability of Death: A Celebration of Suicide," Reinsch will place a noose around his neck, read an epic suicide note poem, and attach helium balloons to the end of the rope in order to lift himself into the air. Reinsch will engage in an act of performance art in which risks are mitigated. This is not a suicide attempt." A wake is a celebration of death and Reinsch likens this to a one man wake where he is in no danger. "Parking Lot Dance" - Paul Clay "Shit Balloons" - John Dougherty "The High Improbability of Death: A Celebration of Suicide" - Michael Reinsch Opening: February 22 6-9PM Place PDX (ENTER ON MOVIE THEATER SIDE AFTER 8PM) 700 SW 5th Ave 3rd Floor Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 22, 2014 at 12:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.21.14 Stumptown Coffee Roasters As Art Patron  Throughout the years Stumptown Coffee has made a point of curating their coffee shops and creating venues that are a step above most cafes in the city as art venues. They also have employed many of Portland's best and brightest over the years. To celebrate such ongoing activity they are putting on an exhibition at their headquarters for the 10 visual artists on display right now. Artists included are; Emma Barnett, Amy Bernstein, Patrick Driscoll, Hickory Mertsching, Karl Ramentol, K Scott Rawls, Tim Root, Michael Rutledge, Anna Shelton and Bradley Streeper. Stumptown deserves some of the credit for making Portland such an attractive place for artists. Stumptown Coffee Roasters HQ Reception Friday, February 21 6-8 (Ninkasi beer, wine and snacks) 100 SE Salmon Street Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 21, 2014 at 12:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.20.14 Thursday Openings  Photo Richard Gehrke Dutch & European Mid 20th Century designs, especially ceramics continue to have a lasting appeal today and collector Curt Shaffstall has curated a vintage collection for OCAC's shop. All proceeds go to support students at Portland's most focused art and design school, the Oregon College of Art and Craft. Mid-Century Dutch & European Ceramics | February 20 - March 30, 2014 Opening Reception: February 20, 4 - 6PM Shop @ Oregon College of Art and Craft 8245 SW Barnes Road 
FalseFront presents 3 nights of performances with Future Death Toll titled 3 X 3 H R. Each is a one-off performance. Generally, FDT creates works centered around existential constrictions and other constraints. These performances are supported in part by the Precipice Fund. 3 X 3 H R | February 20 - 22, 7-10 PM FalseFront 4518 NE 32nd Avenue 
PCC Sylvania's North View Gallery is one of the nicest spaces in Portland and its latest show Surrounding Visability looks like an excellent reason to trek up the west hill in this idyllic sylvan setting. Surrounding Visibility is an exhibition by the Worksound Incubation artist's collaborative including installations by Erin McComb, Modou Dieng, Micah Hearn, Ethan Homan, Tim Janchar and Judith René Sturdevant. The collaboration is an experimental group, which began as the Work Sound alternative exhibition space. We miss Work Sound but this new collaborative effort seems promising. Surrounding Visibility | February 17 - March 22 Opening Reception: February 20, 3-5 PM North View Gallery, PCC Sylvania, CT 214 Building 12000 SW 49th Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 20, 2014 at 12:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.19.14 Patricia Failing on Francis Bacon at PAM  Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969) installed at PAM (photo Jeff Jahn) Francis Bacon's triptych of Lucien Freud is a fantastic act of painting (don't let anyone tell you otherwise), the man could paint and every inch of these works proves it. Go ahead compare them to the Monet up the stairs at PAM. To dig a little further, figurative painting fans and scholars alike should catch Patricia Failing's lecture, Bacon's Bodies: Trapping the Convulsive Figure at the Portland Art Museum tomorrow. I've always found Bacon's earlier pieces like Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion and the screaming Popes to be a touch derivative or hokey (Bacon himself agreed) but his more mature portraits excel in their tension and poise... and thus, very and quite gravely British. This Bacon triptych is one of the best and I'm curious what Failing has to say, here are some of her thoughts on Geurnica for context for something related to the disquieted flesh in a Bacon. Patricia Failing Lecture | $5, free to members 20 February, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 19, 2014 at 15:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.17.14 Fred Wilson Lecture  Fred Wilson: The Silent Message of the Museum Every year Reed College puts on a major art lecture for their Stephen E. Ostrow Distinguished Visitors in the Arts Program. This year it will be Fred Wilson, who represented the US for the 2003 Venice Biennale. His lecture, The Silent Message of the Museum, should touch on the themes of visual power his work has always interrogated. Organized by Sarah Gilbert, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art. These are always very well attended to arrive early (*note this lecture is in the much larger and newer Kaul Auditorium not the older venue). Fred Wilson | February 18, 7:30 PM Kaul Auditorium Reed College 3203 SE Woodstock Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 17, 2014 at 10:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.13.14 Linda Hutchins at the Governor's Office  Linda Hutchins I feel like Portland doesn't get to see enough of Linda Hutchins' mix of performance and kinesthetic mark making these days. It is akin to both minimalist drawing and Yves Klein. Though one person, Governor Kitzhaber will get to see plenty of it because her work will be in situ at his office in Salem into April. Also, for the Valentines day opening Hutchins will participate in a TaKeTiNa performance, a physical discipline which involves rhythmic; step, clap and chants that allow participants to fall out, then fall back into synch. In and Out of Rhythm | February 14 - April 16, 2014 Opening Reception: February 14, 3-4PM with a TaKeTiNa performance Governor's Office | Capitol Building Salem, Oregon Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 13, 2014 at 19:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.11.14 John Brodie at Linfield 
John Brodie is one of those unsung pillars of the arts community in Portland whose highest profile projects are often collaborations or feature him as a proprietor of businesses like Today Art Studios, Le Happy and Monograph Bookwerks... but he has always been an excellent visual artist full of deft moves. In fact, I've been nudging him to do a major solo show ever since his Store project way back in 2009. Well, this week the wait is over and it is at one of the region's finest spaces, at Linfield College in McMinnville. Titled, Versus Artifacts, Brodie takes is anthropological and poetic approach to digging through that great mound of stuff all Americans seem to accumulate. Besides, after being cooped up for the last 4 days I think Portlanders are ready for a short road trip to wine country. Here is his statement (the fact that is worth reading is noteworthy itself): "This is an exhibition of domestic cultural signifiers chosen, edited and remixed, attempting, once again, through painting, sculpture and the built object, to generate transcendence over everything for the author and observer, and everyone else. History makes an appearance like a stone that has not moved for 1,000 years. Dispersion is forthcoming momentarily. Dedicated to those who come into contact with the moment after the fact." - John Brodie 2014 Versus Artifacts | February 10 - March 22 Opening Talk and Reception: February 16, 3PM (Talk), 4PM (Reception) Linfield Gallery | Linfield College 900 SE Baker st., McMinnville, OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 11, 2014 at 10:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.07.14 First Friday Picks Though a number of venues like the 811 Building and PLACE are not doing their openings tonight (PLACE is rescheduling for Sunday) both Gallery Homeland and Eutectic will be open if you feel like you can safely make it. BTW PAM just closed early and PNCA/MoCC are both closed for today.
Working Title is an exhibition devoted to the volunteers who make Gallery Homeland happen, Emily Kosta, Zac Kosta, Marc Roder and Reese Kruse. Should be a fun opening to celebrate the micro community that celebrates the art scene so well. A huge # of artists live within walking distance of this SE Portland stalwart so it should be a good opportunity to get out if cabin fever is setting in. Working Title | January 17 - February 21 Opening Reception: February 7th 6-9PM Gallery Homeland 2505 SE 11th 
At Euctectic Gallery their latest show, BOTH/AND, features the work of Chris Baskin and Dan Schmitt. BOTH/AND | February - March Openingf Reception: February 7 6PM -? Euctectic Gallery 1930 NE Oregon. St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 07, 2014 at 13:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.06.14 First Thursday Picks Though the snow has lead to many cancellations two galleries earn the "TOUGH" award, conferring the right to mock all other Portland gallerists as "snow wusses" for the rest of the year. But seriously, these are two great shows you should see soon if you aren't already downtown... perhaps when things get less blizzardly.
Untitled (Screen at Golf Course Near Hillsboro) The late Terry Toedtemeier would have really enjoyed the fact that his show Skies was opening to such dramatic atmospheric circumstances. We all miss him but it is a beautiful thing to actually get to know more of his work as an important photographer. His photo, Untitled (Screen at Golf Course Near Hillsboro) is a masterpiece. Terry was an intrepid and rugged adventurer and never would a little snow deter him. Skies | Feb 4th - March 1st Opening Reception: February 6, 6-8PM PDX Contemporary Art 925 NW Flanders ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 06, 2014 at 17:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.03.14 Emily Ginsburg at Pacific University  Emily Ginsburg Way out there in Forest Grove Pacific University is putting on some very interesting shows and the latest, "Mixed Feelings" by Emily Ginsburg looks like another one worth the trek to wine country or on the way to the coast. Featuring works in glass, animation and sound the show purports to examine, "simultaneity and distinctiveness in the physical, spoken, contemplative and emotional levels of experience through a collection of visual and audio scores." Mixed Feelings | February 4 -28 Opening Reception February 5th 11:30AM | gallery talk 1:00 PM Kathrin Cawein Gallery of Art | Pacific University | Harvey W. Scott Hall 2125 College Way, Forest Grove Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 03, 2014 at 12:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.29.14 For Encarncion: Address is Approximate 
The Light + Sound Gallery presents For Encarncion: Address is Approximate by Mark Martinez. The installation explores the impersonal map making of Google as filtered through time sensitive data acting as an emotionally distanced proxy for the artist's relationship with his grandmother. Google hasn't updated images of his grandmother's home since 2011, giving her a false kind of immortality. For Encarncion: Address is Approximate January 30 - February 26 Opening Reception January 30th 6-9PM Light + Space Gallery | Living Room Realty 1401 NE Alberta and 2625 SE 26th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 29, 2014 at 20:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.27.14 James Minden at Washington Co Museum  James Minden calls them "Light Drawings" and his show of the same name up this month in Hillsboro gives everyone another chance to catch these fascinating optical works. Just watching other people react to these "handmade holograms is worth the trip alone. Light Drawings | January 22 - April 6, 2014 Opening Reception: Tuesday, January 28, 5:30-7:30PM Washington County Museum @ Hillsboro Civic Center 120 East Main Street, Hillsboro, OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 27, 2014 at 21:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.23.14 To see in January January is almost over but there are some great chances to catch up on what you should see in the next few days.
 The "must see" thing in Portland right now is the excellent Francis Bacon Triptych on view at the Portland Art Museum. As luck would have it the museum is free on Friday night from 5-8PM. Do it, anybody who thinks there is a figurative painting more worthy of your attention in Oregon simply doesn't know very much about visual art.  Kara Walker at the JSMA Also happening on Friday 6-8PM the Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Eugene is presenting, Emancipating the Past: Kara Walker's Tales of Slavery and Power, from January 25 to April 6. A MacArthur Fellow, Walker is perhaps America's premier artist when it comes to the untidy history of race and power.... (More) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 23, 2014 at 13:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.14.14 Willam Pope L.'s Claim  William Pope L. PSU, has increasingly asserted itself as a key player in Portland's contemporary visual arts scene and with William Pope L's Claim, featuring extensive research into Portland's not so hidden history of racism... it should kick 2014 off with a boot to the head. I consider Pope L's eRacism exhibition at PICA in 2003 to be one of the very best exhibitions I have experienced in Portland in the past decade and a half. Let's just say that Pope L. is a master of summoning conflicted reactions; intellectually, viscerally and habitually. Lecture begins at 7 and the exhibition will feature performances by students in PSU's School of Music. Claim | January 15 - February 18, 2014 Opening reception: January 15, 8-10PM Lecture: Wednesday, January 15 7PM | Shattuck Hall Annex Performance schedule TBA Littman Gallery | PSU Smith Hall, Room 250 1825 SW Broadway | Gallery hours M-F noon-4PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 14, 2014 at 10:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.10.14 I.M.N.D.N. at the Art Gym 
Hachivi Edgar Heap of Birds I.M.N.D.N. or Native Art for the 21st Century at the Art Gym features the work of seven contemporary Native artists reconceptualizing what is meant by Native art. It features; Rick Bartow, Joe Feddersen, Hachivi Edgar Heap of Birds, Wendy Red Star, Nicholas Galanin, Peter Morin and Terrance Houle. Guest curator Todd Clark's statement, "I.M.N.D.N. will expand visitors horizons with works by seven contemporary Native artists from the Northwest and Canada who are reinventing the concept of what contemporary Native art is. The exhibition will explore Native mythologies, colonization, identity, and much more, through the smart and talented lens of Native artists in touch with their past, but firmly rooted in the present. With clear vision and lacking romantic overtures, these artists embody the idea of what it means to be a Native artist in the 21st century." I.M.N.D.N. | January 12 - February 14, 2014 Gallery hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 12 noon - 4 PM Reception: January 12, 3 to 5 PM Gallery Talk: Thursday, January 30, 12:30 PM Art Gym | Marylhurst University 17600 Pacific Hwy Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 10, 2014 at 19:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.07.14 Jenene Nagy's The Crystal Land at PCC 
Jenene Nagy at PCC Sylvania's Northview Gallery Today marks the first day of PORT alumni and former Portlander, Jenene Nagy's The Crystal Land at PCC Sylvania's North View Gallery. Though she moved she's still quite active in the scene here (a prodigal Portlander?) and her work generally conflates landscape and the build environment through materials. I have a quixotic soft spot for this brutalist gem of a space so it is interesting to see more artists engage its architecture. The Crystal Land | Jan. 7 - Feb. 8, 2014 Artist lecture and closing reception January 29 at 2pm Northview Gallery Portland Community College - Sylvania Campus 12000 SW 49th Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 07, 2014 at 13:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.06.14 A Light Spray at PMoMA  It looks like the group show to kick off the Portland art scene's 2014 is here and it is at the Portland Museum of Modern Art. A Light Spray looks like a great combination of video artists including Chase Biado, Brenna Murphy, Donald Morgan, that guy who is always funnier than Jimmy Fallon and Ralph Pugay (who is funnier than that guy who is funnier than Fallon). A Light Spray Opening: Tuesday January 7th, 8:00PM Portland Museum of Modern Art (inside Mississippi Records) 5202 N Albina Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 06, 2014 at 10:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.02.14 First Thursday January 2014 Picks Ready or not, it is here and since First Thursday is mostly a social event it is a good way to get the feet planted in the new year. Here are my 3 picks:
Christy Wyckoff, Displaced Grove (2013) Blackfish Gallery is 35 this year and to kick off this important collective's anniversary they have organized, "Becoming Blackfish," which features 38 current and former members; John Alberts, Dyann Alkire, Robert Bibler, Barbara Black, Pavel Boboia, Sharon Bronzan, Mario Caoile, Judy Cooke, Priscilla Carrasco, Jonnel Covault, Dennis Cunningham, Julia Fish, Susan Freifeld, Sheryl Funkhouser, Deborah Gillis, Robert Hanson, Jim Hibbard, Harold Hoy, Kanetaka Ikeda, Michiro Kosuge, Colleen Kriger, Paul Missal, William Moore, Howard Neufeld, Barry Pelzner, Esther Podemski, Richard Rezac, Eileen Senner, Manya Shapiro, Margaret Shirley, Kate Simmons, Arvie Smith, Stephan Soihl, Rick True, Lynne Woods Turner, Gary Westford, Harry Widman and Christy Wyckoff. Becoming Blackfish | December 31 - February 1, 2014 First Thursday Reception: January 2, 6 - 9PM Blackfish Gallery | 420 NW 9th ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 02, 2014 at 14:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.06.13 Rathbun closing at Archer  Attend, Mike Rathbun at Archer Gallery There are a lot of shows ending this weekend at the Art Gym, Lumber Room and Appendix is closing for good tonight (Eutectic has a nice holiday show opening too)... but perhaps the most satisfying of them is Mike Rathbun's large scale effort "Attend" at the Archer Gallery, which closes Saturday December 7th. Attend | October 8 - December 7 Closing Reception and Talk: December 7, 12 - 1PM Archer Gallery | Clark College| Penguin Union Building 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Gallery Hours: T-Th 10AM to 7PM, F & S noon to 5PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 06, 2013 at 11:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.05.13 First Thursday December 2013 Picks It is an odd time of year when most of the art venues have just put up holiday group shows or held over an exhibition while they do the Miami art fairs (The best of which is Ann Hamilton at Leach). Still there are usually a few gems to be found. Here are my 2 picks:
Anne Appleby Lackawanna PDX Contemporary leads the pack with Woods by the ever impressive Anne Appleby (who is part of this year's CNAA's at PAM). Her abtract paintings always have a distinctively vegetable toned chromascape to their impeccable and nuanced surfaces. An eternal springtime? Woods | Anne Appleby December 3 - 28, 2013 PDX Contemporary 925 NW Flanders 
Ben Buswell Beb Buswell came to everyone's attention during the 2006 Oregon Biennial but is another one of those very promising young artists that hadn't found a gallery adventurous enough for him... until now. His debut at Upfor, We Live Only Through Ourselves, attempts to offer, "a meditation on loss and mourning tinged with the unrest of personal politics." He's got a poetic flair for structure and materials and I've been waiting for a solo show like this for years. We Live Only Through Ourselves December 5 - January 25, 2014 Opening Thursday December 5, 6 to 9pm Upfor 929 NW Flanders Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 05, 2013 at 14:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.03.13 Swan Island Industrial Park 
Portland based photographer Alain LeTourneau has taken on the necessary and perhaps under appreciated industrial subject of Swan Island for his latest photography series. He's got an interesting conceptual framework for the work, which considers the "geography of production" and the division of "labor space." It is a part of Portland that simply plays by different rules of spatial conduct. Opening reception: Tuesday, December 3 | 6-9PM By appointment: December 4-8 | 503 231-6548 BEAMPROJECTS 5232 N Williams Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 03, 2013 at 0:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.21.13 Blair Saxon-Hill talk at PSU 
Installation view of From the Beginning (Yet Further On) (photo Jeff jahn) In support of her exhibition at PSU's Littman Gallery titled, From the Beginning (Yet Further On) the whip smart Blair Saxon-Hill will give a talk on her work Friday November 22 at 6:00 at Portland State University's Shattuck Hall. She's clearly influenced by influential art history so parsing this exhibit should be like visiting old friends. The exhibition is on view November 14 - December 12 Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 21, 2013 at 18:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.19.13 Susan Seubert Talk 
The latest of the Art Clark lecture series is award winning photographer Susan Seubert. Seubert has recieved both an Eisenstaedt Award and an International Photography Award and exhibited in the 2009 Northwest Biennial at the Tacoma Art Museum, among other things. Artist talk | PUB 161 November 20th from 7 to 8PM Clark College>br> 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 19, 2013 at 20:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.15.13 Dana Schutz and Ryan Johnson Talk 
Dana Schutz, Reformers (2004) November has had a glut of great art talks (including Josiah McElheny and Lynne Cooke this Saturday) but the latest of OCAC's Connections series with Dana Schutz and Ryan Johnson at the Portland Art Museum is a must attend for any figurative painter or sculptor working in Portland. Schutz, one of the world's top painters (and a hoot btw) is known for her somewhat apocalyptic, tragicomic scenarios while Johnson explores a slightly similar existential comedy in 3d... the two have been in conversation for a long time and should make for an engaging talk. Dana Schutz & Ryan Johnson November 18th | 7:00PM Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 15, 2013 at 16:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.13.13 Streams and or support? Tonight The Portland Art Museum is convening a panel to discuss the "streams of support" that Northwest institutions provide for artists. The tough question is do these institutions simply use the artists to create attendance and a job for themselves or do they catalyze challenging work and make it possible? Yes and No... it depends which one you are talking about but none of them should ever charge artists for their consideration.
Something oddly defensive and prophylactic always happens at these regional art panels and I've discussed this kind of navel gazing at length here before... it is the definitive post on the situation, including the 10 ways regional survey shows fail. It also stands true for art awards. More recently, the Betty Bowen and Portland2014 lists have drawn a bit of criticism for heavily featuring men and not so many women... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 13, 2013 at 17:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.08.13 Weekend Picks Youth Edition  Last Spring recent PNCA grad Matthew Leavitt got my attention with his PDX Window Project as a promising artist to watch. Tonight he opens a show caled Inviolate promising, "Fine textures and materials. Hanging. Purple." Inviolate | November - December 2013 Reception: November 8 7-9PM Ristretto Roasters 3808 N Williams Ave. 
Tony Chrenka is another one of those promising young artists worth paying attention to and he has turned his new apartment into a gallery for a day. I like the pluck. Here is his PR statement, "It is going to be bright saturday. Don't you think it will simply be a great day to view art. A warm home with a warm hearth, and a large picture window with diffused light streaming through. There is a view to the east of Mt. Tabor. Looking to the interior of the apartment you will notice an arrangement of sculptures, paintings, and friends. They are all shuffling around on the shag carpet, orbiting the sculptures with sun tea in their hand. Joining them will be simple. Take the pressure off (osmosis). It is saturday afternoon after all." New Apartment and New Work | November 9th Reception: 2:00PM to sundown 47th and Stark Apartment 8 Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 08, 2013 at 13:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.07.13 First Thursday Picks November 2013 November is a very short month for art exhibitions but it packs serious cultural firepower this year. For example, as a continuation of last month's top pick, be certain to check out MSHR's collaborative phase 2 of Brenna Murphy's show at Upfor. Here's what else is new:
 Ann Hamilton's Stylus.Hand Gallerist Elizabeth Leach can do great things when she focuses and Ann Hamilton has always been an artist she has spoken about passionately. Though Hamilton is more known for epic and immersive installations she also has a knack for poetic objects. This is the must check out show this month. Ann Hamilton | a reading November 2, 2013 - January 11, 2014 Elizabeth Leach Gallery 417 NW 9th 
Somewhat related to Ann Hamilton in their unrelenting literalness, conceptual pranksters Ryan Wilson Paulsen and Anna Grey take on the institution of institutions in their latest show A Series of Rectangles. It looks like their most focused work in years. RYANNA | A Series of Rectangles November 5 - 30, 2013 PDX Contemporary Art 925 NW Flanders ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 07, 2013 at 10:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.05.13 Wednesday doings 
Pacific University's Katherin Cawien Gallery presents Sean Healy's first solo show in the Portland area in over two years. Titled Smudge, the work according to Healy, "is fabricated from cigarettes, beer, and ash. It is about vice, the youthful belief in invincibility, and the inevitable consequences of the merging of those two volatile elements." Smudge | November 6-26, 2013 Opening Reception: November 6, 4-5PM Kathrin Cawein Gallery of Art (Scott Hall) Pacific University 2125 College Way, Forest Grove, Or  PSU's MFA Lecture Series is one of the strongest in Portland and this Wednesday Amanda Ross Ho discusses her work, which is often concerned with detritus, clutter and negative space (or lack thereof). She has exhibited at MOCA and MoMA, two of the world's greatest art hoarders. Amanda Ross Ho | November 6, 2013 Artist Talk: 7-9PM | Shattuck Hall Annex Portland State University entrance is on SW Hall at Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 05, 2013 at 12:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.30.13 Ann Hamilton Weekend Thanks to Liz Leach and PNCA this weekend is officially Ann Hamilton Weekend in Portland with 2 ways to see Hamilton (an artist who is very interested in the body) in the flesh. Hamilton was last in Portland back in 2005 and this time she has an exhibition at The Elizabeth Leach Gallery to boot.
 Ann Hamilton's installation, The Event of a Thread, (2012) at the Park Avenue Armory, NYC Hamilton's lecture at PNCA on Friday night is perhaps the most accessible way to catch the MacArthur Award winner this weekend. Artist Talk : Friday November 1st 6:30-8:00PM PNCA | Swigert Commons 1241 NW Johnson St. The second event on Saturday should be interesting as Hamilton discusses the body in context to fashion and another artist, Josiah McElheny. Titled, "THE ABSTRACT BODY & FASHION Some thoughts on the abstract body," this should be a more intimate event so get there early. Hamilton, "has created installations that bring together sensory landscapes with performance, crafting spaces and outfits for her works' participants that investigate the line between objects, subjects and bodies. In relationship to Josiah McElheny's work, which culls from modernist narratives constructed around sartorial fashion, Hamilton and scholar Jessica Burstein will address what it may or may not mean for the body to be abstract when it comes to fashion. Screening: Oskar Schlemmer's "Triadic Ballet" will follow the conversation." Ann Hamilton and Jessica Burstein | November 2, 3-5PM Lumber Room 419 NW 9th Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 30, 2013 at 16:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.25.13 Weekend Picks Weekends just keep getting busier in Portland's art scene. Here are my 3 picks:
 Samantha Wall, Amelia (2013) Samantha Wall's Indivisible at Ampersand should be a winner. A few years ago I considered Samantha Wall to be one of the most fully realized artists to come straight out of a Portland MFA program and should go far nationally if she can avoid looking anything like Storm Tharp's work (it isn't necessary and her Robert Longo meets early chuck Close realism is inherently more spartan). A Joan Mitchell Fellowship this past Summer didn't hurt either and now she has been picked up by the Laura Russo Gallery (which has needed some new blood for quite some time). But before then Ampersand is having an exhibition with a limited edition artist book of 100, with 10 deluxe signed editions which come with a small drawing by the artist. Indivisible | October 26 to November 30, 2013 Reception: October 26 from 6 to 9PM Ampersand 2916 NE Alberta St., B ... (more including Free PAM friday night and Zena Zezza) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 25, 2013 at 16:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 10.20.13 Suzanne Opton at Linfield College  The Linfield Gallery presents, 2009 Guggenheim Fellow, Suzanne Opton's large-format photos and audio/video works. Opton's work explores the complex emotional states of veterans. "Each body of work embodies a form of portraiture. From intimate close-up frames of the soldier's heads lying flat on a table and gazing in the direction of the lens, faithful moments of soldiers embraced by their loved ones, and soldiers standing in a unique studio setting holding a comforting blanket, Opton's photographs explore the transformative experiences of war. These images bypass the loaded ideas of soldier and warfare and provide a silent dialogue from one human being to the next." Suzanne Opton | October 21 - November 30 2013 Artist Talk: October 23, 6 - 7PM | Delkin Hall, Vivian Bull Music Center Opening Reception: October 23, 7PM in the Gallery, Miller Fine Art Center Linfield College Gallery, McMinnville Oregon Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 20, 2013 at 23:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.14.13 Mike Rathbun opening and talk  Mike Rathbun's Attend (detail) at Clark College Over the years Mike Rathbun has proven himself to be one of the Northwest's most consistent large scale sculptors and his latest, Attend, at the Archer Gallery shouldn't disappoint. Attend | October 8 - December 7 Opening Reception: October 15, 6 - 7PM Artist's Talk: October 15, 7 - 8PM Closing Reception and Talk: December 7, 12 - 1PM Archer Gallery | Clark College| Penguin Union Building 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver Washington Gallery Hours: T-Th 10AM to 7PM, F & S noon to 5PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 14, 2013 at 16:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.11.13 PAM hosts Wiki edit-a-thon 
This Sunday from 1-4 PM the Portland Art Museum will be holding an edit-a-thon for Wikipedia articles on notable Oregon artists and works (perhaps curators too?). The state and Portland in particular happens to be crawling with strong artists who merit mention. This is much needed as this rather incomplete this page on the Portland art scene can attest (to dispel a sometime misappropriation, no I didn't create it). Bring your laptop. Wikipedia Edit-a-thon October 13, 1-4PM Portland Art Museum | Mark Building 1219 SW Park Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 11, 2013 at 9:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.09.13 Mark Morrisroe one night show and book release  For one night only Monograph Bookwerks presents both an exhibition and the Portland book release of Mark Dirt: Mark Morrisroe, a survey of the artist's non-photographic works, compiled by Ramsey McPhillips. "Containing much previously unpublished work, Mark Dirt includes spreads from Morrisroe's punk zine Dirt ('he sort of invented the Boston punk scene,' Jack Pierson later recalled of his former lover), as well as correspondence and notes by the artist, sketches and even his last will and testament. All of these documents have been assembled by Morrisroe's former partner Ramsey McPhillips, and represent the most complete survey of the artist's non-photographic works." Mark Morrisroe One night exhibition and book release October 10 from 6-9pm Monograph Bookwerks 5005 NE 27th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 09, 2013 at 23:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.04.13 First Weekend October 
It is the end of an era as Appendix presents its last show Sallymander by Alex Felton. What constitutes the most culturally significant garage in Northeast Portland the appendix guys and a few gals have done great things with an internationally relevant outlook for the past 5 years. Not certain what to expect but the words, "a kind of encyclopedia made into farce," jumped out at me from the press release. Sallymander Opening Reception: October 4, 8 - 11:30 PM Appendix located in the south alley between 26th and 27th Avenues off of NE Alberta St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 04, 2013 at 12:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.03.13 First Thursday Picks October 2013  Brenna Murphy at Upfor (photo Jeff Jahn) As their second show Upfor gallery presents Brenna Murphy's LATTICE~FACE PARAMETER CHANT. As you can see from this teaser image Murphy has a flair for pattern which through circuit design and geometry has come to define science and mysticism simultaneously. Overall, this is an exciting development in the scene as most of Portland's core for profit galleries have become extremely safe and entrenched (especially compared to the internationally active alt space scene in town). Murphy originally burst on the scene with the Oregon Painting Society collective and then more recently the MSHR duo and has been popping up in Europe, San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center and New York City as of late. Brenna Murphy | October 3 to November 27 Reception: Thursday, October 3, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Upfor 929 NW Flanders Street ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 03, 2013 at 1:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.30.13 Jorge Pardo talk and dedication today  Jorge Pardo's newest public art piece, to be dedicated in North Portland (photo Jeff Jahn) Public art is perhaps the thorniest of all fine art forms but sometimes it really works. Today the internationally renown artist Jorge Pardo will be in Portland to dedicate his first such municipal commission at 11:00 at the triangle of Wheeler and Weidler streets in the Rose Quarter. The functional sculpture on the new streetcar line consists of, "Fabricated of steel, wood and fiberglass, the new shelter measures 35' long by 18' wide by 16' tall. The multi-faceted structure includes over 300 individual panels in vibrant shades of orange, yellow, red and grey." It functions as a rain shelter but within it creates a kind of sunshine that we sometimes have very little of around here in the Pacific Northwest. Pardo will also be speaking at 6:00 at the nearby Left Bank Annex (101 N. Weidler). Both events are free and open to the public. Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 30, 2013 at 2:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.25.13 Last Thursday Alberta September 2013 Even though Appendix is having their last exhibition next month we have noticed how Alberta Street's scene has been becoming more serious as of late. It doesn't hurt that the city's two best art book stores Monograph and Ampersand have set up shop! Here are 3 picks for Alberta street tomorrow.
 still from Lucas Cook's Welandedonthemoon For this month's video installation Living Room Realty is presenting Portland based Lucas Cook's work. Wine and snacks are courtesy of LRR. Lucas Cook | September 26 through October Opening: September 26, 6-8 PM Living Room Realty 1455 NE Alberta St ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 25, 2013 at 11:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.20.13 Contemporary Northwest Art Awards 2013 Preview 
Regionalism is a tricky paradox, one which I explored at length in this essay on PORT a few years ago. Simplistically, in a very global and connected art world, regionalism exists asa matter of stereotypes and conveniences but upon further examination these always seems like a red herring. With that in mind, the third version of the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards opens this Saturday at the Portland Art Museum (there is a private reception/award ceremony Saturday night...BTW the 1st one was quite public). For background, the last CNAA's were an unmitigated critical disaster (because it fit so completely within NW stereotypes prompting many to call it the Conservative Northwest Art Awards). It wasn't just critics either... everyone from major patrons to artists who were friends/fans of those in the show to other Northwest museum staff made a point of telling me how much they "did not like it" at the opening. In the rather polite Northwest this simply does not happen. Let's just say there may not be a "Northwest" style of art but there is apparently a stereotype of Northwest curation that a most under 60 are anxious to move beyond. The question will be, "does this one deliver?" This time around the 6 artists chosen: Anne Appleby (MT), Karl Burkheimer (OR), Issac Layman (WA), Abbie Miller (WY), Nickolas Nyland (WA), and Trimpin (WA) should avoid a complete repeat but not act an antidote as I explained here in this link when the list was announced. Still, let's see the show before fully judging it? It is a conservative list, perhaps even moreso than 2011's but it also seems to understand that installation art, relational aesthetic and digital imagery are crucial to the discussion today... Overall, survey shows at institutions are often more about the institutions themselves than that which they survey! What I and most people who enjoy contemporary art will be looking for is... ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 20, 2013 at 12:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.18.13 Premier Weekend Even though Fall hasn't officially started we are already well into the beginning of the season with far too much to choose from. Here are two moving premiers to consider this weekend.
So perhaps you need something to renew your faith in art and the murky process of collecting? Here is the one and it is only for this weekend. At the Northwest Film Center is the Portland premier of Herb and Dorothy 50 x 50 by Director Megumi Sasaki. In case you haven't been tracking it, Herb and Dorothy Vogel became some of the world's greatest art collectors on a small time budget. Then they gave 50 works to 50 museums in all 50 states. You can see most of the works given to the Portland Art Museum here. As examples of the best that collecting art can achieve, the Vogel's are legendary. Northwest Film Center Fri, Sep 20, 8:30 PM | Sat, Sep 21, 4 PM | Sun, Sep 22, 4:30 PM & 7 PM ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 18, 2013 at 13:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.13.13 Weekend Events Yes TBA opened this week, go see that (Alex Mackin Dolan and AL Steiner and Anna Craycroft are three good vis art bets) but while you are out and about here are some other events that are also worthy of attention.
Katie Steinberg Friday the 13th couldn't be a better day to have an opening reception for Feardom by Colin Manning and Katie Steinberg at Gallery Homeland. Steinberg creates weapons rendered in delicate even precious materials. For example the show features a 4 foot long pearl cannon and uzi's rendered in a Frank Lloyd Wright-ish stained glass prairie style stained glass. Seems incredibly appropriate as Syria's civil war threatens to involve the rest of the world. Manning applies collage and filmic techniques to create unsettling transparent layers that have a nightmare-like quality. Both artists are based in Portland part of the time. Projection performance by Colin Manning as well. Opening Reception: Friday the 13th | 7-11PM Gallery Homeland | 2505 SE 11th ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 13, 2013 at 9:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.10.13 69/11: Trading Places  Because everything and everyone in Portland IS interwoven and cross pollinated PSU's Littman and White Gallery staff is trading places with Recess in the Central Eastside Industrial District on Wednesday. The opening should be epic as it looks like it is on one of the nicest nights of the year as Portland's Summer season winds down. Artists are; Missy Canez, Gage Hamilton, Fletcher Meisenberg and Katie Yancey. There will be music by IBQT and American Material Culture as well. Opening Reception: September 11 | 7:30 - 11:00PM Recess Gallery 1127 SE 10th Ave, Portland OR, 97214 Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 10, 2013 at 11:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.06.13 First Weekend September 2013 It is the beginning of the new art season in Portland and this weekend is full of options, here are my three picks:
 Installation view of Josiah McElheny's 2012 exhibition at The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston Zena Zezza (a Sandra Percival project) is kicking off its Artist Project Season with Josiah McElheny at Lumber Room this Sunday. McElheny is one of my favorite living artists... successfully blurring boundaries between design, history, science and experiential art. The work is masterfully crafted but it succeeds through its intense conceptual ambitions, which turns the beautiful finished work into something interrogative rather than vain. In fact it addresses the vanity of science and modernism. "I began exploring the history of modernism through ideas around exhibition, display and education. Those things are interrelated to me. My first works were quasi-educational museum structures. The first artwork I ever made—and I didn’t consider it a work at the time—was a museum that you would find in the forest by accident. It had both originals and fakes in it that I made myself." -Josiah McElheny Josiah McElheny | September 12-December 7, 2013 Opening Reception: Sunday, September 8 3-5pm Open Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 1-6pm lumber room | 419 NW 9th Avenue ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 06, 2013 at 6:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.04.13 September 2013 ! First Thursday !  Memory of Line: Grids, Templates and Miniatures D.E. MAY is a Salem based artist who has been working for forty-one years. He uses materials collected from "Island Salem" in his work. These discarded materials, weathered from time and the elements, desire nothing more than to evoke the feeling of his native land. In his upcoming exhibition, Memory of Line: Grids, Templates and Miniatures he will be exhibiting new templates, miniatures, and large-scale grids. Memory of Line: Grids, Templates and Miniatures | D.E. MAY September 3 - 28, 2013 First Thursday | September 5 | 6-8 PM PDX Contemporary Art | 925 NW Flanders Street, Portland, OR 97209  Michael Lazarus, ON, 2012 acrylic paint, and found material on wood 29 x 31" The paintings in Michael Lazarus' Recent Works are created from found materials, clean lines, graphic pattern, and intense color. Many include commercial signage and lettering reconfigured to create statements or questions. His work explores the dualities of human existence; "anxiety and joy, hardship and pleasure, darkness and light". Recent Works | Michael Lazarus September 5 - 21, 2013 First Thursday | September 5 | 6-8 PM Elizabeth Leach Gallery | 417 N.W. 9th Avenue Portland, OR 97209  Eva Speer Game #4, 2013 Cast resin, acrylic, latex paint 15x15 inches Alone Together is the newest body of work by artist Eva Speer. Speer's work concerns "the contradictory forces of a majesty and rawness outside language and a helpless dependence on the world that has already tamed it". Using industrial materials and mechanical processes, Speer creates compelling works that blends organic and mechanical to fashion something from "the haze of the everyday". Alone Together | Eva Speer September 4 - 28, 2013 Charles A. Hartman Fine Art | 134 NW 8th Ave Portland, OR 97209 & there's more ! Posted by Emily Cappa on September 04, 2013 at 13:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.26.13 Hsueh Wei at Linfield College  Hsueh Wei's Cupping #1 The Linfield Gallery presents Hseuh Wei from Taiwan August 26 - October 5. Wei's work explores visual culture from both Eastern and Western perspectives and driven by an innate sense of curiosity as expressed through photography. The PR promises, "The exhibition will host four series by Wei that explore Eastern and Western cultural paradigms. In the project 'Transparent or Not' and in the pieces 'Oceanic Advertisement' and 'Spirited Frame of Mind for Everyday Travel,' Wei uses visual culture as a tool to explore Eastern and Western cultural paradigms, and photography as a tool to understand representation, subjectivity, collective expression, individual choice and freedom within a global context." Opening & Artist Talk: September 4th (opening 6:00, talk 7:00 at Delkin Hall) James Miller Fine Arts Center, Linfield College Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 26, 2013 at 11:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.22.13 Openings & Events | August 22 - 25 
THE PROJECTS THE PROJECTS is a festival of experimental comics and narrative arts, happening at the IPRC and other locations from August 22-25 2013. There will be 4 days of workshops, exhibitions, panels, performances, projections and projects. HERE is the program. The festival is a free event seeking to leave behind the flat model of comics as commerce. Check it out ! THE PROJECTS | festival of experimental comics and narrative arts August 22 - 25, 2013  Cameron Soren & Melissa Sachs Cameron Soren & Melissa Sachs present Weepy Donuts, the result of their art "jam sessions". On a Wacom tablet, lying down in bed, high on Kratom (Southeast Asian plant, when consumed in tea, similar effect to morphine), they produce "paintings". The artists seek to "pick up the viewer" by escaping into a drug-induced pod and looking inward. Weepy Donuts, the Kratom Kids | Cameron Soren & Melissa Sachs Opening | August 23 | 8 - 11:30 PM Appendix Project Space | South alleyway off of NE Alberta St. between 26th and 27th Aves in Portland, OR. & there's an exciting talk on Sunday too ! Posted by Emily Cappa on August 22, 2013 at 9:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.15.13 Openings & Events | August 16 -18  Quality is Contagious: John Economaki and Bridge City Tool Works Drawing on his background in industrial design and knowledge of construction needs, Jon Economaki established Bridge City Tool Works in 1983. Using digital technology and his knowledge of industrial design he created tools to be passed down from generation to generation. The company's process and finished products from the past thirty years will be on view for the first time. Quality is Contagious : John Economaki and Bridge City Tool Works August 16 2013 - January 18, 2014 Museum of Contemporary Craft | 724 NW Davis St Portland, OR, 97209  GLEAN GLEAN seeks to get people to think about their consumption habits and consider the waste we generate. Each year, five artists are chosen and given a stipend of $2000 and six months time to glean materials from the dump and create ten pieces of art. This exhibition is the result of the process. & then in the Vestibule ... A new installation by Courtney Kemp . Through her work, Kemp seeks to familiarize her viewer with interior domestic spaces. Seeking to form and conjure up memories, each piece was created by following a fictional narrative. GLEAN | Crackedpots, Recology, and Metro AT THE ENDING, ON ALL CORNERS | Courtney Kemp Opening | August 16 | 6-9 PM August 16 - September 8th, 2013 Disjecta & The Vestibule | 8371 N Interstate Avenue Portland, OR 97217 & then there's more on Saturday ... Posted by Emily Cappa on August 15, 2013 at 20:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.12.13 Chris Johanson Book Signing 
Tomorrow night everybody's favorite lil art bookstore Monograph will host a party and book signing for Chris Johanson's new tome published by Phaidon. Unless you live under a rock you know Johanson's work from his early days in the Mission School/Beautiful Losers of San Francisco and numerous international biennials as well as being locally active. The work channels hippie ideals and 21st Century conscience that always makes me think of an updated William Blake for our times. Johanson's Apex show at the Portland Art Museum was perhaps the highpoint of that program, which has struggled to find an identity that is relevant both regional/international since. Chris Johanson Book Release Party & Signing | Free with a little music by Chris Monograph Bookwerks | Tuesday, August 13 from 6-9pm 5005 NE 27th Avenue at Alberta Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 12, 2013 at 11:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.08.13 Out of Town Openings | July 10th Get out of town on Saturday ... Lots of great things happening just outside Portland !
 Sandy Roumagoux Sandy Roumagoux's "paintings are her interpretation of the ever relevant paradoxes of faith, war, and nature". Her work explores "divine absurdities" and the duality of existence. Roumagoux has been Mayor of Newport since last November. Her work is politically charged because she cannot separate politics from art. Attempting to "challenge us to a responsiblity", she focuses on our cultures' "abuse of the environment, our love affair with greed, our throw away consumerism and our sanitizing of violence". As a successful artist she understands how much art positively influences a place and builds community. She compares being an artist to being a thrifty small business, and believes that artists have a lot to teach. An artist/mayor ! Roumagoux is the coolest mayor ! Roumagoux is the coolest artist ! Sandy Roumagoux exhibits New Paintings at KALA. Opening | August 10 | 5-8 PM | Astoria 2nd Saturday Art Walk August 10 - September 3 1017 Marine Drive in Astoria | Sats/Suns 12-4 PM  Nika Kaiser "In Nika Kaiser's video work, notions of a non-physical body are constant; human-like figures appear and transform cyclically, personifying the ghostly and the magical." Her exhibit Subtle Body is an exploration of all parts of a being, including those which exist before life and after death. The installation's use of projection allows for a sense of loss, fragmentation and repetition, as a human presence is created. Subtle Body : video installations | Nika Kaiser Opening | August 10 | 6-9 PM Ditch Projects | 303 S. 5th Avenue #165, Springfield, Oregon 97477 Posted by Emily Cappa on August 08, 2013 at 22:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkOpenings & Events | August 8th & 10th  Katie Yancey Katie Yancey's River is a Moving Body is an exploration of disconnect. Yancey works in video, photography, sound, and performance. Utilizing both digital processes and sculptural elements, she seeks to extend the dimensionality of digital information into the physical. Unnamed flowers call that of this morning's yellow McIntyre Parker (born 1984, California) lives in San Francisco & that's all I got :/ RIVER IS A MOVING BODY | Katie Yancey Unnamed flowers call that of this morning's yellow | McIntyre Parker Opening Reception | August 8 | 5-8 PM August 8 - 28, 2013 White Gallery: PSU Smith Hall, Second Floor | 1825 SW Broadway Portland, OR 97217 Littman Gallery: PSU Smith Hall, Room 250 | 1825 SW Broadway Portland, OR 97217  Mami Takahashi Maybe is a multi artist exhibit attempting to capture the magic of indecision and uncertainty. Maybe is existing in the unknown for as long as possible. "Maybe the exhibition is the result of an exploration? Maybe this exhibition is leading an inquiry? Maybe the viewer will decide? Maybe: an overabundance of (im)possibility." The artists are Mami Takahashi, Chloe Womack, Chris Freeman, Stacey Villalobos, Will Elder, Ebin Lee, (Maria) Petra Fortes-Shramm, Jakob Vala, and Katie Yancey interim series presents Maybe | curated by Mark Martinez Opening | August 8 | 6-9 PM Panel Discussion | August 10 | 4 PM Place | 3rd floor of Pioneer Place mall & Then on Saturday ! Posted by Emily Cappa on August 08, 2013 at 1:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.05.13 Kota Ezawa talk  As a component of PNCA's Boundary Crossings program exploring contemporary animation Kota Ezawa will be speaking at the Lumber Room tonight at 6:30PM (free). Noted for his wry South Park like animations derived from major contemporary news events, Ezawa explores the way all such events are abstracted depictions... revealing more about the ways these events are portrayed than the details behind them. Thus, he is a kind of animation formalist. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 05, 2013 at 0:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.31.13 Openings & Events | August 1st 2013  Cabinet photographic construction, archival inkjet print 59 x 65 inches Isaac Layman is known for his large format, hyper real images of objects from everyday life. His new body of work includes photographic constructions and curated objects. These works honor the idea of loss and hint through multiple perspectives to the possibility of the afterlife. Funeral : Photographic Constructions| Isaac Layman Opening | August 1 | 6-8 PM August 1 - September 21, 2013 Elizabeth Leach | 417 NW 9th Ave. Portland, OR 97209  Yoonhee Choi | Roya Motamedi Yoonhee Choi's elegant collages are notable for their unlikely materials. Drafting supplies from her days as an architect and city planner. In her hands, line tape, lettering sets, masking tape, and other supplies transform into expressive marks. For rePLACING Choi has added delicate graphite lines, some unexpected material choice, and a dramatic shift in scale from 2.5 inches square to 11 x 30 feet. Each of Roya Motamedi's abstract images is a meditation on place: "Afghanistan, Japan, New York, Mexico and Portland have created structure in me which carries through to my paintings" she says. This will be her first Portland show. Born to an Afghan archeologist father and a Japanese art historian mother, Motamedi and her family spent time in both parents' homelands. At 18, she departed for college in the U.S. Later, with her husband and son, Motamedi lived in a small town outside Guadalejara, and for the last five years in Portland. These intimately scaled oil paintings are glimpses into her wayfaring life. In her words "the colors of murals and dry earth at Bamiyan where Buddha once stood; the mossy temple of Kamakura; the sun of Mexico; the dusty road where dogs nap; and the color of now-the quiet gray of Portland". Motamedi and Choi, share a fascination with place, an affinity for working small, and a playfulness with color and space. rePLACING| Yoonhee Choi & Roya Motamedi Opening | August 1 | 6-9 PM Artist Talk | August 17 | 2-4 PM August 1 - September 21, 2013 Blackfish Gallery | 420 NW 9th Ave. Portland, OR 97209 & there are more openings this First Thursday ! Posted by Emily Cappa on July 31, 2013 at 11:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.23.13 Openings & Events | July 24th - 26th  Mandala two adult sparrows, baby sparrow in nest, dried plants & mixed media in modified wooden box 9 1/2" x 5 5/8" x 17 1/8" Ampersand is pleased to present Memory / Magic / Wonder, Matt Hall's second solo show at the gallery. This exhibition consists of mixed media assemblages and large-scale ink on paper drawings. This work explores historic perceptions of the natural world and our sense of wonder & magical phenomena. His inspiration stems from his childhood fascination with the agility of birds in flight, fish breathing under water & dogs navigating with their sense of smell. Hall's assemblages bring to mind curiosity cabinets of natural history museums, yet on a deeper level they allude to reliquaries. His pieces evoke spiritual practices in which direct interaction with animal parts is thought to transfer magical & totemic powers. Hall has also made a series of intricate drawings in an effort to show the multiple layers of his working experience. He shows a slight glimpse into the horror, strangeness, & magic of his process. Memory / Magic / Wonder | Matt Hall Preview Reception with artist | July 24th | 6-10 PM & open late Last Thursday July 24 - August 25, 2013 Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books | 2916 NE Alberta St., B, Portland, OR 97211 & there are more openings on the 25th & 26th . . . Posted by Emily Cappa on July 23, 2013 at 18:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.17.13 Openings & Events | July 18 - 20, 2013 Art Spark is pleased to feature print making studios Atelier Meridian and Flight 64!
The event will include : Letter pressing, pulling screens on different materials, and coming up with abstract and comedic ways to print iconic Portland imagery. Flight 64 will also be celebrating their 10th Anniversary in the PDX community! Atelier Meridian is a working print studio and artist community in Portland's Lower Albina neighborhood. It is an art studio with 24 hour access to the presses for members and goodwill to artists and the curious who drop in. Founded in 2003, Flight 64 is a member-run non-profit print studio in the Alberta Arts District. It provides artist the tools they need to develop their work, there are facilities for screenprint, etching, relief and lithography, as well as a community of artists. An evening of printmaking with Atelier Meridian and Flight 64 | Art Spark July 18th | 5-7 PM Vendetta | 14306 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97217  Lucy Skaer @ Yale Union Lucy Skaer's new sculptures commissioned by Yale Union are not loud talkers. They are however overly informed. Put simply, they are lithographic limestone extracted from Iowa in April. For 370 million years this limestone was considered nothing but rocks. In 1903 Clement Webster, a mining engineer, discovered the lithographic qualities of the stone. All of a sudden the stone had value and the area where the pieces were excavated was made into Lithograph City. For twenty years the slabs were quarried, however when metal printing plate technology developed the quarries closed, and the entire town had folded. The site is marked by rows of telegraph poles tracing what is now a cow pasture. The terra cotta and lithographic limestone are laden with history and technological significance. They are materials that imply a certain kind of use, able to print checks and deeds, designating value. Today however, quarries mine the stone for its non-lithographic properties. They crush the stone into material for road-building or concrete production, and ignore the flat slabs suitable for printing. Lucy Skaer Opening Reception | July 19th | 7-9 PM July 19 - September 12, 2013 Yale Union | 800 SE 10th Avenue, Portland, OR 97214 & there's more on the 19th and 20th ! Posted by Emily Cappa on July 17, 2013 at 19:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.12.13 Openings : Weekend of July 13th and 14th  Travis Nikolai The Pacific Northwest College of Art MFA in Visual Studies class of 2014 presents an exhibition of works produced at the midpoint of candidates' studies. The work explores concepts of image, language, technology, and contemporary visual culture. Participating artists: Sarah Abbott, Stephanie Brachmann, Mary Mac Dahlke, John Dougherty, Mario Gallucci, Thomas Gamble, Jonathan Gann, Michael Horwitz, Leif Lee, Travis Nikolai, Mark Palmen, Anya Roberts-Toney, Lauren Seiffert, Jessie Spiess, Rachel Wolf, Richard York, and Stephanie Yu. There is another opening in conjunction with Versus, taking place at the Vestibule within Disjecta. Travis Nikolai's Rendering takes something raw and makes it usable. Waste tissue becomes lard, and raw data is assembled into image. We consume, gain sustenance, and reconstitute ourselves. Rendering, a performative installation, explores the use of digital environments for the purpose of remaking the self. Two bodies present themselves as fantastical forms, and together share a sacrament to crystalize their transformation. This act is an attempt to find kindred spirits, molecular affinity, an effort to bond into a new and tentatively cohesive substance. :) Versus | PNCA First Year MFA Exhibition Rendering | Travis Nikolai July 13th - August 11th, 2013 July 13th | 6-9 PM Disjecta ( & the Vestibule inside Disjecta ) | 8371 N Interstate Avenue Portland, OR 97217 & there are more openings on Saturday & one on Sunday too ! Posted by Emily Cappa on July 12, 2013 at 11:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.10.13 Openings & Events | July 11th & 12th  Stripes No. 2 (Page) 2005 oil and acrylic on paper 11.5" x 17.5", 34 pages bound Join Portland artist John Brodie at the Portland Art Museum as he talks about his work. Born in Portland, Brodie has been painting for more than 20 years, with explorations in book art, prints and multiples, mixed media, and sculpture. He was included in Disjecta's PDX2010: A Biennial of Contemporary Art, and from 1996 to 2006 was a member of the 333 Studios. In 2010, he opened Monograph Bookwerks with artist Blair Saxon-Hill. Brodie will have a solo exhibition at the Linfield College Gallery in April 2014. Brodie will discuss his fascination with Oliver Lee Jackson's Untitled No. 6 (1978). Artist Talk and Happy Hour | John Brodie July 11th | 6-8 PM | $5 member, $15 non-members, $12 seniors/students Space is limited. Advance tickets are encouraged; available online or on site. Portland Art Museum | 1219 SW Park Avenue. Portland, OR 97205  Sa Schloff The Low-Residency MFA in Visual Studies presents an evening with Visiting Artist Sa Schloff. Sa Schloff's photographic work explores how we live in the present and past simultaneously. Her work has exhibited at The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Houston Center for Photography, Smith College Art Museum and published in The New Yorker, Harper's and Bomb Magazine and awarded a Chicago Arts Assistance Grant, LEF Artist's Grant, St. Botolph Foundation Grant. She received her MFA in photography from the School of the Art Institute and teaches at Columbia College, Chicago. Visiting Artist Lecture | Sa Schloff July 11th | 6.30-8.30 PM | Free for All, Open to Public Museum of Contemporary Craft ~ The Lab | 724 NW Davis St. Portland, OR, 97209 & there are openings too ! Posted by Emily Cappa on July 10, 2013 at 12:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.05.13 Saturday Art Happenings  partial install of Sticks & Sage at PCC's Northview Gallery For nearly a decade with high profile appearances in the 2006 Oregon Biennial (the last one at PAM), Haze Gallery (2004), The Art Gym and PICA's TBA Festival (2009)... capped off with a stunning show at Linfield College, Jesse Hayward has made his mark as Portland's most radical painter. His latest, Sticks & Sage at PCC Sylvania seems to be building on his two best shows (Linfield and TBA) setting up the potential to be "the show of the summer" in Portland. It suffices to say we have come to expect a lot from this onetime student of Karl Benjamin and former Sol LeWitt drawing apprentice (as child he helped execute a mural under the master's direction) so take note. Here's the PR, "Whether it's with painted toothpicks stabbed into amorphous armatures or with hundreds of painted boxes stacked and re-stacked, Jesse Hayward creates art installations that are intended for direct audience manipulation. Utilizing repetition and ritual, he builds and paints objects in his studio that are then re-imagined through a collaborative, installation practice. For his 2013 Summer Studio Residency at PCC Sylvania, Hayward will convert the North View Gallery into a visual laboratory with his installation, STICKS & SAGE. This project will take advantage of a deceptively simple technology: the zip-tie. Anyone attending the show will be presented a variety of painted sticks with pre-drilled holes and zip-ties with which to build freestanding structures. Again, direct audience participation will define the outcome of this work." STICKS & SAGE | Saturday, July 6 - September 7 Special Collaborative Event & Opening Reception: Saturday July 6th 5:00 - 8:00PM Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00, Saturday 12:00 - 4:00 The Artist Will Be On-Site Weekly: Saturdays 12:00 - 4:00 THE NORTH VIEW GALLERY | PCC SYLVANIA CAMPUS | 1200 SW 49th Avenue DIRECTIONS: Once on campus, follow signs to the Campus Bookstore. The Gallery is located in the North East corner of the Communications Technology (CT) Building which is directly adjacent to the Campus Bookstore.  detail from Stephanie Simek's Radio Room This Saturday Place is presenting two artist talks, Stephanie Simek on her Radio Room and Jodi Darby will expound upon Safe & Sound? at 4:30PM at the ever unlikely venue Pioneer Place mall downtown. Radio Room is literally a room transformed into an AM radio festooned with crystals and other hardware. Whereas, "Safe & Sound? is a documentary video installation by a collective of artists and community organizers concerned the Portland Police Bureau's use of excessive force and other methods of intimidation. Using innovative video and audio presentation methods, Safe & Sound? tells stories about police brutality and resistance to police brutality in the Portland community." PLACE | third floor of the Pioneer Place Mall (Atrium Bldg) Artist Talks: Saturday July 6 4:30PM | placepdx@gmail.com Hours: Thursday - Sunday, 12:00-6:00 PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 05, 2013 at 15:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.02.13 First Wednesday Openings : July 3rd  Michele Russo Untitled MR157 acrylic on canvas 70.5" x 60" Draw, a new exhibiton by Dana Lynn Louis, marks her return to the gallery after several years pursuing a variety of projects in Bamako, Mali. Her latest work is particularly influenced by her time in Mali and her observations while there. She observed that the boundaries between life and death shift and flux, as do the distinction between reality and the imagination. The imagery in her work is suggestive of internal bodily systems and patterns of nature. It is part of her ongoing effort to consider the timeless systems of the body, the natural and constructed world, and their interconnections. Michele Russo's work is stylistically simple in both form and line. In his work he focused on the human condition and the ideals of man. He explored humanity in both its whimsy and its foibles. He is best known for his paintings of the female nude in a variety of poses and settings. This exhibition presents a series of paintings that focus on paired female figures in a variety of meditative and exuberant poses. Draw | Dana Lynn Louis Considering Pairs, Works from the Estate | Michele Russo July 3 - July 27, 2013 Opening Reception | July 3rd | 5-8 PM Laura Russo Gallery |805 NW 21st Ave. Portland Oregon 97209  Mason oil on canvas 20 x 20 inches Barbara Sternberger's abstract paintings demonstrate her interest in discovering a harmony between her paint application and her lived experiences. The paintings reveal themselves during their making. For Confluence, Sternberger takes her exploration to a new level. She has created her own hand held paints with dry pigments, oil and wax to form an object which she holds and applies directly to the canvas. She then uses a brush to blend the color. It is in this process that a confluence of elements is born: the coming together of the application of color and the blending of the brush. Christine Bourdette's new exhibition of sculpture and drawings is titled terra mobilis, in recognition of the literal and figurative shifting of the ground beneath our feet. A visit to the Grand Canyon prompted Bourdette to consider the earth's movement, and this state of constant change relates to human uncertainty. These works are Bourdette's mental mappings. These works refer to time passing and our shifting perceptions of such, they are glimpses of slippage, tracings of shifting orientation. Confluence | Barbara Sternberger terra mobilis | Christine Bourdette July 3 - July 27, 2013 Opening Reception | July 3rd | 6-8 PM Elizabeth Leach Gallery | 417 N.W. 9th Avenue Portland, OR 97209 & more openings for first Wednesday ... because Thursday is the 4th ... HAPPY 4th of July ! Posted by Emily Cappa on July 02, 2013 at 23:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.28.13 North Coast Seed Building Open House 
Saturday, the North Coast Seed Building will host its 17th annual open house. Some of Portland's best artists and designers rent their studios here from Ken Unkeles (who deserves a key to the city for his activities as a great landlord). You can check our our North Coast Studios photoblog from 2008 if you are curious. This is one of the best events in Portland and it is easily accessible by Max Yellow Line and has free parking. North Coast Seed Bldg Studios + River City Bldg Studios Saturday June 29th | 4 - 10PM 2127 N. Albina + 820 N. River St. (between Widmer Brothers Brewing and the Rose Garden off Interstate in the NOPO Junction neighborhood) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 28, 2013 at 14:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.25.13 Openings & Events | June 26th - 29th  Lena Wolff Black Dahlia (variation with white dots), 2013 collage with hand-cut & hole-punched paper 40 x 40 in Ampersand is pleased to present Call & Response, featuring work by Bay Area artist Lena Wolff & Colorado-based artist Corey Drieth. While rooted in the patterns & iconography of American quilt making, Wolff's works explore the nuanced visual languages of op art, geometric abstraction & color theory. They are comprised mainly of cut paper painted with watercolor & gouache. Wolff reveals a dynamic organization that involves rhythm, repetition & a sense aliveness. Corey Drieth's gouache & wood paintings explore contemplative spiritual experience inspired by religious traditions such as Zen Buddhism & Quaker Christianity. Citing artists such as Georgia O'Keefe, Agnes Martin & Richard Tuttle as precedents, his work aligns with the American traditions of small-scale, non-representational abstraction. Drieth's new drawings, composed of graphite & white colored pencil on aspen wood, directly explore two kinds of order, the organic & the analytic. The works are rooted in childhood memories of his father drawing diagrams on pieces of wood used to construct utilitarian & decorative objects. "I thought that the marks on the wood were in and of themselves interesting, incomplete & full of potential," notes Drieth. Call & Response | Lena Wolff & Corey Drieth June 26 - July 21, 2013 Preview Reception | June 26th | 6-9 PM Also open late on Last Thursday Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books | 2916 NE Alberta St., B, Portland, OR 97211  Still from Bad Religion Bad Religion was made for an exhibition in San Francisco where a group of artists were asked to make work in response to a short, ephemeral video prompt provided by the curators. Stephen Slappe began his entry by giving himself one rule, that he would only watch the video prompt three times. During the initial viewing, he took in the video, making no attempt to purposefully record any specifics. The second and third viewings involved much note taking, jotting down short phrases about the tone, content, and formal details of the video. Slappe got the sense that the characters were always fragmented or obscured, it felt mysterious and ritualistic. The trajectory of one character toward another character communicated both urgency and inevitability. For Bad Religion, he lifted these tonal and structural qualities, amplified, then transposed onto new images and sounds. Bad Religion Video Loop | Stephen Slappe June 27 - July 24, 2013 Opening Reception | June 27th | 6-9 PM The Light+Sound Window Gallery | 1422 NE Alberta St, Portland OR & there's more happening on the 28th and the 29th ! Posted by Emily Cappa on June 25, 2013 at 15:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.19.13 June 20th and 21st Openings & Events  Beatles expert Scott Freiman will be at the Hollywood Theatre on Thursday. He has studied the band from an early age and will be presenting his multimedia lecture, "Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper," to the theatre for a second time. Freiman combines his career as a composer, producer, and educator with his in-depth knowledge of The Beatles to bring an event that is part film, part concert, and part lecture. For more information, watch his trailer . "Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper" | Scott Freiman June 20th | 7 PM | $10 Hollywood Theatre | 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, 97212  The Low-Residency MFA in Visual Studies hosts an evening lecture with 2013 Artist-in-Residence Sarah McNeil. Sarah McNeil tells stories with sculptural installation and contemporary animation. Growing up in a family of antique auctioneers in a small town on the coast of Maine, she inherited a love of handcrafted objects, historic artifacts & the richly layered narratives behind them. Sarah McNeil Lecture June 20th | 6:30-8:30 PM Museum of Contemporary Craft - The Lab | 724 NW Davis St. Portland, OR, 97209 & there's more for the 20th and the 21st! Posted by Emily Cappa on June 19, 2013 at 14:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.12.13 June 13th and 15th Openings & Events  On Thursday, June 13, The Northwest Film Center is thrilled to present STRESS POSITION, the latest work by Vancouver, B.C.-based filmmaker A.J. Bond. Inspired by a flippant remark about the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Bond made a bet with close friend and longtime collaborator actor David Amito to see which of them could withstand a week of psychological torture at the hands of the other. Shot in an avant-garde "torture chamber" in an isolated warehouse, what begins as a bizarre and darkly humorous reality TV scenario quickly spirals out of control, testing the limits of their friendship and exposing the connection between filmmaking and torture. CLICK for Trailer CLICK for Advanced Tickets STRESS POSITION | A.J. Bond Screening | June 13th | 7 PM Northwest Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium Portland Art Museum | 1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR Admission | $9 General | $8 Students, Seniors | $6 Child & more exciting things happening on the 15th ! Posted by Emily Cappa on June 12, 2013 at 23:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.07.13 Weekend Picks 
http://eutecticgallery.com/brad-mclemore-cognition/
Contemporary wood fired sculptures are on display at Eutectic Gallery by Richard Brandt, John George Larson, & Brad McLemore. "The passage of time and the story of the sensuous human experience lay on my work. I erode, then build again, reminiscent objects from the past, cycled through the fire, to the future to erode again." Richard Brandt is inspired by his passion for adventure, experimentation, and the discovery of his true nature. The utensils for tea and his love for the land guide his forms and pace. John George Larson is a painter and wood fire ceramic artist from southwest Minnesota. He discovered clay at age fourteen as a means of expression and as an alternative way of exploring fundamental physics. John is currently building his fifth wood kiln and maintains his studio in Milan Minnesota. He uses native clays and other indigenous materials to create his works. Under a constant spell to discover the truth, the resulting works are an exploration into the magnification of the object as metaphor and the physical and mental limitations of the human body. McLemore is a Portland based ceramic professor, and this shows through his work. Guiding students in the observational of natural and human-made structures, his work is formally designed and abstract. His objects currently on display at Eutectic are relics of industrial design. They have been lost, decayed or edited over time, and remain fragments of a greater, discarded system. Organized to implicate utility, the somewhat awkward forms are not tools, yet try to charm with a certain hand-hewn conviction. COGnitiohn | Richard Brandt, Brad McLemore Opening Reception | June 7th | 6-8P M June 7 – July 28 Eutectic Gallery | 1930 NE Oregon St. PDX, OR | entrance on 20th 
Friday June 7th 20 artists at Portland Storage will have their annual open studios. This is always a lively event. Open Studios | June 7th | 5 - 9PM 215 SE Morrison Street 
Tonight, galleryHomeland kicks off Weird Shift Con with The Long Share, an exhibition in keeping with the conference of shifted reality that it supports. "The Conference, an aggregate of interdisciplinary investigations, presentations, performances and puzzles that promise to implode, sinter and splinter (ir)reality prismatically into many new streams for retrieval and report." "The Long Share exhibit (including works by Peter Claugh, Julia Oldham, Tom Sherman, Stephen Slappe, Soda Jerk, Weird-Fiction and others!) to additional amenities, including the Research Commons, the PDF Library, the dossiers, and the Map Room, paired with fine coffee and edibles, will provide other itineraries betwixt and between the scheduled events." It should be wierd. Opening Reception: The Long Share | June 7th | 6:00-9:00 Weird Shift Con: The Conference. June 14-16, 2013 galleryHomeland, 2505 SE 11th Ave & there's much more throughout the whole weekend . . . Posted by Emily Cappa on June 07, 2013 at 11:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.04.13 June 2013 First Thursday  Merridawn Duckler www.blackfish.com/exhibitions/ritual-show "Ritual, The Show" has transformed Blackfish gallery space. An exhibit created by Blackfish member Merridawn Duckler and guest artist Geordie Duckler, invites visitors to partake in three separate experiences that combine ritual and art. Blackfish is also hosting "Ritual," a companion, group exhibition of works in various media that explore ideas about ritual. Ritual, the Show | Merridawn Duckler, Geordie Duckler Ritual Group Exhibition | Artists First Thursday Opening | June 6, 2013 | 6-9 PM June 4 - 29, 2013 Blackfish Gallery | 420 NW 9th Ave. | Portland, OR 97209  Klaus Moje, Chromatic Evolution 1 & 2, 2013 fused, kilnformed, ground and polished glass, 47.5 x 72 x 1.375inches (installed) Photo: M. Endo www.bullseyegallery.com Many have tried to explain color through poetic characterizations and elaborate analytical and organizational systems. Despite these efforts, conversations about color remain subjective with little tie to hard fact. In conjunction with BECon 2013, Bullseye Gallery presents Chroma-Culture, an exhibition focused on color, featuring fifteen artists from around the world. Color is subjective, explained scientifically as the sensation of the visual spectrum. It is a physical process in which electromagnetic waves of a particular length stimulate receptors within the eye. Within are brain, we transform this into color and form. Each of the Chroma-Culture artists, using kilnformed glass, approaches color in unique ways, making works that tackle the visual, psychological, symbolic, and cultural implications of color. Chroma-Culture May 01 - June 29, 2013 Bullseye Gallery | 300 NW 13th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209 & there's more ! Posted by Emily Cappa on June 04, 2013 at 18:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.31.13 Openings Tonight: Team Kristan vs Team Holly Often the art world pulls us in opposite directions. For example two of Portland's most popular art personages have rival openings in two very different cities making one choose between Team Kristan and Team Holly. I really should be at both... and you should too. Actually you will see the work better if you go during the day Saturday.
 At Fourteen30 Kristan Kennedy is opening Sleeper and people will go just to kiss her ass and try to get a show at TBA. Kristan of course is the Visual art curator at PICA but everyone knows she's at heart a working painter. She's smart, one of the brightest people in the scene but there has always been a push/pull between her two roles and it always seemed like she was deliberately learning from every artist she worked with as a curator. You could see it most clearly with Jesse Hayward's work at PICA's 2009 TBA but other TBA artists like Charles Atlas, Storm Tharp and Jessica Jackson Hutchins are all in the mix. Lately in group shows Kristan's work has come alive... most recently when very passive, almost apologetic wall based pieces like N.T.N.L.M.R.R.D.R.P. were reconfigured as a shawls covering some furniture in upstate New York art fair. It was a breakthrough. Instead of passive, it seemed to actively wield a silencing of forms and a sense that something was awakening. For that reason I'm very excited about this show and the possibility of Kristan finally fulfilling her potential. Sleeper | Fourteen30 Contemporary Reception: May 31, 6 - 8PM May 31 - July 7, 2013 1501 SW Market 
The Deconstruction (2011) At the Hallie Ford Museum in Salem, Holly Andres is opening her first retrospective The Homecoming. She has become a hot commodity in fashion and commercial photography and her fine art work has started to emerge from the influence of Gregory Crewdson and Justine Kurland in exciting narrative ways. It will be great to see so much of it in one place from such a young artist. The Homecoming | Hallie Ford Museum Reception May 31 | 6 - 8PM June 1 - August 4th Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 31, 2013 at 10:21 | Comments (2) PermalinkTuesday 05.28.13 Openings & Events | May 29th - 30th  pica.org/event/richard-jackson-lecture/ The PSU MFA Studio Lecture Series brings together artists from different disciplines to explore the subjects of their own work before a live audience. Lectures are FREE and open to the public. This week esteemed artist Richard Jackson will be talking. Based in Los Angeles since the early 1970s, Jackson, with his wildly inventive & exuberant "action" paintings, has expanded the definition and practice of painting more than any other contemporary figure. Exhibited widely internationally and nationally, his paintings are slightly performative, sculptural, and concern themselves with the art of everyday experience. Richard Jackson | MFA Studio Lecture Series May 29th | 7 PM PSU SHATTUCK HALL ANNEX | 1914 SW Park Avenue & there's more . . . Posted by Emily Cappa on May 28, 2013 at 17:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.23.13 Openings & Events | May 23rd - 25th  www.falsefrontstudio.com In the Bathroom with Barry, An Introduction The walls of the hall that I stood in were white. The ceiling was white, and the floor was white. The Christmas lights strung along the hall and the sink at the end were white. On the sink was a white candle inside of a red jar in front of a mirror. I was waiting by the sink for the bathroom. I was first in line and under the impression that the door with the light coming from underneath was the bathroom. That the door with no light coming from underneath was the closet. The man who was soon to be second in line tested the door with the light and found it to be locked. He declared that it must be a closet. I posited that the light suggested an occupant locked in the bathroom. He tested the door with no light and found it locked. We had reached a stalemate. That is until we heard the flush of a toilet and the lock clack. I offered to let the other man go first and he locked the door behind him. Two more joined the line and the man in the bathroom opened the door. "Would you like to come in? There's two in here." I stepped past the other man and the urinal, past the small wall to the bowl next to the window in a white room. He locks the door, and we both begin our independent study of the porcelain forms before us. "Hello, I'm Barry." "I'm Justyn." "Are you an artist?" I had been thinking, lately, about the need to work on my elevator speech. The one where in a couple of sentences I neatly encapsulate a description of my work that is both accurate and, with any luck, interesting. Here was a captive audience, but all I could say was that, "I am a painter, are you an artist." "No, I am a writer. What kind of painter?" Another chance and it was a good question. I have been trying to figure this out for myself. At the best of times I am sitting at home with books and tea considering the ideas of other artists. Provisional, Casual Abstraction, these are the shorthand signifiers that reduce my approach within critical discourse. I wanted to say that I was an "abstract genre painter." But this felt clunky and like it needed explaining. It also made me think about how the term "genre painting" was considered demeaning when it was first used. So why not Casual Abstraction? All this while pondering the appropriate duration for a conversation that involves two men holding their penises, divided by a wall. "Small/abstract. What kind of writing do you do?" "Non-Fiction. Where did you go to school?" "I didn't." "Good." "What about you?" "I teach." There was a pause, I imagine, as we both attempted to determine, from either side of our wall, whether the other was done. The door rattled and I anticipated the faces of those in line as the lock turned and the door opened in. Justyn Hegreberg creates small paintings as quiet disruptions, breaks in the noise of life and daily thought. They allow space for one to pause and step outside one's self, to follow the material trajectory of another person. Authentic Travel | Justyn Hegreberg Opening Reception | May 25th | 7-10 PM May 25 - June 16 | Saturdays and Sundays | 12-3 PM FalseFront | 4518 NE 32nd Ave. | Portland, OR 97211 There's more for the 23rd & 25th . . . Posted by Emily Cappa on May 23, 2013 at 11:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.15.13 Openings & Events : May 16 - 21st  Photo : Ursa Waz pica.org/event/mike-daisey-7 Mike Daisey, hailed by The New York Times as "the master storyteller," returns to Portland with the world premiere of his new work. In a single night, Daisey takes us on a fantastic journey through the sprawling landscape of journalism right now touching on how it functions, how it fails us, and how it chooses to tell our stories. Using his own scandal as a jumping-off point, he illuminates how the myth of objective journalism weakens and manipulates us and has made our public discourse easy to manipulate. It is a love letter to journalism highlighting the struggle to tell a story that actually shows us the truth. click to buy tickets Journalism | Mike Daisey May 21st | 7 PM Tiffany Center Emerald Ballroom | 1401 SW Morrison Ave. Portland, Oregon 97205 $20 - $40 PICA Members | $25 - $45 General & there's more happening before . . . Posted by Emily Cappa on May 15, 2013 at 23:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.10.13 Unveiling a Carson Ellis mural in St. Johns 
Rendering of what Ellis' mural will look like when complete St Johns is getting a new mural by illustrator extraordinaire Carson Ellis and the first part will be unveiled tomorrow May 11th at 10:00AM on 7741 N. Lombard. Details can be found on RACC's site and for a little more critical context PORT reviewed Ellis' show at PCC a few years ago here. RACC certainly has been busy lately with a very cool public art pavillion by Jorge Pardo and a disappointingly "Quirky" lantern installation being installed in Chinatown but Ellis is an excellent choice for St. Johns. Ellis has a flair for evoking that now rare childhood nihilism you find in Russian folk tales and fusing it with an air of not so anachronistic chivalry (that plays so well with the St. Johns bridge). There is a sense of honest discovery in the work and frankly I've always found it more compelling than the Decemberist's music, which it is often used to support... in fact if I were to pick the most accurate depiction of Portland as a city Id pick her work... not say Portlandia, Grimm, The Shins or Decemberists. She simply has more edge than the whole lot of em. According to RACC: "City Commissioner Amanda Fritz and Oregon Speaker of the House Tina Kotek will cut the ribbon at the celebration. The mural will be one of the first things that people see upon entering St. Johns from the east along N. Lombard. Carson's design was painted by Whitney Anderson, an artist with 20 years of experience painting murals, carnival rides and other outdoor works. Then, stick around for the 51st Annual St. Johns Parade that begins at 12:00 Noon." Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 10, 2013 at 12:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.08.13 Openings & Events | May 9th - 12th  Jane Schiffhauer Jane Schiffhauer's installation created by handmade undulating nets, ropes, foliage, human hair, and found objects explores the intricacies of our being in relationship to our surrounding environment. Body of Knots highlights the anxieties between what it means to be human and live in contemporary society. Schiffhauer seeks materials that are often contradictory in their nature as well as their purpose in order to comment on gender and the body. For example, ropes may bind as well as create a way of escape and nets may be used as a trap or to offer security. Body of Knots | Jane Schiffhauer May 9 - 29, 2013 Reception | May 9th 6-9 PM Littman Gallery | PSU Smith Hall, Room 250. 1825 SW Broadway. Portland, OR 97201 www.pdx.edu/littmanandwhite/ Fern Wiley's minimal & nuanced drawings are a meditation on the passage of time and energy. Art making for Wiley is a product of her grappling to understand and conceptualize human experience. Currently, Wiley is working from more abstract points of reference, to examine our experience of time and space. Accumulation | Fern Wiley May 9th - 29, 2013 Opening Reception | May 9th | 6-9 pm White Gallery | PSU Smith Hall, Second Floor. 1825 SW Broadway www.pdx.edu/littmanandwhite/ click through for more art ! Posted by Emily Cappa on May 08, 2013 at 23:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.02.13 First Weekend in May 2013 | Openings & Events  Philadelphia Wireman Untitled (wire, paper, plastic), c. 1970-1975 wire, found objects 4 x 2 1/2 x 2 inches PW 1019 www.adamsandollman.com/ Vaginal Davis' paintings of women on re-purposed surfaces are made using glycerin, tempera, watercolor pencils, food coloring, mascara, nail polish, & other beauty products. Her small works are self-portraits which also show her respect and admiration for movie stars, and imagined women of the past. According to Davis, they depict "women trapped in the bodies of women." Davis' works will be presented along with wire and found material assemblages by the Philadelphia Wireman. Wireman's bundles consist of different gauges of wire wrapped around everyday objects and materials. Their maker, who has always remained unidentified, was able to communicate such power and energy through his transformation of ordinary materials. The pieces are often compared to African power objects and other ritualized traditions, but the works resonate equally with art practices. So intriguing. VAGINAL DAVIS & PHILADELPHIA WIREMAN May 3 - June 1, 2013 Reception | May 3 | 6-9 pm Adams and Ollman | 811 East Burnside #213. Portland, Oregon 97214  nationale.us/aidan-koch-the-marble-hand-2013 For her show at Nationale Aidan Koch has appropriated the anthropologist's distanced lens, threading together, rearranging, and questioning fixed history. Her exhibit carries on her interest in form and storytelling which come from observing carefully rendered human forms from long ago. Once idolized and idealized she sought out to see if these works still contain power and attraction. I want to travel only on the curve of an arm... | Aidan Koch May 2 - June 2, 2013 Opening | Friday, May 3 | 6-9 PM NATIONALE | 811 E Burnside. Portland, OR . . . more ! Posted by Emily Cappa on May 02, 2013 at 23:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.01.13 May 2013 : First Thursday (& one for Wednesday too!)  Cynthia Lahti's Surprise, 2013 The artwork included in Cynthia Lahti's exhibit Elsewhere consists of drawing, collage, books and sculpture created during an 11 week artist residency in Berlin Germany in the fall of 2012. The artwork is influenced by the powerful feeling studying even the smallest artifact can evoke. Through these works she is focusing on the way various materials affect the conceptual intent and impact of each piece. Elsewhere uses a slew of source material which is then altered, manipulated, and combined. Paper is used quite a bit, introducing an element of fragility, while also making historical references to Dada and Surrealism. At the heart of Lahti's works lie the potential of each material to evoke a different emotional response. Elsewhere | Cynthia Lahti April 30 - June 1, 2013 Reception | May 2 | 6-8 pm PDX Contemporary Art | 925 NW Flanders, Portland Oregon 97209  Matt Leavitt, Remove / Taxonomy in Blue, 2013 Matt Leavitt created Curio after being inspired by representational archetypes he observed in commercials, scientific imagery and art galleries. He uses these archetypes to critique the isolation they suggest and is fueled by the harmonization of rational thought and direct experience. CURIO | Matt Leavitt April 27th - June 1, 2013 Opening Reception | May 2 | 6-8 PM PDX Contemporary Art - Window Project | 925 NW Flanders, Portland, OR 97209 ! ... continued ... ! Posted by Emily Cappa on May 01, 2013 at 0:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.24.13 Events & Openings : Last Week of April 2013  moonrise, Portrait #2: Trojan http://www.odoka.org/the_work/portrait_2_trojan/86/ On Thursday and Friday Hollywood Theatre will hold programs to celebrate the 33 1/2 year career of Vanessa Renwick & the release of a dvd compilation of Vanessa's work. The line up for the 25th is raw and raucous. Following the screening on this day will be a brief interview and question and answer session conducted by Richard Herskowitz, the director of the University of Oregon's Cinema Pacific film festival and artistic director of the Houston Cinema Arts Festival. Line up for the 26th is sublime. Following this screening there will be brief interview and question and answer session conducted by Mack McFarland, who is currently director of PNCA's Feldman Gallery and Project Space as well as an artist. RAW, RAUCOUS AND SUBLIME: 33 1/2 YEARS OF VANESSA RENWICK, AN OREGON DEPARTMENT OF KICKASS RETROSPECTIVE | Oregon Movies, A to Z April 25th & 26th | 7:30 pm Hollywood Theatre | 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, 97212 http://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=55594~5f969332-ec94-41af-822d-5c7ec8f2ca2b&epguid=81b7db1a-39a9-4ae1-99ac-2b415fbbae48& & There's More. Posted by Emily Cappa on April 24, 2013 at 12:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.18.13 Weekend Events & Openings : April 19th -21st 2013  Thomas Looking at Pictures #1 (detail), 2013 Fourteen 30 Contemporary Mike Bray is the Co-Founder of Ditch Projects, an artist-run studio, installation and performance space located in downtown Springfield, Oregon. Bray currently lives in Eugene, Oregon, where he teaches at the University of Oregon. The subject of his work is oftentimes film, so his work usually begins with video and then oftentimes evolves into something else. Bray's work is compelling, but there is no saying what Fragments of an unknowable whole has in store. I'm supposed to share a quick synopsis of the show and there's nothing I can say other than it's happening. Fragments of an unknowable whole | Mike Bray April 19th - May 19th 2013 April 19th | 6-8 PM Fourteen 30 Contemporary | 1501 SW Market Street. Portland, Oregon 97201  http://www.reed.edu/gallery The Cooley Gallery at Reed college will hold a short set of talk, and a group discussion, investigating various aesthetic and cultural aspects of the Civil War drawings on view at the Cooley Gallery, by three Reed College faculty. The Faculty members are Kris Cohen - Assistant Professor of Art and Humanities, Jan Mieszkowski - Professor of German and Humanities, & Sarah Wagner-McCoy - Assistant Professor of English and Humanities. Drawing Wars April 19th | 6:30 PM Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery, Reed College |3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97202 http://www.reed.edu/gallery/ There's More on Saturday & Sunday! Posted by Emily Cappa on April 18, 2013 at 7:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.16.13 Events : April 17th 2013  Another Documentation, 2012 Scaffolding, wood, metal, concrete and Archival digital prints http://www.clark.edu/news_events/archer/art_talks.php Avantika Bawa is an artist, curator, and academic. Her drawings and site- specific installations transform the act of drawing into sculptural gestures that react formally and also conceptually to architectural spaces and their history. This process emerges due, in part, to her relationship to Minimalism and its emphasis upon reductive form, modularity and literal scale. Bawa's curatorial work began with a hotel room show during the Art in Chicago fair (98') and has grown through her studio and gallery, aquaspace (a laboratory for new and multi media art). In April 2004 she was part of a team that launched Drain : Journal for Contemporary Art and Culture, a peer reviewed online journal. She is currently Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at Washington State University Vancouver, WA & once upon a time she taught at Clark College. Avantika Bawa Lecture | Avantika Bawa April 17th | 7 PM PUB 161 (Fireside Lounge), Clark College, | 1933 Fort Vancouver Way. Vancouver, WA http://www.clark.edu/news_events/archer/art_talks.php & there's more exciting events on the 17th Posted by Emily Cappa on April 16, 2013 at 7:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.11.13 Weekend Openings : 13th / 14th of April  http://roxannejackson.com Linfield Gallery is currently housing works by sculptor and ceramic artist Roxanne Jackson. Jackson explores themes of death and transformation through her work, focusing on natural processes of decay and destruction, particularly when they come in conflict with human systems. Nature is referenced, by illustrating its inevitable decay. Jackson's work also contains black humor, drawing on pop culture and the contradictions of contemporary culture and the natural world. She has been known to re-appropriate imagery from horror films, particularly the moment of transformation when a human becomes a beast. Jackson draws from the fact that horror movies depict a dark side of human nature, the creatures created in our collective subconscious ride the boundaries between animal and human & conscious and subconscious. Blonde Ambition | Roxanne Jackson April 8 - May 11th, 2013 Opening Reception | April 13th | 3-5 PM Linfield Gallery | James Miller Fine Arts Center on the Linfield College campus, @ 900 Baker Street SE in McMinnville, OR http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-news/blonde-ambition-show/ & there are more weekend picks ! Posted by Emily Cappa on April 11, 2013 at 16:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.09.13 Openings : 10th & 11th of April  Left image: Julia Stoops, Thought and Spirit Right image: Meg Peterson, Orbit II https://www.pcc.edu/about/galleries/sylvania/ Meg Peterson & Julia Stoops present The Space Between, an investigation into the use of space as a metaphor for examining experience and reality. The artist's decision to work together has stemmed from a synchronicity in creative process; they share a fascination with science, particularly in physics and geology. The collaboration is a commentary on the intersections and parallels between the sciences and an inherent spirituality found in the world around us. This is their first collaborative exhibition. This exhibition is supported by the Arts & Culture Council. The Space Between | Meg Peterson & Julia Stoops April 1 - April 27th 2013 Opening Reception | April 10th | 4-7 PM Artist Gallery Talk | April 10th | 3 PM North View Gallery | Portland Community College, Sylvania Campus,12000 SW 49th Ave. Portland, OR 97219 https://www.pcc.edu/about/galleries/sylvania/  David Corbett's "Trace", wood, glue, ink and paper, 2012. (photo: Dan Kvitka) http://www.clark.edu/news_events/archer/index.php Archer Gallery is pleased to present a 3-person exhibition titled Construct. David Corbett, Josh Smith, & Jordan Tull use the language of architecture and engineering to create 2-dimensional and 3- dimensional work. Josh Smith's sculptural work is an exploration of modernist architectural method and craft that is elegantly subversive. In Smith's digital collages architectural elements interact with but ultimately disrupt the landscape. Smith's 2-D and 3- D work shares refined craftsmanship and careful intelligence, as well as, startling junctures where the form appeared to be turned inside out and solidity dissolves. In David Corbett's thickly painted sculptures, lines are haphazard evoking an unsettling eerie feeling. Is this the ruins of an earlier age? Is human presence entrapped in the work? In contrast with his sculptures, Corbett's drawings are less emotionally fraught. Here lines explore the formal qualities of spatial relationships. Jordan Tull presents 3-dimensional prints. Tull's printed and fabricated 3D hybrids convey the tension between imagination and reality through the lens of ultra-modernity. Complimenting these fabrications by highlighting the origin of the printed matter - large format 2D prints explore the events that occur in Tull's computer aided drafting programs. In honor of the Archer Gallery's 35th Anniversary, a small sampling of assemblages by gallery founder, James Archer' will be on display too. Archer's sculptures speak the language of Architecture with a modernist voice, providing a modernist counterpoint and historical perspective to the work done by Corbett, Smith, and Tull. Construct | David Corbett, Josh Smith, Jordan Tull, & James Archer April 9 - May 2nd, 2013 Opening Reception | April 11th | 5-7 PM Archer Gallery | Clark College, Penguin Union Building,1933 Fort Vancouver Way. Vancouver, WA http://www.clark.edu/news_events/archer/index.php Posted by Emily Cappa on April 09, 2013 at 12:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.08.13 Thoughts on Brian Ferriso's tenure at PAM and talk at Jimmy Mac's Tonight  PAM's Executive Director Brian Ferriso Tonight, Randy Gragg will interview Brian Ferriso, the Portland Art Museum's Executive Director at Jimmy Mac's at 6:00PM. Here is a primer packed with a few things nobody else is likely to address: Now in his 7th year, Ferriso is basically priming Portland for what could be considered the final stage of his steady but important reshaping of PAM from a rambling and pragmatic program and collection based on the gilded Francophile blockbusters of his predecessor to one based on the best museum practices with an eye for historical relevance. With a series of excellent hires in the curatorial and education departments and several not so sexy but very important endowment building initiatives (like endowing curatorial positions)... Ferriso has transformed PAM from a constantly reshuffled house of cards to one that plays its hand like the house should, conservatively and consistently. Ferriso has given Portland's cultural flagship an even keel and the ability to avoid icebergs. Yes, he charted a course through a minefield when the economy went off a cliff in 2008! He's also been the justifying force behind contemporary and modern exhibitions like China Design Now, Disqueted, Carrie Mae Weems, "dossier shows" like last year's Flesh and Bone (culled from the permanent collection)as well as the most important exhibition in the last 50 years for the Museum and last year's homecoming Mark Rothko exhibition. The Rothko show was especially important as even those who had been somewhat unimpressed with PAM walked away thinking... "that was major, good job!" I heard those words over and over again from other Portland art scene insiders. He also oversaw a tremendous image and programmatic makeover that is much more contemporary. Last but not least, Ferriso has made it a priority to find free days at the museum. Overall, Id give him an A- (possibly an A if he can do a great expansion, which will require a lot of donor education, a great director needs great patrons) ... and he will be courted by other museums in the years to come. I predict he will be director of LACMA, Hirschhorn, Art Institute of Chicago or the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco eventually. The guy is THAT good and we should support his vision of seriousness for PAM and Portland. He's both honest and pragmatic, refreshingly he is smart enough to recognize an important truth when it crosses his path. He is a good listener and only clears his throat when he has something important to say. Still Ferriso's job is not complete and he is one of those very rare museum directors who actually acknowledges where work needs to be done. Here is a review of his first year in office and here is a current to do list: ...(more after the jump) Brian Ferriso: Bright Lights Discussion April 8th | 6:00 PM (Doors at 5:30, free but get yourself a drink or a snack) Jimmy Mac's | 221 NW 10th Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 08, 2013 at 11:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.04.13 Fred Sandback / Julia Dault at lumber room  Dault (L)/Sandback (R) In what is perhaps the most exciting contemporary art show this season in Portland, lumber room will be presenting Fred Sandback/Julia Dault. Separated by several generations, both Sandback and Dault both use and test the inherent properties of their materials to reveal physical and kinesthetic realities to the viewer. For example both artists' reliance on gravity and physical tension gives these these key aspects of our existence a presence to consider. Sandback in particular is one of my all time favorite artists. Fred Sandback/Julia Dault April 5 - June 8 lumber room | 419 NW 9th Hours: Friday & Saturday 12-5PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 04, 2013 at 16:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkApril 2013 First Friday  http://www.recessart.com/ RECESS is excited to present a curated exhibition of resumes and curriculum vitae collected throughout the early months of 2013. The exhibition will open in conjunction with their 2013 open studios. Making a resume is a challenge. Job seekers are pressed to reduce their experiences into coherent chunks, hoping to manifest their specific person-hood on the page. In both content and form, the resume or curriculum vitae becomes a singular portrait of the job seeker's professional self. For Hire explores the methods adopted by job seekers to vocalize their professional merit. For Hire is an exhibition of resumes accepted through an open call in March of 2013. Not only does RECESS have great events and good exhibits, but also it is home base for several artist who have studios there. On April 5th these artist are opening the doors of their studios and sharing their work. The artists include : Maggie Craig (Figurative Painting), Jenny Vu (Drawing, Painting & Comics), Lucile Marlome (Jewerly Making), Erica Edmonson (Sculpture & Textiles), Ashley Burke (Graphic Design), Paul Clay (Video & Performance), and Chloe Kendall (Video & Printmaking). For Hire | mulitple participating artists RECESS OPEN STUDIOS | mulitple participating artists Opening Reception | April 5th | 7 PM - late RECESS | 1127 SE 10th Avenue. Portland, OR 97214 http://www.recessart.com/ & there's more ... Posted by Emily Cappa on April 04, 2013 at 8:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkInigo Manglano-Ovalle at PSU's Littman Gallery  Still from Inigo Manglano-Ovalle's Always After (The Glass House), 2006 Though there wont be an opening reception until April 26th (for PSU's architecture symposium Littman Gallery. For context, PORT interviewed Ovalle extensively a few years ago detailing his particular interest in Mies van der Rohe. Read it before the artist gives a gallery talk at the reception later this month. The video on display is Always After (The Glass House) which is comprised of footage from the ceremonial demolition of some of Crown Hall's windows before a major renovation in 2005. Crown Hall on IIT's campus in Chicago is considered one of Mies' masterpieces. Curated by Dr. Isabelle Loring Wallace (Associate Professor of Contemporary Art and Theory, University of Georgia) and Nora Wendl (Assistant Professor of Architecture, Portland State University) Here is the PR: "The exhibition Always After (The Glass House): Inigo Manglano-Ovalle presents the work of Chicago-based, MacArthur-award winning artist Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, whose technologically sophisticated sculptures and video installations engage modern architecture, while at the same time using this architecture as metaphor. In this exhibition, specially curated for Littman Gallery, two important works from Manglano-Ovalle's oeuvre will be on view: the enigmatic video Always After (The Glass House), 2006 and the large-format print, House with Four Columns, 2010." Exhibition Dates: April 4 - May 1, 2013 Reception: Friday, April 26, 2013, 7 - 8.30 p.m. Artist's Lecture: Friday, April 26 from 7 - 8.30 p.m. in Shattuck Hall Annex (as part of PSU's symposium: Strange Utility: Architecture Toward Other Ends taking place April 26-27th Littman Gallery, Smith Hall, Room 250 Portland State University, 1825 SW Broadway Hours: M-F 12-4 pm Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 04, 2013 at 6:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.02.13 April 2013 First Thursday  Untitled, Pictures from the next day 15 archival inkjet print 2008-12 48 x 32 inches http://www.elizabethleach.com/Exhibit_Detail.cfm?ShowsID=244 In Pictures from the next day, Robert Lyons has created a series about one man, Walter Niemec. Walter's unique eccentricities and passions ignited Lyons' interest. Walter has spent his life in Western Massachusetts in the house where he was born. His only time away was as a Navy Radioman during WWII. Through focusing on Walter's objects and space, Lyons presents a discourse on aging, life, and the choices within which one exists. This is the first exhibition of Lyons' work done in the United States.  oil,zinc, phosphorescent and florescent pigment on honeycomb aluminum panel 2007-12 36.5 x 17.25 inches http://www.elizabethleach.com/Exhibit_Detail.cfm?ShowsID=244 In Latencies, Joan Waltemath's abstract paintings focus on constructing spatial voids using harmonic progressions and non-traditional, reflective pigments in oils. She uses interference pigments, graphite, and the juxtaposition of reflective and absorptive surfaces that change as you move toward and around the paintings. The material is rendered to affect a sense of presence, a power that is latent until the viewer experiences it. Roughly the size and shape of a human torso, the paintings are meant to give the viewer a corporeal feeling, and through visual means engage both mind and body. Pictures from the next day | Robert Lyons Latencies | Joan Waltemath April 4 - April 27, 2013 Opening | April 4, 2013 | 6-8 PM Elizabeth Leach Gallery | 417 N.W. 9th Avenue Portland, OR 97209 http://www.elizabethleach.com ... There's More ! ... Posted by Emily Cappa on April 02, 2013 at 21:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.27.13 Events : Last Week of March 2013  Whirlpool http://www.ampersandvintage.com/Ampersand_Vintage/Marten_Lange_-_April_2013.html Ampersand is pleased to present Another Language, a solo exhibition of new work by Swedish artist Marten Lange. The stark black & white simplicity of his photographs & the typological inquisitiveness of his eye are something to be admired. As with his previous bodies of work, Lange's new images bring to mind the work of a visual taxonomist cataloging outside the confines of identifiable geographies or defined eras of time. Another Language ventures toward the natural world, bringing to our eye a collection of animals & vegetation, land masses & water bodies, mineral forms & ephemeral natural phenomena. The object quality of his small photographic prints, floating amid the ample white space of simple frames, further brings to mind a collection of scientific specimens. Differing from scientific practice however, Lange deliberately skirts the boundaries of fact & fiction in favor of a space where intellect & imagination are allowed to collide. Born in 1984 in Molndal, Sweden, Lange studied photography at the University of Gothenburg & the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, UK. He founded Farewell Books in 2007 & oversaw the publication of 11 titles through 2010, among them four of his own books. Lange’s work has been exhibited widely in Europe. In addition to being in attendance for the Thursday opening reception, Lange will be presenting an artist talk & slide show on Saturday. He will be discussing the evolution of his photographic practice & his experiences overseeing the design, production & output of a small publishing imprint. Drinks will be provided by Ninkasi & Lange will be signing copies of Another Language. Another Language | Marten Lange March 28th - April 21st 2013 Opening Reception | March 28th | 6-10 PM Artist Talk and Book Signing | March 30th | 7:30 PM Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books | 2916 NE Alberta Street, Suite B, Portland, OR 97211 www.ampersandgallerypdx.com ... more events for Friday & Sunday ... Posted by Emily Cappa on March 27, 2013 at 12:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.21.13 Events : March 22nd & 23rd  Crap Evidence, by Ralph Pugay http://jacobsgallery.org/exhibits/ "FREE PEOPLE, is a group show featuring the work of 12 contemporary painters (Kavin Buck, Calvin Ross Carl, Timothy Scott Daldbow, Arcy Douglas, Danridge Geiger, Ruth Lantz, Kendra Larson, Matthew Letzelter, Raul J Mendez, Ralph Pugay, Eva Speer, & Roy Tomlinson) based in Portland, OR. These artists represent a diverse set of self-driven painting practices ranging from the figurative and surreal, abstract and geometric, to the concrete and representational concerns of painting as a creative form of expression. Not only do each of the artists in FREE PEOPLE demonstrate the versatility that painting offers contemporary artists, but also of its continuing vitality as a form of art. Each artist in FREE PEOPLE is represented by multiple pieces in the exhibition so that the viewer can glean a sense for each of their distinct and overlapping practices, subject matter and methods. To be free as an artist today means that you possess the skills to make art and the ability to be conscious and responsible for the choices you make. The twelve artists in this group exhibition allow us an opportunity to learn from their freedom and be inspired by it." FREE PEOPLE Contemporary Northwest Painters based in Portland, Oregon | Curated by Victor Maldonado March 22 - May 4, 2013 Members Preview | March 22nd | 5-6 PM General Opening | March 22nd | 6-8 PM Speaker | March 22nd | 6 PM First Friday ArtWalk | April 5th & May 3rd | 5:30-8 PM Jacobs Gallery at the Hult Center | 1 Eugene Center. Eugene, OR 97401 http://jacobsgallery.org/exhibits/ ... more picks for Saturday the 23rd ... Posted by Emily Cappa on March 21, 2013 at 17:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.14.13 Weekend Openings & Events 
http://fourteen30.com/ Addressing the topic of gay bullying with a series of minimalist works, Philip Iosca presented HOPEFULLY I BECOME THE UNIVERSE at Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2011 to critical acclaim. Previous exhibitions include Water Sports at 12128, Portland; Eveything Matters All The Time Cleaners at Ace Hotel, Portland; Catch All, PDX Across The Hall, Portland; Amsterdam Biennial, Amsterdam and Portland; as well as an invisible monument for Car Hole Gallery in Summer of 2010. In 2011, Iosca published his book of poems, Ballad of the Sad Young Men. Iosca is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and Weiden+Kennedy's 12 Program. He lives and works in Portland, Oregon MOMENT, MONUMENT | Philip Iosca March 15th - April 14, 2013 Opening Event | March 15th | 6-8 PM FOURTEEN30 CONTEMPORARY | 1501 SW Market Street, Portland, Oregon 97201 http://fourteen30.com/ ... more picks for Saturday, March 16th ... Posted by Emily Cappa on March 14, 2013 at 18:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.12.13 Critical Art Ensemble at PNCA's Feldman Gallery 
Critical Art Ensemble's Acceptable Losses at PNCA's Feldman Gallery Presenting the groundbreaking Critical Art Ensemble's Acceptable Losses is perhaps one of the most challenging things the Feldman Gallery has ever attempted so you definitely don't want to miss this and the other related events we will post on for this weekend. According to the PR: "Acceptable Losses is an exhibition that examines which forms of human sacrifice are acceptable within US society and which are not. Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) is a collective of tactical media practitioners of various specializations, including computer graphics, wetware, video, photography, text art, book art, and performance. Formed in 1987 in Tallahassee, Florida, CAE focuses on the exploration of the intersections between art, critical theory, technology, and political activism. CAE has authored six books on cultural production and political economy. Brian Holmes was born in San Francisco in 1959 and lives in Chicago. With Claire Pentecost and the 16 Beaver Group he co-organized the Continental Drift seminars (2005-11). He is a member of the Compass group, exploring the "Midwest Radical Cultural Corridor," and of the Technopolitics group, with Armin Medosh and others. His recent books include Escape the Overcode (2009) and Unleashing the Collective Phantoms (2008). He also wrote the foreward for Critical Art Ensemble: Disturbances (LONDON, FOUR CORNERS BOOKS, 2012)" CAE's Acceptable Losses | March 13 - June 2 Opening Reception: March 13 5:00PM with lecture by Kurtz, Barnes and Sommer at 6:30 on their current projects PNCA | Phillip Feldman Gallery 1241 NW Johnson Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 12, 2013 at 22:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.07.13 Object Focus 1: The Bowl at MOCC  Do-Ho Suh, Untitled (Glass Bowl), 2004, Hand-blown glass, 6.5 x 9.5 inches diameter; Courtesy of the Reed College Art Collection, Gift of the Peter Norton Family Today the first in a series of exhibitions Object Focus 1 : The Bowl opens at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Part 1 is culled from local collections includes masterworks we have seen recently (but never enough) like those by the Natzlers but it also includes more conceptual pieces like the untitled work by Do-Ho Suh. It even has its own Tumblr blog with essays on individual items in the show. What I like about this show conceptually is how it takes a ubiquitous item, one of man's first tools and does a bit of local archaeology mining of local collections. Thus, it treats Portland itself as a kind of bowl, which it is if you consider the Willamette Valley meeting the Columbia Gorge. In general, I don't think one needs to even try to justify craft as contemporary art... instead, if one considers the way even ancient pottery shards become artifacts (that's a different kind of art that uses time and rarity to justify itself) one can consider the bowl as one of the most inherently contemporary objects each culture produces at the time of its making. Everone can relate, so suggest you stop in and see this show curated by Director Namita Wiggers, a show full of objects designed to hold something probably will resonate deeply and hold your attention. Object Focus 1: The Bowl March 7 - August 3 2013 Museum of Contemporary Craft 724 NW Davis St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 07, 2013 at 14:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.06.13 Reed Arts Week: REVERIE 
Reed Arts Week (RAW): Reverie is the 24th annual student-led festival of visual and performing arts at Reed College. The festival has been gaining momentum as of late, evolving in ambition and impact from year to year. Tackling the overarching theme of Reverie, this year's RAW will feature performances, installations, lectures, and various projects from national, local, and student artists. The curatorial team highlights the theme as "an opportunity to consider the fluidity of the aesthetic and physical dispositions by which we situate ourselves. To experience REVERIE is to become dislocated, excised from the familiar and submerged in the irrational." Under the spell of this sort of parlance, it's fitting that this year's festival is heavy on sound art and digital works. They further, "RAW 2013: REVERIE aims to invoke an atmosphere of amorphous resolution, a space in which participants can confront the dubiousness of their situations and acknowledge the indeterminacy upon which they situate themselves." RAW: REVERIE | March 6-10th | See full schedule for details Reed College | 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. | Multiple Locations Featuring: New York-based video artist Michael Robinson, Seattle performance duo Shabazz Palaces, Los Angeles artist-theorist Zach Blas, Portland multi-media artist Brenna Murphy, Portland artist and musician Grouper, San Francisco-based artist Chris Ando / John Oven and the Millenials, NYC-based multi-instrumentalist ONEIROGEN, Los Angeles-based artist and composer John Wiese, Seattle-based producer and musician OCnotes, and Portland-based artists Nick Makanna and Brandon. Reed student artists: David Beame, Sophie Barba + Jimmy Curry, Marvin Bernardo, Alisa Bones, Eli Coplan, Lauren DeRosa, Chris Falcone, Nicole Herr, Dorothy Howard, Erin McAllester, Arthur Sillers, Dylan Richards, Madelyn Villano, Erin Guy + Creighton Weidner, Anna Baker + Maxwell Smith-Holmes, Santiago Leyba, and Andrew White. ...(more details after the jump) Posted by Tori Abernathy on March 06, 2013 at 10:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.05.13 March 2013 First Thursday  Stephen Scott Smith's Untitled, installation view, mirror, plywood, drywall, carpet, fir - size various, 2013 Breeze Block Gallery is back from winter break, and they're kicking off the season with something new, the first large-scale transformation of the gallery, an installation by Stephen Scott Smith. Smith's SEEYOUYOUSEE explores perception and shifts in perspective through reflection, light, shadow, CCTV, video, objects and spatial relationships. The show involved a 60-day construction period starting in January 2013, while the gallery remained closed. The first phase of the installation required stacking 10,000 pounds of plywood (piece by piece) in Breeze Block's new Project Space. The flooring in the Project Space had to be reinforced to withstand the load! Once the plywood was in place, erection of the floating wall and door system in the traditional gallery began. Smith simultaneously designed the space and objects, created works and documented the process of boring into the ply stack for over 200 hours. SEEYOUYOUSEE explores myth, faith, and mystery while engaging the viewer to connect the dots through their own story. SEEYOUYOUSEE | Stephen Scott Smith March 6th - April 20th 2013 Preview Event | March 6th | 5-8PM Opening Event | March 7th | 6-10PM Breeze Block Gallery | 323 NW 6th Ave http://breezeblockgallery.com/ ...(more picks including: Amanda Wojick, James Minden and Michael Endo) Posted by Emily Cappa on March 05, 2013 at 23:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkYou New Bad Things at PSU 
I've been looking forward to You New Bad Things, an expose of sorts... exposing us to a tribe of artists who happen to have studios in the same building, collectively called the Holladay Studios. Well, the day is finally here Wednesday March 6th. Sure, some of these artists have established themselves as the brightest young stars in Portland but it is always nice to see them assembled Armory Show (1913) style. Let me be crystal clear, ignore these artists and you hazard irrelevance in a fast moving art scene like Portland. Many of the artists engage digital design age themes that your typical "Northwest Art" shows somehow seem to miss with their one sided focus on whittling and other old school analog processes. So who might these new baddies be? Here's the list: Chase Allgood, Erika Anderson/Leif Shackelford, Chase Biado, Zoe Clark, Zachary Davis, Alex Mackin Dolan, Jamie Edwards, Travis Fitzgerald, Mike Merrill and Chloe Womack. Here are the PR details: "You New Bad Things, The Work of: Holladay Studios is an inaugural exhibition by the nine individual members of Holladay Studios of Portland, Oregon. This exhibition an examination of their ethos for work as independent entities within in an open incubator of dialogue and shared conceptual concerns; A look into a conversation and collaboration amongst peers, an endeavor in earnestness to contextualize and question the cultural currency of the 'contemporary' in contemporary art by individuals working across current pluralistic lines and methodologies." You New Bad Things | The work of: Holladay Studios Reception: Wednesday, March 6, 2013, 5-7 p.m. Portland State University Galleries | Autzen, AB Lobby, and MK Galleries Exhibition: Wednesday, March 6, 2013-Friday, March 29, 2013 PSU Galleries involved: AB Lobby Gallery, PSU Art Building, 1st Floor Lobby, Room 110, 2000 SW 5th Ave. MK Gallery, PSU Art Building, 2nd Floor, Room 210, 2000 SW 5th Ave. Autzen Gallery, Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, Room 205, 724 SW Harrison St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 05, 2013 at 22:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.01.13 First Friday March 2013 
Ay ay, this exhibition Interuptus by Paul North and Near Coastal Riot at Gallery Homeland looks like a promising bet to kick off a March full of gallery shows. Something about a show with a theme of interruption and a certain nautical spirit just seems appealing to me right now, here's the PR: "Art is interruption. We spend much of our time and money perusing works created, yet within these efforts I find we pontificate ourselves into a culture of oblivion. It is a culture where few things are known, yet we speak with such brash certainty on the topics. We build parentheses, so that we may agree on the accepted continuum of what art is, but it aids nothing. The entirety of the experience comes when an individual is interrupted by a piece – by its beauty, intrigue, tragedy, playfulness, and framing of something as other. Knowing this, I have framed this piece to veer away from collective opinion, focusing on individual’s interaction and the meaning created from that. INTERUPTUS functions as a baited hook. Those who choose to bite down will find themselves in a rascally carnival of experiences. For the last seven years, I have made my living on the Pacific, from commercial fishing in Alaska, to sailing Tall Ships down to the Equator and back. What I offer with this installation is a window into those worlds – a landscape framed by the tenets of my mind." Ive also heard something about, "draw for your drink," which sounds like some inspired insanity worth supporting. Interuptus | Gallery Homeland Opening Reception | March 1st | 7-10PM Ford Building 2505 SE 11th  Alex Steckly, Untitled 3, 2013, automotive enamel, automotive primer, and sign enamel on MDF panel, 36 x 36” Another good bet is Alex Steckly's Entitlement at Nationale. Steckly is one of those painters with a fail for texture and a fetish for surface... akin to the the Dave Hickey UNLV school painters. While you are at it check out the new gallery upstairs from Nationale in this active arts neighborhood, Adams & Ollman. Alex Steckly | Entitlement Opening Reception: 6-9PM Nationale | 811 E Burnside Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 01, 2013 at 10:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.26.13 Aaron Rose: for OCAC's Connection Lecture Series  Aaron Rose Portland born curator, gallerist, artist and filmmaker Aaron Rose's talk Everything Starts Small is over a week away (March 11th) but the lecture is filling up fast. Rose is most known for putting together the Beautiful Losers exhibitions and film which brought San Francisco's mission school (Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, KAWS, Shepard Fairey and Margaret Kilgallen... etc.) to the fore as coherent street art movement recognized in museums. Portland has at least 1 group of artists like this (using provisional design/architecture, installation art, light & space + video to re-imagine and create a parallel built environment to the one found in Portland so this is of some interest to a close knit group of; Jordan Tull, Damien Gilley, Von Tundra, Paula Rebsom, Arcy Douglass, Jenene Nagy, Josh Smith, Laura Hughes, David Corbett, Jesse Hayward, myself, Laura Fritz and Oregon Painting Society... etc.). Overall, Portland loves lectures and OCAC's free Connection Lecture Series of talks have quickly become the most consistently high level series in the city, thus requiring an RSVP by March 6th. It is filling up fast I suggest you make yours now using: lectures@ocac.edu or 971 255-4165. Aaron Rose | Everything Starts Small March 11, 2013 | 7:00 PM OCAC Connections Lecture Series RSVP required by March 6th: lectures@ocac.edu or 971 255-4165 Tiger Woods Center | Nike Campus | 1 Bowerman Drive | Beaverton Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 26, 2013 at 9:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.22.13 Weekend Gatherings  Untitled, (Ansel Adams, landscape 1), Todd Johnson, 2011, inkjet print, image courtesy of the gallery Todd Johnson has been an active photographer, educator, and curator in Portland for over a decade. For some reason or another (likely that he doesn't get out much and this fair city thrives on nepotism), his own work is seldom in public view. In his exhibition at Marylhurst's Art Gym, he explores myth and forgery through the influence of Ansel Adams. The PR states that the show "reflects his interests in the history of West Coast landscape photography, celebrity, collecting and, as he puts it, 'myth and legend, identity and fraud, historical and contemporary, amateur and professional, junk and treasure.'" While at the Art Gym, take a look at reflections on the last five years of the innovative residency program, Signal + Fire. The Misadventures of Ansel Adams: Garage Sales, Geo Tracking and General Tomfoolery | Todd Johnson Opening Reception | Febraury 24th | 3-5 PM The Art Gym | Marylhurst University 17600 Pacific Highway | Marylhurst, OR 
Nim Wunnan and Gabe Flores @ False Front With his personal work, Nim Wunnan is most noted for two dimensional graphite and ink drawings. Gabe Flores, on the other hand, churns out installations that often make use of multiples of colorful objects, stark white surfaces, mirrors, or some combination thereof. In their new exhibition at False Front, they have both stepped out of their comfort zones. In doing so, they have reinvigorated the question-asking-part of what should be an evolving art practice. In doing so, they have tapped into something personal and therefore they have some valuable experience to impart on their viewers. "Originally conceived as a way to swap their typical media (painting for Wunnan and installation for Flores), this show draws on each artist's personal history, exploring how they sense and perceive. Wunnan's severe synesthesia and Flores' experience with what he terms 'alternative perceptions to the statistical norm' overlap in a shared interest in peak experiences, sensory displacement, and their relationship to their active arts practice." Private Screening | Gabe Flores + Nim Wunnan February 23 - March 23 Opening reception | February 23rd | 7 -10 PM FalseFront | 4518 NE 32nd Ave. Portland, OR 97211 
Josh Berger has been made important contributions to the arts community in Portland over the years, not least as PLAZM's art director. Some months ago, he suffered a bicycle accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury. This Sunday, PICA is holding a fundraising event to help alleviate some of the medical debt incurred following the incident. "Featuring e*rock spinning tunes and short musical sets from Sam Coomes (Quasi, Heatmiser), Ray Reposa (Castanets, Raymond Byron & the White Freighter), Tuvan throat singer Enrique Ugalde (Soriah), Grey Anne, and special guests. With food, wine, coffee, and Fort George Brewing beer." PICA will also be auctioning off 100 original artworks from local artists for the low price of $100. A Benefit Party & Art Auction for Josoh Berger February 24th | 3-6 PM PICA | 415 SW 10th Ave (Third Floor) $10-$10 suggested donation Posted by Tori Abernathy on February 22, 2013 at 14:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.19.13 Oracle at Archer Gallery  Patrick Kelly's Carbon Trace C The latest show at the Archer gallery, Oracle, looks promising if only for the subject matter being "mystery". Oracle features Marie Sivak, Patrick Kelly and Susie Lee, though of the three I only tend to find Kelly to be mysterious. Still, I'm always interested in any show that seeks to present or evoke the unknown (like this one). According to the PR: "Although physically real and tangible, the works evoke a sense of otherness. Exquisite alabaster sculptures are at the center of Marie Sivak's installation. Both weighty and delicate, the sculptures are surrounded by a gossamer network of nylon tubes that float above and around, while soft flickering video images play against the matte white surfaces. Patrick Kelly's drawings have a powerful dimensionality that is constantly in flux. In Kelly's drawings, heavy graphite lines are repeated endlessly. The light cast on planar and curved surfaces built by Kelly's graphite lines reveals each of these surfaces in sequence as the viewer's point of view shifts." Lee's works, filmed in a nursing home and related to Goya's Black Paintings should be familiar to those who saw the 2011 CNAA's or last Year's Northwest Biennial at the Tacoma Art Museum. Oracle: Marie Sivak, Patrick Kelly and Susie Lee February 20 - March 16, 2013 Reception: February 23rd, 4 - 6pm Archer Gallery, Clark College 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 19, 2013 at 22:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.18.13 The True Final Craft/Perspectives Panel for Hallie Ford Fellows Inaugural  2010 Hallie Ford Fellows, Daniel Duford, David Eckard and Heidi Schwegler Tomorrow at 6:30PM the Museum of Contemporary Craft is holding the last (it was to be the first but was rescheduled) of 3 Craft/Perspective panel discussions related to the We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order To Live exhibition of Hallie Ford Fellowship recipients. This final of 3 talks featuring individual artist presentations by 2010 Hallie Ford Fellows; Daniel Duford, David Eckard and Heidi Schwegler. This was the group that got everyone very excited as a changing of the guard in Portland because none of these artists were represented by local galleries, hadn't been the typical names that received awards previously and had a more contemporary outlook... especially Schwegler. There's already been a lot of discussion related to the nature of these awards here on PORT. But all that aside it isn't these artist's job to address the panel selections (which have become somewhat less adventurous since the first group)... instead it is their job to discuss their work and here is possibly the only opportunity you will have to have these three discuss what they do together in one room (because they have very little in common besides being art educators and an attachment to craft). Panel Discussion: February 19th | 6:30 - 8:00 PM Museum of Contemporary Craft (The Lab) 724 NW Davis St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 18, 2013 at 21:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.15.13 Weekend Performances  Jennifer Ambrust at Nationale Jennifer Ambrust, who has been offering free advice to members of nationale for the past few years has recently retired from her web and graphic design work to launch a new creative consulting firm, Ambrust & Co. The next session of Free Advice hosted by Ambrust will take place on Saturday, the 16th. "Working intuitively from a wealth of scholastic and experiential knowledge including creative entrepreneurship, artist mentorship, small business & gallery administration, graphic & web design, Critical Theory, cooking & nutrition, yoga, Jungian psychology, Buddhism, and energetics, Armbrust meets one-on-one with participants, proffering an alchemy of observational insights, resource referrals, recommendations and somatic experiences in response to expressed queries." Free Advice | Jennifer Ambrust February 16th | 12-2 PM Free for gallery members | $5 for non-members Reservations welcome | info@nationale.us Nationale | 811 E Burnside  Katherine Groesbeck at Place Seattle-based artist Katherine Groesbeck will be conducting a wish-making performance this Saturday complete birthday cakes. "Even though I know longer believe in the magic of genies, birthday candles, or shooting stars, I still make wishes just in case I’m wrong. The remnants of my inner child compel me to continue wishing. For the next eight weeks I will explore the magic and the lure of wish making." Coinciding with Groesbeck's festive goings-on, performance artist Michael Reinsch will be turning art audience into consumer as he turns out art-on-demand. "This project utilizes retail strategies adopted from made to order production such as speed, efficiency, and attention to high customer service standards. The viewer orders pieces of art from a menu board posted behind a professionally manufactured service counter." Adrienne Huckabone will also have a new video work on view that fetishizes the imagery of advertising. Katherine Groesbeck | Wish Making & Practicalities Michael Reinsch | On Demand Opening Reception | February 16th | 5-9 PM White Gallery | Place | Third floor of the Pioneer Mall | 700 SW 5th Ave Posted by Tori Abernathy on February 15, 2013 at 15:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkToko Shinoda at Portland's Japanese Garden  Toko Shinoda, Gratitude (lithograph) Portland's fantastic Japanese Garden is kicking off its 50th anniversary year visual arts programming with an exhibition of drawings and prints by Toko Shinoda. At 100 years old Shinoda is herself a Japanese national treasure and innovator in calligraphy drawing from both abstract expressionism and minimalism as well as the long history of Japanese Calligraphy. Those who know their history know that both avant garde American art movements had more than a few path crossings with the traditional art form. Curated by Norman Tolman, the exhibition will present one work work from each year of the garden's existence. According to the garden's PR: "Working in a medium that traces its roots back 3,000 years to ancient China, Shinoda was influenced by the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1950s and today her works combine a refined minimalism with a dynamic abstract energy. Her masterful brushstrokes are often complemented with a subtle touch of color and convey a Zen-like sense of tranquility. Interviewed by The Japan Times on the occasion of her 90th birthday, Shinoda described her work as, 'a balance between dynamism and traditional elegance.'" 50 Prints & Paintings, Toko Shinoda at 100 February 15 - March 17th Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 15, 2013 at 6:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.12.13 Dieng & Maldonado at Linfield  Devon Maldonado (L) Modou Dieng (R) It may be a bit of a trek into wine country for Portlanders but Linfield College's gallery does some of the best truly contemporary shows in the area and An Interactive Installation: Modou Dieng in collaboration with Devon A. Maldonado looks like it is worth the trip. According to the PR: "Dieng has collaborated with VanHouten-Maldonado on "An Interactive Installation," an exhibit that draws inspiration from a history of heroes and antiheroes in Mexico and Senegal. The exhibit examines the way history is represented in a contemporary context in the information age. Viewers are asked to interact with the work using a provided 3D lens, in order to investigate cultural history and ethnicity using contemporary tools. A clash of digital and analog cultures determines a hybrid aesthetic of history and ethnicity, the artists say." The PR photo alone conjures the classic Warhol/Basquiat show and other images call to mind Warhol and Basquiat having a bit of fun at Richard Prince's expense. It feels like internationalist payback in a post pop, post painting, post colonial, post photography, post heroic, post POST perhaps pre-revolutionary exhibition. It doesn't have that traditional Northwest vibe at all. 
Detail of Dieng's work at MoCADA Modou in particular is one of the most internationally connected artists in Portland (he's one of the key people behind the Portland NOW Triennial) and I'd be remiss to not mention his participation at Brooklyn's MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts) eMERGING: Visual Art & Music in a Post-Hip-Hop Era exhibition which opens on February 14th. See both shows on both coasts if you can. An Interactive Installation | MMiller Art Center, Linfield College (McMinnville campus) February 11 - March 16, 2013 Opening Reception: Saturday, February 16th | 3 to 5 p.m. Artist talk at Nicholson Library on the Linfield Campus, room 127, Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 12, 2013 at 14:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.11.13 Not So Final Craft/Perspectives Panel for Hallie Ford Fellows Inaugural  (L to R) Ellen Lesperance, Akihiko Miyoshi, and Michelle Ross Tomorrow at 6:30PM the Museum of Contemporary Craft is holding the last of 3 Craft/Perspective panel discussions related to the We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order To Live exhibition of Hallie Ford Fellowship recipients. The talk features, "individual artist presentations by 2012 Hallie Ford Fellows; Ellen Lesperance, Akihiko Miyoshi, and Michelle Ross, followed by a moderated conversation around a central question that currently influences the local creative climate." To be sure, whenever someone hands out money, somebody will inevitably grouse but the exhibition has been a lightning rod for a wide ranging discussion here on PORT... just not in the way the Ford Foundation seem to have planned. Instead, by situating the discussion around the somewhat old-school combination "making" and hand made analog processes in some ways the show misses ideas first laid out in Donald Judd's incredibly influential essay Specific Objects (which counter-intuitively was all about being general in a specific way by making objects quite secondary to their collateral effect upon a room and viewer. This ultimately presaged the now omnipresent digital realm.) Thus comparatively, 7 of show's 9 artist (exceptions are Schwegler and Conkle) have a very conscious old-school approach to art, much of it academic as well. This isn't an indictment or review of the work as much as a mirror I feel needs to be held up to these awards panels in regards to so called "contemporary award"s for art in the Northwest. Furthermore, these three artists are all capable speakers so come and see what they have to say about being lumped together in both flattering and not so flattering ways. By purposefully concentrating on more, "traditional disciplines" the Ford Family Foundation practically begged for this kind of "yeah but" critical response (i.e. where is the exploration of digital forms or installation that doesn't call attention to the way it is made). I respect that and the opportunities for discussion it creates are important. Fact is though most contemporary art treats the human hand as a simply a choice to use, or not. It isn't paramount to the discussion of the human condition (especially in this digital age), simply a common one among numerous other strategies. By fetishing the hand/analog process, it is like having desert all of the time and the Ford Family Foundation is hardly the only institution guilty of taking a very standard and stereotypical "genre" based approach to Northwest art as opposed to an ideas/experience based one (which inherently treats all genres, materials and strategies as equals). Panel Discussion: February 12th | 6:30 - 8:00 PM Museum of Contemporary Craft (The Lab) 724 NW Davis St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 11, 2013 at 12:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.08.13 Weekend Events in February  Still from Purge, directed by Antti Jokinen. Image courtesy of PIFF. The Portland International Film Festival opened yesterday and will be running through February 23rd. There are far too many gems for us to cite them here, but in case you're unfamiliar with PIFF: "Drawing an audience of over 35,000, the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) is the biggest film event in Oregon, premiering more than 100 international shorts and feature films to Portland audiences." I'm always personally fond of the film shorts, the first set of which screens this Saturday at 1PM in the Whitsell auditorium. I'm also interested in seeing the documentary filmed in North Korea, Comrade Kim Goes Flying: it looks as though it will prove to be a corny underdog story laden with the cheery undertones of propaganda films. There is so much more to see over the next couple weeks and you can find the full listings on their website. The Portland International Film Festival | presented, in part, by The Northwest Film Center February 7th - 23rd Whitsell Auditorium | 1219 SW Park Avenue Regal Fox Tower | 846 SW Park Avenue World Trade Center Theater | 121 SW Salmon Street Cinema 21 | 616 NW 21st Avenue  Documentation of Jon Gitelson's The Last Snow In Brattleboro. This weekend down in Springfield, an exciting new show exploring new geographies and mapping techniques is opening with the works of three out of state artists. The work in the show, from what I can tell without having yet witnessed it myself, seems both playful and cleanly stark. The works "investigate the materiality of the landscape, the complexity of perceptual experience, and the relationship between our physical and mental experiences of place. Lamson's video A Line Describing The Sun tracks the path of the sun during a one day performance in the Mojave Desert while Mann's photographs of imagined landscapes speak of the desire to run away into the unknown. Gitelson's The Last Snow In Brattleboro tracks the last snow to melt in his hometown in order to convince himself of Spring's arrival." Three Ways to Draw the Landscape | William Lamson, John Mann, and Jon Gitelson February 9th - March 2nd Opening reception | February 9th | 6-9 PM Ditch Projects | 303 S. 5th Avenue #165 | Springfield, OR Posted by Tori Abernathy on February 08, 2013 at 18:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.05.13 First Thursday of February  WHEN WILL MY LOVE BE RIGHT, 2013, galvanized welded and riveted steel, leather, brass, copper and seashell, 26" x 25" x 40 1/2", installation view, photo by Jeff Jahn Arnold Kemp, chair of the Visual Studies program at PNCA, was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2012. His current exhibition at PDX Contemporary When Will My Love Be Right references a song recorded by Robert Winters and Fall in the 1980s that comes out of a genre transforming gospel and r&b into the funky and secular. On view will be a series of handmade mens' accessories, seashells, poetic texts, and images made from the manipulation of aluminum. "These works conceptualize a sense of touch, a sense of empathy and a sense of humor. In thinking about the characters that are described in the various 'aluminums' I find that characters emerge also in the mundane objects of the shoes, the shells and the leather belts that bear a buckle that simply names them as SHY. These works are poetic, associative, and sensual in their insistence on the possibility of mundane objects to portray tense spasms of the soul peppered with pain, laughter, irony and question marks." When Will My Love Be Right | Arnold J. Kemp January 22nd - March 2nd Opening Reception | February 7th | 6-9 PM PDX Contemporary | 925 NW Flanders 
Derek Bourcier @ Littman Gallery I'm very excited to see the solo exhibition by one of my favorite Portland-based emerging artists, Derek Bourcier. He has a curious way of uncovering the magically vital force of objectness. "More Doubt and Wonder is an exhibition of conceptual sculpture and video that trusts in the unseen, the contained, and the imagined as a means to communicate ideas of isolation, imagination, and artistic self-doubt. Bourcier conflicts the inclination to create objects as a necessary part of life with feelings of uneasiness in that form of expression." At the White Gallery just down the hall, there will be a series of 'drawings' by Dunja Jankovic. More Doubt and Wonder | Derek Bourcier February 7-28, 2013 Opening Reception | February 7th 5-8 PM Littman Gallery | PSU Smith Hall, Room 250 | 1825 SW Broadway  Still from With Eyes that Might not See, Claire Zitzow, 2012, 10' 15" HD video, stereo sound, image courtesy of the artist In February at White Box, two exhibitions are opening that focus on place and human intervention into representations of natural landscapes. The exhibition by Claire Zitzow exploring the Coloradan landscape "consists of four new sets of works reflecting on a mediated relationship to landscape that occurs through observational study, a multiplicity of image production, and the experiential." Goldfields is a three-channel video installation by Dawn Roe that "consideration[s] cultural memory in relation to the opposing perspectives of indigenous and colonial settler narratives, pastoral landscape representations, folklore and myth." Claire Zitzow | Remains To Be Seen & Dawn Roe | Goldfields Opening Reception | February 7th | 6-9 PM White Box | at University of Oregon | 24 NW 1st Ave Posted by Tori Abernathy on February 05, 2013 at 14:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkBecker Collection & Sarah Gilbert at Reed College  Henri Lovie (b. Prussia, 1829–1875),(detail) Battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee: Left Wing near the Peach Orchard, April 6, 1862 Graphite and gray wash on wove paper We are now into Obama's already very polarized second term as President and films like Lincoln and Django Unchained are still the major must see films in the theaters, all bringing the the USA's bloody and divisive Civil War era close to our modern consciousness. Thu,s it is timely that the Cooley Gallery's latest show, FIRST HAND: CIVIL WAR ERA DRAWINGS FROM THE BECKER COLLECTION, BOSTON COLLEGE brings us another abstracted but first hand observational account to perhaps the most defining event in our country's history. It is also a coherent follow up to the previous Kara Walker show as well. Here is the PR: "The Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery, Reed College, is proud to present over 140 original Civil War era drawings from the Becker Collection at Boston College. The Becker Collection contains over 600 hitherto un-exhibited and undocumented drawings by American artist Joseph Becker (1841–1910) and his colleagues, nineteenth-century artists who worked as artist-reporters for Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper during the Civil War. Artist-reporters were charged with observing, drawing, and sending back for publication images of the battles, troop movements, and daily activities of the era. Completed in the field, their drawings were couriered to Leslie's offices where they were transformed into wood engravings, then cast as metal plates and printed. At times, it took as little as three days for drawings to make their way from the battlefield into Leslie's pages. Civil War Drawings from the Becker Collection is the first opportunity for scholars and the public to study selections from this important and unknown collection, and to appreciate these national treasures for their aesthetic qualities and relationship to contemporary forms of illustrated journalism. The original drawings selected for the exhibition by curators Sheila Gallagher and Judith Bookbinder document key developments in American history in lively and specific forms, as the country struggled to establish its national identity. In addition to Becker, the exhibition includes works by Henri Lovie, Edward F. Mullen, William T. Crane, and Charles E.H. Bonwill, among others." First Hand: Civil War Era Drawings From The Becker Collection, Boston College February 5 - April 20 Cooley Gallery | Reed College 3203 SE Woodstock BLVD. HOURS: Noon to 5 P.M., Tuesday – Sunday, free Located in the main floor of the Reed Library  Sarah Gilbert (photo Dan Kivitka) Sarah Gilbert's After Image at Reed's Feldenheimer gallery explores the very popular intersection of science and art (artists like Damien Gilley, Oregon Painting Society, Carl Diehl, MSHR, Laura Hughes, Kyle Thompson, Josh Pavalacky, Zachary Davis and Laura Fritz are all practitioners) though Gilbert's take is more gadget based, dealing with the very real human/cyborg convergence (the other artists tend to dematerialize objects to varying degrees). There is an opening on First Thursday (far from the Pearl District so Ill post it with its campus brethren). According to the PR, "Sarah Gilbert creates objects, images, and installations that explore changing definitions of the human and posthuman, both in physical form and as conceptual categories. As an artist working in glass, film, and a variety of other materials invested with rich historical craft traditions, she is interested in how objects shape our experiences, and the ways in which we define ourselves through the labor of our bodies. Her projects strive to make visible links between the past and the present, drawing on material memory and the tension between figuration and abstraction as springboards for contemplating our experience of time." After Image | Sarah Gilbert January 28 - Feburary 19, 2013 Edith Feldenheimer Gallery, Studio Art Building Reception with the artist: February 7, 4:30 - 6:30 PM Gallery Hours: Monday–Saturday, 12:00 - 6:00 PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 05, 2013 at 10:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.31.13 First Weekend February 2013  Mid-sized arts cities often claim to be on the brink of some limelight explosion, but the whole 'we're-actually-serious-this-time' caveat has gained traction around these parts lately. As the city changes, grows, and attracts more attention, it has some growing pains to feel out and some gaps to fill. Many have pointed out the gaps that remain, but few have gone out to purchase the spackle. With budding plans for a Portland-based triennale, Modou Dieng has taken the caulk in hand. Not So Quiet is the first fundraising event to pave the way for something much bigger to come. The event contains an impressive mashup of cultural practices such as "a dance performance by San Francisco-based choreographer and performance artist Renee Rhodes; readings by Portland-based writer and poet Matthew Dickman; intellectual stimuli from critical theorist and author Barry Sanders, PhD; unique sonic textures by local musical duo Golden Retriever; and DJs spinning throughout the evening. Not So Quiet will also feature the paintings of Jason Traeger, and video works by San Francisco-based artist Anne Colvin, among other guests." Not So Quiet | An Evening of Visual Arts and Performances February 1st | 9PM - midnight 820 SE Alder St.  Afro-Chic (video still), 2010. DVD, 5 minutes, 30 seconds. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Carrie Mae Weems This Saturday will be the first day (unless you're a Patron Society Member, in which case the first day will be Friday) to see Carrie Mae Weems' exhibit on view at the Portland Art Museum. It's nice that this exhibition of photographs and video by an African-American female artist coincides with Black History Month. I wonder what our community would look like if we didn't need to find an occasion to do such a thing. "Featuring some of her most groundbreaking work, including Ain't Jokin', From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried, Ritual and Revolution, and the recent series Constructing History: A Requiem to Mark the Moment, Weems' work will challenge audiences by highlighting issues of power, race, and gender." Three Decades of Photography and Video | Carrie Mae Weems Feb 2nd - May 19th Portland Art Museum | 1219 SW Park Avenue Posted by Tori Abernathy on January 31, 2013 at 22:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.30.13 First Last Thursday of 2013  Harrison Freeman's Ugly Girl 4 Ampersand has been doing great things for a while now, often discovering new talent. In presenting Harrison Freeman's Both Sides Now it looks like they are at it again. Freeman is obsessed with zombies and horror genres with a tad of that Storm Tharp effect... only without any of the washy ink effects with the wicked line work... GOOD decision! The gallery's PR states: "Brightly colored & grounded in a nostalgic love of zombies & monsters, the Dukes of Hazzard & comic books, Freeman's gallery of garish portraits is inspired by (& even drawn on) found photographs of people long dead. 'It started when I was in Berlin scouring flea markets for old photos,' notes Freeman. 'I was buying pictures of people I thought looked especially strange or creepy & then tried to magnify that in the drawings I was making.' The initial result was a series of 50 snapshot photos, on the backs of which Freeman drew & painted often grotesque interpretations of the front-side figures. Arranged in a large grid at the gallery, the installation is interactive in that we are able to flip from front to back in a comparative viewing experience. As an impetus for a larger body of work, these snapshot sketches have been edited & refined in Freeman's new collection of drawings & paintings. Zeroing in on favorite faces, his works on wood panel & yellowed found paper amplify the distinct folds of skin, bulging eyes, toothy smiles & hair gone awry that are singular to the best & worst of found photographic relics." Harrison Freeman | Both Sides Now January 31 - February 24, 2013 Opening Reception: January 31 | 6 - 10PM Ampersand 2916 NE Alberta St Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 30, 2013 at 14:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.25.13 Corin Hewitt & Jessica Jackson Hutchins  Corin Hewitt in the Lumber Room's Terrain Shift (photo Jeff Jahn) On Saturday, Corin Hewitt will give a gallery talk titled "The Studio Pressed Flat" at the Lumber Room discussing his work in the current show "Terrain Shift" and how his practice relates to both Kurt Schwitters Merzbau + Giorgio di Chirico's painted interiors. There is a kind of surreal accretion that takes place in the work of all three artists so I'm intersted in this rationale. In general, Terrain Shift is perhaps the most "lived in" show at the Lumber Room to date and because it ends February 2nd this is one of your last opportunities to catch the exhibition. Corin Hewitt: The Studio Pressed Flat Artist Talk: January 26 | 3:00PM Lumber Room 419 NW 9th  Jessica Jackson Hutchins in her Studio, Portland, 2010 As part of their 2/2 series (2 pieces by the same artist on display for two weeks) Fourteen30 presents Jessica Jackson Hutchins. Hutchins lived in Portland until recently and keeps coming back despite grousing about Portland in magazine articles (I find most people who move away do this because they have to constantly justify why they left, though they miss it deeply... my brother does the same thing). Anyways, glad to see her work in town again. Jessica Jackson Hutchins 2/2 January 25th - February 3rd (with a closing reception that day) Fourteen30 1501 SW Market St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 25, 2013 at 12:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.23.13 Inaugural Ford Fellows exhibition at MOCC  The First 9 Ford Fellows (notice how the 2 primarily conceptual artists Bruce Conkle and Heidi Schwegler are not doing something with their hands) Three years ago the Ford Foundation did a wonderful thing and started giving out three $25,000 mid career fellowships to Oregon artists. The nine fellows so far are; Daniel Duford, David Eckard, Heidi Schwegler, Sang-ah Choi, Bruce Conkle, Stephen Hayes, Ellen Lesperance, Michelle Ross and Akihiko Miyoshi. All will be featured in the inaugural exhibition: We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live at the Museum of Contemporty Craft, which opens tomorrow, January 24th 2013. ...(More) We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order To Live January 24th through April 27th Museum of Contemporary Craft 724 NW Davis Street Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 23, 2013 at 15:17 | Comments (14) PermalinkFriday 01.18.13 Mid-January Heats Up  The Yale Union is starting off 2013 with an exciting series of performances by New York-based artist, writer, editor, and librarian Angie Keefer. Keefer's five performances will occur on some Friday evenings in January, February, and March. The talks will make use of different media such as audio, film while cohering around an inquiry into human perception and what motivates human investigation. Keefer is co-founder of The Serving Library, an online resource of "bulletins", or downloadable PDFs merging thematically in a published journal each season. Angie Keefer | Opening Reception / "Magician" January 18th | 7:30 PM Also February 1st, February 22nd, March 8th, and March 22nd | 7:30 PM Yale Union | 800 SE 10th Ave 
At Place this Saturday, Jamie Marie Waelchi and Travis Nikolai exhibit two new installations in the Black Gallery. I look forward to another lyrically personal set of artifacts from Waelchi. " Solid Mind examines the disappointments and frustrations, internal and external, that interfere with one's goals, ideals, and anticipated life trajectory. The installation considers the reconciliation of personal expectations with lived reality using glass containers, liquid, light, and a stream-of-conscious drawing technique." The second iteration of the privilege-based exhibition White Pride? also unveils in the same evening at the White Gallery. White Pride (part 2) | Featuring: Jodie Cavalier, Tim Combs, Petra Fortes-Schramm, Gia Goodrich, Julie Perini, Portia Roy, and Sandy Sampson The Breathing Room | Travis Nikolai Solid Mind | Jamie Marie Waelchli Opening Receptions| January 19th | 5-9 PM Place | 700 SW 5th Ave | The third floor of the Pioneer Mall Posted by Tori Abernathy on January 18, 2013 at 14:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkPeter Moore at Gallery Homeland 
Former creative guru at Nike, Peter Moore, will be in effect tonight as his solo exhibition, Controversy and Conversation opens at Gallery Homeland. This graphic driven work makes hamburger of both saints and baddies in a way that seeks to provoke. This is the guy behind the first Air Jordan shoe campaign and on top of it all Gallery Homeland's director Paul Middendorf (currently living in Houston where he has opened another branch of GH) will be back in town as well. Opening Reception: Controversy and Conversation | January 18th 7-10 PM galleryHomeland 2505 SE 11th Avenue, Suite #136 Through February 22nd Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 18, 2013 at 9:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.15.13 Terra Linear at Archer Gallery  Terra Linear @ Archer Gallery This Wednesday at Archer Gallery in Vancouver, Terra Linear opens, an exhibition in which nine regional ceramicists exhibit bodies of work that are all informed and motivated by considerations of linear quality. "Through innovative approaches to surface treatment, structure, and a freedom with materials, these contemporary artists all take full advantage of the plastic lyricism and material delight available through ceramic processes." Terra Linear: The Ceramic Line | Featuring: Ann Christenson, Anne E. Hirondelle, Brian R. Jones, Ryan LaBar, Brad Mildrexler, Alwyn O'Brien, Jill Oberman, Sylwia Tur, and Lilly Zuckerman January 16th - February 10th Opening Reception | January 16th | 6-7 PM Archer Gallery | Clark College | 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA Posted by Tori Abernathy on January 15, 2013 at 22:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 01.13.13 North Park Blocks Convergence 
On Monday night, as part of Portland Monthly's ongoing Bright Lights discussion series, PNCA President Tom Manley and architect Brad Cloepfil will be discussing the art school's 511 building renovation (in the media PORT was the first to recognize the 511 building as a game changer for PNCA and the city). Of special interest is the "creative corridor" it will form along with other North Park Block based entities like RACC, the Desoto Building galleries and numerous other creative firms that are within walking distance of the school's new HQ. This move effectively makes PNCA the North Park Blocks anchor tenant that with the Bud Clark Commons should revitalize a somewhat dark and sketchy area at night. The event will be hosted by Randy Gragg, who can be counted on to keep his stronger eye on the promotion of regional real-estate developments. Discussion: January 14th | doors 5:30 PM No Cover Jimmy Mak's | 221 NW 10th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 13, 2013 at 22:11 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 01.11.13 Weekend Picks This weekend is exceptionally busy with openings and events at Lumber Room, Art Gym, Place, Rock's Box, PSU, Nationale etc. Lumber Room (already posted about) and Art Gym are my two top picks (Tori is under the weather) but here are the rest.
 Still from Kelly Rauer's Weight On Sunday the Art Gym presents probably the most highly anticipated exhibition to kick off the new year. The dual offering of Kelly Rauer's Weight and Samantha Wall's Laid to Rest is an inspired pairing of two of Portland's best observer/translators of human physiography. The shows are separate but related. Rauer is presenting her most ambitious multi-channel video installation to date. Like Rauer, Wall focuses on a single female figure and "has created a set of drawings that draw on selected video stills as they explore the emotional and cultural underpinnings of gesture." Let's see how the stack up against Robert Longo and Sam Taylor-Wood? Reception: January 13, 3 - 5PM Runs Through February 15th Gallery talk: January 31, 12pm The Art Gym (third floor of the B.P. John Administration Building on the Marylhurst University campus)  Lindsay Kennedy @ Nationale For you painting fans, Nationale presents Lindsay Kennedy's Pattern Assembly on your busy Saturday Night, evoking the pastel and pattern filled heaven/hell that was the hallmark of the late 80's. Buy some Aquanet, make your hair real big, put on some moon boots and check this out. In many ways I wish May would just call up Duane Sorenson and get him to back them and buy the prime Pulliam Gallery space in the Pearl District (now for sale). Nationale has had great taste showing Carson Ellis, Midori Hirose, Oregon Painting Society and Amy Bernstein etc. over the years. The Pearl could use some of the freshness that Nationale seems to find so effortlessly achieve in a serious, well funded gallery that can concentrate on the big picture not just hand to mouth sales (i.e. expect to lose money for 3+ years). Pattern Assembly | Lindsay Kennedy| runs through February 17th Opening Reception January 12th 6-9PM @ Nationale 811 E Burnside ...(more with PSU and Chris Fraser) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 11, 2013 at 10:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.09.13 La Londe talk at Lumber Room 
Evan La Londe at Terrain Shift 2013 is now fully under way and this weekend your Portland art event options are going to be extra plentiful (Tori will have more details soon). In advance of that deluge, I suggest attending Evan La Londe's artist talk at the Lumber Room on Saturday at 3:00 PM. This is perhaps the Lumber Room's most "lived in" exhibition in feel (it is a private residence/collection after all) and La Londe is well versed in the discussion of "the room as camera"... which is a great opening artist talk for this show. Artist Talk: January 12th | 3:00 PM Lumber Room | 419 NW 9th Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 09, 2013 at 10:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.04.13 Publish that photo book?  Newspace is kicking off the year with a free talk by photobook specialist Daniel Milnor and publisher Darius Himes this Saturday. "Through extensive examples drawn from their personal work and experiences, and from a compelling survey of contemporary artist books, Milnor and Himes will open your eyes to the diversity of the international photobook scene." Photobook talk: January 5 | 7- 9 PM Newspace | 1632 SE 10th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 04, 2013 at 20:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.02.13 The First First Thursday of 2013  Robert Rauschenberg, Samarkand Stitches I, 1988, Unique screenprint and fabric collage, 61" x 46" Robert Rauschenberg's longstanding career has doubtlessly had an outstanding affect on artistic production to this day, particularly among artists working with collage. His combines operated between the modes of painting and sculpture and made use of everyday objects that would often literally be placed on the surface of the painting. The exhibition opening at Elizabeth Leach tomorrow showcases his forays into printmaking. These screenprints and lithographs are certainly flatter than the work he's most known for, but they employ a similar chaotic flow of everyday imagery, content, and pattern. His son, Christopher Rauschenberg has a series of photographs depicting witty captured moments in a museum setting that are also exhibited contemporaneously. Robert Rauschenberg | Selected Prints January 3 - March 2, 2013 & Christopher Rauschenberg | Museum January 3 - February 2, 2013 Opening Reception | January 3rd | 5-8 PM Elizabeth Leach Gallery | 417 NW 9th Avenue In the video window, viewable from the exterior of Elizabeth Leach, there are a series of video works by Signal Fire alumni Miguel Arzabe, Rebecca Najdowski, Julie Perini, and Zachary Davis. Signal Fire is a Portland-based non-profit arts organization that offers residencies and retreats to artists across many disciplines. Signal Fire celebrates their five years as an organization in 2013. Recent Signal Fire Alumni: Miguel Arzabe, Rebecca Najdowski, Julie Perini, and Zachary Davis January 3 - February 2, 2013 Video Window | Elizabeth Leach Gallery | 417 NW 9th Avenue  Mariana Tres @ Chambers 916 PSU MFA grad Mariana Tres' body of visual works play on the truth value of photography in relation to shared-historical knowledge. This exhibition features work from the playful institution founded by Tres, The Society for Nebulous Knowledge. "'CELESTIAL CLOCKWORK: Herschel McShougle's Dream of Ten Thousand Years' is the sixth major presentation by the Society for Nebulous Knowledge, the quixotic institution Miss Tres oversees. Herschel McShougle’s dream asks us to think deeply into the future. Research for his imaginative decamillenial clock has been recovered and faithfully captured through photography, artifacts and biographical documents for this premiere exhibition. Information will also be available about a present-day manifestation, the 10,000 Year Clock of The Long Now Foundation." Mariana Tres | Celestial Clockwork January 03 - February 02, 2013 Opening Reception | January 3rd | 5-8 PM Chambers 916 | 916 NW Flanders Behind the Cut, Jesse Hayward at Nine Gallery and Andy Freeberg at Blue Sky Posted by Tori Abernathy on January 02, 2013 at 21:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.21.12 Nativity 3.0 
For their 3rd year Xhurch's radical nativity series Nativity 3.0 features Portland's MSHR and the Hair and Space Museum. Last year's blasphemy deluxe was alien themed but this year it is much more abstract and technodelic, including the theme of "Imortality (through technology)." Tonight's opening ceremonies features Cloaks and MSHR beginning at 7pm. Here's the PR: "Planned in conjunction with Seattle's reputed Hair and Space Museum, Nativity 3.0 promises to "top out" in both conceptual scope and visual splendor. In 2010, Xhurch staged a quaint and traditional Christmas Nativity which drew friends and a few neighbors. Last year, Alien Nativity attracted hundreds of visitors and garnered international media attention with its kitsch extra-terrestrial motif. This year's installation will abstract even further away from the original, presenting a visual feast while riffing on topics like Infinity, The Coming Technological Singularity, Immortality (through technology), modern Spiritualism and THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT!" ...ummm ok, that does beat 3 wise men and some live camels. Opening December 21st 7-9PM Nativity 3.0: December 21-25th | 5-9PM nightly Xhurch | 4550 NE 20th Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 21, 2012 at 11:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.14.12 Weekend Openings in December  Will Work for Representation, Sam Guerrero There are a few ways to combat the self-absorbed character of Modern art. One such avenue has been a looking outward, the disappearance of the author's hand as it recedes in favor of a brutally anti-aesthetic void. In a less 'subverting' gesture, some artists have moved towards a deeply reflective (if not hyper-critical)investigation of the social underpinnings that afford them their privileged place in our culture. White Pride? is an exhibition opening at Place with a quality line up of artists that have supposed to take on that challenge. "A thorough examination of how we personally benefit when we step into narratives of privilege is necessary if we want to create new scripts in how we navigate racially. Scarily, this means we have to sometimes stop congratulating ourselves and get a bit more introspective." White Pride? | Nadia Buyse, Chris Freeman, Sam Guerrero, Michael Martínez, Mark Martinez, Christine Taylor, Chloé Womack Opening Reception | 5-9PM Place | 700 SW 5th Ave 3rd floor More behind the cut! Ben Young + Gary Robbins @ PICA and Seth Nehil @ FalseFront Posted by Tori Abernathy on December 14, 2012 at 20:15 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 12.07.12 Bruce Conkle at PSU's Autzen Gallery 
It has been a little while since Bruce Conkle has treated us to a full solo show in Portland... but he has been in Mongolia (with Marne Lucas for an Ecobaroque project) so he has an excuse. (Is Mongolian excuse an actual term? If not it should be!) Regardless, Bruce is one of the few award winning multi-media artists in the Northwest that focuses primarily on the conceptual nature of the work... which explains why his work finds traction outside the Northwest Craft Bubble. (That's right I just coined the term "Northwest Craft Bubble"). His shows are always phantasmagorias of eco-tech-witchery wrapped in a hilarious conceptual shell so you will want to see this. According to the PR: "Tree Clouds is an exhibition of new sculptures and mixed media drawings constructed by Bruce Conkle with his own peculiar brand of dark humor. The title 'Tree Clouds' refers to the smoke produced when aromatic resin from trees is burned. The scented clouds are literally puffs of smoke that had their origins from within the trees. Several of the sculptures are bronze incense burners, and periodically during the exhibition they will be used to burn aromatic resins collected from trees native to the Pacific NW as incense. Conkle has gathered the aromatic resins from various trees of the Pacific Northwest- including Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine and Shore Pine. He will be burning some of the collected incense at the reception." Let's hope he doesn't burn hemlock? Tree Clouds is made possible in part through a Project Grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council. Tree Clouds | December 8 - 20 Opening Reception: Saturday December 8th 6-8PM Autzen Gallery | Portland State University Neuberger Hall | 2nd Floor Room 205 724 SW Harrison St. @ Broadway Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 07, 2012 at 11:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.05.12 First Thursday on December  The Reader @ White Box The artist and graffiti writer known as The Reader, acclaimed for his work outdoors moves into the White Box for the exhibition Affective Duplication. Here "The Reader employs painting, screen-printing, collage, and sculpture in varied combinations; a new video work will be debuted; architectural elements will interrupt the space allowing viewers to become more intimate with smaller works within a larger site-specific installation." This follows an exhibition earlier this year of The Reader's work at Ditch Projects in Eugene. Affective Duplications | The Reader Opening Reception | December 6th | 6-9PM White Box | The White Stag building | 24 NW 1st Ave 
Binary Lore @ Feldman Gallery "For Binary Lore, Feldman Gallery curator Mack McFarland and Shannon Stratton, curator and director of Threewalls, have collectively selected two artists [sic] from their respective cities for the dual exhibitions." Those in Portland are likely familiar with Brenna Murphy from her work as one half of MSHR and as part of Oregon Painting Society. Edie Fake, on the other hand, is known in Chicago and elsewhere for his illustration work that makes light of the challenges facing queer culture. "Together Edie Fake and Brenna Murphy present two multi-faceted approaches and distribution methods to unpacking our definition-dodging time. In addition to a display of his own work Edie Fake will bring to PNCA a selection of comics from Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE), which Fake co-organized in June 2012." If you're in Chicago, check out the show at Threewalls in June of 2013. Binary Lore | Brenna Murphy (performing with Birch Cooper!) & Edie Fake December 6th | 6-9 PM The Feldman Gallery | PNCA| 1241 NW Johnson St. Also behind the cut, City and County employee exhibition, Louie Palu at Bluesky, and Chemical Landscapes at Multiplex Posted by Tori Abernathy on December 05, 2012 at 18:51 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 11.29.12 Oscar's Delirium Tremens Redux  Patrick Rock: Oscar's Delerium Tremens (Photo: Patrick Leonard. Courtesy of PICA [Portland Institute for Contemporary Art] @ PICA's 2011 Time-Based Art Festival, Portland, Oregon. Perhaps the biggest bummer of 2011 was the fact that Patrick Rock's interactive inflatable pink elephant installation for TBA only operated for a few hours. Thankfully it is back, this time in North Portland as Oscar's Delirium Tremens Redux. I'm particularly interested in this as Patrick demonstrated that he was one of Portland's boldest and notable artists when I introduced Portlanders to his huge Simulacra Hermaphrodite inflatable in a show way back in 2005. Always nice to see an artist follow up on successful ideas. Described as, "A viewer interactive sculptural happening @ The Colony – With your host: Patrick Rock of Rocks Box Contemporary Fine Art." Oscar's Delerium Tremens Redux | Free HSaturday, December 1, 2012, 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday, December 1, 2012, 8:00 - 11:00 p.m., 21 & over reception. Sunday, December 2, 2012, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. @ The Colony - 7527 N. Richmond, Ave. @ Lombard St. (St. Johns neighborhood) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 29, 2012 at 12:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.26.12 Brian Bress Lecture at PSU 
(video still) Brian Bress, Creative Ideas for Every Season, 2010, High definition video, color, sound. Courtesy of the artist and Cherry and Martin, Los Angeles. This Wednesday, Los Angeles based Brian Bress will be the next PSU MFA Studio Lecture Series speaker. The work seems faux innocent and sarcastic at the same time recalling artists like Paul McCarthy, George Condo and Man Ray. The fact that he is satirizing the over-use/abuse of the term "creative" definitely fits the Portland art scene's growing dissatisfaction with such an indiscriminate word. Here's the PR: "Brian Bress is a Los Angeles-based artist, whose dryly comic, character-driven photos and videos are populated with richly collaged and constructed sets and costumes. Recent solo shows include: Cherry and Martin, LA; New Museum, New York, USA (both 2012); Santa Barbara Museum of Art (2012); and Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, USA (2011). Forthcoming exhibitions include Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome, Italy and Galeria Marta Cervera, Madrid, Spain (both 2013)." Lecture: November 28th 7:00PM | Free Shattuck Annex Hall Portland State University 1914 SW Park Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 26, 2012 at 11:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.23.12 Better Friday, PAM is free 5-8PM tonight  The Body Beautiful at PAM (seriously great artifacts from the British Museum) So you ate a lot of food, well your mind wants something now and Black Friday definitely isn't the ticket. The Portland Art Museum is the perfect answer. Tonight from 5-8PM the museum is free and with shows like The Body Beautiful (with it's fantastic collection of Greek and Roman artifacts from the British Museum), Cyndy Sherman, Anna Fidler, Sigmar Polke and Flesh & Bone there is quite a lineup. Of course any time this weekend is a good time. Of course the galleries in the Pearl District and Lumber Room are all great for stretching your legs and mind at the same time too. Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 23, 2012 at 14:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.15.12 Pre-Thanksgiving Goodies  Carson Ellis @ Nationale Nationale opens this Saturday with a series of new works on paper by Carson Ellis influenced by the Norwegian novelist Sigrid Undset and her acclaimed Kristin Lavransdattar trilogy. "Her characters' navigate their destinies with the inspiring, yet clearly fated, qualities of romantic stoicism and self-determination. The resulting discord between this tragic core and Ellis' serene, midnight landscapes of snow-covered fields, stave churches, and fantastical vegetation inspires a new folklore that, while rooted in a romanticized past, ultimately evokes a more introspective present." Midori Hirose's stark snowdrift sculptures will accompany the works on paper. Carson Ellis | Mush, Mush, the Sloping Midnight Line with supporting works by Midori Hirose On view November 14 - December 9, 2012 Opening reception | November 17th | 6-8 PM Nationale | 811 E Burnside 
Part of the series Red Heat Tremors by Jared Haug, construction paper faded with stencils and sun, 2012 Ditch Project co-directors Jared Haug and Brooks Dierdorff make work out in Eugene/Springfield rivaling that of their peer group in the NW region, but their work often doesn't make it out to Portland. Recognizing a common interest in (failed) representations of nature in an increasingly digitized age, they've teamed up for an exhibition opening this Friday at RECESS. "The work in Window Smokers reflects imagery of a cultivated, synthetic, and manipulated nature. With the myth of an untainted landscape in sight, Haug and Dierdorff search for an interface between nature and representation where the unenclosed can be depicted in its disappearance. Utilizing photography, video, and sculpture they investigate the rift between the real and representation, nature and culture, the viewer and the viewed." Brooks Dierdorff and Jared Haug | Window Smokers Opening Reception | November 16th | 7-10 PM RECESS | 1127 SE 10th Avenue 
This weekend, the extremely busy Daniel J Glendening has a solo exhibition opening at FalseFront. The manifesto-like press release for this show doesn't educate curious audiences on the characteristics of the works to be seen. Instead it probes some of the basic questions addressed by Thing Theory and hints at shamanistic motifs. "Earth is represented by a circle split into four quarters, or, alternatively, by an equilateral triangle, pointed downward, bisected by a horizontal line; fire an equilateral triangle, pointed upward. The symbol for gold is a circle with a single point at its center." Daniel J Glendening | Conjurer November 17th - December 9th Opening Reception | November 17th | 7-10 PM FalseFront | 4518 NE 32ND Avenue Posted by Tori Abernathy on November 15, 2012 at 21:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.14.12 Mid November group show goulash The middle of November usually begins a spate of thematic group shows designed to buoy attendance and hold interest over the Holidays... this year is no exception.
 John David Knight At PSU's Littman Gallery the ever popular holiday topic of "Doubt" features; Stephanie Drachman, Ally Drozd & Sky Cunningham, Jamie Edwards, Andre Fortes and John David Knight. Curated by Chloe Womack her Doubt show may or may not deliver, "works of abstraction, dissent, and personal narrative that examine this inescapable contemporary condition." Opening Reception: November 15th | 5:00PM - 8:00PM Through November 30th) Littman & White Galleries, PSU | 1825 SW Broadway Smith Memorial Student Union (SMSU) Building 
The Lathe of Heaven, is another such thematic group exhibition with four artists Damien Gilly, Laura Hughes, Daniel Glendening and Jordan Tull making work "in conversation" with Ursula K. Le Guin's 1971 science fiction novel. The show promises to explore, "the physical and spiritual geography of Portland through site specific installations...." In particular, Gilley, Tull and Hughes are 3 artists who seem to be showing CONSTANTLY around here but are also represent part of larger group of artists who use psychology and design language to create a provisional, often sci-fi but always perceptually loaded environments. Think of them as the psycho-reactive progeny of Judd, Smithson, Heizer, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Irwin and Anish Kapoor. Curated by Josephine Zarkovich, she "invited the artists to produce work that resonates with the novel's themes of overlapping visions, architectural interventions and flawed utopian ideals. The resulting exhibition explores Portland's metaphorical and literal landscapes, its geography and unique identity through the work of artists who call the city home." Sounds like a show we've seen numerous times. Opening Reception: November 15 6-10PM Disjecta | 8371 N Interstate Hours: FRI–SUN 12-5 PM | NOV 16 - DEC 30 Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 14, 2012 at 12:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.08.12 Weekend Picks  Out in Springfield this Friday, there's a new exhibition entitled Long Nights, Long Days by the Minnesotan interdisciplinary artist, Peter Happel Christian. The exhibition draws its title from a pair of photographic works produced by Peter during the summer and winter of 2012. "One bundle, Long Nights, was removed from its packaging in the artist's backyard, recorded the entire duration of winter beginning on December 22, 2011 and ending on March 19, 2012. The second bundle, Long Days, was opened in a darkroom and processed through a fixer bath first, recorded the entire duration of summer beginning on June 20, 2012 and ending on September 21, 2012." Long Nights, Long Days | Peter Happel Christian Opening Reception | November 9th | 6-9 PM Ditch Projects | 303 S. 5th Avenue #165, Springfield Also this weekend, a group show at Appendix and the start of the NWFF. More details are behind the cut. Posted by Tori Abernathy on November 08, 2012 at 16:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.06.12 Daniel Heffernan Reception and Talk  Still from Daniel Heffernan's AE: 1 (2012) On Wednesday, there is an opening reception and talk at Linfield College's Miller Gallery for AE: (1+2), by Daniel Heffernan. Since it is in wine country Linfield may have the Portland area's most remote contemporary art location... but it is also the area's most consistently cutting edge so consider a trek (and maybe some wine tasting). Here's the PR: "Heffernan is a visual and media artist based in New York City whose paintings and video art have been internationally exhibited. The Linfield Gallery exhibition will be his first show in the Pacific Northwest." Linfield College Gallery: Daniel Heffernan - AE: (1+2) | October 15 - December 17 Artist Talk & Reception: November 7th 5PM (talk starts at 6PM @ room 127, Nicholson Library) Gallery hours: M-F 9AM - 5PM & Saturday 12-5PM in the James Miller Fine Arts Center Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 06, 2012 at 11:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.05.12 Margaret Wall-Romana at Archer Gallery 
Magaret Wall-Romana, Tangle and Sensation The Archer Gallery presents the first Northwest exhibit by Minnesota painter, Margaret Wall-Romana, who paints large format flora/fauna fantasias. She is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with an MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago. Archer Gallery | Clark College November 7 - December 9th Opening & talk: November 7, 6 - 8PM (talk at 7 @ PUB 161) 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA Gallery Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 10AM - 7PM, Fri. and Sat. 12-5PM | Phone: 360 992 2246 Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 05, 2012 at 10:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.01.12 Words for the Weekend  Leslie Hewitt, Untitled (Holding Still), 2009, digital c-print in custom maple frame, 53 5/8" x 62 5/8" Awaking from a deep sleep into the dead of autumn, the Lumber Room opens with its first exhibition this year. Exploring optical play, the works presented here are the result of pushing and pulling the medium of photography towards and away from its very limitations. Pay particular attention to the austere work of recent MFA grad, Evan La Londe and the proto-historical analysis that underwrites the work of Leslie Hewitt. Terrain Shift | Corin Hewitt, Leslie Hewitt, Erin Shirreff, Elizabeth McAlpine, Will Rogan, Jennifer West and Portlander Evan La Londe November 2nd, 2012 - February 2nd, 2013 The Lumber Room | 419 NW 9th Ave More this weekend and behind the cut: Chris Kraus @ YU, bamboo @ Japanese Gardens, and Open Studios @ Towne Storage Posted by Tori Abernathy on November 01, 2012 at 20:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkJulie Ault at PNCA  Julie Ault (Photo Tim Hailand) On Friday, PNCA's MFA in Visual Studies presents Julie Ault as part of the 2012-2013 Graduate Visiting Lecture Series. Aukt is an artist, curator (co founder of Group Material) and editor of the important book Alternative Art New York 1965-1985. Considering that arts funding organizations like RACC and the OAC don't really address the needs of Portland's alternative spaces they should have people at this talk (The book is required reading too). From the PR: "Julie Ault, an artist who assumes a curatorial role as a form of practice, individually and collaboratively organizes exhibitions, multiform projects, and publications. Her work emphasizes interrelationships between cultural production and politics.... Ault co-founded Group Material, an artist collaborative that explored relationships between politics and aesthetics between 1979 and 1996. Her projects include Social Landscape at Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, North Carolina, and the exhibition Outdoor Systems, Indoor Distribution at the NGBK, Berlin. Ault has taught at École Superieure d'Art Visuel in Geneva, UCLA, Rhode Island School of Design, CalArts, and The Cooper Union." Julie Ault: November 2nd | 6:30PM - 8:30PM PNCA Main Campus | Swigert Commons 1241 NW Johnson St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 01, 2012 at 12:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.30.12 First Thursday of November  Four-layered Ovoid Lattices #2, Michael Knutson, Oil on canvas, 40" x 60", 2012 Michael Knutson's diligently lucid abstract paintings often form overlapping spirals of intersecting colors. In the new exhibition of work by this Yale graduate and Reed College professor, these lattices take on a more rounded form. As you look closely, think about the fact that this local master doesn't use tape. "The works are composed of two, three and four layers of spiraling ovals that play with actual and apparent transparency." Layered Ovoid Lattices | Michael Knutson Opening Reception | November 1st | 6-9 PM Blackfish Gallery | 420 NW 9th Ave.  Interrogation 2, Leon Golub, 1980-81, Acrylic on linen, 120 x 176 inches, The Broad Art Foundation, Santa Monica, Art © Estate of Leon Golub/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY/Courtesy Ronald Feldman Fine Arts. Fighting Men looks at images of violence and masculinity through the work of three diverse macho artists. Jack Kirby produces comics with an aggressive flair, Leon Golub is a painter whose imagery recalls the barbaric, and Pete Voulkos turns the often feminine forms of pottery into something 'monumental' to suit the male-centric gaze of today's (and yesterday's) art audiences. In an essay about the exhibition, curator Daniel Duford writes "The specter of violence and the consequences of power animate this exhibition. Raw power emanates from the artwork. To watch Peter Voulkos manipulate a huge mound of clay on the wheel and rip and tear at the resulting form is a spectacle of brute force. The sheer strength required of Voulkos to make his work bespeaks extraordinary physical prowess. Power animated Jack Kirby’s superhero comics; his best known and most personal work depicted beings literally crackling with sublime cosmic energy." You might not get another chance to celebrate the work of three white men in one place, so don't miss it. Fighting Men | Leon Golub, Pete Voulkos, and Jack Kirby October 25th - March 3rd Curators Talk | November 1st | 1 PM Hoffman Gallery | Lewis & Clark | 615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road More beyond the link: Patrick Kelly and the Peoples Library PDX Posted by Tori Abernathy on October 30, 2012 at 15:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.26.12 Late October Weekend Events 
Matt Doyle will be playing with light and sound this weekend at Nationale. Matt Doyle is a musician, artist, and writer. He is the performance coordinator at RECESS, a copy editor for Publication Studio, a Reed College graduate, and an all-around talented guy (if not also a warm-hearted fellow). "Experimenting with the contrasts and interactions of acoustic and visual perception, Matt Doyle will present two opposing channels of video accompanied by a live audio diffusion. This will be the premiere performance of Vibrating Boundaries." Vibrating Boundaries | Matthew Joseph Xavier Doyle October 27th | 7PM Nationale | 811 E Burnside Dill Pickle Club behind the cut... Posted by Tori Abernathy on October 26, 2012 at 17:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.23.12 Fighting Men: Golub, Voulkos and Kirby  Jack Kirby Typically when artists curate, they pursue their own influences and interests, which brings its own kind of validity. It's borne more of the immediate coalescing agency of making work rather than engaging the predictable facets and authority of art historical discourse. It is a time honored tradition and instead of being capricious, it often interjects that often undervalued but very powerful voice of the "true fan" that is missing from most curatorial programs. Let's just say there is juice when the combinations aren't so dry and something personal in the present is at stake. Matthew Barney's interest in Houdini for instance. Thus, I'm excited about Fighting Men: Leon Golub, Peter Voulkos and Jack Kirby at Lewis and Clark College's Hoffman Gallery. The show, "probes images of violence and masculinity," making an interesting counterpoint to Kara Walker at Reed and the Body Beautiful at PAM. Guest curated by artist and writer Daniel Duford (whose own work is a pretty straight forward synthesis of these giants) the idea of combining a painter (Golub), ceramicist (Voulkos) and perhaps the greatest comic book cartoonist (Kirby) makes perfect sense. Frankly, I've always preferred Duford's taste in influences over the work he produces and respect the balls it takes to summon these three masters, whose long shadows have dogged him critically. To be fair, of today's artists perhaps only Raymond Pettibon would be expected to stand up well to these titans and Philip Guston has already been linked with all three in art history. Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art | Lewis and Clark College | 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road, MSC 95 Opening: October 25th 5-7PM Curators talk: November 1, 5:00PM (Miller 105) Exhibition run: October 25, 2012 to March 3, 2013 Gallery hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information: 503-768-7687 Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 23, 2012 at 11:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 10.21.12 Hugh Dubberly for OCAC's Connections Series 
OCAC's fantastic speaker's series continues with Hugh Dubberly's, "Design in the Age of Biology: Shifting from a Mechanical-Object Ethos to an Organic-System Ethos." It should be an eye opening rumination on the way design, visualization and biomimesis have become enmeshed in the last decade or so. Here's a little of the PR: "Hugh Dubberly is a design planner and teacher. At Apple Computer in the late 80s/early 90s, he managed cross-functional design teams and creative services for the entire company and co-created a technology-forecast film, 'Knowledge Navigator', that presaged the appearance of the Internet in a portable digital device. At the same time, he served at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena as the founding chair of the computer graphics department. Mr. Dubberly is best known for creating concept maps-visual models to explore and learn about complex information spaces: 'By showing everything-the forest and the trees-in a single view, concept maps help people create mental models and clarify thoughts.'" Sounds like a winner. Hugh Dubberly | OCAC Connections October 22, 2012 | 7:00PM ZIBA Auditorium | 810 NW Marshall SmartPark garage adjacent to Ziba; bicycle parking and convenient to MAX Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 21, 2012 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.18.12 It's a Small World, After All  Olof Olsson, The Suburban's booth at NEXT, Photo by Paul Germanos. Image courtesy of Google Images. The Danish-Duth-Swedish performance artist, Olaf Olsson, will be performing an entirely scripted, almost two-hour long monologue at Publication Studio. Olsson has a presence and cadence that is at once uncomfortable, cosmopolitan, and witty. "It's a meditation and celebration of the failures and perversities of language, and the body through which it resonates." There will probably be some ukulele tunes well suited for an arts crowd. Driving the Blues Away | Olaf Olsson October 18 | 7 PM Publication Studio | 717 SW Ankeny St.  David Knowles @ FalseFront David Knowles might be known around here for his sharp, contemporary graphic design skills. Beyond his repoirtoire of chic TBA posters, and well-kerned work with Publication Studio and YA5, he's honing a more conceptually-based creative practice destined to stand the test of time. His exhibition It was not so important—who did it and where they went. There was, after all, only one of them opens this Friday at FalseFront. "Out of occasional conversations with a Sears Portrait Studio technician, David Knowles constructs a dialogue, both fact and fiction, to be played in the gallery by two actors. A series of photographs made using studio equipment moves their conversation to unlit backrooms, among props and curtains. Included in the exhibition is an editioned booklet, made to document and reenact the exchange." It was not so important—who did it and where they went. There was, after all, only one of them | David Knowles October 19 – November 11 Opening Reception | October 19 | 7-10 PM Viewing Hours | Saturdays and Sundays | 12-3PM FalseFront | 4518 NE 32nd Avenue  Installation shot of Jason Doize @ Place. Image courtesy of Place. With his sound-based installation Underlier, FalseFront owner/curator Jason Doize "continues his interest in commerce. [Here] his attention lies in the tenuous relationship between shipping and receiving." Despite an unstable global economy and chart-topping unemployment, more and more industrial labour is culled from overseas in exchange for low cost goods. Of course, when you've recently been put out of work the decision to buy the plastic lawn chair over the wooden version becomes a bit easier. Underlier makes use of audio collected from a shipping crate shipped by Doize himself. This and Black Field, an installation by Michael Endo, are opening in the Black Gallery at Place this Saturday. Underlier | Jason Doizé Opening Reception | October 20th | 5-9 PM Artist Talk | November 3rd | 7 PM Place | 700 SW 5th Ave PDX | 3rd floor of Pioneer Mall Posted by Tori Abernathy on October 18, 2012 at 15:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.15.12 Daniel Heffernan at Linfield Still from Daniel Heffernan's AE: 1 (2012) Today Linfield College's Miller Gallery presents AE: (1+2), featuring two new video installations by Daniel Heffernan. Since it is in wine country Linfield may have the Portland area's most remote location... but it is also the area's most consistently impressive so consider a trek (and maybe some wine tasting). Here's the PR: "Heffernan is a visual and media artist based in New York City whose paintings and video art have been internationally exhibited. The Linfield Gallery exhibition will be his first show in the Pacific Northwest. An artist talk by video artist Daniel Heffernan will be Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. at the Linfield Gallery on the Linfield College campus. The presentation will be followed by a reception. Heffernan explores the meaning and manifestations of live performance in our media saturated society. His art-making integrates various disciplines,including movement, video, music, writing and the visual arts, and draws inspiration from the rapidly evolving relationship between performance and technology. His most recent design projects have been featured at HERE Theatre, which The New York Times credits as 'one of the most unusual arts spaces in New York and possibly the model for the cutting-edge arts spaces of tomorrow.' His work has also been featured at the Soho Playhouse, where he collaborated with legendary film director Ken Russell, and the Clurman Theater, both in New York City." Linfield College Gallery: Daniel Heffernan - AE: (1+2) | October 15 - December 17 Artist Talk & Reception: November 7th 5PM Gallery hours: M-F 9AM - 5PM & Saturday 12-5PM in the James Miller Fine Arts Center Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 15, 2012 at 10:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.12.12 Francis Celentano talk  Francis Celentano Gemini 15 (2012) When it comes to hard edge op abstraction Francis Celentano is tough to beat. This octogenarian from Seattle is still going strong and his talk at Laura Russo Gallery on Saturday is a great chance to hear from one of the original op art masters about his latest show (which is gorgeous). Francis Celentano Artist Talk When: October 13, 11AM Laura Russo Gallery 805 NW 21st Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 12, 2012 at 11:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.10.12 Posturing and Appropriation Epistemologically speaking, there are many instances wherein text is not the most suitable format for reception. Critics of the hegemony of text, such as the writer, might find more instances than most. With so many untapped visual, aural, and performative resources for expressing complex, subjective, and impacting ideas, it would behoove the cultural arbiters out there to employ them with more fervor. This is the space that the arts have carved out for themselves, or at least, it should be. We could view the arts as simply an opening up. I call for a turn towards the democratic potential within a multiplicity of mediums in favour of their (sparsely) textual counterparts. We would do well to remove the fashionable fluff and the art-therapy-esque works from the spectrum. There are two shows opening in the next few days that operate in just the way contemporary art exhibitions ought to. Leaving the viewer with takeaways that have the potential to reconfigure their orientation to the everyday. If it's not already glaringly obvious, these are two exhibitions that I've been looking forward to for some time and it pleases me to introduce them here.
p. 221, Marianne Wex's Let's Take Back Our Space: "Female" and "Male" Body Language as a Result of Patriarchal Structures, 1979
The taxonomic work of Marianne Wex interrogates the force of gender on the body's presence. Appropriating found imagery from magazines and the like, she classifies the documents according to the positioning of the subject's hands, legs, feet, etc. To throw a wrench in it all, she supplements her study with candid shots taken of folks on the streets of Hamburg. In this way, her survey is at once an encyclopedia of posture and a portrait of popular poses from the north of Germany in the 70s. Among hundreds of orchestrated sets, it's easy to uncover some exceptions to the 'rules', such as men taking on effeminate knee-bends or the artist inserting a break in her own mediated continuity. Roughly 2/3 of her archive have been selected by the artist to be on view at YU beginning this Friday. From YU: "At the center of both the panels and the book is a wide disputation about how we create and present ourselves, and the degree to which gender-specific conditioning and hierarchies are reflected through everyday pose, gesture, and pre-verbal communication." To accompany the exhibition, the film Self Fashion Shown(1976) by Hungarian artist Tibor Hajas will be on loop in their brand new theatre during open hours. Tibor Hajas, acting as amateur anthropologist, films passerby on the street prompting them to find the posture that suits them most.
Marien Wex
October 12–December 15
Opening Reception | October 12 | 6:30 PM
Yale Union (YU) | 800 SE 10th Ave
Still from Roy, Three channel video, 2012
As a stylistic gesture, 'appropriation' is a method of reorganization - a movement. It is distinguished from similar notions, such as arrangement, recomposition, bricolage and others for its relationship to property. For many, it connotes a casual degree of theft. It comes from the Latin verb appropriare, 'to make one's own,' - further segmented as ad, meaning 'to' as in 'towards', and proprius, 'one's own, permanent, special, peculiar'. Inappropriate Appropriation is a group show curated by RECESS co-director and local artist, JP Huckins. The exhibition showcases talented up-and-coming artists who take appropriation, already ubiquitous in our technologically-mediated society, to its limits. Huckins writes, "the artists might not have the answers, they might be pointing at something, or they may be suggesting or nudging you in a certain direction. IA is about seeing things anew that you may have taken for granted before; it's about appropriating inappropriately so that we might appropriate appropriately." While there, be sure to ask where the inspiration for the images on Kulei's hubcaps came from and don't be too quick to dismiss Clay's La Llorona Makes Guest Appearance at Candlelit Vigil as crude culture jamming.
Inappropriate Appropriation (IA) | Featuring: Crystal Baxley, Paul Clay, Sam Guerrero, Rochelle Kulei, and Kesheena Jean Doctor
October 8th - October 24th
Opening Reception | October 11th | 5-8 PM
Littman and White Galleries | Second floor of the Smith building @ PSU
Posted by Tori Abernathy on October 10, 2012 at 18:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.09.12 AA Bronson Lecture 
AA Bronson and Nicolaus Chaffin, Ashes to Ashes, performance view Tomorrow, from 6:30-8:30PM PNCA's MFA in Visual Studies welcomes AA Bronson as part of the 2012-2013 Graduate Visiting Artist Lecture Series. Here's the PR: "AA Bronson formed General Idea with Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal in 1969. The trio lived and worked together for 25 years, undertaking more than 100 exhibitions and public art projects. They were known for their magazine, FILE (1972-1989), their production of low-cost multiples, and their early involvement in punk, queer theory, and AIDS activism. In 1974, General Idea founded Art Metropole, a distribution center and archive in Toronto for artists' books, audio, video, and multiples. Bronson's solo work focuses on death, grieving, and healing. He founded the Institute for Art, Religion, and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary in New York City." AA Bronson October 10| 6:30 - 8:30PM PNCA Main Campus | Swigert Commons | 1241 NW Johnson St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 09, 2012 at 11:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 10.06.12 Cook'n with MK Guth at The Art Gym 
The Art Gym is re-opening on Sunday after its latest round of remodeling with MK Guth's, "when nothing else subsists, smell and taste remain." There will be a series of conversations about food with the artist during the opening and a stream of artists and scholars throughout the run of the exhibition to make the Proustian palimpsest point. Here's the PR: "'When from a long distant past nothing subsists after the things are broken and scattered, the smell and taste of things remain.' -Marcel Proust Inspired by Proust and a long history of artworks using and commenting on food, Oregon artist MK Guth is launching a new body of work this fall with the exhibition 'when nothing else subsists, smell and taste remain.' M.K. Guth uses art to deepen conversation. 'when nothing else subsists, smell and taste remain' will use handmade books, sculpted serving pieces and utensils to materially propose and symbolize potential dinners inspired by art, music, places, relationships or milestones." MK Guth: when nothing else subsists, smell and taste remain The Art Gym | Marylhurst University 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy. 43)| Marylhurst, OR 97036-0261 Preview Reception: October 7, 3-5pm Gallery Talk: October 18, 12pm Homecoming artist and curator's tour: October 26, 8pm Closed Thanksgiving Weekend: November 22-26 | Exhibition continues through December 9 Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 06, 2012 at 1:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.03.12 The First Thursday of October  All and Nothing @ Froelick. Photo, Jeff Jahn. In an exhibition entitled All and Nothing, Victor Maldonado creates an empty space for the viewer to fill with meaning a la Cage's 4'33" and others. Here, though, the visual nothing that we're supposed to stack meaning atop takes root in the common motifs of his earlier work. "[Maldonado]attempts to step back from elements of his established creative practice to give the viewer room to experience as they will. The pieces in All and Nothing are humorous and pointed, such as pages from art history texts, painted over in black or chroma key green to omit, alter or highlight reproductions of well known works." Let's see if we can find something in the pastiche, in the Hal Foster sort of way. All and Nothing | Victor Maldonado Opening Reception | October 4th | 5-8 PM Froelick Gallery | 714 NW Davis Street (There is so much more to peruse behind the cut!) Posted by Tori Abernathy on October 03, 2012 at 17:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 09.30.12 Kara Walker Lecture at Reed 
Kara Walker, (still) Fall Frum Grace, Miss Pipi's Blue Tale, 2011, Video, 17 min., Courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York. (c) Kara Walker. Kara Walker's lecture and reception at Reed on Tuesday will be one of the highlights of the Fall season. My best advice, get there early as it will fill up even faster than other Osterow Distinguished Visitors in The Arts lectures have. Afterwards, there will be a a public reception for her solo show More & Less at the Cooley Gallery. The exhibition features Walker's most recent film, Fall Frum Grace, Miss Pipi's Blue Tale (2011). I caught the film last year in New York and it should have a lot of crossover appeal to Portland's edgy alt-puppet theater goers as well as the art crowd. The show also features a, "body of prints and multiples from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation." More & Less | September 4 - November 18, 2012 Public artist talk: October 2, 7PM | Vollum lecture hall Public reception at the Cooley Gallery follows the lecture October 2 gallery hours: 12 to 9 p.m. The Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery Reed College | 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Regular Hours | Tues - Sunday 12-5PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 30, 2012 at 22:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.28.12 Darkness and light this weekend  Still from Torse,USA, 1977, HD resotoration of 16mm double projection, color, sound, 55 min. Image courtesy of Cinema Project. This weekend, Cinema Project kicks of their yearlong residency at Yale Union(YU) with a screening of Torse by Charles Atlas. YU has built an impressive theatre on their second floor for the film and video curation of Mia Ferm, Michael McManus, and Heather Lane. Torse is a dual-screen rendition of the dance original choreographed by Merce Cunningham, the prolific avant-gardist keen on collaboration. "Shot at the University of Washington with three 16mm cameras - two mobile and manned by Cunningham and Atlas to capture close-ups and a third stationary - Atlas edited the piece to appear on two screens side by side. This strategy allows viewers to see the dance from various vantage points at once. From Einstein's theory of relativity, Cunningham took the idea that there are no fixed points in space, therefore no intended perspective point, no preferred seat from which to watch." With two night time screenings, you'll be able to check this out despite your plans to attend the Stock Dinner this Sunday. Torse | Charles Atlas Curated by Cinema Project Sep. 29 + 30 | 9 PM $7 Suggested Donation Yale Union (YU) | 800 SE 10th Ave 
This Saturday, Appendix Project Space presents This New Ocean by Chicago-based artist Daniel Baird. "Daniel Baird's sculptures treat contemporary objects and materials as items of myth, rendering them into linked symbols of light, passage, and stasis. Removed from their original role as component pieces they approach their core purpose, a transaction of energy and attention." This New Ocean | Daniel Baird Opening Reception | Sep. 29th | 8 PM Appendix | the south alleyway off Alberta St. between 26th and 27th Aves. Posted by Tori Abernathy on September 28, 2012 at 15:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.25.12 Wednesday Events  Cynthia E. Smith If you are interested in sustainable design catch Cynthia E. Smith, Curator of Socially Responsible Design at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum speak about the Museum od Contemporary Craft's excellent exhibition Design with the Other 90%: CITIES. During the talk Smith will provide, "a global overview of the design, thinking, approach, and frontiers of invention aimed at serving the urban poor in connection with the exhibition. After curating the first exhibition in Cooper-Hewitt's series on humanitarian design in 2007, Smith spent a year of field research in 15 different cities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, focusing on successful design solutions to rapidly expanding informal settlements. Join us for a behind-the-scenes lecture on this groundbreaking exhibition series." Museum of Contemporary Craft CraftPerspectives Lecture: September 26 6:30PM The Lab 724 NW Davis St. Portland, OR, 97209 
Zefrey Throwell, Swiss Ghost in a French Nightmare, 2012, digital C-print, 16 x 24 in. Dan Gluibizzi & Zefrey Throwell's There is no finish line opens September 26th at Ampersand. Both artists will be in attendance & Ninkasi is providing beer. Here's the PR: "We are pleased to welcome back Ampersand regular Dan Gluibizzi for a second exhibition at the gallery, this time in collaboration with New York artist, Zefrey Throwell. As with their previous two-man exhibition at By and By Gallery in Brooklyn titled I'll Tumblr 4 Ya (2010), the photographs & paintings in There is no finish line are invitingly erotic & directly engage the disorienting plethora of web-based imagery that defines much of our daily experience. The existence of a finish line not only predicts an end to something, it also implies an awareness of one's current position in space-time &, by extension, the meaning of one's relationship to culture, reality & society at large." Preview Reception: September 26 from 6 to 9PM Dates: September 26 to October 21, 2012 Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books 2916 NE Alberta St., B, Portland, OR 97211 503.805.5458 Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 25, 2012 at 20:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 09.23.12 Vicky Lynn Wilson's Cumulus at PCC Sylvania  Vicky Lynn Wilson's Cumulus It has been a long time since weve seen a large scale installation from Vicki Lynn Wilson. Now consider how PCC's Northview Gallery has been doing some of the most adventurous large scale University gallery exhibits of local artists in the area lately. The combination of Wilson and the Northview Gallery results in Cumulous, which opens Monday. The exhibition is influenced by domestic interiors and natural disasters so Im expecting something both epic and familiar. According to the PR: "Cumulus is a sculptural installation comprised of Paper Mache, pattern drafted cardboard, sewn and cut paper, carved Styrofoam and other mixed media forms and structures. Several human forms traverse the monochromatic brown space of an implied flooded plane. Their postures are bent to the domestic objects which rise from their arms and backs. 'I began with an idea of wanting to transform the space. I decided to use cardboard and paper as a practical matter. The gallery is large so I needed inexpensive and plentiful material. It was the disposability and transience of the material that led me to the subject of the installation.' Taking a 'waste not' approach, the majority of the materials were collected from the recycling of Widmer Brewing Company, Rose City Upholstery and the PCC Bookstore. Even the coffee cups and trash of the artist and visitors to the space are being incorporated." Cumulus: September 24 - October 26 Northview Gallery: 12000 SW 49th Ave. Portland, OR 97219 CT Building, Rm 214 Hours: 8-4pm Monday-Friday and by appointment Artist Talk: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 2-3pm Closing Reception: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 3-5pm Special Performance: Friday, October 26, 2012, 8-8:45pm Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 23, 2012 at 16:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.21.12 Industry and Art 
Want to get your proletariat on this weekend? The annual Industry&Art "Celebrate the Worker" expo down at the Swan Island shipyards has some special events this weekend, including the 30 artist show (perhaps the theme is a little too literal to take too seriously but the uber industrial location is incredible). There's the "fully restored steamer Portland, the last steam-powered, sternwheel tugboat to be built in the United States." Also there's a World War II PT boat on hand. Artists like Christopher Rauschenberg, Jordan Tull, Henk Pander, Ryan Pierce, Mark Smith and Michael Brophy etc. all give this annual event a some pedigree but considering the outstanding location things could really be ratcheted up if they wanted to. A lot of the work simply illustrates the worker... what if it explored what that means a little deeper? Check it out and contemplate a cool site that has much much more untapped potential. Industry&Art Hours: Saturday & Sunday, Sept 22-23 | 11AM - 6PM Friday sept 21st 12 - 6PM Tours 2PM & 4 PM Vigor Industrial Shipyard, Swan Island 5555 N. Channel Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 21, 2012 at 11:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.17.12 2 Talk Tuesday + Cuba on Alberta Thursday 
Reynier Leyva Novo Catch celebrated Cuban artist Reynier Leyna Novo's talk "Public Art at the Margins" at Reed on Tuesday at 4:30 PM. The PR: "Leyva Novo explores the graphic and material history of revolution and political activism, fusing the social and the sensual in deeply engaging forms. His project 'The Smells of War,' was featured in the fifty-fourth Venice Biennale. Leyno Novo's visit to Portland was organized by the Art, History, Latin American Studies, Hispanic Studies, Ethnic Studies, and Memory Studies Institute at Lewis and Clark College, with collaborative support from the Reed College Art Department and PNCA. Reynier Leyna Novo visits Portland for a series of academic talks accompanied by the exhibition Novo Anniversary Collection, opening this Thursday, September 20, at "The Best Art Gallery in the World," 1468 NE Alberta, 6-8 p.m." Artist talk: "Public Art on the Margin" Tuesday, September 18, 4:30 p.m. Studio Art Building, Reed College campus Opening: Thursday | September 20 | 6- 8 PM The Best Art Gallery in the World 1468 NE Alberta 
Collider (install view) Victor Maldonado (Left), Nathanael Thayer Moss (Right) Later Tuesday night at 7:00PM take in a panel discussion for Collider, an exhibition I curated to explore impure or accretive abstract painting in Portland. The panel features 5 of the show's 6 artists: Amy Bernstein, Jesse Hayward, Victor Maldonado, Nathanael Thayer Moss and Eva Speer, moderated by yours truly. It should another rigorous and energetic discussion worth attending. (Look I hate those typically dull panel discussions and I promise this wont go that route). The Littman Gallery will be open from 6-7PM for extended viewing as well. Panel Discussion | 7:00PM | Tuesday September 18th Portland State University | Shattuck Hall Annex 1914 SW Park Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 17, 2012 at 17:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.13.12 David Hockney and the Brothers Grimm  David Hockney (British, born 1937), Rapunzel Growing in the Garden, from “Rapunzel” in Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm, 1969, etching. © David Hockney. Used with permission. If you're looking for an excuse for a summer road trip, Maryhill Museum in Goldendale is opening "David Hockney: Six Fairy Tales" this Saturday. They'll be screening David Hockney: A Bigger Picture at 2PM followed by a discussion. The exhibition features 39 sketches Hockney produced to illustrate, or rather, accompany, Grimm's fairytales. "Hockney especially enjoyed the elements of magic in the tales, and his images focus on his imaginative response to the descriptions in the text rather than attempting to concentrate on the most important events in the narrative. As a result, the etchings are more than simply illustrations: they stand on their own as images, independent of the stories." David Hockney: Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm Opening Reception & Screening | September 15th | 2PM Maryhill Museum of Art | 35 Maryhill Museum Drive, Goldendale, WA Posted by Tori Abernathy on September 13, 2012 at 14:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.12.12 Specific Turn opening at OCAC  Sorry Powells but Monograph is my favorite bookstore in Portland for a good reason and it is great to see the shopkeepers curate a show called Specific Turn at OCAC. Here is the PR: "Acting as curators, artists John Brodie and Blair Saxon-Hill present a selection of books on art, craft, architecture and design including rare, out-of-print and small press publications. As booksellers and artists, the pair will exhibit a selection of books exploring current and re-emerging ideas in the contemporary study and practice of art and craft. Concepts explored will include, among others, the changing notion of the book, an interest in the tactile, and Utopian architecture and craft. Available at the opening reception and through the end of the exhibit will be a free Selected Bibliography broadside (28" x 22.5") in an edition of 500, produced by John and Blair of Monograph Bookwerks." Opening Reception: Thursday, Sept. 13 from 4-7pm Specific Turn: September 6-30, 2012 Oregon College of Art and Craft 8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, OR 97225 Exhibit open daily, 10am-3pm Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 12, 2012 at 10:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.07.12 Weekend Openings  The Next Seven Minutes of Your Life, Myndwyrm @ The Gnome Dome in Minneapolis After a year of exhibitions in the Oregon Brass Works building, RECESS celebrates their anniversary tonight which doubles as a meet & greet with 2012 artist-in-residence Myndwyrm + The Wild Plan. Their work draws from artist walks (derivés), audio-theatre, performance studies, and live gaming, to activate cities as centers of creative resistance. During their stay, they'll be sharing user-activated performance pieces (termed 'autotheatre') and creating new site-specific pieces in PDX. This Sunday RECESS will formally introduce MW + WP with an artist talk, their autotheatre sketch The Next Seven Minutes of Your Life, and other in-process projects. Myndwyrm | Artist Talk & Performances September 9th | 8PM RECESS | 1127 SE 10th [MORE! The Portrait Project @ FOCO & Social Landscapes @ Linfield] Posted by Tori Abernathy on September 07, 2012 at 12:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.05.12 The first Wednesday and Thursday of September  Tint by Von Tundra @ PDX Window Project, Photo Courtesy of the artists Von Tundra is an underrated Portland-based design collective comprised of Dan Anderson, Chris Held and other collaborators. They're work ranges from functionally a la mode furniture to pragmatic interventions into mobility and space. For their occupation of the PDX Window project, Tint, they explore the specific conditions of the gallery's shop window space compared to the commercial context of those nearby. "The issues of scale, function, association and intention are conditions that Von Tundra has challenged themselves to engage and counter. Tint shifts between direct and indirect references to both any window and this particular one." Tint |Von Tundra September 4 - 29 | 24 hours a day, viewable by sidewalk PDX Window Project | 925 NW Flanders Street  Alex Cecchetti, Summer is Not the Prize of Winter. Photo: Robertas Narkus. The primary reason that programming amps up around here in late Summer is the arrival of the annual TBA festival. Of course, an internationally-renowned festival centered around time-based works carries with it a heavy dose of theatre, dance, and performance-based works. The opening reception this Thursday, however, unveils the festival's slightly more visual side with installations in the classrooms at Washington High School and other locations under the heading "End Things". As always, The Works hosts a careful balance of projects from local, emerging artists and internationally relevant figures. This year, many of these new projects have been evolving through time - the result of residencies and commissions for those represented. Visual Art Curator, Kristan Kennedy writes, "[End Things] is a play on the eschatological preoccupation that surrounds 2012. As we head towards the predicted 'end of all things,' perhaps the world will not end with a cataclysmic reckoning or a fireball from outer space, but rather when we no longer view the world as a round floating object and instead a flat space that we scroll over until we reach the edge. I ask us to become occasional animists and to believe that each thing has something to tell, maybe even something that could save us all." That's a worthwhile call to arms, if you ask me. Also, the sounds of Venus X will surely carry you into the wee hours of the night. Summer is Not the Prize of Winter | Alex Cecchetti Field of Debris | Erika Vogt Monument to Another Man's Fatherland | Van Brummelen & De Haan Understanding Witches Now | Morgan Ritter TBA Festival | PICA Opening Night | September 6th | 10-late Washington High School | Between 12th and 14th on SE Stark St. (MORE: John Cage's birthday @ PNCA & Colliders @ Littman) Posted by Tori Abernathy on September 05, 2012 at 14:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkCollecting Ellsworth Kelly with Jordan Schnitzer  Jordan Schnitzer Interested in finding out how a true art collector shares his passion with the public? Tomorrow's conversation with Jordan Schnitzer is probably your best chance to understand what is an essentially esoteric process. The Ellsworth Kelly Prints exhibition at the Portland Art Museum is a very satisfying summer show (very similar to the recent Letters to Ellsworth at LACMA, also culled from Jordan's collection) but for those artists who love Kelly or are simply curious about collectors... I suggest you catch the conversation tonight with Jordan and PAM's director Brian Ferriso. If you haven't met them, I'd describe them as two of the most engaging people in the Portland art scene. Jordan in particular, is passionate about the forms and multiples in Kelly's process and it's always great to see how much respect and appreciation he has for the artist. That kind of respect is a rarity in the often investment driven art world today. Instead, Jordan collects in depth, as a way to gain understanding... in much the way a true artist like Kelly creates as a function of exploring life's finer moments of observation. It is a kind of personal development that Portland is lucky to share in. Portland Art Museum Conversations: Collecting Ellsworth Kelly, Sept. 6 | 6:00 PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 05, 2012 at 14:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.04.12 Trust:: PNCA Alumni Show  Still from Samuel Rowlett's Landscape Painting in the Expanded Field project Though recent institutional survey attempts of the Portland art scene have been less than satisfying or even interesting, PNCA's first try at an alumni show titled Trust PNCA may have learned from the mistakes of others (too diffuse, not contemporary enough, dead energy). PNCA describes Trust as offering, "the viewer the opportunity to become an institutional archaeologist, to dig down through the accumulated strata of object, image, and idea to get at the cultural DNA of the College. For alumni, it is an appropriate homecoming or completion of a circle." With 44 artists it still doesn't include everybody (who would want it to) but it sure tries.... these sorts of group shows are all about the institution ingratiating itself and or re-connecting after all. Still, it looks like it will bring out some new names (another problem with recent surveys). ... ( Link for full list of artists and more) Trust Opening Reception: September 5th | 6-8PM Trust: Srptember 6 - October 21 PNCA | Swigert Commons 1241 NW Johnson Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 04, 2012 at 10:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.31.12 Claudia Meza at White Box 
PICA's End Things vis art programming gets a little head start this Saturday with Claudia Meza's Water at the U of O's White Box gallery. With its collection of interactive tape players Water looks like Cageian interactive installation art that can't miss with figity lo-fi lovin vistors. According to the PR: "Water is a collection of hanging Califone cassette players that facilitate the exploration of the resonant and sculptural qualities of sounds and their sources. Meza focused her recordings on things that amplify water—ferries, rivers, oceans, waterfalls, water taps, water bowls—isolating their tones and textures on looping tapes. The installation is an instrument without instruction, by which the audience performs their own experience by pressing Play, Rewind, Fast Forward, and Stop. In this way, each cassette deck acts like an auditory "Berlin key" that holds the user responsible for opening and again locking the door before the key may be retrieved. Alongside this sonic space, Meza presents video excerpts from Mourning Youth, an in-progress "wordless opera" on the elasticity of self and time, which she is developing with collaborator Chris Hackett." Opening Reception: September 1st 6-9PM Water: September 1 - 22 | Tues through Sat 11AM - 6PM White Box at the University of Oregon in Portland 21 NW 1st Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 31, 2012 at 10:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.30.12 Zachary Davis at False Front 
Finally, a long awaited solo show by a promising young artist to kick off the second half of the season. False Front presents Flanks and Slopes by Zachary Davis. Davis has been a stand out in several group shows but it is time to see how sustained his practice can be? His solo show last year took place in Philadelphia but received critical praise. Here is some of the PR: "Form is a voracious concept, beginning somewhere in the front of my brain, where teams of cells replace flat swaths of stimulus from the back of the eye with semantic notions like edge, texture, and depth. In schematic, these transmuting units are funnelshaped, and zooming out, the shape remains a funnel, with sensory overload crashing against the wide end and a thin stream of physical actions on the other. Along with other perceived objects, this funnel-form guides my actions on a field of possibility with its own contours. If the shape of tomorrow's weather forecast has enough reality to guide my actions (rainfall by time by latitude by longitude), or the upward trajectory of food prices (by time by latitude by longitude), then the correlation of many such forms (food price by rainfall by time by latitude by longitude) is similarly real. Pull in enough metrics, and we find ourselves on a landscape of goals and dangers, shrouded in fog...." FalseFront | 4518 NE 32ND Avenue August 31 - September 23, 2012 Opening Reception: Friday, August 31 (7 - 10PM) Viewing Hours: Saturdays and Sundays (12 - 3PM) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 30, 2012 at 22:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.29.12 Watkins Gradual Instant at Reed College  detail of Gradual Instant Catch Heather Watkins opening at Reed College today. Her Gradual Instant show is comprised of over one hundred works on paper, arranged on the wall in closely-aligned and overlapping groups. Like a blind man's elephant the work is abstract and fragmentary but hints at a holistic survey of the whole. The exhibition also includes a suite of lithographs made in collaboration with Mahaffey Fine Art, with support from the Regional Arts & Culture Council. Artist talk and Opening: August 29 | 4PM in the Studio Art Building, followed by reception Gradual Instant: August 20 - September 15, 2012 Edith Feldenheimer Gallery, Studio Art Building at Reed College Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 29, 2012 at 9:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.21.12 The Last Throws of August  Still from video documentation of Sean Carney's Abjackass Almost as if to whet the city's palate in preparation for TBA, the White Box invites talented locals to fire away with pop-up-like shows/events each day this week. You might have already missed Lisa Radon today, but don't miss out on tomorrow's light workshop with Laura Hughes. Participants will be able to get their hands on some of the new phosphorescent materials she makes use of in her new work. With a depth of exploratory vision and a working knowledge of electronics, the clever Stephanie Simek presents a new sound experiment on Thursday. On Friday Wayne Bund performs as Feyonce, his queer appropriation of pop diva Beyonce. His character, the ephemera on view at Show and Tell, and his performance are intended to "challenge pop culture, radical feminism, and drag lineage"; it's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Then finally, on Saturday, catch some documentation of prior performances by the successfully abject Sean Joseph Patrick Carney and Michael Reinsch. Sean Carney will present video documentation of a 25-minute long performance that highlights the "links between the history of performance art and stunts by the members of Jackass." If you're faint at heart and looking to actually laugh while being challenged by popular culture, though, I would stick with the drag show. Show and Tell Featuring Lisa Radon, Laura Hughes, Wayne Bund, Stephanie Simek, Michael Reinsch and Sean Joseph Patrick Carney August 21st - 25th | Performances 6-8 PM each night White Box | 24 NW 1st Avenue  Katja Novitskova @ Appendix With a remarkably up-to-date response to current events, Katja Novitskova is the newest addition to a brand new line of web releases from Appendix Project Space. Available to view online from tomorrow at noon through early September, Curiosity and Opportunity: Next Best Thing to Being There is a solo exhibition "in the form of a panoramic application. The resulting show features several existing objects and appropriated images that express the unity of art, technology and nature as form-finding processes based on curiosity and opportunity." Curiosity and Opportunity: Next Best Thing to Being There | Katja Novitskova. Opening at 12 PM, August 22nd Appendix (via the web) | http://appendixspace.com Posted by Tori Abernathy on August 21, 2012 at 17:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.16.12 Second half of 2012 home stretch shows Unlike New York, LA or London, Portland's gallery season starts on January 1st and ends on December 31st... perhaps because our excellent summers attract people from elsewhere while keeping us here? Instead, we tend to flee Portland's arch-soggy December through February months.
The first half of Portland's 2012 visual art season was a doosy headlined with a Mark Rothko retrospective that transformed the way a many Portlanders view its local art museum + civic cultural history. Also, the news that our alternative scene was worthy of international attention, leaving more traditional galleries in the dust was a wake up call. Why the galleries don't at least attempt to harness some of that energy in their inevitable summer and winter group shows like they used to... I'll never understand? I guess they think selling the same art to the same collectors over and over again is a good idea? Especially when new players keep moving here and begin looking for the action they read about but cannot be found in the Pearl District. C'mon you know I'm right, Portland is going through massive changes... act accordingly, there is a new set of waves to catch. So what is in store for the second half?  At MOCC Design with the Other 90%: CITIES (Photo: (c) Haas & Hahn for favelapainting.com) On Friday the Museum of Contemporary Craft fully morphs into the design museum a city full of designers calls for with Design with the Other 90%: CITIES. The show was organized by Cooper Hewitt and the Smithsonian making its only West Coast stop in Portland at MOCC and Mercy Corps. 
Kara Walker, (detail) Fall Frum Grace, Miss Pipi's Blue Tale (2011), Courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Jenkins & Co. On September 4th the Cooley Gallery re-opens with Kara Walker's More and Less. Featuring prints from Jordan Schnitzer's print collection and her latest film "Fall Frum Grace, Miss Pipi's Blue Tale" (2011). Walker will come to Reed to speak on October 2nd... you might want to take that day off to get a good seat! ... (much more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 16, 2012 at 12:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.14.12 RACC Summer Celebration 
It may seem like PORT gives the city's Regional Art and Culture Council a hard time (we just want them to become ever more relevant to a city that has undergone huge cultural shifts like genre bending artists, the rise of nationally noteworthy alternative spaces and independent curators), but it is also true that they have upped their game considerably over the years. Join them for their annual Summer Celebration on the North Park Blocks on what may be the hottest day of the year. There will be ice cream, music and food carts etc. It is good idea to know your local art grants funding organization. RACC's Summer Celebration Open House 5-8 PM Thursday August 16th 411 NW Park Avenue, Suite 101 Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 14, 2012 at 19:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.07.12 The Right Way at YU  Still from The Right Way (1982-3) YU presents Fischli and Weiss' epic The Right Way on Thursday August 9th. Not certain why it is only going on for just one night but I've always loved this piece where Rat and Bear cavort in the Swiss Alps having a series of ambiguous yet morality tinged adventures. It is a bit like a Medieval passion play or Chaucer's The Canterbury tales as written by the very perplexing Purple Panda from Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood. Seriously, this is such a good piece it becomes a missed opportunity that it it is only on view for one night. I think Rat and Bear would feel the same way somehow... it is after all, The Right Way. Definitely go see this, too bad you cant see it multiple times at the same venue since it is the sort of thing that deepens with repeated viewings? Screening: August 9th | 8:00 PM YU Contemporary 800 SE 10th Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 07, 2012 at 10:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.01.12 August First Thursday  Ducey & Thompson @ the Littman Gallery Caitlin Ducey is one of the curators of 12128 whose personal work lies somewhere in the sculpture and installation ballpark. In her collaboration with 12128 co-founder Kyle Thompson, the new exhibition at the Littman Gallery purportedly marks a shift in her use of material and process, though the direction of that shift remains a mystery. "Thompson and Ducey present pairings of works that stem from individual understandings of water as discrete material and as a massive entity. Their work is a response to the emotional reactions that are evoked by moving water, creating a wave-like space in which visceral impressions and quantitative analyses are equated with one another." Remote Events and Vanished Objects | Caitlin Ducey and Kyle Thompson August 2-29 Opening Reception | August 2nd | 5-8 PM Littman Gallery | 2nd Floor of the Smith Hall @ PSU | 1825 SW Broadway  Evan La Londe @ The White Gallery @ PSU A hop, skip, and a jump away at the White gallery, take a look at a new series of paintings by the talented recent PSU MFA grad, Evan La Londe. Evan's work (and the way its presented) tends to look like forensic scientists studying some trippy trompe-l'œils for clues to the unknown. "These images are full of ghosts, things I cannot name. Shadows reach back to the objects that threw them, but also to something else. The thing is, these shadows didn’t come from light; they’re painted, so they aren’t illuminations in the usual sense. Maybe they’re more like reflections, like moonlight. I discover them as I stumble through the dark." Let me know about the particularly mind-bending discoveries you find. Them Brainwash Days, Those Heartache Nights | Evan La Londe August 2-29 Opening Reception | August 2nd | 5-8 PM White Gallery | PSU Smith Hall, Second Floor | 1825 SW Broadway (More... Gabriel Liston @ Froelick and Jenny Ordell @ Breeze Block) Posted by Tori Abernathy on August 01, 2012 at 12:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.26.12 Bea Fremderman at Appendix  Bea Fremderman @ Appendix S,M,L,XL | Bea Fremderman July 26th | 8 PM Appendix| South alley between 26th and 27th on Alberta St. Posted by Tori Abernathy on July 26, 2012 at 12:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.19.12 Variations 
Variations of the Truth #1, 22" x 30", Ali Gradischer, 2012 Lowell is a new shop + gallery in the southern region of the Mississippi neighborhood. While perusing their collections of tchotchkes and garments with 'interesting' cuts, take a look at the series of cyanotypes by Ali Gradischer hung along the walls. "Variations of the Truth examines the act of map-making as a means to draft visual abstractions of the Portland locale. The result of this work aims to compose a quiet expression of the particular geometry of this place." Take a look and revel in the stripped contours of our urban framework. Ali Gradischer| Variations on a Theme July 20th - August 24th opening reception | July 20th | 6-9 PM Lowell | 819 N Russell St. Posted by Tori Abernathy on July 19, 2012 at 13:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.16.12 Hot Haus panel at Victory  This is a town-hall style panel discussion that has been a long overdue regarding Portland's ever increasing profile as an international art city.... and the changing "expectations" that have been in effect amongst the Portland artists whose presence have made such a difference for the city in the past decade or so. Featuring Panelists: Modou Dieng, Mack McFarland and myself as moderator. Artists, patrons and administrators are all encouraged to attend. This issue has been danced around long enough, though I'm going to keep this civil and constructive. Here's the PR: "The New York times stalks us, the Wall Street Journal recently dubbed us a 'Utopia' and 'The Next Art Capital,' but within Portland's very active national and international art scene there has been widespread grimacing about how Portland's art infrastructure responds to this new higher profile. Often there is a schizm between between the old Portland and those whose careers are inherently international. Hot Haus will be a panel for discussing this dynamic and how to make improvements. Sure, most of Portland's support sources and presenting institutions have stepped up their efforts but there is a sense that they learn about what is excellent in Portland from outside instead of supporting it early from within. Should someone have to have a major museum show elsewhere before they are received more seriously here? Also, when well regarded international art is shown here are we giving the artists a proper reception and funding? Overall, there is a sense that the grants, awards, media outlets and supposed survey shows don't adequately present what is internationally interesting... instead being hidebound to old ideas and artists who were established names before artists flooded Portland in the late 90's to the present.... transforming Portland into an interesting art city. It makes some people hot under the collar... let's all convene for a little town hall moment to explore this Hot Haus... and see if we can't provide better support with the resources we already have as well as potential sources in the near future. Come bring you pet peeves and some models that might provide solutions." (apologies for quoting myself...) Discussion: Thursday July 19th | 7:00 PM Victory Gallery 733 NW Everett St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 16, 2012 at 17:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 07.14.12 Some kind of nature in NE  Michael Iauch, Cowboy(still), 2012, high-definition video, stereo sound, 4:02 minutes, looped, image courtesy of FalseFront False Front presents a new series of video works by Michael Iauch. The artist writes, "Is our romance more like a disease? Do we like S&M? I am concerned with an inspired by the tension between my desire for a "pure" experience, to truly transcend the barriers of my mind and body and the decadent utopic visions of American culture that animate this desire; a mix of rock and roll promises, 60's back-to-the-land ideology and the moralistic horizons of greening." Cowboy / Natural Beauty | Michael Iauch Opening Reception July 14th | 7-10 PM FalseFront | 4518 NE 32nd Avenue 
With their second web-based release, Appendix presents [Rare Earth Sculptures] - Cerium by Iain Ball, part of his ongoing project E N E R G Y : P A N G E A. Beginning Tuesday July 17th, this new work will be visible at www.appendixspace.com through the end of July. In Ball's project, Appendix is transformed into one module of his/the greater systemic machine, alongside the mechanics of hydroshearing seen in a dormant Oregon volcano, alongside your computer, alongside your attentive inquiries. Ball conceives of the show as "mind space which creates metaphysical undercurrents directed towards hyperobjects distributed through various technological apparatus, minerals and weather patterns... Cerium uses detritus associated with filtration, transformation and a composite formula resulting in carbon dioxide to create a kind of homeopathic remedy, filtering escalating climate-anxiety as a catalyst towards the ecological thought." Navigate your browser their way on Tuesday. Implore further. Stay plugged in 'til the end. [Rare Earth Sculptures] - Cerium | Iain Ball a part of TheEnergy Pangea Project Appendix (via the web) | http://appendixspace.com Posted by Tori Abernathy on July 14, 2012 at 13:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.12.12 Home on the Range (or at least in SE)  Ranch @ RECESS Lori Gilbert, Ralph Pugay, and Jason Zimmerman are the major players in the power trio that is F* Mtn. They debut their first solo exhibition as a collective at RECESS this Friday. "The ranch is a simple place. While this majestic, natural lifestyle is painted idyllic, It is also lonely, boring, and where stories of small-mindedness and inbreeding seem to stem from. F* Mtn.'s premier solo exhibition at RECESS balances tragedy and fantasy. With motifs birthed from language, the news, and popular history, the works in Ranch take form in sculpture, video, and installation." Ranch, not unlike the condiment it shares a name with, could be considered a celebration of loneliness and bad taste. Ranch | F* Mtn. July 13th - 27th Opening Reception July 13th | 7-10 PM RECESS | 1127 SE 10th Avenue  Spatial Personality at Worksound A collaborative curatorial effort between Modou Dieng (PDX) and Jesse Siegel (SF), Spatial Personalities is a group show of sculptural works from emerging Portland and San Francisco-based emerging artists. "Objects inherently ask for interaction, they exist in a context based reality in which they are not subjected to our mental scrutiny. Devoid of this context of normalness[sic], our perception of the objects changes and our interactions with them become more cadenced and intent[sic]." This might be one of the last chances you have to enjoy mingling and merriment in this classic establishment, so don't miss it. Participating artists include Brynda Glazier, Lacy Davis, Lydia Rosenberg, Judith Sturdevant, Julia Sackett, Kara Cadwell, Michelle Ramin, and Kevin Champoux. Spatial Personality July 13th – August 3rd Opening Reception July 13th | 6-9 PM Worksound | 820 SE Alder (More behind the cut... Jaik Faulk @ Nationale) Posted by Tori Abernathy on July 12, 2012 at 20:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkThis Is To Be Looked At @ Valentines 
Calling all voyeurs, apparently, seeing is supposed to be believing here. Modou Deing curates "This is to be looked at" at Valentines with artists, Teresa Christiansen, Kaija Cornett, Melanie Flood and Christine Taylor. Teresa Christiansen was born and raised in New York City. "She now lives in Portland Oregon where she is an Assistant Professor at Pacific Northwest College of Art. Teresa is currently making photographs in the studio of constructed sets through which she plays with the notion of re-presentation and the fusion of object and depiction within the picture." Kaija Cornet is a 2012 graduate from PNCA. "The Boys Room as a series, evokes in Kaija a pull of both anxiety, and sarcasm. She is a woman seeking the secrecy of what goes on in the minds of men, when no women are looking." Melanie Flood was born in 1979 in New York. "As Managing Editor of zingmagazine, she directed collaborative curatorial projects with Zac Posen, Karin Davie, and the Donald Judd Foundation. Later Melanie curated two solo features- photographs by Todd Hido and a text project by Jenny Holzer, and for three years accepted a position as Photo Editor of The New York Observer. She enjoyed a short stint as a Gallerist, running Melanie Flood Projects out of her Brooklyn apartment dedicating her time to exhibiting young artists. Two years ago Melanie moved to Portland, Oregon where she rediscovered her own practice." Supposedly, "she materialises ideas such as unicorn vomit, formal studies of fluorescent spandex, she constructs still lifes & witnesses cotton candy fossilize." Alrighty then, come to see the cotton candy fossilize! Can't see that every day... Christine Taylor is a Portland-based photographer who, "choreographs and poses her subjects to bring into question control and power issues experienced in the worlds which they interact. Each image shows an intimate peak into the frustration experienced when trying to have power over the uncontrollable." Opening Reception: Thursday July 12 at 7 pm til late Dates: July 11 to July 30 2012 Valentine's 232 SW Ankeny Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 12, 2012 at 16:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.05.12 July First Thursday 
BCCTV presents Video? Videos. Videos!, the first foray into an education program within/among/alongside/? the Bud Clark commons. The Commons is an innovative initiative for those experiencing homelessness in Portland. I'm really excited to see how this plays out because it's a step in some kind of direction - political works that are not simply dissident, fashionable, or esoteric, but proactive. Screened artists: Harrell Fletcher, Ted Gesing, Noah Hale, Amy Von Harrington, Stephanie Hough, Andrew Lampert, Oliver Laric, Julie Lequin, Matt McCormick, Tim McConville, Shana Moulton, Serge Onnen, Ed Panar, Doug Potts, Jeffrey Richardson, Mary Robertson, Will Rogan, Catherine Ross, Stephen Slappe, Joon Sung, Weird-Fiction and others. Bud Clark Commons’ first artists-in-residence BCCTV presents Video? Videos. Videos! the Bud Clark Commons Multi-Purpose Room 650 NW Irving Street July 5th | 6-8 PM (More... Jenny Vu at Littman and Ryanna at PDX Contemporary) Posted by Tori Abernathy on July 05, 2012 at 11:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.03.12 Rocksbox turns 5: SON OF A SON SON OF A SON BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY  at Rocksbox It's hard to believe that Rocksbox has turned 5, and you can't spend a more "Portland" 4th of July than this at this venue... hell, the neighborhood is so full of illegal fireworks that it resembles Beruit circa 1986 every year. Here's PR's PR: "SON OF A SON SON OF A SON BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY is "FUCK FACE" baseball, greasy bologna, water cooler politics, and nighttime neon basking in the cultural cynicism embodied by four heterosexual 'nice guy' white male unconsciousness' examined through the guise of the North American pastime called summer." The four artists; David O. Johnson, Joshua Pieper, Ian Treasure, and Brian Wasson are 2003 MFA graduates of the new genres department at the San Francisco Art Institute. ROCKSBOXCONTEMPORARYFINEART | 6540 N. Interstate Exhibition: Wednesday July 4 2012 - Sunday, August 26, 2012 Opening reception: Wednesday July 4 | 2012 7-11 PM Gallery hours: Saturday-Sunday, 12 - 5 PM or by appointment Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 03, 2012 at 11:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.29.12 Maggie Casey at 12128  From the 13c., name given to the rite of Vespers of the Office of the Dead, so called from the opening of the first antiphon, "I will please the Lord in the land of the living" (Psalm cxiv:9), from L. placebo "I shall please," future indic. of placere "to please" (see please). Medical sense if first recorded 1785 "a medicine given more to please than to benefit the patient." Placebo effect attested from 1950.[1] "The most effective approach is big and red." 1. From the Online Etymological Dictionary, accessed 1:15pm on 6/29/12 Maggie Casey | Placebo June 29th | 7-10 PM 12128 | 12900 NW Marina Way Posted by Tori Abernathy on June 29, 2012 at 0:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.27.12 Drawings by Laura Lucille Witman 1927 to 1934 
Drawing by Laura Lucille Witman Tonight Ampersand presents: The Morning After the Night Before Drawings by Laura Lucille Witman, 1927 to 1934. It's a classic example of an an amateur's body of work receiving the public treatment... which makes perfect sense since so many MFAs spend tens of thousands of dollars to replicate the effect. It's a classic case of cultural anthropology. Here is there PR: "Our July exhibition takes its title from a captioned drawing made in 1927 by a young woman named Laura Lucille Witman. The drawing is one of several found glued to the pages or loosely tucked away in a brightly-colored & brittle-paged scrapbook from the same era. Markings on the drawings allow us to deduce that Lucille was a sophomore in 1927 & was married by 1934, the year her maiden name gives way to O'Neil & the same year she made drawings of a lustrous Mae West & a wistful-eyed Hollywood cowboy. For a young woman living in Victorville, California, situated as it is on the fringe of the Mojave Desert, Hollywood must have been a glamorous dream made somewhat distant by the barrier of the San Bernardino Mountains. No wonder, then, that her drawings are filled with the risque trappings of imaginary movie starlets. They are flappers with lush lips, beauty marks, heart & arrow tattoos, garter belts & ever-distant, dreamy eyes. Arguably naive in execution, the drawings nonetheless convey the unique personality of a young woman enthralled by popular culture & the imagination of an amateur artist who made its visual language distinctly her own." They also are presenting, "a selection of silver print photographs by Portland photographer, Bobby Abrahamson, who spent the better part of a year shooting Polaroid Type 55 portraits of the people he encountered on the streets of St. Johns, a distinct neighborhood in North Portland where Abrahamson lives. The show coincides with a larger exhibition of the same work at Blue Sky here in Portland during July." Opening Reception: June 27 | 6-9PM Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books 2916 NE Alberta St., B, Portland, OR 97211 Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 27, 2012 at 9:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.22.12 Collisions in June  Victor Maldonado and Jonathan Leach @ SOUTHERN/PACIFIC Gallery Homeland's SOUTHERN/PACIFIC travels to Portland for its second iteration. The Lawndale Art Center hosted the first in Houston and the last will be somewhere in Marfa. Participating artists are working closely together to produce new and exciting arrangements that are informed by their shifting contexts. galleryHOMELAND says "breaking beyond the white walls SOUTHERN/PACIFIC branches out into the art world and into the public. With the main exhibitions creating the foundation, film screenings, panel discussions, performances, and workshops will be happening throughout the duration of the show." From what I can tell, artists in Houston have thrived under city-wide (financial) support of works that extend 'beyond the white walls' in a manner quite unlike the puppy-friendship-bracelet-and-kitten flare of artists here. It's always fun to see worlds collide and partnerships form. Participating artists include John Calaway, Calvin Ross Carl, Joseph Cohen, Jillian Conrad, David Corbett, Arcy Douglass, Sean Healy, Hana Hillerova, Roxanne Jackson, Jeff Jahn, Terrell James, Jonathan Leach, Victor Maldonado, Julian Mock, Ann Marie Nafziger, Alyce Santoro, and Von Tundra. SOUTHERN/PACIFIC June 22 - July 30 Opening Reception | June 22 | 6-9PM | 2505 SE 11th Avenue (More: Research Club's possibly last brunch, PICA's symposium) Posted by Tori Abernathy on June 22, 2012 at 12:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.19.12 MSHR at Appendix for the Solstice  MSHR instruments We tend not to cover performance art much being a visual art focused site but MSHR's performances look to be as much interactive sculpture/installation as performance... that and what better way to celebrate the summer solstice than at Appendix? Here's the PR: "MSHR is a collaborative project by Brenna Murphy and Birch Cooper from Oregon Painting Society. The duo harnesses elemental forces to nurture ecstatic cybernetic ecosystems. Their sculptural human-electronic interfaces offer visitors interactive ocular/aural experiences within an augmented reality of mirrored glowing sand glyphs, sonic ancestral rainforest codes and misty laser feedback corridors. In two presentations, MSHR will ritualistically engage a trans-dimensional organic synthesizer to unfold earthly doors to terrestrial transcendence." Oh yeah... well don't cross the streams! Solstice opening: Wednesday, June 20th Opens 7PM | performance 9PM Last Thursday closing June 28th Opens 7PM | performance 9PM Video Screening: Sunday July 1st MSHR curates a 45-minute compilation of influential video art, 9PM Appendix Project Space south alley between 26th and 27th Avenues off of NE Alberta Street Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 19, 2012 at 22:06 | Comments (2) PermalinkFriday 06.15.12 Getting Physical in June 
Video still: Dance by Type A (Adam Ames & Andrew Bordwin) Possibly the first promising group show of the summer is PLACE's "Let's Get Physical," where all of the artists assay the kinesthetic aesthetic. Featuring Rachel Ellison (Chicago), David Horvitz (NY), Lilly McElroy (LA), Elaine Miller (Chicago), Heidi Schwegler (PDX) and Type A (NY), all of these artists, "address and utilize the physical self, movement and action as an integral instrument and method in their visual works. They ask-- how does the body adapt, protect, resist, control or relinquish control, react and express in a self-designed and self-enclosed performance or action." Curated by Mariana Tres (2006 Oregon Biennial and one of Portland's brightest artists); you should check this out. LET'S GET PHYSICAL Opening Reception | Saturday June 16th | 5-8 PM PLACE | 700 SW 5th Ave | Pioneer Place Mall, Atrium, 3rd (more... Saul Steinberg @YU and Ellsworth Kelly @PAM) Posted by Tori Abernathy on June 15, 2012 at 14:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.13.12 Paul Clay at Recess 
RECESS presents How to Immigrate to the United States of America, a new series of video works by Paul Clay. "How to Immigrate to the United States of America is a surreal and dry-humoured series of video works that questions ownership of national and linguistic heritage and our attachments to geography and place. Creating alternate realities through digital video doctoring, special effects, and 3D renderings, the videos walk with the gringo-latino divide that polarizes perceptions, identities and communities in the USA. Canadian-Irish American, Paul Clay draws heavily from his experiences in and around Hispanic culture and from his reverence of the natural and digital world. He has written and produced several music albums, one entirely in Spanish. Clay received a Bachelor of Arts in Art from Reed College, Portland, Oregon." RECESS Opening Reception: Thursday, June 14 | 7:00-10:00 PM 1127 SE 10th Ave Regular Hours: June 14th - 31st | Wednesday - Saturday | 1:00-5:00 PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 13, 2012 at 13:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.08.12 Weekend planner, umlauts optional  The North Coast Seed Building, home to some of of Portland's best artist studios It is time again for one of the best open studio events in Portland, The North Coast Seed Building's annual affair... This year they have germanized its spelling with OPEN HAÜS. Who are you to stand against the fury of their capitalized umlaut? Seriously though, with over 30 studios (some used by the best artists in town) it is a great event. Last year over 400 people attended... and that was without umlauts! So get yer lederhosen on and check this out. "Participants range from Illustrators to Painters to Visual & Product Designers to Wood Workers to Photographers and Performers. Please join us for food, wine, art and a stroll through the historic North Coast Seed BUILDING and the artists' studios that inhabit it." North Coast Seed Building OPEN HAÜS Saturday, June 9th, 4 - 10 PM 2127 N Albina Ave. ... (more Jenene Nagy at PDX and Perceptual Control at Worksound) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 08, 2012 at 11:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.06.12 First Thursday June 2012  Chase Biado's Enter: The Troll at PSU's EXIT MFA thesis exhibition AB Lobby space This month, there are too many talented people receiving their BFAs and MFAs to mention here. The majority of this will come from PNCA. Although it might seem like an overwhelming constellation, it will be well worth wading through. I recommend starting in PNCA's Swigert Commons at the main PNCA building and working your way outwards. The sparkling diamonds in the rough, though, will come from the BFA show Exit at PSU. Chase Biado will be in the AB Lobby, Andre Fortes and Ross Farrier are in the MK Gallery, and the Autzen features the work of J.P. Huckins, Chloe Womack, Krystal South, and many others. It might be a good idea to start there, because the show will end promptly at 8 p.m. EXIT | The 2012 PSU BFA Thesis Exhibition | various PSU galleries Exhibition Dates: Thursday, June 7, 2012 - Monday, June 21, 2012 Opening Reception: Thursday, June 7, 2012, 5 - 8 p.m. Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday: 10-5 p.m. PNCA's MFA in Visual Studies Thesis Exhibition First Thursday reception June 7th 6-9PM | May 21 - June 8th Swigert Commons | 1241 NW Johnson St. ... (more: Germans at Blue Sky and Victory galleries + Alex Felton at PICA for one night) Posted by Tori Abernathy on June 06, 2012 at 11:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.31.12 First Weekend June 2012 Cracked Memex, Carl Diehl, 2012, desk retrofit with audio patchbay, incoming audio-visual feeds, monitor, contextual datums Although the lovely little holes below the Imago Theatre are still charmingly pristine, Half/Dozen will host their last exhibition tonight in Left/Right. They happen to be closing on a high note (or should I say frequency) exhibiting the fantastically fictoquizzical works of Carl Diehl. "In this exhibit, Carl Diehl draws from the rich history of UFO lore to develop speculative models of Drone Kitsch. At once a repository for technological anxiety, the darling of postwar science fiction and a stylistic mentor to the UAV, Diehl uses the UFO rhetorically as a means for imagining nostalgic objects from an estranged futurity." Drone Kitsch | Carl Diehl Closing Reception | June 1st | 6-9PM Half/Dozen | 722 E Burnside Basement, Entrance on SE 8th Ave. (Also, Guts at Ditch Projects and Andre Filipek at FOCO gallery) Posted by Tori Abernathy on May 31, 2012 at 22:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkFor Heaven's Sake Arnold ...and the likely winner of this year's Joseph Kosuth award for minimalist PR is:
Arnold J. Kemp | FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE MEΣ(s) A Project Space 923 SE 13th Ave. Apt.#4, Portland, OR 97214 RECEPTION: THURSDAY, May 31 | 6 - 9PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 31, 2012 at 11:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.30.12 Feral Children turned loose on Last Thursday 
Video still from Children's Games by Seth Nehil (2011) Well it is a video of feral children (and would a real pack of feral children really be that surprising on Last Thursday?)... So here is the PR for Gavin Shettler's inaugural video window featuring Seth Nehil's Children's Games. Here is the PR: "Seth Nehil's Children's Games looks at Brueghel's 1560 oil painting of the same name to imagine a world without adults. These short video pieces imagine a self-created society of runaway teens, hidden deep in the woods. Isolated from society, they lose their use of language, play timeless games and invent ritual interactions. Children's Games continues Seth Nehil's interest in performance systems and sonic environments." Reception: Seth Nehil's Children's Games | 6-9 PM Thursday, May 31st Last Thursday at Living Room Realtors | NE Alberta Office 1422 NE Alberta St, Portland OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 30, 2012 at 23:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.29.12 Olaf Breuning Lecture  Still from Home 3 footage, Olaf Breuning, 2012 Olaf Breuning's talk tomorrow will prove invaluable for all of those attracted to sardonic undertones embedded in video and performance work. Home 3 continues to unravel the result of homelessness, fetishization, tourism, and "cultural" conditioning on the Global citizen. "Swiss-born artist Olaf Breuning makes art that combines a large dose of dark humor with a critical eye for present-day faux-pas and missteps. In Home 2, a hapless protagonist caricatures the Western obsession with the authentically "exotic" through a series of awkward travelogues. Home 3, Breuning's most recent film, continues his series, focusing on the relationship between modern man and his technological environment." Home 3 | West Coast Premier & Artist Talk Co-presented with PSU MFA Studio Lecture Series May 30th | 7pm | Free 5th Avenue Cinema | 510 SW Hall Posted by Tori Abernathy on May 29, 2012 at 13:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.25.12 Last Weekend of May 2012 
Christian Oldham at Appendix The notifications sent out attracting people to Christian "Megazord" Oldham's Chat with Flowers at Appendix typically give little away. It might be frustrating to stab in the dark, but I implore you to make the jaunt up North to investigate the work of my favorite of the ultra-trendy-90s-core-net-based-dudes whose work is maturing faster than Erin Jobs. Although the boys have little to say about the show at the moment, we were left with this lovely little link. Chat with Flowers May 29 - 30th and June 1st - 3rd | 7-10 P.M. Appendix | south alley between 26th & 27th, off NE Alberta  Warm for Your Form, Bobbi Woods, 2011, Enamel on Poster You won't have to sift through as many layers of shadowy "conceptualism" (or at least yard debris) to get to Bobbi Woods' opening at Fourteen30 tonight, but you will be confronted with some form of obfuscation. Here, the view of 1970s-era posters is almost totally covered by blankets of enamel. Fourteen30 writes, "Through an environment of repetition, in which the viewer is able to move easily between correlative works, Woods creates an experience predicated upon visual pleasure, desire, and obfuscation." Warm For Your Form Opening Reception | Friday, May 25th, 6-8pm May 26 - July 15th, 2012 Fourteen30 | 1501 SW Market St. Posted by Tori Abernathy on May 25, 2012 at 17:19 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 05.23.12 From Portland to Houston, Madrid, Berlin and Back 
Though Portland's media reportage for culture can be insulated and frequently decades out of touch, the Portland art scene itself gets around quite nicely as ever more important art hubs always tend to behave. Perhaps, let's discuss the way we frame the discussion... instead of wondering "whether"... simply pay attention to what is already going on. Here's a prime example... Paul Middendorf's Gallery Homeland has already done projects in Istanbul, Berlin and Houston. Yet a lack of support (& credit, aka attaboys) perhaps drove him to move to Houston where he's working on another branch of the organization while keeping the Portland office open too. Now Paul is back for the week and leading a discussion at Froelick Gallery tonight called From Portland to Houston, Madrid, Berlin and Back. Here's the PR: "Please join us for an impromptu discussion about the current FROELICK exhibitions and comparisons of contemporary art scenes in Portland, Texas & Europe. Take part in an ongoing dialogue between artists Terrell James, Laura Ross-Paul & Victor Maldonado with Paul Middendorf, co director of Gallery Homeland & curator of Southern Pacific. Please RSVP by email to rebecca@froelickgallery.com" To foreground a difference I find very important, Houston has a very coherent... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 23, 2012 at 12:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.22.12 Rumblings of the Eff-ing volcano at Gallery Homeland 
Tonight is the night for Rumblings and I highly recommend it! In the past Gallery Homeland has hosted major portions of Portland's Experimental Film Festival and it has always been an exciting/well attended event. So it is time to "Rumble" tonight and the lineup is heavy on programming that could be considered either video art and video installation art as a form as experimental film. Frankly making the distinctions between those three terms is exasperating but I can say that video installation is a major strength of the Portland art scene that gets international attention. Here is the lineup: Cathy Fairbanks: Transference is a Tough Row to Hoe Lydia Greer: A Self-Made House Jason Gutz: Sequence Shawn Patrick Higgins: Fortune Ajna Lichau: ON DEMAND Neil Ira Needleman: Loud Loop Julie Perini: Video Projection with Movement Kelly Rauer: POV (reflexive) Christina Santa Cruz: Gorgeous Media Performances by Weird Fiction and Future Death Toll and this exhibition is sponsored in part by The Historic Ford Building, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Ford Food and Drink, and RACC's Project Grant RUMBLINGS @ galleryHOMELAND Opening: May 22 6 - 9PM 2505 SE 11th Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 22, 2012 at 10:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.18.12 Saturday options  
PLACE gets in on the EFF-ing action and in collaboration with Grand Detour presents EFFPortland: FISSURE VENTS featuring San Francisco based experimental filmmaker Kerry Laitala, Brent Coughenour and Portland's Leo Daedalus who will premiere Low Mass in Screen. Here's the PR: "This summer, we've invited Grand Detour's EFFPortland to transform our Black gallery into a showcase of stunning and ambitious video work. FISSURE VENTS features three installations that deconstruct, reconstruct, and send up familiar and found footage, creating hallucinatory and immersive environments of light and sound as provocative as they are seductive." Opening, May 19th 5-8 PM PLACE | Pioneer Place Mall atrium building 3rd floor 
Tom Cramer's latest at Laura Russo Gallery For you early risers there is a Tom Cramer talk at Laura Russo Gallery. Yes 11:00 AM is early for the tragically hip crowd in Portland, though it might have more to do with holding down 2-4 jobs than being party animals??? Either way Tom is the artist who connects the newer waves to the older 60's scene in Portland and therefore his work is nothing like that from either demographic (when will the LR gallery finally look at some of the later waves, some who have been here for 15+ years?). Anyway, hear Tom talk about his latest show, which contains some of his most accomplished works to date. Artist Talk: Tom Cramer Laura Russo Gallery 805 NW 21st Ave. May 19th, 11:00 AM Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 18, 2012 at 12:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.15.12 Paul Pfeiffer lecture at PSU  Paul Pfeiffer's Vitruvian Figure (2009) The Paul Pfeiffer lecture on Thursday looks like a winner for Portland artists interested in architecture and multimedia technology (a large portion of the scene), here's the PR: "New York-based multimedia artist Paul Pfeiffer will deliver the final presentation in the inaugural lecture series, titled 'Firsts,' given by the Department of Architecture, Portland State University. Paul Pfeiffer will speak on Thursday, May 17, at 7pm, at Shattuck Hall Annex (at SW Broadway and Hall Streets) on the Portland State University campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. Paul Pfeiffer is a New York–based artist whose groundbreaking work in video, sculpture and photography uses recent computer technologies to examine the role that the mass media plays in shaping consciousness. Pfeiffer prompts audiences to reconsider attitudes about the body, race, identity, faith and architectural space in contemporary society. His work has been exhibited internationally at renowned museums and galleries and is in private and public collections worldwide. He is the recipient of numerous awards and, notably, he is the inaugural recipient of the Bucksbaum Award, given by the Whitney Museum of American Art (2000)." Artist Lecture: Paul Pfeiffer PSU Department of Architecture Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 7:00pm Shattuck Hall Annex Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 15, 2012 at 11:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.10.12 Chase Biado at PSU's White Gallery  Chase Biado has a truly enigmatic sense of delivery and it comes through in his work. A while back he presented a video of a hilarious talking mushroom performing a long, off the wall diatribe (by Tom Cruise) at 12128 so I'm very curious to see his latest solo show at PSU's White Gallery, Spider Veins. There is an opening tonight 5-8PM. To give you the flavor here is his Press release statement: "I've been seeking out a certain line, a vein. It's a squiggly line ~~~~~ an uneconomic line, like an excess of time allowed for the line to be dragged. The pencil is held with slack. The line meanders towards its destination. The spider vein is the wandering line that is too old to care ~ that has lost a destination and keeps going. The spider crawls up the wall ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ spider dance. The spider makes a line that is not necessarily choice. The drawn squiggly is not necessarily a choice, but tension held in the body. I've tried to draw a line like veins crawling up the legs of old men and old ladies in their old swimsuits on the old beach, getting older. This is not a streamline. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's a relationship in the line between time and tension. The spider vein is on vacation time. Its tension is drawstring tension. The line defines the relationship: body to out-of-body, bound-self to unbound projection. The line says, 'I am the spider, you are the web.' varicose ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ varicose ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ varicose Spider Veins Artist's Reception: May 10 5-8PM Littman & White Galleries| Portland State University 1825 SW Broadway #250 | 503 725-5656 Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 10, 2012 at 12:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.09.12 Monograph turns two 
Sure Portland has some great big bookstores but there's this little one just off NE Alberta that has my heart... So join Monograph Bookwerks for their second anniversary. There will be Prosecco beverages and snax, book giveaways, friends and cheer to celebrate Monograph as it enters its "terrible twos"... never grow up little one and may everyone be lucky enough to witness an art book tantrum! Monograph Bookwerks B'Day Party: Thursday May 10th 7-10PM 5005 NE 27th ave at Alberta Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 09, 2012 at 20:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.04.12 First Friday Picks May 2012 
Nathaniel Thayer Moss in progress at Worksound's Perceptual Control We've been waiting for three months for Worksound's latest show Perceptual Control and it has been worthwhile seeing it develop over a series of talks... but it's time to see where this residency with, Nathanael Thayer Moss, Emily Nachison, Kyle Raquipiso, Jamie Marie Waelchli and PORTstar Amy Bernstein all ends up. The theme of, "exploring transcendence and perception," seems right on time. Opening Reception: 7:00PM - 10:00PM | May 4th Worksound 820 SE Alder Street ... (more: Customary Clothing and Dan Gilsdorf at 12128) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 04, 2012 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.03.12 First Thursday Picks May 3rd 2012 Tori is a little busy graduating from Reed right now so I'll take this round of picks... you'll be seeing more of her sparkling contributions in the near future. From last month there are some very strong holdovers like Day Job at PNCA and Laura Fritz's Entorus. Here is what is new:
History lesson, in 1999 Heidi Schwegler's kinky work was the star of the most influential art show in Portland's recent history, the 1999 Oregon Biennial curated by Katherine Kanjo (it included video and installation art and made old timers crazy because there wasn't enough whittling, other stars Storm Tharp, Kristan Kennedy, Tom Cramer, Nan Curtis, Jacqueline Ehlis, Sean Healy etc. took part... it remade Portland's scene). Later, Heidi made a splash at the most ambitious Pearl District gallery Portland has ever seen, Savage. Then she kinda disappeared, much to my chagrin. Lately, she's turned up at the Hallie Ford Museum and snagged a well deserved Ford Fellowship. Which is all a round about way to say, welcome back to the Pearl District with this new tourism driven show The Known World... After April, The Pearl is a place that sorely needs any show that doesn't sport an endless barrage of landscape paintings. Chambers@916 Opening Reception: 6-9 PM | May 3rd May 3rd - June 23rd 916 NW Flanders (...more with; Light, Ryan Pierce, Tom Cramer and LITE BOX) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 03, 2012 at 13:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.26.12 Mayoral Candidate's Forum at PNCA 
Saturday from 3-5PM at PNCA, the Pacific Northwest Science and Technology Foundation and the MFA in Collaborative Design program are presenting a forum with three mayoral candidates; Eileen Brady, Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith, moderated by Peter Schoonmaker, Chair MFA in Collaborative Design. Question is, will these three finally distinguish themselves from one another for the likely pivotal cultural community vote? (not that THAT vote is one monogenic group. Their first forum on the subject was without Smith so I'm curious to see how they've distinguished their positions from one another since the first rather incomplete panel.) Also, if I didn't know better I'd say PNCA itself was trying to run for Mayor of Portland for the past decade. Here's the PR: "Portland has a reputation as a center for creativity, technology, and design. From software to apparel to green technology, the opportunities for developing a vibrant creative economy are expanding. What specific actions can the City of Portland and our next mayor take to support and enhance Portland’s science, technology, and creative communities? Join the Pacific Northwest Science and Technology Foundation and the MFA Collaborative Design program at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) for a forum with mayoral candidates Eileen Brady, Charlie Hales, and Jefferson Smith. MFA in Collaborative Design Chair Peter Schoonmaker moderates a conversation on what Portland's next mayor should and can do to support the science-tech-creative sector in Portland." Mayoral Candidates Forum | Swigert Commons (free) PNCA | 1241 NW Johnson April 28th 3-5 PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 26, 2012 at 14:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.25.12 Ditch Projects presents Mike Pare 
New Mexico based Mike Pare is interested in subcultures and creates paper-based works that expand the narrative of such intense but fringe movements. For his first solo show titled New Believers at Springfield's Ditch Projects Pare has chosen the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Movement, which famously usurped the small Oregon town of Antelope, as his starting off point. "In this work, constellations of Rajneesh's narrative expand beyond rational investigation, and mutate into entirely new forms. Rajneesh Things is an artwork in the form of an open edition tabloid Newspaper. The twelve page black and white tabloid contains articles, artwork, and designs based in investigations of the material culture of the Rajneesh Movement. Modeled after the original movement publication Rajneesh Times, Pare's newspaper visually mimics the style of underground press publications of the 1970s and 80s. The work functions as a platform for art making and journalism, but also serves as a coded fictional text and an object of material culture itself capable of everyday dissemination through its expendable form as a free paper. Free copies will be available at the exhibition. The body of work entitled Devotional Goods is an exploration of material anomalies and the potential of art practice transcending a topic. working with the familiar drawing materials of graphite and paper, Pare creates large dark tie-dyed pieces that hint at melancholy and decay even as they radiate intense acid-drenched colors." Ditch Projects: Mike Pare | New Believers 303 S. 5th Avenue #165 | Springfield OR 97477 Exhibition dates: April 28 - May 19, 2012 Opening reception: Saturday, April 28, 7pm - 10pm Gallery hours: Saturdays 12 - 4 | info@ditchprojects.com Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 25, 2012 at 15:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.24.12 Elena Buszek Lecture  Marianne Jorgensen and the Cast-Off Knitters, Pink M.24 Chaffee 2006. (Photo Barbara Katzin) Craft has definitely become an integral part of the contemporary art lexicon and I'm always fascinated by where the sometimes tense border lines between craft and serious art are drawn. Elena Buszek's lecture on April 25th at MoCC should fire off a few shots in every direction or is this discussion so 2006? What new developments have there been since craft stopped becoming a dirty word in serious contemporary art? (Hint: it coincided with the realization that art from Los Angeles has been the equal if not superior to New York since the 60's and last year's PST... or we can blame Dave Hickey's The Invisible Dragon essays for making "beauty" as an intellectual construct supportable again). Her lecture Wednesday at the Museum of Contemporary Craft is part of the CraftPerspectives Lecture Series and the 2011-2012 Graduate Visiting Artist Lecture Series. "Maria Elena Buszek is a scholar, critic, curator and associate professor of art history at the University of Colorado in Denver. Her recent publications include the books, Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture and Extra/ordinary: Craft and Contemporary Art. She has also contributed to the anthologies It's Time for Action (There's No Option): About Feminism and Blaze: Discourse on Art, Women, and Feminism and Contemporary Artists. She has written for the popular feminist magazine BUST since 1999." Presented by Museum of Contemporary Craft and the MFA in Applied Craft and Design (PNCA + OCAC). Lecture: April 25th | 6:30 - 8:30 PM Museum of Contemporary Craft The Lab | 724 NW Davis St. | 503 223-2654 Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 24, 2012 at 12:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 04.21.12 Saturday Openings and Happenings  Lorna Bieber at Reed's Cooley Gallery It's been up for a few weeks but it's time for a reception with the artist for Lorna Bieber's, Image Myths at Reed's Cooley Gallery tonight. Bieber produces her images through; collage, paint, copier and computers, as well as traditional and non-traditional photographic techniques. She describes this as altering the "root" picture to create new "branches" whose archetypal narratives are completely changed from the original, yet due to their sources and treatment appear as a kind of memory. Carl Jung's collective unconscious comes to mind, except Bieber is the archetypal intermediary and filter here. Artist's Reception: April 21st 5PM Lorna Bieber, Image Myths | April 10 - June 3rd Douglas F. Cooley Gallery | Reed College 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd.  Images from Wayne Bund's Mimesis @ PLACE Portland artists continue to occupy Portland's Pioneer Place Mall with several lew shows: MIMESIS: Fantasy and Friends - Wayne Bund Within the Ephemeron - J. Brown The Weighing of Souls - Georganne Watters Crying, Feeding, Touching - Heather Zinger High School Football Memories - Phillip Bone & BT Livermore Opening receptions 5-8pm | April 21st PLACE @ Pioneer Place Mall | 700 SW 5th | 3rd floor placepdx@gmail.com  It's your last and only chance to catch Damien Gilley's Data Systems Plaza at PCC Sylvania this weekend from 1-4 Saturday. "Data Systems Plaza appropriates and transforms the gallery into a temporary showroom exhibiting sculptural experiences from a fictitious company. Drawing influence from science fiction and technology developments of the early digital era, the works reference an industry that posits advanced, speculative, and futuristic products and phenomena. Within a meandering architectural framework, the works allure the viewer with controlled visual spectacles while rendering the experience of materiality ambiguous. The exhibition aims to expand upon the ephemeral characteristics of information systems through the employment of compartmentalized areas, perceptual structures, and the concept of hidden architecture." Special Saturday Hours | April 21st 1-4 North View Gallery | Data Systems Plaza Reception/Artist Talk: Wednesday, April 4, 2-4pm Dates & Hours: April 3 - 27 | 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday Portland Community College Sylvania | CT Building 12000 SW 49th Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 21, 2012 at 0:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.17.12 Pure Clear closing reception  Pure Clear at Appendix Although not wholly realized, Alex Mackin Dolan's Pure Clear at Appendix offers up some tantalizing mimesis and outright readymade examples of boho and industrial design tropes that conjure "purity", while inviting in a Smithson-esque sense of entropic infiltration or even outright pollution. He's definitely onto something and tomorrow night is your last chance to catch the show. "Using 'clear' as an initial password, Dolan chooses objects based on their deployment of specific color sets and materials, using them to investigate various 'eco-aware' memes and connections." Appendix Project Space Closing Reception: 8:00 PM | April 18th south alley between 26th and 27th Avenues off of NE Alberta Street Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 17, 2012 at 12:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.13.12 Weekend Picks Besides Glen Fogel's show + the unveiling of PICA's new space (more later today) Here are my picks for the weekend:
Amy Berstein in progress at Worksound On Saturday at Worksound for its Perceptual Control (a five artist/writer/curator residency and in process exhibit), PORT's own Warhol Art Writing award winner Amy Bernstein will talk about ''Form and Absence" and Emily Nachison will discuss her process which draws on anthropology, geology, and the decorative arts. In the past 9 months or so Bernstein has become one of the most watched painters in Portland. Here's the PR: "'Speech is the replacement of a presence by an absence and the pursuit, through presences ever more fragile, of an absence ever more all sufficing.'- Maurice Blanchot Amy Bernstein will discuss the ideas surrounding form as language. Culled from a history of philosophy and art theory, Bernstein will support her ideas through citing examples of the semantics of artistic choices. Form as signifier and as catalyst are the bases of all language, yet the creation of formal language in a contemporary context and within specific cultures becomes culture itself. Are these ideas cannibalistic, self propagating, or revolutionary? What freedoms do we embody in making art that will push culture forward? How free is this freedom? The answer is in the making. Organic/Synthetic is the topic of Emily Nachison's talk. She discusses her making process and influences. Drawing from anthropology, geology, and the decorative arts, Nachison’s sculptures and installations are a hybrid of synthetic and natural accumulation. Mythology and New-Age idealism become starting points for an investigation into the cultural creation of landscape. Her process mimics organic growth and geological sediment, resulting in experiential installations using a variety of materials including glass, wood, cardboard, and foam. Artist Talks | Saturday April 14 7-10PM Worksound | 820 SE Alder Portland OR. Perceptual Control | Residency/Exhibition |February 3rd through May 31 2012 ...(more: PLACE and Joe Macca at Art Gym) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 13, 2012 at 12:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.11.12 Lost at PSU's Littman Gallery 
It is Portland Photo Month and one of the most promising exhibitions is Lost curated by the wry, stylish and wily Horia Boboia. A play on the slippery nature of images today where the "personally significant" becomes very public accruing various levels of significance. Whether looking at a meme or simply the issue of control, I like the amount of trouble this show seems to traffic in. Featuring; Horia Boboia, Sean Carney, Alex Mackin Dolan and Rebecca Steele LOST promises to highlight, "some of the contemporary transformations of the 'photograph'. For this exhibition four artists compiled a series of images gleaned or collected from the vast anonymous pool found on the Internet, in magazines, advertisements, or other public sources and represent them as valid artifacts. These images were found, lost and found again..." Lost | Portland State University | April 5-27, 2012 Monday-Friday 12-4 pm Opening Reception: April 12, 5-7 pm Littman and White Galleries | 503 725 5656 1825 SW Broadway, Smith Center Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 11, 2012 at 12:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.09.12 Lorna Bieber at Reed  Lorna Bieber, Two Trees, Gelatin silver print, 68 x 42 in., 2004, Courtesy of the artist. Reed College's Cooley Gallery presents Lorna Bieber, Image Myths. Long before photoshop's ubiquity, Bieber has been reinterpreting genre style found images using any means available. She produces her images through; collage, paint, copier and computers, as well as traditional and non-traditional photographic techniques. She describes this as altering the "root" picture to create new "branches" whose archetypal narratives are completely changed from the original, yet due to their sources and treatment appear as a kind of memory. Carl Jung's collective unconscious comes to mind, except Bieber is the archetypal intermediary and filter here. Bieber's work has been exhibited or collected by; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fogg Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, LA County Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art and PS 1. Lorna Bieber, Image Myths | April 10 - June 3rd Douglas F. Cooley Gallery | Reed College 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Artist's Reception: April 21st 5PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 09, 2012 at 10:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.06.12 Weekend Picks April 2012 
Adam Ekberg, Arrangement #1, 2009 @ Light Structures @ False Front Don't miss Light Structures at False Front this weekend, a group show curated by Laura Hughes. It will be interesting to see the works chosen by one of the city's favorite light-play artists herself. False Front says, "exploring light as subject, concept, material or effect, these artists illuminate ways to engage with our visible surroundings: challenging our perceptual boundaries and the divisions separating habits of modern culture from the potential to see more". Artists: Adam Ekberg (Tampa, Florida), Laura Fritz (Portland, Oregon), Sydney S. Kim (Brooklyn, NY), Cay Horiuchi (Portland, OR), Scott Rogers (Glasgow, Scotland) Opening reception | April 7th | 7-10pm False Front | 4518 NE 32nd Ave. 
Zoë Clark at RECESS RECESS presents a new project by 12128 co-founder Zoë Clark. Their first solo show to date, R&B songs is an evocative installation intended to cloud your view of the space itself. Clark writes "R&B songs are exceptional in their ability to transform our perceptions and mood. Although lyrically they may be simplistic, often bordering on cliché, they are able to transport us out of our everyday life and into our vision of love". Opening Reception | April 6th | 7 - 10:30 PM April 6th - 20th RECESS | 1127 SE 10th Ave. (More: Nan Curtis and Archer Gallery) Posted by Tori Abernathy on April 06, 2012 at 11:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkMilgrim and Senju at Japanese Garden 
Milgrim and Senju at the Portland Japanese Garden Spring is in full swing and Portland's Japanese Garden is one of the most stunning places to contemplate the change. If that isn't enough consider this exhibition of world renowned Chado or tea ceremony ceramics by Richard Milgrim and Zen ink paintings by Hiroshi Senju. "Chanoyu, the practice of preparing tea in this manner (Chado), requires a tranquil setting and meticulous attention to detail. A long history of creating exquisite environments in which to conduct these events resulted in the production of marvelous crafts-tea bowls, scoops, whisks, jars, containers, and braziers-as well as fine hanging scroll paintings and calligraphy. Richard Milgrim is one of the rare non-Japanese potters who has reached the heights of recognition not only in the U.S. but also in Japan, where his work is highly sought after. Milgrim's work has been lauded by the grand master of the prestigious Urasenke School of Tea in Kyoto. This exhibition of his tea ceramics is part of the 2012 Art in the Garden series that explores the theme of Healing Garden with exhibitions and lectures that focus on the Japanese approach to health and well-being. To complement Mr. Milgrim's tea utensils, we are most honored to show a selection of hanging scrolls by the internationally acclaimed painter Hiroshi Senju, whose famous waterfall paintings hang in many of the great museums around the world. Mr Senju divides his time between his studio in New York and his work as President of the Kyoto University of Art and Design. During the run of the exhibition, the Garden will offer two presentations of the Chado each Saturday and Sunday in the Pavilion. These will take place at 1 & 2 p.m. and will be prepared by members of Kashintei Kai, the tea society associated with the Garden's Kashintei Tea House. Visitors who wish to try a bowl of the frothy matcha tea may purchase a $5 ticket at the Admission Gate. Entrance is included with Garden admission and the exhibition will be open in the Pavilion during Garden hours." Meditative Moments Portland Japanese Garden 611 SW Kingston Avenue April 6 - 29 Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 06, 2012 at 11:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.04.12 First Thurday Picks April 2012 
By and large, young and emerging artists in this economic climate are in debt. Fortunately, many negotiate clever solutions to the lack of so-called 'studio time' while tinkering away in the cubicle, classroom, lab, etc. Day Job, originally exhibited at the Drawing Center, NY in 2010, highlights a group of these artists capitalizing off the byproducts of their daily grind. "Rather than subscribing to the idea that non-artistic work is by definition disruptive to an artist’s practice, Day Job looks at the ways in which the information, skills, ideas, working conditions, or materials encountered in the work world can become a source of influence". Day Job is curated by the cunningly whimsical Nina Katchadourian and organized by Mack McFarland. Curator Walkthrough followed by Reception | April 5th | 5:30 - 9 pm Philip Feldman Gallery at PNCA | 1241 Northwest Johnson Street ...(more with Jason Florschutz, Laura Fritz, Michael Brophy and Eva Speer) Posted by Tori Abernathy on April 04, 2012 at 12:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.03.12 Gilley and Schenk at College Galleries Installation art is perhaps Portland's strongest genre but it is usually up to non profit spaces to make it possible. In the past 10 years there has been an explosion in alternative spaces but it has also been accompanied by a deepening commitment of college galleries to adventurous programming. This week two of Portland's best outlying college spaces are hosting large scale installations by two of Portland's most promising artists, Damien Gilley at PCC Sylvania and Crystal Schenk at Linfield College.
 Damien Gilley Since taking over PCC Sylvania's wonderfully brutalist North View Gallery director, Mark Smith has imbued the program with a sense of adventure (which we experienced last month with Arcy Douglass). This month Damien Gilley, another artist of great expectations takes his turn with Data Systems Plaza, presenting large-scale sculptural works, wall drawings, and architectural structures. According to the PR: "Data Systems Plaza appropriates and transforms the gallery into a temporary showroom exhibiting sculptural experiences from a fictitious company. Drawing influence from science fiction and technology developments of the early digital era, the works reference an industry that posits advanced, speculative, and futuristic products and phenomena..." ... (more details on Gilley and Schenk) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 03, 2012 at 2:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.27.12 Gazed Upon 
April is photo month in Portland but Ampersand is out of the gates early with Gazed Upon, opening this Thursday. Curated by Amy Elkins the show features work by Jen Davis, Cara Phillips & Stacey Tyrell. Meet Elkins and Tyrell at the opening with drinks courtesy of Ninkasi Brewing Company. Opening Reception & Book Release on March 29, 6- 10PM Ampersand : 2916 NE Alberta St. March 29 to April 24, 2012 Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 27, 2012 at 16:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.22.12 Last Weekend picks March 2012  "Perceptual Control" Resident Artist's Talk #1 @ Worksound Worksound presents the first round of artist talks for their "Perceptual Control" residency program. Participants Nathanael Thayer Moss and Kyle Raquipiso will give presentations on their work. If this is anything like the series of lectures that accompanied the group of artists in "Shred of Lights", it'll be a Friday evening well spent. Also, this is a good chance to hear the elusive PNCA grad, Kyle Raquipiso, speak about his often enigmatic yet enthralling work. Moss @ 7pm; Raquipiso @ 8pm. Artist Talks | March 23rd | 7 - 9 pm Worksound | 820 SE Alder ...(More: Half/Dozen & Appendix) Posted by Tori Abernathy on March 22, 2012 at 8:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.20.12 Dr. Katz on the culture wars  David Wojnarowicz Today Reed College presents a very interesting talk, Twelve Seconds out of 120 Years: Anatomy of a Culture War. "In this talk, structured for a general audience, Dr. Jonathan D. Katz will address the stakes of the U.S.'s repeated cultural skirmishes over the depiction of same sex desire. Katz explores the very different valence of homoerotic desire in early 20th century America, and, deploying numerous images from the exhibition Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, traces the key shifts in that understanding up to the present day. He will conclude with a showing of the exhibition's censored film by David Wojnarowicz, A Fire in my Belly, and address why the conflict took the form that it did, turning on the question of anti-Catholic bias instead of homophobia. Paradoxically, Katz will argue that the refusal to frame the objections to the film in terms of sexuality is a kind of victory, but also a telling indicator of the newest front in the ongoing U.S. culture wars. On March 17, the Tacoma Museum of Art opened Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, the first queer exhibition at a major museum in U.S. history, sponsored by the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Katz wrote the eponymous book accompanying the exhibition. Katz is a queer studies scholar of post war art and culture, is director of the doctoral program in visual studies at the University at Buffalo, and president of the newly opened Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York, the world's first queer art museum. He cofounded the activist group Queer Nation, San Francisco, and founded the Queer Caucus of the College Art Association, and the Harvey Milk Institute in San Francisco. Dr. Katz's lecture was organized by Assistant Professor of Art History and Humanities Michele Matteini." Lecture: Dr. Jonathan D. Katz Tuesday, March 20, 5 p.m. Reed College Chapel Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 20, 2012 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.13.12 Betty Feves: Generations 
The Betty Feves retrospective opens at the Museum of Contemporary Craft on Thursday, adding to an already wonderful series of retrospectives weve already been treated to this year by Nauman and Rothko. Feves, a ceramicist who studied with Clifford Still isn't terribly familiar to me so I relish this chance. Apparently, she is pretty much THE driving cultural force for the Pendelton area and even its current leading light James Lavadour owes a great deal to her. The woman left a modernist legacy 50 miles wide. Maybe its the research of the curator or perhaps it is the uncovering of a life's work but few things get me up in the morning like a good retro of an opinionated woman who redrew the cultural landscape in the region. Here's the PR: "In Generations: Betty Feves, Museum of Contemporary Craft situates Feves and her work within the context of the overlapping arenas of Modernism, American Regional Art, and the American Craft Movement. The exhibition connects her functional and sculptural work to the community, music, mentors and advocacy for higher education that influenced and marked her career. This retrospective, which is supported by a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and which marks the close of the Museum's 75th Anniversary year, honors the significant cultural and artistic impact of an under-appreciated regional artist. It traces Feves' formal and conceptual evolution through her sculptural work, her sketchbooks, her exploration in experimental firing processes and her deep roots in the community and landscape around Pendleton, Oregon." Exhibition | Betty Feves: Generations March 15, 2012 - July 28, 2012 MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY CRAFT 724 NW Davis Street, Portland, 97209 Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 13, 2012 at 23:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.08.12 Helen Molesworth lecture 
For the past couple of years the 80's have been of new interest to scholars and culture vultures alike and Helen Molesworth might just be one of the best on the subject. Catch her lecture today at the U of O's White Stag Campus in Portland. "Helen Molesworth is the current chief curator at The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. She has served as the head of the department of modern and contemporary art at The Harvard Art Museums where her exhibitions included "Long Life Cool White: Photographs by Moyra Davey" and "ACT UP New York: Activism, Art, and the AIDS Crisis, 1987-1993." She is also known for her work organizing Hauser & Wirth's reinterpretation of Allan Kaprow, Yard happening with William Pope. L, Josiah McElheny, and Sharon Hayes. Prior to joining Harvard, Molesworth was chief curator of exhibitions at the Wexner Center for Arts in Columbus, Ohio. She holds a Ph.D. in the history of art from Cornell University. A distinguished scholar, writer and curator, Molesworth will present her lecture, "This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980's." Thursday, March 8, 2012, 5:30p.m. | Reception to follow University of Oregon in Portland White Stag Block | Event Room 70 NW Couch Street | Portland Oregon 97209 For more information, contact Kirsten Poulsen-House, 503-412-3718, email kpoulsen@uoregon.edu Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 08, 2012 at 5:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.02.12 First Weekend picks March 2012 Well this will likely go down as one of the more epic vis arts weekends in Portland history with the already announced Reed Arts Week lineup and the must be there to support Blake Shell's short-sightedly cancelled but much lauded program at The Archer Gallery on Saturday night. Here are my other picks:
Ralph Pugay's Chicken Pox Orgy @ Rocksbox Rock's Box is easily Portland's most irreverent and hard hitting alternative space, glad the programming has returned for Spring. Here is the agitRockprop: "Night-tide Daytripping at Rocksbox Contemporary Fine Art features works inspired by the progressively darkening atmosphere that is produced by the present-day state of our political, social and economic systems. A struggle towards brightness is evidenced in many of the works—embodying a need for clarity with regards to the ways that language, mythology, and belief influence the current condition of our lived realities. Ralph Pugay creates visual works that are formulated through the mash-up of ideas mined from philosophical inquiries, themes of the everyday, and binary thought processes. The groundwork for Pugay's practice is rooted in the hybridization, mistranslation, and over-literalization [sic], of various meanings and symbols; leading to the creation of absurd situational propositions. His appropriation from a multiplicity of sources such as popular media, game theory, proverbial sayings, and art history; result in works that attempt to convey deeper humanist concerns. Born out of introspection, Pugay's work is an investigation of empirical truth's influence on the perception of lived experience -- a depiction of the psychological gridlock that results when collective conviction goes on a highway rampage, resulting in a head-on collision with man's search for a purer form." ROCKSBOXCONTEMPORARYFINEART | 6540 N. Intestate March 3, 2012 - April 22, 2012 Opening Reception: Saturday, March 3, 2012, 7-11 p.m. Performance: Saturday, March 3, 2012, 7-11 p.m. ... (more Ford Bldg, H/D, Black Box Gallery) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 02, 2012 at 15:06 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 03.01.12 First Thursday March 2012 picks March is always a funny month for shows in Portland (this year it's pretty good though). In fact, at least two of the very best shows from last month by Joe Thurston at Elizabeth Leach Gallery and the current show with B. Wurtz at PNCA's Feldman Gallery are still up for the month of March. Also, if you don't already know about the Rothko or Nauman shows either... well it's good timing to emerge from your hibernation cave. Here's what's new:
James Lavadour's Rose (2012) PDX presents James Lavadour's Interiors, which I'm pretty sure constitutes the fieriest show of paintings I've yet to see from this Northwest icon. Also, for the first time on exhibit, a new sculpture work cast at the Walla Walla Foundry. Opening reception • March 1st • 6 - 8PM PDX Contemporary • 925 NW Flanders • 503.222.0063 ... (more: Maertz, Hayward and Buswell + Miyoshi) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 01, 2012 at 0:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.29.12 Rupture: Reed Arts Week vis art picks 2012 This year's Reed Arts Week, Rupture through March 4th, has a lot of interesting visual arts related programming. Here are my 3 top picks:
 Rainy Lehrman,Labor Byproduct, west end of Eliot Hall "Brooklyn based Rainy Lehrman creates grass sculptures that protrude from the ground, showing layers of dirt, sawdust, and earth material, creating a veritable rupturing of the earth. The effect is a defamiliarization of space, inciting a new understanding of quotidian geography and providing a new understanding of the physical references from which we base our experience of time."... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 29, 2012 at 22:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.28.12 The Infectious Corruption of Color  Left: Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Right: Mike Womack On Saturday it is time to toast the artists in The Infectious Corruption of Color; Calvin Ross Carl, Laura Hughes, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Amanda Wojick, Mike Womack. It is likely another worthy group show from the Archer Gallery... the gallery with perhaps the best group show track record in the past three years. I'm personally terribly disappointed that Director Blake Shell's run is coming to an end in June due to budget problems (more on this at the end, first let's discuss this show). The PR says, "Color is messy; it is corporeal. It bleeds and overwhelms. It opposes the contained, neat, and clinical. It may show us the natural world in comparison to the manmade, or, in turn, it may become the hyper-real and psychedelic in our perception... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 28, 2012 at 0:21 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 02.27.12 Extra Credit: Rothko and Nauman Maybe you were or are one of those students who always took the opportunity to learn a little more and get a few extra points... if so these events are for you:
 Red at PCS So, you haven't overdosed on Rothko yet with the retrospective and are very interested in how his time growing up in Portland might have effected him? Tonight at 7:00PM at Mcmenamins Kennedy School for "Portland and the Art of Mark Rothko" join PORT's own Arcy Douglass (who penned this important historical look at Rothko and Portland) in conversation with Daniel Benzali the actor portraying Rothko in the fictional historization that is the play Red now running at PCS. Arcy is very aware of Rothko's well documented disdain for entertaining the wealthy and anything that wasn't 100% serious so this should be an interesting and difficult dance. (P.S. PAM's Chief Curator Bruce Guenther and I will be on OPB's Think Out Loud radio show discussing Rothko on Wednesday at 9:00 AM).  Eleanor Antin For February 28th and 29th at 7:00PM check out, Is It My Body: Conversions, Transgression, and Representations. The series was curated in response to the current exhibition BRUCE NAUMAN: BASEMENTS on view at the Cooley Gallery. The program includes work by Vito Acconci, Denise Marika, Ursula Hodel, Eleanor Antin in addition to early video by Nauman. It's in the Pearl at 937 NW Glisan and it's free. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 27, 2012 at 16:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.22.12 Edgar Arceneaux lecture 
Edgar Arscenaux's "The Algorithm Doesn't Love You" (2010) Today, Edgar Arceneaux visits PNCA as part of the 2011-2012 Graduate Visiting Artist Lecture Series. I tend to think of his very contemporary work as a mutant cross pollination between present tense anthropology and surrealism. The presser says, "Los Angeles-based artist Edgar Arceneaux's conceptual program uncovers meaning in unexpected adjacencies of past and present and of history and memory. He uses drawing, photography, sculpture and filmmaking for the unorthodox installation scenarios he has developed and refined over the last decade. His work resists simple explanations, creating sets of relationships that arent easily resolved as a way of wrestling with randomness." Artist Lecture | February 23rd 6:30-8:30 PNCA Main Campus | Swigert Commons 1241 NW Johnson St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 22, 2012 at 23:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkTen Thousand Things at PCC Sylvania  At PCC Sylvania's Northview Gallery PORT's very own Arcy Douglass is certainly interested in systems of vastness, his last solo show sported a video that would take trillions of years to watch in its entirety. Now he's filling the vast Northview Gallery with Ten Thousand Things (it has a huge bay window co-opting a view of treetops in the distance.) Here's what the press release says: "The North View Gallery presents a new large-scale video installation by Portland artist Arcy Douglass. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, February 23rd from 2-4 PM, and Saturdays, March 3rd and 10th from 12-4 PM. The show will run through March 23rd, 2012. Arcy Douglass' Ten Thousand Things uses the repetition of a simple formal vocabulary to reflect the complex structure of natural systems. Resembling the depth and expanse of the starlit sky or the gridded streetlights of an urban metropolis, Ten Thousand Things presents a field of lit points perpetually emerging into and escaping from our vision. Complimenting the exhibition, PCC dance students under the direction of instructor Heidi Diaz will be performing improvisational responses to Arcy's installation on Tuesday, February 28th and Thursday, March 1st from 2-3:20 PM, Tuesday, March 6th from 12:30-3:20 PM and Thursday, March 8th from 12:30-3:00 PM. Arcy Douglass earned a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California in 2007 and attended the Arts Student League in New York from 1999-2000." Receptions: February 23rd 2-4 PM | March 3rd and 10th from 12-4 PM North View Gallery at PCC Sylvania Campus 12000 SW 49th Ave. Portland Hours: Monday - Friday | 8-4:00 PM, and by appointment Through March 23rd Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 22, 2012 at 12:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.17.12 Weekend Picks  A view of the Rothko retrospective (photo Jeff Jahn) The Mark Rothko retrospective at the Portland Art Museum opens to the Public Saturday February 18th. I've seen it and YES it lives up to expectations for the profound and even throws in a painting or two that have never been shown in retrospectives before. No it doesn't break much art historical ground (it could have and other institutions are developing that scholarship, some of which originates from PORT articles). I'll delve into into a more detailed discussion soon but for now I'll quell any fears you might have. First off, about half of the show consists of major late period works installed nicely. Yes the layout allows both a chronological walk through and a more intuitive path, both are musts for any aspiring artist of any genre since they show a somewhat talented but uniquely driven mind at work relentlessly trying to unlock the potential of not only himself but art in general. PORT has easily covered Rothko in more depth than any area publication and these two posts on; Rothko's connection to Portland and some aesthetic sensitivities as a consequence of that upbringing are the best places to prep for the exhibition. It's an auspicious homecoming which moves PAM into a new phase and fulfills some of the heightened expectations that the museum now enjoys and must consistently live up to. That's the thing about greatness, it places demands on viewers, patrons, institutions and discourse. In those respects Rothko both delights and challenges all of us in a way that has been a long time coming. Mark Rothko a retrospective at The Portland Art Museum Through May 27th  Kyle Thompson's SONIC REDUCER / SCALAR COUPLING Yes, without Rothko it would seem like Kyle Thompson month here at PORT but he does have an opening tonight at Half/Dozen for SONIC REDUCER / SCALAR COUPLING. "Thompson will present documentation of a two-day performance that... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 17, 2012 at 12:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.15.12 Slifkin on Bruce Nauman 
"Bruce Nauman Going Solo," a lecture by Robert Slifkin, Friday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m. at Reed College is a must attend event. I don't know how much prodding PORT readers need (Basements is one of the best shows I've ever seen at Reed) but to sweeten the deal everyone who attends Robert Slifkin's lecture on Bruce Nauman also receives a free book. This will be packed so plan on arriving early. Robert Slifkin was a Reed College Assistant Professor of Art History and Humanities (2007-10) and is currently Professor of Fine Arts, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. His lecture is in conjunction with the exhibition Bruce Nauman, Basements, Early Studio Films,1967-69, on view at the Cooley Gallery through March 9, 2012. The gallery will be open additional hours from noon to 9:30 PM on the 17th as well. "Slifkin's lecture is being published in book form—the first in a new series of pocketbook readers published by the Cooley under the imprint Companion Editions, designed by Heather Watkins in Portland, OR." Lecture: Friday, February 17, 7 pm | Reed College Chapel + Public Reception at the Cooley Gallery after Free and open to the public, the Chapel is located in Eliot Hall. The Cooley will be open Noon to 9:30 P.M. ON February 17th Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 15, 2012 at 10:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.09.12 Bailey Winters & Jenny Vu at PSU PSU's Littman & White Galleries present: "New and Old Work" by Bailey
Winters + Jenny Vu' s "From Life"
 Bailey Winters' Trudge 2012 Because even Bailey Winters' old work is worth seeing again at PSU's Littman Gallery he presents, "New and Old Work features paintings from three previous shows as well five new paintings which continue to demonstrate his interests in narration, the figure, and comic book art. Work that first appeared in Class (2008), Green Oregon (2009), and Ambush: The Story of the TDA (2010) borrows from political iconography and depicts situations of highly charged human interaction. Executed using a combination of techniques taken from both pop art and realism, the tightly rendered figures are precise in contrast to the surrounding bright, flat color shapes. Showing alongside these are Winters' latest pieces. Here, his small cast of characters appears in a visual science fiction where intricate line drawings and opaque hypercolors replace photo realistic fleshes. In the future, Winters will draw from these new paintings and create a short animated film. Bailey Winters grew up in Santa Cruz, California and received his BFA from the California College of the Arts in 2003. He now lives and paints in Portland, Oregon. His interests include photography and film and these heavily influence the subjects of his paintings."  Jenny Vu Jenny Vu: From Life at PSU's White Gallery According to the press release Jenny Vu has, "concentrated on drawing from life for the past few years. This show is a selection of my best work from 2011. Each piece was completed within a single sitting, ranging from a few minutes to a couple hours. My subjects are often people that I know well and feel free to draw without hesitation. I do not stage my subjects or begin with a complete image in mind. The resulting piece is not preconceived but rather born in the present moment. Jenny Vu was born and raised in the small southern city of Niceville FL. Vu attended Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota FL. During her third year of school she participated in a semester long residency program in Brooklyn NY. Vu received her BFA in painting in 2010; shortly after, she moved to Portland, OR where she now lives and works. Vu has a studio in SE and works for a non profit after school arts program for kids. She plans to live and work in Portland for the next few years, before applying to graduate school or living abroad." Openings: 5 - 8 PM | February 9th | On view through February 23rd Littman & White Galleries Portland State University Second floor Smith Memorial Student Union 1825 SW Broadway | 503 . 725 . 5656 Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 09, 2012 at 10:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.08.12 Travis Fitzgerald + Gary Robbins at 12128 
There isn't any press info for Trav-man and Robbins (yes do think about the Batman theme song) exhibition if it is a crown it means it belongs to a king but I'm willing to go out on a limb, or boat as it were to suggest this. Let's just see what Travis Fitzgerald and Gary Robbins bring? 12128 presents if it is a crown it means it belongs to a king Opening Reception | Thursday February 9 | 8-11pm 12128 is moored at: Multnomah Yacht Repair | 12900 NW Marina Way Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 08, 2012 at 11:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.06.12 Richard Shiff Lecture  Paul Cezanne, The Card Players, 1890–92, Oil on canvas. 25 3/4 x 32 1/4 in. (c) Metropolitan Museum of Art Bequest of Stephen C. Clark The latest of Reed College's fantastic Stephen E Osterow Distinguished Vistors in the Arts lecture series (probably the best in the city) is art historian Richard Shiff. The talk is titled "Paul Cezanne, Loss of Subject." The title alone is interesting since art historians are often measured by the subject of their research. To wit, Shiff has completed tomes on Paul Cezanne, Donald Judd, de Kooning and a catalog raisonne for Barnett Newman, all A-listers. He's also the author of Critical Terms for Art History, so for once this will be a lecturer who can make a presentation without using jargon words like "authentic" or the slightly more meaningful but even more overused "notion." Here are Shiff's own words, which points to the real reason Cezanne is such a pivotal art historical figure, "Perhaps volatile feeling has the final say, not structured reason. Life is manifold, messy, inherently anti-ideological. This is the truth that at least some of Cezanne's early admirers believed his art confirmed. It made them tolerant of the singular opacity-or the utter banality-of images like the Card Players, where marks and their colours attracted more interest than the theme." ...and Reed's press release states, "Art historians usually classify images like Cezanne's Card Players as genre pictures: views of daily life that may reveal attitudes toward a class of society or a set of cultural practices. Can such pictures be abstractions? And if so, abstractions of what? Shiff's lecture investigates the fact that Cezanne's earliest viewers evaluated his Card Players as if they were abstractions, and by this interpretive route, the paintings gained a special social significance." Lecture: Tuesday | February 7 | 7:00 p.m. Reed College | 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. | Vollum lecture hall Free and open to the public The Cooley Gallery will remain open until 7 p.m. Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 06, 2012 at 10:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.03.12 First Weekend Picks  Joseph Beuys, Blitzschlag mit Lichtschein auf Hirsch (Lightning with Stag in its Glare), 1958–85. Cast Bronze, Iron, and Aluminium, Overall dimensions variable, Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa GBM2001.2. (c) 2011 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn It doesn't have an opening reception but the first Joesph Beuys show in the nearly 12 years I've lived here opens tomorrow in the atrium space at the Portland Art Museum. I've heard a constant string of complaints about PAM not doing anything of interest for younger relational aesthetics artists so Im not going to be delicate... Shut your pie hole and get on down to PAM this weekend. As the most important artist in the entire relational aesthetics canon this is a not to be missed show and marks the second in PAM's series of important Post War European artists. First one was Martin Kippenberger so this is some very cogent programming. Will the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards and Apex programming ever dovetail anbd complete the circle... if not people will still have a reason to complain. Till then, see it. Portland Art Museum | February 4 - May 27 
(on view in Hypercorrection) Recess presents Hypercorrection, featuring; Paul Clay, Sokhun Keo, Krystal South, Ross Young. A show exploring misinformation and the conventions of making decisions on said information the press release states, "The artist’s use of mimicry, material transformation, and dissimulation to incite... (more: featuring; Gabe Flores, Wendy Given and a big multimedia group show) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 03, 2012 at 13:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.01.12 First Thursday February 2012 Picks  Joe Thurston's Nothing Leading Anywhere Any More Except to Nothing (photo Jeff Jahn) Joe Thurston unveils a completely new body of work, Nothing Leading Anywhere Any More Except to Nothing. I find the way it packs up his world refreshing, because after 32+ years of unpacking the world with deconstruction it's about time somebody went the other direction... (more: Martin Kersels, Jim Neidhardt, Matt Connors and Northwest Modern) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 01, 2012 at 22:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.30.12 Ligorano/Reese Lecture at PAM  Tomorrow, catch the latest of OCAC's interdisciplinary Connection lecture series with, Ligorano/Reese who will discuss, "50 Different Minds: Art and Design in the Age of Crowdsourcing," presented in conjunction with the Portland Art Museum. Last year I considered OCAC's Alfredo Jaar talk the best lecture of the year. "The collaborative interdisciplinary art team of Ligorano/Reese selects unusual materials and industrial processes to test the impact of art on social and political systems. Utilizing limited edition multiples, videos, sculptures and installations, they move easily from electronic art and computer controlled interactive installations to dish towels, underwear and snow globes, conveying vital, even urgent, commentary with a touch of humor. OCAC's lecture series, Connection : Intersecting Tradition and Innovation, is a program of guest makers and thinkers invited to Portland to explore and articulate the relationship of craft to other disciplines and fields." Lecture: 50 Different Minds: Art and Design in the Age of Crowdsourcing with Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese Tuesday, January 31 from 7:00-8:30pm Portland Art Museum | Mark Building Marion L. Miller Gallery | 1219 SW Park Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 30, 2012 at 17:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkMatt Connors Lecture and Exhibition at PSU  Matt Connors' studio PSU's MFA Studio Lecture Series starts up again for 2012 with Matt Connors, who also has a related exhibition Dark Rooms, which opens a day later (also at PSU). It should be of interest to all the reformed formalists (deformed-alists?) that Portland is chin deep in. "Matt Connors is a New York based artist who uses painting and abstraction to pursue an open ended and informal dialogue between form, style, material and meaning; exploring questions, problems (and problem solving) and propositions rather than assertions or solutions. Drawing from the history of painting as well as from non-fine art fields of language, music and design, Connor's work and it's subsequent installation creates embodied and at times theatrical instances of materialized thought. Selected exhibitions: Gas... Telephone... One Hundred Thousand Rubles, Kunsthalle Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany (2011); Line Breaks, Veneklasen / Werner, Berlin, Germany (2011); You're gonna take a walk in the rain and you're gonna get wet, Luttgenmeijer, Berlin, Germany (2011); Concentrations 54: Matt Connors and Fergus Feehily, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX (2011); Matt Connors, Four Boxes Gallery at Krabbesholm, Skive, Denmark (2010); Dromedary Resting, Cherry and Martin, Los Angeles, CA (2010); You Don't Know, CANADA, New York, NY (2010)." Matt Connors Lecture: Wednesday February 1st 7:00 pm Portland State University: Shattuck Hall Room 212 1914 SW Park Ave C-O-O-L ART Presents MATT CONNORS - DARK ROOMS February 2 - February 27, 2012 Opening: February 2, 5 - 7 PM 2000 SW 5th Ave. Portland, OR 97201 Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 30, 2012 at 14:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.26.12 Bruce Nauman Basements at Reed 
Bruce Nauman's Wall-Floor Positions, 1968, 60 min., B & W, sound, 16 mm film transferred to digital video displayed on monitor. (c) 2012 Bruce Nauman / Artists Rights Society (ARS) In 1968, while living in Northern California, Bruce Nauman signed with the Leo Castelli Gallery, which helped fund an important series of performance/video works. The latest show at Reed College's Cooley Gallery, Basements, explores this crucial period in Nauman's groundbreaking career. To discuss this period on February 17th, Nauman scholar and NYU professor Robert Slifkin lectures on the artist's early film and video work. Cooley Gallery • January 27 - March 9 (all events free) • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd Hours • Tuesday through Sunday 12 - 5 PM Slifkin Lecture and Reception • February 17 7:00PM Curatorial Conversation & Walk-Through • March 3rd 12PM with Stephanie Snyder Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 26, 2012 at 10:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.24.12 Artist | Architect John Holmes 
It's crazy world with architects who think they are artists, artists who think they are critics, critics who think they are curators and curators who think they are architects. Yes there is a point to made there but truth is, there is no reason one can't be very proficient in multiple disciples (Michelangelo, da Vinci, Judd, Irwin etc. all did it well indeed). The latest case in point is John Holmes (one of the principles at Holst Architecture, most recently responsible for the Bud Clark Commons.) According to sources, "His artwork is about transformation - a natural process we see in nature and in our own inner lives. By transforming wood from solid to gas through fire and recording on paper, the patterns created reveal the astonishing Beauty hidden within natural phenomenon." Ah, so he's an alchemist as well! Opening reception • Thursday January 26th 6pm - 8pm Holst Architecture • 110 SE 8th Portland, OR 97214 Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 24, 2012 at 16:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.20.12 Weekend Goings On 
Catch a special screening of !Women Art Revolution a film by Lynn Hershman Leeson at the NW Film Center on Sunday with a special introduction by Reed College's Stephanie Snyder. Screening • January 22 • 4:00 PM NW Film Center • $9 general $8 members • free to students and faculty Portland Art Museum • Whitsell Auditorium Sponsored by: Pacific Northwest College of Art, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, Portland State University, Reed College, Northwest Film Center and Elizabeth Leach Gallery. ...(more after the jump: Peter Halley and PLACE) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 20, 2012 at 22:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.19.12 Interior Margins Conversation II 
Interior Margins (1st guided conversation last December) photo Jeff Jahn Like a dinner party with a theme (which did in fact instigate this project)... the predominantly white, black and grey (or at least color muted) dress code tips viewers off that Interior Margins isn't so much of a comprehensive or even super tight survey of Northwest abstraction as much as it is a salon conversation starter amongst 11 ladies with a close connection to drawing (+ toasting Leonie Guyer) in their work. Curious about that that conversation? Join curator Stephanie Snyder and Interior Margin's artists Saturday for another guided conversation at the Lumber Room. The first talk was looooong winded yet worthwhile. Guided Conversation • 11am-1pm, Saturday • January 21 lumber room • 419 NW 9th • info@lumberroom.com Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 19, 2012 at 14:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.18.12 10th NW Biennial at Tacoma Art Museum Opens It is an even numbered year and like clockwork 2012 is predictably a giant survey
show year. The first of them, the 10th
Northwest Biennial at the Tacoma Art Museum opens Saturday and explores the
multinational region from Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington States as well
as the British Columbia Territory of Canada. In fact, it is the first time the
Canadians have been invited to play and let's hope it spurs on more trans-border
exhibitions (it's true that it is easier for humans to cross the US/Canadian Border
than it is for art). Of the 30 artists 13 are from Portland (including myself,
look I did try to dissuade/dare them I
have a history of disliking these shows). In March Hide/Seek
will open in the next galleries over so there is an interesting programming confluence
here... by not being in Portland, Seattle or Vancouver BC perhaps Tacoma can sidestep or at least juggle
some very local politics? Designed by Antoine Predock TAM's is the best Museum building in cascadia.
 Sean M. Johnson's Family Portrait (2008) According to TAM, "The 10th Northwest Biennial will examine the vital questions of who we are as residents of the Pacific Northwest, what we look like, and what are our aspirations for our communities. The Biennial will seek artworks that address the critical issues that underpin the larger issues of identity and community including the fluidity of regional identity in an age of global capitalism, increased urban migration, and the virtual diffusion of a discernible regional style. Because of the extraordinary complexities of these issues, The 10th Northwest Biennial will focus on the newly revitalized and resurgent forms of interdisciplinary art practices." Yes I've seen the show in an unfinished state and I'm happy to report there are at least 5 large installation pieces of which at least 3 of which are new works and there is a lot more video than we've seen in recent TAM Biennials. Importantly, being focused on “ interdisciplinary art” a good deal of it is not traditionally craft or landscape oriented but with this many artists you know it is going to be a bit of a zoo of a show. It is also important that many participants are not represented by galleries (though their presence is felt). Most prominent Northwest galleries tend to be a bit conservative and relying on them for bleeding edge trend analysis is not the best idea. Artists: Cynthia Camlin (Bellingham, WA), Pamela Caughey (Hamilton, MT), Dana Claxton [Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux] (Vancouver, BC), Harrell Fletcher (Portland, OR), Flicker Art Collabratory [Kenneth Newby and Aleksandra Dulic (Vancouver, BC), Wynne Greenwood (Seattle, WA), Wendy Given (Portland, OR), Gray & Paulsen [Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen] (Portland, OR), Laura Hughes (Portland, OR), Allison Hyde (Eugene, OR), Abraham Ingle (Portland, OR), Ariana Jacob (Portland, OR), Jeff Jahn (Portland, OR), Sean M. Johnson (Seattle, WA), Susie J. Lee (Seattle, WA), Benjamin Love (Boise, ID), Kirk Lybecker (Portland, OR), Jeremy Mangan (Fife, WA), Matt McCormick (Portland, OR), Kelly Neidig (Portland, OR), TJ Norris (Portland, OR), Paul Pauper (Seattle, WA), Juliette Ricci (Tacoma, WA), Paul Rucker (Seattle, WA), Reza Michael Safavi (Pullman, WA), Seattle Catalog LLC [Gretchen Bennett, Matthew Offenbacher, and Wynne Greenwood] (Seattle, WA), Henry Tsang (Vancouver, BC, Matika Wilbur [Swinomish/Tulalip] (Seattle, WA),Jin-me Yoon (Vancouver, BC), Joshua Zirschky (Portland, OR) Opening Reception • January 21st • 6:30 - 9:00 PM Tacoma Art Museum • 1701 Pacific Avenue • Tacoma, WA 98402 Free for Members • Non-member Guests $10 Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 18, 2012 at 22:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.13.12 Lupification at Archer Gallery  Archer Gallery presents Lupification, or the Divide, works by Bonnie Fortune, Julia Oldham, and Ryan Pierce. The artists in this exhibition approach humanity through its connection to or separation from the natural world. Each presents a unique perspective, whether exploring the relationship, seeking to understand, looking for solutions, or discovering connections to animals, plants, and insects. Reception • 6-8pm • January 14 Clark College Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA• 360.992.2246 Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 13, 2012 at 1:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.11.12 Spicero at Appendix  Appendix presents Jasper Spicero's Interiors. "In his rendered images, Spicero presents chambers optimized for status signaling and contemplation, a fantasy of aesthetically integrated techno-spirituality. Referencing equally the spaces imagined by computer game designers and lifestyle marketing - each simplified, each driven by a few key metrics - Spicero's images and objects suggest an uncomfortable causal tangle between the spaces we wish to inhabit, the creatures we wish to be, and the options that are made available to us." Opening - 6:30PM - January 13th Appendix Project Space - south alleyway off of NE Alberta St. between 26th and 27th Aves. Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 11, 2012 at 23:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.10.12 Engaging a New Generation  Jenny Holzer (L) and Nancy Spero (R) in Body Gesture For the concluding month of the Elizabeth Leach Gallery's Body Gesture, an exhibition of historical and contemporary feminist art, the gallery is assembling a pretty promising panel discussion titled, "Engaging a New Generation." Panelists: Andi Zeisler, co-founder and Editorial/Creative Director of Bitch Magazine Elizabeth Nye, Executive Director of Girls Inc. NW Ann Mussey, Professor of Women Studies at PSU Ellen Lesperance, Artist, Winner of Seattle Art Museum's 2010 Betty Bowen Award Emily Ginsburg, Associate Professor and Chair of the Intermedia Department at PNCA Panel Discussion • 6-8pm • January 12 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 10, 2012 at 22:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.05.12 First Weekend January 2012 
California (detail), oil on canvas (in Timothy Scott Dalbow’s studio) You cant kill painting, because it is like an undead zombie medium... it just gets up again and again, either limping ghoulishly or slinking about as a sexy vampire. That's pretty much what I expect from Nationale's opener for 2012, Highlighter, co-curated by PORT-star Amy Bernstein. "In Nationale’s Highlighter, co-curators Amy Bernstein and May Juliette Barruel round up six exhilarating young painters for an intimate, studio-style exhibition. Showing only recent works from the artists, Bernstein and Barruel openly engage with the now in order to emphasize the heuristic energy guiding such innovation in the first place. Through a shared language of brilliant colors and jostling patterns, inspired in part by the excess of modern culture, the canvases of Bernstein, James Boulton, John Brodie, Timothy Scott Dalbow, Marie Koetje and K Scott Rawls function as a playground for symbolic and formal invention. However, despite such non-representational tendencies, the works ultimately renounce the highbrow tenets of traditional abstraction in favor of more relatable, personal experiences." Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 6 Artist presentation • 6pm • August 8 Nationale • 811 E Burnside Suite 112 • 503.477.9786 (more... Gallery Homeland, The Art Gym) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 05, 2012 at 22:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 01.03.12 First Thursday January 2012  Robert Frank's Unitled from Painkiller "Painkiller is an original exhibition of 48 Polaroid images by groundbreaking photographer Robert Frank taken from the 1970s through the present. Blue Sky closely collaborated with Frank in selecting photographs to be reproduced in a special series of enlarged prints for this show. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of photography, Frank has redefined the aesthetic of both the still and the moving image via his pictures and films." Blue Sky first showed Frank's photographs in 1981. Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 5th Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th • 503.225.0210 ... (more Ethan Rose, Jordan Tull, Scott Wolniak) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 03, 2012 at 21:51 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 12.17.11 Place for the Holidays  Gabe Flores' Intimate Historical Fictions Conveniently located in Pioneer Place mall for holiday shopping and gallery hopping Place is still going strong. So just when you thought the art season was over for 2011 Place holds five openings: Stephanie Simek's On Golden Records Takahiro Yamamoto's Meet Someone Palma Corral's The Red String Gabe Flores' Intimate Historical Fictions Rashin Fahandej and Krista Dragomer's 160 Years of Pressure Opening reception• 6-9pm • December 17 PLACE @ Pioneer Place Mall • 700 SW 5th • 3rd floor • placepdx@gmail.com Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 17, 2011 at 14:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.14.11 Body Gesture Jenny Holzer (L) and Nancy Spero (R) in Body Gesture For the conclusion of the Elizabeth Leach Gallery's 30th Anniversary program it presents, "Body Gesture, an exhibition of historical and contemporary feminist art.... Through their work many female artists of this era critiqued prevailing power structures, took increasing ownership of their personal sexuality, exploited assumptions about domesticity, and highlighted the institutional marginalization of women and minorities. These artists employed, and radicalized, many of the same formal and conceptual strategies practiced by their male contemporaries. Ultimately, Feminist artists' multidisciplinary, performance-based practices, engagement with process-oriented and conceptual methods, and use of film and video proved to be remarkably influential on subsequent generations of artists, both male and female. In fact, the argument could be made that Feminist Art definitively altered contemporary art, shifting the conversation back toward narrative and personal experience, while aiding in the legitimization of performance, video art, and multidisciplinary practices.... By pairing works by important female artists of the 1970s and 1980s with work by emerging female artists Body Gesture attempts to investigate the role of Feminism in art today." Gotta love it when a group show actually makes an art historical argument. It is even better when a few of my favorites like Lynda Benglis and Mickalene Thomas are involved. Features works by: Lynda Benglis, Andrea Bowers, Sophie Calle Nicole Eisenman, Jenny Holzer, Rachel Lachowicz, Ellen Lesperance, Alice Neel, Elaine Reichek, Martha Rosler, Carolee Schneemann, Amy Sillman, Lorna Simpson, Alexis Smith, Nancy Spero, Mickalene Thomas, Hannah Wilke Holiday reception • 6-8pm • December 15 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 14, 2011 at 11:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.13.11 See the Magic? 
See the Magic? For See the Magic? Shelby Davis and Crystal Schenk in collaboration with Weiden & Kennedy have produced a mythologically promiscuous holiday installation. Since the architecturally significant building is chok full of trade secrets you only have two remaining chances to take a guided tour of this otherwise closed space on December 15 and 20th at 5:30 PM SHARP (no lagging and lollygagging folks). RSVP required: crystalaschenk-at-gmail.com Please meet in the downstairs gallery just inside the front doors. Guided tour • 5:30PM (must RSVP) • December 15 & 19 Weiden & Kennedy • 224 NW 13th avenue, Portland, OR• Required RSVP to: crystalaschenk (at) gmail.com Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 13, 2011 at 11:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.08.11 Interior Margins conversation  Interior Margins Like a dinner party with a theme... the predominantly white, black and grey (or at least color muted) color scheme tips viewers off that Interior Margins isn't so much of a survey of Northwest abstraction as it is a salon conversation starter amongst 11 ladies with a close connection to drawing in their work. Curious about that that conversation? Join curator Stephanie Snyder and Interior Margin's artists Saturday for a guided conversation at the Lumber Room. Guided Conversation • 11am-1pm, Saturday • December 10 lumber room • 419 NW 9th • info@lumberroom.com Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 08, 2011 at 21:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.07.11 Plazm 20 years, closing reception 
It probably belongs in a design museum but the Archer Gallery's Plazm: 20 Years of Art and Design ends Saturday, so it's your last chance. The dense exhibition traces the rise of the magazine from "collaborative creative resource" to "high profile cultural force," also detailing the design ventures that support its publication. Art talk • 6-8pm • December 10 Closing Reception • 6-8pm • December 10th Clark College Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA• 360.992.2246 Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 07, 2011 at 11:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.02.11 First Friday December 2011  Jesse Reiser's Christmas in America series Newspace promises to have the most irony laden festivities of the weekend... tis the season you know! A solo show of Jesse Reiser's Christmas in America series puts the holiday season in the proper perspective. Also, Newspace will be showing Chris Willis' personal collection of illuminated plastic Christmas figurines. Lastly, to keep things extra festive they invite you to wear your over the top Christmas sweaters at the opening. This can't miss! Reiser also gives a talk on Saturday at 1 PM as well. Christmas in America • 6-9PM • Dec 2nd Newspace • 1632 SE 10th • 503.963.1935 ... (more: Worksound, Half/Dozen, galleryHOMELAND) Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 02, 2011 at 12:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 11.19.11 Open Doors and Second Previews  Tonight, MFA candidates in PNCA's Visual Studies Program open their studios "for an evening of art, performance and conversation." Look! Ask! Be intrigued! Herein lies the future. Class of 2012: Nadia Buyse, Jodie Cavalier, Patrick Driscoll, Kei Horiuchi, Juleen Johnson, Oriana Lewton-Leopold, Fletcher Meisenburg, Jamie Nadherny, James Papadopoulos, Stefan Ransom, Victoria Reynolds, Marilyn Skalberg, Timothy Stigliano. Class of 2013: Christina Bailey, Terri Bradley, Erin Dengerink, Kaila Farrell-Smith, Kiel Fletcher, Linden How, Timothy Janchar, John Knight, Matthew Leavitt, Daniel Long, Andrew Lorish, Jordan Meyers, Cristin Norine, Justin Schwab, Edward Trover, Lindsay Williams, Takahiro Yamamoto. Open studios • 6:30-11pm • November 19 PNCA MFA Visual Studies Studios • 1830 NW 19th • 503.226.4391  Wynde Dyer, "1751 Easy Street," 2011 PLACE revisits five shows in its glossy birds-eye atrium. - Wynde Dyer's For Sale By Owner: 1751 Easy Street, an excitingly large 1/2 scale model of her childhood home. Dyer built the replica on-site from memory using traditional wooden lathe construction. She plans to torch the whole piece after the show closes. - Rhoda London's and..., an examination of myth and memory using artifacts and drawings. Harrison Higgs contributes a video of blurry "purgatorial space." - Richard Schemmerer's Framed or Frame of Mind, a grid of assemblages and peculiarly angled picture frames. - Jane Schiffhauer's The Myth of Memory, a multimedia installation about gender, power and personal narrative. Features a glass ladder (leading to an even peskier glass ceiling?!) - Jamie Marie Waelchli's translations, a video projection about the slow decline of words into gobbledygook. Cameo by Google Translate. For the party, Jason King will also unveil PositionMax Beta, a sculptural work involving new performance technology. A stealth apparatus "allows previously unmanageable positions to be held steadily by performers over long periods of time." The result? Still human forms with superhuman durability. Edit: Upcoming Monday, artist talks with Wynde Dyer, Jane Schiffhauer and Jason King. PNCA professor Mary Preis moderates. Closing reception and performance • 6-9pm • November 19 Artist talks • 7-9pm • November 21 PLACE @ Pioneer Place Mall • 700 SW 5th • 3rd floor • placepdx@gmail.com Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 19, 2011 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.17.11 Believe in Transmissions  Monograph Bookwerks hosts a book launch for Transmission Arts: Artists and Airwaves, a historical speed-sweep through nine decades of acoustic innovations by broadcast, performance, video, installation and sound artists. Featuring Portland's own The Video Gentlemen, Joe Milutis, Weird Fiction and (HAM operator!) Chloé Womack. Book release and performances • 7-9pm • October 18 Monograph Bookwerks • 5005 NE 27th • 503.284.5005  12128 boatspace presents I WANT TO BELIEVE, a "flat-footed, autobiographical" ride through the pop culture ruminations of Car Hole Gallery founder Sam Korman. "Think of a joke, mass-less, in a minimalist atmosphere. It probably didn't make you laugh." Did I mention there's aliens? Opening reception • 7-10pm • November 18 12128 boatspace • 12900 NW Marina Way • see their website for directions Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 17, 2011 at 12:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.16.11 Avantika Bawa speaks at Linfield  Avantika Bawa from Vantage at the Archer Gallery (2010) It is short notice but perhaps you can catch Avantika Bawa's 4:00PM talk at Linfield tomorrow. Over the years she has demonstrated that she has an acute eye for frayed perceptual procedures that present themselves as diagrammatic territory. According to the press release, "Bawa creates new territory between sculpture and painting, similar to her ability to navigate the borders between two cultures – Indian and American. She is influenced by: minimalism, or the reduction of art to basic shapes, colors, and textures; installation art, which is the temporary transformation of spaces; and the interruption of space that brings viewers a new understanding..." (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 16, 2011 at 14:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.15.11 PLAZM talk  Archer Gallery presents Plazm: 20 Years of Art and Design. The exhibition traces the rise of the magazine from "collaborative creative resource" to "high profile cultural force," also detailing the design ventures that support its publication. For today's talk Creative Director and Co-Founder Joshua Berger speaks about the history, curation and vision of the magazine. Art talk • 7pm • November 15 Closing Reception • 6-8pm • December 10th Clark College Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA• 360.992.2246 Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 15, 2011 at 13:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.14.11 The Artist and the Computer: Lillian Schwartz  Cinema Project presents a special, one-night screening of Lillian Schwartz's pioneering computer animation. As a consultant at Bell Laboratories in the 1970s, Schwartz developed computerized techniques for merging sound, art and video. Her innovative research makes her the grand dame of computer-generated art and computer-aided art analysis... including contemporary film, video, animation, graphics, multimedia, special effects and virtual reality. "In the traditional of 'visual music,' her work from this period features animated computer-based shapes and fields— transformed through color gels and film stock— that synch, pulse, and grow to the equally distinct and complex computer and electronic soundtracks." Film screening • 7pm • November 16 Hollywood Theatre • 4122 NE Sandy • 503.281.4215 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 14, 2011 at 14:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.11.11 Alfredo Jaar talk  Alfredo Jaar's Geography = War (1991) On Monday, the latest of OCAC's new talk series Connection: Intersecting Tradition and Innovation brings Portland a doosey, MacArthur fellow Alfredo Jaar. Known for staging incredibly clear meditations on very difficult subjects like the Rwandan Genocides or intellectuals under pressure in dictatorial regimes his work is both sparse and emotionally devastating. His installation, the Sound of Silence is one of the very best art pieces I have ever encountered. There is only room for 20 or so more people so I suggest you jump on this talk at Blue Sky Gallery. You must RSVP for the event: 971-255-4165 "It Is Difficult" with Alfredo Jaar Monday, November 14 from 7:00-8:30pm Blue Sky Gallery | 122 NW 8th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209 Seating is limited. Please rsvp to 971-255-4165 Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 11, 2011 at 20:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.09.11 Margins and Material  Léonie Guyer, "CONSTELLATION (NO. 2)", 2010 Lumber Room presents Interior Margins, an exhibition "bringing together the work of an intergenerational group of Northwest women artists who are transforming the diverse legacies and practices of abstraction for a new era." Cooley director Stephanie Snyder curates in collaboration with Lumber Room founder Sarah Miller Meigs. Artists: Judy Cooke, Léonie Guyer, Victoria Haven, Midori Hirose, Linda Hutchins, Kristan Kennedy, Michelle Ross, Blair Saxon-Hill, Lynne Woods Turner, Nell Warren and Heather Watkins. Exhibition • 11am-6pm, Thursday-Saturday • November 12-January 30 lumber room • 419 NW 9th • info@lumberroom.com  Jay Spicero, "Silver Chain and Peace Sign" RECESS presents (Im)material, where artists of the "technological zeitgeist" explore the fleshy divide between virtual worlds and earth-bound bodies. Featuring video and mixed media sculpture by Jay Spicero, Kyle Raquipiso, Michelle Liccardo, Alex Mackin Dolan and Chase Biado. Opening reception • 6:30-10:30pm • November 12 RECESS • 1127 SE 10th • recesspdx@gmail.com Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 09, 2011 at 16:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkHappy Hour with Vanessa Renwick  Vanessa Renwick, "Biscuit Burn," 2010 Vanessa Renwick delivers this month's Happy Hour Talk at PAM. A documentarian, installation artist and official director of the Oregon Department of Kick Ass, Renwick is a "filmmaker by nature, not by stress of research... Her iconoclastic work reflects an interest in place, relationships between bodies and landscapes, and all sorts of borders." Artist talk • 6-8pm • November 10 • $5 members Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 09, 2011 at 15:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.08.11 The Earth is not up to code?  James Harrison is one of the brightest designer/artists in Portland so his talk tonight looks very promising at Curiosity Club. Here is what James is promising, "A dispassionate investigation into the suitability of planet earth for human habitation reveals 10 to the 23rd power building code violations. From 'Violations of Shape' to 'Violations Based on Natural Malice', the entire range of geological transgressions will be systematically categorized into a rigorous framework. Using this framework it will be possible to devise strategies for clearing the backlog of violations with bureaucratic efficiency. James M Harrison has made a career of taking the craft practices of one genre and incorrectly breeding them with the craft practices of a different genre." The Curiosity Club @ Hand-Eye Supply 23 NW 4th Ave Portland, OR, 97209 Tuesday Nov 8th at 6pm Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 08, 2011 at 14:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.07.11 30 issues later... Archer Gallery presents Plazm: 20 Years of Art and Design. The exhibition traces the rise of the magazine from "collaborative creative resource" to "high profile cultural force," also detailing the design ventures that support its publication. Creative Director and Co-Founder Joshua Berger speaks about the history, curation and vision of the magazine in a Clark Art Talk next week. Opening reception • 6-8pm • November 8 Art talk • 7pm • November 15 Clark College Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA• 360.992.2246 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 07, 2011 at 9:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 11.05.11 The Magical Nature of foreGround  Littman Gallery presents foreGround, curated by PORT's own Jeff Jahn. The show addresses the "pervasive but often hidden influence of geology on contemporary life," and features works by Zachary Davis, Arcy Douglass, Jacqueline Ehlis, Jim Neidhardt, Matthew Picton and Ben Young. "Call it existential geology. The show sidesteps the literal landscape to get at things hidden in plain view. It is a landscape show which explicitly avoids traditional landscape art in order to explore geology's existential, intellectual and spatial impact on our lives." Opening reception • 5-7pm • November 5 Littman Gallery PSU • 1825 SW Broadway • Smith Center, 2nd Floor Room 250 • 503.725.5656  Lauren Payne, "Matanuska Magic," 2010 FalseFront presents MAGIC > NATURE, the first in a rolling series of group shows curated by invited regional artists. This month's stylists: Michael Endo and Emily Nachison. "Drawing on the lost symbolic languages of pseudo-sciences, synthetic colors and mimetic natural environments, these artists pick up the remnants of our disenchanted world and seek to assemble new truths and speak to our desire to have our world re-enchanted." Featuring John Bohl, Lauren Marie Cherry, Tia Factor, Lauren Payne, Kendra Larson, Hermonie Only, Andrew Rogers and Ian Waite. Opening reception • 6-10pm • November 5 FalseFront Studio • 4518 NE 32nd • 503.781.4609 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 05, 2011 at 12:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.04.11 First Friday Picks November 2011  Andrea Land, "Angelina," 2011 Newspace presents In My Room, photographs by Andrea Land. "Each young girl, while physically existing in the natural world, also thrives in another realm, an insular dream state, with her gaze turned inward. The photographs exist as both fictional and autobiographical creations." Over in the special exhibitions gallery, Lisa Wells and Bobby Abrahamson present The 45th Parallel, a documentary project profiling three endangered rural towns in Oregon. Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 4 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th • 503.963.1935 (More: Travis Wade at Launch Pad, Tia Factor at Half/Dozen, Edward Jeffrey Kriksciun at Nationale, folk textiles at the Japanese Garden.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 04, 2011 at 14:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.03.11 First Thursday Picks November 2011  Appendix Project Space presents Target Language, videos by Andrew Norman Wilson, Anne de Vries, Harm van den Dorpel and Oliver Laric. "Appropriating visual material from tech marketing, Disney movies and the decorative arts, language from pop culture and philosophy, and even cannibalizing their own work, these artists investigate continuities so familiar as to be invisible." Opening reception • 7-11pm • November 3 Appendix Project Space at 937 • 937 NW Glisan • 503.295.6144 (More: Amy Bernstein at Stumptown, Pattern Recognition at Steven Goldman, Erik Geschke at PNCA, Jim Riswold at Augen, lectures by George Baker.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 03, 2011 at 12:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkAlice Aycock at OSU  Alice Aycock, "A Startling Whirlwind of Opportunity," 2009 OSU Department of Art kicks off its Visiting Artists & Scholars series with a lecture by Alice Aycock. "Internationally known for her large scale, contemporary public sculptures... Alice Aycock has exhibited in major museums and galleries nationally as well as Europe and Japan. Her works can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Brooklyn Museum, New York; the Louis Vuitton Foundation; LA County Museum; and the National Gallery, Washington DC." "Aycock's public sculptures can be found throughout the United States, including the San Francisco Public Library, a large-scale sculptural roof installation for the East River Park Pavilion on 60th Street in NYC, and 'Star Sifter' for Terminal 1 at JFK International Airport... A permanent public artwork for Washington Dulles International Airport, Washington, DC will be completed in 2011, as well as a piece for Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan in 2012." Reception • 6pm • November 10 Lecture • 7pm LaSells Stewart Center • Oregon State University • 875 SW 26th, Corvallis, OR • 541.737.5009 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on November 03, 2011 at 11:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.31.11 PSU MFA Lecture: Peter McCaughey  Peter McCaughey, "Polebender" PSU presents Peter McCaughey, another live-streaming lecturer beamin' at ya all the way from Glasgow! Harnessing teams of artists, architects, engineers, writers and activists, Peter McCaughey makes localized, often fleeting work about public space and "the landscape of memory." He uses film, video, projection, sound and light, as well as more traditional sculpture materials. Besides teaching at Glasgow School of Art, McCaughey advises the Glasgow Housing Association and directs WAVE, a small organization he founded to manage public art commissions, urban regeneration projects and art consultations. Lecture • 7:30-8:30pm • October 31 Shattuck Hall Annex at PSU • 1914 SW Park Ave, Rm 198 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 31, 2011 at 11:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.26.11 Woolly Mammoth, Nietzsche, and Michael Jackson Come to Dinner  PLACE continues its series of philosophical salons. Praxis, "an artistic act that utilizes philosophical ideas," hosts Gina Altamura and dance troupe Woolly Mammoth Comes to Dinner in a discussion of "Michael Jackson as Zarathustra: a contemporary perspective on the work of Friedrich Nietzsche." Expect a hearty blend of pop culture, Nietzschean aphorisms and meta-mytho-psycho dancing. Presentation • 6:30-9pm • October 26 PLACE @ Pioneer Place Mall • 700 SW 5th • 3rd floor • placepdx@gmail.com Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 26, 2011 at 11:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.25.11 Last Thursday October 2011  Appendix Project Space presents Swimming, a selection of sculpture, hand-made booklets and photographic prints by Geoffrey KixMiller. His work contemplates "the unstable recipe of pattern, absurdity and expressiveness" in found objects and chance compositions. Opening reception • 7pm • October 27 Appendix • south alley between 26th & 27th, off NE Alberta (More: a bevy of artist talks and lectures!) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 25, 2011 at 22:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.21.11 Saturday Lectures  in conjunction with What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization, Launch Pad presents a roundtable on Iraqi refugees in Portland. Dr. Baher Butti, Lisa Kelly, Shirook George Altaweel and Jim Lommasson discuss "what it's like to leave one's homeland... life in Oregon... and Iraq today." Panel discussion • 2pm • October 22 Launch Pad Gallery • 534 SE Oak • 503.427.8704  Ohad Meromi, storyboard for "Rehearsal Sculpture, Act II: Consumption," 2011 TBA lives! PICA presents a late ON SIGHT Salon with Ohad Meromi. "Before opening up his installation to a participatory rehearsal with Tahni Holt, artist Ohad Meromi will kibbitz about kibbutzim, utopian modernism, and group sculpture." Salon • 2-3pm • October 22 Washington High School • SE Stark and 13th • 503.242.1419 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 21, 2011 at 9:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.20.11 Unhappy Hipsters on N. Mississippi 
With its whip smart combination of design savvy, ennui and relentless critiques of cliched architectural photography Unhappy Hipsters is one of my favorite sites on the internet. They have a new book too and you can meet the site's founders this Friday at Land on N. Mississippi ave. (yes teeming with hipsters). Perhaps PORT's own Dwell dweller Katherine Bovee will end up being immortalized in one of their classic captions. Book Signing, Friday October 21st 5-7 PM Land 3925 N Mississippi Ave Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 20, 2011 at 13:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.18.11 Buildings, Books and Papercuts  OCAC student using the Jean Vollum Drawing, Painting and Photography Building's custom locker/counter top built-ins (photo Jeff Jahn) In conjunction with the 2011 Portland Architecture and Design Festival, OCAC artist-in-residence Daniel Mellis discusses "the phenomenon of architects making artist's books, as well as artist book-makers' work on architecture and the built environment." He is joined by David Gabriel of COLAB Architecture + Urban Design, the Portland firm that along with Charles Rose Architects of Boston provided designs for OCAC's two newest buildings. The evening begins with tours of the Vollum Drawing, Painting and Photography Building and the Bonnie-Laing Malcomson Thesis Studios. Lecture and tour • 7pm • October 19 Vollum Drawing & Painting Studios @ OCAC • 8245 SW Barnes Rd • 503.297.5544  Nikki McClure, "Source" (detail), 2010 Papercut artist Nikki McClure discusses her practice in a lecture by the Museum of Contemporary Craft and the MFA in Applied Craft & Design. McClure's exhibition at MoCC closes October 29, so catch it while the cuts are hot. Lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • October 20 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 18, 2011 at 23:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkSara Greenberger Rafferty lecture 
Sara Greenberger Rafferty, "Slide," 2007, c-print, 14 x 11 inches, edition of 5 As a kickoff to PICA and PSU's new Studio Lecture Series, Sara Greenberger Rafferty brings the omnipresent but rarely discussed comedic tropes of contemporary art to the forefront with a feminist edge. Will she be heckled like David Eckard recently was? Sara Greenberger Rafferty received a BFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, and an MFA in Sculpture and New Genres from Columbia University School of the Arts in New York. She is represented by Rachel Uffner Gallery (New York) and has shown at P.S.1, Artists Space and Mary Boone Gallery. October 19,7:30pm - 9:00pm PSU Campus (at the corner of SW Broadway & Hall on the PSU campus) Shattuck Hall Annex, 1914 SW Park Ave, Room 198 Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 18, 2011 at 16:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.17.11 Lucy Lippard, Remotely  The PSU Art & Social Practice MFA Lecture Series presents Lucy Lippard. "An internationally known writer, activist and curator... Lippard was among the first writers to recognize the de-materialization at work in conceptual art and was an early champion of feminist art." Lippard speaks via webcast tonight. The lecture won't be streamed live on the wild wild web, so you best slip out of your houseclothes into something less comfortable and shimmy down to Shattuck Hall. PICA's Resource Room (open 9-5 weekdays) has archives of past talks if you miss it, and select lectures from the series are also available on vimeo. Lecture • 7:30-8:30pm • October 17 Shattuck Hall Annex at PSU • 1914 SW Park Ave, Rm 198 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 17, 2011 at 16:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.14.11 FTW... Miss Bronson  Bronson Fellows at Hoffman Gallery; photo by Jeff Jahn This Saturday, join artist David Eckard and curators Linda Tesner and Stephanie Snyder at the Bronson Road Rally. It's the latest in a full lineup of events celebrating the legacy of influential Northwest artist Bonnie Bronson. For your time, you get tours of three collegiate exhibitions, and the event culminates in a delicious sack lunch (pack it yourself!) at Reed College. BRONSON ROAD RALLY 10am: Bronson Fellows Hoffman Gallery, Lewis & Clark • 0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd • 503.768.7687 11am: David Eckard: Deployment Marylhurst Art Gym • 17600 Pacific Highway, Marylhurst, OR • 503.699.6243 12pm: newly installed Bronson Collection Cooley Gallery, Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Hauser Memorial Library  Bonnie Bronson, "Untitled (Blue, Green, and Orange)," 1961 Still on view at Elizabeth Leach, Bonnie Bronson: The Early Years showcases oil paintings, sculptures and works on paper. Several of these 1960s works have never been shown. Exhibition • through November 19 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521  photo by Wayne Bund Coming up this Tuesday, David Eckard performs A Simple Act of Maintenance. Performance • 5pm • October 18 Hoffman Gallery, Lewis & Clark • 0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd • 503.768.7687 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 14, 2011 at 12:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.12.11 Museum Spectacular  PAM presents Shine-A-Light 2011, the museum's third annual foray into "anything goes." There's food, music and brews; art-inspired haircuts and tattoos; square dancing; speed idea generation; and a whole host of performances, installations, workshops and tours. Heck, you can even debate art loudly with strangers! Activities run all day, but the real meaty stuff starts at 6pm. "The Museum thus becomes for one day a playground for new ideas, in which what is curated is not a set of objects but the museum experience itself." Interactive museum marvels • 10am - midnight • October 14 • $15/ free for members Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 12, 2011 at 14:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 10.08.11 Body Building at bSide6  fashion by Emily Ryan, installation shapes by Laurence Sarrazin (photo Jeff Jahn) As part of the Portland Architecture and Design Festival 2011, Body Building explores how the body and design function in fashion and architecture as a kind of second skin in a kind of reciprocal engagement. Artists: Brendan Coughlin, Christine Taylor, Emily Ryan, Hans Lindauer, Jennifer Jacobs, Laurence Sarrazin, Lisa Radon, Opulent Project. Curated by Christine Taylor (with some input from myself) it takes place in the architecturally notable bSIDE6 building. Body Building is supported by The American Institute of Architects Portland, Project Cityscope, bSide6 llc, and House Spirits Distillery. Body Building Oct. 1 - Nov. 5 - street viewing Oct. 8, 7 - 10, reception 21+ (I.D. required for entry) 528 E Burnside Portland, Oregon Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 08, 2011 at 15:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.05.11 First Friday Picks October 2011  Nicolás Colón, "High Tide" Cast your nets wide for 12128 boatspace, Portland's only sea-worthy vessel of art. San Francisco artist Nicolás Colón dreams hard in Paradise (untitled), "a utopian future where the language of form has become universal." Opening reception • 7-10pm • October 7 12128 boatspace • 12900 NW Marina Way • see their website for directions (More: What We Carried at Launch Pad, Mother My Son at Nationale, Narrative at Black Box, Malia Jensen at PNCA.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 05, 2011 at 12:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.04.11 First Thursday Picks October 2011 
Philip Iosca; TROUBLE IN MIND & M.M. (detail), both 2011 PNCA presents a solo show by Philip Iosca. "HOPEFULLY I BECOME THE UNIVERSE contains works inspired by seven extraordinary young men from across the United States who independently and tragically ended their lives between July 9 and September 29, 2010 as a result of bullying they received for being openly gay or perceived as being gay." Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 6 PNCA Manuel Izquierdo Gallery • Stagecraft Building • 1302 NW Kearney • 503.226.4391 (More: Robert Dozono at Blackfish, Melissa Loop at Breeze Block, PSU MFA candidates, PULP at PNCA, Wes Mills at PDX.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 04, 2011 at 14:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkSuzanne Cotter speaks at YU  YU presents an evening with Suzanne Cotter, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Curator for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project. It's the first in a series of talks by national and international arts leaders engaged in developing contemporary institutions outside established art centers. "Cotter's extensive experience has given her a transnational perspective on the work of contemporary artists and what it means to curate visionary exhibitions and public programs within specific regional contexts and cultural traditions." YU Director Sandra Percival joins Cotter in the discussion. Lecture • 7pm • October 5 • sliding scale $5+, $3 for students, artists YU Contemporary • 800 SE 10th • 503.236.7996 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on October 04, 2011 at 13:45 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 10.03.11 Brian Libby Films for A+D fest 
As part of this year's Architecture and Design Festival curator Thomas Phillipson of NW Film Center presents the films of Brian Libby Over the past decade, Brian Libby (also an architecture and art critic) has made a succession of acclaimed and award-winning short-form travelogue video. According to the press release, "Whether it's pigeons flocking around a local Portland dairy, a double-decker bus ride in London, the canals of Amsterdam and Copenhagen or the freeways of Los Angeles, Libby views urban and natural settings with a quiet sense of wonder." Brian will also, "discuss the ways his writing, videos and still photography overlap as one holistic view of great cities." Screening • October 4, 6:00PM AiA Center for Architecture • 403 NW 11th, Portland, OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 03, 2011 at 14:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.30.11 David Eckard: Deployment at Art Gym  David Eckard, "Hand Flowers," 2011 Opening this Sunday at Marylhurst Art Gym, David Eckard: Deployment is a well deserved mid-career survey for this artist, educator and performer. Curated by Terri Hopkins, the exhibition features 40 new and old works and includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, and performances, as well as documentation and physical remnants of past installations. A 70-page hardcover book with illustrations of past works is slated for release in November. Throughout the fall Eckard will also be performing ©ardiff (recently premiered at PICA's TBA Festival) in academic venues across the city. If that's not enough to satiate you ravenous PORT readers, Eckard is on display at two more galleries. In collaboration with Art Gym, White Box at the University of Oregon is hosting White Box: Deployment, a satellite exhibition featuring Eckard's most recent painting, drawing and video work. That show opened last week and runs through November 12. As the 2010 Bonnie Bronson Fellow, Eckard is also at Hoffman Gallery through December 11. Exhibition • October 2 - December 11 Opening reception • 3-5pm • October 2 Marylhurst Art Gym • 17600 Pacific Highway, Marylhurst, OR • 503.699.6243 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 30, 2011 at 19:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.29.11 Last Thursday September 2011  Appendix Project Space presents an installation by Chris Lawrence. Using construction stock, re-purposed consumer goods, found objects, light and sound, Lawrence "suggests spaces of frustrated and mysterious function, where viewers are implicated as interlopers in an environment hovering on the line of the sinister." Opening reception • 7pm • September 29 Performance • 8pm Appendix • south alley between 26th & 27th, off NE Alberta Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 29, 2011 at 15:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.26.11 Oregon Romanticism  Kendra Larson, "Clackamas," 2011 The Helzer Gallery presents Oregon Romanticism, a selection of landscape paintings. "Kendra Larson examines the historical root of painting scenes from nature, but also firmly grounds her subjects in the present, often through the use of 'unnatural' colors or seemingly incongruous elements." Opening reception • 6pm • September 26 Artist talk • 12pm • October 14 Helzer Gallery, PCC Rock Creek • 17705 NW Springville • Building 3 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 26, 2011 at 11:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.23.11 Glitches, Ghosts, and Other Slippery Slopes  Research Club presents Glitch Studies, the third and final phase of its curatorial residency at galleryHOMELAND. Curated by Carl Diehl, this Body of Knowledge project features Sue-C, Missy Canez, Ryan T. Dunn, LoVid, Stephanie Simek and Robby Kraft, and Philip Stearns. "Beyond the novelty of the happy accident, these artists mobilize varied media, methods and maneuvers, querying the durational dynamics of the initial glitch encounter." Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 23 galleryHOMELAND • 2505 SE 11th • info@galleryHOMELAND.org Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 23, 2011 at 11:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.22.11 Industry&Art: The Rivers Run Through Us 
The Working Waterfront Coalition (WWC) presents Industry&Art, an art exhibition, sale and fundraiser. The event is curated by Brenda Smola and features a juried competition, the artwork of many waterfront employees, and weekend boat tours. It's a heady swathe of art and industrial interests. The WWC represents more than half of the 50 industrial marine businesses in Portland, and many regional art collectors have ties to the market. Proceeds from the event go to the WWC Scholarship Fund at Portland Community College Foundation and West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District. The two organizations support industrial job training and environmental initiatives, respectively. Select artists include: Greg Boudreau, Michael Brophy, Kate Copeland, Claire Cowie, Kevin Farrell, MK Guth, Sean Healy, Christopher Martin Hoff, Matt McCormick, Donald Morgan, Jim Neidhardt, Janet Otten, Melody Owen, Henk Pander, Christopher Perry, Christopher Rauschenberg, Robin Siegl, Tyler Stuart, Seth Tane, Lli Wilburn and Linda Wysong. (Details after the jump.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 22, 2011 at 13:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.20.11 David Eckard: White Box Deployment  White Box presents David Eckard: White Box Deployment. Featuring recent 2D work, the show is a satellite exhibition coinciding with Eckard's upcoming midcareer survey at the Marylhurst Art Gym. The main gallery hosts paintings and drawings while new video works are on display in the Gray Box multimedia room. Opening reception • 6-8pm • September 22 White Box Gallery • White Stag Building • 24 NW 1st • 503.412.3689 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 20, 2011 at 16:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkDo Ho Suh lectures at Reed  Do Ho Suh, "Staircase-IV," 2004 Reed College presents Do Ho Suh, this fall's Stephen E. Ostrum Distinguished Visitor in the Visual Arts. "Interested in the malleability of space in both its physical and metaphorical manifestations, Suh constructs site-specific installations that question the boundaries of identity. His work explores the relation between individuality, collectivity, and anonymity." Suh has exhibited at the Venice Biennial and is collected by MoMA, the Whitney, the Guggenheim and Tate Modern, among other museums. He will lecture on recent works. Artist lecture • 7pm • September 21 Reed College • Vollum Lecture Hall • 3203 SE Woodstock • 503.517.7851 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 20, 2011 at 12:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.13.11 two shows at the Independent  Damien Gilley, "Small Multiples" The Independent, Eva Lake's new downtown pop-up gallery, presents Damien Gilley's Infinity Games and Midori Hirose's Boners and Blobs. Gilley makes 2D laser etchings that "depict abstracted built environments," while Hirose creates mixed media sculptures that "abstract the nature of light and dark." Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 15 the Independent • 530 NW 12th Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 13, 2011 at 13:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.12.11 MUSEION THE REED COLLEGE ART COLLECTION, 1911-2011  M. Rothkowitz, Bathers, ca. 1928 Gift of Louis and Annette Kaufman Representing 100 years of generosity MUSEION presents the finest works of art from the Reed College Art Collection, exhibited in conjunction with an interdisciplinary array of artifacts and ethnographic objects, all donated to the college over the past one hundred years. The show is organized in celebration of the Reed College Centennial... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 12, 2011 at 12:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.08.11 TBA:11 Visual Art Picks  David Eckard, "Cardiff," photo courtesy of artist TBA:11 kicks into high gear tonight, so PORT presents a roundup of the sassiest, classiest acts in the fest! Consider this list a visual arts teaser. For exhaustive coverage, including performance works and ticket information, head on over to PICA's website. Most exhibits run through October 30. (More: Opening Night, Quick Picks, Lectures & Salons.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 08, 2011 at 14:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.06.11 20 Years of Bonnie Bronson Fellows at L&C  Laura Ross-Paul's Remote (2011) Tomorrow, the excellent Hoffman Gallery at Lewis & Clark College opens an exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Bonnie Bronson Fund, featuring new work by the Bonnie Bronson Fellows, who happen to be some of the Pacific Northwest's most influential contemporary artists. The show runs through Dec 11th but don't wait, besides a show like this will have a homecoming atmosphere at the opening from 6:30-8:00PM tomorrow. It has also become a tribute to Joan Shipley who passed away in the last week. Shipley had long worked to make the Bronson Awards what they have been. How to typify the list of awardees who will be on display? Well it... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 06, 2011 at 17:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.02.11 Into the Land, Out of Language  Adam Sorensen, "Tabernacle," 2011 PAM's APEX series continues with recent work by Adam Sorensen. "Meticulously executed landscape paintings shimmer with natural and neon-like colors... these images are harbingers of environmental degradation, with some paintings suggesting global warming and a resulting glacial meltdown." Sorensen combines sugar pop luminescence with the zigzagging planes and sheer grading of ukiyo-e. You can see a side by side in October when PAM opens The Artist's Touch, The Craftsman's Hand: Three Centuries of Japanese Prints. Exhibition • September 3 - January 1, 2012 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  from "Out of language" Josh Smith and Jenene Nagy meld minds in Out of language, their first artistic collaboration. The curatorial duo is known for ambitious programming at Tilt, Project Space and TILT: Export, but now they explore "ideas of the unknown, duality and structure" at Linfield Gallery. The exhibit includes individual works as well as their first joint piece. Opening reception • 2-4pm • September 3 Linfield Gallery • 900 SE Baker St, McMinnville, OR • Miller Fine Arts Center • 503.883.2804 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 02, 2011 at 20:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.01.11 First Friday Picks September 2011  SBA installation at RECESS RECESS kicks off its new quarters in the Oregon Brass Works building with The Space-Based Arts Festival. Featuring Hannah Jickling, Zoe Stal, Derek Bourcier, Kyle Thompson and Weston Smith, this inaugural show examines that yawning astral sphere in which we all negotiate our lives. "'Space' is all-encompassing. Its parameters are so inclusive that is ceases to be meaningful. Well, it doesn't have to be meaningful to have a very serious impact on our day to day— both by tripping us up, giving us a surface to stand on, and all the stuff in between." Opening reception • 6:30-10pm • September 2 RECESS • 1127 SE 10th • 954.579.6105 (More: still life photos at Black Box, Gary Wiseman at Half/Dozen, Johnston Foster at Disjecta, Lauren Henkin at Newspace.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on September 01, 2011 at 19:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.31.11 First Thursday Picks September 2011  PNCA presents Bonnie Bronson: Works 1960-1990. A round investigation of the late Bronson's ouevre, it's her first major retrospective since the Portland Art Museum mounted a posthumous survey in 1993. Featuring nearly 60 works, including many drawings and paintings discovered in the archiving of her estate, the show notably unites two of the large Jas series (1979) and features a reconstruction of Kassandra, a towering cardboard wall sculpture shown only once. Opening reception • 6-8pm • September 1 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 (More: It's All A Blur at PNCA, Stephen Scott Smith at Breeze Block, Cynthia Lahti at PDX Contemporary, Michael Reinsch everywhere, Changing Place at White Box.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 31, 2011 at 21:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.24.11 Pre-TBA Talk with Claire Fontaine  Claire Fontaine, "Paris (burnt/unburnt)," 2011 PICA is warming up for TBA:11 with a toasty teaser by Parisian visual arts duo Claire Fontaine. ON SIGHT Salon features a discussion and sneak peak of their in-progress festival installation, which is an embedded matchstick map of the United States. The sucker may or may not be torched by Festival day, so don't miss this talk— like the work, it should prove combustible. "After lifting her name from a popular brand of school notebooks, Claire Fontaine declared herself a 'readymade artist' and began to elaborate a version of neo-conceptual art that often looks like other people's work. Her practice can be described as an ongoing interrogation of the political impotence and the crisis of singularity that seem to define contemporary art today." Lecture • 6-7pm • August 26 Washington High School • SE Stark between 12th & 14th • RSVP to rsvp@pica.org Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 24, 2011 at 22:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkLast Thursday August 2011  FalseFront presents Towards Omniscient Documentary, the first in an ongoing series by Dustin Zemel. "By building expanded audiovisual experiments that recount 'true' stories, it is my goal to shed light on the subjective, hybrid space that exists between objective reality and personal interpretation." Opening reception • 7-10pm • August 25 FalseFront • 4518 NE 32nd Ave • 503.781.4609  Sanela Jahić, "Fire Painting" Appendix Project Space presents Passengers from the Relative to the Absolute, by Sanela Jahić. "Distilling the essential powers claimed by various modes of creation— painting's living evidence of touch, or the power of the word to remake the past— Jahić creates situations of enhanced mechanical advantage." Opening reception • 7pm • August 25 Appendix • south alley between 26th & 27th, off NE Alberta Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 24, 2011 at 12:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 08.20.11 Snippets of life at MoCC  Nikki McClure, "Tonight," 2008 The Museum of Contemporary Craft presents two exhibitions. Nikki McClure: Cutting Her Own Path showcases the 1996-2011 work of Olympia native Nikki McClure, who armed with spare tools of black paper and an X-acto blade creates intricate papercuts of daily life. Northwest Modern: Revisiting the Annual Ceramic Exhibitions of 1950-64 is a chronologic flashback of juried exhibitions at the Oregon Ceramic Studio. Debuting curator Kat Perez reignites the mid-century life of MoCC's institutional forebear using original artwork, ephemera and photographic reproductions. Exhibition(s) • August 18 - October 29/ February 25, 2011 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654  Jurors at Tenth Biennial Exhibition of Northwest Ceramics, 1962 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 20, 2011 at 8:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.18.11 Plazm turns 20 
It's the social event of the summer, Plazm leaves its teenybopper days behind on August 20th 6:30- 8:00 PM (VIP $75) and 8:00 PM - 2:30 AM for the release party ($5-15). Details here. Yes, twenty years ago... during the first wave of high quality independent media publishing, magazines like, Plazm, Emigre, Ray Gun, and Mondo 2000 stepped up to provide intelligent design and cultural coverage from outside the major corporate media umbrella. Today, only the Portland based Plazm remains and with its current reincarnation, the "Born Again" issue featuring David Lynch, Bruce Sterling, Corin Tucker, Daniel Heyman, and Dan Attoe and Wangetchi Mutu, the publication looks better than ever. This issue new issue discusses, humanity, culture, and the death of print with Plazm editor Tiffany Lee Brown. Other participants include author and futurist Bruce Sterling, cultural critic Douglas Rushkoff, “What Technology Wants” author Kevin Kelly, “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains” author Nicholas Carr, and Sherry Turkle, MIT’s Technology Director for the Initiative on Technology and Self. Of course there is a party celebrating this major 20 year milestone (when the average lifespan for serious cultural publications seems to be only 2-3 years). Video and film is by Vanessa Renwick, E*Rock, Hooliganship, Lena Munday, Adrian Freeman, Shana Moulton, Duncan Malashock, Nic Chancellor, Bruce Bickford, Andrew Benson, Andrew Jeffrey Wright & Clare Rojas. Art: Laura Fritz creates a light and space installation for one night only, and Jason Kinney brings an elaborate and unusual photo booth. A silent auction offering a Facebook post by Mayor Sam Adams, artwork from Michael Brophy and Storm Tharp, a gift certificate for eco sushi at Bamboo, and many other items happens 6:30 to 9 pm. The VIP event featuring music by Eric Hausmann, a reading by Colin Meloy of the Decemberists and illustrator Carson Ellis, beer and wine, and a light supper by Tastebud is from 6:30 to 8 ($75 at the door). The main party is from 8 pm to 2:30 am, with a sliding entry fee of $5-15. More party details and advance tickets here @ Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate, Portland (MAX Yellow line to Kenton) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 18, 2011 at 11:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 08.13.11 Viande de Brousse  Viande de Brousse out on the town Tomorrow is your last chance to catch Viande de Brousse, the bushmeat food-cart installation by Roger Peet and Ryan Burns. "The severed hand has become a grim symbol of the world's cruelty and indifference to Congo... this project is an attempt to to describe the complexities of this dark knot of human need and greed." PLACE presents concluding talks for Five, featuring Peet, Burns, Felicity Fenton, William Rihel, Stephen Kurowski and Marina Tait. Closing reception and artist talks • 4-6pm • August 14 PLACE @ Pioneer Place Mall • 700 SW 5th • 3rd floor Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 13, 2011 at 21:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.12.11 New Digs at Newspace  Newspace Center for Photography celebrates its grand expansion with an open house. Curator Raymond Meeks leads a tour of the 7th Annual Juried Exhibition, and you can try your hand at a variety of photo processes while checking out the spankin' new darkrooms, digital labs and galleries. The opening also marks the release of Newspace's retrospective photography book, which looks back at nine years of artists and gallery exhibitions. Opening reception • 11-4pm • August 13 Exhibition tour • 1pm Newspace • 1632 SE 10th • 503.963.1935 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 12, 2011 at 17:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.11.11 Pilose Crux  Elina Tuhkanen, from Pilose Crux Nationale presents Elina Tuhkanen's Pilose Crux: Performative Sculptures from Finland. "Communing, prayer-like, behind heavy screens of fur, their hidden gesturing suggests a longing for symbiosis in a culture defined by its increasing disconnect from the natural world." There's also a special screening of Tuhkanen's video works tonight, followed by a panel discussion featuring Tuhkanen, co-curator Emily Henderson, Finnish artist Alma Heikkilä, and Portland poet Alicia Coen. Film screening and panel • 7pm • August 11 • $5 Hollywood Theatre • 4122 NE Sandy • 503.281.4215 Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 12 Nationale • 811 E Burnside Ste 112 • 503.477.9786 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 11, 2011 at 15:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkSOUTHERN/PACIFIC opens  If you are in Houston, stop in Friday for the opening installment of SOUTHERN/PACIFIC curated by Paul Middendorf at the Lawndale Art Center on Museum Row. Conceived as a cultural exchange the old railroad between Houston, and Portland, the show makes stops in all three cities (with respective artists in tow). Artists: Camp Bosworth, John Calaway, Calvin Ross Carl, Joseph Cohen, Jillian Conrad, David Corbett, Arcy Douglass, Sean Healy, Hana Hillerova, Roxanne Jackson, Jeff Jahn, Terrel James, Jonathan Leach, Victor Maldonado, Ann Marie Nafziger, Alyce Santoro, Vontundra (David, Dan and I will be there, artist talks at 6:00) Lawndale Art Center 4912 Main Street Houston, TX Opening August 12 6:30-8:30 Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 11, 2011 at 10:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.04.11 First Weekend Picks August 2011  Worksound presents Identity Paintings, "a new generation of painters in Portland who promise to impact the next decade." This is Worksound's last show before it begins a new residency program, which invites four artists in different media to engage in conversation with critics and audiences before culminating in a final exhibit. Works by Katie Allred, Jeremy Okai Davis, Gavin Eveland, Luke Fuller, Dorothy Goode, Ruth Lantz, Chelsea Linehan, Elizabeth Malaska, Devon Maldanado and Alexis Sarah Rittenhouse. Opening reception • 7pm • August 5 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: Ellen Jane Michael & Megan Scheminske at Half/Dozen, Rebecca Steele & Modou Dieng at FalseFront, Body of Knowledge Part II at Gallery Homeland, juried photo exhibition at Newspace.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 04, 2011 at 18:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.02.11 First Thursday Picks August 2011  Louise Bourgeois, "What is the Shape of This Problem? (detail)," 1999 Elizabeth Leach presents its 30th Anniversary Exhibition, The Shape of the Problem. Nearly 70 artists who have shown at the gallery over the last three decades will return for a whizbang, three-day extravaganza "celebrating the past, present, and future of the gallery, the Portland art community, and their relationship to the art world at large." Day One: A group exhibition highlighting prominent historical artists of the last century, and featuring emerging artists alongside longtime gallery artists. Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 4 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 Day Two: A multi-channel video projection of internationally acclaimed multimedia artist Dinh Q. Lê's The Imaginary Country. Opening reception • 5:30-7:30pm • August 5 Reed College Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Hauser Memorial Library Day Three: A group exhibition featuring Robert Hanson, MK Guth, Ryan Pierce, Bonnie Bronson, Lee Kelly, Sean Healy, local curator Kristan Kennedy, and many other regional artists. Opening reception • 5:30-7:30pm • August 6 PNCA Feldman Gallery • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 (More: Terry Toedtemeier at PDX, Bill McCullough at Blue Sky, Jennifer Locke & Lucas Murgida at Rocksbox, Eva Lake at Augen.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on August 02, 2011 at 16:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.28.11 but liquor is quicker  Tom Marioni, "Café Society," San Francisco, 1979 YU presents Tom Marioni's The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art. The event caps YU's first Preview Project and is the latest iteration of Marioni's long-standing weekly salon, which he first installed in 1970. Marioni will be in attendance, as will empty beer bottles from three previous rounds of drinking. You may ogle them as you fill your cup. Closing reception • 4-7pm • August 30 • $5+ YU Contemporary • 800 SE 10th • 503.236.7996 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on July 28, 2011 at 15:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.27.11 75 Gifts for 75 Years  Heidi Schwegler, "More than Simply Made," 2009 The Museum of Contemporary Craft presents 75 Gifts for 75 Years. "To celebrate the Museum's 75th Anniversary and role as one of the nation's oldest institutions dedicated to craft, collectors from the Pacific Northwest and beyond have generously donated and promised gifts to the Museum's permanent collection." The works fill important gaps in the museum's ouevre and include traditional craft media as well as animation, drawings, and limited production tableware. Exhibition • July 28 - February 25, 2012 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on July 27, 2011 at 16:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.26.11 Last Thursday July 2011  Nik Pence Appendix Project Space presents Nik Pence's in, "a collection of double mementos poised between a remote context and a lost referent." Starting with a body of hand-carved tools, Pence "gradually brought the residency site into focus around a series of externalized memories... The result is a porous space permeated with inaudible information." Right down the alley, Hay Batch presents Yearning, Burning and Churning, a live-dairy action skit by Cathy Cleaver. Using an exercise bike cleverly modified to churn cream, Cleaver will huff and puff her way to exhaustion or butter— whichever comes first. Opening reception and performance • 7pm • July 28 Appendix • south alley between 26th & 27th, off NE Alberta (After the jump: Stephanie Simek at False Front.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on July 26, 2011 at 10:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.22.11 Eddie Soloway at Newspace 
Image courtesy of artist Newspace presents "Memories, Moons, and Imagination," a lecture tonight by landscape photographer Eddie Soloway. Soloway, who harnesses the intuitive and emotional in his own work, will use behind-the-scene peeks to discuss "pushing sight into a world of abstractions, reflections, layers, and movement." Artist lecture • 7:30-9pm • July 22 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th • 503.963.1935 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on July 22, 2011 at 15:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.18.11 Boundary Crossings PNCA is offering a series of public events as part of Boundary Crossings: An Institute of Contemporary Animated Arts. If you missed Monday's kick-off lecture by Norman Klein, catch openings, artist talks and screenings through the end of next week.
 from Boundary Crossings 2009 (more: full schedule.) Posted by Kelly Kutchko on July 18, 2011 at 15:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.15.11 weekend roundup 
from Smoke and Shovels Ditch Projects presents Bruce Conkle's Smoke and Shovels. Conkle, whose work straddles ecological and comic concerns, is a recent Hallie Ford Fellowship recipient. Tom Greenwood's History Publishing Company also opens tomorrow. Opening reception • 7pm • July 16 Ditch Projects • 303 S 5th Ave #165, Springfield, OR Posted by Kelly Kutchko on July 15, 2011 at 19:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.14.11 friday happenings  Megan Murphy, "Deliverance," 2010 John Grade and Megan Murphy speak about their work and lead a tour of the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards exhibition. Artist talks • 6pm • July 15 • $5-12 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Kelly Kutchko on July 14, 2011 at 12:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.12.11 Eleventh Hour: Opening at White Box  Fill the abyss of your Tuesday evening with an architextural experience. Robert Mantho and Michael Wenrich present LOCUS: CHANGING PLACE, a full-bodied inquiry into "primary spatial relationships." The artists speak at 7pm tonight. Opening reception • 6-8pm • July 12 White Box Gallery • White Stag Building • 24 NW 1st Posted by Kelly Kutchko on July 12, 2011 at 15:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.07.11 Second Weekend Picks July 2011  Laura Hughes, "Untitled (Light Beams I)" Gallery Homeland presents Body of Knowledge Part I: Vision, which "seeks to exhibit and examine the evidence of the continual process of searching, synthesizing, and learning." Body of Knowledge is a 3-part series curated by Research Club and hosted by Gallery Homeland. Featured artists in Vision include Laura Hughes, Michael Iauch, Vanessa Kaufman, and Bradley Streeper. Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 8 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th #136 • info@galleryHOMELAND.org (More: Poemophone at Worksound, Lunation at Nationale & an open house at YU Contemporary.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 07, 2011 at 16:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.05.11 First Thursday Picks July 2011  From Intermation In conjunction with Boundary Crossings, the July interdisciplinary institute on animated arts, PNCA presents Intermation. Featuring work by Jacob Ciocci, Cassandra C. Jones, and Marieke Verbiesen, the exhibition "examines the relationship between the animated image and the screen and proposes new utility between or among the traditional apparatus of animation." Opening reception • 6-8pm • July 7 PNCA Feldman Gallery • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 (More: Joe Bartholomew at Chambers@916, Blake Shell at the PDX Contemporary Window Project, Matthew Picton at Pulliam, David Oresick at Blue Sky.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 05, 2011 at 17:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.01.11 First First Friday, July 2011 Since it's a holiday weekend, some galleries are delaying their openings, but here's something to check out tonight:
 Timothy Scott Dalbow, "Ménage à trois" Half/Dozen Left presents Timothy Scott Dalbow's Pro from Dover, about which Dalbow notes: "This exhibition is dedicated to my father, Dr. David George Dalbow, PHD. I would also like to thank everyone I've ever met." Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 1 Half/Dozen • 722 E Burnside basement • info@halfdozengallery.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 01, 2011 at 7:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.29.11 Last Thursday June 2011  Daniel J. Glendening & Michael Welsh Appendix presents Neverland, a collaboration between Daniel J. Glendening and Michael Welsh in which they "collapse their individual practices into a single dreamlike environment, a survivalist clubhouse seemingly torqued out of time. Over the course of their month-long residency, the artists inhabited a cycle of production and re-uptake, pushing aesthetics of social breakdown and youthful wonder toward a singular gravitic point." Hay Batch, connected to Appendix, presents Weird Fiction's Artificial Empathy Machine. Opening receptions • 7pm • June 30 Appendix • south alley b/w 26th & 27th off NE Alberta  Michael Endo False Front presents Michael Endo's Pain Scale, the result of Endo executing a single monumental-scale painting on site just days prior to the opening. "Centered on producing a singular, stately painting, Endo will work from six smaller reference works, each based on a self-constructed color code system inspired from the present-day methodical diagrams of sensory and emotional measurement. " Opening reception • 7-10pm • June 30 False Front • 4518 NE 32nd • 503.781.4609 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 29, 2011 at 10:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.27.11 calling northwest filmmakers The NW Film Center is seeking submissions of recent work for the 38th Northwest Filmmakers' Festival (formerly the Northwest Film & Video Festival). Permanent residents of Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington may submit two works of any length or genre released since August 1, 2009 and not previously entered in the Festival. Student entries (college and university only) must be from a school located in the Northwest. Submissions are due August 1. You can get details and submissions info on the festival website.
Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 27, 2011 at 10:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.24.11 (C.)O.P.S.  Oregon Painting Society OPS presents Angelo's Game, an installation and performance at Ditch Projects. The full performance is this weekend. Installation/Performance • 8pm • June 25 Ditch Projects • 303 S 5th Ave #165, Springfield, OR Registration opens this weekend for the conceptual.oregon.performance.school (C.O.P.S.) at Rocksbox, "a free, artist-run, experimental summer school, with a focus on contemporary performance strategies." Hotdogs & beer are available for purchase in lieu of tuition and classes run Saturdays from 6-10pm through July & August. Registration • 8-11pm • June 25 Rocksbox • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 24, 2011 at 13:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.23.11 Craft Conversation: Elizabeth Whalen  Elizabeth Whalen This weekend Elizabeth Whalen is discussing her residency project at MoCC in conjunction with Laurie Herrick: Weaving Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Craft lecture • 2-3pm • June 25 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 23, 2011 at 15:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.20.11 making nothing  PORTstar Alex Rauch & Victor Maldonado present "MAKING NOTHING: Kinda Nothing - A Phenomenological and Philosophical Exploration of Various Contexts." This collaborative lecture & project explores "the different contexts society applies 'nothing' to and the various meanings the concept then derives." Presentation • 6:30pm • June 22 Praxis @ Place PDX • Pioneer Place Mall • 3rd floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 20, 2011 at 21:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.16.11 this weekend at the Settlement  Will Justice The Settlement (a collection of galleries in Pioneer Place Mall) is having a bunch of openings this weekend. At Place: 6.11, a group exhibition including Will Justice, James Mulvaney, Rebecca Steele, and Ním Wunnan. Also at Place: Five, a group exhibition including Felicity Fenton, William Rihel III, Ryan Burns and Roger Peet, and Stephen Kurowski and Marina Tait. At Store: Remember That Night, a group exhibition including Joey Ben-Chetrit, David Eastwood, Ross Farrier, Alexander Florence, Mitch Posada, Nathan St. Onge, Zachary Sea, Austin Turley, and Craig Willams. At Peoples: Do It Yourself: Self-Printed Art, including 30 artists, featuring Bite Studio, Reading Frenzy, Independent Publication Resource Center, DIY Press/Radio, Just Seeds, etc. Opening receptions • 6-9pm • June 18 Settlement • Pioneer Place Mall • 3rd floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 16, 2011 at 11:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.09.11 Second Weekend Picks June 2011  Gallery Homeland is hosting the Research Club's Body of Knowledge Part I: Vision, featuring work by Laura Hughes, Michael Iauch, Vanessa Kauffman, and Bradley Streeper. "Vision seeks to exhibit and examine the evidence of the continual process of searching, synthesizing, and learning. Each artist employs a practice that has evolved from a variety of unique, often personal research paths; whether their inquiry has been into material, performance, installation, or personal interviews." Opening reception • 6-9pm • June 10 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th #136 • info@galleryHOMELAND.org  Paintallica Rocksbox presents Sensitivity Training by Paintallica: "Paintallica is a collaborative group of artists who make work that is intentionally confrontational and impulsive. Our installations emerge from a short series of rapid-fire all-night work sessions that incorporate drawing, painting, sculpture, and performance. The raw and uncensored nature of Paintallica is integral to the mission of addressing sensitive, immediate, and often taboo issues." Opening night will feature a performance of chainsaw carving. Opening reception • 8-11pm • June 11 Rocksbox • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 09, 2011 at 11:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.07.11 Ross Palmer Beecher at Willamette University museum  Ross Palmer Beecher, "Radio Flyer Flag," 2006 Willamette University's Hallie Ford Museum of Art presents Americana, a mid-career retrospective of Seattle-based artist Ross Palmer Beecher, who has "developed a highly personal iconography based on American history, folk tales, colonial American art and aspects of contemporary American pop culture." Exhibition • June 4 - July 31, 2011 Hallie Ford Museum @ Willamette University • 700 State St., Salem, Oregon Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 07, 2011 at 17:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.02.11 First Friday Picks June 2011  Matty Byloos Worksound presents Drawing Shades, a group drawing exhibition featuring work by Matty Byloos, Jane Schiffhauer, Nim Wunnan, and Rebecca Ruth Peel in the project room. Opening reception • 7-10pm • June 3 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: The Phantom Street Artist at Denizen @ MP5, 2 group shows at the newly relocated Half/Dozen, uneasy young photographers at Nationale, and Kendra Larson at Launch Pad.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 02, 2011 at 8:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.31.11 First Thursday Picks June 2011  Richard Barnes, "Smithsonian Ungulate" Blue Sky presents Richard Barnes' Animal Logic, a series that "looks at museums as 'containers' of the celebrated and the forgotten, the odd and the everyday, and representative of the dreams and aspirations of the person, culture, or nation that assembled such collections...Barnes's several large-format prints on display at Blue Sky reveal the often unnatural side of some of the world's renowned natural history museums." Opening reception • 6-9pm • June 2 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th • 503.225.0210 (Lots more: Hayley Barker at Hartman, Michael Brophy at Laura Russo, Mise-en-Scène at Elizabeth Leach, Linda Hutchins at Pulliam, Scott Patt at Grass Hut, PNCA MFA in Visual Studies thesis show, oomph at PDX.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 31, 2011 at 19:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.27.11 artists wanted: young filmmakers & animal lovers The NW Film Center is seeking young filmmakers in grades K-12 for their 35th annual young people's film festival. Entries are due June 30 and there's tons of info on the event and how to submit on the festival website.
Multnomah County Animal Services is hosting their 4th annual adoption party, "Petlandia" and they're looking for 6-7 artists and/or craftsfolk to sell animal-oriented work at the event. No cost for a booth besides a refundable deposit and you keep 100% of sales. Applications are due June 6, and you can apply by contacting diana.grappasonno@multco.us with "art vendor submission" in the subject line, info about your past vending experience, and links to your online portfolio. (Full disclosure: This blogger has a puppy & a soft spot for animals.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 27, 2011 at 12:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.26.11 urban green: art in the japanese garden  From "Urban Green" For their ongoing Art in the Garden series, the Portland Japanese Garden presents Urban Green: Small Trees for Small Spaces. Tokyo bonsai shop owner Kenji Kobayashi, who studied landscape architecture many years ago under one of the garden's former directors, will present his modern style of bonsai in the Pavilion. The show will be kicked off tonight with a lecture by Dr. Jared Braiterman, a design anthropologist and founder of Tokyo Green Space, and there will be a lecture/demonstration of Sakei (an offshoot on bonsai) by David De Groot of Weyerhauser Bonsai on June 16. Both events are $15 for non-members and require reservations. Bonsai exhibition • May 27 - June 19, 2011 Portland Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston • 503.223.1321 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 26, 2011 at 9:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.25.11 last thursday alley  Ariana Jacob In addition to the ongoing Andrew Norman Wilson show, Appendix presents Ariana Jacob's Teach me how to think like you in the Hay Batch. "I want to understand how other people think. To research this I am developing techniques for consensual brainwashing, which will allow me to think like other people - to think like you. While testing these techniques on myself I will also be investigating the cultural conditions out of which this desire to think like another person grows." (Re)opening reception(s) • 6pm • May 26 Appendix Project Space • South alley off Alberta b/w 26th & 27th Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 25, 2011 at 9:25 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 05.24.11 lectures  The PDX Re-Print series continues this week with Voices of Portland. The book "documents the history of Portland's neighborhoods through oral histories conducted in the mid 1970s. Self-published by Christine Emenc with a CETA grant in 1976, the book presents a conversational and non-authoritative telling of changes in the city. Celebrate the reprinting of this out-of-print book with a panel discussion on Portland's development, approaches to oral histories and ethnography." Lecture • 7pm • May 26 • $0-10 Dill Pickle Club @ Project Grow • 2156 N Williams Local photography specialist Jennifer Stoots is starting a weekly lecture series on the history of photography. The "Photography's Evolution lecture series will be dedicated to a discussion of the Artists/Photographers throughout the medium's history, along with the significant publishers, curators, institutions, gallerists and collectors who have fostered the art since its inception." The first one is this Thursday, it covers 1900-1919, including "Color Photography, Social Documentation, The Photo-Secession, Camera Work, The Little Galleries of the Photo Secession ("Gallery 291"), Snapshot Shooters, Modernism, and Dada." Contact stoots@photostoots.com to get on the email list for upcoming lectures. Lecture • 7-8:30pm • May 26 • $15 Stoots @ 23 Sandy Gallery • 623 NE 23rd @ Sandy Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 24, 2011 at 15:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.23.11 craft conversation: christy matson  Christy Matson Christy Matson is the current Artist-in-Residence at MoCC in conjunction with Laurie Herrick: Weaving Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. She'll be discussing her processes and methodologies this week: "By responding to Herrick's patterns and structure through visual and aural responses, Matson shows connections between performance and handwork, abstraction and concrete form, and how the structures of weaving are being used in new ways by a younger generation of weavers." Artist talk • 6:30-8:30pm • May 25 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 23, 2011 at 11:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.18.11 mfa show: applied craft & design  PNCA & OCAC present Make Way, practicum work from the first wave of graduates from their joint MFA in Applied Craft & Design program. "The exhibition features students' practicum projects that explore the convergence of art, craft and design practices." Opening reception • 5-9pm • May 20 Galleria building • 921 SW Morrison @ 10th Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 18, 2011 at 15:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.17.11 book release party  Monograph Bookwerks is having a book release party this week for Art Criticism and Other Short Stories, "a collection of fan fiction about contemporary art by artists." There will be in-store readings from contributors Helen Reed, Sam Korman, Anna Gray & Ryan Wilson Paulsen, and Jen Delos Reyes. "Fan fiction for contemporary art allows for inhabitations of imagined landscapes, speculative relationships with art objects, and dream encounters with artists." Art book launch • 7-9pm • May 19 Monograph Bookwerks • 5005 NE 27th • 503.284.5005 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 17, 2011 at 8:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.13.11 alt.spaces: Worksound & Appendix  Chris Freeman Worksound presents New Mutants, curated by Stephen Slappe, featuring video, installation, and photography by Tabor Robak, Missy Canez, Chris Freeman, and Nadia Buyse. "Bubbling up from the crevices of culture, scraping digital dirt from their heels!" Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 14 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com  Andrew Norman Wilson Appendix presents works by Andrew Norman Wilson, following his participation in PSU's Open Engagement conference. "In the four works: FlowSpot, Global Countdown, Workers Leaving the Googleplex, and Virtual Assistance - Video Task, Wilson dips beneath the surface of a growing pool of branding, imagery and mythos to pull out and examine the potentials and mechanics within an ecology of corporate superentities." One night show • 8pm • May 14 Appendix Project Space • South alley off NE Alberta b/w 26th & 27th Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 13, 2011 at 18:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.12.11 Open Engagement 2011 conference at PSU  PSU presents the Open Engagement conference, a free public conference out of the MFA in Art and Social Practice program. The conference is directed by Jen Delos Reyes and planned with Harrell Fletcher and students. This year's featured artists include Julie Ault, Fritz Haeg, and Pablo Helguera, whose work "touches on subjects including democracy, group work, the boundary (or lack there of) between art and life, education, and transdisciplinarity." Open Engagement is also hosting the Bureau for Open Culture, an exhibition by the Bruce High Quality Foundation University, and a summit on art and education. Events take place May 13-15, 2011 and you can read more about the schedule and how to attend (it's free) on the conference website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 12, 2011 at 8:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.10.11 Storm Tharp in the lumber room  Sarah Meigs' lumber room presents Reader on a Black Background, a collaboration with Storm Tharp. Meigs wanted to better understand The Decorator, a piece by Tharp that she purchased in 2010, and so she invited him to curate an exhibition of works selected from her collection and write a corresponding essay. The lumber room is a semi-private space; the show will only be open to the public for two 3-day stretches. Exhibition 1 • 11am-6pm • May 12-14 Exhibition 2 • 11am-6pm • May 19-21 the lumber room • 419 NW 9th Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 10, 2011 at 9:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.05.11 First Weekend Picks May 2011  Exhibition preparation at the PCVA, image ©PAM The YU Contemporary Art Center presents its inaugural exhibition, Selections From the PCVA Archive. The show will "revisit and honor the legacy of the PCVA and look into a vibrant and important moment in the history of contemporary art in Portland, providing historical context for YU and inspiring a forward-looking vision for a world-class contemporary art center in the city." The show will also launch the YU library and its first publication, Veneer Magazine 08/18. Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 6 YU Contemporary • 800 SE 10th • 503.236.7996 (More: Paulaus Kapteyn at Nationale, On&On&On part II at Ditch Projects, fringe economies at Newspace.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 05, 2011 at 17:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.03.11 First Thursday Picks May 2011  Johannes Girardoni, "Exposed Icon #23" PDX Contemporary presents Light Matters, sculpture and installation by Austrian-born artist Johannes Girardoni. "Girardoni's works are reductive investigations at the intersection of sculpture and painting, through which he explores the continuously shifting relationship between reality and image. His material vocabulary - found wood, plywood, wax, pigment, light, enamel and plexiglass - and its physical constellation become both the carrier of an explicitly painterly event and the foundation of an immaterial phenomenon." Opening reception • 6-8pm • May 5 PDX Contemporary • 925 NW Flanders • 503.222.0063 (More: Tom Cramer at Laura Russo, Robert Yoder at Froelick, Chris Johanson at Froelick.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 03, 2011 at 12:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.29.11 Bruce High Quality Foundation: Teach 4 Amerika  The Bruce High Quality Foundation is bringing their Teach 4 Amerika tour to Portland with a public rally at PSU. "Inspired by the spectacle and energy of a political rally and featuring a multimedia presentation by BHQF, balloons, t-shirts, and music from a local marching band, the event is the next in a series of rallies and conversations that call for a rethinking of the current art education system." BHQF will also host a conversation on arts education on Monday at PNCA. Rally • 7pm • May 1 PSU Shattuck Hall Annex • 1719 SW 10th Conversation • May 2 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • Gallery 214 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 29, 2011 at 15:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.28.11 Act for Japan  PSU presents Act for Japan, an exhibition and silent art auction to benefit Japan disaster relief through Mercy Corps. The exhibition features pieces from artists around the city who have generously donated their work to raise awareness and funds to help the citizens of Japan in their recovery. During the opening reception there will be a silent auction and a Japanese tea ceremony and calligraphy demonstration. The work will only be on view this weekend. Opening reception • 5-8pm • April 29 Exhibition viewing • 11am-6pm • April 30 Autzen Gallery • 724 SW Harrison • Neuberger Hall 2nd floor room 205 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 28, 2011 at 11:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.27.11 Low Lives  This weekend, PICA is screening the third annual Low Lives, "an international exhibition of live performance-based works transmitted via the internet and projected in real time at multiple venues." The project "celebrates" our ability to share ideas "beyond geographical and cultural borders." Screening 1 • 5-8pm • April 29 Screening 2 • 12-3pm • April 30 PICA @ PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 27, 2011 at 10:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.26.11 Rubbings From the Rose City  For their ongoing PDX Re-Print series, the Dill Pickle Club presents Rubbings From the Rose City, "a lecture on the interface of art and the built environment." A book of the same title, originally published in 1982, will be sold at the lecture. Speakers include Val Ballestrem from the Architecture Heritage Center, Doug Blandy from UO's Architecture & Allied Arts program, Randy Gregg editor of Portland Monthly, and artist Khris Soden. Lecture • 7pm • April 28 • $0-$10 sliding Dill Pickle Club @ AiA • 403 NW 11th Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 26, 2011 at 9:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.21.11 glitching out  Evan Meaney Grand Detour presents Evan Meaney: the ceibas cycle. The installation is currently on view at PLACE Gallery in "the Settlement" in Pioneer Place (through April 30). This weekend, Meaney is giving a talk about his work, followed by a screening of some of his past video works and inspiration from "his self-appointed 'spirit animal,' Hollis Frampton....the ceibas cycle is a ten-part, multimedia exploration of ghosts, glitches and the aesthetics of entropy...For our cyber-organized culture, glitches embody the imperfections that allow for us to be complete. A broken thing presents itself as a dialogue and not simply as a vessel. In this spirit, the ceibas cycle serves as a home for these glitchy reminders, given in all of their complex imperfection, so as to better celebrate our own." Artist talk • 4pm • April 23 Screening • 6pm • April 23 Grand Detour @ PLACE • Pioneer Place Mall 3rd floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 21, 2011 at 10:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.20.11 Appendix fundraiser  We normally don't post fundraisers, but since RACC doesn't fund alt spaces and there's no cover for this one, we'd like to alert you to Appendix's Fount fundraising event happening this weekend. Artists from Appendix, Little Field, and Bay Hatch have donated work for raffle and there will be live garage rock from The Woolen Men. Gary Robbins of Container Corps has also created a limited edition print available to every guest who buys a raffle ticket. Fundraiser • 6pm • April 23 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26th & 27th off NE Alberta Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 20, 2011 at 10:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.19.11 AIGA shift 6: sustainable design  AIGA Portland presents "Shift 6: Engaging Presentations on Sustainable Design." There will be 10 presenters discussing their ideas on sustainable design in the context of visual communications, plus Q&A, mingling, food, beverage. $25 non-members, $10 students. Design panel • 7-9:30pm • April 21 AIGA Portland @ The EcoTrust Building • 721 NW 9th • register online Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 19, 2011 at 9:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.18.11 the Maysles on Christo and Jeanne-Claude  still from "Christo's Valley Curtain" Cinema Project presents Curtains and Red Tape: Large-Scale Public Art, a screening of films by Albert and David Maysles, brothers who documented the work of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Screened films include "Christo's Valley Curtain," "Running Fence," and "Islands," split over the two days. The event is co-presented with the Maysles Institute. Film screenings • 7:30pm • April 19 & 20 Cinema Project @ the Clinton St Theater • SE Clinton & 26th Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 18, 2011 at 11:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.15.11 weekend: cooley, littman, disjecta  Reed's Cooley Gallery is having a reception this weekend for Lloyd Reynolds: A Life of Forms in Art. This is the first "comprehensive exhibition" of the work of Reynolds (1902-1978), who was a renowned Oregon calligrapher who also taught at Reed College. Included are examples of his calligraphy, rare films and photos of him at work, and a collection of his etchings, wood block prints, drawings, puppets, books, graphic design, teaching examples, and hand-made studio implements. The show is on view April 5 - June 11, 2011. Public reception • 3-7pm • April 17 Reed College Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Hauser Memorial Library (More: Contemporary landscape photography at Littman & White and Oko Ebombo at Disjecta.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 15, 2011 at 10:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.13.11 weekend openings  Worksound presents Antwerp Visits Portland : You Will Never Walk Alone. Curated by Vanessa Van Obberghen, this straight-from-Belgium exhibition features work by Carla Arocha and Stephane Schraenen, Kris Fierens, David Gheron Tretiakoff, David Hominal, Moshekwa Langa, Alassane Babylas Ndiaye, Objectif-Exhibitions, Roberto Ortega - Dewulf and David Wauters, Alex Salinas, and Vanessa Van Obberghen, with ongoing performances throughout opening night by French artist David Gheron. Opening reception • 6-9pm • April 15 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: Lewis Feuer at 12128 boatspace and lots of stuff at The Settlement.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 13, 2011 at 12:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.12.11 Photolucida  As you may have noticed, April is Portland photo month, and this is because Photolucida is happening. In addition to the private portfolio reviews, Photolucida hosts a number of events this week that are open to the public: Seeing Straight: Issues in Collecting Modern and Contemporary Photographs • 7-8pm, April 13 • Charles Hartman Fine Art Photolucida Portfolio Walk • 6-9pm, April 14 • PAM Sunken Ballroom Todd Hido Presentation: Process, Source, and Influence • 7pm, April 15, $12 • PAM Whitsell auditorium Pearl District Gallery Walk • 6-7pm, April 16 • All over the Pearl You can get more details on some of these events and learn more about what Photolucida is at Photolucida.org. Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 12, 2011 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.11.11 Peter Shelton reception at PAM  redpocket, 2009, fiberglass Meet Los Angeles based sculptor, Peter Shelton Wednesday, April 13, 6:00 PM at his show in the Miller Gallery in the Mark Building. Shelton will discuss his work which includes three recent large-scale sculptures and a selection of drawings currently on view as the latest in the Miller-Meigs series shows. Described as, "Manifestly precise in execution and explicitly physical, the works are focused on the interrelationships between image, surface, and prevailing theories of abstraction. Playing with color and silhouette, Shelton invents a fresh vocabulary of abstract signifiers from memories of the human body and the structures of architecture." Normally these events are open only to Contemporary Art Council members (one of the best ways to learn about contemporary art in the city) so this is a great way to check out this important program... [*disclosure I am a past Vice President] Because there are refreshments please RSVP to contemporaryartcouncil@gmail.com or 503-276-4267 ext. 2. Peter Shelton through June 12, Reception Wednesday, April 13, 6:00 PM, Miller Gallery in the Mark Building Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Avenue Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 11, 2011 at 21:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.08.11 Second Weekend Picks April 2011  Still from "Edvard Munch" The NW Film Center is screening director Peter Watkins's 1974 film, Edvard Munch TONIGHT. "One of the most moving and insightful portrayals of the artistic process ever depicted on film, Watkins's intensely personal biographical film recreates the struggles endured by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch." Film screening • 7pm • April 8 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium in PAM • 1219 SW Park (More: Illuminated City symposium at PSU tomorrow and MP5 grand opening all weekend.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 08, 2011 at 17:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.06.11 First Thursday Picks April 2011  HUNG Keung, from "Bloated City | Skinny Language" The "Gray Box" (attached to UO's White Box gallery) presents Bloated City | Skinny Language, an interactive video installation by Chinese artist HUNG Keung. In the installation, "the viewer appears on two screens surrounded by a myriad of fragmented brush strokes. Characters read the viewer's outline and aggregate around their body. Responding to the slightest movement, the characters fly gradually from one screen to the next, from one image of the viewer to their mirror image. The artist prompts viewers to reflect on how they can locate themselves in their universe (Heaven + Earth) and relate to the notions of Dao." Also at White Box: Daniel Heyman's Bearing Witness, a collection of gouache and print testimonial portraits of individuals who have endured great personal hardship. The portraits on display for this exhibition "focus on recent immigrants to the U.S. and the struggles they endured in their former countries and here." Opening reception • 6-8pm • April 7 UO White Box • 70 NW Couch (More: Amjad Faur at PDX Contemporary, Sean Healy at Elizabeth Leach, Mitch Dobrowner at Blue Sky, Trude Parkinson at Augen DeSoto, Liam Drain at PNCA, Steven LaRose at PRESENTspace.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 06, 2011 at 20:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.05.11 art school openings  Clark College's Archer Gallery presents Range, works by Thomas Allen, Harrison Higgs, Andrew O'Brien, Devon Order, and Robert Smith. "These artists explore landscape in varied approaches: mystifying the land, creating illusions, exploring representations, and abstraction. Using a variety of methods including photography, video, mixed media and sculpture, these artists explore landscape as science, concept, a physical presence, and a metaphorical or religious manifestation." The exhibition will be on view April 5 - 30, 2011. Artist reception • 6-8pm • April 16 Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • Penguin Union Building  Linda Hutchins, "Left Hand Swish" OSU's Fairbanks Gallery presents Through Line: Type, Ink, Thread, new drawings, organza sculptures, and typewritten works by Linda Hutchins. "Experienced as a whole, the exhibition shows Hutchins' focus shifting from object to surface (presence to absence, form to void) and back again, allowing the viewer to follow her thought process as she works through several media." The exhibition will be on view April 4 - 27, 2011. Reception w/ artist remarks • 4:30-5:30pm • April 6 Fairbanks Gallery • Oregon State University, Corvallis • Dept. of Art 106 Fairbanks Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 05, 2011 at 7:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.31.11 First Weekend Picks April 2011  Avantika Bawa Disjecta presents Score., a new installation by Avantika Bawa. "Score. explores the making, breaking and rearranging of rules, strategies, structures and histories. Examining the past use of Disjecta's building, Bawa amplifies the working mechanism and occasional failures of systems through the creation of an abstract and altered Bowling Alley." Opening reception • 6-10pm • April 2 Artist talk + happy hour • 6-9pm • April 22 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 (More: Critical Mass 2010 selections at Newspace, Emily Nachison at False Front, Gary Robbins at Appendix, Jaik Faulk at Nationale, Jessica Reaves at Golden Rule.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 31, 2011 at 12:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.30.11 Mary Ellen Mark lecture at Reed tonight  Tonight's free lecture with Mary Ellen Mark's is presented in conjunction with her first solo exhibition in Portland at Blue Sky Gallery, featuring original prints from three remarkable bodies of work: Falkland Road, Indian Circus, and Ward 81 (made at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem in the mid-1970s). It's one of the best shows in Portland right now so don't miss this. According to the Press Release,"Mary Ellen Mark is today recognized as one of America's most respected and influential photographers. She is a contributing photographer to The New Yorker and has published photo-essays and portraits in such publications as LIFE, New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. For over four decades, she has traveled extensively to make pictures that reflect a high degree of humanism. A photo essay on runaway children in Seattle became the basis of the Academy Award-nominated film Streetwise (1984), directed and photographed by her husband, Martin Bell." Lecture • March 30 • 7:00PM Kaul Auditorium • Reed College Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 30, 2011 at 17:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.29.11 Evertt Beidler's "Moving"  Evertt Beidler, video still from "Moves Manager" PCC's Northview Gallery presents Moves Management, an exhibition of two kinetic works and a short film titled Moves Manager. Beidler says: "The kinetic sculpture and film that is featured in the show are intended to address the sense of purpose many of us derive from the work we undertake as professionals seeking to earn a living. The works employ humor, irony, and honesty to provide the viewer with a glimpse into the monotony and often repetitious actions that are required in the pursuit of long-term goals." The show will be on view through April 29, 2011. Artist talk • 1pm • March 31 Opening reception • after the talk • March 31 Northview Gallery • Sylvania Campus, 12000 SW 49th • Room 214, CT Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 29, 2011 at 8:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.28.11 lectures: pugay on diversity & re-print on the pcva  Ralph Pugay, "Maybe Not" PSU presents a lecture by Ralph Pugay, "a Portland-based artist whose work revolves around the idea of contradiction and its relationship to different kinds of human alienation--their root causes, and symptoms." The lecture is sponsored by the PSU Art Dept Diversity Committee. Note: This is today. Artist lecture • 12-1pm • April 1 PSU Art Building • 1990 SW 5th @ Jackson • AB 160  The Dill Pickle Club & Publication Studio are collaborating on Re-Print, "a series of four publications and free public lectures celebrating obscured and out-of-print books on Portland's visual culture." The first one is built around the book Twenty-Seven Installations, which chronicles the history of the Portland Center for Visual Arts (PCVA). Lisa Radon will lead a panel discussion by former PCVA director Mary Beebe, PCVA co-founder Mel Katz and PCVA board members Paul Sutinen and Tad Savinar. Lecture is sliding scale $0-$10 and a re-print of the book will be on sale. Note that this is at the much-anticipated Yale Union laundry building. Arts lecture • 7pm • March 31 Dill Pickle Club @ YU • 800 SE 10th Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 28, 2011 at 8:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.24.11 speaking of japan  Photographer: Jonathan Ley The Japanese Garden will be exhibiting ikebana in their pavilion this weekend. "Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement, is both an ancient and modern art. In basic form, an ikebana arrangement follows a fixed pattern: a triangle of three points representing heaven, earth, and man. Emphasis is placed on linear perfection, color harmony, space, and form." Click on the link below to see more ikebana-related shows coming to the garden this spring & next fall. Exhibition • 10am-4pm • March 26 & 27 Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston • 503.223.1321 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 24, 2011 at 16:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkGalleries band together for Japan, tonight 
Tonight, during this horrific crisis for Japan; Augen Gallery, Froelick Gallery, Charles A. Hartman Fine Art, PDX Contemporary Art, Pulliam Gallery and Nazraeli Press are doing an event that honors and recognizes the artistic and creative importance of Japan. In many ways Portland is closer to Japan than say London. This one night event will to raise money for Mercy Corps' Japan relief fund. Each participating gallery will have on view and for sale art by represented Japanese artists and artists who feel they have been influenced by Japanese culture. 25% of sales from this event to Mercy Corps/Peace Winds Japan. Thursday March 24th, 5 - 9 pm 1100 NW Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97209 Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 24, 2011 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.23.11 Some Days are Better Than Others  Anybody who knows Matt McCormick, knows of his pumpkin obsession Probably Portland's most well-liked citizen/experimental filmmaker, Matt McCormick’s debut feature Some Days are Better Than Others, which stars indie rock royalty/Portlanders James Mercer and Carrie Brownstein of the now defunct Sleater-Kinney will open the Hollywood Theater on March 25th before opening wider across the country. Show up and let's try not to passive aggressively hate on someone who actually has done something ambitious (which is kind of a Portland tradition that everyone of note in this city is familiar with). Yes, Brownstein has done other things, like being trounced on Beulahland trivia night by my old team of critics, lawyers and economists (It shouldn't sting, but for any Portlander it would, I'm mean losing to critics and economists??? the shame!) Then there is her Portlandia series, which helps give Portland credit for things that also happens other in places... so it's a kind of indie-imperialist propaganda machine. More importantly Some Days was selected to play New Directors/New Films, the prestigious film series organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). According to the press release, "The film explores ideas of abundance, emptiness, human connection and abandonment while observing an interweaving web of awkward characters... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 23, 2011 at 15:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkEthiopian Christian Art  "Archangel Raphael," Ethiopian, 20th century The Hallie Ford Museum at Willamette University is currently showing Glory of Kings: Ethiopian Christian Art from Oregon Collections. The exhibition features Ethiopian icons, illuminated manuscripts, magic scrolls, icon and cross pendants, and handheld and processional crosses that serve as visual expressions of the Ethiopian Christian faith and ritual practice. In conjunction with the show, Ethiopian art scholar Marilyn Heldman will lecture on the Ethiopian site of Lalibala on March 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the museum's Roger Hull Lecture Hall. Exhibition • March 19 - June 12, 2011 Hallie Ford Museum of Art • Willamette University • 900 State St. Salem, OR Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 23, 2011 at 15:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.21.11 Film: Ernie Gehr  Ernie Gehr "Legendary" avant-garde filmmaker Ernie Gehr will be in attendance at multiple screenings of his work this week at Cinema Project. Gehr's work "draws its energy from the carefully defined limits that structure his every film, a controlled restriction of the cinematic apparatus that, in a seeming paradox, results in incredibly exhilarating and even liberating films." Film screening 1 • 9:30pm • March 22 Film screening 2 • 7:30pm • March 23 Cinema Project @ the Clinton St Theater • SE Clinton & 26th Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 21, 2011 at 13:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.18.11 sad, interdependent barbarics  Chase Biado 1218 Boatspace presents Chase Biado's Sad Barbaric, described by a conversation between a slug and a gnat. Opening reception • 7pm • March 19 Closing reception • 7pm • March 26 1218 Boatspace • 12900 NW Marina Way • visit the website for directions  Mack McFarland, "Well there ain't nobody left to impress / And everyone's kissing their own hands / (material of things unsaid)" There's a second reception for IN(ter)DEPENDENCE at Place and Trade this weekend featuring performances curated by Recess Gallery. Also, audience members who participated in Shawn Patrick Higgins' Video Story Booth can see videos of first injuries as told by them. The show is up through March 31. Second reception • 6-9pm • March 19 Place PDX • Pioneer Place Mall • Atrium bldg, 3rd floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 18, 2011 at 9:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.16.11 Art Spark: NW Jewish Artists  This month's Art Spark is featuring ORA: NW Jewish Artists in celebration of Jewish Arts Month. Art chat • 5-7pm • March 17 Art Spark @ Urban Farmer • 525 SW Morrison • 8th floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 16, 2011 at 13:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.15.11 craft: Laurie Herrick / Elissa Auther  Laurie Herrick, "Tree of Life," 1969 (1/4 scale front) The Museum of Contemporary Craft presents Laurie Herrick: Weaving Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. "Portland-based designer-craftsman Laurie Herrick created widely recognized weavings from the 1940s until her death in 1995. This retrospective exhibition explores weaving as a living craft. Selected patterns by Herrick will be available on the web for weavers worldwide to interpret and share via Flickr. Five contemporary artists will participate in Museum residencies, creating personal responses to Herrick's patterns and adding to this traveling exhibition." Exhibition • March 17 - July 30, 2011 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Colorado-based author and educator Elissa Auther will be lecturing on Fiber Over Time: From the Sixties to Now in conjunction with the Laurie Herrick exhibition. "Drawing on her recently published String, Felt, Thread: The Hierarchy of Art and Craft in American Art, Elissa Auther will discuss how Laurie Herrick's weavings fit in historically with the decades in which they were made." Craft lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • March 17 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • The Lab Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 15, 2011 at 10:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkCollect Four: artist talk at White Box 
There will be an artist's talk today from 6-7 and your last 2 days to catch Collect Four: Scenes from Portland's Bleeding Edge at the U of O's White Box gallery (Portland Branch at the White Stag building). Curated by Jesse Hayward, the show features work by Matthew Green, Midori Hirose, Jason Traeger, and Ben Young. I reviewed Collect Four a couple of weeks ago and frankly if you don't know these artists you don't know Portland's art scene too well. Artist's Talk • 6-7pm • March 15 (show ends March 16) White Box • White Stag building • 24 NW 1st Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 15, 2011 at 7:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.14.11 film  Bryan Konefsky Filmmaker, artist, and curator Bryan Konefsky is screening two shows with Grand Detour and presenting a workshop at the NW Film Center. The workshop is tonight 6:30-9:30pm and is on the subject Dead Tech Alive. Tuition is $10. Get the details on the NW Film Center website. The first film screening will be Happiness is a Warm Projector: Selections from Experiments in Cinema v1-v6, highlighting his work as a festival programmer. Film screening • 7pm • March 15 • $6 Hollywood theater • 4122 NE Sandy The second film screening will be I LOVE YOU LONG TIME: Bryan Konefsky *the early years* (1998-2010), featuring Konefsky's own work and some Q&A. Film screening • 7pm • March 16 • $3-$5 Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020 More details on everything on the Grand Detour website.  The Tasty Shorts film festival is also happening this week. Sponsored by the Art Institute, Tasty Shorts is a festival of short films. Short film fest • 7pm • March 17 Clinton St Theater • 2522 SE Clinton Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 14, 2011 at 16:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.11.11 Indweller reception at Archer Gallery  Anna Lavatelli, "The Pink Room" The Archer Gallery at Clark College is having their reception for Indweller, video works by Victoria Fu, Anna Lavatelli, Noelle Mason, and Lilly McElroy. "In each of these works, the bodies are used in a predetermined way within the space of the setting and the frame. The female figures are choreographed or set to a limited structure of movement, rather than used as character explorations. Through controlled gestures, constructed cinematic structures, and suspended moments in time and space, the figures become inseparable from the setting within the video, existing to complete the imagined world of the artist." Reception • 6-8pm • March 12 Exhibition • February 22 - March 18, 2011 Archer Gallery • Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, FAC 101, Vancouver, WA Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 11, 2011 at 9:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.10.11 Joseph Koerner lectures at Reed  Hieronymous Bosch This year's Ostrow lecturer at Reed is Joseph Leo Koerner, who will be giving a talk on Hieronymus Bosch: Enemy Painting. Koerner is a professor at Harvard who specializes in German art. Art historian lecture • 7pm • March 14 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock • Vollum lecture hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 10, 2011 at 9:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.09.11 Second Weekend Picks March 2011  Worksound presents And Introducing..., curated by Melanie Flood and featuring work by Erica Allen, Jason Polan, Breanne Trammell, Devon Dikeou, Stephen Watt, Noah Kalina, and Micheal Shelton (the Longboard Kid), all out of NY. "And Introducing... breaks existing rules and invents brand-new ones. The show is polemical in how personal it is, conceptual in how random. These artists are connected by a strand twined together from creativity, experience, and life. They do their own things. They are not controlled, collected, composed. The artists of And Introducing... express, through photographs, drawings, objects, and ideas, a deep and true commitment to life under the creative influence." Opening reception • 6-9pm • March 11 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: The World is Not Ending at Gallery Homeland and Yucks at Ditch Projects.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 09, 2011 at 9:59 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 03.08.11 Buckman Art Show & Sell 2011  Buckman Arts Elementary presents the 21st annual Buckman Art Show & Sell. "This 21-year tradition features the original artwork of approximately 140 artists and craftspersons, including paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, textile, and other wearable art, toys, and much more, in a fun festival setting. A student gallery showcases the work of Buckman students and alumni." Come out and support one of Portland's great sources of public arts education. There's a $5 admission on Friday & a $2 suggested donation on Saturday. Day 1 • 5-9pm • March 11 Day 2 • 10am-5pm • March 12 Buckman Arts Focus Elementary • 320 SE 16th @ Stark Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 08, 2011 at 10:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.07.11 state of the arts / artist lecture  Lee Kelly, "Leland #1" (detail), 1975; renovated in 2010 with support from NEA and several private donors, featured in the RACC 2010 annual report. The RACC is giving their annual "State of the Arts" report to the City Council this Wednesday. Community members who want to attend need to RSVP to RSVP@theArtsCAN.org, or watch it live streaming on the City Council website. RACC's 2010 Report From the Community can also be read online here. State of the arts • 9:30am • March 9 RACC @ City Council • 1221 SW 4th  Derrick Jensen PNCA presents Derrick Jensen for the 2011 Edelman Lecture. "Author, teacher, activist, small farmer and leading voice of uncompromising dissent, Jensen has been hailed as the philosopher poet of the environmental movement...Weaving together history, philosophy, environmentalism, economics, literature and psychology to produce a powerful argument and a passionate call for action, he points toward concrete solutions by focusing on our most primal human desire: to live on a healthy earth overflowing with uncut forests, clean rivers and thriving oceans that are not under the constant threat of being destroyed." Arts lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • March 9 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 07, 2011 at 9:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.04.11 First Weekend Picks March 2011  Icelandic Artists & Icelandic Babies in Studio: Ásmundur Ásmundsson, Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson, Helgi Thórsson Rocksbox presents No Painting Left Behind featuring Keith Boadwee, Erin Allen, Isaac Gray and Götulist í björg kassi! featuring Ásmundur Ásmundsson, Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson, Helgi Thórsson. All works are humorous and radical explorations of painting. Opening reception • 8-11pm • March 5 Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777 (More: Michael Reinsch at False Front, Ilyas Ahmed at Nationale, Hsueh Wei at PNCA Corner Gallery.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 04, 2011 at 13:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.01.11 First Thursday Picks March 2011  Mary Ellen Mark, from Falkland Road, Bombay, India, "Early morning in the Olympia Cafe," 1978 Blue Sky presents three series by influential photographer Mary Ellen Mark, Falkland Road, Indian Circus, and Ward 81. The images in Ward 81 were made at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem in the mid-1970s. She'll be delivering an artist lecture on March 30 at 7pm at Reed College's Kaul Auditorium. Opening reception • 6-9pm • February 3 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th • 503.225.0210 (More: Jeffry Mitchell at Pulliam, art & architecture at AI Portland, a new pop-up in the Pearl, Adds Donna at Half/Dozen, Vanessa Calvert at Nisus, CHAP art factory, and Matt McCormick & Here/Now at Elizabeth Leach.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 01, 2011 at 14:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.28.11 RAW 2011: Geographies  Graphic by Dani Cardia The 2011 Reed Arts Week starts this week. Its theme is Geographies, and it "seeks to re-envision the way we encounter our everyday world. Geographies asserts the provisional nature of boundaries, embraces the weeds and suspends the everyday in a space for potentiality and play." Featured artists include Ben Wolf, Francis Alÿs, Gary Wiseman & Gabe Flores, Jacinda Russell & Nancy Douthey, Kathy Westwater, Lize Mogel, and Melvin Edward Nelson. RAW is happening March 2-6; get the full calendar of events on the RAW 2011 website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 28, 2011 at 13:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.25.11 installation, animation  Karl Burkheimer Disjecta presents In Site, a site-specific sculptural installation by Karl Burkheimer. The piece occupies the entire 3500 square foot gallery space, allowing and forcing patrons to walk on, in and through it. The work "draws from a wide range of interests and influences, including extensive travel in the Middle East, the design and construction of Japanese tea houses, and the utter love of making." Opening reception • 6-10pm • March 26 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 In conjunction with In Site, Tahni Holt is organizing In Response, a collaborative performance project. Three performers are curating a series of Saturday performances that "respond to the altered space through improvisational form." All are, of course, at Disjecta. Tahni Holt performance • 1-2pm • March 5 Kathleen Keogh performance • 1-2pm • March 12 Linda Austin performance • 1-2pm • March 19  Rose Bond & Todd Tawd Animator/media artist Rose Bond and acoustic ecologist/composer Todd Tawd are giving a lecture at Worksound next Monday on their current collaboration. Migration is an animated sound and image installation designed for subterranean public space. "They will talk about their work and their interest in media that explores phenomena of perception and challenges the passivity of movie consumption." Artist lecture • 7:30pm • March 28 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 25, 2011 at 0:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.22.11 Diana Al-Hadid lecture  Diana Al-Hadid Syrian-born artist Diana Al-Hadid is lecturing this week at the University of Oregon Eugene campus. The lecture will be simultaneously live broadcast at the White Stag building in Portland. Artist lecture • 6pm • February 24 U Oregon School of Architecture & Allied Arts Portland • 70 NW Couch • Room 451 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 22, 2011 at 14:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.21.11 Indweller Anna Lavatelli, "The Pink Room" The Archer Gallery at Clark College presents Indweller, video works by Victoria Fu, Anna Lavatelli, Noelle Mason, and Lilly McElroy. "In each of these works, the bodies are used in a predetermined way within the space of the setting and the frame. The female figures are choreographed or set to a limited structure of movement, rather than used as character explorations. Through controlled gestures, constructed cinematic structures, and suspended moments in time and space, the figures become inseparable from the setting within the video, existing to complete the imagined world of the artist." Exhibition • February 22 - March 18, 2011 Reception • 6-8pm • March 12 Archer Gallery • Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, FAC 101, Vancouver, WA Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 21, 2011 at 10:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.18.11 IN(ter)DEPENDENCE  Emily Counts, "A Battle Lost" The Settlement presents IN(ter)DEPENDENCE, which explores the emergence of small, independently run, and self-funded cultural hubs in Portland over the past 5 years. Each space or curator participating was asked to nominate an artist or collaborative group to represent them: &Review (Morgan Ritter + a performance by Jesse Malmed and Jeff Guay on March 3), Appendix Project Space (Zack Rose), Deep Leap Micro-cinema (Jesse Malmed), Ditch Projects (Ditch Projects), Elizabeth Lamb (Weird Fiction), False Front (Jason Doize), Golden Rule (Emily Counts), Grand Detour (TBA), Half/Dozen (Michelle Liccardo), Kelly Rauer (Mack McFarland), Launchpad (TBA), Little Field (Nathanial Oester), Recess (DIY Lover, Alicia Gordon, and Sean Patrick Higgins), Place (Juleen Johnson), and Tribute (J.Brown and Courtney Cullen). Through March 31. Opening reception • 6-9pm • February 19 The Settlement • Pioneer Place Mall • top floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 18, 2011 at 3:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.17.11 Conference of Conferences Field Work, a collaborative space by PSUs MFA Contemporary Art and Graphic Design programs, is hosting Conference of Conferences next weekend. The event is "a day long symposium of curated selections from recent art & theory conferences around the world," featuring live responses from such local figures as Lisa Radon and Anna Gray & Ryan Wilson Paulsen. Recorded lectures include Claire Bishop's "Is everyone an artist?" and a pair of video panels. It's free and open to the public, but requires an RSVP to publicwondering@gmail.com by February 19.
Art conference conference • 10am-5:30pm • February 26 Field Work • SW 11th & Jefferson Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 17, 2011 at 11:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.16.11 Carolee Schneemann at PCC  Carolee Schneemann Performance artist Carolee Schneemann is lecturing tomorrow at PCC Sylvania. She'll present Mysteries of the Iconography, a "performative lecture" exploring the themes of her decades of performance, photography, video, painting, and drawing. Artist lecture • 7pm • February 17 PCC Sylvania • Performing Arts Center • 12000 SW 49th Ave Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 16, 2011 at 9:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.15.11 Great Northwest & Here/Now Continuing their 30 year anniversary celebration, Elizabeth Leach is opening two shows this week:
 Matt McCormick, "Crescent Motel" In The Great Northwest, Matt McCormick presents video installation and photographs inspired by a scrapbook created in 1958 by four friends and found by McCormick in a thrift shop. The scrapbook details their Northwest travels together, which McCormick recreated in spite of a new highway system and towns that entirely disappeared. The resulting video and installation is his documentation of the process, which "reminds the viewer of the fragility of history, of the swift passage of time."  Dan Attoe, "Monument Valley Meteor Shower" Here/Now is a group exhibition that "recognizes and celebrates the ever-changing Portland art community," including current and former Portland artists. Featured artists include Dan Attoe, MK Guth, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Johanna Jackson, Chris Johanson, Arnold Kemp, and Michael Lazarus. Opening reception (both shows) • 6-8pm • February 17 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 15, 2011 at 15:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.11.11 APEX: Geraldine Ondrizek  Geraldine Ondrizek, "Cellular" (detail) PAM's APEX series, which showcases Northwest artists, is back with work by Geraldine Ondrizek. Her installation includes The Sound of Cells Dividing (2008), Cellular (2008), and Case Study (2010). "Scientific processes are made both visually and aurally articulate in these three restrained multi-sensory installation works" in which "art magnifies, informs, and is informed by science." Exhibition • February 12 - May 15, 2011 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 11, 2011 at 14:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.09.11 long weekend  Antithesis Recess presents Antithesis, the second installment in the Synthesis Series. "Twelve artists, selected for their divergent backgrounds and capacity for collaboration, have been randomly paired into groups of two. This is the follow-up to Thesis, which debuted at Research Club last December. As the groups have been tossed around, the new pairings will respond to the projects previously created, with an 'antithetical' slant." This may be Recess' last show in the Artistery since the building is being leveled. Opening reception • 7-11pm • February 10 Recess Gallery • 4315 SE Division (More: "Maybe not." at Worksound and "In From the Cold" at Ditch Projects.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 09, 2011 at 18:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.08.11 PIFF 2011  The 34th Portland International Film Festival by the NW Film Center starts this week, featuring expanded screening locations at Cinemagic, the Hollywood Theater, and Cinema 21. The festival runs from February 10 - 26, 2011, and the schedule and more can be found on the PIFF 34 microsite. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 08, 2011 at 8:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.07.11 Dyne + The Blow  Khaela Maricich ("The Blow"), photo by Melissa Dyne Installation/conceptual artist Melissa Dyne and performance/pop artist Khaela Maricich, who performs as The Blow, are lecturing this week on their current collaboration, "a music-based performance piece being presented in a diversity of contexts--from rock clubs to museums--exploring the possibilities and assumptions inherent in each setting." The talk is through PICA, $5 for members, $7 for non-members. Artist lecture • 7-8:30pm • February 9 The Cleaners @ the Ace Hotel • 403 SW 10th Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 07, 2011 at 18:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 02.06.11 regional installations  Damien Gilley Linfield presents Damien Gilley's Masterplexed, "an immersive installation questioning the limits of perceived, actual, and speculative spaces." Gilley has dissected the gallery walls with a non-periodic grid, "creating a labyrinthine space that employs the visual tropes of transparency and reflection." The exhibition runs February 7 - March 9, 2011. Artist lecture • 2pm • February 19 Reception • 3pm • February 19 Linfield Gallery • 900 SE Baker St, McMinnville, OR • Miller Fine Arts Center  "Type/Life," Nancy Froehlich, Nadra Moritz, Zvezdana Stojmirovic, Azin Valy The Fairbanks Gallery at OSU presents Type/Life: A Forest of Floating Typography. It's a "participatory installation involving the shifting meaning of language" by Nancy Froehlich, Nadra Moritz, Zvezdana Stojmirovic, and Azin Valy. "The artists have expressed dualities of modern life in pairs of words printed on large floating balloons, in a dreamscape for interaction and reflection. Visitors can contribute by drawing their own lettering on blank balloons." The exhibition runs February 7 - March 2, 2011. Artist reception • 4:30-5:30pm • February 16 Fairbanks Gallery • Oregon State University, 106 Fairbanks Hall, Corvallis, OR Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 06, 2011 at 20:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.03.11 First Weekend Picks February 2011  Dieter Appelt, "Der Fleck auf dem Spiegel," 1978 Opening this weekend at PAM: Riches of a City: Portland Collects. The show celebrates the influence that art collection and patronage have had on the museum, featuring over 200 objects from local private collections, including works by Picasso, Lautrec, Miro, and Warhol. Exhibition • February 5 - May 22, 2011 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 (More: Lindsay Kennedy at Nationale, Bruce Conkle at Project Grow, dreams at Golden Rule, and new work by boatspace artists at 12128.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 03, 2011 at 12:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.02.11 The Multiple Intelligences of Fluxus  UPDATE: Canceled again, due to east coast weather. Last year PORTstar Alex Rauch interviewed Hannah Higgins in anticipation of a lecture at MoCC that had to be rescheduled. That lecture, The Multiple Intelligences of Fluxus, is happening tomorrow, in happy conjunction with Object Focus: The Book. "Hannah B. Higgins, the daughter of the Fluxus artists Alison Knowles and Dick Higgins and noted author of Fluxus Experience, will lecture on this movement." Art lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • February 3 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • The Lab Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 02, 2011 at 15:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.01.11 First Thursday Picks February 2011  Kaye Donachie, "I Kissed The Moon and Cried" PNCA presents Between my head and my hand, there is always the face of death, an exhibition exploring contemporary figurative painting curated by Kristan Kennedy of PICA. Read all about it in Amy Bernstein's PORT review of the exhibition. The show will be up through March 26, 2011. Opening reception • 6pm • February 3 PNCA Feldman Gallery • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 (More: Jesse Hayward presents Portland's bleeding edge at White Box, inFORM at Bullseye, Victoria Haven at PDX, Brent Ozaeta at Chambers@916, and Jason Traeger at PSU Autzen.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 01, 2011 at 14:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 01.29.11 art schooled  Laylah Ali PSU et al present Laylah Ali for the PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series (PMMNLS). "Laylah Ali has had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; ICA, Boston; MCA Chicago; Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis; and MASS MoCA, among others. Her work was exhibited at the Venice Biennale (2003) and the Whitney Biennial (2004)." Artist lecture • 7:30pm • January 31 PSU • Shattuck Hall Annex • 1914 SW Park Ave, Room 198  Eslpeth Pratt Reed's Cooley Gallery presents Nonetheless by Elspeth Pratt. This is the first U.S. solo show by this renowned Vancouver, B.C. artist. "Pratt's sculptural works use common building or household materials to engage complex ideas of architecture and social space. Her materials question ideas of value and permanence associated with sculpture, while her subject matter negotiates the line between abstraction and representation." The exhibition runs from February 1 - March 6, 2011. Artist lecture • 6pm • February 1 • Eliot 314 Opening reception after the lecture in the gallery Cooley Gallery @ Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Hauser Memorial Library Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 29, 2011 at 8:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.26.11 Art in the Garden: Katsura Imperial Villa  Ishimoto Yasuhiro The Japanese Garden presents Katsura Imperial Villa: The Photographs of Ishimoto Yasuhiro. Photographer Ishimoto Yasuhiro "attempts to liberate tradition through a contemporary point of view" by photographing the Katsura Imperial Villa, a 17th century masterpiece of traditional Japanese architecture. On view in the Garden Pavilion. Exhibition • January 28 - February 20, 2011 Portland Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 26, 2011 at 21:44 | Comments (0) Permalinkthought maps  Jamie Marie Waelchli, "Thought Map No. 8" False Front presents Jamie Marie Waelchli's Thought Maps, "a continuing series of psychoanalytic installations. Using strategically positioned illumination, Waelchli directs the viewers eye through layered sheets of vellum textured with self-examining stream of consciousness writing, diagrams and drawings. Designating these works as 'maps,' she encourages the viewer to navigate, unconditionally, the artist's notion of continuous introspection-stimulus for both development and reversion of the creative process." Opening reception • 7-10pm • January 28 Closing brunch / workshop / lecture • 12-3pm • February 20 False Front • 4518 NE 32nd Ave • 503.781.4609 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 26, 2011 at 9:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.25.11 more lectures  Catherine Opie, "Jenny (Bed)" In conjunction with her ongoing exhibition Girlfriends (through February 6), PAM presents a lecture by Catherine Opie exploring her recent works. Artist lecture • 6-7pm • January 27 • free Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Project H As part of their MFA in Craft & Design program, PNCA & OCAC present a lecture by Emily Pilloton, founder and director of Project H, which "provides a conduit for need-based product design that empowers individuals, communities and economies." These lectures are free and open to the public. Designer lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • January 27 MFA Studios @ the Bison Building • 421 NE 10th Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 25, 2011 at 8:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.24.11 craft / painting  Ronna Neuenschwander, "Queen Semiramis' War Elephant," 1982 The Museum of Contemporary Craft presents Era Messages. The museum invited artist and writer Garth Johnson to select works from the 1960s to 1980s that "exemplify particular moments in the history of craft." In conjunction with the exhibition, he'll be spending January 27th & 28th in residence to discuss the works he included in the context of the museum's collection. Exhibition • January 27 - July 9, 2011 Craft perspectives lecture • 2-3pm • January 29 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654  Henk Pander, "The Father," 1995 The Hallie Ford Museum at Willamette University presents a Henk Pander retrospective, Henk Pander: Memory and Modern Life, featuring paintings and watercolors created over the last 50 years. Pander was born in Holland and moved to Portland in the 1960s. Exhibition • January 29 - March 27, 2011 Hallie Ford Museum • 700 State St., Salem, OR • 503.370.6855 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 24, 2011 at 9:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.20.11 lectures  Machine Project, "Tranimal" Next week's PMMNLS: Mark Allen of Machine Project, an LA-based arts not for profit arts organization "dedicated to making specialized knowledge and technology accessible to artists and the general public." Artist lecture • 7:30pm • January 24 PSU • Shattuck Hall Annex • 1914 SW Park Ave, Room 198  James Lavadour, "Star House" Clark College's art talks continue next week with James Lavadour, a renowned Northwest painter whose "rich and complex paintings of the Oregon landscape combine loose, gestural strokes with bold colors and slashes of energy, exuding primal vigor and spiritual power." Artist lecture • 7pm • January 25 Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA • PUB 161 Fireside Lounge Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 20, 2011 at 21:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkDitch Freeze 2011  From "A Given Distance" Ditch Projects presents two new installations to kick off Ditch Freeze 2011, their "annual wintry mix of installation and performance." A Given Distance will be in the main gallery space: "With explosive growth in connectivity comes a widening zone of mediation, in which a thing can be expected to shift radically between origin and apprehension. For A Given Distance, artists from Portland, Seattle, and Philadelphia explore this expanded field via technology and optical play, with work that populates modes of dissemination, stretches across lines of sight, or drifts unmoored between origins and point of impact." Featured artists include: Chase Biado, Maggie Casey, Travis Fitzgerald, Derek Frech, Joseph Lacina, Joshua Pavlacky, Zach Rose, Daniel Wallace, and Benjamin Young. In the Project Room, Aileen Tolentino presents Balance/Timbang, "the cyclical condition of excitation and rest, disorder and stability, and reorganization and destruction. Through the use of paintings and assemblage, Tolentino solidifies a sense of harmonic chaos into object and atmosphere, establishing a visual resolution between the contradictory forces of unbalance and equilibrium." Opening reception(s) • 7-10pm • January 22 Ditch Projects • 303 S 5th Ave #190 • Springfield, OR Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 20, 2011 at 8:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.18.11 Art Spark Event Fair  Portland Art Spark presents their first event fair featuring 12 arts organizations and the Creative Advocacy Network (CAN) talking about the role they play in the community. Art conversation • 5-7pm • January 20 Art Spark @ The ArtBar • 1111 SW Broadway Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 18, 2011 at 18:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.14.11 settlement  From left to right: Joshua Berger "Terror" & "To Give the Unspeakable a Recognizable Space" by Rhoda London. Photo: Palma Corral, Location: Place Settlement presents Settling In, an opening reception for the four galleries (independently curated) on the top floor of Pioneer Place mall. Place presents new and developing work by Emily Nachison, Juleen Johnson, Rhoda London, Josh Berger, TJ Norris, Vanessa Calvert, and Dustin Zemmel. People's featured artist of the month is Gary Houston. Store presents VERSUS: fold/open/cool/warm, a collaboration by Nico Sea & Zachary. And Trade w/ The Aspens Project presents I Knew You Pt. 1 (Dear James), an evolving interactive installation by Wynde Dyer. Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 15 Settlement • 700 SW 5th • 3rd floor Pioneer Place Mall Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 14, 2011 at 17:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.13.11 Perimeter  Left: Yoshihiro Kitai, Right: Kartz Ucci Organized by the Marylhurst Art Gym in collaboration with four community college galleries, Perimeter: We Live Here Now is an exhibition of the work of eleven artists who were born and raised outside of the United States, all of whom now live and work in Oregon. Sang-ah Choi (Korea), Horatio Law (Hong Kong), Akihiko Miyoshi (Japan), Motoya Nakamura (Japan), and Ying Tan (China) will show at the Art Gym; Yoshihiro Kitai (Japan) and Kartz Ucci (Canada) will show at Archer Gallery; Yuji Hiratsuka, Figures: Dialogue/Monologue will show at PCC Cascade; Una Kim (Korea) and Petra Sairanen (Lapland) will show at PCC Rock Creek Helzer Gallery; Baba Wagué Diakité (Mali) will will show at PCC Sylvania Northview Gallery. Specific show dates vary between venues. The show is currently on view everywhere but PCC Cascade, and Archer Gallery is hosting a reception this weekend, 01-15-11 6-8pm, in Vancouver, WA. There will also be artist talks at the Art Gym on January 27 & March 6. See links for details. Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 13, 2011 at 12:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.11.11 PAM artist talks  Philip Guston, "Untitled (1969)" PAM's monthly artist talks continue this week with Jessica Jackson Hutchins, who will discuss Philip Guston's Untitled (1969). Attendees meet in the Hoffman Lobby to be taken on a tour/discussion by the lecturing artist, then return to the lobby for happy hour. Artist talk • 6-8pm • January 13 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Upcoming artist talks (get tickets early, many sell out): Kristan Kennedy from PICA (February 10) Namita Wiggers from MoCC (March 10) Jelly Helm, designer (April 14) Brian Libby, arts writer & photographer (May 12) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 11, 2011 at 12:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.07.11 First Weekend Picks January 2011 Sorry about the late posting tonight. Hopefully if you missed tonight's openings you'll check out the shows this month.
 Delaney Allen Nationale presents Delaney Allen's In Visibility. "In the vein of early pictorialists, Allen obscures the archetype of photography as documentation through the synthesis of abstract and found imagery." The show runs through January 30th. Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 7 Artist talk • 7pm • January 26 Nationale • 811 E Burnside Suite 112 • 503.477.9786 (More: Tedd Nash Pomaski at Golden Rule, Safety in Numbers? Images of African American Identity and Community opens at PAM, Vance Feldman at The Globe.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 07, 2011 at 20:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.04.11 First Thursday Picks January 2011  Hap Tivey, "Folded Light," installation view Elizabeth Leach Gallery is beginning their 30th year anniversary programming with Folded Light, a site-specific installation of projected light by Hap Tivey. The installation "is pure, minimal abstraction, utilizing aspects of sculpture and painting...It is an experiential piece, as the projected color changes slowly and imperceptibly, causing the observer to sometimes second-guess their own perception of the space around them." Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 6 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 (More: Scott Johnson at Chambers@916, young Northwest artists at Laura Russo, Shai Kremer & Natan Dvir at Blue Sky, and Laura Mackin at Half/Dozen.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 04, 2011 at 13:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.29.10 Why Not? Why Stop?  Start your NYE off with art: H/D Projects presents Why Not? Why Stop?, "Atmosphere, Movement, Information: A Performative Experience devised by Richard Decker." Movers include Richard Decker, Chelsea Petrakis, and Vanessa Vogel, with artwork by Hazel Sikorski. The performance will last 25 minutes. Performance • 7:13pm • December 31 Half/Dozen Gallery • 625 NW Everett #111 • 503.512.9079 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 29, 2010 at 9:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.28.10 Pop-Up Closing Party  Alex Rauch, "Barrière donnée" Watch PORTstar Alex Rauch deconstruct his installation Barrier Given at the closing party for the PDX Pop-Up Shops at the Downtown Artistry. Closing party • 6-8pm • December 30 Downtown Artistry • 940 SW Morrison • 503.515.1178 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 28, 2010 at 9:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.16.10 PLACE & HOME/BODY  We jumped the gun on this a couple of weeks ago - the actual opening reception for The Settlement's next set of shows is this weekend. The Settlement is PLACE, STORE, PEOPLE, and TRADE galleries in the Pioneer Place mall. PLACE will be opening Terror and Ego, new installations by Joshua Berger, Vanessa Calvert, Rhoda London, Emily Nachison, TJ Norris, and Dustin Zemel, on the 3rd floor of the mall. People's "offers original, small-scale works by local artists." Store is the result of a collaboration between the Settlement and PNCA, and "continues to develop and feature installation works by the BFA students of Victor Maldonado's Art, Ethics, and Transgression class." And finally, Trade is "the most fluid of the galleries focuses on local institutions that fill a creative and experimental niche," starting with a curatorial collaboration between Nim Wunnan of Research Club, Tori Abernathy of Recess Gallery, Wynde Dyer of Golden Rule, Elizabeth Lamb of White Box, and Max Ogden. Opening reception • 6-10pm • December 18 The Settlement • Pioneer Place Mall downtown Appendix presents HOME/BODY: "An elevator. A bus. A packed line. These are spaces where human proximity is close but not chosen. Juxtapose this with the selected intimacy of the domestic, and you have HOME/BODY, the latest piece by Choreographer Danielle Ross in collaboration with Video Artist Dustin Zemel. Eight performers are placed in a home and asked to improvise while negotiating pre-designed rules, task-oriented movement, and more importantly, each other. The audience will move freely through the space as the performers play with the sense of crowdedness and forced intimacy." This will serve as research for a larger upcoming project. The work will begin the Project Space and continue throughout the house, the audience is invited to come and go freely during the dance performance and installation. Installation-performance • 4-7pm • December 18 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26th & 27th off Alberta Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 16, 2010 at 9:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 12.12.10 Wojnarowicz: Art & Censorship  David Wojnarowicz, still from "A Fire in My Belly," 1987 In case you hadn't noticed, the culture wars are back. And in response to the censorship of David Wojnarowicz's 1987 film A Fire in My Belly, recently (and very briefly) displayed at the National Portrait Gallery, PICA has organized a panel on issues surrounding the censorship of art. Panel luminaries include Kristan Kennedy (PICA visual arts curator), Stephanie Snyder (Cooley Gallery curator), Namita Wiggers (Museum of Contemporary Craft curator), Matthew Stadler (Publication Studio), Todd Tubutis (Blue Sky Gallery director), and many more. Current art events panel • 6:15-7:45pm • December 17 PICA hosted by MoCC • 724 NW Davis Update: The Andy Warhol Foundation has promised to stop all Smithsonian funding unless A Fire in My Belly is reinstalled. PICA will also be screening the film in their resource room through February 13, 2011. 224 NW 13th #305 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 12, 2010 at 18:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.10.10 the happiest holiday  Donald Morgan, untitled Rocksbox presents Donald Morgan's The Happiest Holiday, which "presents a willfully off-kilter mash up of sorts, keeping one foot in a hard-edge, grid based aesthetic and the other firmly in a little-known Catalan Christmas tradition, the beating of the Caga Tio or 'Poop Log.'" Opening reception • 8-11pm • December 11 Rocks Box • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 10, 2010 at 10:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.08.10 Agnes Martin book + prints  Agnes Martin For one night, Monograph Bookwerks will be showing Agnes Martin prints in conjunction with a discussion of what it was like to publish Agnes Martin's On a Clear Day by Robert Feldman of Parasol Press. There will also be wine and conversation. Prints & chats • 6:30pm • December 9 Monograph Bookwerks • 5005 NE 27th • 503.284.5005 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 08, 2010 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 12.06.10 Contents  Production still from "Contents," photo by Sarah Greig The White Box at UO Portland presents Art Now, Duration in Common, Contents. The exhibition presents works in video, drawing, sculpture and other media by Montreal-based artists Thérèse Mastroiacovo and Sarah Greig on the theme of "time between limits." The show will run December 9, 2010 through January 22, 2011. Opening reception • 5-8pm • December 9 White Box • 24 NW 1st Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 06, 2010 at 23:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 12.05.10 religious harmony, seasonal celebrations & ceramics  Tamara English, "Maghrib" Tamara English presents The Universal Book Of Hours, a series of oil paintings on paper depicting a twenty-four hour period, each of which references a specific time of day for prayer and contemplation according to different religions, including the five daily prayers in Islam and the monastic schedule of prayer in the Christian tradition. The series is currently being exhibited at the North Portland Library Branch through December 20. Artist reception • 5:30-7:30pm • December 7 North Portland Library • 512 N Killingsworth The Falcon Art Community is having their annual holiday show & open studio this week, featuring work by Alexander Rokoff, Roll Hardy, Carrie Iverson, Michael Endo, Kelly McCarty, Peter Zuckerman, Nathaniel Praska, Tony Furtado, Destiny Lane, Rai Villanueva, April Coppini, Mike Suri, Sam Arneson, Bobby Abrahamson, and others, as well as live music, food, and drink. Art party & sale • 6-9pm • December 8 Falcon Art Community • 5415 N Albina Ongoing at PCC Cascade: Ceramics PDX, an exhibition of ceramics work by faculty from colleges and universities across the Portland metro area. The work ranges from pottery to sculpture to wood-fired pieces and mixed media. The show is running now through January 6, with a closing reception for the artists. Closing reception • 5-8pm • January 6 Cascade Gallery • 705 N Killingsworth • Terrell Hall, Room 102 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 05, 2010 at 22:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.03.10 PLACE happenings  TJ Norris Here's a good reason to go to the mall: PLACE, the art gallery and exhibition space in Pioneer Place, is exhibiting a whole new series of shows this weekend, including TJ Norris' Spread Ego. Exhibitions • December 4-January 31 PLACE • Pioneer Place Mall atrium building 3rd floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 03, 2010 at 14:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.02.10 First Friday Picks December 2010  Lahaina Alcantara, detail of "The Voyeur" Golden Rule presents Unnatural, curated by Aiden Koch, featuring Lahaina Alcantara, Shawn Creeden, Austin English, Dennis Foster, Israel Lund, Mia Nolting, and Paul Wagenblast. The works in the exhibition explore the subjective and cultural nature of the concept of the unnatural: "this is a topic that we all can approach, perhaps from a personal relationship with the unnatural, even within one's self, to those things that make us the most uncomfortable." Opening reception • 7-10pm • December 3 Golden Rule Gallery • 811 E Burnside Suite 122 • 503.477.5124 (More: 10,000 artists at Worksound, Thesis via RECESS at Research Club, and Car Hole Gallery closing reception/book.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 02, 2010 at 12:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.30.10 First Thursday Picks December 2010  Corey Arnold, "Lesser Spotted" Charles Hartman presents Corey Arnold's Fish-Work Europe. The show "documents Arnold's journey aboard commercial fishing boats exploring the ports and people that work in the business of fish...[Arnold] spent five months on the road in nine different European countries including more then 15 trips at sea aboard vessels of all sizes living amongst fishermen in their natural habitat. These photos are an exploration in progress, the next chapter of the Fish-Work series which documents the lifestyle of the commercial fisherman throughout the world." Opening reception • 6-9pm • December 2 Charles Hartman Fine Art • 134 NW 8th • 503.287.3886 (More: D.E. May at PDX, Stu Levy at Augen DeSoto, and manga at Froelick.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 30, 2010 at 17:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.19.10 Public Art Today  Lee Kelly, "Arlie," steel, 1978, on the museum grounds In conjunction with the current Lee Kelly retrospective, PAM presents "Public Art Today," a panel exploring public art in the Northwest and changing artistic and political definitions of "public space." Lee Kelly himself has contributed many remarkable sculptures to the sphere of public art. Pre-sale tickets are recommended. Panel discussion • 2-3pm • November 21 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 19, 2010 at 8:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.18.10 Artemisia Gentileschi | Swamp Light  Artemisia Gentileschi, "Judith Slaying Holofernes," 1614-20 Reed College and others present An Afternoon with Artemisia Gentileschi: Film and Conversation. "The work of Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654) was shaped by her training in her father's studio and her role as a woman painter in a male-dominated art world. Please join us for an afternoon dedicated to Artemisia, featuring a screening of the new documentary A Woman Like That with filmmaker Ellen Weissbrod, and a special presentation by Gentileschi specialist Jesse Locker, Assistant Professor, Renaissance & Baroque Art History, Portland State University." Free and open to the public. Film screening & conversation • 1pm • November 20 Hosted by PAM • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium  Robert Smith In a completely different vein: Ditch Projects presents Robert Smith's Swamp Gas Is Ghost Light. "In his current exhibition of video, drawings, and sculpture, Smith uses torqued mirrors and lenses to drawl the haunted landscapes of cypress swamps and tobacco fields out into rhythmic incantations. The supernatural event becomes an occasion for concrete rupture. Molded in the tradition of a banishment ritual, these works both invoke and diffuse the mystified auras of Southern identity politics as specters borne of their specific material conditions, a fermenting miasma of Old South tradition and mystical symbolic languages." Opening reception • 7-10pm • November 20 Ditch Projects • 303 S. 5th AVE #190, Springfield, OR Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 18, 2010 at 12:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.17.10 Museums: Object Focus + Celentano  S.M.S. (Shit Must Stop), New York City, A Letter Edged in Black Press, 1968, photo by Orin Zyvan The Museum of Contemporary Craft presents Object Focus: The Book, co-curated by Namita Gupta Wiggers and Reed College's Geraldine Ondrizek in collaboration with OCAC's Barbara Tetenbaum. "The artist's book is an object that extends work beyond the boundaries of a gallery setting. Through selections from the significant 20th century modern and contemporary artists' books in Reed College's Special Collections, this exhibition explores the book as an object which defies the boundaries between art, craft and design, and moves along a spectrum from a recognizable to a deconstructed form." Exhibition • November 18, 2010 - February 16, 2011 Craft conversation • 2-3pm • December 4, 2010 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654  Francis Celentano, "Delta Black and White," 1971 The Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University presents Form and Color, a retrospective of Francis Celentano. "Celentano is a highly regarded Seattle painter and professor emeritus from the University of Washington who explores issues of color, shape, form and structure in abstract, geometric works...Back in New York, Celentano continued to paint in an abstract expressionist style but gradually embraced the tenets of Op art, a movement that emerged in the 1960s and that makes use of optical illusions." Educators: There will be a workshop on November 30 for teachers who want to bring their students to learn about Celentano. Read the news release for more info. Exhibition • November 20, 2010 - January 16, 2011 Hallie Ford Museum of Art • 700 State St., Salem • 503.370.6855 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 17, 2010 at 8:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.16.10 Film + Installation: Tomonari Nishikawa  Tomonari Nishikawa, film still Cinema Project presents Japanese filmmaker and installation artist Tomonari Nishikawa's Everyday Exercise. "Nishikawa's approach may seem scientific - a search for organic patterns, a critical examination through single-framing techniques, multiple lenses, or dual projection - and yet the resulting images are more playful and lyrical...Extending from the screen, Nishikawa also creates installation pieces, often using pinhole cameras as his starting point to bring attention to spatial arrangements." The presentation will be a 3-day event held at Disjecta, including a screening of Nishikawa's films, an artist lecture, and the opening of his newest installation, Yamanote Loop, which "explores everyday views around one of Japan's busiest railway lines coming full circle." November 19, 20, & 21 • 6pm, 7:30pm, & 5pm Cinema Project at Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 16, 2010 at 10:23 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 11.15.10 Hold  Heidi Schwegler Disjecta presents HOLD, an installation of sculpture, audio and projection by Heidi Schwegler. Together, the elements of the project "speak of a moment of anguish. In conventional warfare two opponents confront one another and inflict damage until one side is defeated. Personal struggle, however, is a battle in which the enemy is not external; the enemy is the self. Situated in the mind, it manifests physically within the body and is particularly insidious; it is unnecessary and the opponent does not exist. Outside the mind and body, inner angst is mostly unseen." Opening reception • 6-10pm • November 19 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 15, 2010 at 7:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 11.14.10 students + photographers Orlo, a local environmental arts nonprofit, is throwing itself an 18th birthday party, and asking Portland's student artists to participate. Accepted artwork will be exhibited during the event and entered into a silent auction. Artists get a free ticket + 1 and 20% of sales proceeds. (For what it's worth: These sorts of deals are terrible for established artists, and we here at PORT usually skip 'em. But for student artists, it's not such a bad way to get yourself out there.) Submissions should loosely address the theme "Food and Landscape." Work is due by December 2, and you should contact jess_fogel@hotmail.com for details because the call for artists isn't on their website.
The Texas Photographic Society is hosting its third photographic portfolio competition juried by Chris Bennett, director of Newspace. Two portfolios will be featured, one by an emerging photographer and one by a mid-career photographer. Entrants must be current members of TPS. The deadline is December 13, and you can learn more on their website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 14, 2010 at 17:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.11.10 Magnitudes and Increments  left: Peter Happel Christian, right: Dan Gilsdorf Clark College's Archer Gallery presents Magnitudes and Increments, an exhibition by Peter Happel Christian and Dan Gilsdorf. "Both artists interact with the world by measuring, reducing, and recording it through a range of media. The processes vary for the artists, but both Gilsdorf and Happel Christian engage in systematic methods of artmaking in order to gain understanding of what is more true than real, more poignant than scientific." Happel Christian's artist talk • PUB 161, 4pm • November 13 Gilsdorf's artist talk • PUB 161, 7pm • November 16 Opening reception • 5-7pm • November 13 Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA, Penguin Union Building • 360.992.2246 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 11, 2010 at 8:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.10.10 Judd Catalog Release Party  Judd Art ©Judd Foundation. Licensed by VAGA, NYC. The illustrated exhibition guide for last spring's Judd Conference, organized and hosted by PORTstars Arcy Douglass and Jeff Jahn, is being released this Friday. The catalog explores the exhibition at UO's White Box that was concurrent with the conference, and includes new essays by curators Peter Ballantine and Jeff Jahn. Funded in part by RACC, the exhibition guide will be available for free at the opening, which also features, wine, snacks, conversation, and remarks at 7:15pm. Catalog release party • 6:30-8pm • November 12 Monograph Bookwerks • 5005 NE 27th Ave • 503.284.5005 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 10, 2010 at 12:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.09.10 PAM Annual Book Sale  Portland Art Museum, Mark Building Support your local art museum: "Discover great book bargains at the Crumpacker Family Library's annual sale featuring thousands of donated new and used art books at a fraction of the full retail price. This event is the perfect opportunity to stock bookshelves at home or school, or to get a head start on holiday shopping while benefiting the Portland Art Museum. Two days only, so don't miss out!" Day 1 • 10am-5pm • November 13 Day 2 • 12pm-5pm • November 14 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • Miller Gallery, Mark Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 09, 2010 at 15:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.08.10 Nationale: Radon & Rothenberg  Lisa Radon Nationale presents Silence is a Blessed Hell: The Po(aesth)etics of Excision, a lecture/performance by local arts writer Lisa Radon. "Going, going, gone? Cut it out, cut it up, or otherwise erase parts of found text or image; excision is a big piece of contemporary practice in both visual arts and poetics...[The event] addresses work made via excision that also asks questions about the broader implications of the practice." Lecformance • 6pm • November 10 • $3  Rikki Rothenberg Opening this weekend at Nationale: Rikki Rothenberg's For Begüm. "Stemming from her pieces If I Were a Better Artist: For You Soldier and The Reiki Masters, this new work on paper is at once Rothenberg's own interpretation of the idea of beautification and her calling upon healing energies via the abstracted shapes of her experiences and imaginations." Opening reception • 6-8pm • November 12 Artist performance • 6pm • December 5 Both events: Nationale • 811 E Burnside • 503.477.9786 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 08, 2010 at 20:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.05.10 Symposia  David Hume Kennerly photographs George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon at the 1991 dedication of the Reagan Library The PAM Photography Council presents Photography Inside the Presidential Bubble, a conversation between Eric Draper, David Hume Kennerly, and Barbara Kinney. The three were photographers who served under former Presidents George W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Bill Clinton, gaining a rare perspective on the inside of the "presidential bubble." Mike Davis, the lead White House picture editor during George W. Bush's first term, will moderate. Tickets are $10 members, $20 members, on sale in advance. Photojournalism talk • 3-5pm • November 7 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Lynn Woods Turner, "Untitled (No. 940)" Join exhibition curator Stephanie Snyder, poet Bill Berkson, exhibition artists L&eagrave;onie Guyer and Lynne Woods Turner, and Portland artist Michelle Ross for a symposium on abstraction in conjunction with the ongoing Cooley Gallery exhibition, ABSTRACT. The conversation will explore "the history, practices, and nature of abstraction." Abstraction talk • 6-9pm • November 10 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Room TBA Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 05, 2010 at 11:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.04.10 First Weekend Picks November 2010  Appendix Collective NAAU presents Tropical Depression, a collection of new work by Portland's Appendix Collective: Maggie Casey, Zachary Davis, Joshua Pavlacky and Benjamin Young. "For each artist, form and approach are guided by the properties of their materials and by parameters set by the group. From within their system of collective practice, the artists grapple with the intangible nature of information technologies and systems, and the growing difficulty in distinguishing between the manufactured and the naturally occurring." Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 5 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 (More: Josh Smith at MP5, Mariana Tres at MP5, Jonathan Leach at Gallery Homeland, Look Behind You at Worksound, PSU art alums at Autzen, and a moving sculpture by Evertt Biedler.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 04, 2010 at 16:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.03.10 37th NW Film & Video Fest  The NW Film Center presents the 37th annual Northwest Film & Video Festival. For eight days, they'll present workshops, panels, parties, and, of course, films celebrating the Northwest film community. Film fest • November 5-13, 2010 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 03, 2010 at 17:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.02.10 First Thursday Picks November 2010  Ansel Adams, "Oak tree, snow storm, Yosemite, California," 1948 Charles Hartman presents Ansel Adams: Photographs 1920s-1960s. "Focusing on the heart of Adams' rich career, this selection of photographs features many of Adams' famous classic images as well as lesser known gems that serve both to contextualize and inform our understanding of the depth of Adams' oeuvre." Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 4 Charles Hartman Fine Art • 134 NW 8th • 503.287.3886 (More: Blakely Dadson & Jose Guinto at Chambers@916, Mark Woolley brings Stephen Scott Smith to Breeze Block, Vanessa Renwick at PDX Across the Hall, Gunwoo Kim at PSU's MK Gallery, Damien Gilley at AiA Portland, Cassandra C. Jones at PNCA.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 02, 2010 at 18:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.01.10 Venice Outside Venice  Reed College presents a lecture by Patricia Fornini Brown, "Venice Outside Venice: Toward a Cultural Geography of the Venetian Empire." Brown is a professor emerita in art and archaeology at Princeton, specializing in the art of Renaissance Venice. The lecture will explore "the creation of Venetian identity through art and architecture from the Italian mainland to the islands of the Mediterranean." Art historian lecture • 7pm • November 1 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Vollum lecture hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 01, 2010 at 0:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.26.10 Last Thursday Picks October 2010  Sonny Smith In collaboration with Disjecta, False Front presents Sonny Smith's 100 Records. For the project, Smith created names and song titles for 100 different fictional bands, and asked 100 visual artists to create the album artwork for each 7" record. Smith then wrote and recorded 200 songs (A sides and B sides) for each imaginary musical act. The project culminated in an interactive exhibit of all 100 pieces of art, biographies of the imagined musicians, and a restored jukebox playing all 200 songs. Opening reception • 6pm • October 28 False Front Studio • 4518 NE 32nd • 503.781.4609  The last shows of the season in the Alberta alley ways: Appendix Project Space presents Israel Lund's Trubl(e), Matthew Green will be hiding in the bushes at Hay Batch!, and Little Field presents Tim Mahan's Big Field, "an amalgamation of the artists, past installations, and physical elements that make up the Little Field space." Openings • 6pm • October 28 Appendix Project Space • South alley between 26th & 27th off Alberta Hay Batch! • South alley between 26th & 27th off Alberta Little Field • North alley between 28th & 29th off Alberta Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 26, 2010 at 9:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.25.10 harun farocki  Harun Farocki, film still This week, Cinema Project presents Harun Farocki's In Comparison, along with an older short film, Workers Leaving the Factory. "Shot on 16mm, In Comparison revisits issues explored in an earlier installation piece, examining work and social structures via brick production sites. Various traditions of brick-making are brought as examples - from cutting-edge European factories to wall builders in Burkina Faso, and semi-industrialized mouldings in India - as a way to compare, rather than incite competition of these cultures and their work processes." Film screenings • 7:30pm • October 26 & 27 Cinema Project @ The Clinton St. Theater • 2522 SE Clinton Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 25, 2010 at 10:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.22.10 lectures  Natalie Jeremijenko Natalie Jeremijenko, director of the xdesign Environmental Health Clinic, is speaking next Monday for PMMNLS. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • October 25 PSU • Shattuck Hall Annex • SW Broadway & Hall Room 198  Marta Maria Perez Disjecta presents Contemporary Art in Cuba, a (free) lecture and slide show by Julia Portella on Cuban Contemporary Art in the Cultural Diaspora. Portella is director of the Department of Theoretical Studies of Art at the University of the Arts Cuba. Art historian lecture • 6pm • October 25 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 22, 2010 at 9:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.21.10 Destricted  Marilyn Minter, "Green Pink Caviar" PICA presents Destricted, a series of short films that "turn the lens on controversial issues about the representation of sexuality in art, [re]opening the question of whether art can be disguised as pornography or whether pornography can be represented as art." Not a new question, but always an interesting one. 18+, $7 non-members. Film screening • 7-8:30pm • October 23 THE WORKS at Washington High School • SE Stark & 13th Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 21, 2010 at 11:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.20.10 ontological  UO's White Box presents Ontologue, an exploration of "the intersection between the awareness of being for the artist and the audience." In this installation-based exhibition, the artists "confront cinema, the material properties of objects, time and semiotics, thus opening a dialogue about phenomenology and consciousness." Artists Benedict Youngman, Joshua Kim, Melis van den Berg and Sepideh Saii "create a metaphysical demonstration of being." The show is curated by Joshua Kim and runs October 19 - November 20, 2010. Opening reception & artist lecture • 5-7pm • October 22 White Box • UO White Stag Building • 70 NW Couch  Children of Humanity The Ye New Dill Pickle Club is leading two tours of African American public art in conjunction with the Oregon Historical Society's upcoming Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride exhibition featuring African American murals. The first tour is a leisurely 10-mile loop on bike, rain or shine. The second tour is by bus. Advance tickets are required for both. Bike tour • 10am-4pm • October 22 • $10 Bus tour • 10am-4pm • November 12 • $25 Via the Dill Pickle Club • Meet at Mallory Avenue Community Enrichment • 126 NE Alberta  Devon Oder Fourteen30 presents Devon Oder's Ashen Glow, black and white prints and cyanotypes inspired by ashen light - the faint glow seen emanating from the night side of Venus. Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 22 Fourteen30 • 1430 SE3rd • 503.236.1430 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 20, 2010 at 17:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkLinfield + PSU  David Corbett The Linfield Gallery presents new sculptures by David Corbett. The artist writes: "This work looks at the way structures are built. Planning a building and the construction process often ride a fragile line of practicality that sometimes exposes elements that cannot be controlled. The idea of building something that will stand the test of time is often compromised and contradicted by many factors. These factors act as contradictory beacons that signal to our unpredictable relationship we have with nature." The exhibition will October 18 - November 20, 2010. Opening reception • 6-8pm • October 20 Linfield Gallery • Linfield College Miller Fine Arts Center 900 SE Baker St. McMinnville • 503.883.2804  Grand Detour is guest-curating SOUNDabout at the PSU Video Gallery. The show features new work by Jesse Malmed, Tyler Wallace, David Bryant, and Jeffrey Von Ragan. The show will run October 15-29, 2010, with nighttime window viewing from dusk til dawn, Mon-Sat. Opening reception • 5-7pm • October 21 PSU Video Gallery • Art Building Lobby • 2000 SW 5th Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 20, 2010 at 14:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.18.10 pnca + mocc lectures  Ai Weiwei, "Ghost Gu" In conjunction with their almost-over (go see it!) Ai Wewei exhibition, the Museum of Contemporary Craft & PNCA present a Craft Perspectives lecture by Philip Tinari. In Postures in Clay, Tinari will discuss the practices of Jingdezhen porcelain production in the context of Ai Weiwei's approach to contemporary Chinese ceramics. Craft lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • October 19 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson Swigert Commons • 503.226.4391  For their PNCA+Five Ideas Studio series, PNCA presents Navigating Scripted Spaces: the Moving Image Since 1550, a lecture by Norman Klein. Klein is "a cultural critic, urban and media historian and novelist" whose "work centers on the relationship between collective memory and power, from special effects to cinema to digital theory, usually set in urban spaces; and often on the thin line between fact and fiction; about erasure, forgetting, scripted spaces and the social imaginary." Art ideas lecture • 6:30-8:30pm • October 21 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson Swigert Commons • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 18, 2010 at 11:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.15.10 saturday to monday: art schools & more  Sandow Birk, "Dante and Virgil Contemplate the Inferno" The Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University presents Sandow Birk's prints and drawings, through which he has "re-imagined" Dante's Divine Comedy. Exhibition • October 16 - December 23 Hallie Ford Museum • Willamette University • 900 State Street, Salem (More: Reuben Lorch-Miller at Rocks Box, Katie Shannon at PCC Cascade, Dave Siebert at Ditch Projects, Clare Rojas for PMMNLS.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 15, 2010 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.13.10 design & time  Heidi Schwegler Alicia Blue Gallery and Designform Studio presents NW Modern, an exhibition of modern art and design. "For two weeks [the Twombly House] will be transformed into an ephemeral museum....The exhibit [includes] a complete spectrum of collections - fine art, product design, and home deecor. Design curators Giovanni Castillo (Designform Studio) and Trisha Guido (Relish Design) along with fine arts curator Alicia Johnson (Alicia Blue Gallery) will join forces to orchestrate this uncommon exhibition." The show will be open Tue-Sun, October 16-28, 2010. Opening reception • 4-9pm • October 15 NW Modern @ The Twombly House • 4449 SW Twombly  Maro Vandorou, "Vertical Time: Crypt" The Murdoch Collections presents Maro Vandorou's Vertical Time: Persofóneia, the second installment in a trilogy. The exhibition, which was funded in part by RACC, "is an installation of original images that references transformation. The images, in accordance with sacred geometry will form, within the gallery space, a circle of fragile platinum prints. In a parallel space, projected images and echoes of the spoken words of poems will engage the visual and auditory senses." Vandorou uses photographic and printing methods that span 3 centuries. Opening reception • 6-8pm • October 15 Murdoch Collections • 2219 NW Raleigh Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 13, 2010 at 11:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.12.10 Art & Culture Happenings  PAM invites you to "rethink what can happen in a museum" with Shine a Light. Local artists have re-imagined the galleries, lobbies, courtyards, and other museum spaces, inviting "Museum-goers to touch - and even tie the knot with - works of art, enjoy break dancing and music in the galleries, and see nude wrestling performances." There will also be food and special beers brewed just for the event. Night time museum extravaganza • 6pm - midnight • October 15 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 (More: Culture Machine @ Disjecta & Pecha Kucha Night @ the Architecture and Design Festival.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 12, 2010 at 15:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.11.10 PMMNLS + Cinema  Mel Chin, "Revival Field" It's PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series season again! Tonight's PMMNLS speaker is Mel Chin, a multi-disciplinary artist from Houston known for work that "requires multi-disciplinary, collaborative teamwork and works that conjoin cross-cultural aesthetics with complex ideas." Examples include Revival Field, a "green remediation" project that uses plants to remove toxic, heavy metals from the soil. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • October 11 PSU • Shattuck Hall Annex • Corner of Broadway & Hall Room 198 (More: Summer Squash via Grand Detour & Jeanne Faust via Cinema Project.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 11, 2010 at 11:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.07.10 Second Weekend Picks October 2010  Melissa Gorman, "On The Mend (Island)," detail Nationale presents Soluble, new sculptures by Genevieve Dellinger, Melissa Gorman, Midori Hirose, and Elizabeth Jaeger. "Inspired by the comfort, minimalism, and nurturing aspects of the [textiles] used in this exhibit, the artists find here a common ground to further explore themes important in their individual work." Opening reception • 6-8pm • October 8 Nationale • 811 E Burnside Suite 112 • 503.477.9786  Bruce Conkle Worksound presents Bruce Conkle's Magic Chunks. "Bruce Conkle loves snowmen, coconuts, fairy tales, crystals, burls, and meteorites. He is interested in creating work which combines art and humor to address contemporary attitudes toward nature and environmental concerns." Opening reception • 6pm • October 9 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 07, 2010 at 14:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.05.10 First Thursday Picks October 2010  Michael Knutson, installation view, Blackfish Gallery October 2010 Blackfish presents a solo show by Michael Knutson. The show includes paintings from two bodies of work: The recent Translucent Fields, which explore illusions of transparency and degrees of opacity, and Cubic Knots, an earlier series of octagonal paintings that have never been shown before. Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 7 Blackfish Gallery • 420 NW 9th • 503.224.2634 (More: George Johanson @ PNCA, Jordan Tull @ Waterstone, Alex Rauch on Half/Dozen's Front Porch, Northwest Drawers selections from Blue Sky, last month for Ai Weiwei at Mocc.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 05, 2010 at 16:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.01.10 Weekend Happenings  Lee Kelly, "A One Pound Canto," 1960 Lee Kelly, a retrospective of the 50-year career of "one of the Pacific Northwest's most distinguished artists" opens this weekend at PAM. The exhibition will feature some 30 sculptures, paintings, and works on paper, along with photographic documentation of Kelly's major public works. This Sunday, chief curator Bruce Guenther presents Lee Kelly: An Intersection of Matter, a lecture discussing Kelly's artistic career. Exhibition • October 2, 2010 - January 9, 2011 Curator lecture • 2pm • October 3 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 206.226.2811 (More: Third Crow Biennial @ Hallie Ford, Lynne Woods Turner talks @ the Cooley, Young Audiences' Artist Showcase @ Buckman Elementary.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 01, 2010 at 15:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.30.10 First Friday Picks October 2010  Rebecca Steele and Posie Currin NAAU presents The Image is Invisible, a collaborative installation of photography, video, and sculpture by Rebecca Steele and Posie Currin. "Using the collaboration process as a catalyst to demonstrate the exchange and transformation of ideas, The Image is Invisible looks at the way we, as individuals and as a society, combine, layer and separate meaning in every aspect of life. Steele and Currin are interested in the continuous process of recreating and deconstructing the image and the object through a practice that engages alchemical and theosophical methods." Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 1 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 (More: Friderike Heuer @ Pushdot, "Still" @ the Lone Fir Cemetery, members showcase @ Newspace.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 30, 2010 at 9:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.28.10 Last Thursday Picks September 2010  Vanessa Calvert False Front presents Residue, a site-specific installation by Vanessa Calvert. The artist writes: "In the aftermath of the financial crisis, Residue presents the current recession as a period of ambiguous and uneasy change, with growth as an inevitable process that continues, despite the climate of contraction. A shift from consumption toward reuse forces the average American to develop new ways of working and living. Here, the couch acts as a totem for that person, forced out of their comfortable cocoon and into new forms." Opening reception • 6-10pm • September 30 False Front • 4518 NE 32nd • 503.781.4609 (More: Nowhere collective @ Appendix, Terence Duvall @ Little Field, morgue photographs at Ampersand.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 28, 2010 at 11:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.27.10 Oregon Days of Culture  Photo by Carl Lohse In celebration of National Arts & Humanities Month, the Oregon Cultural Trust presents Oregon Days of Culture, a celebration of the role of the arts, humanities, and heritage in our everyday lives. "You may be a medical researcher or a marketer or a student--but that's just a small part of the story. Confess: you love to dance; or you're working on a genealogy of your family; or you find comfort in the writing of timeless, old philosophers." Although we at PORT like to think we celebrate culture every day, the official 2010 "Days of Culture" are from October 1-8. Visit the Oregon Days of Culture website for more details and a schedule of events. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 27, 2010 at 9:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.24.10 residencies, ideas, and cake The Bemis Center in Omaha is seeking submissions for a 3-month artist residency of "uninterrupted, self-directed work time," which includes a monthly stipend. Deadline is September 30, get the details on their website.
Project Cityscope is seeking submissions to participate in Pecha Kucha Night volume 8, "exposure." The event will be part of AIA Portland's Architecture + Design Festival. Applications are due October 1. Learn more about the project and how to participate on their website. Let them see cake! Blue Sky is celebrating their 35th birthday, and wants your photographs on their cake. Submissions are due October 1. Get the details on their website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 24, 2010 at 15:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.23.10 artist collaborations The Guild Council at the Museum of Contemporary Craft is hosting an Artist Collaborations Night this Saturday. Local guild artists, Portland Etsy Team members, PNCA students and Crafty Wonderland participants are invited to collaborate on a piece of art together in conjunction with the upcoming MoCC show by Laurie Herrick. Be sure to visit the website for more info before showing up.
Art making • 6pm • September 25 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 23, 2010 at 11:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.22.10 Trait  Clark College's Archer Gallery presents Trait, "an exhibition of artwork exploring aspects ranging from literary devices to genetic characteristics and traits of physical location." Featured artists include Craig Dennen, Lilla Locurto and Bill Outcalt, Jack Dingo Ryan, and Ashley Sloan. The exhibition runs September 21 - October 23, 2010. Opening reception • 5-7pm • September 25 Archer Gallery @ Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • Penguin Union Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 22, 2010 at 12:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.21.10 The Cremaster Cycle  Matthew Barney, film still Everyone's favorite self-consciously weird art films are coming to Portland! Catch parts I-V of the Cremaster Cycle (not all at once, you masochist) at Cinema 21 starting this Friday and going through next Thursday. Series tickets are available - get the full schedule here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 21, 2010 at 17:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.20.10 CAA Entrepreneurship and Marketing Workshop 
This Saturday September 25th at OCAC join myself; artist/architect James Harrison, Don Rood (FeltHat) and artist/curator Jenene Nagy for a CAA sponsored workshop on artist entreprenuership and marketing (at 9:00 am). In fact ours is just one of the four workshops and it is an all day event, good for networking and brainstorming in the fine or applied arts. $15 for CAA members $25 non members More info here Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 20, 2010 at 15:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.16.10 NoStyle 6  The Art Dept presents NoStyle 6: "NoStyle began in 2003 as a gathering of artists at the University of Oregon who wanted an art celebration that lacked the formality of school functions. So they threw a party for which they made art. And the art that they made was reason to party. And so NoStyle was born." Many of the original artists still live and work in Portland, and are coming together for NoStyle 6, an exhibition and arty-party. Art party • 6pm • September 17 Art Department • 1315 SE 9th • meredith@artdeptpdx.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 16, 2010 at 8:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.15.10 Art Spark: Oregon Cultural Trust Photo by Carl Lohse This month's Art Spark features the Oregon Cultural Trust presenting the upcoming Oregon Days of Culture. Learn about the hundreds of events coming up, enter a raffle for "cultural goodies," and snap your own "cultural confession photo" in a booth created by Tatiana Wills. Art chat • 5-7pm • September 16 Art Spark @ Director Park • SW Park & Yamhill Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 15, 2010 at 9:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.14.10 back to school: Art Gym & White Box  Motoya Nakamura, portrait of Damali Ayo The Marylhurst Art Gym is celebrating 30 years of "exhibitions, publications, and conversations about contemporary art in the Pacific Northwest" with Album--Artist Portraits of Artists. The show includes photographs, paintings, drawings and prints by 28 artists depicting over 180 Oregon artists. The exhibition presents "a small cross section of the thousands of artists working among us." The main Gallery Talk is still date TBD; RSVP to events@marylhurst.edu to attend the Gala Celebration. Exhibition • September 14 - October 27, 2010 Gala Celebration • September 30 Marylhurst University Art Gym • 17600 Pacific Highway, Marylhurst, OR • 503.699.6243  Isami Ching & Garrick Imatani UO Portland's White Box presents Songs of the Willamette River, "a multimedia exhibition exploring the themes of expedition and discovery." Artists Isami Ching (art prof at UO) & Garrick Imatani (art prof at L&C) took a 5-day journey down the Willamette in a hand-built canoe to experience the landscape in a "pre-modern" way. Together they "visualize the river as a conduit and repository for (mis)communication and myth, where poetic connections are drawn between voyage, heroic exploration and artistic discovery." The show runs September 14 - October 9, 2010. Opening reception • 6-8pm • September 16 White Box @ White Stag Building • 24 NW 1st Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 14, 2010 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.13.10 Collecting Photography  Imogen Cunningham, Calla Leaves, 1929, PAM photo collection The third Wednesday of every month, PAM's Photography Council gives an informal lunchtime presentation. This week they're presenting a panel on curating and collecting featuring Julia Dolan, Charles Hartman, and Jim Winkler and moderated by Jennifer Stoots. Photography panel • 12-1pm • September 15 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 13, 2010 at 9:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.09.10 Second Weekend Picks September 2010 In addition to TBA:10, there are several good shows opening this weekend:
 Worksound presents a 3-part exhibition: Kim Donaldson's Trash'N'Treasure, Michael Zheng's The Distance Between You and Me, and Laura Fritz's Intrus. "Kim Donaldson in an artist and curator who exhibits widely in Australia and internationally...San Francisco-based conceptual artist Michael Zheng was born and grew up in China...his work often takes the form of situational intervention, sculpture or performance...Portland-based Laura Fritz may well be one of the West Coast's most mysterious video/installation artists, known for employing light to simultaneously fascinate and repulse viewers." Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 11 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: Mark de Kok @ Gallery Homeland & Henk Pander @ Disjecta.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 09, 2010 at 11:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.08.10 illustrative  Tae Won Yu The Land Gallery presents a mini-retrospective of Tae Won Yu. They're exhibiting 15 years of illustration by this Korean-American artist, who's best known for "defining the visual style" of 90s rock bands such as Built to Spill and Kicking Giant. In addition to posters, prints, and book and album covers, the show will include his personal work spanning his childhood in Japan to his teenage years in New York. Opening reception • 6pm • September 10 Land Gallery • 3925 N Mississippi • 503.451.0689  Carson Ellis Nationale presents Carson Ellis' Dillweed's Revenge. Celebrating the release of Dillweed's Revenge: A deadly Dose of Magic, Nationale will exhibit original illustrations from the book by Ellis, written by Florence Parry Heide in the 1970s and published now for the first time. The book has already received a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators. "Delightfully macabre, Ellis' acclaimed illustrations are a perfect match to Heide's dark and witty writing style." Opening reception • 6-8pm • September 10 Artist talk & book signing • 6pm • September 19 Nationale • 811 E Burnside Suite 112 • 503.477.9786 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 08, 2010 at 9:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.07.10 TBA:10 Visual Arts Picks  In case you've been hiding under a rock: TBA:10 is (practically) here! PICA's 8th annual Time Based Arts Festival celebrates contemporary art in many of its glorious, sometimes time-based forms. Although the scope of TBA is much broader than PORT's focus, we like to chime in with some of the visual arts events/installations (and some cinema) that we're most excited about. Get the full schedule and ticketing information from PICA here. And since we've certainly left something out, remind us in the comments. On to our picks! (Click "Read more.") Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 07, 2010 at 6:36 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 09.06.10 ABSTRACT  Léonie Guyer, Untitled, No. 63 Reed's Cooley Gallery presents ABSTRACT, curated by Stephanie Snyder. "Abstract and non-objective artistic methodologies are most often associated with modernism and the European and Russian avant-garde; but visual and material abstraction has flourished for millennia, globally, as an essential human activity. ABSTRACT brings together the work of three contemporary women artists inspired by the breadth of abstraction's spiritual, esoteric, and ritualistic dimensions." The exhibition runs September 4 - December 5, 2010 and will include a public symposium with Stephanie Snyder, poet Bill Berkson, exhibition artists Léonie Guyer and Lynne Woods Turner, and Portland artist Michelle Ross. Opening reception • 6pm • September 8 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Reed Library Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 06, 2010 at 19:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.03.10 First Friday Picks September 2010  Still, Gimme Shelter (1970) Fourteen30 presents It was never about the audience, new videos, photographs, and sculptures by Mike Bray. The project "continues his investigations into a self-inflicted cinematic space. Bray recontextualizes time, frame by frame, collapsing and expanding the spectacle through the idiom of cinema. In It was never about the audience, the 1970 Rolling Stones documentary 'Gimme Shelter' acts as the material from which Bray pulls both his conceptual and visual landscape." Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 3 Fourteen30 Contemporary • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430 (More: CENTER Choice Award winners at Newspace, Stewart Harvey at 23 Sandy, Barbara Tetenbaum at Reed's Feldenheimer, Art in the Pearl.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 03, 2010 at 9:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.31.10 First Thursday Picks September 2010  Danny Treacy, "Them #17" Bluesky is turning 35! To inaugurate their 35th-anniversary celebration, they're exhibiting Wisconsin Tavern League by Carl Corey and Them by 2009 Man Photography Prize-winning Danny Treacy. Wisconsin Tavern League is Corey's effort to document Wisconsin taverns as culturally important communal gathering places. For Them, "London-based artist Danny Treacy searches his surroundings for discarded clothing to construct suggestive, haunting costumes. Treacy then dresses himself in what he creates and, by making striking life-sized self-portraits, he becomes 'Them.'" Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 2 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th • 503.225.0210 (More: Justine Kurland at Elizabeth Leach, Adam Sorensen at PDX Contemporary, Eva Speer at Charles Hartman, Damien Gilley at PNCA, Arcy Douglass at Chambers@916, Brooklyn artists at Froelick.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 31, 2010 at 12:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.30.10 like smoke and holy water  Kartz Ucci Linfield presents Kartz Ucci's like smoke and holy water, "a site-specific response to the architectural grandeur of the natural light that fills the Linfield Gallery...Through the singular use of highly reflective mirrored surfaces and the absence of video and sound - like smoke and holy water as text/image and as object/sculpture is an attempt to isolate and elevate the viewer's psycho-physiological response to the architectural space of the Linfield Gallery." The show will run through October 9, 2010. Opening reception • 6-8pm • September 1 Linfield Gallery • 900 SE Baker St., McMinnville, OR Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 30, 2010 at 17:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.26.10 The Radiant Child  The NW Film Center is screening "Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child," a 2010 Basquiat documentary directed by Tamra Davis. "Combining never-before-seen interview footage with commentary from friends and contemporary art world luminaries, Davis offers a compelling introduction to a singularly driven creative personality, an artist who could paint masterpieces in an hour (earning him Andy Warhol's extreme jealousy) and find endless inspiration in the oversaturated culture from which he emerged." Film screenings • 7pm • August 27 & 28 NW Film Center @ PAM • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 26, 2010 at 14:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.25.10 Collateral Matters, please & thank you  Kate Bingaman-Burt and Clifton Burt Starting tomorrow, the Museum of Contemporary Craft presents Collateral Matters, selections by Kate Bingaman-Burt and Clifton Burt. "MoCC invited graphic designers Kate Bingaman-Burt and Clifton Burt to craft a response to the museum's collection. Naturally drawn to museum ephemera - invitations, posters, receipts and correspondence - the designers create an installation that uses printed materials from the archive to examine how institutional identity is constructed. The exhibition is part of an ongoing series of curatorial strategies that engage contemporary ways of looking at the collection." Exhibition • August 26, 2010 - January 8, 2011 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654  Half/Dozen +Projects presents please and thank you, "a performative exploration of hum drum." This one night only performance (happening twice in one night) features movement by Bonnie Green, Danielle Ross, and Robert Tyree, and installation by Bonnie Green. Performances • 7pm & 9pm • August 27 Half/Dozen • 625 NW Everett #111 • 503.512.9079 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 25, 2010 at 18:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.24.10 Last Thursday Picks August 2010  At the Alberta alley spaces: Appendix presents Laura Hughes, In the Space of an Instant. The installation "articulates and enhances fleeting instances of light through applications of phosphorescent and iridescent paint. The work is an exploration of how light, space, time, and architectural form shape one another to produce the visible by amplifying the imprint of the peripheral to the forefront of our perception." Opening reception • 8:30pm • August 26 Appendix Project Space • South alleyway b/w 26th & 27th off Alberta Little Field presents new work by Midori Hirosi, "stemming from her interest in combining geometric and loose facets. Her interest comes from an investigation into the dichotomy of the Apollonian and Dionysian idea culled from reading The Birth of Tragedy. She has a predilection for order and chaos and for this series of sculptures, tries to achieve the genera principle using wood, foam and paint to convey a form of balance between structure and disorder." Opening reception • 7pm • August 26 Little Field • North alleyway b/w 28th & 29th off Alberta  Rebecca Shelly False Front presents Rebecca Shelly's The Seed Olympics. "Through the use of stop motion animation, Rebecca Shelly documents the growth of starter plants with an exploratory theme of Olympic games under the theory, 'survival of the fittest.'" Opening reception • 6pm • August 26 False Front Studio • 4518 NE 32nd • 503.781.4609 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 24, 2010 at 10:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.23.10 Phun with Phonemes  RECESS presents Phun with Phonemes©, an exhibition exploring text and communication. "Through investigating memory and writing, text as spectacle, logo confusion, and conversational attention spans, Phun with Phonemes© will be a platform for engaging with language in new and exciting formats." Performances at the reception start at 7:30pm. Opening reception • 6pm • August 25 RECESS • 4315 SE Division (ground level of Artistery) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 23, 2010 at 13:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.20.10 PAM artist talks On the second Thursday of every month, the Portland Art Museum "offers visitors the unique opportunity to explore the Museum's permanent collection through the inspired lens of notable Portland artists, writers, and curators." The talks are great, but we haven't posted the last several since they've been selling out way ahead of time. So I thought I'd share the list of upcoming talks in 2010 for those who want to jump on the ticket bandwagon early:
•September 9: Stephanie Snyder (SOLD OUT) •October 14: Ethan Rose •November 11: Matt McCormick •December 9: Chas Bowie Read more about the artist talk series on PAM's website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 20, 2010 at 10:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.18.10 Art Spark: TBA:10 This month's Art Spark features the "inside scoop" on TBA:10 with PICA at Mississippi Studio's new BarBar patio and a sneak preview performance by Woolly Mammoth Comes to Dinner. Art chat • 5-7pm • August 19 Art Spark @ BarBar • 3939 N Mississippi Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 18, 2010 at 7:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.16.10 The Essentials, a discussion  Steve Karlik,"Flip" Tension and Compression Series, 2010 Glass sheets and enamel paint "18" x "24 x "1/4 Alright, alright... yes Portland's curators have inadvertently conspired to drown the city in abstraction, considering; Donald Judd, Mark GrotJahn, Sol LeWitt, Reed's upcoming Abstract and my M5 show up right now... deal with it. Fact is Portland has been obsessed with abstraction and hard edged or reductionist work for years (even before acquiring the Greenberg collection) and it's why I curated M5 as aa classic summer group show. Considering that Mark Rothko is from Portland, I never want to hear another person say that the Northwest is just about figurative work, though the discussion today isn't the same old will to abstraction we saw back in the 40's-60's. In attempts to further the discussion PNCA and I have put together The Essentials... August 18, 6:30 pm PNCA Main Campus Building, Room 201 1241 NW Johnson St. The M5 exhibition sets the stage for The Essentials—a study of what ideas are crucial to the active abstract and hard edge/perceptual art community in Portland. The Essentials is a JPEG jam, asking a number of reductive, abstract and perceptual artists in Portland to choose and present 3 essential images of their own work, while listing what three ideas or concerns accompany them... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 16, 2010 at 13:51 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 08.12.10 Learning Salons  Anissa Mack, "Almost Arrowheads" PICA's 8th annual TBA festival is ramping up. This weekend, artist-in-residence Anissa Mack will speak with Sarah Miller Meigs of the lumber room and PICA visual arts program director Kristan Kennedy about her residency at the lumber room and the collaboration between artist, curator, and patron. The talk is part of PICA's "ON SIGHT Salons." Artist chat • 3-4pm • August 14 lumber room • 419 NW 9th  The Research Club is offering an ongoing class, "What Philosophy Can Do For Art," taught by University of Oregon doctoral student VA Carter. Meeting each Saturday over the course of 9 weeks, the class "will use plain language and clever pictures to give you a broad and thorough history of the important thinkers in western thought." As related to art making, presumably. Cost is $5 / $10 per class, with price breaks for a bundle of them. Art Phil • 11am-12:30pm, Saturdays • July 31 - September 25 Research Club • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020 • Portland Storage Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 12, 2010 at 13:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.11.10 Wearable Art  Worksound presents Wearable Art, featuring (wearable) projects by Alex Dolan, Abraham Ingle, Hoyun Son, Aaron Terry, Deanna Bredthauer, Katie Behel, Palma Corral, Devon Maldonado, and Iris Stevenson. Opening reception • 7pm • August 13 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 11, 2010 at 14:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.10.10 Solar Decathlon  The American Institute of Building Design's annual convention is happening this weekend in Portland. In conjunction with the convention, the AIBD presents an exhibition of the finalists for the 2011 Solar Decathlon: "Since the first Solar Decathlon in the fall of 2002, the program has unleashed the creative power of architecture and engineering students to rethink the role of energy efficiency - and solar power in particular - in home design and raised public awareness on the topic. The Solar Decathlon challenges student teams to integrate reliable and efficient solar power with excellent design, resourceful engineering, and affordable systems...AIBD President Dan Sater II will open the exhibit, which will feature models of solar homes, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning, August 12, 2010." Art-Science-Architecture Exhibition • August 12 & 13, 2010 AIBD Convention @ the Marriott • 1401 SW Naito Parkway Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 10, 2010 at 12:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.09.10 Monday Cinema Tonight at Grand Detour: Evan Stewart's poetry video chapbook/ experimental music video collage ###. This is Stewart's third chapbook, following Balls (2004) and Issues Souffle (2006). It is about something changing three times before it dies.
Film screening • 8pm • August 9 Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020 Thursday at Grand Detour: Stephen Slappe's Peel Back and See: "Sifting through the wake of the mass media deluge in order to make sense of its psychological and social effects, Slappe is interested in adapting the massive archive of existing images and sounds through recombination..." Film screening • 8pm • August 12 Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 09, 2010 at 0:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.05.10 First Friday Picks August 2010  Oregon Painting Society Nationale presents Nightwave Catalog, "an exhibit of artifacts generated and uncovered by Oregon Painting Society. Each item has a past, present, or future role in our unfolding sequence of experiments. These artifacts have been plucked from their respective temporal-zones and translated into our own dimensional manifold. They are memories of future encounters, pulled up in a net from a dream. What you see are 3-D snapshots taken by the mind's eye from the window of a speeding car heading toward the ocean at dusk." Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 6 Artist presentation • 6pm • August 8 Nationale • 811 E Burnside Suite 112 • 503.477.9786 (More: Kelly Rauer at NAAU, 5 year anniversary show at Gallery Homeland, Julie Perini at Pushdot, Laundromatte 2010 at the Troy Laundry Building.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 05, 2010 at 15:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.03.10 First Thursday Picks August 2010  André Kertész, "Satiric Dancer, Paris" 1926 Charles Hartman presents André Kertész: Photographs. Kertész came to American from Hungary via Paris in 1936. After settling in New York, he became one of the "most influential photographers of the twentieth century...refining his art of avant-garde design and gentle observation of the human condition." Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 5 Charles Hartman Fine Art • 134 NW 8th • 503.287.3886 (More: Lori Waselchuk at Blue Sky, Ethan Jackson & Jerry Wingren at Chambers@916, Drake Deknatel at Elizabeth Leach, M5 at PNCA, Maggie Casey & Zachary Davis at Tractor.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 03, 2010 at 12:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkMark Grotjahn at PAM 
Grotjahn's Dancing Black Butterflies originally installed at Gagosian Definitely head over to the Portland Art Museum asap, we finally have a Marc Grotjahn exhibition in town. (fellow triangle enthusiasts ...triangulate?) Now on view in the fourth-floor Miller-Meigs galleries of the Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art, the exhibition of Mark Grotjahn's Untitled (Dancing Black Butterflies) is presented in conjunction with the Museum's Summer of Drawing (along with Sol LeWitt, works from the Crocker and R. Crumb). Exciting to have such programmatic coherence... Grotjahn's work on view is a drawing in nine parts that takes his recurring preoccupation with "the butterfly" to its formal and... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 03, 2010 at 9:28 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 08.02.10 Monday Cinema This week at Grand Detour: Hannah Piper Burns (Tuesday, August 3) and Dan Gilsdorf (Thursday, August 5).
Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 02, 2010 at 14:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.30.10 Vection essay unveiling  Canopy by Jeff Jahn (2010) There will a review of an interesting young artist later today but first just a little notice... I'll be unveiling the finished version of my essay "Vection" for the exhibition of the same name tomorrow at 3:30 at the NAAU gallery. The show has been incredibly well received (thanks Huffington Post, and other press etc.) and yes it's the last weekend. This version 2.0 is a significant rewrite from the other versions I've been work shopping during the run of the show. The essay itself isn't just about the Vection exhibition and explores a thread of work that has been very prominent in Portland over the past decade (always the curator critic). Lately, this thread has gelled into a definable combination of design (eco, livability, humanistic, architecture), nature and installation art. There will be a reading and for those hard core art geeks an opportunity to talk art more one on one about what is going on. Vection is open from 12-5 today, Saturday and Sunday is the last day New American Art Union (NAAU) 922 SE Ankeny Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 30, 2010 at 11:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.29.10 Behind the Shoji  K. Miller, bamboo scroll The Portland Japanese Garden presents Behind the Shoji, an annual exhibition of Asian-inspired art. Work will be on view by several new artists, and there will be new pieces by several returning artists. Garden exhibition • July 31 - September 6, 2010 Portland Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 29, 2010 at 10:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.28.10 international women artists' conference  PSU's Littman Gallery presents the 9th biannual International Women Artists' Exhibition and Conference. Organized locally by the Oregon Women's Caucus for Art (OWCA), the event features public artist talks, a seminar on "art made out of desperate need," and an exhibition at the Littman Gallery. The events start Monday, August 2, 2010, and the exhibition will run August 5-27, 2010. Check the Littman event calendar for more details on the opening remarks, artist talks, and seminar. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 28, 2010 at 16:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.27.10 Last Thursday Picks July 2010  Gary Wiseman, "Temporary Monument One (Couldn't Have Done It Without You)" Little Field presents Gary Wiseman's Temporary Monument Two: Project, Reflect, Perform (Imagining Transitions). The project is "the second in a series of monuments that acknowledge and honor the people who have collaborated with Wiseman through his social and Co-Relational art practice." Opening reception • 6pm • July 29 Little Field • North alleyway between NE 28th & 29th off Alberta (More: Appendix/Hay Batch, False Front, Alicia Blue Gallery, Stumptown Family Showcase.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 27, 2010 at 12:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.26.10 Arty Cinema / Cinematic Art  Allison Halter, still from "Please Please Please" Grand Detour presents Allison Halter: Apparently I Am An Experimental Filmmaker Now, a selection of Halter's film and video work from 2002-present. "She will probably also riff around on various topics such as un-representable sadness, accumulation, and ecstasy." Film screening & chat • 8pm • July 27 Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020  Jesse Malmed Grand Detour also presents Jesse Malmed's "This is What I Thought You Meant by Contemporary: American Folk Art (e) // V=I=D=E=O." This Portland-based artist and curator who programs Deep Leap Microcinema will present a program "combining video art, installation and participatory performance into a special blend of visionary, expanded cinema." Screening & presentation • 8pm • July 29 Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 26, 2010 at 10:57 | Comments (2) PermalinkThursday 07.22.10 Brain Party!  William Rihel and Sanna-Lisa Gesang-Gottowt are hosting a Brain Party benefit for the Right Brain Initiative at their studios/house, affär. This all-ages party features live music, art installations, games, a silent art auction, brain massage, and performances by John Mery, Weird Fiction, DJ Tiger stripes, Cathy Cleaver, Portland Taiko, Greg Unwin, Rad Wave USA, Oregon Painting Society, Tim DuRoche and more. Bring cash for games and donations - the Right Brain Initiative supports K-12 arts education in the Portland area. Benefit party • 5pm • July 24 Right Brain @ affär • 3001 NE Ainsworth Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 22, 2010 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.19.10 Microcinema: Tyler Wallace  Tyler Wallace Portland-based multidisciplinary artist Tyler Wallace will present her films at Grand Detour as part of their Summer Screening Series. "Wallace will present and discuss selections from her body of work, which focuses on the themes of idiosyncratic family dynamics, personal history, and identity construction. Through the use of parody and humor, Wallace delves into a personal narrative based around being raised in the South by two ex-Mormon parents and a homosexual father." Film screening • 8pm • July 20 Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 19, 2010 at 10:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.15.10 Cut & Run  Frederic Cousseau Grand Detour presents the touring Cut and Run Festival. Their current program, Evolution and Life of the Mind, Body, and Medium, "focuses on cycles of minds, bodies, and filmstrips, with each work representing a perspective of itself as one, in contrast to the others." The program includes filmmakers from Spain, Cyprus, France, Germany, and the USA, with animated photo-negatives, appropriated 16mm trailers, film/digital hybrids, and genre-bending experimental works of "cinematic evolution." Film festival • 8pm • July 17 Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison • info@grand-detour.org Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 15, 2010 at 12:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.14.10 Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn  Ai Weiwei, "Dropping the Urn," 1995, image 2 out of a triptych of photographs MoCC presents Ai Weiwei Dropping the Urn: "This exhibition of internationally acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei features his iconoclastic use of Neolithic vessels, blue-and-white Qing and Yuan dynasty replicas, and a work that consists of one ton of 'sunflower seeds' crafted from porcelain." This Ai Weiwei's first solo museum exhibition on the West Coast, and it's not to be missed. Keep an eye on PORT for a short review and a longer interview in the coming weeks. Exhibition • July 15 - October 30, 2010 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 14, 2010 at 12:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.13.10 Art Spark: PDX Bridge Fest  PDX Bridge Fest Join Art Spark this week for the pre-pre-party for the upcoming PDX Bridge Fest (July 23 - August 8, 2010). Portland's "newest cultural arts festival... is dedicated to raising awareness and fostering appreciation of the Willamette River Bridges through educational, historical, cultural & artistic programming." Learn more about Bridge Fest here. Art discussion • 5-7pm • July 15 Art Spark @ Rose Festival Headquarters • 1020 SW Naito Parkway • On waterfront @ SW Salmon & SW Naito Parkway Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 13, 2010 at 9:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.12.10 Weegee Net Works  Weegee the Famous (Arthur Fellig), "Movie Ecstasy - The Kiss," 1943 Ongoing at UO's White Box: The More Things Change... Relocating Weegee Photographs. "The photographs by 'Weegee the Famous' depict the gritty reality of New York street life of the '30s and '40s. His shocking and beautiful black-and-white images show crime scenes, urban life, street kids, and emerging counterculture..." Ellen and Alan Newberg, from whose collection the show is drawn, will give a talk about their family relationship with Fellig and his career. Exhibition • July 1-30, 2010 Collector talk • 5:30-6:30pm • July 29 White Box • 24 NW 1st  RECESS, the newish space in the Artistery, presents Social Net Works, featuring "works pertaining to ways humans interact socially in the light of technological influences, and how these interactions might be shifting and developing in today's cultural climate." Opening reception • 6:30pm • July 14 RECESS • 4135 Division • recesspdx@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 12, 2010 at 14:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.09.10 Staying cool with Sol LeWitt at PAM 
A little bird with the voice of a grizzly bear (aka Chief Curator Bruce Guenther) has let PORT's readers know about a cool Sol LeWitt wall drawing in process using a massive scaffold (starting today): "As part of the Summer of Drawing the Modern and Contemporary Art Department is going to complicate everyone's life with a 6-day live-action drawing event in the Schnitzer Sculpture Court from July 9 to 14. An artist-trained technician from the Sol LeWitt Foundation, Nobuto Suga will be on site drawing every day from 10 to 5. A small group of LeWitt works will round out the experience after the scaffolding comes out of the court July 16th. The drawing will be on view through September 19." I'll also remind everyone that as a climate controlled environment the museum is air conditioned and open late tonight. I hope they document the process as it's just as fascinating as the end product. Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 09, 2010 at 15:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkPlanning the Rose Quarter  This month's installment in the "Bright Lights: Discussions About the City" series features a chat with Mayor Sam Adams and J. Isaac, the Trailblazers' senior VP of business affairs, on the future of development in the Rose Quarter: "For the past two years, the City of Portland has been looking at options for the future of Memorial Coliseum. After entertaining proposals for everything from replacing the building with a minor-league baseball stadium to converting it into a $140 million recreation facility, Mayor Sam Adams is now looking to the wider Rose Quarter to inform the city's next steps." Community conversation • 6:30pm • July 12 Bright Lights @ the Gerding Theater @ the Armory • 128 NW 11th Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 09, 2010 at 10:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.08.10 Nagy does urethane in Cali 
We are proud of former PORTstar Jenene Nagy, who was our business manager from 2007-mid 2008 who will be taking part in a show called The Rise of Rad at the Torrence Art Museum. A show about "The Influence of the Urethane Revolution." It is curated by PORT pal Max Presneill. Show includes some heavy hitters like Olafur Eliasson, Katharina Grosse and Albert Oehlen. Torrance Art Museum July 24 – September 4, 2010 Opening Reception: Saturday, July 24, 6-10pm Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 08, 2010 at 15:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkLonely Place (Second Weekend Picks July 2010)  Worksound Worksound presents Ask the Lonely, "an exploration of love and power" featuring Troy Briggs, Casey Lee Brown, Rachel Mulder, Brittany Taylor, Tony Hix, Courtney Gates, and Tim Janchar. Opening reception • 7-11pm • July 9 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com  Place Place's second opening is happening this Saturday, featuring special guests Avantika Bawa, Harrison Higgs, Nova Moisa, Palma Corral, Rhoda London, and Theodore Holt. "Transitional spaces allow us to imagine and think of what might come next even if we've been there before. Like a city these spaces of flux constantly offer something familiar and new. Likewise, the works in Place showcase a series of highly engaging performances and installations that transform and address the transitory nature of the space and place." Opening reception • 2-7pm • July 10 Place • In the former Pottery Barn in Pioneer Place Mall Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 08, 2010 at 9:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.06.10 Over it.  PSU's Littman Gallery united top-notch designers from W+K and several smaller firms for OVER IT featuring 18 Portland artists, writers, designers, art directors, fashion designers, and illustrators: Chris Hutchinson, Damion Triplett, David Neevel, Jelly Helm studio, Jennie Hayes, Jimm Lasser, Julia Blackburn, Julia Oh, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Marco Kaye, Mike Giepert, Official MFG CO, Portland Foreign Legion, Scrappers, and Taylor Twist. OVER IT is "an experiment in creating as a group, letting go, disagreement, misunderstanding, backpedaling and trust." Opening reception • 5-7pm • July 8 Littman Gallery • 1825 SW Broadway • PSU Smith Center 2nd Floor Room 250 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 06, 2010 at 11:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkWheeling and Diehl-ing  Sundown (Landscape Anarchitecture Series) Ok, you've recovered from the 4th of July weekend, now it's time to freak out to a lil overview of Carl Diehl's video works at Grand Detour. The press release "alleges" that Diehl's work is compelled by the perpetual fissures of language, the emergent spaces between fact and fiction, and the potential of using audio-visual 'word-play' to generate novel associations and reveal previously imperceptible forms of meaning, Diehl is particularly fixated on the glitches and aberrations that sometimes disrupt the intended output of an audio-visual device. He will be screening a survey of works, including Time Out, Break of Dawn, Rock Robot:It's Edutainment and Along with Hooverball, as well as his Metaphortean Compositions. The evening with conclude with Blobsquatch: In The Expanded Field, a paranormal polemic on the perceived obsolescence of blurry sasquatches, and Patrolling the Ether, a diaristic reflection on the end of analog television. Grand Detour itself is a newish microcinema and experimental media center committed to supporting, enhancing, and connecting the community of new media artists in Portland and beyond. Currently hosting weekly screenings and curating video work across the city, (and promisingly) "planting the seeds towards the larger goal of becoming Portland's hub for innovative video and media-related artworks." Carl Diehl: Curious Gestures of Malfunction Grand Detour 215 SE Morrison St, Suite 2020 Tuesday, July 6, 2010 Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 06, 2010 at 9:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.01.10 First Friday Picks July 2010 
Jeff Jahn VM (Nouvel), 2009 NAAU presents Vection, installations, photography and essay by PORTstar publisher and co-founder Jeff Jahn: "Im interested in civilization/wilderness and its interactive by-products (like culture, housing, design and landfills). Since 2006 my work has increasingly made use of recycled materials and design motifs as a digestion of the present challenges at the intersection of man and nature or where concept meets its execution. According to Jahn the recycled materials invite, 'a discussion around opportunity costs surrounding the definition and use of the built environment and its integration (successful or not) into the larger ecosystem.' The new works for Vection further this inquiry and the accompanying essay of the same name is intended to contextualize an important thread of work that has been being produced in Portland and beyond as well." Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 2 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 01, 2010 at 10:04 | Comments (3) PermalinkTuesday 06.29.10 First Thursday Picks July 2010  Laurie Lambrecht Blue Sky presents Laurie Lambrecht's From the Studio of Roy Lichtenstein. "Photographer Laurie Lambrecht was Roy Lichtenstein's part-time assistant from 1990 to 1992... Encouraged by Lichtenstein, she began taking photographs in his studio as they worked together. The two artists grew close over this period of time as Lambrecht's photographic project became a collaborative one. Lambrecht's vivid color images give us a rare glimpse into the working studio of one of the twentieth-century's most iconic artists." Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 1 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th • 503.225.0210 (More: Anna Gray & Ryan Wilson Paulsen at PDX, Schnitzer's print collection at PNCA, Calvin Ross Carl at Half/Dozen, and recent art grads at Blackfish.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 29, 2010 at 9:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.23.10 Opera/Performance @ Half/Dozen  Half/Dozen Projects presents Children Get Stuck Places Underground, an opera by poet, performance and installation artist Bethany Ides, modeled in the vein of those composed by the late Mister Rogers: "When memory is rendered make-believe, specters take shape. A dark hole's hollow form animates as snake; its ability to shed its skin becomes infectious. Processed traumas wend a trail through one creature's digestive track into another, moving from mouth to mouth. Four guises (played by Ides along with David Weinberg, Morgan A. Ritter and Devin Lucid) represent the four Greek humors, figured within the two sides of a single, shadowy figure: O/Doe, whose perispirit inhabits other well known children who've spent time singing to themselves below the surface." Performances • 7pm & 9pm • June 25 & 26 Half/Dozen • 625 NW Everett #111 • 503.512.9079 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 23, 2010 at 10:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.22.10 Last Thursday Picks June 2010  Appendix presents Cruisn', an installation and performance by Oregon Painting Society featuring "collectively built instrument-objects, composing a witchy scene with uncontrollable synth action." Little Field presents FUTURE_DEATH_TOLL: "Mysterious, ubiquitous, and eminently destructive, the agentz of blaze orange utilize vintage electronicz such as rotary pwnz, synthesizerz, and drum padz to perform back alley open-heart surgery on their most enthusiastic patientz." Alleyway Performing • 8:15pm • June 24 Appendix • South alley b/w 26th & 27th off Alberta Little Field • North alley b/w 28th & 29th off Alberta (More: Michael Iauch at False Front and Rites in Passage at Alicia Blue.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 22, 2010 at 10:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.18.10 Do the Right Brain  The Right Brain Initiative is hosting a Show + Tell next week to commemorate the end of its second school year: "As Right Brain's biggest community event of the year, complete with live music, Show + Tell 2010 is the best opportunity to see the impact of the program on area school systems and on the artists who lead these classroom arts experiences." The event also features an advanced viewing of Right Brain's new traveling exhibition, with samples of student work, evidence of impact on the communities served, and a spotlight on the mechanics of the program model. Arts education showcase • 4:30-6:30pm • June 21 Left Bank Annex • 101 N Weidler Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 18, 2010 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.17.10 place carvings video  Gabe Flores and Gary Wiseman are opening Place in the Pioneer Square Mall this weekend. "Place is a fluid space that is constantly in flux. There will be an ongoing flow of people and disciplines through Place, which will play host to performances, installation, events and beyond...Transitional spaces allow us to imagine and think of what might come next even if we've been there before. Sometimes we make a transition and we want to be there for awhile because, like a city, it is always offering something familiar and new." Special guests for the opening reception include Avantika Bawa, Palma Corral, and Brennan Novak. Opening reception • 2-6pm • June 19 Place • Former Pottery Barn in Pioneer Place Mall (More: Netsuke carvings in the Japanese Garden and PSU's New Video Gallery.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 17, 2010 at 9:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.14.10 Film: Kamal Aljafari  Still from Kamal Aljafari's "The Roof" Cinema Project presents three fillms by Palestinian-born independent filmmaker Kamal Aljafari, who will be in attendance at both screenings. Port of Memory will be screened Tuesday and The Roof & Visit Iraq will be screened Wednesday. "These works demonstrate Aljafari's thoughtful but not overly formal compositions of half-inhabited houses and damaged neighborhoods, which reveal the strained co-existence of past and present and the complicated layers of history that help construct (physically and psychologically) such places." Film screenings • 6:45pm • June 15 & 16 Cinema Project @ Clinton St Theater • 2522 SE Clinton Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 14, 2010 at 10:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.11.10 Opening @ PAM: Crumb & Drawings  R. Crumb, "The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb, Chapter 1" Classic comic artist R. Crumb spent the past five years illustrating every word of the book of Genesis, which has since been released in book form. The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb's Book of Genesis presents all 207 individual black-and-white drawings incorporating every word from all 50 chapters of Genesis. "Illustrated in his signature bawdy style, Crumb's version puts an entirely new twist on the Bible." Exhibition • June 12 - September 19, 2010 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Peter Paul Rubens, "Male nude after Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, Vatican," 1871 A Pioneering Collection: Master Drawings from the Crocker Art Museum also opens this weekend at PAM. The exhibition presents 57 rarely seen works dating from the late 15th through the 19th centuries by artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Fra Bartolommeo, Peter Paul Rubens, François Boucher, and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Exhibition • June 12 - September 19, 2010 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 11, 2010 at 12:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.10.10 open studios: north coast seed building  Artists in the North Coast Seed Building are holding open studios tomorrow, "in a night of art, process, and performance. Participants range from Illustrators to Painters to Visual & Product Designers to Wood Workers to Photographers and Performers." Open Studio Reception • 6-10pm • June 11 North Coast Seed Building • 2127 N Albina (next to the train tracks) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 10, 2010 at 10:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.09.10 Doing It To It  Rudy Speerschneider Gallery Homeland presents Doing It To It, a group exhibition that highlights the day-to-day actions that create works of art that are both subconscious and intentional. Focusing on individuals and groups working within a network of people and communities to make "a final wonderful outcome," the show features Patrick Collier, Per Schumann, Rudy Speerschneider, Amy Steel/Brian Drowns, Lisa Radon, Nim Wunnan, Malte Zacharias, and Dustin Zemel, as well as several groups, including Entwurf Direkt (Germany), Gartenstudios (Germany), Research Club (Oregon), and Grand Detour (Oregon). Opening reception • 6-9pm • June 11 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th • info@galleryhomeland.org Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 09, 2010 at 11:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.08.10 Storm Tharp @ PAM  Agnes Martin, "Untitled #15," 1980 Storm Tharp is speaking at PAM this week for their ongoing artist lecture series. He'll discuss Agnes Martin's Untitled #15 and Shirakura's four-paneled literati painting, Visiting A Mountain Recluse. "Considered a Minimalist in the canon of art history - suggesting a contemporary intention of formal reduction and essentialism - Tharp rather romanticizes [Martin's] practice to be 'reminiscent of a master Chinese calligrapher from the 12th century.'" As usual, the talk will meet in the Hoffman Lobby, be guided to the two pieces, and finish back in the Hoffman Lobby for "happy hour." Artist talk • 6-8pm • June 10 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 UPDATE: Sold out! Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 08, 2010 at 11:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.04.10 weekend shows, lectures, & dinners  Eve Fowler & Anna Sew Hoy For their final show in the Booth Kelly Gear House, Ditch Projects presents Two Serious Ladies, a collaborative experiment in sculpture and photography by Eve Fowler and Anna Sew Hoy: "Embracing an aesthetic of chaotic feminism, the pair wrestles the clutter of daily life into submission, gleaning new messages and meanings from the hidden underbellies of everyday objects. Using a combination of photographic materials, Neanderthal technologies, and live light actions, Fowler and Sew Hoy reject the reason found in illumination, opting instead for open, interpretive possibilities for visual understanding." The reception features a musical performance by Jackie-O Motherfucker. Opening reception • 7-10pm • June 5 Ditch Projects • 303 S 5th Ave #190, Springfield, OR • info@ditchprojects.com  Carlos Cruz-Diez, "Chromosaturation," 1965 As part of their ongoing Critical Voices lecture series, PAM presents "Color Embodied in Space," a lecture by Mari Carmen Ramírez: "In this lecture, Ramírez, curator of Latin American art and director of the International Center for the Arts of the Americas at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, will discuss the radical approaches to color in Latin American art of the past fifty years with a special focus on the work of Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, the late Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica, and their contemporaries." Curator lecture • 2-3pm • June 6 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  This Sunday, Portland Stock is celebrating their one year anniversary of Stock Grants with a dinner at Disjecta. In addition to the usual dinner, discussion, and voting, they'll be exhibiting all of the proposals they've ever received in conjunction with the Grown Ups exhibition. RSVP required to portlandstock@gmail.com. Artist grant dinner • 6-8pm • June 6 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 04, 2010 at 11:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.03.10 First Friday Picks June 2010  Bailey Winters, "After the Explosion..." NAAU presents Bailey Winters' Ambush: The Story of the TDA. The exhibition "depicts a fictionalized revolutionary group living on the West Coast of the United States in the early years of the twenty-first century. Winters' paintings, and their accompanying narrative titles, explore the personal dynamics at work in the underground political party. In particular, Winters examines the organization's final decision to refuse a non-violent alternative and instead continue with militant reaction." Opening reception • 6-9pm • June 4 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 (More: Cadence at Worksound, (Not) So Bright Please at Nationale, Teri Fullerton at Newspace, and PORTstar Jascha Owens at Launch Pad.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 03, 2010 at 12:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.02.10 newbies  Gary Wiseman, "Tea Project" There's a new art space in the ground level of the music venue the Artistery in SE. RECESS's mission is to "encourage collaboration between the artists, curators, and attendees at each event...the space will showcase work that invites the audience to be a direct and fundamental participant in the process." The first show, aptly titled Recess, opens this weekend and features work by Nim Wunnan, Gary Wiseman, Rachel Montgomery, Abraham Ingle, Justin Flood, Ally Drozd, and Crystal Baxley. Live music starts at 9:30pm. Premier opening reception • 6:30pm • June 5 RECESS • 4315 SE Division • recesspdx@gmail.com  Avantika Bawawith friends at her Columbian building installation, photo by Dene Grigar Artist K.C. Madsen has launched a new program in Vancouver (Washington) called "Windows Into Art." For a month, seven downtown Vancouver buildings will host the work of 19 artists in 18 storefront windows. Featured artists include Janice Arnold, Avantika Bawa, Anne John, Yoshihiro Kitai, and Crystal Schenk, as well as many other emerging and new media artists. The program hopes to engage viewers who might not walk into a typical art viewing space and engage people in a dialogue about "art space." None of the work is for sale. Window viewing • June 4 - July 5, 2010 Windows Into Art • Visit the website for locations Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 02, 2010 at 6:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.01.10 First Thursday Picks June 2010  Eva Lake, "Target 46" Augen DeSoto presents Eva Lake's Targets. Inspired by the nostalgia craze of Hollywood glamor, Lake's "Babes in the Target" are a conversation about "what a woman artist's life [is] like - she makes objects but she's also the object. The conversation is as much about her, her body, how she looks and how sexy she is - as it is her work." Opening reception • 5-8:30pm • June 3 Augen Gallery • 716 NW Davis • 503.503.546.5056 (More: Storm Tharp at PDX, "Wid B. Vicious" at Chambers@916, Brad Adkins at PDX Across the Hall, Pop Coochie at IGLOO.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 01, 2010 at 19:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.31.10 art school: talking, showing  Bonnie Fortune Bonnie Fortune will lecture this week for Clark College's Artist Talk series. She's "an artist, writer, and educator based in Chicago...whose project-based work explores issues surrounding the environment, health, technology, and aging." Artist lecture • 7pm • June 2 Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • PUB 161 Upcoming PSU MFA exhibitions: Michelle Liccardo's Too Much Mustard is the final show in the ongoing series of MFA in Contemporary Art Practice Exhibitions, June 1-12, 2010 at the MK Gallery; Disjecta is exhibiting Grown Ups: PSU MFA Graduating Exhibition June 5-July 3, 2010 with a reception June 5. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 31, 2010 at 9:43 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 05.28.10 cinema & print  Makino Takashi Cinema Project is bringing Japanese video artist Makino Takashi to Portland for two nights of images and sound. The first night will feature short recent videos by Takashi, and the second will feature the world premiere of his newest work Inter View with a live score composed and performed by Portland-based musicians Tara Jane O'Neil and Brian Mumford. Film screenings • 7pm • June 1 & 2 Cinema Project @ Clinton St Theater • 2552 SE Clinton  Drain magazine is celebrating the release of their 11th issue, "Rewind," with a launch party and video performance at Disjecta this weekend. "Issue #11 of Drain explores through word and image the concept of rewind in contemporary art and culture. What is it that we do when we rewind? What are the politics of personal and cultural rewind? Can we really see, feel, and act again? What are the phenomenological dimensions of rewind?" Launch party & performance • 7-10pm • May 29 Disjecta @ the Templeton Building • 230 E Burnside Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 28, 2010 at 12:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.26.10 New arts education seminar Registration has opened for the Right Brain Initiative's first annual arts education seminar, "Imagine This: A Seminar on Bringing Creativity to Classrooms." The event includes a broad range of workshops and lectures from many major arts education speakers. Cost is $100 for a day or $250 for the whole event. Follow this link to see the schedule of events and registration info.
Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 26, 2010 at 10:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.25.10 Last Thursday Picks May 2010  At Appendix: Travis Fitzgerald is a painter who "works with the collective identity of grouped characters and a trajectory of design throughout the 20th century" whose "recent transition to built objects in space pulls known methodologies of making into unknown territories." At Little Field: Zach Rose's HOMETOUCH: "Through object, performance, and interaction design, Rose interrogates the myths of technological innovation and capitalist enterprise. Situated between cell phone huckster and tech startup HOMETOUCH divorces product from service, form from function, and innovation from success." Opening receptions • 6pm • May 27 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26th & 27th off NE Alberta Little Field • North alley b/w 28th & 29th off NE Alberta While you're in NE, check out the Alicia Blue Gallery on 1468 NE Alberta and False Front on 4518 NE 32nd. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 25, 2010 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.24.10 Microcinema & last minute artist needed  Deep Leap Microcinema presents The Internet is a Terrible Place to Live: video art by Tyrone Davies, Nia Burns, Rachael Morrison, Max Juren, Stephen Slappe, Jeremy Bailey, Grey Gersten, and more, featuring a performance of Poltzergeist by Weird Faction. $3-$6. Film(s) screening • 8pm • May 25 Deep Leap Microcinema @ Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020 ARTIST NEEDED: False Front Studio is seeking an artist to perform and/or exhibit in their intimate NE Portland space this Thursday to replace the previously scheduled artist, who had to postpone due to a family emergency. Contact Jason Doizé at jasondoize@mac.com ASAP for more info. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 24, 2010 at 14:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.19.10 Last chance Judd, gallery talk  Peter Ballantine It's the last 3 days of the Donald Judd exhibition at the U of O's White Box Gallery (in Portland) and thanks to RACC and OCHC Judd's longtime fabricator, friend, and now restorer, lecturer and curator Peter Ballantine will give a gallery talk at 3:00 PM on Friday May 21st at the gallery. It has been a privilege to work with him and if you are interested in the radical aspects of 60's art, Judd or fabrication of any kind Peter is a must meet primary source. Ballantine met Judd in 1968 while in the Whitney Museum's now legendary Independent Studies Program. From 1969 to 1994 he fabricated over 200 Judd works directly and approved a large number by other fabricators on behalf of Judd. From 1994 to 2004 he was art supervisor for the Donald Judd Estate/Judd Foundation and since has worked as an independent Judd restorer, curator, researcher and lecturer. He is currently preparing a Judd drawing show in London and 2 Judd Delegated Fabrication conferences in Berlin and New York similar to Portland's. Those other venues likely wont have an exhibition like the one here (the first of its kind to explore Judd's delegated fabrication) and odds are this is the last major Judd solo show in the Pacific Northwest during our lifetime (all of the plywood works in the show are made from Oregon Douglas fir)... so see it. University of Oregon, Portland White Box Gallery 24 NW 1st ave Lecture at 3:00 PM Gallery hours this week Tuesday-Friday 12-6PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 19, 2010 at 11:51 | Comments (0) Permalinkintersection  From "Intersection" NAAU presents InterSection: the lines that brought us here, a one-night-only event curated by Keia Booker. "Each of the 6 artists were given a directive to map a particular act of expression by tracing lines through their own personal artistic heritage. On May 21st their work in theory and practice will emerge from personal navigation and make contact with a larger context of communal action and expression." Featured artists include: Lindsay Kennedy (touch), Gary Wiseman (seeing), Tahni Holt (understanding), Seth Nehil (listening), Ty Ennis (forgiveness), Rikki Rothenberg (love). Art event • 6-9pm • May 21 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 19, 2010 at 9:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.18.10 Architecture & Speed Spark  UO's medical and athletic center, designed by ZGF Eugene Sandoval, lead architect at ZGF, is speaking at UO White Stag this week for their Architecture & Allied Arts' spring lecture series. Lectures are free and open to the public. Architecture lecture • 12-1pm • May 19 UO Portland • White Stag Building Event Room • 70 NW Couch  TILT Export, a curating project run by Josh Smith and former PORTstar Jenene Nagy, is hosting Art Spark at Vendetta this month. Dubbing the event "curatorial speed dating," the pair is soliciting artists to "knock their socks off." Send in images ahead of time to tilt@jjfab.com with "Art Spark" in the subject line, then show up at the event to present your project idea to TILT Export in five minutes. Participants will be considered for upcoming TILT Export projects being planned in other cities. A number of other local curators will be in attendance as well, including Avantika Bawa of Aquaspace, Derek Faust of Doppler PDX, and Damien Gilley of IGLOO. Art adventure • 5-7pm • May 20 Art Spark @ Vendetta • 4306 N Williams Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 18, 2010 at 11:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.17.10 art cinema  Nancy Andrews, still from "Phantom Limb" Cinema Project presents Omnium-Gatherum Pt. II, a follow-up to Pt. I presented last fall at Light Industry in Brooklyn. "Picking up where Pt. I left off, Omnium-Gatherum Pt. II brings us to the present day for two nights of Northwest premieres from some of [Cinema Project's favorite artists]. Each of these works has been produced within the past two years, and showcases the innovation and maturity of these contemporary moving-image artists." Screenings are happening over two days, visit the Cinema Project website for schedule and details. Film screenings • 7pm • May 18 & 19 Cinema Project @ Clinton St Theater • 2522 SE Clinton  Andrew Klaus Grand Detour, "a new microcinema setting for experimental filmmakers and curators in Industrial SE," is kicking off their inaugural summer screenings with THINK/FEEL: The experimental cinema of Andrew Klaus, a Portland filmmaker with "a well-earned reputation for exploring the darker corners of the creative experience." Due to mature content, the screenings will be 18+. Film screening • 7pm • May 18 Grand Detour • 215 SE Morrison Suite 2020 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 17, 2010 at 9:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.14.10 alberta arts  Art on Alberta' annual Art Hop is happening this Saturday. The day-long event, like an über Last Thursday, includes art openings, music performances, vendors, food, and four new permanent murals on NE Alberta. Arts celebration • 11am-6pm • May 15 Alberta Arts District • NE Alberta St, covering ~15 blocks west of 30th  Stay on Alberta through the evening for the second opening at the new Alicia Blue Gallery, which debuted by hosting Heidi Schwegler's Portland2010 exhibition. Where are they now?, curated by Beth Gates, features work by Le Hong Thai and Nguyen Van Cuong, two young contemporary artists from Vietnam who live and work in Hanoi. Opening reception • 6-8pm • May 15 Alicia Blue Gallery • 1468 NE Alberta • 503.505.9060 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 14, 2010 at 9:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.13.10 Face Facade & Bookwerks  Fourteen30 presents Natascha Snellman's Face Facade: "Gender metaphors and archetypes mix with corporeal sensibilities in Natascha Snellman's recent photographs and sculpture. Snellman's works utilize surrogates from popular culture, the art world, and the animal kingdom to question relationships between animal and man/woman, man and woman, and the other." Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 14 Fourteen30 • 130 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430  Shelves @ Monograph Bookwerks Local artist Blair Saxon-Hill and John Brodie, owner of Le Happy and proprietor of the famous Store for a Month, have opened a new art bookstore on Alberta. Monograph Bookwerks, featuring "fine art books + objects," is open Wed-Sun 11am-7pm, at 5005 NE 27th @ Alberta, 503.284.5005. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 13, 2010 at 6:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.12.10 Open Engagement  PSU's 2010 Open Engagement conference is this weekend. "The artists involved in Open Engagement: Making Things, Making Things Better, Making Things Worse, challenge our traditional ideas of what art is and does. These artist's projects mediate the contemporary frameworks of art as service, as social space, as activism, as interactions, and as relationships, and tackle subject matter ranging from urban planning, alternative pedagogy, play, fiction, sustainability, political conflict and the social role of the artist." The conference is free and open to the public- just register at the PSU art building the day of the event you'd like to attend. Art & social practice conference • May 14-17, 2010 Open Engagement @ PSU • 2000 SW 5th (registration: see schedule for event locations) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 12, 2010 at 9:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 05.08.10 Harry Dawson & Bill Viola  Bill Viola, still from "Quintet of the Astonished" The NW Film Center presents The Art of Collaboration, a talk by Harry Dawson on his collaboration with Bill Viola on Quintet of the Astonished, a film that's currently on view at PAM for DISQUIETED. Tomorrow Dawson will discuss his "innovative, complex work with Viola, a two-decade association that, in addition to this piece, has yielded works ranging from a 3 1/2-hour, 35' x 70', silent film 'backdrop' for the Paris Opera's production of Tristan and Isolde (2005), to GOING FORTH BY DAY (2002), which references fresco painting to create a powerful five-part projection-based installation that examines cycles of birth, death, and rebirth." Admission to the exhibition is included with tickets to the talk. Artist talk • 2pm • May 9 NW Film Center @ PAM • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 08, 2010 at 12:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.06.10 First Friday Picks May 2010  Worksound presents House Arrest, featuring work by Nan Curtis, Ianthe Jackson, Rachel Peddersen, and Tyler Wallace, with special opening night performances by Sean Patrick Carney and Future Death Toll. Opening reception • 6pm • May 7 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: Alison Pebworth at Gallery Homeland, Liz Haley at Pushdot, open studios at Boatspace, Nicky Kriara at Good, UO MFA candidates at Disjecta.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 06, 2010 at 13:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.05.10 Beside Himself  Ditch Projects presents Beside Himself: Exhibiting Male Anxiety, "an exhibition that combines art, cinema, everyday objects, and fabricated vignettes to explore how the relationship between masculinity and anxiety manifests itself in cultural production." The show is curated by Terri C. Smith and features work by Vito Acconci, Trisha Baga, Tim Davis, Marie de Saint Phalle, Alisha Kerlin, Neal Medlyn, Bryan Zanisnik, Seth Kelly, and Karsten Krejcarek. Opening reception • 7-10pm • May 8 Ditch Projects • 303 S 5th Ave #190 Springfield, OR • info@ditchprojects.com Also: Ditch Projects recently announced that they're losing their space in the Millrace Gear House and seeking a new permanent or temporary space in which to host their scheduled fall exhibitions. Please contact them with "any suggestions, commiseration, or acts of support." Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 05, 2010 at 10:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.04.10 First Thursday Picks May 2010  Donald Judd, photo by Jeff Jahn In case you somehow missed Donald Judd mania in April, you can still see the exhibition of his work at the University of Oregon's White Box gallery in the White Stag building. It's open to the public and up through May 21, 2010, with a First Thursday reception this week. Show curator and PORT founder Jeff Jahn notes that: "This is the first show of major Judd works in the Pacific Northwest since 1974 and the first ever exhibition of Judd's drawings for fabricators and drawings by fabricators and other ephemera." First Thursday reception • 5-8pm • May 6 White Box • 24 NW 1st Ave (More: Claire Cowie at Elizabeth Leach, Gus Van Sant at PDX Contemporary, Artur Silva at Half/Dozen, Holly Senn at Doppler PDX.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 04, 2010 at 10:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.03.10 schooling you  Hank Willis Thomas We've been remiss on calendaring good PMMNLS lectures, but there's a not-to-be-missed one next week. Hank Willis Thomas, "a contemporary African American visual artist and photographer whose primary interests are race, advertising and popular culture," will be lecturing on Ads Imitate Art, Art Imitates Life, Life Imitates Ads. About his work, Thomas writes: "[The] B(r)anded series is a result of an exploration, and subsequent appropriation of the language of advertising. By employing the ubiquitous language of advertising in my work, I am able to talk explicitly about race, class and history in a medium that almost anyone can decode." Artist lecture • 7:30pm • May 10 PSU Campus • 1914 SW Park (Corner of SW Broadway & Hall) • Shattuck Hall Annex Rm 198  Karl Burkheimer Karl Burkheimer, sculptor and Associate Professor and Department Head of the wood program at OCAC, will be lecturing this week for Clark College's ongoing art talk series. Artist lecture • 7pm • May 5 Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 03, 2010 at 12:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.30.10 PSU Exhibit Update MFA in Contemporary Art Practice thesis exhibitions in May:
• Zach Springer, Build Something Together, May 3-10, 2010 at NH Installation Cases in conjunction w/ May 1 & 2 workshops at SEA Change Gallery; • Jason Zimmerman, STORIES!!!, May 3-13, 2010 in New Video Gallery; • Motoya Nakamura, Being Pulled, May 3-13, Autzen Gallery; More details here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 30, 2010 at 10:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.28.10 The Shadow and the Willing  There will be an artist talk and closing reception this Friday for Ben Buswell's New Work: The Shadow and the Willing at PCC Rock Creek's Helzer Gallery. The work "incorporates ideas of the archetype, ritual, process and art historical reference to create a physiological space. [Its] specific placement in the gallery and ubiquitously referenced image are meant to offer the viewer the opportunity for physical as well as mental experience. The work is not made to provide answers, but rather to create the opportunity to ask the right questions." Artist talk • 12:30pm • April 30 Closing reception immediately following PCC Rock Creek Helzer Art Gallery • 17705 NW Springville Rd Building 3 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 28, 2010 at 9:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.27.10 Last Thursday Picks April 2010  McIntyre Parker False Front presents new work by McIntyre Parker, director of art space Pied-à-Terre, which has moved to Half Moon Bay, CA. Parker's videos "soften the static of modern life, pulling our focus gradually inward. Serving the greater theme of contemplation, Parker's captured images ask open questions of time, purpose and place...As analyst, we are free to create our own narrative and continue the survey which Parker begins." Opening reception • 7-10pm • April 29 False Front Studio • 4518 NE 32nd • 503.781.4609  Appendix Project Space presents a joint installation by Nathan Dinihanian and Molly Cooney-Mesker that will "distill the function and program of a space...attempting to delve into the way meaning is layered physically, socially, and materially in their surroundings." This also marks the opening of Appendix's new performance/art space, Hay Batch. Opening reception • 6pm • April 29 Appendix Project Space • South Alley between 26th & 27th off Alberta • appendixspace@gmail.com  Little Field, which is being co-curated & coordinated with Appendix, presents For Real, a group exhibition: "The collected computers represent work exploring viral replication, digital image curation, pixel work, and interactivity...Positioning these unreal works in real positions within Little Field, For Real attempts to pull the question of the gallery's relationship to digital work into conversation with the developing crowd of viral-curators, image dumpers, digital image makers and programmers." Opening reception • 6pm • April 29 Little Field • North Alley between 28th & 29th off Alberta • appendixspace@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 27, 2010 at 17:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.22.10 Closing out Portland2010 As the Portland2010 biennial enters its final days, a few closing events:
 Oregon Painting Society, "HexenHouse" at the Templeton Tahni Holt et al will present the first of three performances of Culture Machine (In Progress) at Disjecta. (Performances two & three will happen on Saturday & Sunday, respectively.) Performance • 6pm • April 23 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate The Oregon Painting Society presents the HexenHouse closing performance, featuring Woolly Mammoth Comes to Dinner, at the Templeton Building. Performance • 9pm (Doors @ 8) • April 23 Templeton • 5 SE 3rd Portland2010 curator Cris Moss will host an informal discussion about the process of selecting artists and designing the exhibition at Disjecta. Curator talk • 3pm • April 24 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 22, 2010 at 9:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.20.10 Hannah Higgins update Due to personal reasons, Hannah Higgins will be unable to come to Portland this week. Her lecture at the Museum of Contemporary Craft has been postponed, but in the meantime you can enjoy PORT's interview with Hannah.
Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 20, 2010 at 11:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.19.10 screaming city  Still from Christoph Doering's "Persona Non Grata," 1981 Cinema Project presents Screaming City: West Berlin 1980s: "In the decade before the fall of the Berlin Wall, a vast number of films were produced in and about West Berlin, dealing with the ambivalent realities of the enclosed city. No longer was it about devoting oneself to the World Revolution, but rather about implementing alternative life-styles, which gave rise to social resistance, strident underground cultures, and sexual border-crossing." Curator Stefanie Schulte Strathaus of Berlin's Arsena will present a series of experimental super-8 films "from this dynamic and complex period of our recent past." Short films • 6:45pm • April 20 Long film • 6:45pm • April 21 Cinema Project @ Clinton St Theater • 2522 SE Clinton Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 19, 2010 at 9:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.16.10 portland on portland  The New Oregon Interview Series & UO White Stag present Portland on Portland: Image + Word. Host Nora Robertson will lead an evening of conversation with Nan Curtis, Brian Libby, and Floyd Skloot on "Portland's evolving creative culture and how it is communicated to other regions." Panel discussion • 6-8pm • April 20 New Oregon @ UO White Stag • 70 NW Couch Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 16, 2010 at 9:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.15.10 institutions + site-specificity  Iwona Blazwick Continuing their critical voices lecture series, PAM presents Iwona Blazwick: Just What Is It That Makes Today's Institutions So Different, So Appealing? Museums have been declared "cemeteries of crucified dreams," yet today arts institutions are more popular than ever before. Blazwick asks, "How and why have museums been transformed from mausoleums to destinations? Why do artists want to exhibit in them? What role do they play in today's society?" Taking the Whitechapel Gallery as a case study, she will explore its spaces and programs, as well as those of other institutions from around the world, and the public's love/hate relationship with them. Director lecture • 2-3pm • April 18 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Jenene Nagy, "False Flat," installed at Linfield In conjunction with the Portland2010 biennial, Jenene Nagy, Damien Gilley, and the Oregon Painting Society will lecture tomorrow about site-specificity in installation art. Artists lecture • 7-9pm • April 16 Templeton Building • 5 SE 3rd Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 15, 2010 at 11:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.14.10 Motherlode  Fernanda D'Agostino, "Baby TV" The Marylhurst Art Gym presents Motherlode, featuring work by Julianna Bright, Nan Curtis, Fernanda D'Agostino, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Linda Hutchins, Shelley Jordon, and Dianne Kornberg with poet Elisabeth Frost. The exhibition explores issues of motherhood, including the experience of parenting, "the impact of responsibility for another life, the re-encounter with childhood, and responses to making art with new restraints on one's time and energy." Motherlode will run from April 19 - May 22, 2010. Opening reception • 3-5pm • April 18 Marylhurst Art Gym • 17600 Pacific Highway Marylhurst, OR • 503.699.6243 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 14, 2010 at 10:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.13.10 community arts  Ryan Kennelly Portland City Art is celebrating their one-year anniversary by hosting Art Spark this week at the Olympic Mills Cultural Center. They'll present a call for artists as well as the exhibition A Rainy Day Wildfire, featuring work by over 120 Portland artists (see above). Music provided by Why Must I Be Careful and DJ Non-Prophet for the post-discussion (after 7pm) celebration. Art Spark • 5-7pm • April 15 @ the Olympic Mills Cultural Center • 107 SE Washington  The seventh Portland Pecha Kucha night is happening this week. The theme is "Enough" and presenters include David Burdick, Eva Hagberg, Jonah Cohen, Kevin Duell, Nico Bella, Tracy Ball, and cityscope. PK7 • 8:20-11:20pm • April 15 @ Sanbox Studio • 420 NE 9th Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 13, 2010 at 10:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 04.10.10 April is Judd Month in Portland  Poster for Judd Conference featuring image of Judd's 1974 piece at the PCVA (photo Maryanne Caruthers) Just in case you hadn't heard already, there will be an historic scholarly conference and exhibition exploring the core issue of Donald Judd's Delegated Fabrication at the U of O in Portland (featuring keynote speaker Robert Storr and many others). In support this event many other Judd related events are taking place throughout the month. There are several talks: 
One of Dan Graham's outdoor installations On April 15 The University of Oregon in Eugene is hosting a lecture by Dan Graham from 7-8PM at Room 177, Lawrence Hall. You can even video conference from the Portland Campus. Besides being a world renowned artist himself, Dan Graham was also Donald Judd's first art dealer at the John Daniels Gallery. Both artists were products if the same era and took a similar very empirical approach towards art and life. 
On April 17 at 3:00 PM PNCA will host Judd Related, a multidisciplinary panel of noted Portland artists whose work has had a strong relationship to Donald Judd's. This will be a be a thought provoking discussion about intersecting influence, precedent, examples and the inevitability of where these artists differ from Judd. Of particular interest is the inter-artist note-comparing portion of this gathering all of the participants produce such divergent work. The panel consists of; Storm Tharp, Laura Fritz, Victor Maldonado, Arcy Douglass and Anna Gray & Ryan Wilson Paulsen. I will moderate. Judd Exhibitions: ... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 10, 2010 at 15:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.09.10 Texture @ the Japanese Garden  Aki Sogabe The Japanese Garden presents Texture: The Art of Fiber and Paper: "Most people are familiar with the Japanese art of paper folding, or origami, but there are a number of other Japanese paper arts that are equally engaging, including chiyogami, collage, iris-folding, calligraphy, kiri-e, sumi-e painting - and the creative process of making paper itself." The garden will be exhibiting works in fiber and paper in the pavilion April 10 - 18, 2010. Artist reception • 5-7pm • April 9 Portland Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston • 503.223.1321 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 09, 2010 at 9:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.08.10 archer + ditch  Alison Owen Clark College's Archer Gallery presents an exhibition by Alison Owen. "Owen makes site-responsive paintings and installations that alter the environment in subtly invasive ways. She focuses on the peripheral, using delicate materials and colors to create works that reward sustained investigation and attention." She's working in residence at the Archer Gallery April 5-9, 2010, and will give a lecture on her work this afternoon, April 8. The exhibition will run April 10-30, 2010. Artist talk • 1:30pm • April 8 Opening reception • 5-7pm • April 10 Clark College Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • 360.992.2246  Sol Hashimi and Rebar Niemi Ditch Projects presents Metabolizing Costco: "Beyond the slack of Generation X and the pathological ambition of Generation Y lies a digital void. Tomorrow's children are here today, and they embody an over-informed, undazzled, and decentralized generation for whom obscurity has all but expired. The kids are all the same and it turns out they're all pissed. With Metabolizing Costco, curator Jessica Powers (TARL) invites Seattle artists Sol Hashimi and Rebar Niemi to call a temporary truce, working together to create a physical screenshot of the children of 2012." The exhibition runs from April 10 - May 1, 2010. Opening reception • 7-10pm • April 10 Ditch Projects • 303 S 5th Ave #190, Springfield, OR • info@ditchprojects.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 08, 2010 at 12:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.07.10 talks at PAM  Max Beckmann, "The Mill," 1947 James Lavadour is speaking this week for PAM's ongoing artist talk series. He'll be leading a discussion of Max Beckmann's The Mill. The group meets in the Hoffman Lobby and returns there after for happy hour. Artist talk • 6-8pm • April 8 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  James Plensa, "In the Midst of Dreams" James Plensa, whose room-sized installation In the Midst of Dreams introduces DISQUIETED, will be lecturing this weekend at PAM. This is one of a series of lectures & events in conjunction with the exhibition. Artist lecture • 2-3pm • April 10 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 07, 2010 at 10:55 | Comments (2) PermalinkTuesday 04.06.10 scarecrow + the group show  Andy Warhol, "Evelyn Kuhn," 1977, Polacolor Type 108 print Reed College's Cooley Gallery presents Scarecrow: Exhibitionism, Ritual, & Theatricality, featuring work by Daniel Spoerri, Lynda Benglis, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Mary Bauermeister, and Sol LeWitt from the college's collection. The exhibition "considers artists' explorations of the human body -- and its functions -- in visual narratives and performance situations that reorder and transgress physical and social conventions." Scarecrow will be on view from April 6 - June 9, 2010. There will be an opening reception this weekend, as well as "The Ever Unfinished Body," an evening of puppetry, Andy Warhol films, and short lectures, later this month. Opening reception • 6pm • April 9 The Ever Unfinished Body • 6:30pm • April 22 Reed College Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Hauser Memorial Library Also starting today: The Group Show featuring artists from the Portland2010 Biennial at UO's White Box in the White Stag building. Group exhibition • April 6 - 17, 2010 University of Oregon's White Box • 24 NW 1st Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 06, 2010 at 11:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.05.10 art school talks  Mike Bray, "When Movement Depicts Space" (still) Mike Bray is lecturing this week for Clark College's Art Talk series via the Archer Gallery. Bray is an installation and video artist from Chicago whose work "examines artifice within the construction of cinematic space." He's exhibited in the Portland area recently in Fourteen30's Summer Show and the Marylhurst Art Gym's Guys Doing Guy Things (installation pictured above). Artist lecture • 7pm • April 7 Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • PUB 161 Remaining April lectures from the PNCA Graduate Visiting Artist Lecture Series: • Renny Pritkin, April 8, 6:30pm, The Lab at the Museum of Contemporary Craft • Natalie Chanin, April 15, 6:30pm, MFA in Applied Craft and Design Studios at The Bison Building Visit PNCA's calendar for more details. Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 05, 2010 at 8:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.01.10 First Friday Picks April 2010  Tania Cross Worksound presents Drawing the Slight Uneasy, curated by MK Guth and featuring work by NYC & PDX artists Bill Adams, Nicolaii Dornstauder, Tania Cross, Patrick Kelly, Michael Lee, Frank Parga, Nicole Eriko Smith, and Lynn Yarn. Opening reception • 6-10pm • April 2 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: Gabriel Liston artist residency at NAAU, 100% Organic at Gallery Homeland, and the remaining two Disjecta shows, Kartz Ucci @ Alpern Gallery and Heidi Schwegler @ Alicia Blue Gallery.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 01, 2010 at 12:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.31.10 First Thursday Picks Part II April 2010 I'm back and I have two addenda to the picks list:
 Larry Sultan, "Swimming Lessons" Photographer Larry Sultan died on December 13, 2009, at the age of 63. For the month of April, a selection of original photographs from Sultan's 1981 Blue Sky exhibition, Swimming Lessons, will be on display in Blue Sky's Library and Resource Center. Sultan created this series of underwater images between 1978 and 1981 by submerging himself in a swimming pool and holding his breath until he took each picture. Opening reception • 6-9pm • April 1 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th Ave • 503.225.0210  Karl Burkheimer Doppler presents Higher Ground, an exhibition by Karl Burkheimer, in which he "investigates his interest in the space, real or perceived, between the object of contemplation and the object of utility. Using the gallery as his architectural reference, Burkheimer created objects within the space as points of exchange with the public." Opening reception • 5:30-9pm • April 1 Doppler PDX • 625 NW Everett #109 • dopplerpdx@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 31, 2010 at 11:53 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 03.30.10 First Thursday Picks April 2010 iMegan is on vacation and it's my 11th anniversary of moving to Portland so here are my picks. Also, I'll have an official listing of Judd Month events culminating a world class scholarly conference and Judd exhibition up on Thursday:
Untitled 12-L, 1961-63/1969 Art © Judd Foundation. Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY To kick off Judd Month Elizabeth Leach Gallery presents Donald Judd Selected Prints. Donald Judd (1928 - 1994) is considered a seminal Minimalist sculptor, known for his total commitment to formal exploration, as well as his intensity of color and the sensuousness of his surfaces. Though originally a painter, Judd made extremely little two-dimensional work. This exhibition of prints from the 1960s offers an extremely rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of this lesser-known aspect of his practice. Though these prints were made at the height of Judd's career, Judd's interest in printmaking began in the mid 1950s, and extended throughout his career, including a brief collaboration with his father, Roy, in the early 1960s.  Studio view, Julia Mangold Also Judd relevant Portland artist Julia Mangold will be exhibiting New Work while making her gallery debut in Portland. Mangold has shown extensively in Europe, including several solo shows at the Galerie Fahnemann (Berlin, Germany), Galerie Niklas von Bartha (London, England), and Studio La Città (Verona, Italy). Her work has also been shown across the United States, at Rhona Hoffman (Chicago, IL), and Jim Kempner Fine Art (New York, NY). New Work is her first solo exhibition at the Elizabeth Leach Gallery. Opening reception • 6-9pm • April 1 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 30, 2010 at 23:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.29.10 art school openings  Michael Mandiberg, "Merrill Lynch - The Total Money Makeover" PNCA presents The Great Recession, "an exhibition of new work by Michael Mandiberg exploring the psychic implications of this most recent burp by the American economy, late Capitalism, gold hoarding, and the end of an empire." Mandiberg will give a talk the day before the opening on this and other projects. Artist lecture • 6:30-8pm • March 31 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • The Lab First Thursday reception • 6:30pm • April 1 Pacific Northwest College of the Arts • 1241 NW Johnson • Feldman Gallery + Project Space  Jesse Hayward's installation at Linfield Linfield presents Jesse Hayward's The Kitchen Counter Collective. "Whether it's with painted toothpicks that participants stab into an amorphous armature or with several hundred painted boxes the participants stack and re-stack throughout the run of the show, Jesse Hayward creates installations that are intended for direct audience manipulation. Utilizing repetition and ritual, he builds and paints objects in his studio that are then re-imagined through a collaborative, installation practice, articulating a space wherein boundaries are blurred." The exhibition will run from March 30 - May 1, 2010. Opening reception • 6-8pm • March 31 Linfield Art Gallery • 900 SE Baker St. McMinnville • Miller Fine Arts Center PSU's latest set of MFA exhibitions start this month. I'll be posting them in monthly batches, starting with: Ralph Pugay, April 1-15, 2010, Autzen Gallery Helen Reed, April 15-30, 2010, New Video Gallery Miles Sprietsma, April 16-30, 2010, Autzen Gallery For the full list and gallery locations, visit PSU's art department exhibition listing website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 29, 2010 at 7:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.26.10 screenings & photo/synthesis  Joanne Teasdale, "Twins" Bullseye Gallery presents PHOTO/SYNTHESIS, a discussion on photography and glass with artists Carrie Iverson, April Surgent, and Joanne Teasdale, moderated by Richard Speer. RSVP required @ 503.227.2797 or sales@bullseyeglass.com. Panel discussion • 5:30-8pm • March 30 Bullseye Gallery • 300 NW 13th • 503.227.0222  Naomi Uman Cinema Project & Reed's Cooley Gallery present two programs of 16mm films by Naomi Uman, Ukrainian Time Machine and Milking & Scratching. "With Uman in attendance to present and discuss her films, career, and methods, the two-night event focuses on her most recent projects on bucolic Ukrainian life...Working at the intersections of documentary and experimental film, Uman's aesthetic is both delicate in approach to its subjects and bold in its images and processing." Film screenings • 7pm • March 30 & 31 • $7 suggested donation Cinema Project @ The Clinton Street Theater • 2522 SE Clinton Deep Leap Microcinema presents Zaum / Beyonsense, "an evening of visionary experimental cinema from across the globe and exciting, specially commissioned performances by Seattle-based poet Brandon Shimoda and WHY I MUST BE CAREFUL." Experimental film night • 8pm • March 29 • $5 Microcinema @ The Wail • 5135 NE 42nd @ Sumner Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 26, 2010 at 12:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.25.10 lectures  New Museum, NY PAM's Critical Voices lecture series starts the 2010 season this weekend with Richard Flood's "Creating Networks: The New Internationalism." Flood will discuss how "museums today are learning to navigate an international, seemingly borderless art world, and the opportunities and costs involved." He is the chief curator at the New Museum in New York. Curator lecture • 2-3pm • March 27 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811   Julie Lasky & Ernest Beck PNCA cultural residents & internationally respected journalists and design critics Julie Lasky and Ernest Beck will be giving several public talks over the next week. For "Social Innovation-The Designer's Voice," Lasky and Beck will discuss, with Portland Monthly editor Randy Gregg, "the dialog that ensued between the [Aspen Design] Summit and Change Observer, the role criticism can play in evaluating the effectiveness of these programs, bringing voice to projects that address the impediments to human dignity and achievement faced by real people." Critical conversation • 6-7:30 • March 29 PNCA @ Jimmy Mak's • 221 NW 10th For the 3BY10 IDSA Series, Lasky and Beck present "Design and Social Change-What are the critical questions?" "Launched in the summer of 2009, Change Observer's goal is to monitor and report on developments in the burgeoning area of design and social change-people and projects, ideas and initiatives. Join Julie Lasky and Ernest Beck for a discussion on areas of significance that they have observed and their reflection on the critical conversations that designers and design educators need to engage?" Critical conversation • 6-7:30pm • March 31 PNCA @ Design Within Reach • 1200 NW Everett And finally, Lasky and Beck will discuss "Personal Design in Green Space." "The event will highlight select apartments showcasing the multiple and imaginative ways that residents have organized space, color, art and furniture to reflect their personal tastes." Critical conversation • 6-7:30pm • April 2 PNCA @ Cyan PDX • 1720 SW 4th Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 25, 2010 at 8:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.24.10 ongoing: boxes & sidewalks  Four Salvaged Boxes Ongoing at UO Portland: Four Salvaged Boxes: wHY@work: "The 4 Boxes document the approach and process wHY Architecture and Design applied toward quality design and creative environmental sustainability...When closed, the boxes function as their own traveling crates, protecting their inner contents. When opened, the boxes unfold to present information about the sustainable design features of the Grand Rapids Art Museum and other innovative green projects, through the use of diagrams, models, material samples and videos." The show will be on view through April 15, 2010. Yo-ichiro Hakomori, AIA and Kulapat Yantrasast, AIA, will lecture next week on "A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste" in conjunction with the exhibition. Reception • 12-1:30pm • March 30 Lecture • 2-3pm • March 30 University of Oregon Portland • White Stag Building • 70 NW Couch  4D Sidewalks on Lower E Burnside RACC's in situ PORTLAND temporary public art program presents 4D Sidewalk, a collaboration between urban workshop Cityscope and artist David Neveel. "4D Sidewalk creates a temporal event by recording and broadcasting a series of time-shifted video at street level, bringing the fourth dimension of time into the experience of the building. This interactive installation creates a feedback relationship with pedestrians and explores the extent to which a building can actively shape its environment." Public art • on view through May 1, 2010 • daily 6pm-midnight Bside6 Building • 524 E Burnside Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 24, 2010 at 10:18 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 03.23.10 Last Thursday Picks March 2010  Marta Ramoneda, "Girl in White Dress - Islamabad, Pakistan" Ampersand presents 52 Selects: An Exhibition of Photographs by World-Renowned Photojournalists. The exhibition aims to showcase the beauty and value of photojournalism in an an era when news-proliferation and blogs have called "the very credentials" of photojournalists into question. Opening reception • 6-10pm • March 25 Ampersand • 2916 NE Alberta Suite B • 503.805.5458 (More: Michael Endo at False Front and Mia Nolting & Aidan Koch at Together Gallery.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 23, 2010 at 12:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.22.10 Lecture: Susan Brandeis  Susan Brandeis The next public lecture from the PNCA/OCAC MFA in Applied Craft & Design program will be given this week by Susan Brandeis, a fiber artist and Director of Graduate Programs for the Department of Art and Design at North Carolina State University. Artist lecture • 6:30-8pm • March 18 Applied Craft & Design Studios • Bison Building • 421 NE 10th @ Glisan Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 22, 2010 at 9:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.19.10 PDXplore: Crossing the Columbia  After months of planning, PDXplore and the Architecture Foundation of Oregon will present the forum "Crossing the Columbia: What Does it Mean?" The program will explore the scope and impact of the Columbia River Crossing project. (Want to see a well-designed crossing? Come to this forum.) Events from March 22-26, 2010, include the exhibition PDXplore: Expanding Design Awareness and a series of panels and lectures. Click here for the full schedule. Opening reception & tour • 5:30-7pm • March 22 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 19, 2010 at 8:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.18.10 Portraits & Ikebana  Andy Warhol, "Marilyn," 1967 Opening this weekend at PAM: More Than a Pretty Face: 150 Years of the Portrait Print. "Featuring some 70 works by artists ranging from James McNeill Whistler to Chuck Close, this exhibition focuses on the portrait print from the late 19th to the early 21st century. Themes include the relationship among artist, sitter, and viewer; issues of identity, including age, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity; and ways in which social status, roles, and class are conveyed by pose, gesture, attire, and setting." Exhibition • March 20 - May 30, 2010 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  David Komeiji and Wako Henyoji, photo by Jonathan Ley The Portland Japanese Garden presents an Ohara ikebana exhibition. "Led by Master Teacher Kitty Akre, the members of the Portland Chapter of the Ohara School set the tone for early spring with an array of exquisite designs." This is one of several ikebana exhibitions, led by different schools, that occur throughout the year at the garden. Ikebana exhibition • 10am-4pm • March 20 & 21 Portland Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston • Garden Pavilion Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 18, 2010 at 9:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.17.10 Sayre Gomez + Portland2010 Part II  Sayre Gomez Fourteen30 presents Self-Expression by LA-based artist Sayre Gomez. Writer John Motley, in his continued collaboration with the gallery (writing essays for each exhibition): "[Gomez] works in many media, shrugging off the trappings of style, to insistently reiterate a single idea in countless ways, and assert the fragmented nature of identity in the process. As a result, the work in Self-Expression is diverse enough to scan as a group show." Opening reception • 6-9pm • March 19 Fourteen30 • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430  The next round of Portland2010 openings is happening this weekend. Catch work by Holly Andres, Corey Arnold, Pat Boas, John Brodie, David Eckard, Damien Gilley, Jenene Nagy, and the Oregon Painting Society at the Templeton Building, and Stephen Slappe at the Leftbank. Portland2010 Biennial • Openings Part II • March 20 Templeton Building • 230 E Burnside @ SE 3rd • 6-10pm Leftbank • 240 N Broadway • 6-9pm Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 17, 2010 at 6:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.16.10 Art Spark: Disjecta  Crystal Schenk, "Have and Have Not," currently on view at Disjecta for the Portland2010 Biennial March's Art Spark is happening at Disjecta. They're celebrating the Portland2010 Biennial and offering attendees a chance to win a show at Disjecta (for individual artists or curated group shows). Submit a one-page synopsis of your proposal along with images before 5pm on Thursday and be ready to present your project to the Art Spark crowd if chosen. Art chat • 5-7pm • March 18 Art Spark @ Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 16, 2010 at 11:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.12.10 Between Science and Garbage  Bob Ostertag and Pierre Hébert Artist and filmmaker Bob Ostertag is lecturing tomorrow at PAM in conjunction with Disquieted. "Ostertag explores the common ground and points of friction among music, creativity, politics, culture, and technology. In [his] lecture, "Between Science and Garbage," Ostertag will explore the notion that today's cutting-edge technology is tomorrow's garbage. The title of his lecture is drawn from a performance and film of the same name, which Ostertag created with his partner in Living Cinema, Pierre Hébert." Artist lecture • 2-3pm • March 13 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 12, 2010 at 10:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.11.10 Portland2010 Biennial  Portland's latest stab at a Biennial begins this weekend. Curated by Cris Moss and running from March to May 2010, exhibitions will be held at Disjecta, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, the Marylhurst Art Gym, Rocksbox, the Templeton Building, the Leftbank, the Alicia Blue Gallery, and Alpern Gallery. You can already see shows at Elizabeth Leach and the Art Gym by Melody Owen (both), and the following is opening this weekend:  Ditch Projects Are You Ready for the Country? brings Ditch Projects to Rocksbox. "Finding inspiration in the apocalypse of vacancy that marks urban failure, Are You Ready for the Country identifies and celebrates the urban center's sudden and full submission to the rural margin. Refusing the iconography of idealized naturalism, the members of Ditch Projects opt, instead, to frame rurality as the physical lack of constant urbanity." Opening reception • 6-10pm • March 13 ROcksbox Fine Art • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777  Bruce Conkle and Marne Lucas Six shows will be opening this Saturday at Disjecta (the hub of the Biennial): Bruce Conkle & Marne Lucas' Warlord Sun King, David Corbett's New Work, Sean Healy's Muscle Car Memory/Carcinoma, Tahni Holt's Culture Machine (in progress), Crystal Schenk's Recent Work, and Crystal Schenk & Shelby Davis' West Coast Turnaround. While you're there, pop over to the Vestibule to see Evertt Beidler's Cured of Second Chances (not part of the Biennial). Opening reception • 6-10pm • March 13 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 11, 2010 at 9:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.10.10 yellow luck  MP5 presents Avantika Bawa's yesterday. Yellow. Bawa writes: "My altered and seemingly 'perfect' construction aims to transform the objects beyond their perceived banality into a dynamic phenomenon that reinvents the mundane. Ordinary, discarded material is used to construct a landscape, where the common place is glorified. Here, the flawed is perfected and the familiar obscured, rendering an emergent and difficult communication to be examined and relearned." The exhibition is on view from March 12 - April 30, 2010. Opening reception • 6-9pm • March 12 MP53 • 900 NE 81st Avenue • Gallery space of lofts building  Shaun Jarvis Alpern Gallery presents Shaun Jarvis' Hard Luck. The photographs are part of a decade-long ongoing project photographing the artist's associates in available light without post-production. Opening reception • 6-9pm • March 12 Alpern Gallery • 2552 NW Vaughn • 503.477.7721 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 10, 2010 at 15:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.09.10 talks  Whiting Tennis, "Bitter Lake Compound," 2007 PAM's artist talk series continues this week with Matthew Stadler, a novelist who also writes about art and architecture for various publications, including Frieze, Artforum, Volume, Fillip, and Domus. Stadler will discuss Mark Tobey's Western Town, 1944, and Whiting Tennis' Bitter Lake Compound, 2007. The group will meet in the Hoffman Lobby, walk around the museum, and return to the lobby for happy hour after. Art lecture • 6-8pm • March 11 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Daniel Joseph Martinez PNCA presents a lecture by Daniel Joseph Martinez via the MFA in Visual Studies program: "A strategic provocateur with a keen intelligence and a wicked sense of humor, Martinez deploys the full range of available media in his practice, having used at various times (and in various combinations) text, image, sculpture, video, and performance to construct his uniquely tough-minded brand of aesthetic inquiry." Artist lecture • 6:30-8pm • March 11 MoCC in partnership with PNCA • 724 NW Davis • The Lab Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 09, 2010 at 6:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.08.10 Land Art  David Shaner, "Garden Slab," 1964 The Museum of Contemporary Craft presents Land Art: David Shaner. The exhibition explores the relationship between craft and the Land Art movement of the 1960s and 1970s through the work of a "potter's potter." Land Art includes works from the artist's estate and the museum's collection, as well as photos and personal notes taken by the artist, which "reveal a concurrent, domestically-scaled yet quietly sensual relationship between art and the landscape of the American West." Exhibition • March 10 - August 7, 2010 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 On the first day of the exhibition, William Gilbert will present a concurrent Craft Perspectives lecture via PNCA/MoCC on "Land Arts of the American West." Gilbert "will discuss shifts in contemporary understanding of the genre of Land Art, tracing connections from his own study of ceramics in Montana with Rudy Autio to the innovative 'Land Arts of the American West' program he co-founded with Chris Taylor." Artist lecture • 6:30 - 8pm • March 10 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 08, 2010 at 9:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.04.10 First Friday Picks March 2010  Stefano Minzi Gallery Homeland presents Guten Tag Meine Fruende, a collection of six contemporary emerging and established artists living and working in Berlin. The show grew out of the ongoing relationship Gallery Homeland has been building over the past 6 months with the creative community of Berlin. Featured artists include Nicole Cohen, Ali Fitzgerald, Stefano Minzi, Holger Pohl, Adam Raymont, and Katharina Trudzinski. Opening reception • 6-9pm • March 5 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th Ave • info@galleryHOMELAND.org (More: Transverse at Worksound, Incubate at PNCA's Hybrid Gallery, Susan Burnstine at Newspace, and Midori Hirose at the new Nationale.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 04, 2010 at 17:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.03.10 RAW Schema  Pae White, "MetaFoil" Reed College's annual Reed Arts Week starts today. RAW 2010's theme is Alchemy: Organized by Students to Blow Your Mind. During the 4-day arts fest, there will be exhibitions/check locations throughout campus by visiting artists Pae White, Jonah Freeman, Marko Mäetamm, and Vanessa Lang. Most will be open to the public from 12-6pm. Other public events include Saturday's Dublab: Tonalism musical event, a screening by Pierre Huyghe, a table hosted by the Independent Publishing Resource Center, and a reading by David Shields. Check the full schedule for more info on art projects and lectures. Arts fest • March 3-7, 2010 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd  Jordan Tull, "Shadow Traces" diagram OCAC's Hoffman Gallery presents Schema: Craft in Context, "the first exhibition in a series exploring the intersection of art, craft, and design in the Northwest...The artists in Schema invent images and forms that exist as the material embodiment of a conceptual framework. The interaction between form and space is primary here. While many of the selections deal with an obvious plan or structure each work can be viewed as presenting actions or directions not immediately evident. As such the pieces become systems to engage multiple possibilities rather than a fixed preconception." Among the included installations is Jordan Tull's architectural intervention, Shadow Traces: "For Hoffman Gallery, Shadow Traces is meant to disrupt visible aperture while shadowing interior surfaces. The intervention offers a shifted architectural context to experience artwork in." The exhibition runs from March 4 - March 28, 2010. Opening reception • 4-7pm • March 4 Oregon College of Art and Craft • 8245 SW Barnes Road • Hoffman Gallery Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 03, 2010 at 9:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.02.10 First Thursday Picks March 2010  Susan Seubert, "Lovejoy Fountain" Brian Libby presents 8 x PDX: Photographs of Portland Architecture at AiA's Center for Architecture. The show features works by Jeremy Bitterman, PORTstar Jeff Jahn, Chris Hornbecker, Shawn Records, Susan Seubert, Sally Schoolmaster and Michael Weeks, as well as two pictures taken by Libby. Opening reception • 5:30-8:30pm • March 4 American Institute of Architects • 403 NW 11th • 503.223.8757 (More: Blakely Dadson at Chambers@916, Melody Owen at Elizabeth Leach, Future Death Toll at Tractor, Wrecking Crüe at IGLOO, Brenda Mallory at Doppler PDX, and Lucas Murgida and Autzen.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 02, 2010 at 8:56 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 03.01.10 educational arts  Modou Dieng and Damien Gallery present Flashstream: New Video at the New Video Gallery at PSU. In the lobby of the PSU Art Building or projected on the outside wall after dusk will be video works by Hannah Piper Burns, Carl Diehl, Jacob Fennell, Weird Fiction, Jaclyn Fronzack, Matthew Green, MK Guth, Ryan Jeffery, George Kuchar, Chris Larson, Bob Moricz, and Randi Razalenti. Video exhibition • March 1 - March 26, 2010 PSU New Video Gallery • 2000 SW 5th Ave • Lobby of art building or outside at night (More: Aili Schmeltz lectures at Clark College and Of Walking in Ice opens at UO's White Box.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 01, 2010 at 11:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.25.10 PAM Library Benefit  A devoted patron has planned a benefit for the Portland Art Museum's Crumpacker Library, featuring Plum Sutra Trio & Alex Rudinsky in a collaborative piano and live painting experience, opera by Gino Majalca and Lindsey Cafferky, folk music by Steve Kinzie, poetry to music by Jeff Coleman, and more. There is a $10 donation requested with all proceeds going directly to the library, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. PAM Library Benefit • 7pm • February 27 PAM @ the United Church of Christ • 1126 SW Park Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 25, 2010 at 12:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.24.10 scriabin's mustache  Jack Ryan PCC's Cascade Gallery presents Jack Ryan's Scriabin's Mustache. "Alexander Scriabin was a Russian composer whose life and eccentricities becomes a conceptual nexus for this collection of work. Killed by combing and rupturing a carbuncle nested in his flamboyant mustache, Scriabin's life and musical oeuvre is an opportunity to construct and explore Ryan's interest in conspiracies of form and the poetics of ideas. Sound, video, light, and sculptural works tamper with time and perception. Other works playfully examine Scriabin's carbuncle, connecting it to meteor showers and marks of divinity like the stigmata..." The exhibition will be on view from February 25 - March 31, 2010. Opening reception • 6-8pm • February 25 Artist talk • 11am-12pm • March 4 PCC Cascade • 705 N Killingsworth • TH 102 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 24, 2010 at 9:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.23.10 experimenting  Chris Chong Chan-Fui, still from "Block B," 2008 In conjunction with PIFF, Cinema Project is presenting a series of short experimental films, Short Cuts V: Resilient Structures--Asian Film & Video, which includes "Lumphini 2552" by Tomonari Nishikawa, "Shinonome Omogo Ishizuchi" by Shiho Kano, "Trees of Syntax, Leaves of Axis" by Daïchi Saïto, "Block B" by Chris Chong Chan-Fui, and "Empire's Borders I" by Chen Chieh-Jen. Film screening • 6pm • February 25 • $10 Portland International Film Festival @ PAM • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium PIFF schedule and ticketing information here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 23, 2010 at 9:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.22.10 lectures  Terry Winters, "Phasescape," 2006 In conjunction with his ongoing exhibition at the Cooley Gallery, Terry Winters is lecturing on his work at Reed College. A reception at the gallery will follow the lecture. Also, check out PORT's interview with Winters on the subject of his prints a few years ago. Artist lecture • 7pm • February 24 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Vollum Lecture Hall  Mary Weatherford LA-based painter Mary Weatherfod is lecturing at MoCC in conjunction with PNCA's MFA in Visual Studies program. Artist lecture • 6:30-8pm • February 25 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • The Lab Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 22, 2010 at 9:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.19.10 urban development  W+K Atrium by Brad Cloepfil/Allied Works (photo Jeff Jahn) This month, the New Oregon Interview Series presents a live discussion with Mayor Sam Adams, Portland Monthly editor Randy Gragg, and prominent architect Brad Cloepfil. The group will "discuss their work in shaping urban space and how our built environment is evolving." Conversation • 7-8:30pm • February 22 New Oregon Interview Series @ Urban Grind East • 2214 NE Oregon St. • $5 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 19, 2010 at 9:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.18.10 DISQUIETED  Shirin Neshat, still from "Possessed," sound / video installation PAM's much-anticipated exhibition DISQUIETED opens this weekend: "Artists have always reflected and reacted to the world around them--and contemporary art, through its form or content, often disturbs as much as it provides solace. In DISQUIETED, a roster of renowned contemporary artists explore our social condition and respond to the most compelling issues of the day, challenging our preconceptions and exposing our vulnerability in turbulent times." Featured artists include (but are not limited to): Shirin Neshat, Andreas Gurskey, Charles Ray, Jaume Plensa, Doug Aitken, Bill Viola, Tracy Emin, and Takashi Murakami. The exhibition will run from February 20 - May 16, 2010. On Sunday, Bruce Guenther, curator of modern and contemporary art at PAM, will present A Wary Eye: Art in Troubling Times, a discussion of DISQUIETED and the ideas and concerns that shaped the artwork in the exhibition. Curator lecture • 2-3pm • February 21 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 18, 2010 at 9:07 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 02.17.10 college openings  The Archer Gallery presents Alight, an exhibition of works on paper by Aili Schmeltz and Laura Vandenberg. "Schmeltz's drawings are part of La Fuente de la Vida, an international collaborative art project centering around the Fountain of Life in Monterrey, Mexico. These drawings tell the story of the fountain's fall from grace in the eyes of the city, and the fictional journey of the fountain's characters as they search for a new place for their monument and home...Vandenburgh's paper works are fictional lands that develop and unfold throughout her working process. Hinting at landmasses, pools, and mountain ranges, Vandenburgh created her works as if they were actual places developing, without a predetermined plan and with each aspect leading into the next unexpected creation." The exhibition is on view February 16 - March 14, 2010. Artist reception • 5-7pm • February 27 Artist talk with Aili Schmeltz • 7pm • March 3 Archer Gallery @ Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way FAC 101, Vancouver, WA • Penguin Union Building  Melody Owen, "the weight of a tiny bird," video installation Melody Owen's So Close to the Glass and Shivering is opening this weekend in the main area at the Marylhurst Art Gym. For this exhibition, Owen uses drawing, video and sculpture as "quiet ruminations on whales and exploration...she is interested in the records that explorers keep and in making her own."  Paula Rebsom, Photo documentation, house facade, North Dakota Paula Rebsom's If We Lived Here is opening in Gallery 2 of the Art Gym: "For If We Lived Here, Rebsom, who lives in Portland, Oregon, but who was raised in western North Dakota, has devised a project that uses technology to tie one place to another. Late last summer, the artist returned to North Dakota to begin work on her first permanent outdoor installation. She built a 16-foot high and 40-foot long 'billboard-like replica' of her grandparents' original homestead. In December, she went back to film and outfit the site with recording equipment. Those recordings will be used for presentation and projection in The Art Gym's Gallery 2." Exhibitions • February 22 - April 9, 2010 Opening receptions • 3-5pm • February 21 Gallery talk • 12pm • March 11 The Art Gym @ Marylhurst • 17600 Pacific Highway, Marylhurst, OR • BP John Administration Building  Holly Andres, "The Discarded Photograph" Holly Andres will be exhibiting photographs from her Short Street and Sparrow Lane series at the North View Gallery at PCC Sylvania. Exhibition • February 18 - March 19, 2010 Artist reception and talk • 12:30-2:30pm • February 25 PCC North View Gallery • 12000 SW 49th Ave • CT 214 Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 17, 2010 at 9:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.16.10 discourse  Patty Chang, "Shangri-La (Mirror Mountain Billboards)," 2005, photo by Patty Chang and David Kelley PNCA's next MFA in Visual Studies lecture: Patty Chang at MoCC. Chang is a performer and image-maker whose "performances, or time-based sculptures, are examinations of the female experience." Artist lecture • 6:30-8pm • February 18 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis  UO's Architecture department presents a lecture by Sergio Palleroni examining "the integration of sustainable practices to improve the lives of traditionally underserved communities worldwide." Palleroni is a UO alum. Architect lecture • 12-1pm • February 19 White Stag Building • 70 NW Couch • Room 451  Jenene Nagy, "Tidal" installed at Disjecta Jenene Nagy's has been hosting informal Friday happy hours at Disjecta for people to experience and chat with her about her Tidal installation. This week she's offering a more formal presentation on her work in the form of a Q&A with artist Avantika Bawa. "The conversation will range from practice in general, site-specific and project-based works, Tidal in particular and how it came to be, and the influence of curatorial practice on artmaking." Art discussion • 7pm • February 19 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 This month's Art Spark is hosted by Young Audiences at the Someday Lounge. "Young Audiences has been around for 50 years helping artists bring dynamic arts exploration to school kids. This Art Spark will showcase a little of it all with acoustic music, middle eastern drumming, vaudeville and some doodling." Art gathering • 5-7pm • February 18 Art Spark @ Someday • 125 NW 5th Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 16, 2010 at 11:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.12.10 not to be missed this weekend  This weekend, UO's architecture department will be exhibiting design proposals for an Old Town / China Town community arts center: "The proposed building and its program are a participatory center offering classes, studio/workshop opportunities, performance space and offices for non profit arts groups. The idea for the Center is modeled after programs at the Fort Mason Center for the Arts in San Francisco, PS1 in New York, and the Cultural Brewery in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood of Berlin. It is envisioned as a new public 'catalyst' to further revitalization of the North Old Town - Chinatown neighborhood. Located at the corner of NW Glisan and NW Third Avenues, the proposals incorporate a vacant historic fire station into the project, reusing the existing structure and adding a new addition with more space." The exhibition will take place at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. This sort of space in Portland has roots in places like the PCVA, and there hasn't really been anything like it since PICA closed their exhibition space in 2004. Proposals show day 1 • 10am-5pm • February 13 Proposals show day 2 • 1-5pm • February 14 UO @ the CCBA • 315 NW Davis  Timothy Scott Dalbow, "Untitled" Beginning their artist-in-residence series, Timothy Scott Dalbow presents I don't know anyone in Paris at NAAU: "In an act of reversal and post-studio practice critique, Timothy Scott Dalbow will move his painting studio into the NAAU beginning Valentines Day 2010. Over the course of the 6 week exhibit, the gallery space will be as active or inactive as his studio practice dictates...Evolving daily, this exhibit feels necessary in this period of contemporary art where shrinking budgets and post-studio movements increasingly raise the question: why is art important and why are art objects of such great value." Opening reception • 6-9pm • February 14 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 12, 2010 at 10:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.10.10 Installation & PIFF  Derek Faust, from the "Annotation" installation at Alpern Gallery Alpern Gallery presents Derek Faust's Annotation: Configure, "a formal examination into the aesthetics, materials, and means of information storage and reproduction of humans. By combining image with the language of objects, Faust's new body of work explores analog and digital information through abstraction and minimalization." Opening reception • 6-9pm • February 12 Alpern Gallery & Project Space • 2552 NW Vaughn • 503.477.7721  Still from "I Am Love," directed by Luca Guadagnino EDIT: A belated update from the NW Film Center informs us that they'll be including a series of art-related films during PIFF, including Peter Greenaway's Rembrandt's J'Accuse, Don Argott's The Art of the Steal, Gerald Peary's For the Love of the Movies, and Don Hahn's Waking Sleeping Beauty. Totally unrelated: The Portland International Film Festival starts tomorrow. Opening night features a screening of I Am Love by Italian director Luca Guadagnino, followed by a snazzy opening night party in the lobby of the Newmark Theater ($25 for the party). The event kicks off two weeks of international film screenings, featuring 117 "compelling new films," coordinated by the NW Film Center. Film festival • February 11 - 27, 2010 PIFF via the NW Film Center • Full schedule here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 10, 2010 at 11:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.09.10 Lectures  Nancy Reddin Kienholz and Edward Ralph Kienholz, "Useful Art #5: The Western Motel," installed at PAM Director and artist Joan Gratz, who pioneered the animation technique known as clay painting, will speak at PAM this week for their artist talk series. She'll address Helen with Apples by George Segal and Useful Art #5: The Western Motel by Nancy Reddin Kienholz and Edward Ralph Kienholz. Artist talks meet in the Hoffman lobby, tour through the museum, and return to the Hoffman lobby for "happy hour." Artist lecture • 6-8pm • February 11 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Shashi Caan UPDATE: This lecture has been postponed until April 1, 6:30pm, due to inclement weather (presumably not here). Interior and product designer and educator Shashi Caan will lecture this week for PNCA & OCAC's MFA in Applied Craft & Design program. Artist lecture • 6:30-8pm • February 11 MFA in Applied Craft & Design Studios • Bison Building • 421 NE 10th Ave Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 09, 2010 at 8:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.08.10 Fashion & Fiction  Melanie Pullen, "Phones" The Linfield Gallery presents Fashion and Fiction, guest curated by Todd Johnson. The exhibition examines "the intersection of contemporary staged or constructed photography and the relationship with strategies and theories of traditional fashion photography...which has a long, rich history of creating fictitious imagery with luxuriously decadent and extravagantly ephemeral interpretations of modern culture." Featured artists include Melanie Pullen, Holly Andres, New Catalogue, Daniel Hoyt, Alex Lim, and Darien Revel. The show runs February 9 - March 13, 2010. Opening reception • 6-8pm • February 10 Linfield Fine Art Gallery • Linfield College in McMinnville (directions) • 503.883.2804 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 08, 2010 at 9:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.05.10 Pierce, PMMNLS, & Amazonia  Ryan Pierce, "Paradise" Ryan Pierce is exhibiting To Those Who Do Not Know The Way at his alma mater OCAC in conjunction with his brand-new book of the same title. The show features 13 new paintings and one "disco-ball-esque" sculpture. Go see the exhibition and celebrate the book release with him this Sunday, and check out the review of his work in Art in America. Artist reception & book release party • 12pm • February 7 Oregon College of Art & Craft • 8245 SW Barnes Rd • 503.297.5544 (More: Paul Ramirez Jonas for PMMNLS & Amazonia at the JSMA.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 05, 2010 at 18:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.04.10 First Friday Picks February 2010  Fourteen30 presents DARK: A SHOW TO WINTER, curated by the Blood Rainbow Family. "Opening during the dead of a Portland winter, Dark will include work that addresses and/or reflects this outside environment. [The street.] The grim, the cold and the black will mingle with the solitary, the contemplative and the transcendent. Explorations of dark and winter drawn from both a common visual culture, as well as more personal voids, will work together to bring the vast, seemingly endless dark winter into the confines of the gallery space." Featured artists include Sebastian Gogel, Matthew Green, Frank Haines | Francis Heinzfeller, Alex Hubbard, Arnold Kemp, Alicia Love McDaid, Thomas Moecker, Jo Nigoghossian, Sven Stuckenschmidt, and Molly Vidor. (More: Kendra Larson + Kurtiss Lofstrom at Gallery Homeland, Corey Smith at Worksound, annual juried theme show at Newspace, Down + Out at 23 Sandy.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 04, 2010 at 12:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.02.10 First Thursday Picks February 2010  Liza Nguyen, "Surface" Blue Sky presents Unfolding Time: Vietnamese Photography, Then and Now, co-curated by Christopher Rauschenberg and Stephanie Snyder. The show features photography by two contemporary women photographers, Liza Nyugen and An-My Lê, both of whose works "explore the relationship between aesthetic experience, representation, place, and memory. It is not about the politics of identity per se, but about artists' and individuals' gravitation to the photographic image as a uniquely personal and fictive agent for the stimulation of personal experience and cultural critique." In late February, LA-based photography curator Sam Lee will speak on "War and Vietnamese Photography," after which there will be a community discussion with the show's curators. Opening reception • 6-9pm • February 4 Panel discussion • 3pm • February 27 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th • 503.225.0210 (More: Re-Present at Elizabeth Leach, Avantika Bawa at Doppler PDX, The Quadratic Logogram... at Half/Dozen, Lindsey Aucoin at Tractor, Tyler Kohloff at Tribute, multiple shows at PNCA, SUPERTRASH at Anka.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 02, 2010 at 8:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.01.10 lectures  Isaac Layman For their ongoing artist talk series, Clark College presents Isaac Layman, whose photographs are "hyper-real, psychologically charged visions of the spaces and objects found in his Seattle home." In conjunction with the lecture, his work is on display in the Archer Gallery through February 6th. Artist lecture • 7pm • February 3 Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161 Poet, essayist, translator, and cultural critic Lewis Hyde will lecture at PNCA on The Gift and the Commons: Creativity and the Public Good. "Hyde asks questions central to the lives of artists as well as teachers and others who serve the public good: How do we discover work that satisfies beyond financial compensation? What are our norms for reciprocity and how do gifts create bonds in communities? His current project extends these questions to the realm of the 'cultural commons' — 'that vast store of un-owned ideas, inventions, and works of art we have inherited from the past, and that we continue to create.' In his lecture, Hyde will discuss personal gifts, the creative spirit, and our shared cultural past and imagined future." Author lecture • 6:30-8pm • February 3 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • Swigert Commons For TBA:10, PICA will present The People's Biennial, a new experiment in exhibition making by Harrell Fletcher and Jens Hoffmann. The project focuses on art being made outside of traditional artistic institutions and urban centers, and Portland will be the first location on a five-city tour. This weekend the curators will be in town to host a chat about their own practice and their aspirations for the show. They'll also be soliciting recommendations from the community for work that should be included. Curatorial conversation • 4-5:30pm • February 6 PICA @ The Ace Hotel Annex • 403 SW 10th Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 01, 2010 at 13:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.29.10 Kuchar @ PSU  George Kuchar In conjunction with PMMNLS, PSU presents The Films of George Kuchar selected by George Kuchar at the New Video Gallery. A "legend of independent filmmaking," Kuchar began making B-style mini-epics in the 1950s and later turned to video in the 1980s, creating a massive collection of video diaries. "In Kuchar's video universe, nothing is safe from the camera expanding his oeuvre to exploiting his morbid interests and notorious insecurities with his token razor-sharp sense of humor in classics like The Mongreloid and The Weather Diaries.--Kuchar's friendships, lusts, anxieties, fears, and bodily functions are all addressed onscreen, often accompanied by his outrageously funny commentary. And yet below the witty surface lie profound and moving meditations on human existence." You can view his selections at the New Video Gallery and from the street, dusk til dawn, February 1-26, 2010. Kuchar will also be lecturing this Monday for PMMNLS, and the NW Film Center is hosting "An evening with George Kuchar" on Tuesday. Video exhibition opening reception • 4-6pm • February 1 New Video Gallery • Lobby PSU Art Building • 2000 SW 5th Ave Artist lecture • 7:30pm • February 1 PMMNLS @ PSU • Shattuck Hall Annex • 1914 SW Park Rm 198 Special screening • 7pm • February 2 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 29, 2010 at 9:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.27.10 zoomtopia Carole Zoom's Portland art space dream has become a reality with Zoomtopia: "Affordable pricing and lease-to-own terms enable artists and nonprofits to find a stable home while building social and financial equity." The building features six large studio spaces, a dance rehearsal studio, common amenities, ADA accessibility and, perhaps most importantly, a great location - the corner of SE 8th & Belmont. Join them for their opening celebration tomorrow evening, kicked off by a building dedication by mayor Sam Adams and featuring a rockin' after party.
New artist space celebration • 6pm • January 28 Zoomtopia • 810 SE Belmont Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 27, 2010 at 10:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.26.10 linking graphics  Terry Winters, "Bond," 2004 The Cooley Gallery presents Linking Graphics, Prints 2000-2010 by Terry Winters, a world-renowned painter and printmaker whose work investigates biological, artificial, and information-based structures. Linking Graphics is the first comprehensive exhibition of Winters' recent etchings, lithographs, and other unique prints held in the United States. The exhibition focuses on the artist's serial projects, literary collaborations, and large-scale experiments. Winters will lecture on his work at Reed College in February, after which there will be a reception in the gallery. Also, check out Arcy's 2007 interview with Winters on the very subject of his prints. Exhibition • January 26 - March 7, 2010 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Main Floor Reed Library Artist lecture • 7pm • February 24 Reed College • Vollum Lecture Hall  Po Shun Leong Artist, former architect, sculptor, and furniture maker Po Shun Leong is speaking at PNCA this week via their MFA in Applied Craft & Design program. Artist lecture • 6:30-8pm • January 28 PNCA's Applied Craft and Design Studios • 421 NE 10th Ave Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 26, 2010 at 8:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.25.10 Getty Sketchbooks  The Getty Villa The White Box at UO's White Stag building is hosting The Getty Sketchbooks. The exhibition presents reproductions of 200 sketches and drawings that were produced by the six architectural firms that were invited to compete for the commission of the Getty Villa project in 1993. The sketchbooks show the vision that went into the development of this famously beautiful extension of LA's Getty Museum. The show will have an opening reception on First Thursday followed by a lecture entitled "The Death of the Esquisse" by curator Roger Sherwood. Opening reception • 5-7pm • February 4 Curator lecture • 7-8pm • February 4 White Box • 24 NW 1st Ave Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 25, 2010 at 9:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.22.10 social action: resistance, surveillance  Anthea Black, "Looking for love in all the wrong places postering project - EN COMBINANT NOS FORCES NOUSE REIGNERONS SUR L'UNIVERS!" 2008 The Museum of Contemporary Craft presents Gestures of Resistance, guest curated by Judith Leemann and Shannon Stratton. The exhibition "examines work by contemporary artists who focus on craft actions and create works that use craft to agitate for change." Rather than present a static group of objects, the exhibition will "unfold" during its time at the museum through a series of seven artist residencies, open conversations and a study center. Featured artists include Sara Black and John Preus (January 26-February 6), Anthea Black (February 19-March 10), Carole Lung, AKA Frau Fiber (March 18-27), Mung Lar Lam (April 1-3), Cat Mazza (May 18-22), Ehren Tool (June 1-12), and Theaster Gates (June 18-19). Visit the exhibition page for descriptions of each project. The show will be kicked off with a craft conversion with the curators on opening day. Exhibition • January 26 - June 26, 2010 Curatorial conversation • 6:30pm • January 26 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 (More: Hasan Elahi for PMMNLS and winter at Ditch Projects.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 22, 2010 at 8:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.21.10 Prelude  Kate Fenker MP53 presents Prelude, a sculptural installation by Kate Fenker. Prelude is the first installment in a series of works where "geometric and organic forms begin to meld with found objects and each other." The exhibition will run from January 23 - February 26, 2010. Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 23 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st Ave • Lobby gallery space of lofts building Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 21, 2010 at 11:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.20.10 Tidal Jenene Nagy Jenene Nagy's Tidal opens this weekend at Disjecta. The exhibition continues Nagy's "definitive meld of painting, sculpture and installation into an explorative physiological environment. Bold color, intentionally disjointed surfaces, organic shape and visible architecture highlight an immense structure that hearkens Gaudi's spatial absurdities." The show will run from January 22 - February 28, 2010. Opening reception • 6-10pm • January 22 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 20, 2010 at 18:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.19.10 What is a trade?  Donald Fels & collaborators, "Pineapple," 2005 Lewis & Clark's Hoffman Gallery presents What is a trade?, an exhibition exploring the historic and contemporary effects of globalization. Painter Donald Fels was inspired by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama's 1498 voyage to Malabar, India, in search of a direct sea route for the spice trade. Working with the Signboard Painters of South India, Fels has created 16 large-scale paintings that explore the historic and modern-day legacy of that expedition more than 500 years later. The exhibition will run from January 21 - March 14, 2010. Artist lecture • 4pm • January 21 Opening reception • 5-7pm • January 21 Hoffman Gallery at Lewis & Clark • 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road • 503.768.7687 Happening TODAY at the UO White Stage building: Architect Donald MacDonald, FAIA will give a talk on movement and its influence upon the design of bridges and buildings - a very relevant Portland topic. Architecture lecture • 3:30pm • January 19 UO White Stag • 70 NW Couch • White Stag Event Room Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 19, 2010 at 1:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.15.10 calls for artists & art professors NE Portland altspace False Front is seeking proposals for solo shows for the 2010 season, starting in March. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, and requirements and where-tos can be found here.
Clark College is seeking applicants for adjunct instructors for inclusion in a pool of qualified candidates who have the demonstrated ability to teach beginning drawing and/or two-dimensional design. An MFA and college-level teaching experience are preferred. Screening begins March 8th. The position isn't up on their job site yet, so contact Carson Legree or the art department for more information. Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 15, 2010 at 16:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.14.10 Vantage  Left: Avantika Bawa, Right: Stephen Slappe Clark College's Archer Gallery presents Vantage, "an exhibition of artwork exploring perspective - visually, contextually, and perceptually. Featuring regional and national contemporary artists working in sculpture, video, computer animation, sound, photography, and installation, Vantage invites viewers into uncommon worlds, where meaning is reconstructed and reality subverted." Featured artists include Avantika Bawa, Victoria Haven, Isaac Layman, Golan Levin, Greg Pond, and Stephen Slappe. The show will be up through February 6, 2010, featuring an artist talk in early February with Isaac Layman. Artist reception • 5-7pm • January 16 Artist talk • 7pm • February 3 Archer Gallery @ Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, FAC 101, Vancouver, WA • 360.992.2246 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 14, 2010 at 8:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.13.10 Clad  Eliza Fernand Nationale presents Clad by Eliza Fernand, who writes: "Memories are triggered by familiar sights, noises, and smells. Upon recognizing a material from your past, a history of associations plays in your head. By converting old clothing and bedding into a fabric collage, I can play with an arrangement of memories." Opening reception • 6-8pm • January 15 Nationale • 2730 E Burnside • nationale.portland@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 13, 2010 at 9:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.12.10 Stephen Hayes @ PAM  Stephen Hayes, "Caldera" Painter and printmaker Stephen Hayes is on deck this week for PAM's ongoing artist lecture series. Hayes will lead a walking discussion of a couple of his favorite works from the collection. The lecture meets in the Hoffman lobby and returns there at the end for "happy hour." Artist lecture • 6-8pm • January 14 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 12, 2010 at 17:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.11.10 @ PCC & PSU  Heidi Schwegler PCC Cascade presents Heidi Schwegler's Slipping Underwater, in which Schwegler acknowledges Sartre's concept of self deception: "I must know the truth very exactly in order to conceal it more carefully." Her installation is comprised of sculptural objects, digital images, and video. "Placed together they become external manifestations of a moment of anguish." The exhibition will run through February 18, 2010. Artist talk • 2-3pm • January 13 Opening reception • 5-8pm • January 14 PCC Cascade • 705 N Killingsworth • TH 102  Christopher Price PSU's White Gallery presents Rembering Russia, an exhibition of photography by Christopher Price. Featuring the town of Vladimir and surrounding areas, the "people, buildings and scenes shown here belong to both the past and present, and are intended to show how modern life constructs itself around relics." The show will run through January 27, 2010. Opening reception • 5-7pm • January 14 PSU White Gallery • 1825 SW Broadway • Smith Building 2nd Floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 11, 2010 at 14:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.08.10 The Dregs  Brandy Cochrane and Paul Middendorf The Marylhurst Art Gym presents The Dregs by Brandy Cochrane and Paul Middendorf. For the exhibition, the pair took the remains of an estate sale to create an homage to and portrait of a family that has passed into history: "The story of a life can be composed from these dregs, pieced together from objects un-sellable, unwanted, unexpected – and bound for the trash heap."  Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen, "Integrating a Burning House" Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen are exhibiting The Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things in the Art Gym's Gallery 2. Their apartment was lost to a fire in 2008, and in this exhibition they explore the experiences in the months that followed and their pending return to a new dwelling at their old address. Both exhibitions will run through February 11, 2010. Opening receptions • 3-5pm • January 10 Artist talks • 12pm • February 4 Marylhurst Art Gym • 17600 Pacific Highway Marylhurst, OR • BP John Administration Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 08, 2010 at 9:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.07.10 Second Friday Picks January 2010  Blue Mitchell Newspace presents New Work by Blue Mitchell, who "burns his negatives, distorting natural landscapes into painterly, surreal scenes. The images are applied as acrylic lifts to birch panels, and then varnished. Mitchell aims to move beyond a simply two-dimensional perspective with his photographs, in an attempt to more accurately express his true experience of the landscapes he photographs."  Corey Davis Landscapes, Materialized by Corey Davis is also at Newspace this month. The exhibition features "beautifully abstract, minimalistic images of coffee grounds in the bottom of Japanese teacups... The landscape-like images invoke calming, meditative spaces." Opening receptions • 7-10pm • January 8 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th • 503.963.1935  Liz Obert, installation view of Mapping Marnay-sur-Seine The Alpern Gallery presents Liz Obert's Mapping Marnay-sur-Seine. From the artist: "The piece relates a sense of place to the viewer by looking solely at the details or micro-images of this village... We learn about our world by taking it apart whether it’s by dissecting an animal, collecting archeological artifacts or analyzing a poem." Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 8 Alpern Gallery • 2552 NW Vaughn • 503.477.7721 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 07, 2010 at 15:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.05.10 First Thursday Picks January 2010  Christopher Rauschenberg, "Paris Flea Market" Elizabeth Leach presents Paris Flea Market, a collection of photographs by Christopher Rauschenberg of the Marché aux Puces at Saint Ouen, just outside of Paris. "Well-known for his panoramic, assembled images, Rauschenberg's latest body of work is composed of single images, which capture and crystallize specific moments of wit and beauty... the jumbled stalls and crowded viewing rooms [of Paris Flea Market] reflect the beauty and accidental narratives of surprising, unintentional juxtapositions of objects." Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 7 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 (More: Olaf Otto Becker & Celine Clanet at Blue Sky, Megan Murphy at PDX Contemporary, a group drawing show at Blackfish, PORT staff show at Gallery 114, Play for Keeps at Tribute, ROM'N Times at Autzen, and Alex Hubbard for PSU's video space.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 05, 2010 at 15:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.04.10 art talks  Visitor Information Center in Portland, OR 1948, designed by John Yeon, image courtesy of the Oregon History Cooperative The University of Oregon's Winter Architecture Lecture series continues with The Far East in the Architecture of the Pacific Northwest: John Yeon and the Landscape Arts of China and Japan by UO Professor of Architecture Kevin Nute. "The Northwest modernist John Yeon (1910-1994) is perhaps best known as a designer of houses that seem made for their particular natural surroundings. This lecture will examine parallels between techniques used to integrate buildings and landscapes in Yeon's work and the traditional Chinese and Japanese pictorial art he collected for most of his career..." Architecture lecture • 12pm • January 6 UO White Stag Building • 70 NW Couch • Event Room  Ben Buswell, "black eye" (detail) For the next installment in their First Wednesday lecture series, Clark College presents local artist Ben Buswell. Artist lecture • 7pm • January 6 Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 04, 2010 at 11:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.17.09 The Shape of Time  From "The Shape of Time" As part of the inauguration of their sprawling new space, the Oregon Jewish Museum presents The Shape of Time: accumulations of place and memory. Invited artists chose a sampling of images from the museum's extensive archives of historical photographs and will present photographic responses to the images, creating a historical juxtaposition of past and present. The exhibition hopes to "go beyond historical comparisons of familiar locations or architecture... initiating a dialogue about the specifics of Jewish history in Oregon as it is tied to spatial location and public memory... [and exploring] how a photographic response to archival images might augment, shape or replace an eroded group memory." The Shape of Time is guest-curated by Tim DuRoche, featuring work by Bobby Abrahamson, Jeff Amram, William Galen, Stu Levy and Carol Isaak, David Lanthan Reamer, and Sika Stanton. Exhibition • December 20, 2009 - April 30, 2010 Oregon Jewish Museum • 1953 NW Kearney • 503.226.3600 Editorial note: Jewish history has also played an important role in Portland's artistic heritage - see Mark Rothko. Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 17, 2009 at 11:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 12.14.09 Sacred Geometries  This month, Deep Leap Microcinema presents Sacred Geometries, an evening of "thematically curated video art, experimental film and new media works... Expect mesmerizing shapes, critical engagement with the seductive ideas of Sacred Geometry and slow burn brain melts." Cinematic evening • 7:30pm • December 15 Deep Leap Microcinema at the Waypost • 3120 N Williams • jesse.malmed@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 14, 2009 at 10:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.09.09 Forth Estate  Matt Keegan, "Handmade Shoes" Fourteen30 presents an exhibition of recent print editions of New York-based Forth Estate. "Founded in 2005 by Luther Davis and Glen Baldridge, Forth Estate produces editioned works by emerging artists using both traditional and technologically innovative approaches to printmaking." Featured artists include Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Will Yackulic, Eddie Martinez, Glen Baldridge, Joseph Hart, Phil Sanders, Ruby Sky Stiler and more. Note: There's an associated artist lecture at OCAC today. Artist lecture • 12pm • December 9 Oregon College of Art & Craft • 8245 SW Barnes Rd • 503.297.5544 Opening reception • 6-9pm • December 11 Fourteen 30 Contemporary • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 09, 2009 at 10:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.08.09 Arcy Douglass @ PAM  Albert Bierdstat, "Mount Hood" This week, PORTstar Arcy Douglass is speaking at PAM for their ongoing artist lecture series- read Arcy's excellent essay on art and nature here, or check out his full PORT catalog here. Arcy will lead a walking discussion about the painting above, Albert Bierdstat's Mount Hood. Meet at 6pm in the Hoffman Lobby, then return there after the talk for happy hour until 8pm. Artist lecture • 6-8pm • December 10 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 08, 2009 at 11:17 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 12.07.09 The GIF Economy  Weird Fiction, "The GIF Economy," installation view Local arts collection Weird Fiction presents The GIF Economy, both "an instantiation of the "gift economy" and a call to action within the economy of expression roused by the humble parameters of the Graphic Interchange Format," at Tractor. "As 2009 expires, Weird Fiction exhumes a curious collection of GIF animation, curating items conjured up from a year's worth of trolling in the deep dark dungeons of the internets. Denizens of the World Wide Web are encouraged to contribute GIF animations to this exhibit over the next three weeks. In-coming GIF animations will be classified taxonomically and will continue to accumulate on networked monitors displayed in the gallery space. GIFS can be sent to: weirdfictiongifs@gmail.com." The exhibition will continue through December 18th. Closing reception • 6-9pm • December 18 Tractor Gallery • 328 NW Broadway #114 • charles@tractorpdx.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 07, 2009 at 9:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.04.09 Halprin book unveiling  Halprin's Ira Keller Fountain, November 2009 (Photo Jeff Jahn) Tomorrow writers Randy Gragg, Janice Ross, John Beardsley and one of my favorite architectural photographers Susan Seubert are releasing their long overdue book, Where the Revolution Began Lawrence and Anna Halprin and the Reinvention of Public Space. It is a celebration of Portland’s world-renowned plazas—Keller Fountain, Pettygrove Park, Lovejoy Fountain, and the Source Fountain—and the life and work of their designer, the late Lawrence Halprin. There will be a lecture/performance by Ron Blessinger, violinist at Third Angle Ensemble, and dancers Linda K. Johnson, Tere Mathern, Cydney Wilkes, and Linda Austin as well as the video premiere of the September 2008 performance The City Dance of Lawrence and Anna Halprin. December 5 at 2 p.m. Ziba World Headquarters Auditorium | 1044 NW Ninth Ave Admission: Free | Please RSVP at rvsp@portlandmonthlymag.com Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 04, 2009 at 12:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkLocker on Velata  Raphael, "La Velata (Woman With a Veil)," (1514-1515) PSU art history prof Jesse Locker is lecturing this Sunday at PAM on La Velata in the context of "the rich tradition of female portraiture in the Renaissance." Art historian lecture • 2-3pm • December 6 Portland Art Museum • 1219 Sw Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 04, 2009 at 11:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.03.09 First Weekend Picks December 2009  Evertt Beidler, still from "The Business of Staying the Same is Always Changing," 2009 Worksound presents In Vicinity, a place-based show curated by Amy Harwood, Josh Pavlacky plus PORTstars Jeff Jahn and Ryan Pierce. The exhibition explores how an artist's immediate environment informs and contextualizes the work, framing the environment as the Portland area from Mt. Hood to the coast. Participating artists include Nicole Mark, The Enemies of the Proposed Palomar Pipeline, Tia Factor, Evertt Beidler, Sandy Roumagoux, and a collaborative installation by Julia Calabrese, Jill Campoli, Zack Davis, Josh Pavalacky, and Claire Staples. Opening reception • 7-10pm • December 4 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: Ann Ploeger at Pushdot, Molly Roth at Gallery Homeland, Action Art at Rocksbox, and Flight64 at False Front.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 03, 2009 at 12:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.02.09 interact  Sandow Birk Happening this afternoon: Artist Sandow Birk is speaking at PNCA in conjunction with his ongoing exhibitions in the Feldman Gallery, Depravities of War and American Qur'an. "With an emphasis on social issues, frequent themes of Birk's work include inner city violence, graffiti, political issues, travel, war, and prisons, as well as surfing and skateboarding." Artist lecture • 1-2pm • December 2 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391  David Rosenak Meet local artists: The historic Troy Laundry building is having an artist studio open house this weekend. Participating artists include: Andrea Benson, Donald E. Brown, Bob Conklin, Sarah Cruse, Dave Tinman Edgar, Deborah Einbender, Leah Faure, Maryann Fielder, Julia Gardner, Chris Haberman, Rosco Hall ll, Cathy Harrington, Martha Hull, Scott Johnson, Patrick Kelly, Joanne Kollman, Jennifer Lanphier, Lisa Laser, Pippa Miller, David Rosenak, Adam Sheppard, Caryn Siegfried, and Lily Witham. Open studios day 1 • 5-9pm • December 4 Open studios day 2 • 11am-6pm • December 5 Troy Laundry Building • 221 SE 11th • 503.913.8374 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 02, 2009 at 8:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.01.09 First Thursday Picks December 2009  Richard Serra etchings at Elizabeth Leach Gallery Elizabeth Leach presents Richard Serra's Etchings 1999-2007. The exhibition explores Serra's lesser-known printmaking practice, featuring the 2007 Paths and Edges series. The works in the series "feature thick arcing lines, which stretch beyond the boundaries of the sheet, creating a palpable sense of continued movement and weight. Even on paper, these monolithic, looming forms have a physical, three-dimensional presence, which captures the same sense of spatial domination created by Serra's internationally renowned and monumentally scaled sculptures." UPDATE: It has come to our attention that Elizabeth Leach will not be having a First Thursday in reception. However, this is still a top pick show for the month. Exhibition • December 3, 2009 - January 2, 2010 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 (More: China at Ziba, Mel George at Bullseye, Reiner Reidler at Blue Sky, Kristen Miller at PDX, Charles Siegfried at Blackfish, Work|Progress by the Dill Pickle Club, OPS at Autzen, and the New Video Gallery.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 01, 2009 at 17:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.30.09 installation, video, lecture  Tim Mahan, from "Side Tangled" H/D +Projects (the installation series at Half/Dozen Gallery in the Lofts) presents Side Tangled, an installation by Tim Mahan. The piece "creates a twisted boundary with a seemingly endless amount of yellow utility rope... challenging the idea of conventional boundaries. What good is a dividing line if it doesn't really keep you on one side or the other? ... This tangled border is permeable and is meant to be crossed. In fact, it beckons you to cross its coils and discover the view from the other side." One-night-only installation • 7-10pm • November 30 Half/Dozen • 625 NW Everett #111 • projects@halfdozengallery.com  Also happening tonight: Contour, a one-night video show curated by Modou Dieng featuring work by Rose Bond, Hannah Piper, Sean Joseph Patrick Carney, David Eckard, E*Rock, Jaclynn Fronczak & Randi Razalenti, Damien Gilley, Linda Kliewer, Mack McFarland, and PORTstar Jeff Jahn. Video(s) screening • 7-10pm • November 30 Someday Lounge • 125 NW 5th • 503.248.030  Chas Bowie Local artist and arts writer Chas Bowie is lecturing this week for Clark College's Art Talk series. He specializes in photography and currently teaches at PNCA. Art lecture • 7pm • December 2 Clark College • 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • PUB 161, Fireside Lounge Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 30, 2009 at 9:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.27.09 Susanna Helke  Susanna Helke, still from "Sin" (1996) Cinema Project, Pacific University, and the NW Film Center co-present The Cinematic Practice of Replayed Reality: Work by Susanna Helke. "As part of Cinema Project's ongoing Beyond Borders series, Finnish documentary filmmaker, university lecturer, and film theorist Susanna Helke comes to Portland for one night only to present and discuss a sampling of her film and video work. In both 35mm and digital video, her films, co-directed with Virpi Suutari, question the practices of non-fiction filmmaking. Playing with the borders of documentary and fiction, the pair work in the Flahertian tradition of documentaire joué, or as Helke describes it, 'the cinematic practice of replayed reality.'" Four works will be screened: "Sin" (1996), "Spring" (2006), "War" (2006), and "White Sky" (1998). Film(s) screening • 7:30pm • December 1 NW Film Center @ PAM • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 27, 2009 at 9:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.23.09 on Wednesday  Brian Gillis PCC Cascade Gallery presents ...on Wednesday, an installation by Brian Gillis. Using juxtaposed images, objects, and spaces, Gillis' work is "socially relevant, audience activated, and engaged... summoning stories that elicit rich metaphors and social exchanges in an effort to arouse awareness, introspection, and valuation." There will be an artist talk on opening day and a closing reception for the exhibition, which runs November 23, 2009 - January 7, 2010. Artist lecture • 2-3pm • November 23, 2009 Closing reception • 5-8pm • January 7, 2010 PCC Cascade Gallery • 705 N Killingsworth • CA TH 102 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 23, 2009 at 8:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.20.09 West Coast Turnaround  Crystal Schenk & Shelby Davis MP5 presents West Coast Turnaround, a sculptural installation by artists-in-residence Crystal Schenk and Shelby Davis. This short term installation (November 22-29) features a life-sized tractor-trailer semi, made out of 2x4s and drywall, parked in a 4th floor artist loft. "The two artists see the semi-truck as a childhood icon/phallic symbol/wild beast of the roads. It simultaneously represents freedom and movement, in conjunction with dominance and waste, while the domestic materials used for house construction suggest a form of stasis." Opening reception • 6-10pm • November 21 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st • Unit 406 of the Lofts Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 20, 2009 at 8:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.19.09 new at MoCC  Left: Lauren Kalman from Elusive Matter, Right: Andy Paiko & Ethan Rose from Transference Two new exhibitions open today at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Andy Paiko and Ethan Rose have installed Transference in the downstairs gallery. The pair collaborated to create a kinetic-sound installation reinterpreting the glass armonica that explores the material and aural properties of glass. Upstairs, Jane Aaron, Mark Hursty, and Lauren Kalman offer a new take on craft in Elusive Matter. The works in the exhibition use film and photography to explore craft-based media, challenging common expectations that craft results in a physical object. Note: Today also marks the introduction of a $3 admission fee to MoCC. Members still get in free. Exhibition(s) • November 19 - January 9th/16th, 2010 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654  Nina Katchadourian, "Parasite" (sited installation) Also happening at MoCC tonight: Nina Katchadourian is lecturing tonight for PNCA's MFA in Visual Studies visiting artist series. Katchadourian works in a wide variety of media including photography, sculpture, video and sound. Artist lecture • 6:30pm • November 19 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 19, 2009 at 12:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.18.09 WPA art This month's installment of the Art & Conversation series at PAM features local author and museum docent Ginny Allen leading a discussion on Works Progress Administration (WPA) sponsored art in the collection and other federal art projects around Portland. Meet in the Fields Ballroom in the Mark Building.
Art chat • 9:15-11am • November 19 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 18, 2009 at 6:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.16.09 work so sweet  Wendy Kveck, "Sweet Devouration" PCC Sylvania presents Sweet Devouration, new paintings and a sculpture by Wendy Kveck. The artist writes: "In recent work, food has evolved into content and material, a layered symbol that simultaneously informs abstractions and directs or embellishes my figurative narratives. These examine representations of women as cultural signifiers of excess, desire, anxiety and fear - Woman as Consumer and the Consumed..." Artist lecture • 12:30 - 1:30pm • November 17 Opening reception to follow the artist talk North View Gallery @ PCC Sylvania • 12000 SW 49th Ave • CT 214 Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 16, 2009 at 11:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.13.09 PAM Annual Book Sale Portland Art Museum, Mark Building PAM's annual book sale is happening this weekend: "Discover great book bargains at the [2-day] Crumpacker Family Library's annual sale, featuring thousands of donated new and used art books at a fraction of the full retail price." Book Sale • 9am-3pm • November 14 & 15 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • Miller Gallery in the Mark Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 13, 2009 at 9:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.12.09 alt.space(s)  Sarah Meadows Sarah Meadows' Time Ends Now opens tomorrow at Nationale. In her first exhibition of landscape photography, Meadows "elaborates on her fascination with nature and the elastic properties of film images, dispensing entirely with narrative and human gesture and presenting instead a concentrated study of wilderness encountered." Opening reception • 6-8pm • November 13 Nationale • 2730 E Burnside • nationale.portland@gmail.com  Lynda Frese False Front presents Tara in the Living Room, 11 works from 1994-2006 by Louisiana-based artist Lynda Frese. Frese draws from several past series for this collection of painting, photography, assembled digital imagery, and mixed media that "confronts the themes of time and isolation, deities and faith with an eye on proficiency." Note: Frese's cover art can be seen on this year's Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Herta Muller's English translations of the novels Land of Green Plums and Traveling on one Leg. Opening reception • 7-10pm • November 14 False Front Studio • 4518 NE 32nd • 503.781.4609 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 12, 2009 at 11:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.11.09 calling all souls  detail of Antione Catala's Psychedelic Soul at the Cooley Gallery In conjunction with The Language of the Nude at Reed's Cooley Gallery, as well as their related Psychedelic Soul exhibition at TBA:09, Cooley Gallery curator Stephanie Snyder and PICA Visual Art Program Director Kristan Kennedy are speaking this week about the contemporary projects by Brody Condon and Antoine Catala. (Note: The Calling All Souls lecture was moved to this week due to scheduling conflicts.) Curator lecture • 6:30pm • November 13 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Hauser Memorial Library Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 11, 2009 at 9:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.10.09 more speaking  Xu Bing, "Ghosts Pounding the Wall" In the first of two CDN lectures this week, renowned Chinese artist Xu Bing will speak tomorrow on 30 Years of Contemporary Chinese Art. "Ranging from monumental installations to handcrafted books, Xu's artistic practice is a playful and political exploration of the written word, usually in the form of the Chinese character. His work questions our ability to communicate meaning through language, as well as the value of language itself." Artist lecture • 5:30pm • November 11 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 • Fields Ballroom (More: A conversation with Shen Wei at PAM, and a discussion with three Portland artmakers via the New Oregon Interview Series.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 10, 2009 at 12:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 11.08.09 Transit Bridge update and meeting  A design for the new transit, pedestrian and cycling bridge, a first in the US For those who are transit and design oriented the latest public feedback meeting for the exciting new Willamette River Transit and Pedestrian Bridge with the architect Donald MacDonald will be on Tuesday November 10th at 3:00 PM. 
I like these latest design images, though the gray shaded divider seen here has not been approved yet. I like the tower designs and triangular belvederes, they have an updated yet timeless Frank Lloyd Wright feel... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 08, 2009 at 19:19 | Comments (2) PermalinkFriday 11.06.09 update: pmmnls  Laurel Nakadate, "Exorcism in January" PICA, PSU, Reed, et al present Laurel Nakadate for next week's PMMNLS. Nakadate is a photographer, video artist and filmmaker. Her work has been exhibited at P.S.1/MoMA, The Yerba Buena, The Getty Museum, and The Reina Sofia. In 2009, her first feature film, Stay The Same Never Change premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to be featured in New Directors/ New Films at The Museum of Modern Art and Lincoln Center. She is currently finishing her second feature film, The Wolf Knife. She is represented by Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects in New York City. Artist lecture • 7:30-9pm • November 9 PSU Shattuck Hall Annex • 1914 SW Park • Corner of Broadway & SW Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 06, 2009 at 14:38 | Comments (0) Permalinkflotsam, jetsam, bontei  Steven Beatty and Laurel Kurtz Clark College's Archer Gallery presents Flotsam & Jetsam and Jetties & Gyres by Steven Beatty and Laurel Kurtz. "Referencing earthworks from the 70's as well as the mass quantities of plastics trapped in the North Pacific Gyre, the artists create a space filled with bottle caps accessible only by a single point of entry to the viewers. Bright colored caps and lids are used to market products meant to be disposable, but made to last well beyond the life of the product. These vibrant colors now take on a new message, marking the accumulation of litter in the United States." Opening reception • 4-6pm • November 10 Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA  Marc Peter Keane, "SHINSO: Where Forest Meets Field" The Japanese Garden presents the Bontei Tray Gardens of Marc Peter Keane for the winter installation of its Art in the Garden Series. The exhibition features "handcrafted wood and stone tray gardens by one of the world's leading experts on Japanese gardens. The word bontei is an old term, not found in most modern dictionaries, but it suits Keane's new creations perfectly, as they begin within that tradition but broaden the scope to include new materials and philosophies the way modern gardens do." Note: November 11 is free admission day at the garden. Opening reception • 4:30pm • November 7 Portland Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston • Garden Pavilion Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 06, 2009 at 10:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.05.09 First Weekend Picks November 2009  Jim Lommasson, from "Oaks Park Pentimento" In 1982, photographer Jim Lommasson documented the "strange and beautiful" paintings that decorated the center column of the historic carousel at Oaks Amusement Park. The original carousel images were painted by German and Italian immigrants around 1912 and contained an exotic assortment of Edwardian pastoral scenes. When these paintings began to show signs of wear in the 1940s, two brothers from Vashon Island, Washington were hired to paint over the eighteen panels with depictions of local landmarks. Eventually, the surfaces of these new paintings also began to flake and fade, revealing parts of the original images in unusual and unexpected ways that inspired Lommasson's documentation. In 1985 these images were once again painted over, making the images in Oaks Park Pentimento a nostalgic historical record of "one of Portland's most unique and important treasures." The exhibition also marks the release of the Oaks Park Pentimento book. Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 6 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 (A whole lot more, spanning Fri thru Sun: Gallery Homeland, Nemo Design, Fourteen30, Worksound, Ditch Projects, PSU's Autzen Gallery, Marylhurst Art Gym.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 05, 2009 at 13:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.04.09 talking  Architect Charles Rose, OCAC Drawing, Painting, and Photography Building (unfinished), photo by Jeff Jahn Boston-based architect Charles Rose is leading next week's installment of the Portland Space Bright Lights Discussion Series. Rose recently designed OCAC's new Drawing, Painting, and Photography Building in collaboration with COLAB Architecture and Urban Design. Architect lecture • 6pm • November 9 Bright Lights @ Jimmy Mak's • 221 NW 10th (More, happening this week: Carson Ellis for PAM's artist talk series and Freeman Lau in conjunction with China Design Now.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 04, 2009 at 10:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.03.09 First Thursday Picks November 2009  Rachel Davis, "Glass Cloud" Rachel Davis presents Family Tree at Chambers@916. The series of watercolors on paper combine architectural and botanical forms, "taking their visual language from Chinese vernacular architecture and the life cycles of a garden in a continuous loop of growth and decay. By combining the visible man-made world with the often invisible cellular world of plants, the paintings become a hybrid of both...Inspired by Chinese painting manuals like The Mustard Seed Garden (1679), the paintings in Family Tree explore an imaginary landscape with more contemporary implications...As a parent to two children with Chinese ancestry, this series has become the artist's own painting manual, guiding her exploration of a complicated, modern family's evolving relationship to China." Chambers@916 will also be screening The Hidden Depth by Chinese video artists Fang Er and Meng Jin, in conjunction with China Design Now. Full disclosure: This blogger works with Chambers@916. Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 5 Chambers@916 • 916 NW Flanders • 503.227.9398 (More: Elizabeth Leach, PDX Contemporary, Half/Dozen, IGLOO, Blackfish, and Fontanelle.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 03, 2009 at 13:25 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 11.02.09 learning, seeing, hearing  Attributed to Danele da Volterra, after Michelangelo's "Last Judgment", 16th century Crocker Art Museum Curator William Braezeale will lecture tomorrow evening on Four Centuries of the Human Body: Old Master Drawings From the Crocker Art Museum, which is currently on view at Reed's Cooley Gallery. Gallery viewing hours will be extended for pre-lecture viewing. Curatorial lecture • 6:30pm • November 3 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Psychology Auditorium Room 105 (More: Stephen Connolly films via Cinema Project, PORTstar Jeff Jahn on Open Air radio.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 02, 2009 at 9:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.30.09 lectures  Ryan Pierce, "Comet" PORTstar Ryan Pierce is speaking tomorrow in conjunction with his show Written From Exile at Elizabeth Leach. Artist lecture • 11am • October 31 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 (More: Vicki Halper for Craft Perspectives, Chris Knight at Clark College, The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest Editorial Collective at PSU.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 30, 2009 at 15:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.29.09 ornaments and patterns  The fourth lecture in UO's School of Architecture and Allied Arts ongoing Machine in the Garden series is happening tomorrow. George Gessert will present Ornamental Plant Breeding for the 21st Century. Gessert is a writer and author on art and genetics whose book, Green Light: Toward an Art of Evolution is coming soon from MIT Press. In his lecture, Gessert will discuss "past and current uses of biotechnology to create new kinds of ornamental plants... Engineered ornamentals such as the red iris raise many questions, but he will focus on just one: what aesthetic criteria or assumptions are shaping the new plants?" Artist lecture • 12-1pm • October 30 University of Oregon White Stag Building • 70 Couch St. • Event Room Also happening at UO White Stag this weekend: The start of the 2009 Fall PUARL symposium touching on "the theories of Patterns and Pattern Languages." PUARL is the "Portland Urban Architecture Research Laboratory." The symposium will be kicked off by a public presentation & panel by Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein, Max Jacobson, and Ingrid King, authors of A Pattern Language. (Note: the presentation will be preceded by welcomes and introductions at 5pm and followed by a reception at 8:20pm.) Visit the PUARL website for more info on the symposium. Lecture & Panel • 7pm • October 30 University of Oregon White Stag Building • 70 Couch St. • Event Room Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 29, 2009 at 13:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.28.09 Last Thursday Picks October 2009  Appendix presents Benjamin Young's installation Material Affair. "In collaboration with collected materials, Young sculpturally explores the tension, process, and ecology of synthesized form." Opening reception • 6-11pm • October 29 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26th and 27th on NE Alberta St. • appendixspace@gmail.com  Jason Doizé False Front presents Jason Doizé's Hikikomori. Inspired by a found online confession, Doizé began to explore the Japanese concept of Hikikomori, or acute social withdrawal. Doizé's artistic take on the phenomenon asks the question: "To what degree do we open our 'little home boxes' we inhabit and allow others in? Maybe the idea of shutting-in isn't foreign at all. Maybe in the end we're all hikikomori." Opening reception • 6-10pm • October 29 False Front Studio • 4518 NE 32nd • jasondoize@mac.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 28, 2009 at 8:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.27.09 China Architecture Now  Architecture by Yung Ho Chang Architect Yung Ho Chang is lecturing this week at PAM in conjunction with the ongoing China Design Now exhibition. In China Architecture Now Chang will discuss "how the rapid changes in contemporary China's economy, mobility and consumerism are profoundly affecting architectural practice in the country." Chang is founding head of the Graduate Center of Architecture at Peking University and co-founder, with his wife Lijia Lu, of Atelier Feichange Jianzhu. He is also currently the head of the MIT Department of Architecture. Architecture lecture • 7pm • October 29 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Update: Backroompdx is hosting a dinner conversation with Yung Ho Chang this Friday. Tickets ($65/e) are still available. More info on their website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 27, 2009 at 12:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.23.09 the masters  Raphael, "La Donna Velata or La Velata (The Woman with the Veil)," c.1516 PAM presents Raphael's Woman With a Veil, on view October 24 - January 3, 2010. On loan from the Medici collection, the museum will be showing "one of the most important paintings of the Renaissance" alone for your curiosity and contemplation. Exhibition • October 24, 2009 - January 3, 2010 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Francisco Goya y Lucientes, "The sleep of reason produces monsters," c.1798 Reed College is bringing David Rosand to speak on Things Never Seen: Graphic Fantasy and the Dreaming Draftsman. The lecture, happening in conjunction with the Cooley Gallery's ongoing The Language of the Nude: Four Centuries of Drawing the Human Body exhibition, will "address a basic tenet in the long tradition of Western aesthetics: the distinction between fantasia and mimesis." Rosand is a professor of art history at Columbia who specializes in Renaissance visual culture. Art history lecture • 7pm • October 26 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Vollum lecture hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 23, 2009 at 13:26 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 10.22.09 Blue PLAY  MP5 presents Blue. Curator TJ Norris invited Matthew Haggett, Todd Johnson, and Victor Maldonado to interpret the open theme of "blue" in the lofts. Highlights include Spherelab: Blue, a site-specific installation using adhesive-backed-vinyl applied directly to walls and other surfaces by Haggett, Blue Velvet, a group show interpreting the classic Lynch film organized by Johnson, and a curatorial experiment by Maldonado featuring a collection of "funny, dirty or politically incorrect jokes." The show runs October 24 - December 27, 2009. Opening reception • 7-9pm • October 24 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st • 503.998.4878  This Sunday, Disjecta hosts Play, "an evening of interactive installations, performance and single channel screenings." Dustin Zemel and Ben Popp collaborated on an interactive video "environment" headlined by visiting experimental filmmaker Kenny Reed. "Installation, screenings and audio segments offer an intimate showcase and variety of media works exploring image and sound while creating an atmosphere of dialogue, wonder and PLAY." One night interactive installation • 7pm-midnight • October 25 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 22, 2009 at 12:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.21.09 processions  Processions The coordinators of Alberta' Appendix Project Space present Processions: an Elaborative Cartography at PSU's Recess Gallery (dept. of architecture). The work is a collaborative installation by Maggie Casey, Zachary Davis, Joshua Pavlacky and Benjamin Young: "Navigating the topology of the individual, the group, and emergent form, the exhibition is an exploration of process and its structure. Processions is an ecology of making. Composed of a series of hung arcs, each informed by its companion, the resulting structure exists as a material pause in an evolution of possible choices." The artists recommend that viewers show up to the reception promptly, "as the piece is best experienced over the transition from daylight to dusk." Artist talk • 4pm • Shattuck Hall Annex • October 23 Opening reception • 5pm • Shattuck Hall Terrace • October 23 Recess Gallery • Shattuck Hall • 1914 SW Park Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 21, 2009 at 10:24 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 10.20.09 pnca/ocac lectures  Zahid Sardar Zahid Sardar, author and designer of New Garden Design and San Francisco Modern, is lecturing this week for PNCA & OCAC's MFA in Applied Craft & Design program. Sardar has written and lectured for many years on architecture, interiors, garden design, craft, and design. Scholar lecture • 6:30-7:30pm • October 22 Craft & Design Studios • The Bison Building • 421 NE 10th  Ellen Dissanayake at UW's Burke Museum Ellen Dissanayake will be giving next week's MFA in Applied Craft & Design lecture. Dissanayake is "an independent scholar, author, and lecturer... whose Darwinian viewpoint provides a broader understanding of the arts than is customary in most theoretical approaches: the arts are integral to human nature and they evolved to help individuals adapt to their physical and social environments." Scholar lecture • 6:30-7:30pm • October 29 Craft & Design Studios • The Bison Building • 421 NE 10th Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 20, 2009 at 8:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.19.09 pecha kucha & art on alberta  MFA in Applied Craft & Design students hard at work, from their blog If you're curious about PNCA & OCAC's new MFA in Applied Craft and Design, here's your chance to get to know the students and their ideas. In conjunction with the ongoing Call + Response exhibition, the Museum of Contemporary Craft, PNCA, and OCAC present a Pecha Kucha-inspired night. Pecha Kucha is "a concept that grew out of the Tokyo design community, featuring a series of concise presentations." MFA in Applied Craft and Design students will present ideas and images in a modified format of roughly 3.5 minutes each. Student presentations • 5:30pm • October 21 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Unrelated: Art on Alberta, the organization that coordinates community artistic endeavors in NE Portland, is seeking volunteers. In addition to an open board position, they need an Alberta street historian, an Art on Alberta historian, volunteer writers to contribute to their blog and newsletter, a media assistant, and a gallery assistant. Learn more about these volunteer positions here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 19, 2009 at 10:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.16.09 lecture, panel, participation  Tom Cramer's opening Tom Cramer is lecturing this weekend at Laura Russo in conjunction with his ongoing exhibition of new work. Artist lecture • 11am • October 17 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st • 503.226.2754  Professor and Composer Ye Xiaogang In China Design Now-related news: PAM is hosting China Music Now, a panel discussion exploring the state of musicians in China. Eric Priest, an assistant professor at the University of Oregon specializing in Chinese intellectual property law, will join Ye Xiaogang, widely regarded as one of the leading composers in China today, to discuss the following questions: "How do musicians in China make a living? Who is their audience? And how is the business of music changing in China?" Panel • 4pm • October 18 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 October's STOCK dinner is happening this weekend. The concept: "Stock is a monthly public dinner event and presentation series, which funds small to medium-sized artist projects. Organized by artists Katy Asher, Amber Bell and Ariana Jacob and hosted by Gallery Homeland in Portland, Oregon, diners pay a modest $10 for a dinner of homemade soup and other local delicacies and the chance to take part in deciding which artist proposal will receive the evening's proceeds. In other words, the dinner's profits immediately become an artists grant, which is awarded according to the choice of the diners. Winning artists will present their completed work at the following Stock dinner." RSVP required! Contact portlandstock@gmail.com. Art dinner • 6-8pm • October 18 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th • portlandstock@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 16, 2009 at 9:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.13.09 art escape Portland Mural Defense is facilitating Art Spark this month. They'll explore the importance and history of murals in Portland, and muralist Robin Dunitz will be present. Art chat • 5-7pm • October 15 Art Spark @ Zaytoons • 2236 NE Alberta  Gretchen Hogue Ongoing at Ditch Projects: Gretchen Hogue's ESCAPE ROUTES/disposable comfort. "Unearthing new meaning in images pilfered from the detritus bins of the electronic age, ESCAPE ROUTES/disposable comfort constructs psychic landscapes for internal weather patterns. The models from an industrial safety catalog populate a distracted world of imperfect isolation and impenetrable protection. Endless loops trace the pulse of elusive escape routes, plotted and re-plotted, the internal blueprints for self-preservation." Exhibition • October 10-31, 2009 Ditch Projects • 305 S 5th Ave #190 Springfield, OR • info@ditchprojects.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 13, 2009 at 12:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.12.09 on film  Deep Leap Microcinema presents Sign Languages tonight. The films in tonight's screening explore "notions of language, semiotics, translation and communication," featuring work by Stephanie Barber, Les Leveque, Oliver Laric, Ben Russell, Catarina Simoes, James Whipple, Benjamin Schultz-Figueroa, Frank Zadlo, Aleksandra Domanovic, Nathaniel Stern, Diane Borsato, Erik Bünger, and more. Film screening • 9pm • October 12 @ Valentine's • 232 SW Ankeny  The Coney Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society Tomorrow Cinema Project is screening The Coney Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society: Dream Films 1926-1972. Artist and curator Zoe Beloff will present a selection of works from the Freud-inspired Society. "Ranging from the touching to the ecstatic, these amateur films explore the inner lives of Society members and are a true combination of science and spectacle." Film screening • 7:30pm • October 13 • $6 Cinema Project • 11 NW 13th Ave • 4th Floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 12, 2009 at 7:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.09.09 China Design NOW  China Design Now exhibition entrance (photo Jeff Jahn) Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably heard that PAM is about to launch China Design Now, a traveling exhibition (from London's Victoria & Albert Museum) on contemporary Chinese design. The show "explores the recent explosion of critically compelling design and architecture projects created in China, contextualizing the impact of rapid economic development on these projects in the country's major cities." In conjunction with the exhibition, many spaces around Portland are hosting Chinese-related exhibitions and events - check out the CDN blog to learn more. The show's opening weekend is being kicked off with two related lectures at the museum. On Saturday, John Jay, global executive creative director of Wieden + Kennedy and founder of their Shanghai office, will present China Youth Now, an exploration of "the latest media, technology, and fashion created to appeal to Chinese youth today." On Sunday, Beth McKillop, director of collections and keeper of the Asian Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, will present Creativity in the Era of Globalization, in which she will discuss "the changing economic and cultural contexts that have fueled an explosion of creativity in Chinese graphic design, fashion, and architecture in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing." Of course, keep an eye on this space for more news & reviews related to CDN. Exhibition • October 10, 2009 - January 17, 2010 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 09, 2009 at 9:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.08.09 2nd Friday  Carl Diehl Another gallery celebrating the PNCA centennial this month is Worksound with Memory/Frequency. They'll be featuring sculpture, sound, video, and photography by Carl Diehl, Tracey Cockrell, and Lennie Pitkin, all faculty at PNCA. Opening reception • 7-11pm • October 9 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com  Anna Weber Nationale is featuring a new series of paintings and drawings by Anna Weber, whose work is "inspired by geometry, architecture, maps, textiles, sign painters, symmetry, balance, falling, and floating." Opening reception • 6-8pm • October 9 Nationale • 2730 E Burnside • nationale.portland@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 08, 2009 at 9:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.07.09 white stag/box  UO Portland is opening a new gallery space at their downtown White Stag building. The "White Box's" inaugural exhibition will be Inspiration China (an informal tie-in to PAM's upcoming China Design Now): "For Inspiration China, the students created individual art pieces--in various forms of technology and media--that reference and re-interpret Chinese antiquities from selected pieces of the JSMA [Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, on the Eugene campus] collection. The new work is presented in a modern context to establish a dialogue between old and new, past and present." Opening reception • 5-7pm • October 8 White Box • 24 NW 1st • White Stag Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 07, 2009 at 9:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.06.09 PSU & PCC  Dorothea Lange, c.1939 PSU's Littman Gallery is exhibiting Dorothea Lange in 1939, a collection of FSA photographs presented by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission. During the Great Depression, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) hired photographers like Lange to "portray the suffering of rural Americans in terms understandable to the urban middle class." Lange became known for her extraordinary work as an American documentarian, and this series has an obvious and important relevance to our delicate economic situation today. The show will run through November 25, 2009. Reception • 5-7pm • October 8 PSU Littman Gallery • 1835 SW Broadway • Smith Building Rm 250 (More: Mack McFarland at PSU's White Gallery and Mary Warner at PCC's Cascade Gallery.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 06, 2009 at 9:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.05.09 LOTS of lectures  Anne Wilson Chicago-based artist Anne Wilson will be lecturing twice this week in Portland. Wilson is a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a renowned craft artist who coined the term "sloppy craft." First, she'll present Liminal Networks at Reed College: "Employing familiar, domestic materials, including table linen, bed sheets, human hair, thread, and lace, Wilson explores the larger themes of time, loss, private and social rituals." Wilson's second appearance will be a craft dialogue with Josh Faught, Nan Curtis, and Jessica Jackson Hutchins on the topic of "sloppy craft" at PNCA. The dialogue is anticipation of the exhibition on that theme at MoCC in 2010-2011, co-curated by Faught and MoCC curator Namita Gupta Wiggers. (Keep an eye on this space for an interview with Wilson.) Artist lecture • 7pm • October 8 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Vollum Lecture Hall Craft conversation • 1-3pm • October 10 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • Swigert Commons (Much, much more: Kartz Ucci at Clark College, MulvannyG2 at UO White Stag, Matthew Stinchcomb of Etsy at CYAN/PDX for PNCA, Jacqueline Ehlis at PAM, and Martin Kersels at MoCC for PNCA.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 05, 2009 at 10:41 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 10.02.09 film & local culture  Still from Janie Geiser's "Magnetic Sleep" Cinema Project & Pacific University are screening Magnetic Sleep by Janie Geiser. The film is a nine-part serial about a woman hypnotist, Marceline, and her journey across an ever-changing landscape. This textual/cinematic project "channels" early experimental filmmakers such as Man Ray and Maya Deren. Film screenings • 7:30pm • October 6 & 7 • $6 Cinema Project • 11 NW 13th Ave • 4th Floor  The Oregon Cultural Trust is celebrating Oregon Day of Culture... week(?!). From October 1-8 they're sponsoring music, theater, ethnic festivities, and some visual arts. Visit the official website to learn more about related events throughout the state.  Imogen Cunningham Our neighbors up north are also exploring local artistic heritage. A Concise History of Northwest Art opens this weekend at the Tacoma Art Museum. The exhibition is drawn primarily from TAM's permanent collection and will include work from the mid-1800s to the present day from Washington, Oregon, western Montana, Idaho, British Columbia, and Alaska. Exhibition • October 3, 2009 - May 23, 2010 Tacoma Art Museum • 1701 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, Washington Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 02, 2009 at 10:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.01.09 First Friday Picks October 2009  Kimi Kolba Pushdot presents Linger by Kimi Kolba. Kolba's photography focuses on the contemporary night landscape, asking the viewer to allow themselves time to adjust to the images the way their eyes take time to adjust to the darkness of night. She explores "the new, the northwest urban and industrial, and the psychological" in the surrounding landscape. Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 2 Pushdot Studio • 1021 SE Caruthers • 503.224.5925 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 01, 2009 at 9:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.30.09 Kartz Ucci & PMMNLS  Kartz Ucci, "an opera for one" TILT Export presents installation artists Kartz Ucci at the PCC Rock Creek Helzer Gallery. In an opera for one, Ucci hired soprano Deanna Pauletto to sing a capella Pablo Neruda's book of poetry, "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair." The piece was recorded in a 16-story, cement-encased stairwell and a color-coded score was composed based on Ucci's interpretation of the relation between color and its emotional vibration. The resulting installation is a "hauntingly romantic" response to this effort. This ongoing exhibition runs through October 30, 2009. The artist talk will be in the school's Forum, Building 3, followed by a reception in the gallery. Artist talk • 3:30pm • October 2 Artist reception • 7-9pm • October 2 Helzer Gallery, PCC Rock Creek • 17705 NW Springville Rd • Building 3  Léonie Guyer The fall 2009 season of PSU's MFA Monday Night Lecture Series (hereafter "PMMNLS") begins next week with Léonie Guyer. "Guyer makes drawings, paintings, and site responsive installations. Her work explores the interconnection between idiosyncratic shapes and the spaces they inhabit." Artist lecture • 7:30pm • October 5 PSU • 1914 SW Park Ave • Shattuck Hall Rm 212 at Broadway & Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 30, 2009 at 10:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.29.09 First Thursday Picks October 2009 
Ryan Pierce at Elizabeth Leach (photo Jahn) PORTstar Ryan Pierce is exhibiting Written from Exile, his debut at Elizabeth Leach. The large-scale acrylic paintings "examine our world after the end of the industrial era, projected human migration patterns, and the remains of civilization. Pierce poses the questions: Who will be displaced by climate change and where will they go? How will they get there and how will they be accepted? What will happen to the things they've left behind?" Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 1 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 29, 2009 at 11:34 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 09.26.09 Johanson and Jackson unveiling Sept 26 
Finished mural by Jo Jackson and Chris Johanson in North Portland's Albina Green Park Sorry for the late notice but the new Chris Johanson and Jo Jackson mural in North Portland will be unveiled today from 12-8PM at Albina Green park. It is at the corner of N Albina and Sumner and there will be bands, drum circles, etc. Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 26, 2009 at 10:08 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 09.25.09 Camouflagiennial  British artist Mary George presents Camouflage Party at Rocksbox: "So I think, what if... what if I went outside my little cave studio to find the world blown away like in an episode of the Twilight Zone? I'd have to survive on the contents of my studio and whatever else I could find lying around. ... I could satisfy cravings for the consumer past by inventing packaged experiences that maximize on the environment's meagre offerings. If there was a crate of Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil for instance (good odds that it would survive the big one), I might invent a method for enjoying its nostalgic odour of carefree beach related memories. It wouldn't be easy to transition from this time of being able to have all kinds of things that seem like necessities, so I have started working now, before it's too late." Opening night features a live performance by PISS featuring shredder Mary George at 9pm. Opening reception • 7-11pm • September 26 Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777  Jenene Nagy, "Flooded" The Archer Gallery presents the 2009 Clark College art faculty biennial. Featured artists include Bobby Abrahamson, Lisa Conway, Ray Cooper, Kowkie Durst, Kathrena Halsinger, Beth Heron, Carson Legree, Martha Lewis, Dara Muldoon, Jenene Nagy, Stephanie Robinson, Ben Rosenberg, Blake Shell, Senseney Stokes, Jak Tanenbaum, and Sally Van Gorder. The show will run September 29 through October 24, 2009. Opening reception • 4-7pm • September 29 Archer Gallery at Clark College • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way • Penguin Union Building (PUB) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 25, 2009 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.24.09 Black Moon Rising  Donald Morgan Donald Morgan's Black Moon Rising is currently showing at Ditch Projects: "Employing imagery based in the forest, such as tangled undergrowth, spider webs and the architecture of fire look-outs, the pieces in Dark Moon Rising take advantage of the interstices between the two and three dimensional. The inter-related sculptures and paintings function together as a hard-edged geometric landscape, creating an ersatz wilderness engendered by temporal and spatial shifts, the confluence of warmth and coldness, and interplay between the flat and the volumetric as well as the near and the far." The exhibition will be up through October 3, 2009. Closing reception • 7-10pm • October 3 Ditch Projects • 303 S 5th AVE #190 Springfield, OR • info@ditchprojects.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 24, 2009 at 11:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.23.09 Last Thursday Picks September 2009  Gary Wiseman and Meredith Andrews present Inside, Outside, Upside Down, a one-night Last Thursday installation at Appendix. The artists write: "...The difference between fantasy and reality seems infra-thin. I like the idea of time and space folding. I want to go home. Nine dimensions seem so ambiguous and arbitrary. In fact (after earning her PhD at Oxford my X-friend the physicist told me) kindness is all that matters. Befuddled, I am honestly trying to tell you the truth but it is hopeless. I can't talk that fast." Opening reception •6-11pm • September 24 Appendix Project Space • South alley between 26th and 27th off NE Alberta  The other Alberta alley gallery space, now named Little Field Gallery, presents FRAME by Jordan Tull. "FRAME examines the role of the audience as subject to the object. The installation is a model of space fragmented. FRAME explores how space and time connect vision to experience." Opening reception • 5-10pm • September 24 Little Field Gallery • North alley between 28th and 29th off NE Alberta  Neighborhood Diaries is a compilation of Portlanders' neighborhood-specific memories, compiled and put to music by Abraham Ingle, who's also spearheading the Portland version of Papergirl. The project begins its exhibitions with the King/Vernon Diaries at Together Gallery this Last Thursday - bring your MP3 player to download the tour. Upcoming events include the Downtown Diaries at ON Gallery for October First Thursday, the Buckman Diaries for First Friday at Second Nature Gallery, and the Boise/Elliot Diaries at the Waypost on October 11. Visit the website for more details. Opening reception • 6-10pm • September 24 Together Gallery • 2916 NE Alberta • 503.288.8879 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 23, 2009 at 11:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.22.09 Lectures  Ward Shelley, "Stability," installation view The first lecture for PNCA's MFA in Visual Studies will be given this week by Brooklyn artist Ward Shelley, who "specializes in large-scale projects that freely mix sculpture and performance." Artist lecture • 6:30pm • September 24 The Lab at the Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis  David Eckard, still from "Prestidigitation: A Folly in Eleven Acts" The third and final craft conversation from MoCC's ongoing Call + Response exhibition is also happening this week. PNCA professors David Eckard and Anne Marie Oliver will discuss the artist/art historian interactions they had in the months leading up to the exhibition. (Read Oliver's essay on Eckard's Prestidigitation here.) Craft conversation • 1pm • September 26 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 22, 2009 at 9:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.21.09 Cinema  Still from "MY CHINA NOW" In conjunction with the upcoming China Design Now exhibition (lots more on that later), the NW Film Center presents Lens on China, a film series that "explores the perspectives of Chinese and western filmmakers whose works reflect on the broad currents of contemporary change in Chinese society. As China's past and future collide, the works by these media artists provide unique insight into the social and aesthetic confusions, obstacles and opportunities being navigated in the interstices between history, daily reality, and the future's promises." A long series of varied and interesting Chinese films will be screened through the end of December, 2009. The series will be kicked off this week with Good Cats by director Ying Liang at 7pm on Thursday, September 24. Check the NW Film Center website for more details and the full schedule of screenings. Unless otherwise noted, films will be shown at PAM's Whitsell Auditorium.  Jonas Mekas The Cinema Project is screening Jonas Mekas' Walden this week. In Walden, Mekas "documents his casual visits with other filmmakers, artists, and intellectuals across the changing seasons of 1960s New York... the film's heightened spontaneity of camera movement and sense of edgy immediacy helped define New American Cinema, while Mekas' use of a simple diaristic approach fills the film with poetic reflections and charming realism." Featured luminaries include Allen Ginsburg and Hare Krishna hippies, the Brakhage family, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Timothy Leary, and Edie Sedgwick. Of his films, Mekas writes "Of course, what I faced was the old problem of all artists: to merge Reality and Self, to come up with the third thing." Film screening • 7:30pm • September 23 • $6 Cinema Project • 11 NW 13th • 4th floor  Jordan Stone Deep Leap Microcinema, a new film curatorial project by Jesse Malmed, presents Palimpsests, a collection of local and international video films. Featured artists include Yoshi Sodeoka, Matt McCormick, Jesse Malmed, Antoine Catala, Jordan Stone, Benjamin Schultz-Figueroa, Joel Holmberg, Martijn Hendriks and Andrew Fillipone. There will also be specially commissioned musical performances by Jeffrey Brodsky and Banjo Performs Keyboard. Film screening • 8pm • September 24 • $6 Deep Leap Microcinema @ the Artistery • 4315 SE Division Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 21, 2009 at 10:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.16.09 A Night at the Museum  PAM presents Shine a Light: A Night at the Museum: "Stay up late and watch the galleries come alive with participatory art created for the evening by PSU's Art and Social Practice Program, led by artist Harrell Fletcher and Jen Delos Reyes." Events include live bands in the sculpture court, art "dowsing," printmaking demonstrations, art-inspired beer, games, video installations, and more. Participatory museum event • 6pm-midnight • September 19 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 16, 2009 at 10:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.15.09 Art Spark: Art on Alberta This month's Art Spark is hosted by Art on Alberta at Vendetta: "Fancy yourself a surrealist artist? Intrigued by all things Dada? Eager to explore the real roots of punk? Got an affinity for community and collaboration? Art on Alberta will engage Art Spark groupies in some Exquisite Corpse games with curious others..." Art conversation group • 5-7pm • September 17 Art Spark @ Vendetta • 4306 N Williams Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 15, 2009 at 11:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.14.09 The City Onscreen Brian Libby, still from "Creamery Birds" Brian Libby presents The City Onscreen, a collection of short films featuring Portland architecture and design. In addition to four films by Libby, the screening includes work by Matt McCormick, Rob Tyler, Karl Lind, and Andrew Curtis, as well as a 1955 CBS News documentary about Portland preparing for nuclear war called "The Day Called X." The City Onscreen is part of Libby's ongoing "Designs on Portland" discussion series. Film screening • 6:30pm • September 17 Design Within Reach • 1200 NW Everett Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 14, 2009 at 16:17 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 09.11.09 Record Record  Pat Boas, "breathing," from "What Our Homes Can Tell Us" The Marylhurst Art Gym presents Pat Boas - Record Record. The exhibition features four series that "comment in very quiet ways on the text and images in The New York Times," as well as a new series of digital works, What Our Homes Can Tell Us, that "captures language found in the artist's home and places of importance to her extended family." The show runs from September 13 - October 28, 2009, and includes two artist talks. To learn more about Pat Boas, check out PORT's 2006 review of her Mutatis Mutandis show and PAM's video of Boas' recent artist talk at the museum. Opening reception for Record Record • 3-5pm • September 13 First artist talk • 12pm • October 8 Second artist talk • 7:30-8pm • October 16 Marylhurst Art Gym • 17600 Pacific Highway Marylhurst, OR • 503.699.6243 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 11, 2009 at 9:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.10.09 Illuminated Recollections  Laura Corinne Hayes, "Illuminated Recollections" (installed) Laura Corinne Hayes presents Illuminated Recollections at the Alpern Gallery. Artist reception • 6-9pm • September 11 Alpern Gallery • 2522 NW Vaughn • 503.347.7689 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 10, 2009 at 8:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.09.09 Sell Out  Micah Malone Micah Malone sells out this weekend at Worksound. In Sell Out, Malone asserts that "the desire to make a living from one's artistic practice can be as emotional, conceptual, poetic and honest as any other reason for making art." The exhibition revolves around a sculpture and its dissemination, including photographs made by capturing the sculpture's reflection and a series of text pieces made from light rope. Opening reception • 9pm • September 11 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 09, 2009 at 9:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.08.09 Broadcast  Gregory Green, WCBS Radio Caroline: The Voice of the New Free State of Caroline, 89.3, 1995-2007 In their first collaboration with TBA, Lewis & Clark's Hoffman Gallery presents Broadcast, guest curated by Irene Hofmann, Executive Director of the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore. The exhibition "explores the ways in which artists since the late 1960s have engaged, critiqued, and inserted themselves into official channels of broadcast television and radio." Thirteen works will be featured by an international group of artists, including single-channel monitor-based videos, video-projection works, photography, installations, and interactive broadcasting projects. The artists employ the strategies of broadcasting and re-broadcasting, following two major impulses: "an iconoclastic, aggressive position, at times intended to question FCC regulations, or a more cooperative and collaborative position." Broadcast certainly has a heavyweight lineup with; Dara Birnbaum, Chris Burden, Gregory Green, Doug Hall, Chip Lord and Jody Procter, Christian Jankowski, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, neuroTransmitter, Antonio Muntadas, Nam June Paik, TVTV/Top Value Television and Siebren Versteeg. The exhibition will run from September 8 to December 13, 2009. Artist talk with Gregory Green • 4pm • September 8 Opening reception • 5-7pm • September 8 Hoffman Gallery • 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road • 503.768.7687 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 08, 2009 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 09.06.09 Echo Gap 
On 9/9/09 Modou Dieng is curating a one night show of 9 video artists titled Echo Gap at Valentines. Lineup includes; Arnold Kemp, Sari Carel, Posie Currin, Stephen Slappe, Kelley Rauer,Sean Carney, David Eckard, Hannah Piper Burns, and some talentless blond hack with a blog. Echo Gap • 8:30pm • September 9 • one night only Valentines • 232 S.W. Ankeny Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 06, 2009 at 23:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.04.09 October Country  Donal Mosher, from "October Country" Disjecta presents Donal Mosher's October Country, "an investigation of the artist's life and family through photography, film, and narrative writing... considering the nature of human interaction, experience and the measures we take to find a place for ourselves within contemporary society." Opening reception • 6-10pm • September 5 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 04, 2009 at 9:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.03.09 First Friday Picks September 2009  Fourteen30 presents LA-based artist Bobbi Woods. She "culls from the glut of ready-made images crowding our collective consciousness, resulting in 2-D and video works that simultaneously bait and beguile." Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 4 Fourteen 30 Contemporary • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 03, 2009 at 9:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.02.09 Bean Gilsdorf @ Linfield  Bean Gilsdorf, "Assembly, line, image, system," installation view Bean Gilsdorf's Assembly, line, image, system opens this week at Linfield. Using life-size prints from ten different automobiles, Gilsdorf constructs a large-scale installation from fabric, paint, dye, bleach, and thread that sweeps along the circumference and runs beyond the enclosure of the gallery's four walls, building a continuum of color and implied motion. The project explores the notion of using near-weightless materials to create monumental work. The show will be open from Wednesday, September 2 through October 10, and Gilsdorf is flying up for the artist reception on Saturday. Artist reception • 2-5pm • September 5 Linfield Fine Art Gallery • Miller Fine Arts Center • 900 SE Baker St, McMinnville • Directions on their website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 02, 2009 at 8:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.01.09 First Thursday Picks September 2009  MK Guth, From the set of Allegory of Possible Hopes and Fears, "I Will See You on the Other Side (bed)" MK Guth presents Terrain Change, an installation of new work at the Elizabeth Leach Gallery. "Featuring chandelier clouds and umbrellas made of sweaters and hats, video and photography, loggers and mermaids, Terrain Change poses the question: Who do you become when your environment disappears? When your life is defined by your profession, who are you without it? Through the use of mythic characters, Guth examines the very contemporary issues of climate change, the changing global economy, and the American cult of the career." Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 3 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 01, 2009 at 7:10 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 08.31.09 first MFA Applied Craft & Design lecture  Jersey Devil, Red Cross House, Islamorado, Florida OCAC & PNCA present the first lecture for their joint MFA in Applied Craft & Design program. Steve Badanes is a founding member of Jersey Devil, a design/build practice specializing in innovative and energy-efficient structures. Badanes, known for the both the practice and the teaching of design/build, is currently a professor at the University of Washington. Design lecture • 6:30-7:30pm • September 2 Bison Building • 421 NE 10th Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 31, 2009 at 11:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.28.09 TBA:09 Picks  Antoine Catala, still from "TV" Here's PORT's short list of TBA:09 picks. We're primarily a visual arts (not performing arts) publication, so consider this a by-no-means-complete list of visual arts highlights. •Psychedelic Soul, a collaboration between Kristan Kennedy and Cooley Gallery curator Stephanie Snyder. In conjunction with Reed's upcoming exhibition, The Language of the Nude, PICA and the Cooley have organized "two unique projects that fold past and present into a vivid dream of the future." The project features a video installation by Antoine Catala and a live performance by Brody Condon, both of which relate to other pieces the artists have in the festival. Event times & details on the TBA schedule. •National Park, an installation at THE WORKS by Fawn Krieger. "During her residency at PICA, Krieger will construct a stage set as national park. The structure takes its cues from Lewis & Clark, museum dioramas, Superstudio, and the U.S.'s post-war middle-class tourism pastime, the roadtrip." •Forever Now and Then Again, an installation at THE WORKS by Jesse Hayward. Inviting direct audience manipulation, Hayward "builds and paints objects in his studio that are then reimagined through a collaborative installation practice, articulating a space wherein boundaries are blurred. The sculptural commingles with the painterly, the coactive with the drawn..." •We Are Legion, a web based installation at THE WORKS by Stephen Slappe. Mining audience & participants' photo albums for evidence of "contemporary cultural indoctrination," Slappe's web project "creates a never-ending army of costumed youth." •The Oregon Painting Society will give one of their signature performances on Friday, September 11 at THE WORKS. In collaboration with Dragging an Ox Through Water, The Slaves, Woolly Mammoth Comes to Dinner, and Kent Richardson, OPS will use home-crafted objects and sounds to "take you deeper into the mystery." •Movements, a sound sculpture/installation by Ethan Rose at THE WORKS. Featuring over 100 carefully timed and placed music boxes, Movement's "tinkering creates a sensation of a shifting texture, housed in a visually stimulating acoustic environment." •Block Ice & Propane, a multimedia performance by cellist Erik Friedlander. Based on recollections of childhood family car vacations, the piece evokes truck stops, long, lonely highways, and stark panoramas. The highly intimate work is accompanied by projection of photographs taken by his father, famed photographer Lee Friedlander. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 28, 2009 at 13:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.27.09 Grande Ronde  Rose McCormick The final installment in NAAU's Couture series opens this weekend. Rose McCormick's Grande Ronde is an "art environment." She writes: "The achievement of this work is in it's conception, the finished show a fossil of the experience of discovery. It may be that viewing it is not enough, it may be that you have to have made it as well. But what it strives to do is offer the blueprint for you to create your own experience." The opening reception features lemon bars and lavender iced tea. Opening reception • 12-3pm • August 30 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 27, 2009 at 9:43 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 08.25.09 Last Thursday Alleys  Appendix will be showing Finder Keeper, an installation by Zachary Davis "concerned with seekers and unexplored landscapes." Opening reception • 6-11pm • August 27 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26th & 27th on NE Alberta • appendixspace@gmail.com  The Appendix folks are also helping establish a similar new space down the street. The space will be featuring Daniel Wallace's newest project, the result of the artist in residence program at The Dude Ranch, which "considers our relationship to light, materiality, and the parameters of visual perception." Opening reception • 6-10pm • August 27 New Alberta project space • North alley b/w 28th & 29th on NE Alberta Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 25, 2009 at 11:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 08.24.09 Craft Conversation #2  Karl Burkheimer MoCC's Craft Conversations series continues this week. Part of the ongoing Call + Response exhibition, these conversations give artists and art historians a chance to dialogue publicly about their craft. The second conversation features Matt Johnston, assistant professor, department of art, Lewis & Clark, and Karl Burkheimer, associate professor and head of wood department, OCAC. Art dialogue • 5:30pm • August 27 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 24, 2009 at 10:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.21.09 word and image  Shusaku Arakawa, Untitled, from the portfolio No! Says the Signified, 1973 Word and Image/Word as Image opens this weekend at PAM. "Featuring works by artists from Albrecht Dürer to Ed Ruscha, this exhibition examines the relationship between word and image in prints over the course of more than 500 years, from the Renaissance to today." Exhibition • August 22 - November 29, 2009 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 21, 2009 at 9:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.20.09 Touring in support of the Art of Touring 
This Saturday in support of the Art of Touring, Fontanelle gallery is presenting readings and performances from four of the touring musicians and editors in the show/book: Sara Jaffe (Erase Errata), Rebecca Gates, Tara Jane Oneil, and Julianna Bright (The Golden Bears). Readings and Performances • 6pm • August 22 Fontanelle • 205 SW Pine St, Portland OR 97204 Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 20, 2009 at 10:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.18.09 the idiosyncratic element  Avalon Kalin Avalon Kalin presents The Idiosyncratic Element is the Precursor to Change at PSU's Autzen Gallery. "For over a year, Kalin has been working with local cafe proprietor Jonathan Legare as the artist-in-residence of his southeast cafe and community resource center, LEGARE'S. The title of Kalin's exhibition is an aphorism authored by Legare himself. Acting as an experimental documentary installation, Kalin's show uses Legare's life and times as a starting point, and engages Legare's particular interests." The show runs August 18-28, 2009. Opening reception • 6pm • August 22 Autzen Gallery • 724 SW Harrison Street • Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, rm 205 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 18, 2009 at 9:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.13.09 MP5: Manor of Art & The Grid  MP5's ambitious group exhibition, performance, and music series Manor of Art opens this weekend. Following in the tradition of Portland group experiences like the Modern Zoo, Manor of Art presents over 100 artists transforming the yet-to-be-renovated rooms of MP5's Studios building. The event lasts for 10 days, and also includes a series of music shows and experimental theater performances. More information and the full schedule is here. Opening event • 6-9pm • August 14 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st Ave • 503.998.4878  Ryan Sarah Murphy Also launching this weekend at MP5: TJ Norris' The Grid will open in the MP53 exhibition space. The Grid features 27 international artists using small-scale works to explore the concept of the grid, "seen as a way to organize, divide and separate... both ideas and formalities." The show runs August 14 - October 17, 2009, and will have its opening reception next weekend. Opening reception • 7-9pm • August 22 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st Ave • 503.998.4878 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 13, 2009 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.12.09 it happens 
"Anti-sociologist" Patrick Rock is spending 6 days living in a bunker under Ditch Projects, using the time to "obsessively and painstakingly construct a physical manifesto of Oregonian identity designed to turn the viewer into salt at a single glance." The experiment will culminate in a "neo-pagan anti-potluck" this weekend, followed by a performance by PISS at 10. Opening happening • 7-10pm • August 15 Ditch Projects • 303 S. 5th AVE Springfield, OR • info@ditchprojects.com  Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat Disjecta presents the kick-off show of Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat's Time Machine tour. Using reading, slide projection, digital video, records, and real-time rendered audiovisual performance, they'll "set the dials and push the levers while guiding you through the fourth dimension!" Matt McCormick will open for Time Machine with his musical project "Very Stereo." $5. Time performance • 8pm • August 15 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 12, 2009 at 11:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.11.09 Brickthrough  Edward Jeffrey Kriksciun Nationale presents Edward Jeffrey Kriksciun's Brickthrough, a showcase of recent cut-outs that examine negatives & positives. Kriksciun "explores how this relates to our surrounding environment and affects our internal selves: what do we see/ what do we get out of it/ how can we make things better/ do we cut away the negative/ and if we do, are we left with just with the positive." Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 14 Nationale • 2730 E Burnside • nationale.portland@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 11, 2009 at 11:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.10.09 PAM artist talk series: Jeffry Mitchell  Jeffry Mitchell, "Sphinx," 2008, selected to receive one of PAM's Contemporary Northwest Art Awards PAM's monthly artist talk series will be led this week by Jeffry Mitchell. He'll lecture about a work from the collection that "delights, puzzles, or inspires him." Meet in the Hoffman lobby before the talk; join him and others in the lobby for happy hour after. Artist talk • 6-8pm • August 13 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 10, 2009 at 9:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.06.09 First Friday Picks August 2009  From "Incompletely" Gallery Homeland presents Incompletely, a group exhibition curated by Calvin Ross Carl. Calvin Ross Carl, Derek Franklin, Ashley Sloan, Josh Smith, Bailey Winters and Gary Wiseman "explore themes of incompleteness and insufficiency through formal, conceptual and emotional means." Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 7 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th • info@galleryhomeland.org (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 06, 2009 at 11:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.05.09 NW Tracking: Artist Spotlight  Michele Russo, "Untitled (blue and gray abstract)," 2002 The final installment in the NW Film Center's summer artist spotlight series is tomorrow. Three short films exploring local artists will be shown: Jon Stewart's A Painter's Vision: Michele Russo, Wendy Wells Jackson's Louis Bunce, Portland Painter, and Sarah Swanberg's Jack McLarty: Painting is My Language. Film(s) screening • 7pm • August 6 NW Film Center • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 05, 2009 at 10:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.04.09 First Thursday Picks August 2009  Garry Winogrand, "Centennial Ball, Metropolitan Museum of New York, 1969" c.1975 Charles Hartman presents Faces: Vintage and Contemporary Photographic Portraits. Combining 19th and 20th century photographic masterworks and contemporary images, the exhibition explores "the fundamental tension in photography between point of view and composition." Artists include Ansel Adams, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Harry Callahan, Danny Lyon, Sally Mann, Arnold Newman, Frederick Sommer, and Garry Winogrand, with Corey Arnold, Daido Moriyama, Mark Steinmetz and Issei Suda, and more. Opening reception • 5:30-8:30pm • August 6 Charles Hartman Fine Art • 134 NW 8th • 503.287.3886  While you're down at Tractor, check out the Everett Station Lofts' annual summer Rooftop Exhibit chaos-a-thon: "Once a year the hub of Portland's young, hip, gritty art scene merges with its seasoned career artist neighbors to throw a colossal celebration of visual art, music, performance art, gourmet food with a contemporary flair, and cash bar." There is also a Scion funded event with DJ's etc at Igloo so "The Lofts" will definitely be the scene on Thursday. Group opening party • 6-10pm • August 6 Everett Station Lofts • 328 NW Broadway (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 04, 2009 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.03.09 psu mfa theses  Bethany Hays Bethany Hays presents I Am a Containerful of Memories at PSU's Autzen Gallery: "These domestic landscapes present a record of human activity and speak to the importance of everyday routine... The viewer is asked to consider the fictional nature of memory, which like the bronzing of baby shoes, distorts experience in an attempt to preserve it." Exhibition runs August 3 - 14, 2009. Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 8 Autzen Gallery • 724 SW Harrison Street • Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, rm 205  Vanessa Calvert Vanessa Calvert presents A Space of Flows at PSU's MK Gallery. Calvert "explores the construct of cyberspace by creating an interactive lounge where space disconnects from place and begins to operate outside linear progressions." Exhibition runs August 3 - 14, 2009. Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 8 MK Gallery • 2000 SW 5th Avenue • Art Building, 2nd floor rm 210 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 03, 2009 at 9:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.30.09 Amy Stein talk/signing  Amy Stein, "Struggle" Amy Stein is giving an artist talk and book signing this weekend in conjunction with her Domesticated show at Blue Sky (PORT review here). Lecture & book signing • 3pm • August 1 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th • 503.225.0210 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 30, 2009 at 9:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.29.09 Need It/Got It  Michelle Ramin FalseFront presents Michelle Ramin's Need It/Got It. The project explores the contemporary phenomenon of collecting and trading friends: "As social networking sites expand daily, this interactive exhibit physically invites visitors to find their 'best friends,' place them on the show postcard and trade the cards during the opening reception... Participants are welcome to drop off their cards throughout the run of the show (through August 23), all of which will be added to the exhibit." Grab a postcard from the website here. Opening reception • 6-10pm • July 30 FalseFront Studio • 4518 NE 32nd • 503.781.4609 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 29, 2009 at 9:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.28.09 Geofront  Celebrating their one-year anniversary, Appendix presents Geofront, a multi-site project featuring 15 artists working in light, sound, soil, structure and movement. Maps to the six installation sites are available at Appendix. Opening reception • 6-10pm • July 30 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26th & 27th on Alberta Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 28, 2009 at 9:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.23.09 Skinvisible  Robert Rauschenberg, "Patrician Barnacle," 1981, exhibited in "Marking Portland" As part of the ongoing Marking Portland exhibition, PAM is having a tattoo expo this weekend. "Skinvisible" is a "one-day celebration of the art of tattoo through fashion, music, performance, multimedia, and tributes to Portland's most accomplished tattoo artists." A very high-priced 3-Ring Floor Show is happening at 3pm and 7pm. Museum expo • 12-9pm • July 25 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 23, 2009 at 11:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.22.09 Robert Slifkin + Studio Gorm  Studio Gorm The first of the Museum of Contemporary Craft's Call + Response conversations is happening this weekend. Product design team Studio Gorm (University of Oregon) and art history professor Robert Slifkin (Reed College) will discuss their interactions leading up to the exhibition and Slifkin's new essay, Studio Gorm's Anxious Utopianism. Craft lecture • 1pm • July 25 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 22, 2009 at 12:57 | Comments (0) Permalinkfirst PNCA MFA show  Disjecta presents Egocentric, an exhibition by PNCA's first group of MFA students (class of 2010): "We struggle in solidarity, yet create work which reflects our distinct voices. Superseding expectations at every juncture, we are your art destiny." Opening reception • 6-10pm • July 23 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 22, 2009 at 12:37 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 07.21.09 Alice Channer @ Pied-a-Terre  Alice Channer Pied-à-terre presents Alice Channer's I Cannot Tell The Difference Between One Thing And Another. Open Saturdays 12-3pm. Opening reception • 6-8pm • July 23 Pied-à-terre • 904 SE 20th Ave Apartment 5 • info@pied-terre.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 21, 2009 at 10:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.20.09 more white stag talks  Lots going on at the U of O's White Stag Block this week. On Wednesday they're featuring Building a Collaborative City, a panel discussion about working across disciplinary boundaries to "make Portland great." Panelists include artist, dancer, and organizer Linda K. Johnson; designer, architect and developer Kevin Cavenaugh; and author, editor, and publisher Randy Gragg. Panel discussion • 6pm • July 22 White Stag Block • 70 NW Couch  Michael Salter, "if you don't buy it from us it's not our problem" On Thursday they're featuring Beautiful Soup: An Assessment of Current Visual Culture. The talk is presented by South Waterfront artist-in-residence Michael Salter, "an obsessive observer of contemporary visual culture, where graphics and corporate identities, signage and symbols, are used to communicate the culture of commerce." Artist lecture • 6pm • July 23 White Stag Block • 70 NW Couch Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 20, 2009 at 9:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.17.09 Joseph Park @ PAM  Joseph Park, "still life #2," oil on panel The Portland Art Museum's next APEX installation opens tomorrow. It features recent work by Joseph Park: "Inspired by film noir and animation in his early work, Seattle-based artist Joseph Park's recent paintings comprise a complex visual structure built upon reflections and foreboding narrative situations from a range of photographic sources." Exhibition • July 18 - November 15, 2009 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 17, 2009 at 9:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.15.09 psychedelic lumberjack  Ongoing at the Portland building: Nickolus Meisel presents Lumberjack Azeltine Valentine, a mixed media installation. Exhibition • July 10 - August 7, 2009 Portland Building • 1120 SW 5th  The University of Oregon presents Free Culture: Creating Copyright and Copyrighting Creation, a "psychedelic learning environment." Attorney and U of O alum Peter Shaver will join the members of Portland's electropop trio YACHT to talk about the current state of copyright law and its impact on creative work. They'll draw the audience into a creative re-authoring of copyright law in real time. Interactive lecture • 6:30pm • July 16 White Stag Building • 70 NW Couch Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 15, 2009 at 11:03 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 07.14.09 nwfc / in the studio  George Johanson, with "Great Port City" The Northwest Film Center presents In the Studio, a series of three short films produced by PCC documenting three former PNCA professors, all "established Northwest masters." The films feature Eunice Parsons, Harry Widman, and George Johanson. Film screening • 7pm • July 16 Northwest Film Center • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium Also happening Thursday: The NWFC is hosting Art Spark at the Hotel deLuxe. Andy Blubaugh, filmmaker and instructor will set-up and film a scene. Art chat • 5-7pm • July 16 Art Spark at Hotel deLuxe • 729 SW 15th Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 14, 2009 at 9:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.10.09 vardian vision  The Northwest Film Center is showing a retrospective of the films of art historian, photojournalist, and filmmaker Agnès Varda, who writes: "In my films, I always wanted to make people see deeply. I don't want to show things, but to give people the desire to see." The first film, Cléo From 5 to 7 is showing this Friday and Saturday. The retrospective runs through August 9 - details and full schedule here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 10, 2009 at 8:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.09.09 boundary crossings @ pnca  Photo of "Wildlife" by Karolina Sobecka, 2007 by Frank Pichel PNCA presents Boundary Crossings: An Institute in Contemporary Animated Arts from July 13 - 24, 2009. "With the advent of digital technologies, the appearance of hybrid moving images has emerged as the norm, affecting boundaries between live action, animation, image processing, and compositing as porous as the platforms of display that host them. Through re-defining animation and the manipulated image, animated art forms are being pushed beyond the movies to permeate our cultural landscape." The Institute is a series of private workshops and public lectures and screenings featuring instructors from the PNCA Intermedia department. It will begin with a public opening in PNCA's Feldman gallery of animated installation work by Jessica Mein, Daniela Repas (with Todd Tawd and Thornton C. Wilson), and Marina Zurkow. More details on the Institute here. Public opening reception • 6-8pm • July 13 Pacific Northwest College of the Arts • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 09, 2009 at 12:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.08.09 Second Weekend Picks July 2009  Terry Toedtemeier Worksound is hosting Portraits, curated by Mark Woolley. The show is dedicated to the life and work of Terry Toedtemeier, a gifted photographer who for over 20 years lovingly built the photographic collection at the Portland Art Museum. Work by Toedtemeier was selected in consultation with his widow Prudence Roberts and local art dealer Jane Beebee. The exhibition also features photography by 17 talented artists, both established and emerging, from Portland and Los Angeles: Holly Andres, Tim Gunther, Stewart Harvey, Wei Hsueh, Jim Leisy, Jacob Pander, Ann Ploeger, Mason Poole, Christopher Rauschenberg, Alicia J. Rose, Eric Sellers, Stephen Scott Smith, Aaron Thomas, Lorenzo Triburgo, Gus van Sant, and Carol Yarrow. Opening reception • 7-11pm • July 10 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More: Gallery Homeland, 12x16, Ditch Projects, and Portland goes to Astoria.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 08, 2009 at 12:04 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 07.07.09 body art  Nomad Museum of Body Adornment Presumably in conjunction with Marking Portland, PAM's next installment of the artist talk series features Blake Perlingieri, local piercing artist and owner of the Nomad Museum of Body Art. As usual, the artist will lead a discussion on a work of art in the collection that "delights, puzzles, or inspires him." Meet in the Hoffman Lobby. Artist lecture • 6-8pm • July 9 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 07, 2009 at 10:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.06.09 miracles  Cyrus Smith Cyrus Smith presents In Search of the Miraculous at PSU's Autzen Gallery. The show "is in pursuit of the epic moment in art and culture. Cyrus hopes that you will be able to make it to his exhibition, but if not, he suggests you watch the 1988 all star slam-dunk competition on YouTube, which could serve as a suitable substitute." July 6 - 17. Artist reception • 6-9pm • July 11 Autzen Gallery • 724 SW Harrison Street • Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, rm 205 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 06, 2009 at 9:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.02.09 First Weekend Picks July 2009  Ty Ennis NAAU presents the next installation in the Couture series: Ty Ennis' You'll Love It Here: The Lilac City Track Murders '96-'98, a multimedia installation of drawing, photography, and sculpture. Ennis' "preparation for this exhibit has involved one of the most thorough examinations to date of Spokane's most infamous serial killer, Robert Lee Yates. His nearly 2 year endeavor documenting murder sites, scouring of all available literature and fleshing out the lives effected during this capsule of time in Spokane, demonstrate a type of artistic discovery that questions the role art can play in the historical record. By lending a sympathetic and informed eye to the memory of events more so remembered through hard-line fact alone, Ty builds a revisionist history using unique visual and written documents." Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 3 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294  Jennifer Locke presents CRISIS 40, a performance at Rocksbox. The exhibition will remain up through August 2. Opening performance • 9pm • July 4 Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 02, 2009 at 9:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.30.09 First Thursday Picks July 2009  Michael Brophy, "Start" Michael Brophy presents Silence, an exhibition of recent paintings at Laura Russo. Opening reception • 5-8pm • July 2 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st • 503.226.2754 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 30, 2009 at 9:02 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 06.26.09 in a dream of free space  From Jeremiah Zagar's "In a Dream" This weekend, the Northwest Film Center presents the first of their summer artist spotlights. They're screening In a Dream, a film directed by Jeremiah Zagar about his father, artist Isaiah Zagar. They'll be showing it twice on Saturday and once on Sunday. Film screening • July 27 & 28 NW Film Center • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium  Varnithorn Christopher Varnithorn Christopher presents Free Space at PSU's MK Gallery. The project is "is a non-curated gallery experiment by based on the belief that everyone is an artist. From Monday, June 29, 2009 to Thursday, July 9, 2009, Christopher invites anyone to come and exhibit their artwork at the MK gallery." A complete catalog will be created at the end of the exhibition. Exhibition • M-F, 9am-5pm • June 29 - July 9 MK Gallery • 2000 SW 5th Avenue • Art Building, 2nd floor rm 210 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 26, 2009 at 9:52 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 06.24.09 floating world animation festival  Floating World Comics presents the 3rd annual animation festival at the Holocene, featuring "mind melting video art and psychedelic animation from the secret world of motionography." Visit their website for more info on the 3+ hour line up of Flaspar, Deelay Ceelay, Show Cave Best of Videocation and more. Animation festival • 8pm • June 25 Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 24, 2009 at 11:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.23.09 The Strategy of Sur-Distinction  The ever-changing art at Store for a Month The final week of John Brodie's Store for a Month is kicking off with a lecture by Philippe Le Blanc. "The Strategy of Sur-Distinction: building a cathedral inside the megastore" is loosely based on Le Blanc's work for sale at The Store, I Win, You Lose: The art of Art in capitalist culture. If you haven't made it down to the store yet, don't miss your chance - its last days are Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28, 12-7pm. Artist lecture • 7pm • June 24 Store for a Month • 1216 SE Division • 503.235.8029 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 23, 2009 at 11:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.22.09 sediment  Elizabeth McClellan Appendix presents Sediment, a collection of indoor/outdoor drawing environments by Elizabeth McClellan. Due to size and showing constraints, Outdoor works will be up through June 27th. Opening reception • 6-10pm • June 25 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26th & 27th on Alberta Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 22, 2009 at 9:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.19.09 ThirtyThousandSeconds  Justin Gorman Justin Gorman's ThirtyThousandSecons opens this weekend in Milepost 5's MP53. "This photo documentation project derived from an increasing interest in pedestrian patterns on eight-second avenue and the responsibility of local government to stop or control these patterns..." Work by Anthony Conrad, Kalina Torino, Jessica Weitzel, and Luke Heinrich will also be opening in the Hallways spaces. Opening reception • 7-9pm • June 20 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st • 503.998.4878 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 19, 2009 at 11:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.18.09 Call + Response  Gorm Studio MoCC presents Call + Response: "Drawing on the musical concept of 'call and response,' this exhibition provides a platform for artists and art historians to engage with each with other in dynamic conversation. This multi-layered exhibition features works by eight pairs of art and art history faculty members from colleges and universities who have taught in Oregon for roughly ten years or less. Through multimedia content, contextual writing, the presentation of studio works and public programs, this project celebrates and provokes the recent influx of ideas [on craft] brought to Oregon by these faculty members..." Exhibition • June 18 - October 31, 2009 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 18, 2009 at 10:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.17.09 summer show  Continuing the tradition of slightly fluffy summer group fun, Fourteen30 presents Summer Show, featuring Mike Bray, David Corbett, Hamlett Dobbins, Alex Felton, Corey Lunn, Jenene Nagy, Devon Oder, Nicholas Pittman, Patrick Rock, Jennifer Shimatsu, and Nick Van Woert. Opening reception • 6-9pm • June 19 Fourteen30 Contemporary • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 17, 2009 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.16.09 ArtSpark: Icebreaker  This month's ArtSpark is presented by local art collective Nowhere at Rontom's. The theme is Icebreaker: "an easy way to meet new people involved with Portland arts." Art social • 5-7pm • June 18 ArtSpark at Rontom's • 600 E Burnside Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 16, 2009 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.12.09 anything's possible  PSU & Disjecta present It's Possible, an exhibition by graduating students in the MFA in Contemporary Art Practice program at PSU. Exhibiting artists include Katy Asher, Steve Baggs, Vanessa Calvert, Varinthorn Christopher, Damien Gilley, Bethany Hays, Avalon Kalin, Laurel Kurtz, Sandy Sampson, Rebecca Shelly, Cyrus Smith, and Eric Steen. Opening reception • 4-8pm • June 14 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449  Amar Kanwar, from "A Season Outside" The Cinema Project is screening a series of films by New Delhi-based filmmaker Amar Kanwar. His films "exist at the crossroads of documentary, visual poetry and philosophical meditation; linking legends and ritual objects to new symbols and public events, which trigger emotional and intellectual disturbances in the viewer." The first night features two mid-length films, the second night features several shorts. Film screening 1 • 7:30pm • June 17 Film screening 2 • 7:30pm • June 18 Cinema Project • 11 NW 13th AVE 4th Floor • 503.232.8269 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 12, 2009 at 10:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.11.09 Kevin Yates @ Ditch Projects  Kevin Yates Ditch Projects presents Kevin Yates' Alluvium. Yates "uses photorealistic miniature sculptures to intricately render a delicate disaster, creating a destroyed suburban landscape and the solemn reflections of the flood that ruined it." Opening reception • 6-9pm • June 13 Ditch Projects • 190 S. 5th St. Springfield, OR • info@ditchprojects.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 11, 2009 at 9:17 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 06.09.09 PAM Artist Lecture: Randy Gragg  Portland Art Museum Editor-in-chief of Portland Spaces Magazine Randy Gragg is lecturing at PAM for the next installment of the Artist Talk series. He'll be discussing the museum's main building as a work of art, exploring the collaboration between architect Pietro Belluschi, Museum Curator Anna Belle Crocker, and Harry Frederick Wentz, a teacher at the Museum Art School, which brought the building to fruition in 1932. The talk meets at 6pm in the Hoffman Lobby. Artist lecture • 6-8pm • June 11 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 09, 2009 at 12:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.08.09 Aloïs Godinat  Aloïs Godinat, "Déchirure (Tear)," 2007 Swiss-born artist Aloïs Godinat is exhibiting at Pied-à-terre from June 11 - July 2, 2009. Opening reception • 6-8pm • June 11 Pied-à-terre • 904 SE 20th Ave Apt 5 • info@pied-terre.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 08, 2009 at 8:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.05.09 old & new worlds  M.C. Escher, "Relativity," 1953 Virtual Worlds: M.C. Escher & Paradox is opening tomorrow at PAM. "Printmaker Maurits Cornelis Escher (Dutch, 1898-1972) created visual puzzles that astonish with their mathematical rigor and their patent absurdity. This exhibition traces the development of the artist's work from his early stylized depictions of landscape and architecture to his later use of repeated geometric patterns..." Exhibition • June 6 - September 13, 2009 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Louis Bunce, "Harold Street #4," 1974 Also opening at PAM tomorrow: PNCA at 100, a retrospective of the the artist-faculty, students, and alumni of PNCA, formerly the Museum Art School, since 1909. "Ranging from portraiture and regional landscapes to modernist abstraction and postpainterly idioms, the artists of the school introduced ideas from the larger world of art to Portland and made them part of the vocabulary of Northwest art." Exhibition • June 6 - September 13, 2009 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Attush ceremonial robe, Ainu textile, photo courtesy of Sanae Ogawa Parallel Worlds is opening tomorrow in the pavilion at the Japanese Garden. Held in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Portland-Sapporo Sister City Association, the exhibition features traditional ceremonial robes created by Ainu artists from Hokkaido and Native American artists of the Pacific Northwest. Exhibition • June 6 - 28, 2009 Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston Avenue • 503.223.1321 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 05, 2009 at 11:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.04.09 First Friday Picks June 2009  John Brodie's much-anticipated Store for a Month is having its opening party for First Friday. This art project and temporary retail storefront is open from June 3 - 28, 2009, Wed-Sun, 12-7pm. Store for a Month features work by over 60 local artists made specifically for the store, and occasional fresh-baked pie. Opening party • 6-10pm • June 5 Store for a Month • 1216 SE Division • 503.235.8029 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 04, 2009 at 9:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.02.09 First Thursday Picks June 2009  D.E. May, "Marker" D.E. May presents Black Page, new drawings at PDX Contemporary. All of the work is presented in thick, plastic archival document holders, which offer "a surprising tactile quality and a screen-like presentation: x-ray, film, radar." May was a finalist in PAM's 2008 CNAA's. Opening reception • 5-8pm • June 4 PDX Contemporary • 925 NW Flanders • 503.222.0063 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 02, 2009 at 16:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.01.09 backscratcher museum  Social practice artist Laurel Kurtz has collaborated with local unofficial street vendor Bill Harrelson to help realize his dream of a backscratcher museum. "Harrelson and Kurtz will debut the curbside museum in the gallery setting in order to highlight their collaboration and share Harrelson's collection with others. Also on display are nine drawings of Harrelson's 'imaginary' backscratchers that have been put onto paper by the artists Lori Gilbert, Mark Jondahl, Walter Lee, Ralph Pugay, Ben Rosenberg, Sandy Sampson, Amy Steel, Vicki Lynn Wilson and Jason Zimmerman." The exhibition runs at PSU's MK Gallery June 1 - 12. Closing reception • 6-9pm • June 12 MK Gallery • 2000 SW 5th Avenue • Art Building, 2nd floor rm 210 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 01, 2009 at 8:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.29.09 slaughterhouse  Micki Skudlarczyk, "Well Finished," installation view Micki Skudlarczyk's Well Finished is currently on view at Launch Pad. During her artist residency in Mexico in 2008, Skudlarczyk "developed a relationship with the small slaughter community in & around the village of Cholul, where she experienced the process of animal slaughter from start to finish first hand. Well Finished investigates the artist's philosophical & emotional struggle between her reverence for the animals that we eat & her dismay at the pain & fear they sometimes experience at the moment of death." She'll be giving an artist talk and slide lecture on the experience and installation this weekend on the final day of the show. Artist lecture • 1pm • May 31 Launch Pad Gallery • 534 SE Oak St. • 971.227.0072 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 29, 2009 at 9:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.27.09 install & bomb  Joshua Pavlacky Joshua Pavlacky presents Towards the Scrambled Egg, "an installation exploring landscape and spatial manipulation" at Appendix Project Space. Opening reception • 8pm-12am • May 28 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26th & 27th on NE Alberta  The ZooBombers' Holy Pyle minibike sculpture has found a permanent home. Designed in conjunction with local artists Brian Borello and Vanessa Renwick, the Pyle has been relocated to 13th & W Burnside. The unveiling party this weekend starts at the Holy Rack at 10th & SW Oak at 4pm and will parade to the new location around 5. Public art party • 4pm • May 29 ZooBombers • Downtown Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 27, 2009 at 10:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.26.09 goldyne on van hoesen  Beth Van Hoesen, "Sally," 1979 California artist Joseph Goldyne is lecturing this week on northern California printmaking and its relationship to Beth Van Hoesen's prints, on view at PAM through August 16, 2009. Arts lecture • 6-7:30pm • May 28 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 26, 2009 at 11:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.20.09 all you need to make a film is a girl and a gun  Anna Karina, 1966 The NW Film Center presents a special screening of Jean-Luc Godard's Made in USA, his final collaboration with Anna Karina. "Boldly cartoonish, from its color schemes to its quotation-marked characters to its treatment of screen violence, Made in USA is dedicated to American crime movies (specifically those of Sam Fuller and Nicolas Ray), and is a politically fueled deconstruction of the genre." There will be two screenings every day this weekend. Film screenings • May 22 - 24, 2009 NW Film Center • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 20, 2009 at 11:09 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 05.18.09 more psu mfa shows  Katy Asher presents Box Set: The M.O.S.T. Remastered at PSU's Autzen Gallery. For the show, "Asher reconfigures the gallery space into a museum displaying the complexities and rewards of working as part of a collaborative arts group." Box Set creates an "interpretive archive space" exploring the activities of the former M.O.S.T. art/social group. The show runs May 18 - May 29, 2009. Closing reception • 6-9pm • May 29 Autzen Gallery • 724 SW Harrison Street • Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, rm 205  Sandy Sampson presents Parallel Conversations at PSU's MK Gallery. The show "is not so much an exhibit as it is a hub of activity. Sampson will introduce you to some people she has met and learned from. The events scheduled are all participatory, she invites you to engage with each other and the neighborhood around the gallery, and bring what you know to share with others." It runs from May 18 - May 29, 2009. Closing reception • 6-9pm • May 29 MK Gallery • 2000 SW 5th Avenue • Art Building, 2nd floor rm 210 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 18, 2009 at 10:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.15.09 last pmmnls of the school year  Mierle Laderman Ukeles Mierle Laderman Ukeles is giving the final 08-09 PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture next week. Ukeles is a New York based artist "known for her feminist and service oriented artwork. In 1969 she wrote a manifesto entitled Maintenance Art Proposal for an Exhibition, challenging the domestic role of women and proclaiming herself a 'maintenance artist'." Artist lecture • 7:30pm • May 18 PSU • 1914 SW Park Ave • Shattuck Hall Rm 212 at Broadway & Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 15, 2009 at 10:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.14.09 weekend happenings  Matthew Green presents Hunks and Punks at Rocksbox, a "humorous exploration into the myths, constructs, and visual tropes surrounding contemporary male identity." Opening reception • 7-11pm • May 16 Rocksbox • 6540 N Interstate Ave • 503.516.4777  Sanford Biggers, "Blossom," installation view Sanford Biggers' installation Blossom goes on view at PAM this weekend. Exploring themes of identity and history, Blossom is a "mixed media work incorporating a massive tree, found piano, and Biggers' compositional reworking of Billie Holiday's 1939 jazz anthem Strange Fruit, a harrowing portrayal of lynching in the American South." Keep an eye on PORT for a fantastic interview with the artist. Exhibition • May 16 - August 30, 2009 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Thelma Johnson Streat, "Red Dots, Flying Baby, and Barking Dog," 1945 Art on Alberta's 10th annual Art Hop is happening this weekend. They're featuring the work of Thelma Johnson Streat (1911-1959), an internationally acclaimed artist from Portland and the first black woman to have her work exhibited at MOMA. 50 of her paintings will be on view at venues throughout Alberta. The Art Hop's theme this year is "Coming Home," and there will be a wide variety of art exhibitions, street performers, vendors, music, dance, and theater. Street fair • 11am-6pm • May 16 Art on Alberta • 17 blocks of NE Alberta Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 14, 2009 at 11:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.12.09 pat boas @ pam  Pat Boas, "Reading & Writing #4 (Mildred's Hand)," installation view Local artist and writer Pat Boas is speaking this week for PAM's artist talk series. She'll discuss a work in the museum that "delights, puzzles, or inspires her." The talk departs from the Hoffman lobby, and returns after for conversation and happy hour. Artist lecture • 6-8pm • May 14 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 12, 2009 at 9:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.11.09 educational  901 Jefferson, ongoing project by Pyatok Architects Architect Michael Pyatok is speaking this week at the UofO on The U.S. Housing Crisis: The Role of Design. He'll speak in Portland and in Eugene. Architect lecture • 6:30-7:30pm • May 13 White Stag Block • 70 NW Couch St. • Event Room  Gerhardt Knodel Artist Gerhardt Knodel is lecturing on Examining Fiber and Material Studies in Contemporary Art and Culture this week at OCAC. Inspired by the keynote address he gave at the 2008 International Fiber Symposium, Knodel's talk explores the subject of "materiality": the meaning of material-based experiences in contemporary life. Artist lecture • 6pm • May 15 Oregon College of Art & Craft • 8825 SW Barnes Rd. • Catlin Gabel Cabell Center Auditorium Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 11, 2009 at 10:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.08.09 Art Beat Week  Matt Bors Art Beat Week 2009 at PCC starts Monday. Highlights include lectures by editorial cartoonist Matt Bors (May 11), photography critic Chas Bowie (May 12), and local artist Storm Tharp (May 14). Check out the schedule of events for more info.  Frances Stark LA-based artist Frances Stark is speaking on Monday for PMMNLS. She works in drawing, collage, sculpture, and textual commentary. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • May 11 PSU • 1914 SW Park Ave • Shattuck Hall Rm 212 at Broadway & Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 08, 2009 at 9:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.07.09 el & listen  From Approx L Worksound presents Approx L, a "cumulative project involving performance, curation, installation, sound and video," spearheaded by Bethany Ides. "Aiding in the project are approximately 15 participants from across the US and Canada all born with (some variant spelling of) the name, plus a coterie of non-natural L[indsay]s who have adopted transitional monikers for the project." Opening reception • 7-11pm • May 8 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com  At Pied-á-terre Ongoing at Pied-á-terre: New York-based artist and writer Ben Carlton Turner presents The Sound of 500 Speer 9 mm. Luger Shells Dropped from a Height of 119 Inches at 550 West 21st Street New York, NY, 10011, on April 8th, 2009, 10:37 p.m. Gallery hours are Saturdays, 12-3pm. Update: Due to popular demand, Pied-á-terre will hold a reception for the show on May 14. Exhibition • May 2 - 23, 2009 Reception • May 14 • 6-8pm Pied-á-terre • 904 SE 20th Ave Apt 5 • info@pied-terre.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 07, 2009 at 10:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.05.09 First Thursday Picks May 2009  Dinh Q. Lê, "I am Large. I Contain Multitudes (1)" Dinh Q. Lê is exhibiting a new body of work at Elizabeth Leach this month. Signs and Signals from the Periphery utilizes sculpture and photography to "address a system of signs that have developed in Vietnam which signal the availability of certain goods and services." Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 7 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 05, 2009 at 11:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.04.09 Experiments in Film  Bruce Conner Cinema Project, NW Film Center, and the PDX Film Fest are co-sponsoring a screening Bruce Conner's film works. In Memorium is a two part exhibition of fourteen short films by Conner, "a pioneer in the art of sculptural assemblage and found footage collage film making." A list of films and more background about Conner can be found on the Cinema Project website. Screening Night 1 • 7pm • May 5 NW Film Center • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium Screening Night 2 • 7:30pm • May 6 Clinton Street Theater • 2522 SE Clinton  From "Bum Equipment" curated by Cartune Xprez The second night of the Bruce Conner screenings marks opening night of PDX Film Fest 2009. Video installations will be at Gallery Homeland from May 6 - 24, featuring Bum Equipment, a 3-part video installation curated by Cartune Xprez showcasing work from over 20 international artists. Most other screenings will be at the Clinton Street Theater; learn more about the schedule and events here. Opening night performances at Gallery Homeland start at 9pm. PDX Film Fest opening part • 7pm-midnight • May 6 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 04, 2009 at 12:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.30.09 lectures  Paul Gauguin, "Manao tupapau (The Spirit of the Dead Keep Watch)," 1892 Richard Brettell, chair of art and aesthetics at the University of Texas at Dallas, is lecturing this weekend at PAM. His lecture, Paul Gauguin's Pilgrimmage: Lima, Paris, Pont Aven, and Papeete, explores the life and career of French Impressionist Paul Gauguin. Art historian lecture • 2-3pm • May 3 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  MIT professor Anne Whiston Sprin is lecturing next week for UofO's Architecture & Allied Arts department at the White Stag building. In Daring to Look: Dorothea Lange's Photographs and Reports from the Field, Sprin documents hundreds of Lange's photos and the descriptions she wrote of them. Historian lecture • 5:30pm • May 6 White Stag Building • 70 NW Couch  Mark Dion Mark Dion is lecturing next week for PMMNLS: "Appropriating archaeological and other scientific methods of collecting, ordering, and exhibiting objects, Dion's often fantastical curiosity cabinets, modeled on Wunderkabinetts of the 16th Century, exalt atypical orderings of objects and specimens." Artist lecture • 7:30pm • May 4 PSU • 1914 SW Park Ave • Shattuck Hall Rm 212 at Broadway & Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 30, 2009 at 20:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkFirst Weekend Picks May 2009  Stephen Slappe, from "Shelter in Place" NAAU presents the next installation of Couture: Stephen Slappe's Shelter in Place, a 3-channel video installation that is "the culmination of five years of research... Freely combining fiction and nonfiction, this three-channel video installation focuses on two teenagers in West Virginia in the mid-1980s. The characters exist in a media environment that imposes and magnifies their worst fears. Yet even in such a hopeless world, they discover a miraculous way to share subcultural influences. While referencing a specific time and place, Shelter in Place presents a thematically timeless allegory of connectivity and cultural exchange." Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 1 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 (More!) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 30, 2009 at 11:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.28.09 last talk & alberta openings  Lincoln Barbour, "Loading Dock" Office PDX presents My West Coast. A group of photographers were asked to take a series of images that define the West coast with Polaroid Land Cameras. Five Polaroids will be showcased from each of the following photographers: Alicia Rose, Barbara Kinney, Chris Walla, Jan Sonnenmair, Jeff Selis, Jon Jensen, Lincoln Barbour, and Tony Secolo. Opening reception • 6-8pm • April 29 Office PDX • 2204 NE Alberta • 888.355.7467  Maggie Casey, "Stairs" Fiber artist Maggie Casey presents a new site-specific installation at Appendix. Casey explores "a space-based narrative in 3-dimensional drawing." Opening reception • 6-11pm • April 30 Open critique & discussion • 7pm • May 6 Appendix Project Space • South alley b/w 26 & 27th on NE Alberta  Basil Childers, image of the Museum of Contemporary Craft Part 5 of 5 of the PNCA+MoCC community conversations regarding PNCA's acquisition of the Museum of Contemporary Craft is happening this week. Panelists include Victoria Frey (executive director of PICA), Linda K. Johnson (founder of South Waterfront Artist in Residence program), Elizabeth Leach (owner of Elizabeth Leach Gallery), and Tom Manley (PNCA president). Panel discussion • 6:30pm • April 30 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 28, 2009 at 11:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.27.09 without words  Local filmmakers Joanna Priestley and Joan Gratz are screening Words Worth a Thousand Pictures: Contemporary Animation About Language this Thursday. Priestly's Missed Aches and Gratz's Puffer Girl will be premiered in addition to five award-winning international films on the use of language and text in animation. Film screening • 7:30pm • April 30 • $9 Hollywood Theater • 4122 NE Sandy Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 27, 2009 at 12:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.24.09 mp5+pmmnls  MP5 is having their bi-monthly opening this weekend. In MP53 they're featuring Jenevieve Tatiana's Parlor Games: "Those in play here are between modernism and marginality: the endgames of the monochrome and the game theory of social networks, a-chronologically articulated through found web 2.0 information and reshuffled salon-style as sculptural elements." In the hallways there will be installations by Gary Wiseman and Meredith Andrews, Christine Bailey Claringbold, and John Graeter. Opening reception • 7-9pm • April 26 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st Ave • 503.998.4878  Doug Blandy Doug Blandy, director of the institute for community arts studies at the University of Oregon, is speaking this Monday for PMMNLS. He'll address community engagement, research, and education in arts institutions. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • April 27 PSU • 1914 SW Park Ave • Shattuck Hall Rm 212 at Broadway & Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 24, 2009 at 0:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.23.09 pnca + mocc part iv Basil Childers, image of the Museum of Contemporary Craft Part 4 of 5 of the PNCA+MoCC community conversations regarding PNCA's acquisition of the Museum of Contemporary Craft is happening tonight. Panelists include Nan Curtis (PNCA faculty), Stephanie Snyder (Cooley director & curator), Linda Tesner (Hoffman director & curator), and Namita Gupta Wiggers (MoCC curator). Panel discussion • 6:30pm • April 23 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 23, 2009 at 12:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.20.09 Saving Excellence: The Memorial Coliseum *Update: Mayor Adams reverses his Coliseum position and will take another week to explore alternative sites for minor league baseball stadium. Still the basic issue will focus on the details of this "Entertainment District". Will is be a disneylandish-faux-downtown model (ugggh) or something more civic and rewarding?
Brian Libby over at Portland Architecture has been all over the ridiculous plan to demolish the Memorial Coliseum, one of the very few truly excellent mid-century modern buildings in Portland. He even interviewed one of the original SOM architects behind it.  Portland reflected in the Coliseum's curtain wall of glass The question is, does Portland want to become known for tearing down excellent buildings for the sake of minor league sports teams? Or instead, is this an opportunity to find a better use for a civic jewel that we haven't made full use of recently? Why not turn this civic space into something even more civic? But First, Let's Rally: Put on by Mr. Libby, architect Stuart Emmons and AiA Portland, PORT readers have "been cordially invited to a rally opposing the demolition of Memorial Coliseum, one of the great landmarks of Portland Architecture and one of America's most architecturally significant arenas ever constructed - a mid-century modern gem." When & Where: Tuesday, April 21 at 6PM at the American Institute of Architects' Center for Architecture, at 403 NW 11th Avenue ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 20, 2009 at 11:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkStealing Klimt  Gustave Klimt, "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I," 1907 As part of the ongoing Jewish film festival, the NW Film Center is featuring Stealing Klimt tomorrow night. This documentary recounts the decades-long struggle of Austrian-born Maria Altmann to recover five Gustave Klimt paintings stolen from her family by the Nazis in 1938, and hanging in the Austrian National Gallery since 1945. Film screening • 7pm • April 21 NW Film Center • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 20, 2009 at 10:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.17.09 lectures  Abelardo Morell, "Camera Obscura: View of Central Park Looking North-Summer" Photographer Abelardo Morell is speaking at PAM next week for Photolucida. "A professor of photography at the Massachusetts College of Art, Morell is known for his images of exterior scenes transposed onto quiet interior settings through the use of the camera obscura." Artist lecture • 7-8pm • April 24 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Neighborhood Public Radio (NPR) is lecturing on Monday for PMMNLS. They're a guerrilla radio group who critique the more famous NPR through community-based, noncommercial programming broadcast streaming on the Internet or through low-power portable FM transmitters. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • April 20 PSU • 1914 SW Park Ave • Shattuck Hall Rm 212 at Broadway & Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 17, 2009 at 11:32 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 04.16.09 paper arts  Joan Son, "Origami" The Japanese Garden is featuring Paper Arts in the Pavilion. "Paper plays an important part of many Japanese celebrations," and the use of paper in fine arts and craft has a storied cultural history. An array of Japanese paper styles by local artists will be displayed during the exhibition. Paper arts • April 18 - 26 Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston Avenue • 503.223.1321  Jim Lomamasson's "Exit Wounds" installed at NAAU Jim Lommasson's Exit Wounds, formerly at NAAU, is currently installed at PCC Rock Creek's Helzer Gallery. In conjunction with the exhibition there will be a panel discussion with Iraq and Afghanistan vets this afternoon, followed by a gallery reception. Panel discussion • 3-4:15pm • April 16 Helzer Gallery • 17705 NW Springville Rd. • Building 3 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 16, 2009 at 12:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.15.09 animated  Still from the Ottawa Animation Festival The NW Film Center presents the best of the 2008 Ottawa International Animation Festival. The "Best of Ottawa" program presents festival award winners, audience favorites, and other entries in a variety of genres and forms. Screenings of these short segments run from April 17 through April 25. You can view the full schedule here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 15, 2009 at 11:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.14.09 ArtSpark April Metro Arts is leading this month's ArtSpark with a performance and discourse on arts integration for youth. Community conversation • 5-7pm • April 16 Armory Café • Portland Center Stage • 128 NW 11th Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 14, 2009 at 11:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.13.09 post-apocalyptic volcanoes  Eric Steen presents Building in the Post Apocalypse at PSU's MK Gallery: "An exhibition that documents and explores possible options of community, collaboration, and education through socially engaged practices." In addition to the artist reception, the show features several events, including a "Public Social University" and screening of a series of sci-fi films, The Man Who Could Work Miracles and Panic in the Year Zero & The Man From Earth. The full list of events can be found here. Film screening • 10pm • April 13 Public Social University • 3-6pm • April 16 Artist reception • 6-9pm • April 16 Film screening • 9pm • April 16 MK Gallery 2000 SW 5th Avenue • Art Building, 2nd floor rm 210  Tim Dalbow, "Hood" The Linfield Gallery presents Volcanoes, new paintings by Tim Dalbow. He writes: "A painting is an attempt at a solution. The blank canvas is a proposed problem and the process of making a painting is a hypothesis. Painting is not an exact science but I do believe it is a science. Each painting is an excuse to ask the question again." Exhibition • April 15 - May 13, 2009 Linfield Gallery • 900 SE Baker St., McMinnville • Miller Fine Art Center Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 13, 2009 at 10:30 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 04.10.09 spring productivity  Jessica Skloven, 2008 winner Newspace is seeking submissions for their 5th annual juried exhibition, which will be on view in August 2009. All photographic themes and processes are accepted, but work must have been created within the past three years. Selected photographers will participate in the exhibition, and one will receive a solo show at Newspace and a $500 award. Submissions are due May 29. Details here. (More opportunities: public art & gender identity. Larry Sultan for PMMNLS.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 10, 2009 at 9:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.09.09 Air Math  Damien Gilley, "Air Math" Damien Gilley presents Air Math at PSU's Autzen Gallery. In this exhibition, "Gilley visually reconfigures the urban environment to provide alternative viewing experiences that complicate rational space... The works question the reliability of vision through the presentation of illusionistic wall drawings, indeterminate landscapes, modular forms, and compositions that extend the parameters of 'flatness'." Gilley will be in attendance at the gallery on April 18 from 10am to 4pm. Opening reception • 6-9pm • April 11 Autzen Gallery • 724 SW Harrison Street • Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, rm 205 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 09, 2009 at 10:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.07.09 urban geometric communities  Chen Qiulin, "The Garden No. 4" China Urban opens this week at Reed's Cooley Gallery. This exhibition of contemporary Chinese art "explores the historical and contemporary Chinese city - as representation, model, catalyst, and socio-political construct." Before the reception begins, calligrapher Dr. Yang Jiyu will enact a public performance of the calligraphy of Hong Kong artist Tsang Tsou Choi (1921-2007) - the "King of Kowloon" - on the glass walls of the gallery. A full list of related lectures and events can be found here. Opening reception • 7-9pm • April 9 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Library (More: Michael Knutson lectures @ PAM, MoCC & PNCA continue their community conversations.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 07, 2009 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.06.09 Expanded Narrative  Preston Wadley, "The Colonial Gaze" Expanded Narrative: The Photographic Image in Mixed Media Constructions opens this week at Clark College's Archer Gallery. Featuring work by Theresa Batty, Ian van Coller, Heidi Kirkpatrick, Nathan Lucas, Amy Pruzan, Jacinda Russell, and Preston Wadley, Expanded Narrative explores the use of the photographic image within the constructed object. Opening reception • 4-6pm • April 8 Archer Gallery • 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • Penguin Union Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 06, 2009 at 10:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.03.09 Weekend Picks  Danielle Colen, "Untitled (panorama series)" Pied-á-terre is featuring a pair of photographs by Danielle Colen. Interested in exploring a heightened rather than a transformed reality, Colen presents views through an anonymous office window, offering a meditation on the relationship between pictoral space, gallery space, and the outside world. Opening reception • 6-8pm • April 5 Pied-á-terre • 904 SE 20th Apt. 5 • info@pied-terre.com (More: SRO Video @ the Art Gym, PDX/LA collaboration @ MP5, Michael Rakowitz for PMMNLS.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 03, 2009 at 10:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.02.09 First Friday Picks April 2009  Matt King, "Tater" Matt King's Science Diet is at Fourteen30 this month: "Seductive and sickening, King's recent sculptures aggressively assert their position as commodity while questioning the relationships between desire, comfort and the complicity that keeps the system in place. King reconstitutes the images and objects of a marketed culture in ways that reorient their latent meanings. His banal and pleasurable source materials - dollar store items, height indicator strips, drinking straws, and even cat food - feel both unexpected and significant." Opening reception • 6-9pm • April 3 Fourteen30 Contemporary • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430 (More: Updated! Worksound.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 02, 2009 at 10:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.01.09 speaking  W.J.T. Mitchell Scholar W.J.T. Mitchell is speaking this evening on The Future of the Image at PNCA. Mitchell, editor of the interdisciplinary journal Critical Inquiry, is associated with the emergent fields of visual culture and iconology. He is known for his work on "the relations of visual and verbal representations in the context of social and political issues." Visual studies lecture • 6:30pm • April 1 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 (More speakers: Okwui Enwezor for FATE and Peter Kreider for China Urban.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 01, 2009 at 10:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.31.09 First Thursday Picks April 2009  Terry Toedtemeier In April, Blue Sky is featuring Early Work by Terry Toedtemeier. This body of work comes from around 1975, when he co-founded Blue Sky. In the midst of a "brief, intense investigation of the possibilities of infrared photography," Toedtemeier was still interested in capturing gestures and the human, or sometimes animal, figure. This subject distinguishes these images from his later work, when he turned primarily to landscape. Blue Sky will also be exhibiting shows by Alexis Pike and Andy Freeberg, as well as select images by Abelardo Morell, who is in town as keynote speaker for the upcoming Photolucida conference. Opening reception • 6-9pm • April 2 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th • 503.225.0210 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 31, 2009 at 17:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.30.09 Our work is never over  Michael Reinsch Sponsored by the RACC, Michael Reinsch presents a temporary installation at the Portland Building that examines notions of labor. "The project will start with piles of materials and tools and will change and develop throughout the month as he explores his relationship to his art as work, the ways in which others think about work, how his job affects his art process, and how all of this is informed by current events. Reinsch states "My work is never done.'" Reinsch is launching the project with a full 8 hour shift today (March 30), and can be found working in the Portland Building from 8-10:30am Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for the duration of the exhibition. Installation • March 30 - April 24 Portland Building • 1120 SW 5th Avenue Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 30, 2009 at 14:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.27.09 Into The Sunset at MoMA, still fetishing Oregon  Stephen Shore's poignant and jaw dropping photo taken outside "K Falls" MoMA's Into The Sunset show charts the persistent role of photography as commentator on the West and Stephen Shore's photograph taken outside Klammath Falls is the poster child. It opens Sunday. Ken Johnson's NYT's review discusses the trend but this is nothing new to Portlanders. Last year Wild Beauty provided a similarly sardonic spectacle and video artist/filmmaker Matt McCormick made this very subject the core of his last solo show at Elizabeth Leach Gallery. Todd Johnson's interesting curatorial project at Gallery Homeland in 2008 also beat MoMA to the punch. I do think Wild Beauty answered Ken Johnson's longing for something that was so bleak. Luckilly the book is still available. Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 27, 2009 at 11:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.26.09 Lectures  MK Guth, "Ties of Protection and Safe Keeping," final installation, NY Park Ave Armory Local artist MK Guth, who works in video, sculpture and performative social exchange projects, is lecturing this week for PMMNLS. Guth's project Ties of Protection and Safe Keeping was included in the 2008 Whitney Biennial, and subsequently installed in the APEX gallery at PAM. Guth is also a founding member of the Red Shoe Delivery Service. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • March 30 PSU • Shattuck Hall Annex Room 212 • Corner of SW Broadway & Hall  Mr. Shiro Nakane (left) & Dr. Makoto Suzuki Renowned Japanese garden professionals Dr. Makoto Suzuki of Tokyo Agricultural University and Mr. Shiro Nakane of Nakane & Associates will lecture next Tuesday at the Japenese Garden. They will both present on the topic The Japanese Garden: Past, Present, and Future. Tickets are $10, space is limited, reservations can be made here. Artisan expert lectures • 6-8pm • March 31 Japanese Garden • 611 SW Kingston Avenue • 503.223.1321 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 26, 2009 at 21:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.25.09 White Noise closing reception 
In case you missed White Noise or were there during the rock'n but impossible to see anything opening, here's your last chance to catch a nice warehouse show with a lot of energy and several standout pieces by Stephen Scott Smith, Damien Gilley (probably the most talked about MFA student in Portland) and the show's curator Jhordan Dahl (another must watch artist/curator combo, she's a got a great deal of verve). White Noise closing reception • 7-11 PM • March 26 Worksound • 820 SE Alder Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 25, 2009 at 11:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.24.09 Art films: last installment  Herb and Dorothy Vogel Megumi Sasaki's Herb and Dorothy is airing this weekend. The film documents the story of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, who came from modest means but still managed to put together "one of the largest and most important private collections of minimalist and conceptual art in the world... In an age of the commodification of art by wealthy 'investors,' Herb and Dorothy offer a rare and uplifting example of people for whom art is about love, not profit." Note PORT first broke the story that the Vogel's had given 50 works of art to the Portland Art Museum here. First screening • 2pm • March 28 Second screening • 4:30pm • March 29 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park  Alice Neel, "Andy Warhol," 1970 The final installment of the NW Film Center's 2009 art film series screens next weekend. Alice Neel, Andrew Neel's documentary about his grandmother, explores the life of the portrait painter who was a "self-described collector of souls." She captured an amazing range of cultural figures, including Andy Warhol, Bella Abzug, Allen Ginsberg, and Annie Sprinkle, sacrificing much of her own life to pursue her art. Film screening • 4pm • April 4 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 24, 2009 at 9:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.19.09 What? Where?  David Horvitz's traveling box game is coming to the Pancake Clubhouse. What's in the Box! is "a multi-stage touring project, instigated by David Horvitz and Lukas Geronimas, in collaboration with Renata Christen, The Black Hole Space and curator Terri C. Smith, The Madiman Arts interaction Center, and all those that participate in the project." Breakfast will be served at 9:30 sharp. Box Game • 9:30am • March 21 Pancake Clubhouse Historic Township and Activity Destination for the Living Arts • 906A NE 24th Ave • pancakeclubhouse@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 19, 2009 at 10:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.18.09 art community The Canoe Group and the Portland Center for the Performing Arts are leading this month's Art Spark. They'll be discussing PCPA's new cultural video project, and director Robyn Williams will present new opportunities for artists and arts organizations. Art Spark's host rotates monthly. Snacks this month courtesy of PCPA. Community conversation • 5-7pm • March 19 Art Bar • SW Broadway & Main The Portland Art Museum currently holds quarterly Museum Family Days that feature hands-on art making activities related to the current exhibition. Thanks to a recent gift to the Art Access Endowment, PAM is now offering free admission on these days, starting Sunday, March 22. Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 18, 2009 at 11:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.17.09 Art Film Series cont.  Roy Lichtenstein, "The Head," Barcelona, 1992 The NW Film Center's ongoing art film series continues this weekend with Vincent Gérard and Cédric Laty's By the Ways: A Journey with William Eggleston. The film explores the life and creative history of photographer William Eggleston. The crew tracked him from Memphis to Rome and beyond over the course of several months, "building an incremental portrait of the world as seen through the artist's eyes." Also coming up in the series: A double-billing of The Universe of Keith Haring and Conversations with Jean-Michel Basquiat on Sunday, March 22, and a double-billing of Roy Lichtenstein: Tokyo Brushstrokes and Ellsworth Kelly: Fragments on Wednesday, March 25. Eggleston screening • 3pm • March 21 NW Film Center • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium (More: PNCA Intermedia Film Fest, films by Ben Rivers.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 17, 2009 at 6:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.13.09 Talkin'  Mel Katz, "Four in the Center" Sculptor Mel Katz and painter Roll Hardy are speaking this weekend at Laura Russo in conjunction with their ongoing exhibitions. Keep an eye on this space for a very special Mel Katz interview, coming soon... Artists lecture • 11am • March 14 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st • 503.226.2754  François Boucher, "Conspiration de putti (Cupids in Conspiracy)," c.1740 Heather MacDonald, curator of European art at the Dallas Museum of Art, presents A Seraglio of Men: Female Patrons and Male Artists in the Age of Madame De Pompadour at PAM. MacDonald will discuss "how female patrons shaped the development of the visual arts in France during the 18th century." Of course, part of the ongoing La volupté de goût exhibition. Curator lecture • 2-3pm • March 15 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 13, 2009 at 12:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.12.09 Tim Colley @ Rocksbox  Tim Colley Tim Colley presents I Remember Everything at Rocksbox. Colley's books and videos focus on the "collection, hording, and re-contextualization of contemporary media, pop-culture imagery, and mass manufactured objects re-processed through manic, tireless re-construction." Opening reception • 7-11pm • March 14 Rocksbox • 6540 N. Interstate • 503.516.4777 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 12, 2009 at 8:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.11.09 transmogrify  Danridge Geiger, "Work in progress" Gallery Homeland presents TransFixed, a group exhibition curated by Victor Maldonado. Inspired by "mapping the diversity and fusion of contemporary culture," Maldonado selected artists he worked with at PNCA whose work "aided [him] in understanding the value of contemporary Fine Arts practices now." Featured artists include Sara Nyquist, Laura Hughes, Danridge Geiger, Calvin Ross Carl, and Rainbow Ross. Opening reception • 6-9pm • March 13 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th • info@galleryhomeland.org  The Oregon Department of Kick Ass presents Hunker Down to Rise Above, a series of short films curated by Vanessa Renwick. The films "focus on folks taking matters into their own hands, be it within bike culture, hobo culture, kitchen culture or just plain ol' falling in love." Admission is $5. Films screening • 7pm • March 13 The Waypost • 3120 N Williams • 503.367.3182 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 11, 2009 at 11:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.09.09 film, lecture  Richard Serra, from Tappeiner's "Thinking on Your Feet" The NW Film Center's art film series continues this week with Maria Anna Tappeiner's Richard Serra: Thinking on Your Feet. This film portrait depicts Serra speaking articulately on his monumental sculpture, influences, historical context and public controversy. The next two installments in the art film series are: Wendy Keys's Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight on March 14 and a double-billing of Adam Kahan's Andres Serrano and Lucy Allen's Damien Hirst: Addicted to Art on March 17. Film screening • 7pm • March 11 NW Film at the Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park  Sol LeWitt, "Incomplete Open Cube," 1974 Local artist, curator, and writer TJ Norris will speak this Thursday at PAM on Incomplete Cube by Sol Lewitt and Marcel Duchamp's Boîte-en-valise, Series F. This is the second in PAM's new series of artist talks. The talk will depart from the Hoffman entrance and continue in the museum café after the tour for happy hour until 8pm. Artist talk • 6-8pm • March 12 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 09, 2009 at 11:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.05.09 Art School  PSU's Autzen Gallery presents: I Hope This Finds You Fearless in the Wilderness, an installation by Evertt A. Beidler. The exhibition brings Messages From the Middle of Nowhere to the viewer: A code of ethics, a belief system, and the resolve to act upon them that was developed in isolation; where no one was watching. Artist reception • 6-8pm • March 7 PSU Autzen Gallery • 724 SW Harrison Street • Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, rm 205 (More PSU! MK Gallery, Littman Gallery.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 05, 2009 at 19:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkFirst Weekend Picks March 2009  Kim Fisher, "Lunar Eclipse" Fourteen30 presents Under a Vanishing Night: New Work from L.A., featuring Kim Fisher, Sayre Gomez, Richard Jackson, Brian Kennon, and Natascha Snellman. Deeply connected to the city of Los Angeles and its many venerable art institutions, the artists work from the palpable energy of LA's light-polluted "vanishing night." Opening reception • 6-9pm • March 6 Fourteen30 Contemporary • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 05, 2009 at 11:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.04.09 lectures love learning  Martin Kersels, "Fat Iggy 2" LA-based artist Martin Kersels is lecturing this weekend for RAW. Kersels works in sculpture, audio, photography and performance, and is co-director of the Program in Art at the California Institute of the Arts. Artist lecture • 7pm • March 7 Reed College Arts Week • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Eliot 314  Jean-Baptiste Chardin, Les Attributs des arts et les rècompenses qui leur sont accordèes (The Attributes of the Arts and the Rewards Which Are Accorded Them), 1766 New Yorker art critic Adam Gopnik is lecturing at PAM this Friday. In Madame De Pompadour In The Age Of Voltaire, Gopnik will discuss "the world of luxury, wealth, and leisure reflected in the art of Mme de Pompadour's time and the growth of radical new ideas about man, nature, and liberty that began in the era." There will be a book signing following the lecture, and a parent discussion on Saturday. Critic lecture • 7-8pm • March 6 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Michael Lazarus In conjunction with his exhibition tend to forget at Elizabeth Leach, artist Michael Lazarus will lecture Thursday afternoon at PNCA. Artist lecture • 12:30-1:30pm • March 5 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391  Now more than ever we need to support arts education in public schools: Portland's only primary art school, Buckman Elementary, is having their annual art show & sell this Friday and Saturday. The event features food, kid-friendly entertainment, and lots of art for sale, with 30% of proceeds going to benefit the school. Art Show & Sell • 5-9pm • March 6 Day 2 • 10am-5pm • March 7 Buckman Elementary • 320 SE 16th Ave • 503.916-3506 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 04, 2009 at 12:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.03.09 First Thursday Picks March 2009 
Mel Katz at Laura Russo Gallery Mel Katz presents Aluminum Sculpture at Laura Russo. After 50 years of practice, Katz's work has stayed modern and clean. His sculptures have become progressively more flattened, exploring the silhouette and positive and negative space. Opening reception • 5-8pm • March 5 Artist lecture • 11am • March 14 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st Ave • 503.226.2754 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 03, 2009 at 12:40 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 03.02.09 Furniture+Animation+Clay  Ken Tomita, "body" Project Chaboo, a collaboration between fifty artists and designer Ken Tomita, will be exhibiting reinterpreted furniture at Gallery Homeland. "Chaboo was designed with the intention of creating an affordable piece of furniture made of high quality materials that is also attractive, simple, and highly versatile." Opening reception • 6-10pm • March 4 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th • info@galleryhomeland.org  Cliff Evans, from "Empyrean" Multimedia and video artist Cliff Evans is exhibiting Empyrean, a digital installation, at PCC Cascade. Using appropriation and photomontage-based animation, Evans draws from pop/Internet culture to create images that are "as mesmerizing as disturbing, as unassuming as complexly beautiful, and as mechanical as organically decomposed or rotten." Art historian Christine Weber will speak next week on Evans work in the Moriarty Arts Humanities Building (MAHB 222). Opening reception • 11am-1pm • March 5 Art historian lecture • 1-2pm • March 10 PCC Cascade Gallery • 705 N. Killingsworth St.TH 102 • cascade.gallery@pcc.edu  The Linfield Gallery presents 21st Century Iconographic Clayworks. Curated by Nils Lou, the exhibition features 24 of "some of the most masterful and influential artists working with clay in the United States today." Opening reception • 6-8pm • March 4 Linfield Gallery • 900 SE Baker St. McMinnville • 503.883.2804 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 02, 2009 at 10:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 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) 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) 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) 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 El 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 Speaking & 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) 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) PermalinkFriday 02.13.09 Lectures & 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) 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 New 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) 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 First 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) 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 Video  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) PermalinkFriday 01.30.09 Right Brain Re: Logic  Brain Awareness 2k9: OHSU's The Right Brain Initiative is hosting a lecture on learning, the arts, and the brain next week. The panel discussion will be moderated by John Frohnmayer, former chairman of the NEA. Featured speakers include two leading researchers on the arts and cognition, Drs. Michael Posner and Helen Neville, and two members of Portland's creative community, famous advertiser Dan Wieden and Chris Coleman, artistic director of Portland Center Stage. After the lecture there will be a "creativity reception" with major Portland/Oregon arts groups. Tickets are $20 + fees. Panel lecture • 7pm • February 2 Portland Center for the Performing Arts • 1111 SW Broadway • 503.248.4335  Edgar Arceneaux, "The Alchemy of Comedy... Stupid" at the 2008 Whitney Biennial LA-based multi-disciplinary artist Edgar Arceneaux is speaking at next week's PMMNLS. Arceneaux "explores the origins and laws of our physical reality, using strategy in which linear logic is subverted and destabilized to create a space of experimentation." Recent works include The Alchemy of Comedy... Stupid at the 2008 Whitney Biennial, featuring actor David Alan Grier working out an introspective and frequently awkward comedy routine. Artist lecture • 7pm • February 2 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 30, 2009 at 10:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.29.09 Spill-ennial  Liza Ryan Reed's Cooley Gallery presents SPILL, a film and photography installation by LA-based artist Liza Ryan. Ryan's work explores the liberation of the human psyche from the dimensions of reality, focusing on the psychological experiences of release and dispersal. The exhibition continues through March 8, featuring an artist talk in February in Reed's Eliot Hall room 314. Exhibition • January 29 - March 8 Artist talk • 6:30pm • February 20 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Hauser Memorial Library  Stephanie Robison, "Oversight" The Tacoma Art Museum's 9th NW Biennial opens this weekend. TAM has had one of the more enduring annuals featuring regional artists, but in past years it has been a bit overcrowded and Seattle-skewed. Once again, there are only 5 Portland artists represented, but there should be some goodies. Stephanie Robison will be taking over the courtyard with a majorly expanded version of the above installation. (Note: Due to tinted glass, her piece will not be visible at night during the opening, so make the trip north early to see this gem in daylight.) The exhibition runs through May 25. Opening reception • 7:30-10pm • January 31 Tacoma Art Museum • 1701 Pacific Avenue Tacoma, Washington • 253.272.4258 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 29, 2009 at 11:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.28.09 Undone  From "Undone" Karl Burkheimer and Jenene Nagy have organized a group show of work by post-bac students at the Oregon College of Art & Craft. Undone showcases projects in wood, ceramics, metals, photography and drawing and painting by a group of artists who have come to OCAC to "further their artistic practice in an art and craft environment," in a "re-investigation of art and learning." Featured artists include Soraya Sayani, Molly Purnell, Jacie Friedkin, Matt Wicks, Kimo Nelson, Pat Krishnamurthy, Johanna Keefe, Suzanne Lussier, Betany Porter, and Stephanie Brachmann. The show will run at Disjecta from January 31 through February 14. Gallery hours are Thu-Sun, 12-5pm, but watch out for unexpected closures- Disjecta's had some scheduling issues with performances and gallery availability in the last few shows. Exhibition • January 31 - February 14 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 28, 2009 at 8:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.27.09 Pushup  Appendix gallery is opening its 2009 season with Pushup: new work by Calvin Ross Carl, Zack Davis and Joshua Pavlacky. Opening reception • 6-10pm • January 29 Appendix Project Space • In the alley b/w 26th & 27th on NE Alberta Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 27, 2009 at 9:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.26.09 Due North  Janice Vitkovsky, "Beneath the Surface II" Bullseye presents an exhibition of work from Scotland's North Lands Creative Glass. Due North celebrates the legacy of glass making in Scotland's highlands, featuring Jane Bruce, Lisa Cahill, Mel George, Deborah Horrell, Steve Klein, Dante Marioni, Catharine Newell, Robin Provart-Kelly, Bruno Romanelli, Louise Tait, and Janice Vitkovsky. Exhibition • January 27 - March 21 Artist panel • 2-4pm • March 22 Bullseye Gallery • 300 NW 13th • 503.227.0222 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 26, 2009 at 9:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.23.09 Looking Forward  Shigeru Takato, "Cologne V.," 2004 Lewis & Clark's Hoffman Gallery presents reGeneration, a group photography exhibition. Selected by three curators from Musée de l'Elysée, the show highlights some of the best work from emerging photographers around the globe. In an effort to explore the future of 21st century photographic practices, the curators used one question to guide their selections: Will this image be known in twenty years? Amongst over 150 remarkable images, featured work includes Keren Assaf's Untitled (Israel), an attempt to understand Israeli culture through the comparison of its aspirations with the American dream; Shigeru Takato's Cologne V. (above), part of his Television Studios series that exposes the hollow and blatantly artificial environments of the studio; and Untitled from Nicholas Prior's The Age of Man, where the photographer explores childhood as a social, not biological, construct. Exhibition • January 22 - March 15 Hoffman Gallery • 0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd • 503.768.7687  MK Guth, Ties of Protection and Safekeeping MK Guth will speak in the APEX Gallery at PAM this weekend about her installation Ties of Protection and Safekeeping. Read about the installation at the Whitney Biennial here. Artist lecture • 2-3pm • January 25 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Michael Brophy, "Day" PMMNLS is back with celebrated local artist Michael Brophy, who paints vivid and often desolate images of the Northwest landscape. Artist lecture • 7pm • January 26 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 23, 2009 at 11:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.22.09 Durost + Sisley  Jesse Durost, "Flags, Smoke, Comfort and Conflict" Fourteen30 presents the work of Portland-based Jesse Durost and LA-based John Sisley. Durost's Fabrications explore his "own vocabulary of architectural forms." In ENDGAMES, Sisley also creates a new spatial language, through "the erased or destroyed photograph, the lost or, unseen film, and the damaged record." Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 23 Fourteen30 • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 22, 2009 at 9:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.21.09 Contemporary Textiles Two new exhibitions are opening Thursday at the Museum of Contemporary Craft:
Mandy Greer, "Dare alla Luce," installation shot Mandy Greer presents her installation Dare alla Luce. The term is an Italian idiom for giving birth that translates to "to give to the light." Simultaneously "mythical and mundane," the installation uses sewing, crochet, braiding, and beading processes to "collapse the language and materials of the ordinary with the spectacular and the epic." Exhibition • January 22 - May 31 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654  Darrel Morris, "COACHES and athlete" MoCC will be the first West Coast institution to exhibit Darrel Morris' large embroidered works, featuring pieces from 1999-2008. Best known for "intimate and nostalgic snapshot-sized pieces," with this body of work Morris approaches new territory in scale, color, and line. Clipping figures from print media, Morris creates sharply graphic line drawings with thread. Exhibition • January 22 - May 31 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Don't miss the panel discussion opening night. Stefano Catalani, curator from the Bellevue Arts Museum, will join MoCC curator Namita Wiggers and artists Mandy Greer and Darrel Morris for the latest lecture in MoCC's Craft Perspectives series. Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 21, 2009 at 8:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.16.09 Rachel Whiteread at PAM  Rachel Whiteread Internationally renowned British sculptor Rachel Whiteread will be exhibiting recent sculpture and works on paper in the Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art at PAM. Using a variety of casting techniques, Whiteread "works with the empty and unexamined spaces" of domestic objects "rendering negative space as positive sculptural form." Her work explores both the form and reimagined meanings of quotidian objects and the materials she casts them in. Exhibition • January 17 - May 3 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SE Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 16, 2009 at 10:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.13.09 Art Spark January  This month's Art Spark, hosted by the Gilt Club, features Oregon College of Art & Craft president Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson. She will discuss the future of OCAC, and its relationship to the Portland arts community. Discussion group • 5-7pm • January 15 Art Spark at the Gilt Club • 306 NW Broadway Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 13, 2009 at 19:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkMaking Iconoclasts  Theresa Redinger PCC Sylvania's North View Gallery presents Making Camp, a group exhibition that capitalizes on the campus's treehouse setting. Featuring two artist-made tents, this 13 person show celebrates the outdoors with a wide range of media, from watercolor to video. Opening reception • 11:30am-1:30pm • January 15 North View Gallery • 12000 SW 49th Ave • CT 214 Building  Chelsea Geringer Curator Gail Brown presents The Next Iconoclasts at OCAC's Hoffman Gallery. The group exhibition focusing on altered expectations and revisionist identities, "features dramatically innovative work with evolutionary responses to historic precedents." Opening reception • 4-7pm • January 15 Hoffman Gallery • 8245 SW Barnes Road • 503.297.5544 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 13, 2009 at 9:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.09.09 PMMNLS: Daniel Bozhkov  Darth Vader Tries to Clean the Black Sea With Brita Filter, 2000 On Monday, Bulgarian-born artist Daniel Bozhkov will speak for PSU's MFA Monday Night Lecture Series. Classically trained, Bozhkov incorporates his skill in Old Master techniques such as fresco to provide a basis for performance, video, and conceptual projects. Bozhkov invades modern worlds - from genetic science to shopping malls - as an "intruder/outsider" who introduces new strains of meaning into closed systems. Artist lecture • 7pm • January 12 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 09, 2009 at 8:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.08.09 Weekend Picks  Stephen Chalmers First Friday got lost in the holiday shuffle this month, but there are several interesting shows opening this weekend. Newspace is featuring the work of photographers Stephen Chalmers and Nan Brown. Chalmers explores "psychologically charged spaces... while he coolly detaches such imagery from its popular tropes." His series Transience depicts Snowbirds, and the culture surrounding full time RV habitation. Brown's work looks at a similar American subculture. Trailers Collected depicts "the individualism and freedom intrinsic to American rural life," combating the trailer trash stereotype with an honest look into the diverse community of trailer owners and travelers. Opening reception • 7-10pm • January 9 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th • 503.963.1935 (More: Autzen Gallery, MK Gallery, PAM.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 08, 2009 at 15:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.07.09 Art School  Jason Adkins PCC's Cascade Gallery presents Modern Salvage, a group exhibition that reexamines late Modernist formal aesthetics. The show asks what it means to create work in this vernacular when it has been co-opted by the sleek commercial lines of IKEA. How do we reconcile the "classical" reductive aesthetic with the highly marketable department store Modernism? Featured artists include Matthew Letzelter, Kim McKenna, Sterling Lawrence, Matthew Green, Jason Adkins, and Jeff Koons. Opening reception • 5-8pm • January 9 Curatorial lecture • 4-5pm • January 26 PCC Cascade Gallery • 705 N. Killingsworth • Terrell Hall Room 102  The Social Practices students in PSU's MFA program present Extraordinarily Ordinary in PSU's White Gallery. The exhibition is the first in an experimental series showcasing the ongoing work of the Social Practices students. Student work and interactive projects will be on display in the White Gallery on a rotating basis - and this week's opening reception features a larger-than-life crossword. Opening reception • 5-8pm • January 8 PSU White Gallery • 1825 SW Broadway • Smith Building South Wing 2nd Floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 07, 2009 at 10:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.06.09 First Thursday Picks January 2009  Drake Deknatel, "Watch the Night," 2003 Elizabeth Leach presents Berlin Portraits, an exhibition celebrating the life and work of Drake Deknatel (1943-2005). Deknatel began this series after discovering a photograph of himself as a child, dressed in his father's flight jacket. The paintings explore childhood memory and experience, repeating the forms of child and adult until representational figures begin to blur back into abstraction, recounting the greater narrative of the image. Deknatel lived and worked in Seattle for over 20 years, but continued to maintain a studio in Berlin, where he exhibited widely. Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 8 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • 503.224.0521 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 06, 2009 at 9:53 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 01.05.09 Couture '09: Laura Fritz 
Laura Fritz, Evident (installation/detail view) The first big show of 2009 opens this week: Laura Fritz will launch the 2009 segment of NAAU's Couture exhibitions with Evident, one of the most anticipated shows of the series. Conceived and designed specifically for Couture, Evident also marks Fritz's first full scale solo appearance in Portland since 2003. (Although Interspace and Caseworks 13 made notable appearances.) Critically well-received, Fritz's installations elegantly manipulate and distort their surroundings, exploiting the cognitive dissonance created when space is subverted and no explanation is provided. She retains a high degree of control over her material even as she leaves meaning fully open ended, allowing "human nature to expose itself as a response and rationalization of the unknown." Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 7 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny St. • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 05, 2009 at 9:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.02.09 PMMNLS Winter '09  Lucky Dragons photographed by Michael Demeo PSU's MFA Monday Night Lecture Series (PMMNLS) returns next Monday for winter quarter. The first presenter of 2009 will be the music/performance/installation group Lucky Dragons. Made up of Luke Fischbeck, Sarah Rara, and collaborators, "Lucky dragons are about the birthing of new and temporary creatures--equal-power situations in which audience members cooperate amongst themselves, building up fragile networks held together by such light things as skin contact, unfamiliar language, temporary logic, the spirit of celebration, and things that work but you don't know why." Lecture • 7:30pm • January 5 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 02, 2009 at 12:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.31.08 Jerry Walker & cary doucette  Left: Jerry Walker, "Target For One," Right: cary doucette, "blau 1 (detail)" 12x16 is bringing in the new year with Jerry Walker and gallery member cary doucette. Walker was a Portland Pop Pioneer, who adopted the 1960s & 70s NYC Minimalist edge. Although he exhibited in the Portland Art Museum, his work remained largely obscure until his estate sold the collection after his death. Complementing Walker's Minimialist constructions are the parts and pieces of cary doucette. This show exposes the concept behind his work through raw materials, presenting unfinished structures like an architect might present a model. Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 2 Artist reception • 2-4pm • January 4 12x16 Gallery • 8235 SE 13th #5 • 503.432.3513 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 31, 2008 at 10:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.26.08 Memorial for Terry Toedtemeier January 4th  Terry Toedtemeier's Soliton, Oregon Coast, 2004 The Northwest Photography Archive has established a memorial fund in honor of Terry Toedtemeier, which will fund a book of his photographs, more info on the fund at the bottom of the page here. The NPA site also states that a memorial service will be held at the Portland Art Museum on Sunday, January 4. It will begin at 2 p.m. with a viewing of the Wild Beauty exhibition, followed by a memorial program at 3 p.m. in the Fields Ballroom in the Museum’s Mark Building. The program will include remarks by friends and family and a slide show of Terry’s work. Suggestion for the cabin fevered in our unthawing city... if you do nothing else this weekend check out Wild Beauty at PAM, the show ends January 11th. Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 26, 2008 at 21:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.17.08 Mixed Magic  Ready to brave the snow? Catch the artist reception for Mixed Magic at PSU's Autzen gallery. This group exhibition uses comedy and playfulness to address more complex subject matter, approaching humor as an important tool to get us through difficult social and economic times. The show closes on December 22. Update! The reception is canceled due to inclement weather. Check to see if PSU is open before stopping by to see the show. Artist reception • 6-8pm • December 19 Autzen Gallery at PSU • 2000 SW 5th Ave • 2nd Floor Neuberger Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 17, 2008 at 10:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.16.08 Radio Tribue to Terry Toedtemeier KBOO's Art Focus will hold a tribute to Terry Toedtemeier this Thursday morning. Guests include Jane Beebe of PDX Contemporary (his dealer), John Laursen (co-author of Wild Beauty), and his widow and co-curator, Prudence Roberts.
Radio Tribute • 10:30-11am • December 18 KBOO 90.7fm in Portland Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 16, 2008 at 8:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 12.14.08 Ann Arbor Experimental Film Fest  Ben Peters The 46th Ann Arbor film festival is coming to the NW Film Center. The longest running experimental film festival in the country, this year's tour features 31 of the best short films in the festival, split into two programs. Wednesday's program features works from Ben Peters' Frog Jesus to Josh Rankin's I Met the Walrus. Thursday's program includes Kelly Sears' The Drift, Semiconductor's Brilliant Noise - and many, many more on both nights. Film Screening Part I • 7pm • December 17 Film Screening Part II • 7pm • December 18 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium at PAM • 1219 SW Park Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 14, 2008 at 12:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.11.08 Student Film Screening This weekend, a group of PNCA students will screen movies, a collection of short experimental film, at Gallery Homeland. Featured artists include Jacob Winfield, Ryan Tesar Freeman, Kevin Tinnell, Morgan Alexandra Ritter, Joey Lusterman, Chris Bovden, Bryan Colombo, Adrienne Huckabone, Israel Lund, Sarah Burke, Julia Perry, Brennan Broome, and Jim Hill.
Film Screening • 7pm • December 12 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 11, 2008 at 9:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.10.08 Impossible... Future  Fourteen30 presents Impossible Instruments / Future Flags, a group exhibition organized by artist Nathaniel T. Price. Using science fiction as a point of departure, the show takes on manifestations of the uncanny and the strange in human experience. Exhibiting artists include Alex Felton, Kristan Kennedy, Corey Lunn, Chris Johanson, M Blash, Dana Dart-McLean, Rob Halverson, Steven Wirth, Jo Jackson, Nathaniel T. Price, Arnold J. Kemp and Bobo. Opening reception • 6-9pm • December 12 Fourteen30 Contemporary • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.236.1430 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 10, 2008 at 11:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.05.08 Video / Performance  The Mmm...Video series has started at PSU's MK Gallery. Lasting through most of December, the series begins with Robert Barta's Capri (through the 7th), followed by Alex Hubbard's Collapse of the Expanded Field 1-3, and Matthew Green's Home of the Radical. Video series • December 1 - 22 PSU MK Gallery • 2000 SW 5th AVE • 2nd Floor  Michael McManus and Alexandra Schmidt The Cooley gallery presents a performance orchestrated by Stephanie Gervais and Alexandra Schmidt. In Love: Personified, Schmidt and fellow performer Michael McManus "embark upon a journey from one kind of fear to another." This romantic/erotic performance, exploring youth and beauty, begins with the blast of a shofar, and ends with the pair embracing in a bathtub "replete with a thousand goldfish." The performance will be followed with music by Zoe Roller from 5-6pm. After the music, stay at the Cooley for Dreamtime with David Reed - bring your sleeping bag, and get comfy in the gallery to watch a screening of two video works by David Reed, in conjunction with the end of David Reed's Lives of Paintings at the gallery. Performance • 4-5pm • December 8 Music • 5-6pm • December 8 Screening • 6-9pm • December 8 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Hauser Memorial Library Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 05, 2008 at 9:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.04.08 First Friday Picks December 2008  Alexander Herzog, "picture 10" Alexander Herzog presents I Found the Cure at 32 at Gallery Homeland. He writes that his work is "a collision of cultural anthropology and phenomenological experience." Extrapolating many formal elements from the history of painting, Herzog "pushes and pulls the segments of the image into space." Opening reception • 6-9pm • December 5 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th • info@galleryhomeland.org (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 04, 2008 at 9:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.03.08 Tony Fry Lectures 
Tony Fry Australian design theorist Tony Fry will be the next PNCA+Five Ideas Studio speaker. Design Futuring, Culture and the Coming Age of Unsettlement will address two major questions: "How can design, as a positive force for change, be made to happen? And, how can design become a re-directive practice leading towards sustainment?" Fry is a contributing editor to the Design Philosophy Papers as well as director of "sustainability consultancy" Team D/E/S. Design lecture • 12:30pm • December 5 PNCA • Gerding Theater at the Armory • 128 NW 11th Ave Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 03, 2008 at 10:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.02.08 First Thursday Picks December 2008  Stephen Scott Smith, "Bunnysmith" The Mark Woolley Gallery is celebrating their 15th anniversary this month with Stephen Scott Smith's Selections from ME9. Smith's provocative work explores identity, competitive art world marketing and artist branding, narcissism, modernity vs. nature and more through photography, video, installation, performance and painting. Opening reception • 6-9pm • December 4 Mark Woolley Gallery • 817 SW 2nd Ave • 503.224.5475 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 02, 2008 at 9:43 | Comments (3) PermalinkFriday 11.28.08 Party  This Monday, come to the Holocene to celebrate the release of Psilo Design's 3rd Portland Funbook. The last two were fabulous proof that art and music in Portland are fun, and this year's is even oversize. Monday's release party will also be a benefit for Amnesty International. Funbook3 Release Party • 9pm • December 1 Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison • $9  Orlo, publisher of the Bear Deluxe magazine, is celebrating their 15th birthday this Wednesday at the Someday. Exploring a variety of methods to "use the creative arts to explore environmental issues," Orlo's primary recent focus has been on Bear Deluxe. They'll release issue 28, their special contemporary arts issue (featuring images by PORT's own Ryan Pierce), at the party. The party will also feature cupcakes, cake, games and a placard-drawing contest. Free to Orlo members, or $5-$10 donation. Orlo Birthday Party • 6:30-10pm • December 3 Someday Lounge • 125 NW 5th AVE  Hamza Walker Before the Funbook party, don't forget PMMNLS! This week's lecture features curator Hamza Walker, interviewed a couple of years ago on PORT here. Since 1994, Walker has served as Director of Education/Associate Curator for The Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago, a non-collecting museum devoted to contemporary art, and has received the 1999 Norton Curatorial Grant and the 2005 Walter Hopps Award for curatorial achievement. Lecture • 7:30pm • December 1 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 28, 2008 at 10:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.26.08 Film  Still from "Zidane" This weekend, work off the holiday madness from the perspective of famous soccer player Zidane. The NW Film Center is screening Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, directed by Douglas Gordon and Philippe Pareno, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You can learn more about this ground breaking experimental film from Arcy's September review. Check out showtimes, and buy tickets online, at the NW Film Center site.  From "Wild Beauty" at PAM In conjunction with PAM's ongoing exhibition, Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge, the NW Film Center will present three film series that reflect the history of the Columbia River and the enormous changes the river has undergone. The first is happening this Sunday, and features three short films: The Columbia River Gorge: A Natural History, Sagebrush Sailors, and Singing Waters: Where Rolls Oregon. Visit the NW Film Center for showtimes and more information, and keep an eye on their site for the next two installments, on December 14 and December 28. Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 26, 2008 at 11:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.24.08 Get Higgzy  Matthew Higgs, tonight's PMMNLS speaker, will be following his lecture with a dance party at SE industrial night club Branx. Sponsored by the PSU Art dept., "Art is to enjoy disco" features Matthew Higgs on the decks, and a last chance to shake your tailfeathers before weighing them down with turkey. Dance Party • 10pm-2am • November 24 Branx • 320 SE 2nd Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 24, 2008 at 10:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.21.08 Curators Speak  François Boucher, "Portrait de Madame de Pompadour," 1756 Patrice Marandel, Chief Curator of the Center for European Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is speaking this Sunday at PAM. Marandel will explore Madame de Pompadour, trendsetter in 18th century French culture, in a special advance lecture for PAM's February exhibition, La volupté du goût. Curator Lecture • 2-3pm • November 23 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Matthew Higgs, "What Goes Around Comes Around" Next week's PMMNLS features NYC-based curator, critic, and artist Matthew Higgs. Since the early 1990s, Higgs has sought to explore the overlapping connections between the three practices, developing an ongoing, inter-generational dialogue between artists through exhibitions and his own work. Lecture • 7:30pm • November 24 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 21, 2008 at 8:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.20.08 Artists Speak 
Rae Mahaffey, "Fig. 704 Brackets" Rae Mahaffey and Sherrie Wolf are speaking this weekend at Laura Russo. Mahaffey's Engineering, an exhibition of painting, prints and glass, and Wolf's Animal Life paintings are on view at the gallery through the end of November. Artists Lecture • 11am • November 22 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st • 503.226.2754 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 20, 2008 at 10:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.17.08 Bamboo Art  Jiro Yonezawa, "Araumi" Jiro Yonezawa's Dream Weaver is on view in the pavilion at the Japanese Gardens through November 30. Traditionally trained in bamboo arts in Beppu, Japan, Yonezawa lived and worked for many years outside of Portland before his recent return to Japan. His bamboo basketry and sculpture combine a mastery of traditional forms with a unique, elegant contemporary sensibility. Exhibition • November 15 - 30 Japanese Gardens • 611 SW Kingston Avenue • Garden Pavilion Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 17, 2008 at 10:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.14.08 PMMNLS  Allora & Calzadilla, still from "Under Discussion," from "Beyond Green" at Lewis & Clark Next week: Stephanie Smith, director of collections and exhibitions and curator of contemporary art at the Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, will speak at PSU. Smith, who has published and curated widely on issues of art and sustainability, curated Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art, originally exhibited at the Smart Museum, currently on view at Lewis & Clark's Hoffman Gallery. Lecture • 7:30pm • November 17 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 14, 2008 at 8:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.13.08 Open Studios  The Boxlift Building artists are having their annual open studio. Come by this weekend for music, refreshments, and work by 16 artists, including Eugenia Pardue, Mark and Rae Mahaffey (who has a show up at Laura Russo this month). Open Studios • 4-10pm • November 15 12-5pm • November 16 Boxlift Building • 333 NE Hancock St. • boxliftbldg@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 13, 2008 at 9:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.12.08 Asmundur Asmundsson  Icelandic artist Asmundur Asmundsson's The Good Works opens this weekend at Rocksbox. Asmundsson "creates a subterfuge," believing that "our foundation as a civilized people has eternal possibilities and is despite (or because of) the dreadfulness of contemporary tastelessness, based upon freedom seeking the genuine." Asmundsson will also be lecturing this Friday at PSU. Artist lecture • 6-8pm • November 14 PSU • 2000 SW 5th AVE • Room AB200, 2nd Floor Art Building Opening reception • 7-11pm • November 15 Rocksbox • 6450 N Interstate AVE • 971.506.8938 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 12, 2008 at 9:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.10.08 Jens Hoffmann Lecture  Jens Hoffmann Jens Hoffmann, international curator, art critic, and author, will present "What is a Curator? From Exhibition Maker to Author" this week at PNCA. Curating is difficult business, and this lecture should be an interesting exploration of questions of contemporary art. Curatorial lecture • 6:30pm • November 12 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • Swigert Commons Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 10, 2008 at 10:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.07.08 Museum Special Don't miss this: For the holidaze, PAM is offering two for one admission every Thursday night, 4-8pm, through January 8, 2009 (the end of the Wild Beauty exhibition).
Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 07, 2008 at 17:30 | Comments (2) PermalinkWeekend Openings  Dan Gilsdorf's Interiotrope is opening at Disjecta tomorrow. Gilsdorf "creates subtle and mysterious narratives from simple mechanisms." With Interiotrope, he has transformed the exhibition space, "infiltrating the gallery and breach[ing] surfaces which normally delineate interior space." Opening reception • 6-10pm • November 8 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate Avenue • 503.286.9449 (More! And PMMNLS.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 07, 2008 at 9:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.06.08 First Friday Picks November 2008  LEFT: Nick van Woert, RIGHT: Nicholas Pittman Nick van Woert and Nicholas Pittman are bringing New Construction to Fourteen30. Responding to changes in technology and contemporary life through invention rather than reflection, the artists attempt to create a sense of order out of our times through abstract works of relief construction, sculpture, and painting. It's good to see Fourteen30 bringing this space back to participating in First Friday. Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 7 Fourteen30 • 1430 SE 3rd AVE • 503.236.1430 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 06, 2008 at 10:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.04.08 First Thursday Picks November 2008  Storm Tharp, "Twins at a Funeral" Storm Tharp is exhibiting ARM & ARM at PDX Contemporary. This new body of work continues his "lengthy investigation into the relationship between human nature and artfulness, form and function." Nine major works will be featured, exploring portraiture, painting, film, and one ambitious sculptural piece. Tharp, who was reviewed by PORT last year, named this exhibition such that "in all forms of its meaning, 'two' is revealed. 'Two' and what it conjures, is the basis by which the work for this exhibition was made." Opening reception • 6-8pm • November 6 PDX Contemporary • 925 NW Flanders • 503.222.0063 (Many more - updated!) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 04, 2008 at 11:00 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 11.03.08 College Openings  Chang-Ae Song, "MASS - Black Disaster" Pacific Currents opens this week at Clark College's Archer Gallery. The show features nine contemporary artists of Asian heritage working in a broad range of mediums to explore Asian historical traditions through modern issues and experience. Opening reception • 4-6pm • November 5 Archer Gallery • Penguin Union Building, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • 360.992.2246  Roxanne Jackson, "Soft Spot" Clay As Sculpture is currently showing at the Alexander Gallery at Clackamas CC. The exhibition, which explores the use of ceramics in sculpture, features work by Roxanne Jackson, J.D. Perkins, and Micki Skudlarczyk. It is open through November 19. Reception • 3-5pm • November 6 Alexander Gallery • Niemeyer Center, 19600 Molalla AVE, Oregon City Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 03, 2008 at 10:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.31.08 Homage  Sherrie Wolf, "Courbet's Allegory" The Art Gym at Marylhurst presents Homage, re-enactments, copies and tributes by Sherrie Wolf, Brad Adkins, Christopher Rauschenberg and Michelle Ross. Originally conceived when Wolf presented her full scale copy of Gustave Courbet's 1855 oil painting The Painter's Studio: Allegory of Seven Years of My Artistic and Moral Life, curator Terri Hopkins decided to seek out other artists who were exploring imitation and homage: Rauschenberg's Eugène Atget project, Adkins's visual performance re-enactments, and Ross's Small Wild Things. Hopkins suggests that these artists projects are inspired less by a Levine-like desire to question authenticity, then an interest in homage, re-creation, and experimentation. The show runs through December 7. Preview reception • 3-5pm • November 2 Marylhurst Art Gym • 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy 43) Marylhurst, OR • 503.699.6243  Mammalian Diving Reflex, from "Accepting the Possibility That I May Ruin My Eyes Next Monday's PMMNLS speaker is Darren O'Donnell, writer, director, social acupuncturist, designer and artistic director of Mammalian Diving Reflex. MDR claims to "smash ideas together at high speeds to see what pops out, inadvertently producing ideal entertainment for the end of the world." Here's to hoping the world doesn't end on Tuesday, but just in case, go see this lecture. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • November 3 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 31, 2008 at 10:09 | Comments (9) PermalinkThursday 10.30.08 APEX: MK Guth  MK Guth's project at the Whitney Biennial MK Guth is bringing her installation at the Whitney Biennial to PAM's APEX gallery. For Ties of Protection and Safe Keeping, Guth traveled across the country, asking community members "What's worth protecting?" Their answers were handwritten on red flannel ribbons, and incorporated into a continuous braid, referencing Rapunzel's epic braid. PAM writes that the project "poignantly embodies the diverse voices of America in today's complex times." Don't miss PORT's exclusive interview with the artist last January. Exhibition • November 1, 2008 - March , 2009 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 30, 2008 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.29.08 North Coast Seed Building Open House  The North Coast Seed Building, one of Portland's many great artist work spaces, invites the community to join them "on the wrong side of the tracks" for an open house this weekend. The building is made up of three separate warehouses constructed over thirty years, beginning in 1911. Originally zoned only for industrial use, artists working in the space in the early 1990s were nearly evicted by the fire marshal. Due to the intervention of a sympathetic member of the City of Portland's Bureau of Buildings, an artist's work was reinterpreted as a manufacturing process, and the North Coast Seed Building became an officially sanctioned artist space. Artists currently working in the building include Cynthia Lahti and Jason Traeger. Open House • 5-9pm • November 1 North Coast Seed Building • 2127 N. Albina AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 29, 2008 at 10:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.28.08 The End of Death and Taxes  History of Honey In conjunction with the ongoing Beyond Green exhibition at L&C's Hoffman Gallery, PORT's own Ryan Pierce is exhibiting The End of Death and Taxes. The large-scale paintings depict humans rebuilding society after the end of industry. It is a utopian exploration of what it would mean to create a sustainable environment by "redrafting human society around the health of natural systems." The exhibition is on display on the first floor of the Miller Center for the Humanities. Exhibition • Through December 7 Hoffman Gallery • 0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd. • 503.768.7687 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 28, 2008 at 14:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.27.08 Reed at Reed  David Reed, "#453," 1996-2000, Collection Neues Museum Nürnberg Abstract painter (and Reed alumnus) David Reed is speaking this Wednesday at Reed College. The lecture will be followed by a public reception at the Cooley for David Reed: Lives of Paintings, on view through December 9. Artist lecture • 7pm • October 29 Reed College Vollum Lecture Hall Exhibition • October 29 - December 9 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Hauser Memorial Library Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 27, 2008 at 10:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.24.08 Lectures  Ursula von Rydingsvard, "Damski Czepek" Ursula von Rydingsvard will launch this year's Visiting Artists & Scholars program at OSU. She came to PAM a year ago to speak on the occasion of the exhibition of Pod Pacha last year. von Rydingsvard is best known for her extraordinary monumental cedar sculptures and installations. Reception • 6pm • November 6 Lecture • 7pm • November 6 OSU • 875 SW 26th St. Corvallis • C&E Auditorium LaSells  Matt McCormick, still from "Towlines" Artist / filmmaker Matt McCormick will be next week's PMMNLS speaker. Locally and nationally acclaimed, McCormick is known for such films as The Subconcious Art of Graffiti Removal, Towlines, and The Problem With Machines (That Communicate). His playful films offer "witty, abstract observations of contemporary culture and the urban landscape." Artist lecture • 7:30pm • October 27 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 24, 2008 at 9:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.23.08 Bridge Design Panel  Been following development of the new bridge with us? An urban design panel is convening next Tuesday to discuss the "process, design considerations, and the next step." Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail: A New Bridge Over the Willamette will feature international bridge designer Miguel Rosales, AIA, and TriMet Design Manager Sean Batty, ASLA. You can preview documents related to the planning process on TriMet's site. Urban Design Panel • 12-1:30pm • October 28 AIA Portland • 401 NW 11th AVE • Main Conference Room Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 23, 2008 at 10:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.20.08 The Butterfly Effect  Melody Owen, "Giraffe" Over the past decade, philanthropist Leslie Durst has been privately commissioning a different local artist each year to create a unique edition of twelve objects. The Butterfly Effect will showcase the works publicly for the first time. The visual effect may be somewhat hodge podge, but it should be an interesting chance to see a somewhat rare example of the role of modern patronage. Artists include Christine Bourdette, Inge Bruggeman, Rachel Denny, Kristy Edmunds, Eleanor Erskine, Sally Finch, Kay French, Jörg Jakoby, Melody Owen, and Jenny Rideout. Exhibition • 12-6pm • October 21 - 25 PICA • Leftbank Building • 240 N Broadway Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 20, 2008 at 10:33 | Comments (2) PermalinkFriday 10.17.08 Goings On  Buster Simpson, "Incidence," installed at the Tacoma Museum of Glass. Photo by Russell Johnson. Next week's PMMNLS features Buster Simpson, a widely known environmental and site-specific artist. His public installations seek to actively engage the viewer and the surrounding environment, such as Incidence shown above, which responds to ambient atmospheric conditions of light and the reflections on the water. Simpson's work includes major infrastructure projects, site master planning, signature sculptures, museum installations, and community projects. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • October 20 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212  logo ©Drive By Press This Saturday, Drive By Press is holding a printing party at The Life, featuring their mobile print making studio. Come by, make your own print or t-shirt, and enjoy a Saturday night art party at the Everett Station lofts. Printing party • 6:30pm • October 18 The Life Art • 625 NE Everett St. #107 • 971.544.1365 Reminder: Nominations are due Monday, October 20 for the Henry's new Brink Award. Nomination guidelines can be found here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 17, 2008 at 9:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.16.08 Pointy  Todd Johnson Ongoing: Photographer Todd Johnson's Dangerous Territory is on view at PNCA. This politically timely exhibition "revolves around the ideas of competition, survival, technology and destruction." Exhibition • October 12 - November 30 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson  Cloud Eye Control, from "Under Polaris" PICA presents Under Polaris, a "multimedia Arctic experience" by Cloud Eye Control. Created while the group was in residence with PICA, the hybrid performance is "a multi-media quest through expansive arctic landscapes, mythical creatures and the ethereal Aurora Borealis." Cloud Eye Control is a collaborative performance group from Los Angeles, comprised of Chi-wang Yang, Miwa Matreyek, and Anna Oxygen. Tickets to the event are $10. Performance • 2:30-6:30pm (all ages) • 8:30pm (21+) • October 19 PICA • Leftbank Building • 240 N Broadway Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 16, 2008 at 11:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.14.08 Models of Critical Production 
Thomas Zummer, 2002, Portrait of 'Odex', graphite and pure carbon on paper, 42 x 30 PNCA & FIVE Idea Studio present "Models of Critical Production," a series of workshops, seminars, and lectures led by Saul Ostrow and Thomas Zummer. Ostrow and Zummer are both established artists, critics, curators, and scholars, and will critically examine modes of contemporary art practice. The noon-time chats are free and open to the public. Saul Ostrow Lecture #1 • 12:30 - 1:30pm • October 14 Tom Zummer Lecture • 12:30-1:30 • October 15 Saul Ostrow Lecture #2 • 12:30 - 1:30pm • October 16 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson, in Commons • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 14, 2008 at 8:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.13.08 Opening this week  Jim Lommasson, "Arturo Franco: Wilsonville, OR" The next NAAU Couture show opens this Friday. Jim Lommasson presents Exit Wounds, a documentation of the lives of returning veterans, exhibiting concurrently with the November elections. The exhibit combines Lommasson's photographs with photographs and words by the participants, exploring their transitions from the battlefield back to home life. Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 17 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny St. • 503.231.8294  The Linfield gallery is opening .meta, a group show curated by TJ Norris. Opening reception • 6-8pm • October 15 Artist discussion • 4-5pm • November 12 Linfield Gallery • 900 Baker St. McMinnville • Miller Fine Arts Center Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 13, 2008 at 9:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.10.08 You Want to Hear This Tired of talking heads? There are some arts amazing lectures coming up in the next week.
 Garth Clark, courtesy of MoCC Craft "visionary" Garth Clark will be speaking at PNCA on Thursday. Clark works out of NYC as a gallery owner, curator, writer, historian, and one of craft's preeminent intellectuals. He'll be presenting How Envy Killed the Crafts Movement: An Autopsy in Two Parts, co-sponsored by the Museum of Contemporary Craft, the Oregon College of Art & Craft, and the Pacific Northwest College of the Arts. The lecture is free and open to the public, but he sold out the Whitsell auditorium the last time he was in town, so get there early. Craft lecture • 6:30pm • October 16 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • Swigert Commons  Andrea Zittel, A-Z Raugh Furniture, 2007 The PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series (hereafter known as PMMNLS) is kicking off with a bang this Monday with Andrea Zittel. This internationally acclaimed artist focuses on creative, sustainable living through the development of hand-crafted furniture, clothing, homes, and vehicles for "contemporary consumers." The O interviewed her in anticipation of her presentation. Keep an eye on Friday posts for a truly fantastic list of weekly speakers in this season's PMMNLS series. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • October 13 PSU • 1914 SW Park • Shattuck Hall Room 212 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 10, 2008 at 11:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.09.08 Odds & Ends  This might be a little far to go for a screening, but we wanted to give a nod to Portland artists abroad: United State of Mind, v.4 of the Portland-based Odds and Ends video series, will be screened on October 11 at the Taipei Biennial as part of the Urban Nomad Film Festival. Congrats to the filmmakers listed above!  Happening a little more locally: Rererato is featuring the film and sculptural installations of Brandon Boan. Preserve Then Rewind explores the disruption of history through the slow recording of the process of everyday objects changing over time. Opening reception • 6pm • October 11 Rererato • 5135 NE 42nd AVE • 732.407.4418 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 09, 2008 at 7:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.08.08 Traces of Ourselves  April Surgent, "An Afternoon with Ethan" Bullseye presents Traces of Ourselves, an exhibition developed through the joint residency of Jiri Harcuba and April Surgent. Harcuba is a master Czech engraver whose work explores the dialog between self, society, history, and present. During their residency, Surgent, an up-and-coming American artist, refined her technique in glass engraving, expanding upon the themes of contemporary travel and culture. The exhibition runs from October 7 through November 22. Opening reception • 5:30-7:30pm • October 10 Bullseye Gallery • 300 NW 13th AVE • 503.227.0222 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 08, 2008 at 7:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.06.08 This Week at PSU  Ben Killen Rosenberg Ben Killen Rosenberg's Thank You For Having Me opened today at PSU's MK Gallery. Last year, Rosenberg began a series of paintings to introduce the PSU Monday Night Lecture Series. The paintings vary from an interpretation of the lecturing artist's work, imitation, portraiture, etc. Open through October 30. Artist reception • October 23 • 5-7pm MK Gallery at PSU • 2000 SW 5th AVE • 2nd Floor  Peter HappelChristian, "Familiar Wilderness" Peter HappelChristian's Near the Point of the Beginning opens this Thursday. HappelChristian researched a cartographic site along the Ohio River called "The Point of Beginning," which marks the beginning of a grid system that constructs boundaries in the American landscape. Through his research, HappelChristian explores human interaction with the natural world. The exhibition runs from October 9 through October 30. Artist lecture • 5-7pm • October 9 Artist reception • 5-7pm • October 11 Autzen Gallery at PSU • 724 SW Harrison St. • 2nd Floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 06, 2008 at 20:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.03.08 TBA:08 On Sight  Harry Dodge & Stanya Kahn, still from "Masters of None" TBA:08 On Sight: The New Absurdists closes tomorrow! Don't miss your last opportunity to experience the installations of Tamy Ben-Tor, Harry Dodge & Stanya Kahn, Lizzie Fitch, Jacob Hartman, Corey Lunn, Jeffry Mitchell, and Ryan Trecartin. On view 12-6pm • Last day October 4 On Sight at THE WORKS • Leftbank 240 N Broadway Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 03, 2008 at 16:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.02.08 FIrst Friday Picks October 2008  drawing by Samantha Wall Curated by Selina Ho, Reverse Reality is an artist residency and exhibition project that sent four Hong Kong young artists to Portland for a month to create new work informed and inspired by their experiences. Artists Beatrix Bang, Doris Wong, Hanison Lau, and Florian Ma translated their tradition working methods through the lens of their experiences in Portland, fostering a cultural dialogue between contemporary American and Chinese art. Included in this mix Portland artist Samantha Wall has a room devoted to her highly kinesthetic drawings of grappling women. Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 3 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 02, 2008 at 8:44 | Comments (3) PermalinkWednesday 10.01.08 Coming up at PAM  Alfred A. Monner, "Sand Dunes Along the Columbia River with the Snow-Capped Peak of Mt. Hood in the Distance," 1934 Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge 1867-1957 opens this weekend at PAM. The exhibition features roughly 250 historic photographs that illustrate "the majesty of the Columbia River Gorge through nine decades of profound transformation." Check the exhibition website for related lectures and events. Exhibition • October 4, 2008 - January 11, 2009 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Also coming soon to PAM: Making Merry: The Circus and Carnival in Graphic Art. October 11, 2008 - January 4, 2009. More details can be found on the exhibition page. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 01, 2008 at 11:39 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 09.30.08 First Thursday Picks October 2008  Jen DeNike, still from "Flag Girls" Quality Pictures presents Jen DeNike's Flag Girls, the first video installation in their "Video Trifecta" series. Recreating a found 1918 postcard depicting women wrapped in the American colonial flag, DeNike's Flag Girls are able to free themselves from the flag's "oppressive hold," humming the national anthem as they unwrap themselves and exit off-stage nude. The video has been well received in England and New York, described in the Guardian as "a suggestion of American nationhood perhaps being transfixed by almost terminal self-doubt." Opening reception • 6-9pm • October 2 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060 (More) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 30, 2008 at 9:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.29.08 First Wednesday?  Bean Gilsdorf, "Tinker, Tailor" Bean Gilsdorf's Handsome opens this week at the Albina Press coffee shop, featuring nine mixed-media panels. "Each work in Handsome features a single figure: a stylized company man in the mode of mid-century advertising illustrations. Each man observes, gestures, or manipulates as he is engaged in some mysterious pursuit, the motive for which is unseen." Show • October 1 - 31 Albina Press • 4637 N. Albina AVE • 503.282.5214  Christopher James Brown PCC's Cascade Gallery is featuring the work of Christopher James Brown. Tooling Around breaks free of the binary of art/craft, using glue, ink, and wood to create "non objective works of art." Utilizing extensive knowledge of furniture making and the basic forms of Modernist design, Brown "formulate(s) new conjectures of mastery." His exhibit will be on view October 1st through November 5th. Opening reception • 4-7pm • October 1 Artist talk • 4-5pm • October 8 PCC Cascade Gallery • 705 N Killingsworth in Terrel Hall, Room 102 • 503.978.5326 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 29, 2008 at 9:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.26.08 Apex (of) Nature  Mark Dombrosky, APEX installation view This Sunday, current PAM APEX artist Mark Dombrosky will speak about his "artistic process and intentions." Dombroksy's work examines the social atmosphere of an American town, typically utilizing found scraps of paper to offer a glimpse into the lives of strangers. This installation presents a series of cardboard homeless signs found in the streets of Tacoma and Seattle, his careful embroidery over the script "reveal[ing] as much about language and place as human relationships and individual psychology," (Jennifer Gately). The exhibit will be on view at PAM through October 26. Artist lecture • 2pm • September 28 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811  Vicki Lynn Wilson, conceptual drawing for "Fung-US" Opening this weekend: The 2008 Natural Cycles installation on Trillium Trail at Tryon Creek State Park. A collaborative project between the RACC, Oregon State Parks, and Friends of Tryon Creek State Park, the Natural Cycles project brings temporary forest art installations to the Trillium Trail each year. The five artists featured this year are Brennan Conaway, Portland, Oregon (Invader); Lee Imonen, Dexter, Oregon (The Source Series); Julie Lindell, Seattle, Washington (Nontrivial Pursuit); Jen Pack, Warrenton, Oregon (Forevergreen Tuffet) and Vicki Lynn Wilson, Portland, Oregon (Fung-US). The 2008-2009 installations will be unveiled on Saturday, followed by a $100/plate fundraising dinner. A free family day will be held on Sunday with hands-on art activities along the trail. Forest art installation • September 27, 2008 - Summer, 2009 Tryon Creek State Park • Close-in Portland, see website for directions Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 26, 2008 at 10:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.25.08 Friendlier Fire 
Bruce Conkle's Do You Feel Lucky Punk? Rocksbox presents Bruce Conkle, "de facto king of the Pacific NW eco-art-geeks," currently showing Eco Takers at the State University of New York at SUNY Oswego. Friendlier Fire is "an exhibition of the prime-evil, using the primordial poop of the earth and the detritus of our caffeine fueled society hell bent on self-destruction." Opening reception • 7-11pm • September 27 Rocksbox • 6540 N Interstate • 971.506.8938 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 25, 2008 at 9:15 | Comments (3) PermalinkWednesday 09.24.08 fourteen30 opens  Devon Oder, "Bleed #7 (Cloud)" Jeanine Jablonski's new gallery, Fourteen30, debuts this Friday with Devon Oder's Breaking Light. Oder's work uses film and lenses to manipulate photography and create surreal, mysterious landscapes. The exhibition's title refers to the physical processes of breaking up the Polaroid chemical emulsion and distorting light through trees, prisms, lenses, etc. Her images challenge "both the technical processes [of photography] and the phenomenological experience of the viewer." A specialty art bookstore will also open inside the gallery, including works published by Museum Paper (Stockholm), 2nd Cannons (Los Angeles), Nieves (Zurich), and JRP|Ringier (Zurich). Inaugural Reception • 6-9pm • September 26 Fourteen30 Contemporary • 1430 SE 3rd AVE • 503.226.1430 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 24, 2008 at 8:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.23.08 Natural Selection, Art Focus  Hilary Pfeifer, "Natural Selection," installed at Ogle This week's Art Focus on KBOO will feature Hilary Pfeifer. She'll be speaking about her Natural Selection exhibition on view at Ogle Gallery this month. The installation consists of a small greenhouse, filled with plants following a very human process of mate selection. You can also hear her speak at the gallery this Saturday. Radio Interview • 10:30-11am • September 25 Art Focus • 90.7 FM • Live Stream Artist lecture • 1pm • September 27 Ogle Gallery • 310 NW Broadway • 503.227.4333 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 23, 2008 at 8:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.19.08 Last Minute Semi-Public Art  Eric Tillinghast, "Verticle Multichrome" Tonight the Oregon Arts Commission is unveiling two new site-specific public works at PSU. Eric Tillinghast's Verticle Multichrome and Steven Beatty and Laurel Kurtz's JUICY II will appear in the ceiling alcove on the second floor of the Ondine residence hall. Learn more about recent and upcoming OAC public art exhibitions in this PDF. Unveiling • 6-8pm • September 19 PSU Ondine Hall • 1912 SW Sixth Avenue Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 19, 2008 at 15:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkLena McGrath Welker  Lena McGrath Welker, "[chart] folio" PCC Rock Creek's Helzer Gallery presents Lena McGrath Welker, winner of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation award. The latest work in her Navigation cycle, Navigation [chart] is "an intellectually and physically complex installation that investigates our responses in times of grief and loss." Using maps, texts, and symbols, Welker charts our search for answers in the night sky. Welker will speak on this and related work in early October in PCC Rock Creek's Forum (Building 3). Exhibition • September 22 - November 12 Artist talk • 3pm • October 3 Helzer Art Gallery • 17705 NW Springville Rd. Building 3 • 503.244.6111 x3434 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 19, 2008 at 9:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.18.08 Artist talk & art book sale Saturday  Hildur Bjarnadottir, "Blue Doodle" Icelandic artist Hildur Bjarnadottir will speak this weekend at Pulliam Deffenbuagh. One of four artists currently featured in Blurring the Line: art of thread, Bjarnadottir adopts the "handwork" of her native Iceland as she "unravels its traditions within the context of contemporary art." Artist talk • 11:30am • September 20 Pulliam Deffenbaugh • 929 NW Flanders • 503.228.6665 Also happening this weekend: Come to PAM this weekend for their annual book sale. Get your hands on art books, auction catalogs, and more for great prices and a great cause: All proceeds benefit the museum. Saturday, September 20, 10am - 5pm Sunday, September 21, 12pm - 5pm Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • Mark Building Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 18, 2008 at 7:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.17.08 Suddenly, Sound  From suddenly.org The Cooley Gallery is holding a reception & "unfolding event" for Suddenly: where we live now. Swing by the gallery from 5-7pm to check out the installed works, then head over to the Student Union for Psychedelic Sprawl, "music, conversation, disorientation, food, and drink," featuring presentations and performances by Mostlandia. You can follow this ongoing series of exhibitions and public events at www.suddenly.org. Reception • 5-7pm • September 21 Psychedelic Sprawl (Student Union) • 7-10pm • September 21 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Hauser Memorial Library  From "Volume" Don't miss Volume's curator tour by PORTstar Jeff Jahn this weekend. He'll be joined by several artists to talk about the work in the show, which was positively reviewed by the Mercury and the Willamette Week. Learn more about the exhibition here, and check out photos from the show on Flickr. Also, don't miss the lecture next week by Arun Jain, Chief Urban Designer, City of Portland. Curatorial tour • 2pm • September 21 Lecture • 7pm • September 23 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 17, 2008 at 10:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.16.08 Glauber Lecture  Fanny Van Duyn, ca. 1907 Tomorrow night, Newspace hosts an Oregon Chautauqua program from the Oregon Council for the Humanities. Carol Glauber will lecture on four distinctive female Northwest photographers between 1852 and 1917. These women emerged from at least 233 women working at the time, documenting "the Columbia River Gorge, Native Americans, and the early development of the Klamath Basin [to] provide a window into [Oregon's] history that reflects community, culture, and gender." Lecture • 7pm • September 17 • Free Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th AVE • 503.963.1935 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 16, 2008 at 15:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkArtSpark September  This month's ArtSpark has relocated to the ArtBar in the PCPA building. The discussion will be hosted by Arts Partners, an initiative to connect artists and arts organizations with schools. They'll be outlining upcoming opportunities for artists interested in working in classrooms. ArtSpark • 5-7pm • September 18 (and every 3rd Thursday) ArtBar • SW Broadway & Main • 503.432.9205 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 16, 2008 at 10:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.10.08 Iron Artist  "The sculpture competition that's one part Iron Chef and two parts Junkyard Wars." That says it all- come check out the festivities, featuring a wild and crazy sculpture competition, music, food, a beer garden, and more. All proceeds benefit the School & Community Reuse Action Project (SCRAP). More info and schedule of events can be found here. Competition 11am - 2:30pm • Festivities until 7pm September 13 • SE 2nd @ Main & Salmon Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 10, 2008 at 11:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.09.08 Beyond Green  Michael Rakowitz, "paraSITE" Lewis & Clark's Hoffman Gallery presents Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art. The exhibition features an international group of artists exploring "the convergence of art, design, and sustainability," and this is its only stop in the Northwest. Three overlapping themes guide the grouping of the works: objects, structures, and processes/networks. Each features a creative restructuring of humans' relationship to our world, such as Michael Rakowitz's paraSITES (above). These portable structures, inflated and heated by the air from city buildings, offer an "unconventional" shelter for the homeless. The exhibition runs through December 7. Opening reception • 5-7pm • September 11 Hoffman Gallery at Lewis & Clark • 0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd. • 503.768.7687 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 09, 2008 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.08.08 Side by Side  PSU's second year MFA candidates in studio & social practice will be showing their work at the Autzen gallery. Side by Side features artists Katy Asher, Steve Baggs, Vanessa Calvert, Varinthorn Christopher, Damien Gilley, Bethany Hays, Avalon Kalin, Laurel Kurtz, Sandy Sampson, Rebecca Shelly, Cyrus Smith, and Eric Steen. The exhibition runs from September 8 through October 4, and there will be a closing reception for the artists. Closing reception • 5-7pm • October 4 PSU Autzen Gallery • 724 SW Harrison St. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 08, 2008 at 9:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.04.08 First Friday Picks September 2008  Jim Kazanjian Jim Kazanjian's Untitled works seek to produce an "entropic" series of images. Fragmenting photographic space, Kazanjian attempts to break down the "linear" visual plane, and create something entirely new in its reconstruction. Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 5 Pushdot Studio • 1021 SE Caruthers St. • 503.224.5925 (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 04, 2008 at 12:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.02.08 First Thursday Picks September 2008  The Yes Men TBA starts this week, and hidden amongst the opening night activities is one of the most exciting shows on this month's First Thursday circuit: The first major exhibition of The Yes Men. This artist/activist group has become (in)famous for infiltrating events like the GO-EXPO, Canada's largest oil conference, and successfully obliterating perceived limits of social and business norms. For TBA, they've installed KEEP IT SLICK: Infiltrating Capitalism With The Yes Men at PNCA. KEEP IT SLICK features "elaborate costumes, slapstick videos, outrageous posters and props ... exhibited alongside new works produced for this exhibition." The Yes Men will also present a workshop this weekend giving insight into their methods and How to be a Yes Man. Opening reception • 5-8pm • September 4 Workshop • 3-4pm • September 6 PNCA Feldman Gallery • 1241 NW Johnson St. • 503.226.4391 Much more! Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 02, 2008 at 10:59 | Comments (2) PermalinkMonday 09.01.08 Anomaly  Eugenia Pardue, from "Anomaly" Described as "almost sculptural," Eugenia Pardue's painting transforms the Linfield Gallery into a site specific installation. Using tools to "braid, mold, and weave" her thick paint, Pardue's work crawls off the canvas to interact with the viewer. Opening reception • 6-8pm • September 3 Artist talk • 4pm • September 24 Linfield Gallery • 900 SE Baker St. McMinnville at the Miller Fine Arts Center • 503.883.2804 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 01, 2008 at 12:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.28.08 Hear & See  Portland's art community has truly been stepping up to reexamine and re-imagine our fair city as it grows, and, more importantly, to guide its growth. Continuing the discourse opened by exhibitions like last month's PDXplore and the recently opened Suddenly, PORT's own Jeff Jahn is curating Volume, which opens this weekend at Worksound. Volume, Jahn's first non-institutional warehouse show since 2005, surveys "how Portland's art scene addresses, redirects, abuses and redefines space." Housed in one of the oldest buildings on the eastside, Worksound is especially well suited to the exploration of the development of the city and its once gritty/industrial Central Eastside (Arts) Industrial District. The exhibit features a lecture in late September by Arun Jain, Chief Urban Designer, City of Portland. Opening reception • 7-9:30pm • August 30 Also open for First Friday Lecture • 7pm • September 23 Worksound • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com More, more, MORE happenings this weekend after the jump. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 28, 2008 at 9:39 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 08.27.08 Manufractured  Dominic Wilcox, "War Bowl" Manuf®actured opens this Thursday at MoCC. The exhibition explores the use of "labor-intensive craft practices" to take apart and remold mass produced objects and materials. The wide variety of work examines questions of "overabundance, appropriation, [and] reuse." MoCC will, as always, stay open for the First Thursday artwalk next week. Exhibition • August 28, 2008 - January 4, 2009 Lecture • 6:30pm • September 18 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654  Jesse Hayward's installation, progressed Jesse Hayward's innovative and interactive installation at Jáce Gáce has been building since it opened for First Friday. Come experience and celebrate the results this Friday. Closing reception • 6-10pm • August 29 Jáce Gáce • 2045 SE Belmont • 503.239.1887 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 27, 2008 at 9:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.26.08 Suddenly  Artist Fritz Haeg w/ naturalist Mike Houck Suddenly: where we live now opens today at Reed's Cooley Gallery. It is "an ongoing set of visual art exhibitions, a reader, and a series of public programs" seeking to explore new ways to shape the natural and urban landscape. Featured artists include Fritz Haeg, Marc Joseph Berg, Michael Damm, Zoe Crosher, Frank Heath, Oscar Tuazon, and Metronome Press. During TBA, curator Stephanie Snyder will lead a tour through Fritz Haeg's Animal Estates. In late September, there will be a public reception in the Cooley Gallery, followed by the "unfolding event" Psychedelic Sprawl in the Reed Student Union, put on by the citizens of Mostlandia and others. Finally, a series of symposia on the exhibit is happening in October. Exhibition • August 26 - October 5 Public reception • 5-7pm • September 21 Unfolding event • 7-10pm • September 21 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Hauser Memorial Library Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 26, 2008 at 8:28 | Comments (4) PermalinkMonday 08.25.08 Breakfast w/ Andrew Brandou  Andrew Brandou Painter Andrew Brandou presents his lush landscapes at Grasshut. Innocent at first glance, his playful animal characters often reveal a mischievous - or downright twisted - twist that adds a wicked delight to his bright colors and careful brushwork. This weekend's opening reception of from the Funk Drawer, Brandou's Grass Hut mini-show, features a breakfast catered by the Screen Door, so RSVP soon to grasshut.corp@gmail.com. Opening reception (and breakfast!) • 11am - 1pm • August 31 Grass Hut • 811 E Burnside • 503.445.9924 • RSVP to grasshut.corp@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 25, 2008 at 9:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.22.08 The Wall  Diane Jacobs, "Doing Time" The first solo show at Disjecta's new space is opening tomorrow. Formerly scheduled at PAC, Diane Jacobs presents The Writing's on the Wall. Taking an "an interactive and experiential" approach to American racism, the exhibition looks at the impact of incarceration and the ramifications of institutional racism. Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 23 Disjecta • 8371 N Interstate AVE • 503.286.9449 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 22, 2008 at 11:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.21.08 Watching Rererato  This weekend at Rererato, Dustin Zemel brings us a series of video installations titled Stare Hard. Using a variety manipulated footage and loops, Zemel's work "explores the visual density of our highly produced films and television programs." Opening reception • 6-8pm • August 23 Rererato • 5135 NE 42nd AVE • info@rererato.com Not coincidentally, Episode 2 of Rererato TV will air at 4pm the same day, featuring music, performance, and a discussion of Zemel's work. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 21, 2008 at 10:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.18.08 Couture: Ethan Jackson  Ethan Jackson, from "Polyopticon VI" NAAU's next Couture exhibition opens this week. With Orbis Viridus Obscurus, photographer Ethan Jackson will convert the entire gallery space into a "living camera obscura." The project is a continuation of his exploration of the camera obscura in Polyopticon VI, where he used mirrors, lenses, and "baffles" to distort and convert space in an abandoned ranch dwelling in Wyoming. Jackson defines the camera obscura as a "participational optics... that defines a conceptual space that is difficult to tackle directly." Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 20 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny St. • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 18, 2008 at 9:46 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 08.14.08 Artist Talks at Russo  Michihiro Kosuge, "Arbor Series Sculpture" Michihiro Kosuge and Gina Wilson are speaking this weekend on their current exhibitions at Laura Russo. Kosuge's Recent Sculpture explores "the relationship between man and nature seen in an influence by both architectural form and the natural environment." Featured works include The Arbor Series, towering columnal forms that are "solemn and spiritual." Wilson's New Paintings are playful abstractions of the human figure, "offbeat and distinctive... soft and intimate." Artists' talk • 11am • August 16 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st AVE • 503.226.2754 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 14, 2008 at 14:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.13.08 NigoghossianSnellman  Rocksbox is bringing us a pair of solo exhibitions by Jo Nigoghossian of NYC (left) and Natascha Snellman of LA, CA (right). Nigoghossian's Happy Hour "create(s) a psychologically charged atmosphere of visual discomfort" using "voyeuristic" video and sculpture in a psychosexual explorations of bar scenes, 70s film aesthetics, crowds, anxiety, and more. Snellman's We Children of the Zoo takes a different path through the human psyche via the "unstable frontier between what we consider human and what we still define as animal." Borrowing her exhibition title from the film Christiane F., she combines site-specific sculpture and collage. Opening reception • 7-11pm • August 16 Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N. Interstate • 971.506.8938 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 13, 2008 at 8:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.06.08 Surface Tension  Vicki Lynn Wilson Surface Tension opens this month at Gallery Homeland. The exhibition features past and future artists from the gallery's annual summer series, Scratching the Surface. The series "embrac(es) the Willamette River's powerful role in promoting culture through community and exploration." Featured artists include Josh Arseneau, Vicki Lynn Wilson, Marc Dombrosky, Shannon Eakins, Tim Folland, Jesse Hayward, Sean Healy, Ben Stagl, Grace Luebke, Mack McFarland, Gary Wiseman, Dana Vinger, Jo Ann Kemmis, John Vitale, and Adam Ross, as well as video recaps of several past projects. Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 8 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th AVE • 503.819.9656 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 06, 2008 at 13:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.05.08 First Thursday Picks August 2008  Bobby Grossman, "Andy Warhol: Cornflakes," 1978 Traveling exhibition Bande à part (Band of Outsiders) is coming to Augen Gallery NW this month. A reference to the 1964 film by Jean-Luc Godard, the show is a collection of photographs from the New York underground scene in the 60's, 70's, & 80's. It is an "inside" look at the self-proclaimed "outsiders," including photography by Billy Name, Danny Fields, Leee Black Childers, Anton Perich, Roberta Bayley, Godlis, Marcia Resnick, and Bobby Grossman. This show is timed nicely with the Famous Faces exhibition at the Maryhill Museum. Opening reception • 5-8:30pm • August 7 Augen Gallery NW • 716 NW Davis • 503.546.5056 (More) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 05, 2008 at 10:30 | Comments (2) PermalinkMonday 08.04.08 Dan Attoe & Craig Thompson talk at PAM  Dan Attoe, "You Are Vulnerable Just Like the Rest of Us," 2006 (View 1) Dan Attoe & graphic novelist Craig Thompson are speaking this week at PAM. They'll present their shared artistic influences, and "reflect on the contemporary American experience." Attendees are invited to visit the CNAA galleries for a discussion following the lecture. Unfortunately, the event conflicts with the First Thursday artwalk... So scheduling might be an issue. Artist lecture • 6pm • August 7 • Museum Admission applies Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 04, 2008 at 10:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.31.08 Natzlers at MoCC  Gertrud and Otto Natzler Gertrude and Otto Natzler, "pioneers in modern ceramics," have been collaborating for almost forty years. They came to California in 1938 after fleeing from Austria during WWII, and have since produced over 25,000 works out of their LA studio. MoCC presents The Ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler, a retrospective and tribute. If you missed the members-only preview, come by MoCC next week during First Thursday. Exhibition • August 2, 2008 - January 25, 2009 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 31, 2008 at 10:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.30.08 First Friday Picks August 2008 
Jesse Hayward's installation in progress Jáce Gáce describes Hayward's character as one "in the spirit of throwing caution to the wind and letting the chips fall where they lay," and in The Nursed Meeting of Fallen Renewal he "has created a situation of controlled chaos." His work breaks boundaries and allows the viewer to reset them, building a "living installation that will inevitably change throughout the course of the month." Opening reception • 6-10pm • August 1 Closing reception • 6-10pm • August 29 Jáce Gáce • 2045 SE Belmont • 503.239.1887 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 30, 2008 at 9:50 | Comments (3) PermalinkTuesday 07.29.08 Famous Faces  Andy Warhol, "Marilyn" (1981) The Maryhill Museum of Art is exhibiting Andy Warhol and Other Famous Faces. The show features an impressive collection of Warhol's pop icon portraits. It also traces his influence on pop and contemporary art, including portraits by Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, Takashi Murakami, Robert Rauschenberg, and many more. It's worth the trek - the museum is open 7 days a week, including all holidays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through November 15. Exhibition • July 19 - November 15 Maryhill Museum • 35 Maryhill Museum Drive Goldendale, Washington • 509.773.3733 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 29, 2008 at 12:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.25.08 Photolucida Portfolio Walk  Alexis Pike, "Red Chairs, Bliss, Idaho" Photolucida promotes dialog and development in the photography community through annual spring Portfolio Review sessions between photographers and reviewers. This year, they've added a summer review session, and this weekend you can check out the work of participating photographers in the Portfolio Walk. Half the photographers will present from 6-7:30, and the other half will present from 7:30-9. In addition to the portfolios, the winners of Photolucida's first Oregon Awards (M. Bruce Hall, Alexis Pike, and Sika Stanton) will be exhibiting their work. Portfolio Walk • 6-9pm • July 26 Art Institute of Portland • NW Davis & 11th • 2nd Floor Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 25, 2008 at 8:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.24.08 Brian Borrello: gallery talk Saturday 
Brian Borrello installation view Brian Borrello will talk about his wonderful current exhibition of paintings, drawings and sculpture, Ars Brevis, Vita Longa Saturday, July 26, 11:30 at Pulliam Deffenbaugh. A quintessential Portlander, I often run into him in coffee shops. He is also the author of some of the most successful public art in the city, like his Max train yellow-line stops. Here's his statement,"My work is an interpretation of the relationship between nature and man's place in its continuum. I look for the evidence of the becoming, the existence and the death of the living being - the marks and residual signs of the activity of life." Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 24, 2008 at 14:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.21.08 Meet Cat Clifford  Cat Clifford Cat Clifford, one of the recipients of the recent Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, will be speaking as part of the NW Film Center's Northwest Tracking series. She'll discuss, and screen excerpts from, her influences, from Joan Jonas' Wind (1968) to The Wizard of Oz. Artist lecture • 6pm • July 24 • $7 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park AVE Also, for you early birds: Happening today: Interested in learning more about Portland's alternative art venues? Rererato is chatting with Cyrus Smith on KPSU this afternoon. They'll be talking about the art space, Rererato the movie, Rererato TV, and more... Rererato on the air! • NOON - 1pm • July 21 KPSU • 1450 AM or streaming on their website Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 21, 2008 at 11:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.18.08 Disjecta: Rematerializing?  It's Disjecta, again... and again... and again. Long time Portlanders are probably pretty familiar with this promotional routine, and have already formed their opinions. For those of you who don't know the history, PORT takes a look back and a look forward after the jump. (More.) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 18, 2008 at 8:45 | Comments (15) PermalinkWednesday 07.16.08 AiR: Promenade  From Promenade, photo by Yalcin Erhan Bill Will, July South Waterfront Artist in Residence, has collaborated with AiR director Linda Johnson on an "an unrepeatable episodic performance event." Featuring dance and lighting against Will's installation "set," they have prepared "a thoroughly orchestrated and singular event in which every gesture and offering, explicit to nuanced, is performative." The event is free, all ages, and picnics are encouraged. Live Performance • Gathering an hour before sunset • July 19 South Waterfront Neighborhood Park • SW Moody & Curry Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 16, 2008 at 12:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.15.08 Talking Points  Melody Owen, "useless, incorruptible, secret" In addition to her current show at Liz Leach, Melody Owen is exhibiting useless, incorruptible, secret at Caseworks in Reed's Library. She'll be lecturing on her work this week at Reed College. Artist talk • 7pm • July 17 Reed College Theater • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • 503.777.7251 We're notorious around Portland for our struggles with money management. This weekend: Come to Newspace for It's Not About the Money, But Let's Talk About it Anyway, a lecture by Erik Schneider of Quality Pictures. The talk explores the photography marketplace, and from the perspective of both artists and collectors. Fiscal Lecture • 11am-1pm • July 20 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th AVE • 503.963.1935 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 15, 2008 at 11:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.14.08 Pearl Installations  Pearl District "Art Boxes" Orlo is a non-profit organization that uses a creative arts approach to environmental issues. They publish Bear Deluxe, an environmental magazine, and have launched a new project in the Pearl and Alphabet districts. Artboxes are boxes containing Bear Deluxe magazine that have been decorated by local artists, including Chris Haberman, Jennifer Mercede, Lukas Ketner, Jason Lockett, and Annette and Joe Thurston. ("Read more" for locations.) Also currently installed in the Pearl District: The RACC presents an installation by Scott Sonniksen. Falling Light, which is incorporated into the structure of the MachineWorks building, is constructed of concrete blocks coated with colored epoxy glaze, installed in such a way that it creates a surface that subtly reflects light. The installation looks at the interplay of light created by dense downtown building, and the use of red is "a nod to the many historic brick buildings that once populated this district." Downtown installation • Through July 25 MachineWorks • 1455 NW Northrup Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 14, 2008 at 11:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.11.08 Community Building  First, a party: MoCC is hosting their second annual Craft PDX Block Party this weekend. The free event features demonstrations by local craft artists, live music, lectures in MoCC's "Lab," and lots of kid-friendly activities. Last year's was a lot of fun, so make sure to come down and celebrate the beginning of MoCC's second year in the DeSoto building. Block Party • 11am-6pm • July 13 Museum of Contemporary Craft • North Park Blocks, NW 8th & Davis • 503.223.2654  Next, some discourse: Bridges are a big deal in this city. Just as the Willamette defines our geographical (and in some ways cultural) boundaries, its bridges, as well as that "little" one to the north, define much of our city's urban landscape. PORT has long advocated for creative, aesthetic bridge design: See our bridge design contest, and recent coverage of the urgent need to build a beautiful and "green" new I-5 bridge. This Monday, Portland Spaces magazine invites you to learn more about the proposed bridge from OMSI to OHSU. It will be the first new bridge across the Willamette in "a generation," and play an important cultural role in connecting our two major science institutions. OHSU Provost Lesley Hallick and OMSI President Nancy Stueber will be presenting their proposals for the bridge, and how this relates to both institutions' future expansion plans. This is part of the magazine's "Bright Lights Discussion Series." Bridge lecture • Doors at 5:30, Talk at 6pm • July 14 Portland Spaces Magazine Hosted by Jimmy Mak's • 221 NW 10th AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 11, 2008 at 11:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.10.08 Listen Up  Gregory Grenon, "Unspeakable Hair" Husband and wife team Mary Josephson and Gregory Grenon are exhibiting (individually) at Laura Russo this month. In Full Length Feature, painter Josephson has expanded her media to deepen her exploration of narrative and storytelling traditions. Grenson's Unspeakable Hair is a survey of lithographs and prints that take an "incredibly honest" look at the human form and character. They'll both be presenting lectures on their work this weekend. Artist talk • 11am • July 12 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st AVE • 503.225.2754  Cat Clifford, "Two Chairs" The Contemporary Northwest Art Awards will be on view at PAM through September 14. They're hosting a unique event in for the exhibition: An open to the public celebration, featuring the exhibition, live music, light refreshments, and a no-host bar. The best part? It's free! But space is limited, so reserve your ticket ASAP. Exhibition celebration • 6-9pm • July 25 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 10, 2008 at 10:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.09.08 Second Friday Picks July 2008 Many eastside galleries skipped their openings last weekend due to the 4th of July, so here's our Friday artwalk picks, part II.
 Taylor Deupree Newspace is showing their annual juried exhibition, curated this year by accomplished Portland artist TJ Norris. He describes the chosen photographs as an exploration of the "essence and fragility" of the "selective and concealed moment in time." Opening reception • 7-10pm • July 11 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th AVE • 503.963.1935 (More) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 09, 2008 at 15:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 07.07.08 Rose Bond at NW Film Center  Rose Bond, installation The NW Film Center presents an evening with media and installation artist Rose Bond. They'll screen stories and images from several of her installation pieces, including her recent ELECTRO-FLUX, originally created as a multi-channel public installation for the Platform Animation Festival. Bond's work "explor(es) the intersection of high art and low art, film and architecture, and interior/exterior installation." Screening • 7:30pm • July 10 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 07, 2008 at 13:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.03.08 First Weekend Picks July 2008 Since Friday is 4th of July, many east side galleries are postponing their openings for a week (keep an eye out for those picks next week). Here's a sampling of galleries that are rocking it for the holiday weekend:
 Grasshut is having an all day party to celebrate Fireworks, The Americans, a group show featuring around 40 artists and their take on Americana. Hot dogs, lemonade, beer, and fireworks will accompany the art to make you truly feel proud of your Independence. Opening reception • Noon • July 4 Grass Hut Gallery • 811 E Burnside • 503.445-9924 (More!) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 03, 2008 at 11:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.02.08 Let's Talk About Portland  Installation view of scale photo of Portland metro, 1ft = 1 mile PDXplore: Designing Portland opens tomorrow at PNCA. The project invites members of the local design and architecture community to reimagine Portland and construct a model of its growth in the next few years. It's being launched with a talk next week by five local designers and architects; Rudy Barton, Carol Mayer-Reed, Michael McCulloch, Richard Potestio, and William Tripp. As Brian Libby points out, Portland's at a crucial moment of development, and it's essential to get the community involved in the discussion of where - and how - to go from here. Designer talk • 6-9pm • July 8 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St. • 503.226.4391 There will be a second panel discussion later in the month, In the Round: Collective Leadership, featuring five local leaders: Sam Adams (mayor elect of Portland), David Bragdon (president of Metro), Tom Hughes (mayor of Hillsboro), Gil Kelley (Director of Planning, Portland), and Alice Rouyere (Executive manager, Gresham). It's a golden opportunity to actually bring design and city leadership together to confront the issues at hand. Leader Roundtable • 6-9pm • July 22 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St. • 503.226.4391  In a somewhat bewildering move, there's another interesting talk on the future of art and Portland's fabric conflicting with the first PDXplore talk. Milepost 5 is hosting a panel discussion on the future of living and working for artists in Portland...(more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 02, 2008 at 10:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.01.08 First Thursday Picks July 2008  Robert Rauschenberg Blue Sky Gallery will be honoring Robert Rauschenberg this month with an exhibition of some of his recent photographs. The prints originate from a trip to China in 1985 as part of the Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Exchange. Many of the images had remained unused until 2008, when he collaborated with Bill Goldston to create this series of 12 prints. It is a rare opportunity to see some of the work that was in process when this great artist died earlier this year. Opening reception • 5-8pm • July 3 Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th AVE • 503.225.0210 (More) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 01, 2008 at 12:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.30.08 High Tech / Low Tech  Northwest Designer Craftsmen This Thursday, High Tech/Low Tech is opening at the Oregon College of Arts & Crafts. The exhibition, comprised of work by members of the Northwest Designer Craftsmen, explores the dichotomy of old and new present in craft design. While craft is based in low tech artisan roots, craft artists are still often "the first in the art world to explore the development of new materials and methods." The exhibition runs through August 24. Opening reception • 4-7pm • July 3 OCAC Hoffman Gallery • 8245 SW Barnes Rd. • 503.297.5544 Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 30, 2008 at 0:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.27.08 Jacqueline Ehlis opening at NAAU 
The influential Jacqueline Ehlis (a favorite of collectors) is the next Couture stipend show at NAAU. As always, her work explores the perimeters of painting, material and space but what really differentiates her work this time out is the fact that this is a non-commercial show. Previous solo outings at Savage in 2005 and 2002 were critically and financially successful. Thus, expectations are high as the first A-list Portland artist in NAAU's Couture series, which previously opened with the quirky Lo-Fi & geek-tastic BYOTV, followed by the ambitious but slightly scattered multimedia melange of Infinitus (decent but not quite Lee Bul or Doug Aitken's level of multimedia focus). By comparison Ehlis tends to bring a no nonsense, rigorous studio-oriented approach that makes her top shelf shows a must see (even for other dealers).... be there. Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 2 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny St. • 503.231.8294 Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 27, 2008 at 12:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkArtTalk Summer  Eva Lake, "New Duo 1 & 2" from the "Richter Scale" series ArtTalk's summer season has started. Although the PSU MFA Monday night lecture series is taking a break, they're still interviewing artists each Monday afternoon on KPSU. This Monday, they're interviewing local painter Eva Lake. Art Radio • Noon-1pm • Mondays through July 28 ArtTalk • 98.3FM on campus • Streaming on KPSU.org Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 27, 2008 at 8:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.26.08 Closing Events  Historic image of the Waterfront, from Linda Wysong Linda Wysong, the June Artist in Residence on the South Waterfront, will be giving her final performance tours in her Backyard Conversations series. Footprints Along the River explores the Waterfront's history, and you can join the tour tonight at 5pm or Saturday, June 28 at 11am. Tours meet at the AiR studio, 3623 SW River Pkwy @ Gains in the John Ross Tower. Don't miss Wysong's closing reception on Saturday night, where she'll air the series of video portraits she's created to put a human face on the construction projects. You can preview an excerpt on YouTube here. Closing reception • 8-10pm (Screening at 9pm) • June 28 AiR Studio • 3623 SW River Parkway  The closing event for the Portland Mural Show is happening this weekend. It's your last chance to check out the "snapshot of extant murals around Portland," as well as work by new Portland muralists. The rocking block party features 37 artists painting live, as well as a painting performance and a variety of musical guests. Closing party • Noon-6pm • June 28 Olympic Mills Gallery • 107 SE Washington St. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 26, 2008 at 10:04 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 06.25.08 Information Studio  Tahni Holt's Information Studio is happening this weekend. Participants (four at a time) will be following instructions given over headphones to the best of their ability. The "audience"-created performances will be recorded, and put online in a secret place where only you - and the people you choose to share the link with - can see. Participation is free, but spots must be reserved (see times below) by contacting Holt at hello@tahniholt.com or 503.708.5801. Performance times: Every 30 minutes from 3pm-7:30pm Friday June 27, from 5pm-9:30pm Saturday June 28, and 2pm-4pm Sunday June 29. PSU Smith Center • 1825 SW Broadway This is the beginning of a series of nine interactive projects in, around, and about the Smith center commissioned by PSU through Oregon's Percent for Public Art program.  Brittany Powell Brittany Powell's Smith Project started running last week. Powell has created six postcards of rarely celebrated views of the Smith Center, placing stacks of them at each site. The postcards are free while supplies (30,000) last, so come get one to send your loved ones a little view of PSU. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 25, 2008 at 10:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.19.08 Portlandia in Comics  Raquel, Portland Comic It's happening TONIGHT. Spanish friend of Worksound Raquel created a fabulous comic about her experiences living in Portland for the last three months. Worksound is throwing a release / goodbye party for her and her comic, as well as the release of Suspect Parts' 7". Music features Sad Horse, Suspect Parts, Fred Valez and Philip Kruse, and DJ: Nolita. It's also a good chance to catch the PNCA MFA show if you missed the opening. Release Party • 9:30-midnight • June 19 Worksound PDX • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 19, 2008 at 10:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.17.08 Eliza Ferdinand Installation  Eliza Ferdinand & Molly Enright PNCA graduate Eliza Ferdinand is back in town for "a night of multidisciplinary artwork and fun" at Gallery Homeland. Interactive sculptures will be installed throughout the space, and Ferdinand will be debuting a duo performance with Molly Enright, followed by a musical set by her group Dang Momma. Installation & performance event • 8pm • June 20 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th • info@galleryhomeland.org Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 17, 2008 at 13:13 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.16.08 The Cool School  The "cool school" of the Ferus Gallery, circa 196? The documentary The Cool School is airing tomorrow night on Public Broadcasting's Independent Lens series. The film looks at the history of the Ferus Gallery, "which nurtured Los Angeles's first significant post-war artists between 1957 and 1966." Founded initially by Walter Hopps and Ed Kienholz, the small gallery launched and/or solidified the careers of the likes of Ed Ruscha, Craig Kauffman, Robert Irwin, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella... and on, and on, and on. The documentary of this incredibly important institution was co-produced by our very own Oregon Public Broadcasting. (And one has to wonder: If OPB has such success getting funding, why can't Portland arts institutions do the same?) View it locally on OPB at 11pm, June 17. You can learn more about the film here, and view the OPB schedule here (look for "Independent Lens"). Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 16, 2008 at 10:46 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 06.13.08 Shiro Nakane Lectures  Shiro Nakane at work The Japanese Gardens and PNCA are co-sponsoring a lecture by internationally renowned Japanese garden landscape architect Shiro Nakane. Nakane will address the challenges of preserving and revitalizing traditional methods with modern design aesthetics, and the unique problems presented by designing for longevity. Artist lecture • 6:30pm • June 16 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson • Swigert Commons Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 13, 2008 at 9:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.12.08 Rererato Turns 1!  Experimental music, art, and performance space Rererato is celebrating their first anniversary this weekend with Rererato TV. The above list of artists and performers will come together to create a "music and art variety show in front of a live studio audience" - you! The show will later be broadcast online. Live TV! • 6pm • June 14 Rererato • 5135 NE 42nd • info@rererato.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 12, 2008 at 8:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.09.08 Film, Film, and Do You Make Film?  From the Ottawa Animation Film Festival There's lots going on at the NW Film Center. This weekend, they're airing the best of the 2007 Ottawa Animation Festival. In its 32nd year, the festival drew submissions from over 70 countries, and this 90 minute screening features the best of the final 97 entries. First screening • 7pm • June 13 Second screening • 6pm • June 15 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park AVE On Thursday, they're screening the best of the 34th Northwest Film & Video Festival. This touring program features the best of the best in contemporary northwest film making, and several visiting artists will be in attendance. Film screening • 8pm • June 12 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park AVE Do you make film? The NW Film Center is seeking submissions for the 35th Northwest Film Fest. Entries are due by August 1. More info can be found here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 09, 2008 at 23:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkJohn Malpede Lectures  The final lecture for the 2007-2008 season of the PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series is happening tonight. Director, activist, and writer John Malpede will speak about his socially radical performance art. In 1985, Malpede founded the Los Angeles Poverty Department (LAPD), "the first performance group in the nation comprised primarily of homeless and formerly homeless people." Malpede's work through the LAPD and other radical performance pieces, which often include collaborations with dancers, poets, artists, architects, and other directors, has earned him a reputation as "a nationally acclaimed theater radical and social visionary." This lecture is especially relevant in light of our fair city's struggles with gentrification. Artist lecture • 7:30-8:30pm • June 9 PMMNLS • 5th AVE Cinema • SW 5th & Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 09, 2008 at 9:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.05.08 First Friday Picks June 2008  Susan Harlan Susan Harlan is delivering a different take on the glass mania invading Portland this month. Her series Invisible Territories features natural specimens preserved in glass slides, then digitally printed onto fused enamel glass panels. Fusing organic specimens into glass, Harlan's work explores and exposes the natural world in a way that breaks from the "organic" forms often found in blown glass sculpture. Opening reception • 6-9pm • June 6 Artist Glass Conference reception • 6-9pm • June 20 Pushdot Studio • 1021 SE Caruthers St. • 503.224.5925 More below the cut. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 05, 2008 at 11:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.03.08 First Thursday Picks June 2008  Holly Andres, "Untitled" from "Sparrow Lane" The slightly unnerving photography of Holly Andres will be featured this month at Quality Pictures. Her Sparrow Lane series explores adolescent girls "on the cusp of acquiring forbidden knowledge" - a metaphor for the transition to womanhood, as well as a tribute to the rich fantasy life of childhood. Each photograph is carefully posed, using familiar iconography to suggest discovery, while withholding narrative cues to force the viewer to come to his or her own conclusion about the action in the scene. This mystery, combined with Andres' use of twins and other girls eerily similar in appearance, creates a strange and surreal atmosphere that invites the viewer into the other-world of the young girls. UPDATE: Amber, the young woman in the above photograph, was recently diagnosed with Ewig's Sarcoma, a rare form of juvenile cancer. Andres and QPCA are selling 50 limited edition signed 8x10 prints of the above photograph for $50 each. All proceeds from these sales will go to Amber, as well as partial proceeds from the sales of larger prints. Please contact QPCA at 503.227.5060 or info@qpca.com to inquire. Opening reception • 6-9pm • June 5 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060 Much more below the cut, including a selection of local glass shows happening in conjunction with the upcoming Glass Conference. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 03, 2008 at 12:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 06.02.08 Amy Yoes Lectures  Amy Yoes, "Sign Language", in Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, NY Amy Yoes is lecturing tonight for the ongoing PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series. Yoes' work focuses on ornamental and architectural space. She has recently began to integrate animation and light, as her work simultaneously becomes more and more three dimensional. Artist lecture • 7:30-8:30pm • June 2 • Free! PMMNLS • 5th AVE Cinema • SW 5th & Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 02, 2008 at 12:15 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 05.30.08 Klaus Moje at PAM  Klaus Moje, "The Portland Panels: Choreographed Geometry" (detail) PAM's Klaus Moje retrospective opens this weekend. Spanning thirty years of his career, the exhibition explores his extensive work in glass, "from his early carved crystal glass pieces, to the development of layered patterned glass vessels, to his recent multi-panel fused works." In preparation for the show, Moje has been working at Bullseye Glass to create a special installation, The Portland Panels: Choreographed Geometry. This massive four-panel work, composed of more than 22,000 strips of fused glass, is "a stunning technical achievement." Exhibition • May 31 - September 7, 2008 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 In June, Ted Sawyer, Director of Research and Education at Bullseye Glass Company, will lecture on the Portland Panels and their relationship to Moje's body of work. Lecture • 2-3pm • June 8 • $10 PAM • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 In July, Rae Mahaffey, Martha Pfanschmidt and Tom Prochaska will lead a panel discussion exploring their own work in glass, and how it relates to Moje's work and the greater context of glass art. Panel discussion • 6pm • July 10 • $10 PAM • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 30, 2008 at 11:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.29.08 T'ai Chi for 1,000  Horatio Hung-Yan Law, "T'ai Chi for 1,000" As part of the South Waterfront's Artist in Residence program, Horatio Hung-Yan Law presents China-on-Willamette. The project, which was exhibited for the month of May, consists of two installations, Chopsticks Terrace Rice Field and Bamboo Great Wall. With these installations, Law has sought to explore how Portland might have developed if the Chinese population hadn't been driven out by the anti-immigrations laws passed by Congress in 1882. The project culminates this weekend with a final installation, T'ai Chi for 1,000. This is a rain or shine participation event for people of all ages and levels of T'ai Chi experience - wear comfortable clothing and shoes! Closing event • 10-11:30am • May 31 South Waterfront Park • SW Moody & Curry Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 29, 2008 at 8:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 05.28.08 Mad Performances!  Back in February, NE art, music, and delightful mayhem space Rererato was in serious danger due to zoning issues. They closed up shop for a while, but in the last few weeks they've reemerged with their experimental music series. This Friday, the art space makes its triumphant return with An Evening of Mad Science. This multimedia performance features "the off-kilter music, collaborative stage props, storytelling and thespianism of local Portland bands Les Flaneurs, Dr. Something and the Poppin' Fresh Love Engines and Spirit Duplicator." Music, drama, and audience-participating quiz shows - they're back with a vengeance. Multimedia performance • 7pm • May 30 • $4 Rererato • 5135 NE 42nd AVE • info@rererato.com  Sean Carney, attribution unspecified 'Tis the week for exciting and eccentric performances. The Pancake Clubhouse presents Sean Carney's lecture on "the lost species Madids." The lecture is part of Carney's Modern Conditions of Production, a series of performances aimed at "retaliat[ing] against the mundane nature of our day to day lives." Carney keeps a blog of his projects here. Performance Presentation • 8pm • May 30 Pancake Clubhouse Historic Township • 906a NE 24th AVE • 503.936.6513 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 28, 2008 at 10:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.26.08 Dyne at MoCC  Melissa Dyne, from "Glass" Melissa's Dyne's Glass opens this week at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Using industrially produced skyscraper glass, Dyne explores "the line between art and craft," through the properties of the window pane, glass in its simplest form. Exhibition • May 29 - August 10 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 There will be a series of related events this summer at MoCC. This Thursday, there will be a panel discussion led by the Cooley Gallery's Stephanie Snyder. From Idea to Production: Craft in Conceptual Art Making features Melissa Dyne, M.K. Guth, and Namita Gupta Wiggers as they discuss "the relationship between concept-driven art, industry and craft." Thursday, May 29, 7pm. Free. Three more Dyne events below the cut. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 26, 2008 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.22.08 Boadwee at Rocksbox  Keith Boadwee, "Intersection" Rocksbox presents This is a New Low, by shock artist Keith Boadwee. (In)famous for anal painting and a general obsession with his genital region, Boadwee's work has been described as "intelligent and irritating, repulsive and appealing". Intensely, inescapably physical, Boadwee toys with, and perhaps overextends, the visceral metaphors of the body. It is, indeed, an "uneasy alliance." Opening reception • 7-11pm • May 24 Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N. Interstate Ave. • 971.506.8938 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 22, 2008 at 9:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.21.08 Art on OPB  Louis Bunce mural at PDX, 1953, from the Portland Public Art blog There's some interesting art programming happening this week on OPB television. The Art Makers explores the idea that Modern art is a century old in Portland. Although critics have a habit of positing a radical split - even conflict - between the young Portland art scene and preceding generations, the truth is that Portland has been an edge-of-contemporary art city for many, many years, and today's artists are deeply rooted in that history. The Art Makers goes back to the early 20th century to explore how Portland became such an "art-friendly place," drawing a relationship between early innovators such as Harry Wentz, C.S. Price, and Louis Bunce, and modern artists (interviewed) such as Lucinda Parker, George Johanson, Jack McLarty and the late Mike Russo. It airs at 9pm on Thursday, May 22, on OPB TV. Earlier in the evening, you can catch this week's Art Beat, Everybody's Art. The episode explores the role of public art in Portland's community: "Whether you love it or hate it, or don't even notice it, public art is all around us. Where does it come from, who makes it, and what does it add to our communities and our state?" The show first airs at 8pm on Thursday, May 22, on OPB TV. It will re-run on Sunday, May 25, at 2am and 6pm. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 21, 2008 at 9:40 | Comments (5) PermalinkThursday 05.15.08 Journal of Short Film, Vol. 11  From the Journal of Short Film The Ohio-based quarterly DVD series The Journal of Short Film has featured over a hundred filmmakers in its first ten volumes, exploring a wide range of genre and video style. The first geographically-themed collection, the eleventh volume features Portland's extraordinary film culture. It was assembled by local film maker and curator Karl Lind, and will be released on May 20. The NW film center will screen the DVD at 7pm on May 28 at the Whitesell Auditorium. There will be an after-screening party at 9pm at Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 15, 2008 at 18:07 | Comments (1) PermalinkAlberta  From the scavenger hunt The students of the PSU MFA Social Practice Program are launching a weekly summer events series, A lot of ______. The events will take place each Sunday, May 18 - June 29, at Neighborhood Projects, a vacant lot on 15th & Alberta made available by architect Matthew Beitz as an off-site classroom space for the MFA students. The series aims to "engage the surrounding neighborhood by providing a platform for communication and collaboration." The first event is the Pepsi Rocket Ship Moon Voyage Launch!, hosted by Cyrus Smith. The full schedule of events is behind the cut. Weekly Event • 3pm • Sundays, May 18 - June 29 Neighborhood Projects • 15th & Alberta • cyruswsmith@yahoo.com Also happening this weekend on Alberta: Art on Alberta's Art Hop. The festival features four musical stages, as well as over 150 artists, guilds, face painters, and street performers. The three featured artists this year are Adrienne Cruz, Tripper Dungan, and Analee Fuentes. Alberta will be closed off for the festival between 12th and 30th on Saturday, 11am-7pm. The parade starts at 3pm. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 15, 2008 at 8:55 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 05.14.08 More Jess  Jess, "Echo's Wake" In conjunction with the Cooley Gallery's Jess exhibition, the back room and Cinema Project present Jess: An evening of experimental film, music, food, and conversation. Bring your own dinner, and come discuss the work of seminal Beat artist Jess Collins, before previewing a series of films "directly or indirectly inspired by Jess." Film presentation • Doors at 6:30, Film at 7:30 • May 16 • $6 Cinema Project • Podkrepa Hall • 2116 N. Killingsworth Also: Come down to Reed this weekend for a public tour of the Jess exhibition with curator Stephanie Snyder. Curator tour • 2pm • May 17 & 18 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Reed College Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 14, 2008 at 12:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.13.08 OCAC Thesis Show  Cyan Bott Each year at the Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC) ends in the undergraduate thesis and Post-baccalaureate exhibitions. The exhibition showcases the culmination of work developed during the students' education at the college, displaying a wide range of media and multidisciplinary approaches. Because there are forty students exhibiting this year, the show has been split into two venues. BFA Thesis: May 5 - 27 Opening reception • 4-7pm • May 16 Worksound PDX • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com Post-baccalaureate: May 5 - 27 Opening reception • 4-7pm • May 15 OCAC Hoffman Gallery • 8245 SW Barnes Rd. • 503.297.5544 Also happening soon at OCAC: The Metal & Ceramics Sale. "Buy local and support Portland artists" - the sale features functional ceramic pieces and affordable handmade jewelry created by OCAC students. Art sale • 10am-5pm • May 17 & 18 OCAC • 8245 SW Barnes Rd. • 503.297.5544 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 13, 2008 at 10:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.12.08 Cloepfil jams out at Jimmy Mak's tonight  Cloepfil's Anne Sachs building in NW Portland Tonight, local starchitect Brad Cloepfil will be the guest for Portland Spaces' bright lights discussion series. It all goes down at 6:00 at Jimmy Mak's, no cover... Doors open at 5:30 (get there early). Will Cloepfil and Gragg jam out? ....on kazoo's? ...or at least have a drummer for wise-ass rimshots? Let's hope the increasingly bleak design outlook for the I-5 interstate bridge is addressed. We need a serious architect to shepherd this increasingly penny-wise pound foolish project... the only way to insure the billions of dollars spent on the largest new bridge project on the west coast doesn't simply become a XXL overpass. How... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 12, 2008 at 10:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.09.08 PCC's ArtBeat  Harry Widman, "Mother and Daughter" PCC's ArtBeat Week starts next Monday. The annual festival, which has run since 1989, boasts over 80 events on PCC's five campuses, all of which are free and open to the public. This year's featured artist is internationally recognized painter Harry Widman, whose work Mother and Daughter (above) has been added to PCC's permanent collection. The festival runs May 12 - 16 on the Cascade, Rock Creek, Southeast Center, and Sylvania campuses. For a list of artists and activities and a schedule of events, visit the ArtBeat website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 09, 2008 at 11:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 05.08.08 Infinitus  TJ Norris, "Infinitus" (still) The next Couture exhibition opened this week at NAAU. TJ Norris' Infinitus, the third and final component to the installation series Tribryd, is a "multimedia video lounge" that asks you to experience "the entire globe manifesting itself through interconnected man-made mini malls." The show runs May 7 - June 22, with an opening reception this weekend. Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 10 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny St. • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 08, 2008 at 13:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.07.08 Jess  Jess Collins Reed's Cooley Gallery presents an exhibition of work by seminal Beat Generation artist Jess Collins, known simply as "Jess" (1923-2004). Originally a chemist who worked on the Manhattan Project, Jess abandoned science and became an artist to protest nuclear weapons. Jess: To and From the Printed Page explores his relationship with printed materials, "as food and inspiration for his literary, esoteric vision." The traveling exhibition was organized by iCI. Exhibition • Tue-Sun 12-5pm • May 9 - July 20 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Reed College Also: Don't miss the artist talk by Margot Voorhies Thompson at Laura Russo, in conjunction with her Inventing/Adapting exhibition. Artist talk • 11am • May 10 • Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st AVE • 503.226.2754 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 07, 2008 at 13:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.06.08 Storytelling  Leigh Ledare Opening this week at Small A: Every Picture Tells a Story... Or At Least is a Picture, curated by Jo Jackson and Chris Johanson, featuring the work of twelve contemporary artists. Opening reception • 6-8pm • May 8 Small A Projects • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.234.7993 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 06, 2008 at 9:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.05.08 Lectures  Justine Kurland Photographer Justine Kurland is lecturing at PNCA this week. Kurland became well known after her participating in the 1999 group show Another Girl, Another Planet, in which she displayed "large tableau pictures of neo-romantic landscapes inhabited by teenaged girls." Her work continues to explore issues of feminine identity, including her PICA exhibition in 2005. We're lucky to have Kurland around these parts quite frequently. Artist lecture • 12:30pm • May 7 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St. • 503.226.4391 Also: Roger Ballen is lecturing in conjunction with his exhibition at QPCA. Artist lecture • 7pm • May 7 • $5 PICA • 224 NW 13th AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 05, 2008 at 17:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.02.08 A "Cross-Cultural Encounter" at OSU  Heejung Kim, "Karma" This Monday, two exhibitions curated by Midori Yoshimoto are opening at OSU's Galleries. The combination of Heejung Kim's series The World Between and Sarah Pucill's video installation Stages of Mourning creates "an unexpected, cross-cultural encounter of two women artists." Kim's sculptures and handmade books, in the Fairbanks Gallery, use unusual materials to create objects that explore Buddhist symbolism and Kim's own meditations on the great questions: meaning of life, meaning of death, meaning of existence... In the adjacent West Gallery, Pucill's video installation takes a Western approach to the symbolism of death, exploring the depth of psychological anguish one experiences when trying to cope with the loss of a loved one. Opening reception • 11:30-1:30 • May 5 Fairbanks Gallery • 106 Fairbanks Hall • OSU Campus Curator lecture • 6pm Reception 7pm Lecture • May 7 LaSells Stewart Center • 100 LaSells Stewart Center • OSU Campus Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 02, 2008 at 10:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.01.08 First Friday Picks May 2008  Joe Glasglow Newspace presents Peripheral Vision by the Inner Light Group. Founded in 1986 by Shedrich Williames, the photography group now includes over 20 members working in a wide variety of styles. This exhibition explores the physical and metaphorical possibilities when considering our visual periphery: "Does it exist only in the mind of the photographer? Or is seeing with peripheral vision a physical process that keeps one alert to all that may be happening in the corners and around the edges of an image." Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 2 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th AVE • 503.963.1935 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 01, 2008 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.30.08 Werner Herzog  Werner Herzog film still During the month of May, the NW Film Center will be featuring A Quest for the Sublime: The Films of Werner Herzog. A central figure in the 1970s New German Cinema movement, Herzog has risen to prominence with acclaimed films from his early Aguirre to the more recent Grizzly Man. His films are characterized by his "disregard [for] the distinction between narrative film and documentary in pursuit of a more profound truth." The series begins on Friday, May 2nd with his 2007 film Encounters at the End of the World, an exploration of Antarctica in "all its stark beauty." The film airs at 7pm in the Whitsell Auditorium. For the full schedule and ticket purchasing information, visit the NW Film Center site. Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 30, 2008 at 10:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.29.08 First Thursday Picks May 2008  Roger Ballen, "Untitled" South-Africa based artist Roger Ballen will present the U.S. debut of nine images from his new series this month at QPCA. Acclaimed for his documentary portraits of the small villages of South Africa, Ballen has recently begun taking a more directorial approach. In addition to his new images, Ballen will be showing select works from his Outland and Shadow Chamber series, in which he initially began to explore the theatrical methods that allow his subjects to become active participants in the making of his photographs. There will be a book signing in the gallery following Ballen's May 7 lecture at PICA. For those up north, visit the QPCA website for the Seattle lecture date. Opening Reception • 6-9pm • May 1 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060 Artist lecture • 7pm • May 7 • $5 PICA • 224 NW 13th AVE (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 29, 2008 at 10:20 | Comments (2) PermalinkSunday 04.27.08 PDX Experiment Film Fest 2008 
The 2008 PDX Experimental Film Fest starts this week. Check out our review of last year's festival right here. For a full schedule of film fest 2008 events, visit their website. The festival will open with a reception at Gallery Homeland for the installation Surreal Systems. Curated by Mack McFarland and Stephen Slappe, the installation features work by 13 artists "[e]xamining networks of colonialism, nature, motion, observation, pyramid schemes, and memory." Other PDX Experimental Film Fest events at Gallery Homeland include Proving Ground with Travis Wilkerson on May 1, and The First Ever Experimental Filmmaker Karaoke Throwdown on May 2. Opening reception • 6:00pm - 12:00 AM • April 30 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th AVE • info@galleryhomeland.org Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 27, 2008 at 21:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.23.08 Stumptown Comics Fest 2008  Coming up this weekend: The Fifth Annual Stumptown Comics Fest! This year's guest of honor is Mike Richardson, writer and publisher at local favorite Dark Horse Comics. Other exhibitors include Nicholas Gurewitch, Scott McCloud, Craig Thompson, and many more. And don't miss the opening party, put on by Spark Plug Comics. Opening party • 8pm-late • April 25 Guapo Comics & Books • 6416 SE Foster Rd. • 503.772.3638 Comics Festival • 10am-7pm • April 26 & 27 • Tickets Required Lloyd Center Doubletree • 1000 NE Multnomah Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 23, 2008 at 11:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.22.08 Haberman & Robert at the Goodfoot  Chris Haberman The Goodfoot is opening a duo show this week for Last Thursday featuring Chris Haberman and Mario Robert III. The two artists share a colorful, "folk"-like style, created on and with a variety of untraditional media. Haberman is a highly prolific local artist and curator, and Robert III hails from El Paso, TX, with a background in carpentry. Opening reception • 5-11pm • April 24 The Goodfoot • 2845 SE Stark • 503.239.9292 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 22, 2008 at 13:29 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 04.21.08 Architecture as Autobiography  Rudolph M. Schindler, "Lovell Beach House," Newport Beach, CA, photographed by Marvin Rand The NW Film Center presents German experimental filmmaker Heinz Emigholz's Schindler's Houses. The latest in Emigholz's series Architecture as Autobiography, the film explores "a selection of buildings designed by the Viennese architect Rudolph M. Schindler," who completed his most important work in the 1920s in Los Angeles. Film Showing • 7pm • April 23 • $4-$7 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 21, 2008 at 9:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 04.20.08 Regine Basha Lectures  Setareh Shahbazi, "Secret Affinities" PICA and the PSU Monday night lecture series present a talk by influential curator Regine Basha, who has worked for the past 15 years in Montreal, New York, and Austin. Her career has primarily focused on "realizing context-specific situations for the production of new work," including her work in the 90s with artist collectives Mayday Productions and the Brewster Project. Her "recent and upcoming exhibitions include an exhibition about listening with Steve Roden and Stephen Vitiello (Lora Reynolds Gallery), an exhibition with Berlin-based Setareh Shahbazi (Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara [see above]), and a town-wide sound sculpture project in Marfa, Texas called The Marfa Sessions (Ballroom Marfa)." Read more about Basha here. Curator lecture • 7:30-8:30pm • April 21 PSU Lecture series • 5th Ave Cinema • 510 SW Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 20, 2008 at 9:05 | Comments (2) PermalinkFriday 04.18.08 Speaking on Eutrophication 
Jeff Jahn, "Eutrophication" (detail) site specific installation PORT's own Jeff Jahn will be speaking next week on his site-specific installation, Eutrophication. Jahn will discuss his wide artistic influences, including Robert Irwin, Robert Smithson, Donald Judd, Paul Klee, Sol LeWitt, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as his relationship to architecture and the aesthetic effects of his musical interests. Artist talk • 7-8pm • April 22 PNCA • 825 NW 13th• Manuel Izquierdo Gallery (3D building) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 18, 2008 at 10:04 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 04.17.08 BYOTV Presents Media Archeology  On Saturday April 19th @ 7pm, The Video Gentlemen present "Media Archeology," the second in-studio live broadcast as they continue to program their BYOTV installation at NAAU. Featuring research and analysis, questions and answers from Stephen Slappe and a really intriguing presentation by art historian Kate Mondloch (come to the gallery and phone in your ?'s): Static Age: The Early Years of Television Culture A presentation by Stephen Slappe This program of archival 16mm films examines the early years of television as a technological and cultural phenomenon. The program includes behind-the-scenes glimpses at television studios as well as references to television in popular culture from the 1930's to the 1960's. Look at This: The Problem of Participation in 1970s Video Installation A presentation by Kate Mondloch Look at This scrutinizes how media objects and their customary viewing regimes actively define the relationship between bodies and screens in media installation art. The talk complicates the notion of an inherently progressive, liberatory "spectator participation" that is celebrated in most accounts of media installation by detailing the ways in which screens are also capable of generating oppressive viewing conditions that strictly delimit the viewer's interaction with the work. Mondloch states: "As in everyday life, screens and their illuminated moving images can offer a sort of siren song-calling spectators to largely involuntary behavior, begging them to look and pay attention, and to discipline themselves and their bodies in the process. The talk analyzes a series of influential closed-circuit video installations that intentionally explore the "architectures" of media spectatorship, including Frank Gillette and Ira Schneider's pioneering Wipe Cycle (1969), Bruce Nauman's video corridor works (1969-72), and Dan Graham's Present Continuous Past(s) (1974). I analyze how these early video works employ two apparently contradictory processes. Artists underscore the coercive nature of screen-based viewing by varying the arrangement of cameras and monitors-combining live and pre-recorded feedback, inverting viewers' images, divorcing cameras from their monitors, introducing time delays, and so on. Simultaneously, however, the technological apparatuses themselves arguably impose precise kinesthetic and psychic effects upon their audiences. This discrepancy between active and passive viewership presents an unresolved paradox for the artform's criticism." Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 17, 2008 at 14:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.16.08 Self Projections  The new Milepost 5 building is launching its arts programming this week with Self Projections. Video, film, sound and installations by 19 artists will be exhibited throughout the first floor of condos. Curated by Gary Wiseman, the show explores the idea that perception is innately personal and unique, and that art is in many ways about sharing that perspective. The venue itself is an interesting Portland development. Milepost 5 is a new condominium development in far-out NE that is styling itself as "affordable and sustainable live/work spaces for artists in a supportive and interactive, community setting" - that is currently being pushed by Gavin Shettler. With the economic and real estate situation being what it is, one has to wonder if selling condos to build an artist's community from scratch might be even an more ambitious project than the recently closed Portland Art Center. It's another intriguing idea... But is it viable? I suppose you can come to the opening and find out. Opening reception • 8pm-midnight • April 18 Milepost 5 • 900 NE 81st AVE • 503.724.6933 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 16, 2008 at 14:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.14.08 Opening this week  Nan Curtis In True Colors, Nan Curtis uses quotidian objects such as cotton, lighters, and carpet to explore "family, social taboos, sex, and pregnancy." At once playful and slightly unnerving, her work challenges the social conventions that we rely upon to approach these touchy and yet utterly human subjects. Opening reception • 6pm • April 16 Linfield Gallery • 900 SE Baker St. McMinnville • 503.883.2804 
Chris Bennett, "Fence (diptych)" Chambers presents New Antiquarians, a group photography exhibition. Five artists toy with 19th century "antiquated" photography techniques, updated with modern sensibilities and aesthetics. Featured artists include Leanne Hitchcock, Rachel Heath, Christine Laputa, Chris Bennett, and Sika Stanton. Opening reception • 5:30-8:30pm • April 17 Chambers Fine Art • 207 SW Pine St. #102 • 503.227.9398 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 14, 2008 at 15:20 | Comments (1) PermalinkSunday 04.13.08 Art Talk  Marie Watt, "Space Between Clock and Bed" PSU has launched a radio program to complement their Monday night lecture series. From 12-1pm each Monday on KPSU, hosts Alex McCarl and Cyrus Smith will be interviewing the visiting artists from the lecture series. (Note: You can stream KPSU broadcasts live from their website.) Tomorrow's guest will be Marie Watt. Check the schedule and learn more about the interviewees on the ArtTalk Blog. Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 13, 2008 at 10:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.11.08 Arts Building in Portland?  MidTown Arts Center, Eugene, OR In 2005, Carole Zoom purchased a building in Eugene with the goal of providing a shared space for non-profit arts organizations. By offering them highly reduced rent for three years, the organizations were able to raise sufficient funds to purchase the building from her, and it is now the Eugene MidTown Arts Center (above), home of the Eugene Ballet and 7 other arts organizations. Zoom is interested in creating a similar space in Portland. It would follow a similar model: She would purchase the building, non-profit arts organizations could move in for very low rent, and over time the building would be purchased from her. This is an excellent opportunity to create a much-needed hub for non-profit arts in Portland, but Zoom needs to assess interest in the project before she can go forward. To that end, she will be hosting an informal meeting to discuss the project at 6pm on Wednesday, April 16. For more information about the project and the location of the meeting, please contact Carole Zoom at carolezoom@mac.com. Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 11, 2008 at 11:27 | Comments (2) PermalinkThursday 04.10.08 Installations of Note  Jenene Nagy & Stephanie Robison, "Sitelines" (detail) Sitelines, a joint exhibition by Stephanie Robison and PORT's own Jenene Nagy, explores ways that painting and sculpture can intertwine and reinvent the gallery space. Opening reception • 3-5pm • April 13 Gallery talk • 12pm • April 30 Art Gym Main Space • Marylhurst University, 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy 43) • 503.636.8141, ext. 3383  Oregon Handmade Bicycles at PDX Airport Ten custom bicycles are currently on display at PDX airport's artOBJECTS showcase in Concourse E. The bikes are all handmade in Oregon, and "demonstrate [the] combination of engineering skills, precision metal craftsmanship, cutting edge design, and passion for cycling" that has made Portland (& Oregon)'s bike culture so legendary. Because the bikes are only viewable by passengers, a short video about the exhibit and participating framebuilders will be available at the RACC's website. You can also view pics on bikeportland.org. Ongoing exhibition • April 3 - early October PDX International • 7000 NE Airport Way  Damien Gilley, "PlusMinus" (detail) Damien Gilley's PlusMinus is currently on view at the Portland Building. The large-scale installation uses vinyl tape to create elegant architectural drawings on the walls, playing with "the phenomenology of perception." Ongoing exhibition • On view 7am - 6pm, M-F • April 7 - May 2 Portland Building • 1120 SW 5th AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 10, 2008 at 12:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.09.08 Buckman Bash  Joe Thurston, "Strenuous Life" This Friday, the Jupiter Hotel is hosting the Buckman Bash, an art auction and benefit for Buckman Elementary, Portland's own arts elementary school. The event features emcee Andrew Dickson and solo musical performances by James Mercer (The Shins) and Stephen Malkmus (The Jicks), as well as a student art show including animated shorts. Some excellent local artists have donated their work, including Storm Tharp, Joe Thurston, Scott Wayne Indiana, Marlana Stoddard Hayes, Eugenia Pardue, PORT's own Jenene Nagy, and more. Buckman Bash • Doors at 7pm • April 11 • $50 Jupiter Hotel • 800 E Burnside Can't make the bash? Swing by the school for the 18th annual Art "Show & Sell": Friday, April 11 • 5-9pm Saturday, April 12 • 10am-5pm Buckman Elementary • 320 SE 16th AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 09, 2008 at 13:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.08.08 MoCC Opening, Lectures  Ken Shores, "Feather Fetish" Generations: Ken Shores opens this week at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. The exhibition "seeks a new understanding of Shores' work in the context of his role as a student, teacher, leader, artist and foundational figure in the American Craft Movement," placing his work in the context of his "home, travels, and experience." Exhibition • April 10 - July 23 Artist Lecture • 2pm • May 4 • Free, in The Lab Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis St. • 503.223.2654 MoCC's next "Excellence in Craft" lecture is also happening this week. Paul Smith, Director Emeritus of the American Craft Museum (now Museum of Arts & Design), will speak on Reflections: Twentieth Century Studio Craft Movement - Current Observations. Lecture • 7pm • April 10 • $5 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis St., The Lab • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 08, 2008 at 9:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.07.08 Lecture, Exhibition, Film  Storm Tharp, "The Duke of Albuquerque" Storm Tharp will be lecturing tonight as part of the ongoing Monday night MFA lecture series at PSU. Artist lecture • 7:30pm • April 7 PSU Lecture Series • 5th AVE Cinema • 510 SW Hall  Lauren Clay, "Prism Pile" The Archer Gallery at Clark College presents Dialogue: A group exhibition of six artists whose work "spans the divide between two-and three-dimensional art, creating a dialogue on image and form." Many of the artists are Seattle-based, which adds a more buttoned-down formal quality to the show than the more energetic Portland-based work. Opening reception • 4-6pm • April 8 Archer Gallery • Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA • Penguin Union Building (PUB) attached to Gaiser Hall  Matt McCormick, from "The Problem of Machines that Communicate" As part of the Northwest Tracking series, the NW Film Center presents An Evening with Matt McCormick. The Portland filmmaker will be present at the screening of two of his recent films, The Problems of Machines that Communicate (2008 - premiered at SXSW), and Future So Bright (2007), as well as a series of short music videos and experimental projects. Film Showing • 9pm • April 9 • $4 - $7 NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 07, 2008 at 10:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.04.08 PSU MFA Exhibition Series  Kate Simmons, "Storm Warning" The PSU graduating MFA exhibition series begins next week. The shows run in two week cycles, and feature "work ranging from obsessive marks on paper to video and mixed-media installation ... that demonstrate[s] intellectual rigor and aesthetic diversity." There will always be two shows running simultaneously, in the Autzen and MK Galleries. The first run is from April 7-18 (opening receptions listed below). You can view the full list of future exhibitions on the art dept.'s website. Kate Simmons • Opening reception • 6-8pm • April 10 Autzen Gallery • PSU, Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, 724 SW Harrison St. Amy Steel • Opening reception • 6-8pm • April 10 MK Gallery • PSU, Art Building, 2nd Floor rm 210, 2000 SW 5th Ave. Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 04, 2008 at 14:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.03.08 First Friday Picks April 2008  Chris Held, "Overstock," installation view "o•ver•stock v: 1. vti to stock more of something than is necessary or desirable 2. vt to graze an area with more livestock than it can support n an excessively large supply of something." Chris Held explores the quasi-religion built around the modern commodity in Overstock, on view this month at Jáce Gáce. Positing that in modern culture, products have replaced the promise of love and happiness that once came from religion, Held has created an immense shrine of boxed goods, topped with a microwave in place of a religious figure. Opening reception • 6pm-midnight • April 4 Jáce Gáce • 2045 SE Belmont • 503.239.1887 (more - UPDATED) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 03, 2008 at 14:08 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 04.02.08 24 Hour Comics Drawpocalypse  David Chelsea It's a comic marathon! Comic artists from all over the region will gather this weekend at Cosmic Monkey Comics to create a 24 page collaborative work in 24 straight hours of work. Come watch, cheer them on, enjoy refreshments, and get pumped up for the upcoming late April Comics Fest. Comic Marathon • 10am - 10am • April 5 - April 6 Cosmic Monkey Comics • 5335 NE Sandy Blvd • 503.517.9050 Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 02, 2008 at 13:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.01.08 First Thursday Picks April 2008  Eva and Franco Mattes, "Jenna Varun" On view this month at the Augen Gallery is Eva and Franco Mattes' Avatars and Other Images from Alternate Universes, an extension of their recent exhibition 13 Most Beautiful Avatars. The prints emerge from avatars built in the Mattes's exploration of Second Life, an online virtual world where users can create the ultimate idealized self. Borrowing from Pop Art sensibility, the Mattes have brought Warhol's influence into the 21st century, "scrutiniz[ing] simultaneous concepts of 'beauty' and 'reality', [and] pointing to the heightened relevance of a post-20th-century cult of superficiality." Opening reception • 5-8:30pm • April 3 Augen Gallery NW • 716 NW Davis • 503.546.5056 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on April 01, 2008 at 23:22 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 03.31.08 CAP Auction  Katherine Ace, "Animals on the Inside" The 19th Annual CAP art evening and auction is happening this Saturday. The auction, which features artist Katherine Ace amid many wonderful works, benefits the Cascade AIDS Project. This year's theme is Cirque (whimsical), and the event will also feature the finest in Portland food and entertainment. Art auction & social • Doors open at 5pm • April 5 Oregon Convention Center • 777 NE MLK Blvd. • Exhibit Hall C Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 31, 2008 at 14:17 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 03.28.08 Nagy APEX lecture  Jenene Nagy Jenene Nagy will be lecturing on her APEX show at PAM this Sunday. The talk will explore "her working practice, its history, and inspirations." Artist talk • 2pm • March 30 • Free to members, or with cost of admission to the museum. Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park AVE • Andrée Stevens Room Coming up at PAM: The next Miller Meigs show will be Ed Ruscha - on loan from the Broad collection. As PORT pointed out when everyone was all in a tizzy over the Broad revelation, LACMA's loss is already turning out to be our gain. Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 28, 2008 at 8:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.26.08 Califoregon  Brittany Powell & Jill Bliss Opening on Last Thursday is Brittany Powell & Jill Bliss's project Califoregon. Powell is a native Oregonian and Bliss is a native Californian. After meeting at CCA and both finding themselves landing in Portland (it's the northern expansion!), they decided to unite their native aesthetics and bring us this collaborative exhibition of drawings, cut-outs, screen prints, and more - all celebrating the growing hybrid that is Califoregon. Opening reception • 7-10pm • March 27 Office PDX • 2204 NE Alberta • 888.355.7467 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 26, 2008 at 11:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.25.08 More on BYOTV Make sure to check out the review of BYOTV below.
If you like what you read, come down to NAAU this week for the following Week One transmissions: "From infomercials to local news, genre westerns and classic sitcoms, familiar forms are aflutter. Amplified to the point of distortion, these audio-visual vernaculars are rewired by: Linda Austin, Lili White, Nerve Theory, Jesse England and Taly & Russ Johnson. This week's offerings also include abstract illusions from Marchi Wierson and elusive allusions from Ryan Dunn. And don't miss Bosko Blagojevic's typo-corrected rendition of Richard Serra and Carlotta Fay Schoolman's famous media critique Television Delivers People." New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 25, 2008 at 12:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.19.08 ArtSpark  The Living Room Theater is launching Art Spark: Every third Thursday, interested parties gather in their lounge to chat about art. It's a private business looking to break into the art scene, but it sounds like it could be a promising event. Each month there will be a different host from the local art scene, who gets "6@6" - 6 minutes at 6pm to say or do whatever they want, followed by open discussion. March's host is Arts & Culture Commissioner Sam Adams. The event is free, but space is tight, so they ask that you RSVP. Creative discourse • 5-7pm • March 20 (and every 3rd Thursday) Living Room Theaters • SW 10th & Stark Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 19, 2008 at 13:21 | Comments (5) PermalinkTuesday 03.18.08 Ellen Lupton Lecture  Ellen Lupton In conjunction with PNCA, the Museum of Contemporary Craft presents a lecture by Ellen Lupton. Theorizing that design is a form of creativity that is accessible to all, Lupton's The Design-It-Yourself Revolution "explore(s) how technology is combining with social movements to create greater access to design tools and creativity." Excellence in craft lecture • 7pm • March 20 • $5 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St. • The Commons Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 18, 2008 at 14:36 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 03.14.08 BYOTV  The first exhibition in NAAU's Couture series opens next week with The Video Gentlemen's BYOTV. The show is in response to the U.S.'s decision to end all analog television broadcasting in February, 2009: "Pre-empting the scheduled program of obsolescence, The Video Gentlemen's BYOTV network launches a six-week season of special reports engaged with this technocultural turn." The signal will be broadcast from NAAU, and visitors are encouraged to "Bring Your Own TV," or borrow one from the gallery, "intercepting transmissions from their immediate airspace." Exhibition • March 19 - April 27 Update! Opening reception • 5-8pm • March 22 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 14, 2008 at 11:01 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 03.13.08 Performative If you're looking for a little more action this weekend, check out these events:
 K Sims The Pancake Clubhouse presents local designer K Sims' recycled fashion show. She'll be debuting designs that explore "deconstruction, luxury, reincarnation, beauty, and individuality," all accompanied by a saw and theramin performance. Fashion show • 8pm • March 15 Pancake Clubhouse • 906a NE 24th Ave • pancakeclubhouse@gmail.com  Gallery Homeland will be hosting the United Church of America, a traveling political theater group, featuring the constitutional Prophet "BCG" and his newest political sermon "Make America." GH invites you to "Come celebrate your country with a Constitutional Communion!" Political theater • 7pm • March 14 & 15 • $6 Gallery Homeland 2505 SE 11th AVE • info@galleryhomeland.org Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 13, 2008 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.12.08 Man Friends Forever  Dave O'Johnson, "Loiter" Rocksbox presents Man Friends Forever, a joint-show with California's Dave O' Johnson & Brian Wasson. Rumor has it there will be a pig roast at the opening! Opening reception • 7-11pm • March 15 Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N Interstate AVE • 971.506.8938 Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 12, 2008 at 9:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.07.08 Anissa Mack opening at Small A  Anissa Mack's The Last Full Weekend Each September is opening this weekend at Small A. The show collects pieces from Mack's Durham Fair and Durham Fair (10th Anniversary Edition) series. Having grown up attending the Durham Fair, for these projects Mack created pieces to enter in all 73 craft categories at the fair, exploring and interrogating American craft rituals and traditions. This show is the first time these pieces have been exhibited outside the fair. Opening reception • 6-8pm • March 8 Small A Projects • 1430 SE 3rd AVE • 503.234.7993 In conjunction with the exhibit, Mack will be speaking for this Monday's (March 10) PSU lecture series at 7:30pm at the 5th Ave Cinema, SW 5th & Hall. Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 07, 2008 at 15:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.06.08 First Friday Picks March 2008 
Ann Ploeger Pushdot Studio is celebrating the gallery's official reopening in their new location with Ann Ploeger's In Between. The series reinvents the self-portrait, exploring "uninhabited spaces... in which stillness lends itself to the specificity of being there." The photographs encourage the viewer to reflect on how these images represent moments in the artist's life and self, while using light and color to create a sense of location that invites the viewer into the moment. Opening Reception • 6-9pm • March 7 Pushdot Studio • 1021 SE Caruthers • info@pushdotstudio.com (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 06, 2008 at 9:58 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 03.04.08 First Thursday Picks March 2008  Laura Fritz, still from "Interspace" QPCA will be unveiling their fourth "Qproject." Interspace is a "fully immersive" video installation by Laura Fritz. The installation continues Fritz's exploration of what happens inside the viewer's mind as expectation and perception are manipulated by a "purposeful and provocative vacuum."  Mark Hooper, "Untitled (from the series There:Here)" Also opening at QPCA: Mark Hooper's There:Here, an exhibition of large-scale photographs that "use metaphorical events and tools to address enabling and predicting change on the physical, psychological or spiritual level." Opening reception • 6-9pm • March 6 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on March 04, 2008 at 11:55 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 02.29.08 Untraceable Walk-Through  Nubar Alexanian, "Man on the Box (recreation)" Join curators Stephanie Snyder, Stuart Horodner, and Mack McFarland this Saturday for a walk-through of the latest exhibition in PNCA's Feldman Gallery & Project Space. Untraceable explores "artists' responses to political control, violence and torture." Artist & Curator walk-through • 11am • March 1 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St. • 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 29, 2008 at 8:48 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 02.27.08 Ranciere at PNCA and Fresh Impressions at OCAC  French Philosopher Jacques Ranciere's lecture at PNCA promises to be the heaviest talk we will experience in 2008. He's pretty much the art world's favorite intellectual these days. To familiarize yourself a tiny bit here's what he thought of Guantanamo Bay and here's a decent interview related to his book "The Politics of Aesthetics." According to PNCA's press release, Ranciere as emeritus professor at the University of Paris VIII, is considered "one of the five leading intellectuals in the world today." (Either that or he has one of the five best publicists...) Ranciere will be making his first visit to Portland to speak as part of FIVE Idea Studios, and will speak on the subject of "What Makes Images Unacceptable." I rather doubt he will discuss what makes philosphers unacceptable though.... (kidding aside, this should be good.) PNCA February 29, 2008, 6:30pm, Swigert Commons 
Fresh Impressions: Letterpress Printing in Contemporary Art @ OCAC Opening reception on Thursday, February 28 from 4:00-7:00pm Curated by artists Inge Bruggeman and Heather Watkins, the show explores the relevance of letterpress printing in contemporary art, while seeking to define its significance to current art making practices. The exciting lineup of participating artists include Abra Ancliffe, Jan Baker, Amy Borezo, Sarah Bryant, Macy Chadwick, Julie Chen, Wendy Fernstrum, Heather Green, Carl Haase, Diane Jacobs, Alicia McKim, Heidi Neilson, Erin Newell, Amy Pirkle, Robin Price, Harry Reese, John Risseeuw, Regula Russelle, Wilbur Schilling, CB Sherlock, Amy Sterly, and Rachel Wiecking (an artists to watch). OCAC's Hoffman Gallery 8245 S.W. Barnes Road Portland, OR 97225 Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 27, 2008 at 22:15 | Comments (1) PermalinkMunch & Discuss  Miguel Rio Branco, "Blue Panther" This weekend, Quality Pictures is hosting a lecture/brunch. Curator Erik Schneider will discuss the concept, technique, and market behind the photographic exhibition The Man Show. Admission is free, but space is limited, so RSVP to info@qpca.com or 503.227.5060. Note: It will also be your last chance to check out Brian Ulrich's Thrift. Artist lecture & brunch • 10:30-11:30am • March 1 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060  Happening further south this weekend in LA: Portland's own GLARE Quarterly is having the release party for issue #3 this Saturday at MOCA @ 4:30PM (Pacific Design Center). Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 27, 2008 at 13:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.26.08 Speaking  Happening tonight: Photojournalist Joel Preston Smith will be lecturing at Newspace on the four months he lived in Iraq in 2003, documenting "Iraqis' daily lives, rituals, and struggle to survive-both before and after the U.S. invasion." Artist slide lecture • 7pm • February 26 • Free Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th AVE • 503.963.1935 Later this week, Newspace will be hosting their third annual silent auction. The proceeds benefit their educational programs and "contribute to the strength of the organization." The auction is on February 29, and is $10 at the door for non-members. For more information, visit their website. Reed is also hosting the final lecture in the Working History series. Kianga Ford will discuss her Counting installation, which "examines racial identity through an intermingling of textual narrative and abstract mathematics." The lecture will be followed by a closing reception for the exhibition in the Cooley Gallery. Artist lecture • 6:30pm • February 27 Reed College, Eliot 314 • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 26, 2008 at 9:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.25.08 Last Waltz at Wonder  Stephen Scott Smith, "gorillasmith series" For their final exhibition in their space below the Wonder Ballroom, the Mark Woolley Gallery presents ALPHABET SOUP: Labeling, Identity, Stigma, Pride. They're still looking for artists to submit work that explores "the external and internal dimensions of the sexual labels G, L, B, T, Q, I, A, SGL, 2S and more." The exhibition will also include a non-juried wall for all artists to express themselves on the subject. Click here for submission guidelines. The deadline is March 1, at 5:30pm. Opening reception & dance party • 5pm - late • March 8 Woolley at Wonder • 128 NW Russell St. • 503.224.5475 Closing party / Goodbye to the space • 5pm - late • March 21 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 25, 2008 at 14:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.22.08 WNTR WRKS  WNTR WRKS drawing PICA and Cartune Xprez present an animation festival with "the last breaths of winter." There will be screenings of videos by Takeshi Murata, Bruce Bickford, Josh Mannis, and more, as well as music/video/theater performance featuring Hooliganship and others, and musical interludes by DJ Beyonda. Animation festival • 9pm • February 24 • $6, 21+ Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 22, 2008 at 11:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.21.08 Io Palmer lectures at Reed 
Installation Shot of Io Palmer & "Janitorial Supplies" 2007-8 Continuing the Working History lecture series, Io Palmer will speak this Friday at Reed College. Her installation Janitorial Supplies "explores the history of African American labor, class, and physical adornment." Artist lecture • 6:30pm • February 22 Reed College Eliot 314 • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Faith Ringgold will also be lecturing at Reed on her work Marlon Riggs: Tongues Untied, A Painted Story Quilt on Sunday, Feb. 24, at 3pm in Kaul Auditorium. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 21, 2008 at 13:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.20.08 Limelight Curator Talk  Philippe Blanc, from "Limelight" There will be a curatorial talk on Limelight this weekend, featuring PORT's own Jeff Jahn. Check out the gallery website for statements on smelly cheese, video, and the excellent body of work that makes up this exhibition. Curator talk • 2pm • February 24 Alexander Gallery • 19600 Molalla AVE, Oregon City • 503.657-6958 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 20, 2008 at 11:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.15.08 Roadside Attraction at PSU's Autzen Gallery  Stephanie Robison, "Cloud Cover with Bricks" On Monday, Stephanie Robison and Paula Rebsom's Roadside Attraction will be opening at PSU's Autzen Gallery. Using landscape photography and studio sculpture, Roadside Attraction "explores ways in which we, as a culture, mediate our interactions with nature. " Opening reception • 5-7pm • February 18 Autzen Gallery • PSU, Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, 724 SW Harrison St. The reception is immediately before the Monday night MFA lecture series. This week, the Center for Land Use Interpretation will be speaking. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 15, 2008 at 14:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.14.08 APEX: Jenene Nagy  Jenene Nagy, from "False Flat" PORT's own Jenene Nagy will be bringing her site specific installation work to PAM's APEX series. Open through June, the exhibition pushes Nagy's exploration of "the need to invent idealized spaces ... that blur the boundaries between built and natural environments." PORT reviewed her breakout False Flat show last fall. Exhibition • February 16 - June 22 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 14, 2008 at 10:36 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 02.13.08 Nick Cave et al at Reed  Nick Cave, installation at the Chicago Cultural Center One of the artists from Working History (previously reviewed here) is speaking this week at Reed. Nick Cave will discuss his Sound Suit installation, a series which was originally inspired in 1991 by the beating of Rodney King. The lecture is the first of four lectures from the exhibition. There will be a reception held after Cave's talk. Artist lecture • 6:30pm • February 15 Reed College Vollum Lecture Hall • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Opening reception • 8-10pm • February 15 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. While you're there: Don't forget to check out Laura Fritz's Caseworks 13, which closes February 17. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 13, 2008 at 15:45 | Comments (2) PermalinkTuesday 02.12.08 Observations from the Nicoya Peninsula  Liz Obert The Linfield Gallery will be showing Liz Obert's Observations from the Nicoya Peninsula. This is the first exhibition of Obert's work inspired by her travels to Costa Rica - and a chance for chilly Portlanders to fantasize a little about warmer cultures and climes. Opening reception • 6-8pm • February 13 Linfield Gallery • 900 SE Baker St. McMinnville • 503.883.2804 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 12, 2008 at 10:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.11.08 Keeping Portland Creative  Whether or not you're sick of the bumper sticker campaign, this is a great opportunity to bring the quirky side of Portland art to the politicos. Keep Portland Weird is looking for work for a March exhibition in City Hall. There is no submission fee, and the deadline is Friday, February 15. Visit their website for more info.  If you're more interested in talking about how to keep Portland weird (or just artistic), come to the annual Art on Alberta meeting, featuring keynote speaker Commissioner Sam Adams. Buffet is $5. Meeting • 6:30-8pm • February 13 Zaytoon in the Alberta Arts District • 2236 NE Alberta St. • info@artonalberta.org Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 11, 2008 at 13:26 | Comments (6) PermalinkEmily Prince at PSU's Monday Night Lecture Series  Army Private First Class John E. Brown of Troy, Ala. (left) was killed in Iraq on April 14, 2003, Private First Class David N. Simmons of Kokomo, Ind. was killed on April 8, 2007 in Baghdad (right) Images courtesy of Kent Gallery, NYC Ok, I must admit... I'm easilly annoyed by a lot of political art that simply rides a wave of dissatisfaction (most war art is just propoganda) but maybe Emily Prince has found a way to keep from merely "taking dictation" from the nightly news and making one-dimensional art. Sure, she makes drawings of servicemen killed in Iraq but there must have been more to this than just that if Robert Storr had decided to put her in the Venice Biennale last year. Storr is notoriously wary of political art as this pre-biennale interview points out. 5th Ave Cinema | Monday, February 11th, 7:30pm | 510 SW Hall St. (free) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 11, 2008 at 10:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.07.08 Richard Deacon Speaks at Portland Art Museum  Richard Deacon's Dead Leg, 2007 In 1987 Richard Deacon won Britain's prestigious Turner Prize, tomorrow he will speak on his work and concerns as they relate to his wonderful current installation in the Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art. Deacon's show is part of the Miller-Meigs series (aka the best curatorial programming arc the city of Portland [or Seattle, only the Frye come close] has ever experienced... considering weve already seen Roxy Paine, Damien Hirst, Richard Rezac, Kehinde Wiley, Pierre Huyghe, Ursula von Rydingsvard and Sophie Calle. In other words, this is a must see... and you can hear the artist this time. February 8th 6:00 PM @ Portland Art Museum's Whitsell Auditorium $5 members - $10 nonmembers Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 07, 2008 at 22:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkPIFF 31  The 31st Portland International Film Festival starts today! This 17 day festival, hosted by the NW Film Center, includes award winning film from all over the world, showing at several venues around the city. For more information, including film listings and schedule updates, visit the PIFF website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 07, 2008 at 12:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.06.08 Showing at 23 Sandy  Motoya Nakamura, "Hoop" 23 Sandy presents March Fourth, an exhibition of Motoya Nakamura's photography of the beloved Portland marching band. The highly cinematographic images explore the band performing and behind the scenes, providing a lush insight into the circus-like world of March Fourth. Artist reception • 6pm • February 8 Slide lecture • 7pm • February 20 23 Sandy Gallery • 623 NE 23rd AVE • 503.927.4409  Cherie Hiser, "1972" While you're at the gallery, head back to the slide room to check out Visions of One. Cherie Hiser has been "model and muse" for many of photography's legends, from Ruth Bernhard and Jerry Uelsmann, to Lee Friedlander, Judy Dater, and Stu Levy, and this exhibition showcases her collection of portraits. Opening reception • 6pm • February 8 23 Sandy Gallery • 623 NE 23rd AVE • 503.927.4409 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 06, 2008 at 16:25 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 02.05.08 First Thursday Picks February 2008  In pursuit of beauty and social commentary, IGLOO presents the mixed-media work of Modou Dieng. !Hey Lover combines painting, photography, found objects, and installation to explore the "humanity, topography, and pastiche of forms" in contemporary life. Opening reception • 6-10pm • February 7 IGLOO • 325 NW 6th #102 • 503.724.7300 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 05, 2008 at 14:00 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 02.04.08 First Wednesday Since First Friday came so quickly this month, a couple of galleries decided to bump it to First Wednesday. Opening this week:
 Michael Patterson-Carver, "1967 School Children's March" This month, Small A Projects will be featuring the drawings of Michael Patterson-Carver. State of the Union explores the history of social injustice and protest in the United States. Each drawing displays a group of protesters fighting one of the many battles that has shaped American history. By contrasting drawings of such historical groups as the suffragettes with modern illustrations of the "state of the union" (and his own struggle against the Patriot Act), Patterson-Carver seeks to highlight the dark hypocrisy at work in politics today. However, the smiling faces on the protesters reminds us that with action, there is hope. Opening reception • 6-9pm • February 6 Small A Projects • 1430 SE Third • 503.234.7993  Julia Gardner A more local history can be found at Vino Paradiso. Julia Gardner will present her (literally) layered personal view on the buildings and spaces that have shaped Portland and its history. Beginning with industrial urban photographers, Gardner uses resin to layer found objects, paint, and ink, creating a uniquely Portland narrative within each work. Opening reception • 7-9pm • February 6 Vino Paradiso • 417 NW 10th AVE • 503.284.4471 Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 04, 2008 at 13:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkKate Pocrass at PSU's Monday Night Lectures  Kate Pocrass is a social practice artist from San Francisco who uses a telephone messaging service to direct people to "off the beaten path" destinations. She prefers to make people "stop and look with intention, not going from point A to B quickly." An alumnus of the Bay Area Now 4 triennial it should be interesting to hear about any off the beaten path destinations in Portland. 5th Ave Cinema | Monday, February 4th, 7:30pm | 510 SW Hall St. (free) Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 04, 2008 at 9:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.01.08 Lucy Orta lectures at Reed  Lucy Orta Designer and artist Lucy Orta will be lecturing next week at Reed College. In projects such as "Refuge Wear," "Body Architecture," and "Nexus Architecture" (1992-2002), Orta's work explores ways to visualize the concept of "Social Link." She's a pioneer in the development of "socially driven and sustainable design solutions, alternative systems, and products." Artist lecture • 7pm • February 5 Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Vollum lecture hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on February 01, 2008 at 13:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.31.08 First Friday Picks February 2008  This group exhibition, curated by Todd Johnson, examines "the mythology and romanticism of the American western frontier." What lingering effect does the notion of the pioneer and Manifest Destiny have on the making of contemporary photography? The artists in this show explore what is still captivating about "the legends and myths of the Wild Wild West." Opening reception • 6-9pm • February 1 Gallery Homeland • 2505 SE 11th AVE • info@galleryhomeland.org (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 31, 2008 at 14:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.30.08 Limelight Philippe Blanc, from "Limelight" This weekend, Limelight, curated by PORT's own Jeff Jahn, is opening at the Alexander Gallery at Clackamas Community College. The show explores the tricks and techniques that artists use to catch the eye - and, more importantly, how an artist goes about holding the viewer's attention. Opening reception • 4-6pm • February 2 Alexander Gallery • 19600 Molalla AVE, Oregon City • 503.657-6958 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 30, 2008 at 10:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.29.08 Michael Cogliantry at Rererato  Opening this week at Rererato: Two Thousand Kilometers in Two Weeks: Photographer Michael Cogliantry Takes on India in a Rickshaw. In December 2006, Cogliantry traveled from the Malabar Coast of Cochin (Kochin) to Hyderabad, documenting his travels along the way. For this exhibition, Cogliantry presents a series of self portraits taken during the trip, forming a "unique narrative" that expresses his journey of self discovery through the eyes of a fictional character. There will also be a book signing at the opening. Opening reception • 7-10pm • January 31 Rererato • 5135 NE 42nd AVE • info@rererato.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 29, 2008 at 10:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.24.08 Psychopsychoanalysis Johann Neumeister This weekend, ROCKSBOX presents Austrian artist Johann Neumeister's Psychopsychoanalysis. For this installment of the project, Neumeister will be focusing on the concept of "mother." On opening night he will be available as Dr. Herbert Dreadful, setting up office in the gallery for free Psychopsychoanalytical sessions. Neumeister cites chance, improvisation, connecting people and working with his surroundings as influences on his work. Opening reception • 7-11pm • January 26 ROCKSBOX • 6540 N Interstate AVE • 971.506.8938 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 24, 2008 at 11:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.23.08 Tilt Turns Two!  This weekend, Tilt is celebrating two fabulous years as an increasingly integral part of the Everett Station Lofts. The party features excellent food, drink, and company, and the closing reception for Jesse Hayward's One None Done. Anniversary party + closing reception • 7-11pm • January 25 Tilt Gallery & Project Space • 625 NW Everett #106 • 908.616.5477  While you're in the neighborhood, swing by IGLOO for the closing reception of Nice Trim, a group show featuring animation and works on paper. Closing reception • 7-10pm • January 25 IGLOO • 325 NW 6th AVE #102 • iglooarts@gmail.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 23, 2008 at 14:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.22.08 Arline Fisch speaks at MoCC  Arline Fisch, "Silver Anemone necklace" This week, Arline Fisch is speaking at the Museum of Contemporary Craft as part of the Excellence in Craft series. In Elegant Fantasy: A Journey through Textile Techniques in Metal, Fisch will discuss her 50+ years weaving together the techniques of jewelry, sculpture, and metal working with the structure of textiles and fabric. Artist lecture • 7pm • January 24 • $5 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis St., The Lab • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 22, 2008 at 9:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.21.08 Sarah Johnson at Chambers  Sarah Johnson, "I Still Want to be Popular (detail)" Chambers is launching a solo exhibition by Sarah Johnson this week. Johnson uses colorful gum drops to write billboard-sized messages, combining "candy's seductive veil with taboo confessions" to explore the conflict of expectation and disappointment. Opening reception • 5:30-8:30pm • January 24 Chambers Fine Art • 207 SW Pine St. #102 • 503.227.9398 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 21, 2008 at 13:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.18.08 Working History at Cooley  Kianga Ford, "Counting (installation detail)" Working History opens next week at Reed's Cooley Gallery. The exhibition pairs work by contemporary African American artists with related historical artifacts and ephemera. As they share semantic space, the relationship between the objects reflects upon the ways that African American artists have "re-purposed historical documents, material craft histories and folk art forms as indispensable vehicles for social and political critique." Working History: African American Art & Objects • January 22 - March 2 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • 503.777.7251 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 18, 2008 at 14:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.17.08 See, Touch  Harriete Estel Berman, "Yellow & Orange UPC Identity BEAD Necklace" Two wearably lovely exhibitions are opening this weekend at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Framing: The Art of Jewelry explores the distance created between the viewer and the object when jewelry is presented to the public as an art object, and how this distance can be played with to bend the art/adornment relationship. Framing: The Art of Jewelry • January 19 - May 11 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis St. • 503.223.2654  Mindy Herrin, "Abstracted Fruit necklace" The second exhibition, Touching Warms the Art, uses the medium of jewelry to obscure that distance. The jurors of this show asked artists to "put aside preciousness," focusing instead on creating work that engages the viewer physically and mentally and invites touch and delight. Touching Warms the Art • January 19 - March 23 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis St. • 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 17, 2008 at 11:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.16.08 Teamwork  James O'Keefe There are several interesting group shows opening this Friday, beginning with Weight, an installation exhibition curated by Pat Barrett. Each piece explores the physical, psychological, and/or psychic impact of "weight." The show features northwest artists Charles L. Forster, Ellen George, Tim Miller, James O'Keefe, Penitents, Kirsten Rian, Stephanie Speight and Jack Walsh, and PORT's own Jeff Jahn. Opening reception • 6-8pm • January 18 Artist talk • 1pm • January 30 MHCC Visual Arts Gallery • 26000 SE Stark St., Gresham • 503.491.6075 (more exciting shows under the cut) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 16, 2008 at 10:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.15.08 Artist Talks  Hap Tivey, "Blue for Barnett" Hap Tivey will be speaking at the Elizabeth Leach Gallery this week in conjunction with his Sands of the Ganges exhibition, on view through March 1, 2008. Artist talk & reception • 5:30-7:30pm • January 18 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th AVE • 503.224.0521  Henk Pander, "Tower" Also speaking this weekend: Henk Pander and J.D. Perkin will be lecturing at the Laura Russo Gallery. Pander, a Dutch painter, will be discussing his plein air and studio watercolors currently on view at the gallery. Portland native Perkin will be discussing his figural ceramics that are showing at the gallery, inspired by yoga and meditative poses. Artist(s) talk • 11am • January 19 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st AVE • 503.226.2754 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 15, 2008 at 11:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.14.08 Creative Business at the IPRC  Ryan Jacob Smith, "Sorry" As part of their Winter 07-08 workshops, the IPRC is hosting three talks by artists who've made a career out of their art. Each workshop will explore the business side of the artist's field, and the insights and wisdom they've gained from their experience. All of the talks are free, but pre-registration is required. The first talk is Thursday, January 17, by freelance illustrator and gallery artist Ryan Jacob Smith. The second talk is by comic artists Jesse Reklaw and Dylan Williams, and the final talk is by graphic designer Briar Levit. More information is available on the IPRC Calendar. Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 14, 2008 at 14:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.11.08 Emily Ginsburg at OSU's Fairbanks Gallery  Emily Ginsburg, "Social Studies #14" PNCA professor Emily Ginsburg will be exhibiting her work at OSU's Fairbanks Gallery. Habitual combines selected prints from Ginsburg's Social Studies series with her video Blink to explore "the idiosyncrasies of the familiar." Ginsburg's work encourages us to consider the processes of social interaction, communication, and behavior in our day to day lives. Exhibition • January 14 - February 6 Fairbanks Gallery • 106 Fairbanks Hall • OSU Campus Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 11, 2008 at 11:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.10.08 Chris Haberman at 23 Sandy  Chris Haberman, "Cindy Sherman" Opening this weekend at 23 Sandy is Chris Haberman's Something for Nothing. Haberman is a strong presence in Portland, working prolifically from the curating side as well as the production side. This exhibition features his vibrant paintings, inspired by "comic books, curbside discards and popular culture." There will also be an artist slide show and lecture a few days after the opening, titled Something for Nothing: My Life. Opening reception • 4-6pm • January 12 Artist lecture • 7pm • January 15 23 Sandy Gallery • 623 NE 23rd AVE • 503.927.4409 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 10, 2008 at 12:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkPortland openings in Seattle and New York Portland is unique as a scene defined mostly by its artists, not its institutions
or galleries and there are several interesting out of town art shows for Portlanders
opening in the next few days.
 Adam Sorensen's National Park Today Adam Sorensen makes his debut at Seattle's James Harris Gallery. Sorensen's break out solo show at Elizabeth Leach last year had us expecting more and this looks like a serious effort. His work was even collected by the CW network last year. (Sorensen has switched his representation in Portland to PDX Contemporary Art too)... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 10, 2008 at 11:06 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 01.08.08 Thrifty  Brian Ulrich, "Untitled Thrift (Pricer 2)" This Friday, Brian Ulrich's Thrift is opening at Quality Pictures. The photographs are from a chapter of Ulrich's Copia project, which explores consumerism in American culture. When the American government responded to the tragedies of 9-11 by encouraging citizens to shop, Ulrich began the Copia project as a direct response to what he perceived as the equation of patriotism and consumerism. The project currently features three chapters, Retail, Backrooms, and Thrift. As part of the opening event, Quality Pictures is hosting a clothing drive to benefit Portland's thrift stores. They request that people bring a quality item of clothing to donate to the reception, which will feature a beer and wine tasting with food by Planet B's Modern Tastes. Opening reception • 6-9m • January 11 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 08, 2008 at 8:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.04.08 Eyes & Ears  Dan Senn, from "Air Lift, Lilt" A new exhibition is opening at PSU's Autzen Gallery next week. Dan Senn's Air Lift, Lilt is "an installation of kinetic, inflatable, sound sculpture." The project utilizes Senn's broad background in both music composition and ceramic sculpture. Artist reception • 5-7pm • January 7 Autzen Gallery • PSU, Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, 724 SW Harrison St.  If you like to mix your sights and sounds, you might also want to check out the third annual Children of the Revolution Festival. The Festival was conceived as a way to unite musicians and artists with members of the unique Portland community. This year features a huge list of great Portland artists, including Corey Smith, Yoni Kifle, Roxanne Jackson, Brad Adkins, and many, many more. The festival is happening this weekend, January 5 & 6th, at Audiocinema, from 2:30pm-12:30am. Presale tickets are available at Jackpot Records for $10 for one day or $15 for two days. Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 04, 2008 at 13:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.03.08 Jesse Hayward at Tilt 
Jesse Hayward For the month of January, Tilt exhibits Jesse Hayward's One None Done. Hayward's work combines the sculptural with the painterly and drawn, blurring boundaries and lending a "heightened leeway" to form and color. The site-specific installation creates "sweeps of gesture" throughout the space. Opens January 4th Closing reception • 7-10pm • January 25 Tilt Gallery and Project Space • 625 NW Everett St. #106 • 908.616.5477 Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 03, 2008 at 22:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkFirst Friday Picks January 2008 
Hiroshi Watanabe This month, Newspace presents Ideology in Paradise, a series of photographs by Hiroshi Watanabe. In this beautiful exhibition, Watanabe gives the viewer a glimpse into the normally off-limits world of North Korea. Although accompanied by government-appointed handlers, Watanabe was able to capture many charmingly human moments in the people he portrays. There will be a free artist lecture and slideshow at 1pm on Saturday, January 5. Opening Reception • 7-10pm • January 4 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th AVE • 503.963.1935 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 03, 2008 at 14:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.01.08 First Thursday Picks January 2008 
Hap Tivey, "Sand Grain" This month, Hap Tivey's Sands of the Ganges opens at the Elizabeth Leach Gallery. Created with canvas, acrylic, and LEDs, these light sculptures are a gorgeous antidote to the dark Northwest winter. The show derives its title from a Sanskrit metaphor for infinity, and each work explores theoretical concepts just this side of abstraction, such as a proton or the wavelength of speech. Opening reception • 6-9pm • January 3 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th AVE • 503.224.0521 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on January 01, 2008 at 15:20 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 12.20.07 Chuck Close Documentary  Chuck Close, "Self Portrait/Pulp" In conjunction with PAM's ongoing exhibition, Chuck Close Prints, the NW Film Center presents a documentary by Marion Cajori. Chuck Close explores the artist's process over 82 days as he "re-invents" portraiture. The film is screening on December 22, 23, and 30 at the Whitsell auditorium. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the NW Film Center. Also: The PAM exhibition is only on view through January 6, so hurry in if you haven't made it yet. Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 20, 2007 at 10:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 12.17.07 RACC Workshops  From January through June 2008, the Regional Arts & Culture Council is offering artist workshops. Topics range from legal concerns to marketing to applying for grants to unusual mural painting. Most classes are $25, with some additional fees. Registration is open now, and space is limited, so hop on over to the workshop site to learn more and sign up. Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 17, 2007 at 14:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.13.07 Here, There, Nowhere  Michael Brophy, "Night Truck" In conjunction with his December exhibition, Michael Brophy will be signing his book Here, There, Nowhere at the Laura Russo Gallery this weekend. Brophy will also speak about the show at 1:30pm. Book signing: 1-3pm | Saturday, December 15 Laura Russo Gallery | 805 NW 21st AVE | 503.226.2754 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 13, 2007 at 13:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.12.07 What is worth protecting?  This Saturday, come participate in MK Guth's national traveling project, Ties of Protection and Safe Keeping, an "interactive braid sculpture." Participants are asked to write their response to the question "What is worth protecting?" on a piece of flannel fabric that will be woven into an ever-growing braid. The project will start in Portland, MK Guth's home territory, and stop in Boise, Atlanta, Houston, and Cleveland on its way to the 2008 Whiteny Biennial. If you can't make it downtown this weekend, online participation will be available at mkguth.com beginning Saturday. 11am - 7pm | Saturday, December 15 Portland Center Stage in the Gerding Theater at the Armory | 128 NW 11th AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 12, 2007 at 15:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.11.07 Leach Holiday Reception  Fernando D'Agostino, "Blue and Gold" This week, the Elizabeth Leach Gallery is having a holiday reception to celebrate Fernando D'Agostino's Flight Studies, which is currently on view in their Video Window. D'Agostino collaborated with biomechanist Dr. Bret Tobalske, using "state of the art" flight imaging technology to capture the beautiful elegance of birds in flight. Holiday reception: 5:30 - 7:30pm | Thursday, December 13 Elizabeth Leach Gallery | 417 NW 9th AVE | 503.224.0521 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 11, 2007 at 10:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.06.07 Fine Film  This weekend, PICA & the NW Film Center present a screening of the entire filmography of Danny Williams, accompanied by the live music of composer T. Griffin and Catherine McRae. Williams was a lover and collaborator of Andy Warhol. Screening: 7:30pm | Saturday, December 8 NW Film Center | PAM's Whitsell Auditorium | 1219 SW Park AVE  Also starting this weekend: The NW Film Center's Czech Modernism series. The 12-part retrospective explores Czech film from the silent era to the Communist takeover in 1948, exploring the work that built the base for the more well known Czech New Wave Cinema. The first film is On the Sunny Side (1933), directed by Vladislav Vanura. The films run from December 7 - 30. Click here for the full schedule. First screening: 7pm | Friday, December 7 NW Film Center | PAM's Whitsell Auditorium | 1219 SW Park AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 06, 2007 at 15:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkFirst Friday Picks December 2007 
Cory Clayton Jones Pushdot Studios is relocating, and having an open house this First Friday for people to come check out their new space. The gallery will have its grand reopening celebration in early 2008, and Pushdot is looking for submissions of digital, multi-media, and film work. So come down this Friday to explore the new space and learn more about submitting your work. Opening Reception • 5pm • December 7 Pushdot Studio • 1021 SE Caruthers • info@pushdotstudio.com (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 06, 2007 at 9:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.05.07 Getting closer to the artist  Kurt Weiser Kurt Weiser is speaking this weekend in conjunction with Eden Revisited, his exhibition that is currently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Weiser's work explores the interaction of traditional ceramics and intricate, hand painted narratives. Artist lecture: 6pm | Friday, December 6 Museum of Contemporary Craft | 724 NW Davis | 503.223.2654  Jenene Nagy, "Slope" If you want to get even closer to the artist, come down to the historic Troy Laundry building this weekend. 20+ artists are having open studios, including PORT's own Jenene Nagy. Open studio: 5-9pm | Friday, December 7 12-6pm | Saturday, December 8 Troy Laundry Building | 221 SE 11th Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 05, 2007 at 14:27 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 12.04.07 First Thursday Picks December 2007 
Michael Brophy, "Ruin" Coming back strong after September's studio fire, Michael Brophy is exhibiting this month at the Laura Russo Gallery. Here There Nowhere "explore[s] the evolution of the Northwest landscape." His subtle, elegant paintings build upon historical reference to create a "mythic impact." Opening reception • 5-8pm • December 6 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st AVE • 503.226.2754 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 04, 2007 at 13:56 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 12.03.07 New Orleans Slide Lecture  Stewart Harvey Tomorrow night, photographer Stewart Harvey will discuss his collection of New Orleans images. The three year project spanned pre- and post-Katrina, and is both visually and narratively rich in its portrayal of the city and its inhabitants. Artist lecture: 7pm | Tuesday, December 4 23 Sandy Gallery | 623 NE 23rd AVE | 503.927.4409 Posted by Megan Driscoll on December 03, 2007 at 9:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.30.07 Everyone's Talking About  Laura Fritz, "Case Works 13" (detail) Video and installation artist Laura Fritz is speaking at Reed College this weekend on Case Works 13. For the exhibition, Fritz inverted the Case Works vitrines in the Hauser Library, mirroring the interior to create a mysterious world of endless vanishing points and beautiful, yet uneasy organic forms. Fritz has exhibited throughout the country, and is one of the recipients of the NAAU Couture awards. Artist lecture: 4:30pm | Sunday, December 2 Reed College | 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. | Eliot 314  Ann Gale, "Gary with Dark Wall" Ann Gale will also be lecturing this weekend, in conjunction with her APEX exhibition at PAM. This Seattle-based figurative painter explores the psychology of her sitters through the fragmentation of her portraiture. Artist lecture: 2pm | Sunday, December 2 PAM | 1219 SW Park Ave Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 30, 2007 at 13:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.28.07 Jason Traeger at PCC Cascade  Jason Traeger at PCC's Cascade Gallery Traeger is a young artist whose name keeps coming up in town and the work reminds me of a cross between Marsden Hartley and Tal R... which is a promising semiotic stew that looks quasi military. Also of note The Cascade Gallery is now being programmed by one of Portland's premier artists Jacqueline Ehlis (currently showing in Las Vegas Diasora), suddenly exhibitions in North Portland are becoming more serious. Portland Community College: Cascade | Nov 28-Jan 8 | Opening: Wednesday, November 28, 4-7pm 705 N Killingsworth | Terrell Hall 102 Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 28, 2007 at 10:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.27.07 Last Thursday AFTA Benefit  Every winter, the Talisman Gallery members team up with a variety of regional artists for their annual juried exhibition, which launches with a benefit silent auction. This year, 40% of the proceeds go to AFTA, an organization supporting arts education in Portland schools. Opening Reception: 5:30-9pm | November 29 Talisman Gallery | 1476 NE Alberta St. | 503.284.8800 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 27, 2007 at 13:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.26.07 Avant Blog  Matthew Hurst, from "Visualizing the Blogosphere" Don't miss this art blogging event! In the November issue of Art in America, PORT's own Jeff Jahn participated in a round table discussion lead by Peter Plagens exploring the world of art blogging. This week, PORT is organizing Avant Blog, a panel discussion to follow up on the article, and expand upon the issues raised in Plagens' conversation. Panelists include: Erin Langner, Communications Assistant at the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle and a regular contributor to Hankblog, Carolyn Zick, of "Dangerous Chunky". Amy Bernstein of PORT and Jeff Jahn, co-founder of PORT. Bruce Guenther, Chief Curator Portland Art Museum, will serve as moderator and provide further historical perspective on art publishing. It's an important revolution in cultural writing and we'd like to encourage all bloggers to come and participate in the extensive Q&A that will follow the panel. Help us break ground in cultural communications! Hosted by PNCA | Thursday, November 29,7-9pm 1241 NW Johnson St., Swigert Commons | jeff At portlandart.net Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 26, 2007 at 13:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.23.07 WW III  Benedikt Ender This weekend, German performance/installation artist Benedikt Ender's exhibition WW III: The General of Freedom opens at Rocksbox. Ender recently participated in Documenta 12, and was last in Portland for TBA 2006 with his installation The Temple of Something Higher. Opening reception: Rocks Box Fine Art | Saturday, November 24, 7-12pm 6540 N Interstate AVE | 971.506.8938 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 23, 2007 at 13:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.21.07 Watching  Shohei Imamura This Friday, the NW Film Center is showing the first in a series of films by Shohei Imamura (1926 - 2006). This Japanese filmmaker "excelled at exposing the realities of the human condition and the basic instincts, rational and otherwise that drive human behavior." The first film, Vengeance is Mine, airs on Friday, November 23, at 7pm. Click here for more info on the full series. Also showing this weekend at the NW Film Center: Helvetica, directed by Gary Hustwit, which explores the effect of typology and design on communication and our daily lives. And continuing this week, the films of Lech Majewski, with The Garden of Earthly Delights. Majewski gained his reputation writing the screenplay for Basquiat. Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 21, 2007 at 19:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.15.07 A Grand Weekend  Michael Kenna, "Eglise Abbatiale, Mont St. Michel, France" This month, Charles Hartman Fine Art is exhibiting the Mont St. Michel series by Michael Kenna. The haunting black and white photographs explore the quieter moments on the beautiful French island. Kenna will be signing copies of his accompanying book during the reception. Opening reception: Charles Hartman Fine Art | Saturday, November 17, 3-6pm 134 NW 8th AVE | 503.287.3886 More Saturday events below the cut. Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 15, 2007 at 17:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.14.07 Lectures at Reed  Mary Kelly, from "Post-Partum Document" This Friday, NYU art historian Eve Meltzer is lecturing on The Love of Language and the Politics of Dis-Affection: Mary Kelly's Post-Partum Document. Kelly's extended project, developed from 1973-1977, explored her relationship to her son over the first four years of his life. Reed College | Friday, November 16, 4pm 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. | Eliot 314 
This just in: Reed is full of great lectures this weekend! On Saturday, Peter Kreider will be discussing The China Syndrome. Kreider is currently exhibiting in the Cooley Gallery with Marko Lulic as part of a joint Cooley & PICA project. Reed College | Saturday, November 17, 4:30pm 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. | Eliot 314 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 14, 2007 at 19:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkWriting about Talk'n 
For those of you who arent as sick of my own voice as I am... I'll be on KBOO radio's Art Focus program tomorrow at 10:30 Am (Pacific Time). On the dial you can find them at 90.7 FM and for the rest you can stream it online here. Julie and I will probably discuss this month's Art in America article on art blogs, Portland's art scene and my other upcoming projects. Also note on November 29th as a followup to Peter Plagens Art in America article this month PNCA will be hosting Avant Blog a panel discussion about the online publishing revolution as it relates to serious art blogging. It's a heavy duty lineup and I encourage all bloggers who can make it to attend and chime in on the Q and A. 7-9PM in the Swigert Commons of PNCA: free The panel: Erin Langner: The Communication's Assistant for The Henry and frequent contributor to hankblog... her master's thesis explored podcasting for museums Carolyn Zick: Longtime blogger of the personal POV art blog Dangerous Chunky fom Seattle Amy Bernstein: PORT's very own myself, again (I apologize) Moderator: Bruce Guenther, chief Curator of PAM, because he can handle both the snark and the issues of "seriousness" in an emerging art media, besides the historical precedents for blogging have historical roots that pre-date the internet. Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 14, 2007 at 12:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.13.07 "Night Moves" at 23 Sandy  Stewart Harvey & Colleen Hoyt This week, 23 Sandy Gallery is opening a group exhibition to celebrate the winter solstice. Night Moves features 14 local photographers exploring the nocturnal world, from city streets to their own bedrooms. 23 Sandy Gallery | November 15 - December 22 623 NE 23rd AVE | 503.927.4409 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 13, 2007 at 15:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.12.07 Speaking Out From the Ivory Tower  Do-Ho Suh If anything is worth the drive out to Corvallis, this is it. Internationally renowned artist Do-Ho Suh is speaking this week at OSU. Born in Seoul, Korea, Do-Ho Suh relocated to the U.S. after receiving his MFA in painting, and has since received wide recognition for his sculptures that "defy conventional notions of scale and site-specificity." Do-Ho Suh represented Korea in the 2001 Venice Biennale, and has exhibited his work all over the world. Oregon State University | Wednesday, November 14, 7pm LaSells Auditorium | 541.737.4745  Beth Campbell Also this week: PNCA Artist-in-Residence Beth Campbell will discuss her work on display in the Feldman Gallery and the Project Space. PNCA | Thursday, November 15, 6:30pm 1241 NW Johnson St. | 503.226.4391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 12, 2007 at 15:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.09.07 Gary Hill Lectures at Reed  Gary Hill Gary Hill, recipient of the Leone d'Oro Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale in 1995 and the MacArthur "genius" Award in 1998, will be lecturing next week at Reed College. Hill's work in electronic media, video, and performance since the 1970s has earned him the international reputation of being one of the most important artists of his generation. The ongoing shows by Marco Lulic and Peter Kreider at the Cooley Gallery and Caseworks 13 by Laura Fritz in the Library will open before the lecture as well. Reed College | Tuesday, November 13, 7pm 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. | Vollum Lecture Hall Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 09, 2007 at 14:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.08.07 Working Together  Boxlift building artists On both Saturday and Sunday, the artists in the Boxlift Building (formerly 333 Studios) will open their studios in conjunction with a group exhibition curated by Mark Woolley. Participating artists include Ballyhoo Photography, Natasia Chan, Pat Clemens, Compass Rose Studios, Erin Galvez, Sarah Kamsler, Kelly Kerwick, Una Kim, Josie Koehne, Nicole Linde, Mulysa Melco, manuel Mondejar, Eugenia Pardue, Julianna Paradisi, Ellen Shade, smashbox photography, John Sulahian, and Scott Sutton. Opening night features music by Deja Nu. Opening reception: Boxlift Buildng | Saturday, November 10, 4-10pm 333 NE Hancock St. | boxliftbldg@gmail.com Also, Working Artists presents Unifying Themes, a group exhibition showcasing their members in the Carton Service Building. Featured artists include Sabina Haque, Kindra Crick, Gus Reed, Hillary Atiyeh, Adrienne Fritze, Talus Fritze-Moor, Brooke Mackenzie and Richard L. Young. Opening Reception: Working Artists Gallery | Saturday, November 10, 6-10pm 2211 NW Front AVE #102 | 503.445.1268 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 08, 2007 at 15:45 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 11.07.07 Artists' Talk at Laura Russo 
Marie Sivak Mortality's Veil (2006) carved English limestone Sculptor Marie Sivack and painter Sherrie Wolf are speaking this weekend at the Laura Russo Gallery. They'll be discussing their respective exhibitions on view at the gallery through November 24. Laura Russo Gallery | Saturday, November 10, 11am | 805 NW 21st AVE | 503.226.2754 Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 07, 2007 at 16:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.05.07 2007 Rosey Awards  This week the Portland Advertising Federation (PAF) is hosting the 50th annual Rosey Awards, which celebrate the "world class" work in communication arts coming out of the Northwest. In conjunction with the awards ceremony, the gallery at the Portland Art Institute will be showing selected entries through November 6, and then featuring the award winning work exclusively from November 8-28. The ceremony will be held Wednesday, November 7 at 5:30pm at the Gerding Theater in the Portland Armory. Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 05, 2007 at 12:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.02.07 Art Learnin'  Conceptual artist Tom Marioni is speaking this weekend at Reed College. Marioni's work is guided by his interest in Zen Buddhism, and its emphasis on locating the extraordinary within the ordinary and focusing on the process over the product. He's received acclaim for his 1970 project The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art, which involved gathering with friends for drinks and conversation, and was documented only by photograph. Reed College | 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., Eliot Hall, room 314 | Saturday, November 3, 4:30pm | free And while you're at Reed College, don't forget to swing by the library and check out Laura Fritz's Caseworks 13, on view from November 2 on. Described as "perceptual architecture," the show promises to really shake things up in the Hauser Fundome. Official opening TBA and talk on December 2nd but it's up now.  Anavtika Bawa Also happening in the world of education this weekend: Avantika Bawa's Sit, Stack is opening at PSU's Autzen Gallery. Combining objects built in her studio with site-specific installation, Bawa "puts the act of drawing into the service of sculptural design" by integrating hand drawing with architectural supports. Her use of functional materials and delicate hand work make her work subtle and candid. Opening reception: Autzen Gallery | PSU, Neuberger Hall, 2nd Floor, 724 SW Harrison St. | Saturday, November 3, 5-7pm Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 02, 2007 at 14:28 | Comments (2) PermalinkThursday 11.01.07 First Friday Picks November 2007 
Sincerely, John Head Sincerely, John Head is having their first solo exhibition this month at Small A. The central focus of BOX SET: Car Show is SJH's 1977 Ford Ranchero, but it is only one element of their ongoing BOX SET project. Inspired by the 1977 album Foghat Live, "the year 1977, parking lot culture and fandom," BOX SET explores the physical traces of the "ephemera of fanaticism" and the way the legacy is constructed and packaged. Previous BOX SET projects include the Studio Sessions project for PICA's 2007 TBA festival. Opening Reception • 5-8pm • November 2 Small A Projects • 1430 SE 3rd Ave. • 503.234.7993 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on November 01, 2007 at 14:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.31.07 Showing This Weekend  from left: Robert (Bob) Alexander, John Reed, Wallace Berman, Unknown Female and Walter Hopps at Ferus Gallery LA 1959 The NW Film Center will be screening Morgan Neville's Cool School. The documentary explores the rising influence of the west coast - more specifically, Los Angeles - on the American art scene after the 1950s. Featured figures include Walter Hopps and Irving Blum, John Altoon and Billy Al Bengston, Frank Gehry, and Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell. NW Film Center | Whitsell Auditorium Screening Friday, November 2 & Saturday November 3 at 7 & 9pm, and Sunday, November 4 at 5 & 7pm. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 31, 2007 at 15:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkWilliam Kentridge at Lewis and Clark College 
The cultural heavy hitter of Portland's fall visual arts season isn't at PAM, Reed or PNCA.... it's William Kentridge at Lewis and Clark College. I've been aware of Kentridge forever but have never been able to take in a large exhibition of his work, which though rooted in 90's identity politics seems to remain very valid today... showing the way for current hotshots like Raymond Pettibon, Marlene Dumas, Peter Doig, Cecily Brown and even Germans like Daniel Richter and Neo Rauch's psychedelic/contemplative figuration. The fact that Kentridge does it all mostly with charcoal is impressive and pretty much outclasses all but Pettibon and Richter as a preeminent existential figurative artist. Here's what L&C has to say: Wiliam Kentridge: WEIGHING...and WANTING is a solo exhibition of the internationally recognized South African artist William Kentridge in charcoal drawings and video projection. In the film, Soho Eckstein Johannesburg, one of the recurring characters who inhabit Kentridge’s work, looks inward, with MRI scans of his brain representing a conceptual terrain of loss, regret, and reconstruction. The landscape drawings are those of the derelict mining areas outside of Johannesburg. A truly interdisciplinary artist with a background in political science, philosophy, theater, and fine art, Kentridge funnels the conceptual and aesthetic concerns of these disciplines into his installations, which combine the projected and drawn image. November 1 – December 16, 2007 Opening reception: 5 to 7 p.m. November 1, Curator's Talk, 5 p.m. Hugh M. Davies Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego This exhibition is made possible by Davies, whom I got to meet in San Diego a few weeks ago. Thank you! Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 31, 2007 at 12:40 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 10.30.07 First Thursday Picks November 2007 
Oliver Boberg, "Seite 5 / Page 5" Quality Pictures has scored the first Northwest exhibition of German artist Oliver Boberg. He will be showing large-format photographs from his Seiten/Pages series in their west gallery, as well as films from his Nacht-Orte / Night Sites series in their rear project space. Boberg draws inspiration from comic book traditions in his use of multiple-image layouts that explore how the very meaning of an image is altered by its relationship to other imagery. Boberg forces the viewer to draw connections between the images in each piece, creating an alternate reality through his careful construction of object, scene, and perspective. Don't miss his lunchtime lecture at noon on Friday, November 2 at the Weiden + Kennedy building. This lecture is a free PICA event. Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 1 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 30, 2007 at 12:17 | Comments (11) PermalinkHalloween There's no holiday like Halloween for the creatively (and creepily) inclined. Rererato invites you to come celebrate in style amongst the Spaghetti, with four bands, loads of candy, and no cover.
Rererato | Wednesday, October 31, 7pm-late | 5135 NE 42nd AVE | info@rererato.com Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 30, 2007 at 8:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.29.07 Radical gardener Fritz Haeg at PSU Lecture Series  Fritz Haeg's Edible Estates project for Tate Modern Ok there are tons of lectures in Portland but the one tonight at PSU looks like a keeper. Fritz Haeg recently completed a vegetable garden for Tate Modern and generally I'm impressed with his desire to push art students to think outside of traditional studio practices and the gallery system. Besides he has a genuine manifesto attacking my least favorite western tradition, the front lawn. I love the idea of radical gardening, and practiced a bit of it as an undergrad at Illinois Wesleyan Univeristy (planting swiss chard in the flowerbeds). Also, it looks like Haeg has as show tentatively scheduled for October 2008 at Reed's Cooly gallery too (sorry Stephanie I just can't stop paying attention, this is another winner.. and this just HAS to happen). 5th Ave Cinema | Monday, October 29th, 7:30pm | 510 SW Hall St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 29, 2007 at 12:30 | Comments (2) PermalinkKurt Weiser's Eden Revisited opens at Museum of Contemporary Craft  Kurt Weiser, from "Eden Revisited" The Museum of Contemporary Craft is showing a retrospective of Kurt Weiser's ceramics since the 1970s. Weiser builds and paints traditional vessels to build elaborate and beautiful narratives. This is the first stop for Eden Revisited on its national tour. Museum of Contemporary Craft | October 31 - January 6 | 724 NW Davis St. | 503.223.2564 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 29, 2007 at 12:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.25.07 Tasty  Spaghetti: A Rhinestone Studded Suburban Dream and the Plastic Afterlife Rodeo Show opens this weekend at Rererato. The Western themed group show and performance features a wide range of local and national artists and their multitudinous media, as well as special performances by the Plastic Afterlife Rodeo Show. Opening reception: Rererato | Saturday, October 27, 7-10pm | 5135 NE 42nd AVE | info@rererato.com  Slideluck Potshow NYC It's happening tonight: Satisfy your belly and your eyes, and come down to the Portland Slideluck Potshow. The concept is that everyone brings something delicious to eat & drink, and once libations have been consumed, you're treated to a slideshow of local and international artists. Check out their website for details. The Cleaners @ the Ace Hotel | Thursday, October 25, Potluck 7pm, Slideshow 9pm | 403 SW 10th | 503.546.8520 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 25, 2007 at 12:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.24.07 Ongoing Installations  Noah Nakell, "Lightship" Noah Nakell's installation Lightship is on view through November 9th at the Portland Building. As you approach the space, the viewer faces with a window mostly covered by a blind. Peering through the gap, one sees a night time scene featuring ocean swells and a small home, and a simple domestic scene is visible through the windows of the home. Presented by the RACC, the project explores the way that screens and mediated experience are increasingly substituted for meaningful interaction in modern society. Portland Building | 1120 SW 5th AVE | Open M-F, 7am-6pm  Mike Maxwell Also ongoing through November: Upper Playground presents Mike Maxwell's Memories for Memoirs in associated with Fifty24PDX. Maxwell's paintings explore "human ancestry and learning about your past as a way to better understand ones self." He strives to present us with the notion that the past is an integral part of our selves, and our present. Fifty24PDX | 23 NW 5th AVE | 503.548.4835 | Open W-Sat, 12-7pm Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 24, 2007 at 15:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.19.07 Speaking Art  Tom Cramer, "Pipe Dreams" Portland institution Tom Cramer is speaking this Saturday at the Laura Russo Gallery in conjunction with his exhibition, New Work. This is a rare opportunity to see the artist lecture about his work - you can get a preview with PORT's podcast of his introduction to these new paintings. Laura Russo Gallery | Saturday, October 20, 11:30am | 805 NW 21st AVE | 503.226.2754 Check out more interesting artist conversations this weekend under the cut. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 19, 2007 at 9:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.18.07 Beneficence  An art show and silent art auction are being held this weekend at the Ace Hotel to benefit Bitch Magazine, which recently relocated to Portland. Hosted by Marie Fleischmann, the event features the art of Hannah Stouffer, Eva Lake, Shannon Wheeler, Amy Ruppel, Nikki McClue, the Guerrilla Girls and more, as well as great local music and drinks. Tickets are sliding scale $15 - $45, and can be purchased at brown paper tickets. The Cleaners @ the Ace Hotel | Saturday, October 20th, 7pm | 403 SW 10th | 503.546.8520 | 21+ Also happening this weekend: The Crumpacker Family Library Art Book Sale at PAM! Need to bolster your art books, or just looking for that perfect coffee table adornment? Thousands of used and new art books and exhibition catalogs will be on sale this Sunday from noon to 5pm at the James F. & Marion L. Miller Gallery. Proceeds benefit PAM. Click here for more info. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 18, 2007 at 9:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.17.07 Film Screenings  From "A Walk Into the Sea" As part of their special screenings series, the NW Film Center is showing a double feature this weekend: director James Crump's Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe will be accompanied by director Esther Robinson's A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Andy Warhol Factory. Both films place their often infamous subjects within a fascinating cultural context, exploring the social world that made these artists difficult - and great. The films will be screened October 19-21 at various times - visit their website to learn more.  Last month Carl Diehl put out a call for the crypto-zoetropical, and this weekend he'll be screening the results. Come down to Rererato this Friday, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the "infamous Bigfoot filmstrip," to see the showcasing of Diehl's collected film project, accompanied by live experimental music and performance. The show is $4, and begins at 7pm, Friday, October 19th, 5135 NE 42nd AVE. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 17, 2007 at 9:00 | Comments (2) PermalinkTuesday 10.16.07 Kojo Griffin at Quality Pictures  Kojo Griffin, "Death of an archetype: the trajic mullato in Barrack Obama" Kojo Griffin's An Acausal Connecting Principle is opening this week at Quality Pictures. These paintings break away from his former, more cartoony style to create a more traditionally painterly body of work flush with darkly humorous references to contemporary pop-culture and politics. Griffin, a participant in the 2000 Whiteny Biennial and the 2006 Seville Biennial, is a major coup for Quality Pictures, and not to be missed. Opening Reception • 6-9pm • October 18 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 16, 2007 at 11:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.15.07 Monday Night Lecture Series: McCollum  Allan McCollum, "Natural Copies From the Coal Mines of Central Utah" Allan McCollum is speaking tonight for PSU's Monday night lecture series. McCollum's work is deeply engaged with shape and form, and how that affects the identity of objects and individuals. In 2005, he began the Shapes Project, which seeks to create a unique shape for every individual in the world, aiming for the peak population in the mid-21st century. 5th Ave Cinema | Monday, October 15th, 7:30pm | 510 SW Hall St. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 15, 2007 at 10:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.12.07 Wendy Huhn Lecture  Wendy Huhn, "Work" Mixed-media textile artist Wendy Huhn will be lecturing this weekend on her work. Huhn was one of the participating artists in the Museum of Contemporary Craft's CRAFT IN AMERICA: Expanding Traditions exhibition, which closed a few weeks ago. Museum of Contemporary Craft | Sunday, October 14, 2pm | 724 NW Davis St. | 503.223.2654 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 12, 2007 at 11:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.11.07 Wilson Benefit  Michael Wilson Rake Art is holding a benefit for artist Michael Wilson, who lost both his studio and his home in the tragic Brophy studio fire two and a half weeks ago.  Rake will be serving a Cajun luncheon for $25/plate this Sunday to accompany a sale of Wilson's works. 100% of the proceeds go to Wilson's rebuilding fund. The RACC has also set up a rebuilding fund for Wilson - visit their news page for information on how to contribute (donations are tax deductible). Rake Art Gallery | Sunday, October 14, 2pm | 325 NW 6th AVE | $25/plate Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 11, 2007 at 10:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.09.07 Bruce Conkle in New York, opens Oct 12th  Conkle's The La La Zone Expedition, Haze Gallery (2004) It isn't news that a Portland artist is having a New York solo show, Dan May and Harrell Fletcher (among others) have done so recently. The difference is the way the gallery, Jack The Pelican Presents, is promoting Bruce Conkle's show... as part of a visual arts renaissance in PDX. Old news to us of course, but it's nice they noticed. We probably have have as many artists as Williamsburg but it's different because Portland's scene is lifestyle and value driven (eco sustainable & measuring man by something other than man)... not money or fame driven. Portland is the US city where America's "conscience" seems to be most active and well developed. The gallery is also right that Conkle (who spent years in the late 80's working for Leo Castelli etc.) is awfully good. Conkle's 2004 exhibit at Haze gallery, The La La Zone Expedition, is one of the best solo shows I've seen anywhere in the last 10 years and it managed to address genocide, exploration, conquest and ecology. It did so in a way a that a lot of Brooklyn artists can't do without a stunting sense of a city slicker gone camping irony. Conkle, being half Swiss, half Portlander and probably half goblin... has no problems presenting the ridiculousness of Western Civilization's ecological, militaristic and humanistic dilemmas. One of Conkle's existential snowmen in a freezer got a bit of attention in Miami last year even. Here is part of what the gallery press release is saying: "Bruce Conkle... De facto king of the Pacific NW eco art geeks and self-styled 'misfit at the crossroads,' he creates 'Lament for Middle Kingdom Earth,' a quirky eco-absurd installation that restages contemporary ideas about nature and community in a pre-modern world of fairytale landscape." Conkle, like a lot of Portland's best artists is not represented in Portland and we tend to see his work in numerous group shows where he has been woodshedding his ideas. Here's an interview we did years ago. All I can say is, Bruce you better make us look good! Opening reception • 7-10pm • October 12 Jack The Pelican Presents • 487 Driggs Ave. (at 9th), Brooklyn New York • 718.782.0183 Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 09, 2007 at 9:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.04.07 First Friday Picks October 2007 
Paul Yurkovich For the month of October, Newspace will feature the top three photographers from their 2006 National Juried Exhibition, which was juried by Christopher Rauschenberg and Jennifer Stoots. Although the artists are exhibiting separate shows, their images are united by an obsessive deconstruction of their environment. In his series The Garden, Todd Stewart attempts to share the wonder that he observes in his young children's experience of the natural world. With his rich, green imagery, Stewart invites the viewer to feel this same simple pleasure, as he attempts to explore the relationship between individual creativity and the "natural" process of creation. Paul Yurkovich's Along the Road takes us into the world of the American road trip. Rather than picture the "sights", Yurkovich seeks to capture the dreamlike roadside visions that rush past, lingering only as "sustained afterthoughts." Finally, Rishi Singal's Condition of Urbanity takes us back into the city, documenting his investigations into the forms and (dis)order with which we build our cities. From Western Europe to New Delhi to New York City, Singal has documented his patient exploration of the development of the modern urban world. Opening Reception • 7-10pm • October 5 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th Ave. • 503.963.1935 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 04, 2007 at 11:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.03.07 DRAWN  Jacqueline Will, "Evacuation 63b" The first exhibition of the academic year at Clark College's Archer Gallery opens tonight. DRAWN: Explorations in Line is an investigation into the tradition of drawing and its potential for expansion through technology. The show features work by Northwest artists Cat Clifford, Heidi Preuss Grew, Robert Hanson, Linda Hutchins, Naomi Shigeta, Keith Tilford, Samantha Wall, and Jacqueline Will. Archer Gallery | Wednesday, October 3, 4-6pm | Penguin Union Building, Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA | 360.992.2246 Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 03, 2007 at 10:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.02.07 First Thursday Picks October 2007 
Tom Cramer, "Aviary" This month, Portland's unofficial Artist Laureate is exhibiting his latest work at the Laura Russo Gallery. By holding on to what he understands as traditional creative values, "art driven by emotional content," Tom Cramer has become a bridge between Oregon's historical artists and Portland's young, hyper-new contemporary art scene. Cramer's current work blends painting and wood carving, building beautiful, labor-intensive reliefs that reflect the influence of his travels to India, Egypt, and Europe. Opening reception • 5-8pm • October 4 Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st Ave. • 503.226.2754 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 02, 2007 at 12:34 | Comments (13) PermalinkMonday 10.01.07 Monday Night Lecture Series  Corin Hewitt, from "Toad in a Hole (Portland, OR)" Tonight marks the beginning of the 2007-2008 PSU Monday Night Lecture Series. The first lecture is by Corin Hewitt, who's also currently exhibiting at Small A Projects. Hewitt's credentials include participation in a group show at the Whitney, and a place in their permanent collection, as well as exhibitions throughout the U.S. and Europe. His work addresses memory and the interplay between loss and replacement (an admittedly ubiquitous subject these days), through photography, performance, and the use of cheap, ephemeral materials. 5th Ave Cinema | Monday, October 1st, 7:30pm | 510 SW Hall St. Posted by Megan Driscoll on October 01, 2007 at 10:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.28.07 Construct/Re-Construct  Construct/Re-Construct This weekend, the group exhibition Construct/Re-Construct will be opening at the Cathedral Park Building in St. Johns. The show de-constructs (if you will) the physicality of the creative building process, and explores the dialog between an artist and his or her materials. The list of participating artists promises a complex and interesting series of installations: Josh Arseneau, Francesca Berrini, John Brodie, Tiffany Lee Brown, Clare Carpenter, Cathy Cleaver, Nancy Cushwa, Kristina DiTullo, Tore Djupedal, David Hacker, Helen Heibert, Harrison Higgs, Scott Wayne Indiana, James Jack, Horatio Law, Todd Leninger, Seth Nehil, Liz Obert, Kelly Rauer, Anya Shapiro, Benjamin Stagl, Andy Stout, Robert Wilhelm, Karen Willey, and Linda Wysong. It will run through October 27. Opening Reception: Cathedral Park Building | Saturday, September 29, 5-8pm | 6635 N. Baltimore AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 28, 2007 at 9:11 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 09.27.07 Stumptown Comics Fest 2007  The fourth annual Stumptown Comics Fest is happening this weekend. The festival, which has moved to the Llyod Center Doubletree, features a wide range of celebrated comics artists, including Mike & Laurel Allred, Peter Bagge, Carol Lay, Shaenon Garrity, Sarah Oleksyk, Ted Rall, and Matt Wagner. Many small press publishers will be represented, including local legends Dark Horse Comics, as well as a variety of comics-friendly organizations. The weekend full of panels, workshops, and exciting artist tables is officially kicked off with the Stumptown Pre-party Friday night at Guapo at 8pm. And don't miss the Sunday workshops exploring digital creation techniques, distribution, and interactive work, put on by PNCA instructor Neal Skorpen. Learn more at the official Stumptown Comics website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 27, 2007 at 9:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.26.07 Live Events  Plazm #29 It's happening tonight: Plazm is having a release party for Issue #29. The theme is collective memory, and it features the art of Sue Coe, Yoko Ono, Art Chantry, Storm Tharp, and Todd Haynes, conversations with JD Samson, Yoko Ono, and Jessica Jackson Hutchins, new writings from Robert Mackey and Domenick Ammirati, a Pdx musical memory map, taxonomy of meth labs, the End of War, explosions, and, of course, much, much more. The party will include performances by Evolutionary Jass Band, Hooliganship, and Glass Candy, as well as the screening of a film by Vanessa Renwick. Ace Hotel | Wednesday, September 26, doors at 8pm (music at 9pm), $3 | 1022 SW Stark | 503.228.2277  Live performance art at the Archer Gallery This weekend, the Archer Gallery at Clark College is hosting a night of live multi-media performance featuring Steve Gibson, Dene Grigar, Justin Love, and Jeannette Altman. An Evening of Digital Music, Interactive Dance & Electronic Literature in Live Performance will begin with Gibson's Virtual DJ, which combines motion-activated electronic music, dance, virtual reality & robotics, followed by the premier of Grigar and Altman's The Rhapsody Room, a piece that utilizes movement, language and live digital poetry. The night will wrap up with a live DJ/VJ set by Love and Gibson, so come with your dancing shoes on. Archer Gallery | Friday, September 28, 1pm & 7pm | Penguin Union Building, Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA | 360.992.2246 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 26, 2007 at 14:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.25.07 Object Place  Kim Manchester, from "Object Place" Seen previously in the Knitting Olympics and at Reed College Arts Week, Portland craft artist Kim Manchester will be featured this autumn at PCC's North View Gallery. Manchester's exhibition, Object Place, pairs photography with swatches of decorative wallpaper to explore the traces of self left behind in empty domestic space. Opening reception & artist talk: PCC North View Gallery | Thursday, September 27, 3pm | Sylavania Campus, 12000 Southwest 49th AVE, CT Building Room 212 | 503.977.4264 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 25, 2007 at 8:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.24.07 Modelling Behavior 
DC Comics Artist Matt Clark, from "Superman Batman" This Wednesday, Organism is having a special screening of Hank Willis Thomas & Kambui Olujimi's The Making of Winter in America. Winter in America is one of the seminal works in Organism's Model Behavior exhibition, which will be closing in just one week. Curator (and PORT co-founder) Jeff Jahn cites the very powerful film as "one of the 10 best video art pieces done in the past 10 years." After the screening of The Making of Winter in America, join Jeff and DC Comics artist Matt Clark for a discussion on Model Behavior. Organism | Wednesday, September 26, 6:30pm | 1231 NW Hoyt #101 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 24, 2007 at 9:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.20.07 OCAC Centennial  OCAC founder Julia Hoffman teaches class in her home 2007 marks the centennial anniversary of the Oregon College of Arts & Crafts, one of the premier art schools in the Northwest. They've been celebrating all year with a wide variety of exhibitions and events, and this weekend they're holding a free event to invite the community to join them in their celebration. Festivities include face painting, hands-on arts and crafts, an alumni art sale, lively entertainment, and food, beverages, and OCAC memorabilia. Read about the remaining centennial events under the cut. For more information on the OCAC centennial celebrations, visit their events page. OCAC | 8245 SW Barnes Rd. | 503.297.5544 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 20, 2007 at 14:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.18.07 Talking It Up The season is in full swing here in Portland, and everybody's abuzz about art. Here's your chance to hear what the artists have to say for themselves.
(more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 18, 2007 at 9:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.14.07 Ursula von Rydingsvard lectures at PAM  Ursula von Rydingsvard, "Pod Pachą" In conjunction with her exhibition, Ursula von Rydingsvard will be lecturing this Sunday at PAM on her last decade of sculpting. Born in 1942 into a German refugee camp, von Rydingsvard emigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1950, and later studied art at Columbia. Her often monumental sculptures, characterized by wooden, organic forms, have since elevated her to a major force in the art world. She received the 2007 Rome Prize, and her exhibition at PAM includes a series of drawings she completed during her residency in Italy. von Rydingsvard will lecture at 2pm on Sunday, September 16, in the Whitsell Auditiorium. Tickets are $10 for non-members, and can be purchased online or at the museum box office. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 14, 2007 at 9:38 | Comments (2) PermalinkWednesday 09.12.07 Performance, Painting, Poignancy Not making it to the Jupiter this weekend? Check out these openings.
(more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 12, 2007 at 18:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.10.07 2007 Affair at the Jupiter Hotel  The annual Affair at the Jupiter Hotel is happening this weekend. In the four years since it began, Portland's own Art Fair has become an essential venue for the cross-pollination of local artists, dealers, galleries, and curators, and one of the major forces encouraging the development of a Portland art market, or "art ecology." "Read more" for details. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 10, 2007 at 14:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 09.09.07 Craft in America  Curator Namita Gupta Wiggers is speaking this Tuesday on Craft in America, the current exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Tuesday, September 11, noon | 724 NW Davis St | 503.223.2624 Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 09, 2007 at 10:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.07.07 Weekend Activities 
Bruce Davidson, "Hero" This Saturday, photographer Bruce Davidson is lecturing at PAM. This highly influential artist received the first ever NEA grant for photography, and has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1958. Davidson will be lecturing at 6pm on September 8, in the Whitsell auditorium. Tickets are $25 for non-members. Click here for more information. Also happening this weekend: San Francisco-based artist Lucas Murgida will be performing at Rocks Box Fine Art. The Good runs from 6-11pm on Saturday, September 8, at 6540 N. Interstate AVE. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 07, 2007 at 11:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.06.07 First Friday Picks September 2007 
Jason Kelly, "Untitled" For the month of September, the Newspace Center for Photography presents a joint show featuring Jake Shivery's Contact Portraits and Jason Kelly's Mylarsian Dreams. Shivery's work, named for the technique of contact printing directly from 8x10 negatives, is a collection of meditative, highly process-oriented photography. Kelly's Mylarsian Dreams breaks away from the notion of "reality-based" photography. He coated his studio in mylar, creating bending and reflecting patterns of light that become like ghostly entities in the photographs, bearing little resemblance to what is visible to the naked eye. Opening Reception • 7-10pm • September 7 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th Ave. • 503.963.1935 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 06, 2007 at 16:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.05.07 TBA 2007 visual arts picks 
Melia Donovan, from "The Clandestine Periphery" It's time for PICA's annual Time Based Art Festival. In its fifth year, TBA is a 10 day festival (September 6 - 16) that uses visual art, sound, theater, installation, lectures, and everything else under the sun to explore themes in contemporary art. "Read more" for our visual arts picks, and a volunteering opportunity that will earn you a free pass. Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 05, 2007 at 14:31 | Comments (1) PermalinkDarren Waterston: Reception & Talk at Lewis and Clark College, September 6th  Darren Waterston from The Flowering (The Fourfold Sense) 2007 Pigment print with letterpress and hand-coloring 18 x 13 inches For those of you who have been hungering for a museum-level show of paintings... a painter's painter so to speak, well look no farther than the sensuous and haunting work of Darren Waterston at Lewis and Clark's Hoffman Gallery. Sure, the lecture and reception conflict with First Thursday but it's impossible to see the art properly through those crowds anyways. If you are all about painting this is your ticket and an opportunity to rub elbows with this very adept painter. Details on this two part exhibition...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 05, 2007 at 11:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.04.07 First Thursday Picks September 2007 
Claire Cowie, "Homunculus (hyena)" For the month of September, the Elizabeth Leach Gallery presents Homunculi, the painting and sculpture of Claire Cowie. Homunculi explores the life that can be imbued into the creations - or creatures - of the artist, and toys with the threat that these beings may turn on their creator. The often mythological results are simultaneously dark and playful, and very visually lush. Opening reception • 6-9pm • September 6 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th Ave. • 503.224.0521 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on September 04, 2007 at 20:08 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 08.31.07 Cooley Gallery Reopening  Marko Lulic On Tuesday, September 4, the Reed College Cooley Gallery will reopen after summertime renovations. (Can the the horrible carpeting and wainscoting truly be gone?) The following night they'll be celebrating their first show in the new space. This commissioned exhibition is a duo show between Marko Lulic and Peter Kreider, in collaboration with PICA's TBA festival, exploring "the invisible bonds between objects and the structures that support them." Opening night festivities feature a public reception with live music and a BBQ. Wednesday, September 5, 6pm | Cooley Gallery | 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. | 503.777.7251 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 31, 2007 at 0:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.29.07 Ursula von Rydingsvard opens at PAM Ursula von Rydingsvard, "Pod Pachą" From September 1 through December 2, 2007, PAM presents the work of German-born artist Ursula von Rydingsvard. The exhibition features the monumental hand-carved Pod Pachą, accompanied by a series of drawings completed by von Rydingsvard during her residency in Italy as a recipient of the 2007 Rome Prize. This will be the first showing of von Rydingsvard's work in the Northwest, and the first time she has shown her drawings. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 29, 2007 at 0:12 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 08.27.07 False Flat Opening at the Linfield Gallery  Jenene Nagy Jenene Nagy's solo show False Flat opens this Wednesday at the Linfield Gallery, the center of the Visual Arts department at Linfield College. Wednesday, August 29, 6-8pm | Linfield Fine Art Gallery | 900 SE Baker St. McMinnville, OR | 503-883-2804 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 27, 2007 at 0:00 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 08.24.07 Rembrandt Exhibition Closing at PAM, Lecture, Symposium  Rembrandt, "Self-Portrait as St. Paul (detail)" The ongoing Rembrandt show at PAM is closing on Sunday, September 16. In conjunction with the closing of the exhibition, PAM will present Rembrandt: The Artist and His Collection, a lecture by Professor Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. exploring how Rembrandt's personal collection of artistic and natural treasuries influenced his work. The lecture is on Friday, September 7 at 7pm in the Whitsell Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for non-members, and are available online or at the museum box office. There will also be a symposium, Rembrandt and Beyond, the following day featuring Dr. Ronni Baer, H. Rodney Nevitt Jr., Ruud Priem, and Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. The symposium is on Saturday, September 8, from 10am to 2pm. Admission is $25, and includes a box lunch. Tickets are available online, or at the museum box office. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 24, 2007 at 8:51 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 08.22.07 Model Behavior opening at Organism  Yoram Wolberger, "White Bunny #1" Organism presents Model Behavior, an exhibition exploring the role of modeling in contemporary visual culture. The show pushes the boundaries of the "fine art" milieu into the worlds of physics and comic books, including Matt Clark of DC Comics. Other featured artists include Hank Willis Thomas, Yoram Wolberger, Weppler & Mahovsky, and many more. Opening Saturday, August 25, 7-9:30pm | Organism | 1231 NW Hoyt St. #101 | info@artorganism.org Show runs through September 30, Hours 12-5 Sat & Sun Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 22, 2007 at 11:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.21.07 Kevin Darras Benefit at the Rake  Kevin Darras The Rake Art Gallery is holding a benefit for local designer Kevin Darras, who was injured in a car accident. Clothing screen-printed with Darras' designs will be raffled off, and large prints will be for sale. The benefit also features fire & contortion performances, and cameo appearances by local saucy celebs. Friday, August 24, 8pm | Rake Art Gallery | 325 NW 6th AVE | 503.914.6391 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 21, 2007 at 9:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.16.07 Heidi Schwegler at Tilt  Heidi Schwegler, "Utopia Sighs" This weekend, Tilt Gallery and Project Space will exhibit Utopia Sighs, a project featuring sculpture, video, live performance, and sound by Heidi Schwegler. In collaboration with balloon artist Kelvin Chun, Schwegler will present a one night only performance exploring the "delight, chaos and inescapable trauma of the toddler's party." Don't miss this special event, as Tilt will only be open this one night for the month of August. Saturday, August 18, 6pm. | Tilt Gallery and Project Space | 625 NW Everett #106 | 908.616.5477 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 16, 2007 at 9:26 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 08.15.07 Rescheduled Wiley lecture at PAM this weekend!  Kehinde Wiley, "Entry Into Paris of the Dauphin, the Future Charles V" After being rescheduled due to illness, Kehinde Wiley is finally in Portland! He will lecture on "The World Stage" in conjunction with his exhibit at PAM's Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art. Check out this interview with Wiley from the Today Show. Saturday, August 18, 2pm at the Whitsell Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non-members, and must be purchased in advance at the museum box office. Tickets already purchased are valid for the rescheduled date. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 15, 2007 at 13:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.14.07 Creative Capacity Roundtables The city is hosting two roundtables to discuss issues that were raised during June's creative capacity townhall. The four broad threads to be covered are:
-Artists -For-profit creative businesses -Non-profit creative organizations -Arts education and the new Arts Partners program The roundtables are on September 17 and September 25, 6:30-8pm at City Hall, 1221 SW 4th AVE. Space is limited to 50 people per thread each night. Please RSVP. If you missed the townhall, you can watch it here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 14, 2007 at 11:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.10.07 Talking About Art Lots of lectures this weekend, starting with:
 Frida Kahlo, "Roots" Hayden Herrera presents Frida Kahlo: Her Life and Art at PAM. Herrera has published widely on Kahlo, and wrote narration for the award-winning documentary Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo. Sunday, August 12, 2pm, the Whitsell Auditorium. $10 for non-members. (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 10, 2007 at 10:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.08.07 2nd Annual ACVC Exhibition  From ACVC 2007 Audio Cinema presents the second annual Audio Cinema Visual Collective Exhibition, featuring a diverse group of West Coast artists working in many different media. Audio Cinema's 10,000 square foot warehouse space allows for installation, performance, and wall-mounted art to function harmoniously in a single exhibition. Opening Friday, August 10, 6pm-2am. $5 donation (a portion of the proceeds will be donated to P:ear). On view August 11 & 12, 12-6pm, sliding scale donation. Audio Cinema | 226 SE Madison St. | 503.467.4554 Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 08, 2007 at 12:20 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 08.06.07 SJH Fundraiser Local performance and installation duo Sincerely, John Head are hosting a fundraiser on their own behalf at Tiga. Scott Porter will get his hair done on the tailgate of a '77 Ranchero in the parking lot while live DJs spin some of the music inspiring the ongoing SJH box set. There will be cheap raffle tickets for a variety of prizes, and $2 will be added to every bill to benefit the group.
Tiga | Tuesday, August 7, 6-10pm 1465 NE Prescott | 21+ Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 06, 2007 at 11:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 08.04.07 Below Marquam  The RACC presents Below Marquam, an installation in the Portland Building Installation Space by Benjamin Stagl. The project will transform the space into a view from below the east end of the Marquam bridge. With Below Marquam, Stagl is opening a dialog into our creative relationship with urban space. He hopes to eventually build a light-based installation under the bridge itself. Below Marquam will be on view from August 6 - September 4 at 1120 SW 5th Ave. Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 04, 2007 at 11:05 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 08.03.07 Mostlandia Championships 2007 The annual Mostlandia championships are upon us! Sponsored this year by Gallery Homeland in conjunction with Scratching the Surface, the championships feature navigation, cigarette rolling, singing, skating, and a variety of other bizarre and exciting activities on August 4th & 5th. Only Citizens and children under 12 may participate, but everyone is invited to come enjoy the festivities and root for their favorites. Check out the schedule for more information.
Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 03, 2007 at 10:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.02.07 First Friday Picks August 2007 
Justin Gorman & Caleb Freese Hot new Belmont gallery + waffle house Jáce Gáce presents Get Yourself an Education, featuring the photography and design work of Justin Gorman and Caleb Freese. Opening Reception • 6pm-12am • August 3 Jáce Gáce • 2045 SE Belmont • 503.239.1887 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on August 02, 2007 at 9:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.31.07 First Thursday Picks August 2007 
Joe Thurston, "Correspondence" For the month of August, the Elizabeth Leach Gallery presents Then, Quite Suddenly, We Were Simply No Longer Anywhere, an exhibition by Joe Thurston. Thurston's painstakingly hand-carved relief paintings expose the labor of the relief process, while exploring the tactile possibilities of the painted surface. Opening reception • 6-9pm • August 2 Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th Ave. • 503.224.0521 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 31, 2007 at 9:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.27.07 Weekend Events 
Rererato presents Zzzzz... (Between the Sheets), a group show exploring sleep and dream related art. The opening reception this Saturday features several local Portland bands, and promises not to be a sleepy affair. Opening Reception • 4-9pm • July 28 Rererato • 5135 NE 42nd Ave. • info@rererato.com Tonight! Don't miss the screening of Odds and Ends 2 at the Rake Gallery. Curated by Karl Lind, this is a follow up to last winter's popular video collection Odds and Ends at Gallery Homeland. Friday, July 27, 8pm. $7 suggested donation. 325 NW 6th Ave. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 27, 2007 at 12:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.26.07 Talking about nature  Naoto Nakagawa, "Forest of Eden" Naoto Nakagawa is lecturing tomorrow at PAM. Nature Up Close: The Landscape Reinvented will explore the history of Nakagawa's work since the 1960s, and his unique expression of the natural world. Friday, July 27, 5:30pm. The lecture is free, but reservations are required as seating is limited. Find out more here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 26, 2007 at 9:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.20.07 Ushering in a new era? 
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding the opening of the new DeSoto arts building in the north park blocks (and don't worry, PORT is working on its own). The Museum of Contemporary Craft will inhabit the core of the building, with four major Portland galleries filling the beautiful spaces along the block: Froelick Gallery, Augen Gallery, Charles Hartman Fine Art, and Blue Sky Gallery. Well, the moment is finally here, and to celebrate, they're having a block party. Come by on Sunday to inaugurate the new spaces, take in some panel discussions and artist demonstrations, and rock out to some great local music. The party runs from noon until 7:30pm, and is centered at 724 NW Davis. Check out the complete schedule of events, and this short video on the Museum's transition to the new space. To drum up further support for their grand reopening, the Museum of Contemporary Craft is also having a (sold out) benefit gala Saturday night. Attendees will be wined and dined while they preview the Museum's first exhibition in their new space and bid on a variety of cultural goodies. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 20, 2007 at 8:48 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 07.17.07 Gender Reflections  Philip Iosca, Untitled Through September 1, Chambers will be exhibiting the work of Jenny Strayer and Philip Iosca, united in the exploration of gender. Iosca's Holy Glory, My Private Parts Public, My Public Parts Private re-contextualizes words, images, and objects, challenging themes of masculinity and sexuality. Strayer will present 20th Century Women, a series of photomontages from 1930s and 1940s ephemera that highlight the highly stereotyped femininity of that era. Opening Reception • 5:30-8:30pm • July 19 Chambers Fine Art • 207 SW Pine St. #102 • 503.227.9398 Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 17, 2007 at 9:51 | Comments (4) PermalinkSunday 07.15.07 Sue Taylor on The Birds at PSU, July 17th  Here is a chance to hear noted Art Historian Sue Taylor's very popular lecture on Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. Sue is a corresponding editor for Art in America and the cornerstone of Portland State University's art department. She often focuses on psychoanalytic elements of artist works, having published books on Jackson Pollock as well as Hans Bellmer in, "The Anatomy of Anxiety" published by MIT press. She is currently working a monograph on Grant Wood. If you can make this free mid-day lecture I highly suggest it. Tuesday July 17th 12:00 PM, free PSU's art building room # 200 Corner of SW Jackson and 5th Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 15, 2007 at 12:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.13.07 Out and About Sunday, July 15: Roxanne Jackson is giving an artist talk at the Portland Art Center in conjunction with her show Lost Wisdom. It starts at 2pm, and there is a $2 fee for non-members.
Monday, July 16: The Back Room Anthology release party! 6:30pm at Podkrepa Hall, featuring live music, an open mic, and the brand new Anthology of the Back Room publications. Admission is $8, or free with the purchase of the book, and tickets can be purchased here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 13, 2007 at 10:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.11.07 Wiley Lectures at PAM (rescheduled) Kehinde Wiley, "Entry Into Paris of the Dauphin, the Future Charles V" This Saturday, Kehinde Wiley will lecture on "The World Stage" in conjunction with his exhibit at PAM's Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art. Saturday, July 14, 2pm at the Whitsell Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non-members, and can be purchased here, or at the museum box office. This event is air conditioned. *Update: The lecture has been canceled due to an illness Wiley picked up in India this week (he is being treated in New York though). The lecture will be rescheduled before August 19th and any tickets purchased will be honored or refunded. **Update: The lecture has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 18, at 2pm, still in the Whitsell auditorium. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 11, 2007 at 14:53 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 07.09.07 Midday Art Break  Manuel Neri, "Mujer Pegada Series No. 8" Work downtown? Spend your lunch break at PAM this Wednesday and get a guided tour of the Manuel Neri exhibition by curator Bruce Guenther. Wednesday, July 11, 12:15pm. Tour meets at the front entrance. Free to members, or included with museum admission. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 09, 2007 at 12:17 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 07.07.07 Rembrandt Lecture at PAM Rembrandt, "Self-Portrait as St. Paul (detail)" In conjunction with the ongoing Rembrandt exhibition, the Portland Art Museum presents "Rembrandt True and False," a lecture by Walter Liedtke, curator of European paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The lecture will explore the attribution confusion that arises between Rembrandt and his followers. The lecture is on Sunday, July 8 at 2pm. It's free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Visit the PAM calendar for more information. Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 07, 2007 at 13:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.05.07 First Friday Picks July 2007  John Mann, 1st Place The Newspace Center for Photography presents Among Us and Curious, their 3rd annual national juried exhibition, curated by Darius Himes. In the chaotic world of 21st century photography, where the multiplication of technology has led to a proliferation of images from anyone, anywhere, Among Us and Curious has sought to restore the critical filter and deliver a strong, cohesive body of work. Neither focusing on the most diverse nor the most technically proficient photographs, the jurors selected images that possessed an "enigmatic script" that would contribute to the overall unity of the show. Himes suggests that "playfulness, mystery, fauna, fancy, and the presence of others among us" should resonate throughout the exhibition. Opening Reception • 7-10pm • July 6 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th Ave. • 503.963.1935 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 05, 2007 at 13:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.03.07 First Thursday Picks July 2007  Gabriel Manca, "To Rise or Raise in the Air in Apparent Defiance of Gravity" For their final show in their 2nd AVE space, Froelick presents Gabriel Manca's New Work. In his return to Froelick, Manca is exhibiting a series of new work featuring collage, found objects, and repurposed commercial art. He uses subtractive techniques to create surreal landscapes out of reused mass-market lithographs and encaustic wax. Opening reception • 5-8:30pm • July 5 Froelick Gallery • 817 SW 2nd • 503.222.1142  Bryan E. Schellinger makes his Portland debut Quality Pictures presents Bryan E. Schellinger's New Works, his premier solo exhibition in Portland. Schellinger's highly formal, layered paintings take their influence from the minimalist and op art movements of the 60s and 70s, returning to the notion that the process of painting, rather than the product, is an end unto itself. The opening reception will feature ice sculptures, introducing an element of immediacy. Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 5 Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 03, 2007 at 12:11 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 07.02.07 New Venue: Rock's Box opens on the 4th of July, be there  Patrick Rock is one of those really rare Portland artists, he's from Portland. With an MFA from SFIA in new genres this is the infamous guy who showed the 30 foot inflatable wiener at Fresh Trouble and co-curated the rambling Haunted show last year, so we will see how well the chaos serves his latest effort. It should be a good move to have a tight exhibition space like this, fewer options usually = better, more concise decisions. More people should be doing this sort of alt-space thing. The first show at his new alt-space, Rock's Box... comes with the perfect title, "Portland? Fuck Portland!" (July 4th- August 13th). Hopefully it adds a little something to the ubiquitous summer group show. In this case it maps the influence of Oregon on Oregonians. Yup each of the 13 artists in the show grew up in Oregon and about a quarter of the artists in the show no longer live in the state. With names like Storm Tharp, Malia Jensen, Joey Macca, Natasha Snellman, Jeanine Jablonski, Molly Vidor, Donald Morgan and PORT's own Katherine Bovee, etc... it should be worth the trek to the new North Interstate Arts District (ok it's just Rock's Box and a really great Arco gas station). Opening: July 4th 5-11PM Location: 6540 N.Interstate ave. @ Portland Blvd/Rosa Parks Way. Mass Transit Directions: Take: Max Yellow Line towards Expo Center (aka North) get off at the Portland Blvd. stop... it's the black concrete building on the east side of the street, right next to the Yellow Line stop Gallery Hours: Sat-Sun 12-6 / or by appointment at: #971.506.8938 Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 02, 2007 at 10:21 | Comments (13) PermalinkWednesday 06.27.07 PNCA Street Party  To kick off Animation Inside Out, their contribution to Platform, PNCA is hosting a street party from 8pm-midnight on June 28. The party, which features street entertainers, food vendors, and the rockin' sounds of March Fourth, is on NW 13th between Johnson & Kearney, and includes a walking tour of the juried animation exhibition that extends throughout the Pearl. Get more info here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 27, 2007 at 15:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.21.07 Artist Talks Artists from THE HOOK UP will be discussing their work at the NAAU this Saturday.
June 23, 1-3pm, 922 SE Ankeny St. Trina Robbins is lecturing at PNCA as part of a week-long intensive on comics and graphic novels. June 25, 7pm, 1241 NW Johnson St. Free with RVSP: 503-821-8891. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 21, 2007 at 10:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.19.07 "Make some cocktails. Let's make a film."  Me, you, you. a ventriloquy Small A presents "Me, you, you. a ventriloquy," a group exhibition organized by Carter Mull, featuring Amanda Ross-Ho, Carter Mull, Jennifer West, Jesse Willenbring, and Michael Zahn. June 20-July 28, 2007. Opening reception Wednesday, June 20th, 7-9pm, 1430 SE 3rd. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 19, 2007 at 10:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.12.07 FLIGHT  Dryden Goodwin, FLIGHT As part of PNCA's Platform International Animation Festival, London-based artist Dryden Goodwin will be showing FLIGHT, "a fugitive escape path across five interlinked spaces," for the first time in the U.S. FLIGHT is a blend of film, drawing, and sound installation. An artist lecture accompanies the film at PNCA on June 14, 6:30pm. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 12, 2007 at 11:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.05.07 First Thursday Picks June 2007 
Joel Jonientz, "Self Portrait as a Girl" In preparation for their big move, Froelick Gallery presents Road Show: A Juried Exhibit on Motoring Culture. This summer Froelick is moving into a space at NW Davis & Broadway built in 1914 as a DeSoto Auto dealership. For their last hurrah in their old building, Froelick is exhibiting a spirited group show that explores the themes of car travel and the open road. Opening reception • 5-8:30pm • June 7 Froelick Gallery • 817 SW 2nd • 503.222.1142 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 05, 2007 at 8:56 | Comments (3) PermalinkTimbuk2 Charity Event  Dani Johnson This First Thursday, Timbuk2 is hosting a charity event at the Ace Hotel. Local artists Michelle Ramin, Marshall Stokes, Justin Gorman, and Dani Johnson will be selling one-of-a-kind artist canvas bags to benefit their charities of choice. June 7, 7:30pm at The Cleaners - Ace Hotel, 10 SW Stark. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 05, 2007 at 8:36 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 06.04.07 PSU Events  Dan Graham, from Catalogue Raisonné New York-based artist Dan Graham is lecturing tonight for PSU's Monday night lecture series. Graham's versatile work has been identified as everything from minimalism to architecture to installation art, and he has exercised influence on American art as both artist and critic since the 1960s. The free event starts at 8:15pm at the Fifth Avenue Cinema, 510 SW Hall. Also at PSU this week: The opening of Walter Lee's MFA thesis exhibition, "Have you met Walter Lee," which runs June 4 - 15 on the second floor of the PSU arts building, 2000 SW 5th Ave #210. The artist will be discussing his work at noon on June 6, followed by an opening reception at 6pm. Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 04, 2007 at 9:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.02.07 Dutch Treat: Rembrandt opens today at PAM Rembrandt's Self-Portrait as St. Paul (detail) Generally, we cover contemporary art here but it goes without saying that Rembrandt, as the premier post-Italian renniasance western humanist artist (rivaled only by Shakespeare and Beethoven) transcends his period. In fact, he's a great deal more famous/influentual now than when he died in 1669. I'll spare you all the fluff you will be bombarded with about the Portland Art Museum's show titled Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art. It's comprised of works from the Rijksmuseum while that rock of western culture is rennovated, so lucky us. If you dont live here, it's a good time to visit as this is also the only West Coast stop and the weather is great...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 02, 2007 at 10:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.01.07 Weekend Events 
Robert Smithson, from Spiral Jetty Saturday, June 2: The Cinema Project is having an outdoor triple-screening of Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty (1970), Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels (1978), and Richard Serra's Railroad Turnbridge (1975-6). Enjoy these short films under the stars at 8pm in the Artemisia Garden & Gallery, 110 SE 28th. (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 01, 2007 at 11:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.30.07 First Friday Picks June 2007 
Unfinished installation view of The Hook Up This month the New American Art Union presents The Hook Up, curated by Bay Area transplant Jesse Hayward. The Hook Up deals with the relationship of art to the wall, how flat space influences media and installation, and the effect of the wall as a unifying element in exhibition. This highly anticipated show introduces new work that might subvert your expectations from participating artists. The Hook Up features three artists from the 1999 Oregon Biennial who woke up Portland's gallery scene forever, Sean Healy, Brenden Clenaghen, and Jacqueline Ehlis, as well as Ellen George, TJ Norris, Jeff Jahn (PORT's ubiquitous co-owner), and newcomers Stephanie Robison and PORT's own Jenene Nagy. Opening reception • 7-10pm • June 1 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny Street • Tel.503.231.8294 ... (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 30, 2007 at 10:37 | Comments (3) PermalinkTuesday 05.29.07 OCHC Lecture The Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission is sponsoring a lecture by Michael Munk: "The Portland Red Guide: Sites and Stories from our Radical Past." The free lecture is at 7pm on Wednesday, June 6, at the Eliot Chapel, First Unitarian Church, and will be followed by a reception.
Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 29, 2007 at 9:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.23.07 Exit 07 In further arts education news, Kristan Kennedy of PICA is curating a show at PSU's Littman Gallery in the Smith Center, 1825 SW Broadway. Exit 07 features the work of 12 PSU seniors, and closes on May 30. Visiting hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 4pm.
Also at PSU: A "Senior Showcase" in the PSU Art Building, 2000 SW 5th Ave., running from May 24 through June 7. Visiting hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 5pm, and the closing reception is on Thursday, June 7 from 5-8pm. MFA students at PSU will be holding open studios during the reception. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 23, 2007 at 8:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.16.07 Mississippi:May The 13 day Mississippi:May show kicks off with an opening party this Saturday, May 19. It's a group show filling an immense North Mississippi warehouse, bylined as "15 artists. 50,000 square feet." Organized by graffiti artist Joshua Wallace, M:M hopes to showcase talented local artists who don't make it into the standard Portland gallery rounds. The group works in a wide variety of media and styles, and the format of the show promises to be both fascinating and frenetic. For more info on the genesis of M:M, check out the Willie Week editorial.
Update: From the 26th through the 31st, there will be a silent auction in an alcove of the M:M warehouse to benefit performance artist and former Sprockettes member Trish Ruppert, who suffers from Acquired Subacute Demyelinating Neuropathy, as well as OHSU research on the autoimmune disorder. Also this weekend: the opening reception for Third Thing Projects, a collaboration between Chris Knight and 2006 Oregon Biennial artist Ben Buswell. The show is at the Alexander Gallery in the Niemeyer Center on the Clackamas Community College Campus, and the opening reception is Saturday, May 19th, from 1-3:30pm. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 16, 2007 at 18:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.14.07 PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series Presents Lee Walton Lee Walton
speaks for the PSU Monday Night Lecture Series.
Monday, May 14, 8:15pm. 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 510 SW Hall St. 5th Avenue Cinema (at the corner of SW 5th & Hall on the PSU Campus) Free http://www.pdx.edu/art/  Click to see full video. Walton received his MFA from the California College of the Arts, and is currently on the interdisciplinary faculty at the Parson's New School of Design. His experientalist work ranges from "traditional" drawing to video installation to large scale public performance. Walton's work has appeared in Portland before at The Best Coast in 2003, and again in 2005 as part of the Fresh Trouble exhibition (disclosure: curated by PORT co-owner Jeff Jahn). His lecture tonight will cover current work, such as the Getting a Feel video and performance project (pictured above), and after the lecture Walton will be working with students to create a series of semi-public performances. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 14, 2007 at 8:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.11.07 CAP The annual Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) art auction and benefit is happening this Saturday, May 12, at the Oregon Convention Center's Portland Ballroom. Unfortunately, the success of this event tends to undermine the local art market by fostering bottom-line art pricing. CAP would do Portland's art community a great service by broadening the range of objects beyond art in its auction, leaving only those artists who are able to sell above gallery prices. This would hopefully also set a good example for the imitators who have followed CAP's success- although CAP does sometimes set new price points, smaller auctions tend to be even more guilty of subverting the Portland art market.
Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 11, 2007 at 10:25 | Comments (23) PermalinkThursday 05.10.07 Urban Honking's New Talks Tonight: Urban Honking presents the first event in a new series of symposium-style arts & culture "talks," featuring a lecture by Matthew Stadler and presentations by Greg Borenstein, Claire Evans, Aaron Flint Jamison, and the films of Charles & Ray Eames. 7pm, Thursday May 10, Mississippi Ballroom, free.
Also tonight: A double-feature screening of films by PICA artist in residence, Arnold J. Kemp. Suspiria & Prince of Darkness will be showing at the Clinton Street Theater at 7pm, followed by a meet and greet with Kemp. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 10, 2007 at 10:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.08.07 Miller/Hull Lecture at PAM Tonight 
Found on the Willie Week's wire: Northwest architect David Miller from the Miller/Hull firm is speaking at the Portland Art Museum. His lecture, "Objects/Fields: Recent Architecture of Miller/Hull," will cover the firm's latest work, which ranges from stylish urban condos to elegant educational facilities (pictured: the Tillamook Forest Interpretive Center). Find him Tuesday, May 8 at 7pm in the Fields Ballroom in the Marks Building at 1119 SW Park Ave. The lecture is free, and followed by a dessert reception. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 08, 2007 at 9:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.04.07 First Friday There are a lot of events and openings tonight but here are the two best bets:
Small A shows Bob Linder & Will Rogan Hear The Wind Sing. The New York based Linder and San Francisco based Rogan have been friends for over a decade and implicit in their work, is a both a celebration and an insistence of the physicality and presence of things that is also central to Haruki Murakami's text and title that is borrowed for the title of this exhibition. They will both be speaking at The PSU lecture series on Monday May 7th as well (8:00 PM @ 5th ave cinemas) Opening Reception • 5-8pm • May 4 - June 2 Small A Projects • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.234.7993  The other bet is a curator's talk @ Tilt, 625 NW Everett #106 (7:00 PM): Atlanta based curator Advantika Bawa discusses Blank, which opened at the Everrett Lofts yesterday. It's a solid show featuring Traci Talasco, Brett Osborn, Fred Jesser, Victoria Fu, Johnathan Field, Craig Drennan, Lauren Clay and Bawa. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 04, 2007 at 13:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.02.07 First Thursday Picks: May 2007 Yes, me again I apologize; PORT will be introducing our newest news/openings writer shortly. About First Thursday? As usual it looks like most of the edgier shows will be in the alt spaces like the Everett Station Lofts (I wont go over the shows there, just go). Here are some of better looking non-alt shows:
 Din Q. Le @ Elizabeth leach Gallery Ever a favorite when he's in town Le has had a longstanding presence in Portland but after being in the 2005 Venice Biennale his woven photographs have been in great demand. I'm excited to see the video work as well. Opening Reception • May 3 • 6 to 9p Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th Ave • Tel. 503.224.0521  Nathaniel Shapiro's Point of Purchase @ Manuel Izquierdo Sculpture Gallery (PNCA) If the image above "Hot Seat" is any indication, this might be the edgiest of the establishment shows this month... excluding Kehinde Wiley at PAM of course. Opening Reception • May 3 • 6 to 9p PNCA • 825 NW 13th Ave • Tel. 503.226.4391 ...(much more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 02, 2007 at 20:55 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 04.30.07 Again, 3 Wins Out as the Magic Number
Two new shows at the Museum that look quite interesting and another lecture
at PSU.
Melinda Stone • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series Mon • Mar 19 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue • Cinema Room 92 Free 
A filmmaker, curator, and teacher, Melinda Stone has produced over twenty films and videos, as well as numerous outdoor cinematic productions. Stone has a deep affinity for the American West and road travel; the subjectivity of her work often extends from historic research and the mining of cultural conditions found immediately in the land. Stone’s whimsical sensibility and romanticism surface in her ongoing interest in amateur productions and experimental screening practices, which often incorporate live music and participatory sing-alongs. Kehinde Wiley • Portland Art Museum Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art 1219 SW Park Avenue • 503·226·2811 sun 12p – 5p, tues-sat 10a – 5p, til 8p th-fri adults: $10, members: free  Kehinde Wiley Entry of Paris of the Dauphin, 2005 Oil on canvas Courtesy of Kehinde Wiley Studio This exhibition features six of Wiley's recent provocative paintings that illuminate complex art historical references and superb hyperreal technique. Drawn from private collections across the country, the paintings explore current issues of style, class, dignity, and prejudice in metaphorical terms and allegorically inspired portraits. Curator: Bruce Guenther, Chief Curator and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art The Drawn Line • Portland Art Museum Helen Copeland Gallery and Adams Foundation Foyer 1219 SW Park Avenue • 503·226·2811 sun 12p – 5p, tues-sat 10a – 5p, til 8p th-fri adults: $10, members: free  Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) Elijah in the Desert Fed by Ravens c. 1619-20. Portland Art Museum This exhibition features some 65 European and American drawings from the Museum's permanent collection. The objects are organized according to three themes that are artists' favorites - the figure, the portrait, and the landscape. Ranging from the 18th century to the present, these works present a great variety of approaches to these subjects. From spontaneous sketches to highly finished sheets, these drawings give the viewer an opportunity to study the ways in which drawing mediums such as watercolor, wash, gouache, crayon, chalk, charcoal, and graphite can be handled. Curatorial Team: Annette Dixon, Bruce Guenther, Marnie Stark, and Jennifer Gately Posted by Melia Donovan on April 30, 2007 at 8:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.23.07 Retinal Reverb  Passing Out Heart Game, Emily Bulfin & Tahni Holt In case you missed it in Melia's post earlier, here's all the info on what looks to be one of the best group shows of the year...(more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on April 23, 2007 at 19:49 | Comments (12) Permalink3 Is The Magic Number  There’s a PSU lecture, a show opening without a public opening and an opening night party for the PDX Film Fest with a curated show of video, installation and sculpture. Posted by Melia Donovan on April 23, 2007 at 8:27 | Comments (2) PermalinkWednesday 04.18.07 Wid Chambers Opening, Thursday April 19th 
Mid-month openings always stick out, especially if you want to become social again. Today is the first day of Wid Chambers latest show and Thursday April 19th will be the official opening night for what Wid is calling "Picking Up The Pieces" at his eponymous gallery. He's a kind of digital David Reed. I confess, I like to talk with Wid because he's the only art person I know here who can talk about electric guitars and Soldano amplifiers, etc. and his understanding of sound definitely resonates with his art. (What, you thought I only think about art?). Opening April 19th: 5:30-8:30 Chambers Gallery 207 SW Pine St. # 102 (503) 227-9398 Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 18, 2007 at 11:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 04.17.07 Oh Valentine's!  For those of you who are interested in making these chilly nights a little more lively, here's what is happening at Valentine's this week: (read more) Posted by Amy Bernstein on April 17, 2007 at 18:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 04.15.07 PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series • Tonight: Walter Lee Projects Presents: A Night of YouTube Walter Lee Projects Presents: A Night of YouTube • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series
Mon • Mar 19 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 Free PSU MFA candidate and You Tube practitioner Walter Lee will host a night of You Tube selections and a discussion about web based platforms in relationship to contemporary art. Posted by Melia Donovan on April 15, 2007 at 20:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.12.07 Dan Cameron Talk April 15th for PAM's Critical Voices Series  Ok I'll be out of the country but if you are in Portland definitely catch Dan Cameron, Senior Curator of the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York at the Portland Art Museum, for a lecture entitled “Gone Global.” He is schedualed to discuss the differences and similarities in Asian and American Contemporary Art, based on his own global art experiences. Ask him about the Huang Yong Ping retrospective up at the Vancouver Art Gallery. We haven't seen much of the new contemporary Chinese art in Portland beyond the Cao Fei video I curated into this show in 2005. Still in many ways Portland is much closer to Asian cities than New York. The museum text says, "The Intersection of Words and Experience will explore the fundamental changes in art-making concepts, theories and practices after 1960. With the speakers representing influential theorists, critics, curators, authors and professors, audiences will be introduced to diverse perspectives on the shape and direction of contemporary art today. Topics will center on how conceptual art and art making practices have changed the physical reality of the object and in turn our viewing experience." To these eyes it seems like there is a more of an active engagement with history, now that the whole idea about the death of history has become even more silly than the death of painting. One trick with historicised Asian art is that most Americans have so little historical knowledge about their own country, let alone Chinese or Indonesian history. Then there is the whole bit about how Asian cities make even New York seem like a slow paced pokey place. April 15th 2:00 @ Portland Art Museum Whitsell Auditorium, $5 members - $10 nonmembers (These were better attended when the PAM lectures were free) The Mercury also had a very short interview with Cameron Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 12, 2007 at 13:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.09.07 PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series • Tonight: Bruce Conkle  Bruce Conkle • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series Mon • Mar 19 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 Free Bruce Conkle loves snowmen, coconuts, fairy tales, Sasquatch and gingerbread. He is interested in creating work which uses art and humor to address contemporary attitudes toward nature and environmental concerns, including deforestation and global warming. His work often deals with escapism, artificial worlds and man's place in nature and frequently examines what he calls the "misfit quotient" at the crossroads.(pr) THIS JUST IN FROM THE DESK OF HARRELL FLETCHER: "Because of a visiting artist's schedule change we will be doing something different for the PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series on April 16th (that's in a week). MFA Candidate Walter Lee, known for his Walter Lee Projects on YouTube such as this one, will host an open mic night of sorts in which audience members will be offered the opportunity to present work found on YouTube that they deem worthy of public attention on the big screen. To make the evening come together as fluidly as possible, Walter will take recommendations and create a playlist all week leading up to the presentation. To be included as a presenter please e-mail Walter as soon as possible at wfrancislee@gmail.com. There will be a Q and A after the screenings in which we hope to discuss the relevance of YouTube and other web based platforms in relation to contemporary art practice. As always the public is invited. Tell a friend." Posted by Melia Donovan on April 09, 2007 at 6:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.06.07 First Friday Picks April 2007 
Ted Apel's Potential Difference (detail) At New American Art Union, curator TJ Norris offers invisible.other a subtle group show about subtleties that will probably be squished somewhat at the official opening tonight. Most of the work has a controlled whiteness or transparency about it that requires a calm quiet environment. Tighter and more curatorially controlled than most recent group shows in Portland city limits, it showcases the idea of liminality more than the various participants who are: Ted Apel, Daniel Barron, Richard Chartier (2002 Whitney Biennial), (PORT's own) Melia Donovan, Leif Elggren, Ty Ennis, Thomas Koner, Michael Paulus, Susan Robb, Steve Roden, Abi Spring and my favorite in this show, Laura Vandenburgh. Her work takes on a lot more intimacy without frames. Opening reception • 7-10pm • April 6-29 4 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny Street • Tel.503.231.8294  Naomi Nowak's Bower Pretty in Ink: featuring new work by Meg Hunt, Miniature Mouse and Naomi Nowak... it looks pretty and errrr kitschy (but in a well executed, maximum effect way). Opening Reception • 6-9pm • April 6-29 Grass Hut • 811 East Burnside • 503.445.9924 Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 06, 2007 at 9:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.04.07 First Thursday Picks April 2007 
Wolfgang Tillmans' "Stripped" at Pulliam Deffenbaugh Pulliam Deffenbaugh is putting a new spin on one of the tiredest group show concepts of all time, the Still Life. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a massive Willem Kalf fan and I'm completely excited about this more adventurous take featuring a very nice Wolfgang Tillmans along with an eclectic mix of Andy Warhol, Uta Barth, Thomas K. Conway, Morris Graves, Richard Hoyen , Isaac Layman, Laura Letinsky, McDermott & McGough, James Martin, Jeffry Mitchell, Vik Muniz, Raymond Pettibon, David Rosenak and Jay Steensma. OK now that is one wild still life lineup. Opening Reception - 6-8pm - April. 5-28 Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery 929 NW Flanders Tel. 503.228.6665  Gregory Grenon's "Then You Turn Around" at Laura Russo Gallery Gregory Grenon gets a lot of silly guff for being successful, attitudinal and edgy (not exactly a crime for an artist eh?). I think his best work speaks volumes about the awkward even "rough around the edges" moments between individuals. If anyone wonders where Chris Johanson fits into Portland's long standing figurative tradition just look at Grenon and Robert Colescott. Also showing is, Jack Portland. Frankly, he is lucky to be alive after a serious health crisis in Italy (he had great influence on younger artists like Tom Cramer and Jacqueline Ehlis and it's good to see him this month). Opening Reception 6-9pm April 5-28 Laura Russo Gallery 805 NW 21st 503.225.2754 ...more Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 04, 2007 at 11:01 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 04.02.07 PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series • Tonight: Susan Robb  Susan Robb • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series Mon • Mar 19 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 Free Susan Robb received her MFA from the University of Washington and did her undergraduate work at Syracuse University. She was awarded in 2005 the Pollock-Krasner Fellowship, and has exhibited her work internationally. Susan Robb describes her recent work as an investigation of dysphoria brought on by a combined sense of dissatisfaction with culture and isolation from nature. Robb often looks to her environment for answers creating a strategic disordering of common elements that produce an ideological hybrid between flesh, nature and technology.(pr) Robb currently has a piece in TJ Norris' show invisible.other at the New American Art Union. NAAU is open Thursday-Sunday 12-6. It officially opens on Friday. Posted by Melia Donovan on April 02, 2007 at 7:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.30.07 Oddities and Ends 
small A will hold an off-the-normal-schedule-of-events opening for their end of March through April show tomorrow night from 5-8pm. A solo show of work by Josh Shaddock dubbed It goes without saying will include video, photographs, text pieces and…one painting. Shaddock, who showed with the gallery in their December group show Green Light Green Light, is a New York based artist who has also shown at White Columns, in Lisbon and in San Francisco. Josh Shaddock • It goes without saying small A projects Sat • Mar 31 • 5-8p Posted by Melia Donovan on March 30, 2007 at 9:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.26.07 Marko Lulic Lecture March 28th at Reed College 
Marko Lulic, Hard and Soft No.2, 2002/05, fiberplate, wood, varnish, 450 x 650cm. Marko Lulic Lecture at Reed College, Eliot Hall, room 314 Wednesday, March 28, 7 p.m. (free) Ok there have been a heap of lectures in Portland recently but this is one of my top 3 this Spring (the other two are Dan Cameron April 15th and Rosalind Krauss May 20th at PAM). Here is a link to Lulic's most recent exhibition. (note the invaluable Cooley Gallery will be closed for rennovations [no more carpet!] till September, Lulic will have the re-opening show). I'm extremely excited about Marko's work, he's an artist who explores old new ideas with a great deal of panache. The work infuses the dead ends of politics, architecture and other forms of power with the sense that their circle no longer holds us with their once tighter a grip, while pointing out the lingering pervasiveness of that grip. Thanks to Marjorie Meyers for making this happen...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 26, 2007 at 10:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.23.07 Toast Portland Artists April 2nd at the Screendoor Restaurant Please forgive the cross promotion, Ultra
and the WWeek
have already posted and I've been tardy on this:
Organism's first big fundraiser of 2007 is the Toast Gala, a special evening with a four course dinner celebrating a diverse sample of Portland's visual artists at the Screendoor. Wines by Panther Creek (space is limited so RSVP with payment by March 29th). The guestlist is already shaping up to be an impressive catalogue of movers, makers and shakers (with some interesting new to town faces who haven't gotten involved before). We plan to do more of these to put the spotlight on many other deserving artists. Celebrated artists (both emerging and established, all actively showing outside the region): James Lavadour Matt McCormick Sean Healy Ellen George R. Scott Porter & Nat Andreini (Sincerely John Head) Katherine Bovee & Philippe Blanc Brenden Clenaghen Carson Ellis Why wouldn't you want to buy these artists dinner? Also, we intend to do more of these as a way to give back to the hardworking artists. We chose Screendoor because of its excellent food, elegant yet warm Donald Judd meets the South decor and the fact that it's a favorite with artists, rockstars, ad people, professional snowboarders etc., its got a great mix of elegance with no boring. Panther Creek is simply one of the best winemakers available anywhere. Details: Organism's Toast Gala, will celebrate a diverse sample of Portland's nationally/internationally active during an exciting 4 course dinner at one of Portland's new favorite restaurants: Screendoor, along with award winning wines by Panther Creek. You've never been to the Screendoor like this special private event, dress festive. Music by Ponderosa (spacefolk cello and banjo) Cost: $75, RSVP with Check or Credit card by March 29th. Checks can be made out to: Organism Toast Gala, PO Box 17247, Portland, Oregon 97217 Credit Card payments can be taken at this site. Time/Place: April 2nd 7:00 PM at Screendoor, 2337 East Burnside This fundraising event benefitting Organism will also provide a sneak peek at our exciting Spring exhibition "Model Behavior" a group show featuring Hank Willis Thomas, Yoram Wolberger and many others. We plan to program at least 4 shows per year with a focus on quality over quantity. Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 23, 2007 at 17:54 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.19.07 PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series • Tonight: Shaun O'Dell 
Shaun O'Dell • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series Mon • Mar 19 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 Free Shaun O'Dell is a painter, illustrator, videographer and musician who explores the intertwining realities of the human and natural orders. The symbolic lexicon in his work becomes a historiographic mapping of mythic narratives about humans, nature, time, and the development of cultural and nationalistic ideologies. He examines how America's long-time addiction to the technological and ideological suppression of nature has helped create a culture of denial. O'Dell has exhibited his work at many venues, including the Jack Hanley Gallery in San Francisco, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, UCLA Hammer Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Whitebox in New York, and the Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York. His work is held in the permanent collections of the SFMOMA, M.H. deYoung Memorial Museum and the Berkeley Art Museum. O'Dell received his MFA from Stanford. He is the recipient of the 2006 Diebenkorn Teaching Fellowship from the San Francisco Art Institute, 2005 Arttadia Award, 2004 SECA Award from the San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art and a 2002 Fleishhacker Foundation Award. He is currently teaching at the San Francisco Art Institute and is the co-organizer of The New New Masses, a lecture series on Art and Politics. (pr) Posted by Melia Donovan on March 19, 2007 at 9:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.14.07 Re: Dude's Night out in McMinnville Friday 
What happens when artists turn a social construct into an exhibition? It mostly depends on the caliber of the artists... In this case it's very high. Curator Cris Moss took a series of "Dude's Night Out" emails and curated a show around it. March 12-April 13th at Linfield College. Opening March 16th: 6:00 PM The artists: Bruce Conkle, Sean Healy, Jesse Durost, Todd Johnson, David Corbett, Jesse Hayward, Marne Lucas and Paul Middendorf. Conkle has a lot of buzz amongst the other artists for some kind of hypnotic coconut soundsystem, a direct result of his residency in Rio I suspect...and Paul Middendorf is bringing his recent PS1 "Emergency" project. The ever mysterious Todd Johnson, Portland's best/most intelligent deadpan conceptual photographer has reappeared as well. Lucas apparently got in by having, "the biggest pair of balls," no word on how that study was conducted. Yes, it's in McMinnville (a.k.a. wine country) but it sounds like this one is worth the trip. The Linfield exhibit is free and open to the public. The Linfield Fine Art Gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The gallery will be open during spring break, March 26-30. To reach the gallery from 99W, turn east on Keck Drive at the McMinnville Market Center in south McMinnville. Turn right at the first street onto Library Court. The art gallery is located in the second building on the left, Building B. Parking is available on the street and in the lot west of Nicholson Library. For a campus map click here, go to Miller Fine Arts Center is number 56. For more information, call 503-883-2804. Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 14, 2007 at 11:33 | Comments (5) PermalinkMonday 03.12.07 This Week: One Lecture 
Marc Joseph • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series Mon • Mar 12 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 Free New York photographer Marc Joseph's recent work has focused on book and record shops, framing glimpses of old and new objects as they float through and arrange themselves within the logic of the market, not the abstract logic of art as commodity, but the specific logic of the corner store, the small, peculiar places that expose us to the books and records that matter to us, and which shape our ways of seeing. Joseph has had exhibitions at the Bernard Toale Gallery in Boston, Western Projects in Culver City CA, and PICA in Portland, and is currently exhibiting at the Cooley Gallery at Reed College from JANUARY 23 – MARCH 11, 2007. (pr) Posted by Melia Donovan on March 12, 2007 at 10:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 03.04.07 3 events to Rock You Like a Hurricane A lecture at PSU, a conversation at PICA and a back room at the end of the week...(more)
Posted by Melia Donovan on March 04, 2007 at 19:39 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 03.02.07 Skip to my Liza Lou on Saturday at Reed 
Saturday March 3rd 3-5PM 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd at Reed's Eliot Chapel As part of Reed's Art Week, the beadtastic Liza Lou will be speaking. At the forefront of the massive resurgence in craft as an awe inducing contemporary art experience one would have to consider Lou in any serious discussion of the genre. So the basic question should be, "is her work just a series of entertaining grotesques that use craft as shield or something more?" $5 or Reed ID Maybe someone dressed as Lewis or Clark should try to pay in beads? Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 02, 2007 at 11:27 | Comments (2) PermalinkFirst Friday March 2007 Picks 
Thunder Eyez at Grass Hut Portland's music and art scenes are completely entwined. This show of art by musicians will make that even clearer with work by E*Rock, Mt. Eerie. White Rainbow, YACHT, Hooliganship, Lucky Dragons/Sumi Ink Club, Adam Zeek, Curtis Knapp (Marriage Records & Watery Graves) Opening Reception • 6-9pm • March. 2-31 Grass Hut • 811 East Burnside • 503.445.9924... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 02, 2007 at 10:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.01.07 First Thursday March 2007  Matt McCormick's Shaniko House (2007) Elizabeth Leach Gallery: Matt McCormick's Future So Bright and Adam Sorenson's The Glows 415 NW 9th (503) 224 0521 McCormick's is the undisputed high anticipation show this month. He is currently showing in high profile international exhibitions like The Moscow Biennial and Uncertain States of America. I also think he's added something to the lexicon of work that documents the state of civilization and American westward expansion by focusing on ghost towns and monolithic signage...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 01, 2007 at 11:08 | Comments (6) PermalinkMonday 02.26.07 Lisa Sigal • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series  Lisa Sigal • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series Mon • Feb 26 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 Posted by Melia Donovan on February 26, 2007 at 9:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 02.25.07 Sue Coe Lecture  Sue Coe, one of the most important politically oriented artists living in the U.S. today, will be showing work at PNCA's Feldman Gallery and Project Space. Tackling subjects from apartheid to animal rights, Coe’s drawings have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Newsweek, and Artforum. Her work is in the collections of many major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Event Info: Lecture Wednesday, Feb. 28 6:30p in PNCA Swigert Commons Exhibition Thursday, March 1 – Monday, April 16 Feldman Gallery + Project Space 1st Thursday Opening, March 1, 6-9p Both events free and open to the public Posted by Jenene Nagy on February 25, 2007 at 22:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.23.07 Backroom Brunch for Kids and Grownups • TOMORROW!! The
Backroom: Featuring Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Sat • Feb 24 • noon Reed College Student Union 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard Tickets: $5 Sip orange juice and mimosas and sup on mac 'n' cheese and pancakes at the first ever backroom brunch for boys and girls and other interested parties (ie chaperones). The authors and illustrator of The Edge Chronicles, Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell will discuss their books with live music by Karl Blau. In addition to that, Chris will lead the kids in some drawing projects and show them how he works on his illustrations for the books. Posted by Melia Donovan on February 23, 2007 at 9:24 | Comments (1) PermalinkStephanie Robison • Lecture Tilt Gallery and Project Space
625 NW Everett Suite 106 Fri • Feb 23 • 7pm “Please join us for an informal conversation with sculptor Stephanie Robison. Robison will be discussing her new piece Water Landing on view at Tilt Gallery and Project Space. With her most ambitious work to date, Robison continues to cull materials from the everyday. Wood, fabric, foam, plastic and linoleum are transformed into something playful, mysterious, and evocative.” Posted by Melia Donovan on February 23, 2007 at 6:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 02.20.07 Back from Rio 
TROCA USA Lecture at Pacific Northwest College of Art Three years ago Feldman Gallery curator emeritus Nan Curtis began an exciting artist exchange and exhibition program with Ernesto Neto called Troca Brazil. The exhibition of Neto and others from Brazil at the PNCA's Feldman gallery group in 2005 was covered here. This past January the circle of exchange was completed when a select group Portland artists and PNCA students traveled to Brazil for an exhibit in Rio. You get to hear their stories today from the participants: Nan Curtis (curator), Bruce Conkle, David Eckard, Emily Ginsburg, MK Guth, Don Olsen, Tamsie Ringler. Tuesday, February 20th 7 pm (free) PNCA Commons 1241 NW Johnson Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 20, 2007 at 11:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.19.07 Talk is Cheap, Buy a Beer PINTS FOR PICA @ Low Brow Lounge Monday • Feb 19 • 6-10 p 1036 NW Hoyt Street • 21+ View a special one-night screening, High Five! : 3 videos about gesture, featuring contemporary art’s Douglas Gordon, Gary Hill and Joan Jonas organized by PICA’s Visual Art Program Director, Kristan Kennedy. “Shown in a loop and including short interviews with Hans Ulrich Obrist, these works focus the traveling eye on the gestures of the hand. Hands that greet, prop up, push down, flip off and hold up elements of fragmented stories.” Videos have been selected from the project "Point of View- An Anthology of the Moving Image" commissioned by the New Museum of Contemporary Art. A portion of all food and drink sales on this special night will benefit PICA’s artistic programming.  Untitled Fun 1, 2004 Project Row Houses Cultural Arts Festival Houston, Texas Zach Moser • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series Mon • Feb 19 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 “Zach Moser is an artist living and working in Houston, Texas. He is a graduate of Oberlin College. His artistic practice is the facilitation of collaborative investigations, as well as interactive installations that attempt to uncover shared human values and inspire dynamic readings of our surroundings. By focusing on collaboration and interaction, he works to explore the unknown in order to create new discussions, discover new methods of communication, and propose new expectations of human potential. Besides a variety of installation projects, he is a founder of the Oberlin Big Parade, Workshop Houston, and the Shrimp Boat Project.” Posted by Melia Donovan on February 19, 2007 at 7:41 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 02.15.07 3 Dances on your Card  Three things of note this weekend - small A is having an opening on Friday, Kristan Kennedy has organized a show at the Heathman Hotel and Michael Kimmelman is lecturing at the Portland Art Museum. My suggestion to you, if you happen to be roaming around Portland this weekend, is that you stop by small A Friday for the opening, wander the galleries in the Pearl District / Old Town / Chinatown on Saturday, take in the lecture at PAM on Sunday and snack on fries and pink champagne at the Heathman in the Mezzanine afterwards and gaze at a collection of some darn good art. Posted by Melia Donovan on February 15, 2007 at 18:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 02.12.07 Byron Kim • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series  Byron Kim • PSU Monday Night Lecture Series Mon • Feb 12 • 8:15p 510 SW Hall St • 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92....(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on February 12, 2007 at 9:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 02.11.07 Get Your Sexy On  Campbell Hall Gallery and Western Oregon University present XXX; The Power of Sex in Contemporary Design. Curated by Joshua Berger of Plazm, and Sarah Dougher, XXX is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Sex in New York City, and based on the award-winning book of the same name. Exhibition runs February 14 - March 13, 2007. Joshua Berger and Sarah Dougher will host a discussion on February 22nd at 7pm at the Campbell Hall Gallery. Power of Sex Opening Reception Wednesday, Feb. 14 • 6-8p Western Oregon University 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 Posted by Jenene Nagy on February 11, 2007 at 11:06 | Comments (4) PermalinkWednesday 02.07.07 The Other Portland In conjunction with the exhibition “The Other Portland: Art & Ecology in the 5th Quadrant”, at the Portland Art Center, Art on the Peninsula presents A Symposium: The Other Portland. Artists and activists, teachers and writers, scientists and environmentalists meet to share a conversation about art and ecology...(more)
Posted by Jenene Nagy on February 07, 2007 at 10:47 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 02.05.07 Things to do this week: 2 Lectures and a Grant.....(more)
Posted by Melia Donovan on February 05, 2007 at 9:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 02.01.07 Groundhog Day Picks: February First Friday 
Justin Williams and Luke Ramsey at Grass Hut Grass Hut's lyrical, manifesto-style press releases are bright spots in the PORT mailbag month after month. February finds Grass Hut threatening to "pimp slap pretentiousness in the face then give it a brightly colored neon band aid so it can heal in style." and clarifying the origins of the "noodle on LSD" drawing movement, giving props to the magnificent Marc Bell and other seminal Canadian doodlers. Friends of the Endless Journey: a doodler's group show features work by Peter Thompson, Luke Ramsey, Justin Williams, Ekta, A.J. Purdy and Andy Rementer, including some collaborative pieces. Opening Reception • 6-9pm • Feb. 2-28 Grass Hut • 811 East Burnside • 503.445.9924............(more) Posted by Jessica Bromer on February 01, 2007 at 2:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.31.07 February First Thursday: Metal, Machine Music and More  Peter Beste at Sugar Sugar Gallery shows Peter Beste's stark images of Norwegian black metal musicians, a documentary project Beste completed over the past four years. "In the early 1990s, these self-proclaimed 'Norwegian Heavy Metal Satanists' burned fourteenth-century wooden churches, desecrated graveyards, and incited blood feuds as part of their campaign to rid Norway of Christianity and revert to ancient Viking customs," explains the press release. Opening Reception • 6-10pm • Feb. 1-28 Sugar Gallery • 625 NW Everett #108 • Tel. 503.425.9628..................(more) Posted by Jessica Bromer on January 31, 2007 at 3:12 | Comments (10) PermalinkMonday 01.29.07 Lecture 1, 2, 3  Three public lectures (all at different times!) take place this week before First Thursday...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on January 29, 2007 at 10:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.22.07 Social Calendar • Jan 22-Jan 26 Here’s the best of what’s on offer in Portland this week for sharpening
your skills. These openings, lectures and events are highly recommended as being
consistently stimulating and generous in scope.
Rigo 23 mural in SF Mon • Jan 22 • 8:15p Rigo 23 • PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series 5th Avenue Cinema • Room 92 510 SW Hall St Tues • Jan 23 • 6:45p Marc Joseph: New and Used • Jessica Jackson Hutchins: Stylite Optimism Artist Talk : Reed Psychology Auditorium, room 105 Reception to follow: Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery Reed College • Hauser Memorial Library 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd Fri • Jan 26 • 6:30p John O'Brian • the back room House Spirits Distillery (Medoyeff) • 2025 SE 7th Avenue (more) Posted by Melia Donovan on January 22, 2007 at 9:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 01.20.07 Indoor Wildernesses: a thematic art walk in Chinatown  The weather has relented (for now), time to get out of the house... Indoor Wildernesses is a serendipitous thematic art walk of 4 shows, 3 galleries on 1 corner... all explore a common theme: nature inside the gallery environment, all achieve very different ends When: January 24th 6:30-8:30PM Where: Corner of NW 5th and Couch @ Motel, Organism & the Portland Art Center Rational: The presence of the outdoors and wilderness motifs in particular are everywhere in contemporary art so when four shows all appeared on the same corner in Portland's Chinatown it seemed like serendipity was knocking. Why not explore four very different shows to greater highlight their intersecting but very divergent content, goals, motifs and effects? Also, please forgive the self promotion but it is also an excellent chance to get out and visit one of the Portland art scene's most rewarding corners. The fours shows present divergent motifs such as the charged psychological cave environment, life changing encounters with wild deer, man made materials in the woods and ecology in North Portland...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 20, 2007 at 9:33 | Comments (2) PermalinkFriday 01.19.07 Tilt Party...YEAH!  As many of you (hopefully) know, Tilt Gallery and Project Space has spent the past year working hard to bring you consistently challenging and innovative work from local and national artists. Highlights from our first year include an "auspicious" start from Portlander Stephanie Robison, a site specific project by the talented and multifaceted Avantika Bawa, and a bold solo exhibition by Paula Rebsom. Believe it or not, its been a year for us at Tilt and we are celebrating with an Anniversary Party this Saturday, January 20 from 8-11pm. Come enjoy some food and drink and see work by gallery artists Avantika Bawa, Paula Rebsom, Stephanie Robison, and Stephen Slappe. Along with rubbing elbows with our new stable of artists, you will have the opportunity to view exciting work from the flat file as well. We hope you will join us! Tilt Gallery and Project Space • Anniversary Party Saturday Jan. 20 • 8-11p 625 NW Everett • Suite 106 Posted by Jenene Nagy on January 19, 2007 at 12:58 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.18.07 Double Dave • Oregon Art Beat • Chambers Fine Art  Preparations for "Float" Tonight get a double dose of Dave Eckard on Oregon Art Beat and at Chambers Fine Art. Oregon Art Beat will have a discussion of his performance piece for PICA titled "Float" (above). Chambers Fine Art will host a reception for the artist’s latest show “Locus” – latex and charcoal paintings on panel...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on January 18, 2007 at 9:32 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 01.15.07 Joe Macca *UPDATE Watch a Movie with Joe Macca
*UPDATE: The movies have been postponed and location and titles have been changed due to weather and what actually arrived from Netflix. Tonight, Thursday and Friday will have Pink Floyd: The Wall, Lie with Me and the Last Picture Show. Reservations are limited to 3-4 people-it's in his bedroom now-not the gallery. Call 503 771 5003 for more information. ...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on January 15, 2007 at 16:02 | Comments (13) PermalinkFriday 01.12.07 18 Painters • Mt. Hood Community College Visual Arts Gallery  Opening tonight at Mount Hood Community College is the show “18 Painters”. What’s the only thing that connects the work? Paint. Artists include: Brendan Clenaghen, Brian Borrello, Michelle Ross, Margaret Evangeline, Judy Cooke, James Boulton, James Lavadour, Willy Heeks, Ken Kelly, Stephanie Doyle, Kristan Kennedy, Marc Katano, Joe Macca, Pat Barrett, G. Lewis Clevenger, Kathryn Van Dyke, Lucinda Parker and Melinda Stickney-Gibson. 18 Painters • Mt. Hood Community College Visual Arts Gallery opens: Fri Jan 12 • 6 -8:30p runs: Jan 8 - Feb 2 • M-F • 9-5 503-491-7309 or barrettp@mhcc.edu for more information Posted by Melia Donovan on January 12, 2007 at 14:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkHirst and McMakin at PAM this weekend  Damien Hirst Autopsy with Sliced Human Brain 2004 Tomorrow the Damien Hirst show at The Portland Art Museum opens in the Miller-Meigs endowed room in the Jubitz Center. This is only his second solo US museum show and the first on the West Coast. Culled from the holdings of supercollector Eli Broad it is a major coupe even if it is a small show. Hirst is one of the two most influential living artists today (the other is Murakami) and without him people like Matthew Barney, Banks Violette, David Altmejd, Gregory Crewdson (think presentationism) and even Jarrett Mitchell wouldn't have been quite the same. Hirst brought death back into contemporary art in a way that only Warhol and Picasso can also claim. Unlke most current stars (but like Murakami) he was very generous and artists like Tracy Emin, Sarah Lucas and Marc Quinn were direct recipients of his promotional efforts. I also like the fact he worked as a gallery installer before becoming famous, it shows as he is the master of presentation. Unlike other artists he also controls his own market, who else has transcended the system like that? Some maintain his persona and success have overshadowed the work but I think it's his way of pushing away the death inherent in having major museum's mount major retrospectives, he's circumventing the blockbuster system creating his own weather. He's even still doing some excellent work (but of course he's a risk taker and has his share of flubs). His vitrines like 1000 Years and The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living are master works of Fin de siecle 20th Century art and this show sports a nice vitrine along with a bank of 3 medicine cabinets and a painting or two. Yes there are opening for these shows and space is limited so you've got to join the Contemporary Art Council (disclosure Im Co-VP)... yes there are less costly artist memberships, just ask. After Hirst it is Kehinde Wiley... PAM is doing a nice job! Sunday is also the last day for Roy McMakin's show and inaugural offering for Jennifer Gately's new Apex Program so get over to the museum this weekend. Chris Johanson is next. Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 12, 2007 at 10:53 | Comments (2) PermalinkTuesday 01.09.07 Two Great Shows Open  Anne Hirondelle Two not to be missed shows open this week. Namita Wiggers and the folks over at Contemporary Craft Museum and Gallery bring in the New Year with an installation by Portlander Hilary Pfeifer. Someone who had a quick sneak peek earlier today mentioned things are looking pretty exciting in the space, and I believe him so check it out...(more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on January 09, 2007 at 17:44 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 01.08.07 PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series Begins Again • Tonight: Dave McKenzie
Tonight restarts the PSU
Monday night MFA Lecture series. Dave McKenzie will lecture tonight at 8:15. According
to the announcement Mr. McKenzie explores attempts at communication, and the humorous,
heroic, touching and sometimes sad moments that define these attempts. His sculptures,
videos, installations and performances are motivated by the desire to imbue mundane
objects and gestures with deeper emotional or cultural significance.His concurrent
show at small A projects
should round out your experience of the artist.
Dave McKenzie Open to the public • FREE Mon • Jan 8 • 8:15p 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 • 510 SW Hall St. (on the corner of SW 5TH & Hall on the PSU Campus) Future lectures include: Rigo 23, Loren Schwerd, Byron Kim, Zach Moser, Lisa Sigal, Melinda Stone, Marc Joseph and Shaun O'Dell Posted by Melia Donovan on January 08, 2007 at 10:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 01.05.07 Photography and Public Discourse-Not What You Think....
A couple of off-general-art-schedule events to note that might be of interest
to you, loyal reader. Both are local, sustainable and organic. Consume with worry-free
abandon....(more)
Posted by Melia Donovan on January 05, 2007 at 9:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.04.07 First Friday Picks for January  James Ewing at Newspace Newspace puts on a good-looking show of work by James Ewing and Whitney Hubbs. Ewing exhibits a body of work shot while on a yearlong Fulbright fellowship to Tunisia in 2004. He documents the tension and syntheses between three distinct cultural forces at play within the country; Arabic, European colonial, and contemporary globalization. Whitney Hubbs uses a highly personal visual vocabulary to interpret everyday experience. Opening Reception • 7-10pm • Jan. 5-28 Newspace • 1632 SE 10th Ave. • Tel. 503.963.1935 Posted by Jessica Bromer on January 04, 2007 at 4:19 | Comments (12) PermalinkWednesday 01.03.07 First Thursday Picks for January  Storm Tharp, The Duke of Albuquerque, 2006 At PDX, the always-impressive Storm Tharp shows new ink and gouache works inflected with touches of psychadelia and japonisme. Carrie Iverson shows Survey, an installation dealing with memory and surveillance, in the PDX Window Project. Opening Reception • 6-8pm • January 2-27 PDX Contemporary Art • 925 NW Flanders • Tel. 503.222.0063 .....................(more) Posted by Jessica Bromer on January 03, 2007 at 5:54 | Comments (4) PermalinkMonday 12.11.06 Outer and Inner Space: Films of Andy Warhol  Cinema Project offers two opportunities to catch Andy Warhol’s Outer and Inner Space and ten of Warhol’s screen tests featuring Lou Reed, Susan Sontag, and John Cale this evening and tomorrow night at the New American Art Union....(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on December 11, 2006 at 9:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 12.10.06 I Want to Show You Somewhere 
Be sure you don't miss "I want to show you somewhere" at Reed College's Cooley Gallery, which Lucien Samaha's installation of 98 unmarked photographs culled from his extensive archives relay a much different kind of history. For the duration of the exhibition, Samaha has occupied a temporary office within the gallery, allowing visitors to select one photograph from the exhibition. Only after the visitor has taken the photograph and reciprocated the gesture – the artist requests that visitors send a digital image of the photograph at a location of their own choosing – does Samaha allow access to an online archive of images that include accompanying texts explaining the significance of each autobiographical photograph. In the event you don't make it to the gallery, an interview with Reed student Matt Burke is available on Samaha's web site. Noon to 5 pm • Through December 17 • Cooley Art Gallery Hauser Memorial Library at Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard Posted by Katherine Bovee on December 10, 2006 at 10:33 | Comments (4) PermalinkWednesday 12.06.06 First Thursday Picks for December  Jenny Saville at Quality Pictures NKOTB Quality Pictures inaugurates their Hoyt St. space with work by Cindy Sherman, Jenny Saville, Nikki S. Lee, Sue de Beer, Larry Sultan, Kara Walker, Glen Brown and Katy Grannan, among others, promising to keep the opening going until 11pm and evidently ordering enough food to warrant mentioning the opening's caterers (Planet B's Modern Tastes) in the press release. Sounds almost too good to be true...will they ask for our immortal souls at the door? Ascendant local Holly Andres will join the formidable ladies and gentlemen listed above in POW! Pictures of Women, an exhibition of works that investigate female aesthetic power beyond the bland confines of traditional standards of beauty. Running simultaneously, Chris Verene's Self Esteem "will feature photographs by Mr. Verene that examine the role of photographed image and its effect on an individual's self esteem. Works in this exhibit will be primarily drawn from Verene's 'Self Esteem Salons' and from early work. Verene's 'Salons' are a performance artwork wherein he builds a temporary sanctuary to be used in helping strangers-'clients'-to make a sincere and lasting change in their lives." Opening Reception • Dec. 7, 6-11pm • POW! Pictures of Women: Dec. 7-30 • Self Esteem: Dec. 7 - Jan. 27 Quality Pictures • 916 NW Hoyt • Tel. 503.227.5060 ..........(more) Posted by Jessica Bromer on December 06, 2006 at 5:06 | Comments (2) PermalinkSunday 12.03.06 James Lavadour at PSU 
Portland's favorite "greatest painter", James Lavadour, will be this season's final PSU MFA Monday night lecture guest... The season will resume in early January, with a lecture on January 8 by Dave McKenzie, a Brooklyn-based artist who will be presenting his second solo exhibition in Portland with Tomorrow Will be Better at small A projects. Lecture · Monday, December 4th · 8:15 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema · 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Funded in part by PICA, PNCA, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel Posted by Katherine Bovee on December 03, 2006 at 19:00 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 12.02.06 Akram Zaatari for Cinema Project at NAAU  Today, a two-part series of screenings by Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari continues with his feature length documentary film This Day. This is Zaatari's second project in Portland - in Fall 2005, Mapping Sitting, his collaboration with Walid Raad, came to Reed's Cooley Gallery. This time, Zaatari was able to travel to Portland and is in attendance at all screenings. Many of the same themes are present in Zaatari's video work. Last Thursday, the three short films included a story of the last meeting between two friends, set in a once grand shopping district in Bereuit that was later destroyed during the Civil War; a documentary on several young males who relayed disarmingly frank stories of sexual conquest, in the process revealing their own vulnerabilities to social mythologies of virility and machoism; and a documentary about Zaatari's quest to recover a buried letter from a figure in the Lebanese resistance. Tonight, Zaatari will present a feature length documentary that uses archival images from Lebanon to explore the notion (or delusions) of photographic truth. This Day [2003, video, color, sound, 86 min] Saturday, December 2nd · 7:30 p New American Art Union 922 SE Ankeny Street · 503.231.8294 Suggested donation: $6.00 · Members: $3.00 Presented by Cinema Project in collaboration with Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery, Reed Posted by Katherine Bovee on December 02, 2006 at 8:46 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.30.06 Kenton Firehouse Sale  Work by Hilary Pfeifer Avoid the hassle of the mall this holiday season and instead support some very talented artists. The third annual Kenton Firehouse Sale is this Saturday Dec. 2. Juried this year by Namita Wiggers, curator for Contemporary Craft Museum and Gallery and Portland artist Marie Watt, the one day sale features a range of work including fuzzy ornaments, felted wearables, and simple but sexy jewelry. Artists participating in the sale this year: Cristina Aucone, Tierney Brachear,Clare Carpenter, Tripper Dungan, Al Flory, Julie Fulkerson, Margaret Gardner, Shelly Hedges, Junko Iijima, Madoka Ito, Hilary Pfeifer, Suzy Root, Rebecca Scheer, and LeBrie Rich. Shop and be merry. Kenton Firehouse Sale Saturday, Dec. 2 • 11a-6p 8105 N. Brandon St. • Portland, OR Posted by Jenene Nagy on November 30, 2006 at 19:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkFirst Friday Picks for December First Friday is upon us!
 Bruce Conkle photographed by Marne Lucas Sitting City: Portland Artist Portraits by Marne Lucas promises to be a December highlight. These seventeen images of prominent locals artists hint at the both the moments of joy and bouts of melancholy that are part and parcel of the imaginatively lived life. Her casually sophisticated portraits suggest empathetic identification with her subjects, as in this strange, sweet shot of Bruce Conkle simultaneously revealing his inner child and inner monster. Also showing this month at Mark Woolley's newly consolidated home at the Wonder Ballroom location: Only For Seeing, new drawings and watercolors by Arnold Pander and Denizens: Screenprints and Drawings by Casey Burns. Opening Reception • 6-9:30pm • Dec.1-30 Mark Woolley Gallery • 128 N.E. Russell (near MLK) at the Wonder Ballroom • T. 503.284.3636 ..........(more) Posted by Jessica Bromer on November 30, 2006 at 7:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 11.26.06 Jeanne C. Finley at PSU 
The PSU Monday Night MFA lecture series continues with a talk by experimental film producer, artist and CCA professor Jeanne Finley. Working with diverse subject matter - including an account of an American-Russian matchmaking trip, a young girl's experiences at a Baptist youth retreat, the story of a former Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon and narratives from two Muslim women living in Instanbul - Finley returns again and again to the documentary form to explore the relationship between individual identity, cultural forces and the forms of media through which these experiences are mediated... Lecture · Monday, November 27th · 8:15 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema · 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Funded in part by PICA, PNCA, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel Posted by Katherine Bovee on November 26, 2006 at 15:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 11.19.06 Marc Horowitz at PSU 
You have two chances to see this week's PSU Monday Night Lecture series guest. Los Angeles-based artist Marc Horowitz will lead a free public workshop at PSU on Monday at 1pm and will present a lecture later that evening. Horowitz is an SFAI grad, a funny guy and an artist whose "social research" often teeters on the border between conceptual art and publicity stunt. In 2004, he gained notariety by scrawling "Dinner w/ Marc", along with his personal cell phone number, on a white board in the set of a Crate and Barrel photo shoot. The catalogs were distributed and Horowitz not only received several thousand of phone calls, but also caught the attention of the mass media. Other projects have included an Errand Feasibility Study, in which Horowitz rode a pack mule through San Francisco while running his daily errands. In 2004, the artist ran a 1500-foot extention cord from his kitchen to a nearby park each Saturday, providing power for his coffee pot so that he could serve passers-by free coffee... Free public workshop · Monday, November 20th · 1p PSU Art Building · 2000 SW 5th Ave Lecture · Monday, November 20th · 8:15 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema · 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Funded in part by PICA, PNCA, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel Posted by Katherine Bovee on November 19, 2006 at 16:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.16.06 You can dance if you want to  PORT strongly advocates automotive safety. All too often, we find ourselves surrounded by drivers laboring under the false impression that commonsense precautions, like buckling up and respecting posted speed limits, are uncool. Luckily, some of the brightest lights of the local art community have teamed up to dispel this myth with a one-day event bound to show safety-haters that road respect isn't just prudent; it's also hip and happening. On Saturday, November 18th, Joe Macca, Ryan Wilson Paulson and AmyEllen Flatchested Mama Trefsger will host Safety Dance, an event/exhibition of artwork created around the theme of Fluorescent (Safety) Orange. The following artists will contribute work to the "Porch Gallery": Brad Adkins, Brenden Clenaghen, Arcy Douglas, Jessica Eastburn, Ellen George, Jesse Hayward, Scott Hensala, Walter Lee, Joe Macca, Tim Nickodemus, Ryan Wilson Paulsen, Stephanie Robison, Adam Sorensen and Sean Sterling. Says Macca, "Safety Dance is a one-day event intended to raise awareness in the neighborhood about the speeding on SE 41st avenue between Holgate and Steele. It's a 25 mph residential zone, but people drive 40 mph. The goal of our event is to generate interest in the neighborhood to permanently slow the traffic down. If you live on 41st and are as irritated as me, please come by to talk about it." Safety Dance: Sat., Nov. 18th, 10am-4pm • Joe Macca's House 4614 SE 41st Avenue (just off Holgate) Posted by Jessica Bromer on November 16, 2006 at 16:42 | Comments (7) PermalinkRound Up
4 Shows: 2 Here and 2 Beyond
GREEN LIGHT GREEN LIGHT THE GAME SHOW OUT THE WINDOW LOADED, NAILED, SHORT ON CASH Posted by Melia Donovan on November 16, 2006 at 10:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.15.06 RAD!  Lance Mountain Culled from his extensive personal archive, Portland artist Stephen Slappe screens some of his favorite skateboard films tomorrow night. Rolling Deep: Skateboarding Films, 1965-1980 features six shorts including "Skaterdater", winner of the Golden Palm for Best Short Film at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. Come watch the history of the sport unfold on the Big Screen. Rolling Deep: Skateboarding Films, 1965-1980 Thursday Nov. 16 • 7p and 9p (two screenings) Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton St. • Portland, Or $6 (CASH ONLY!) Posted by Jenene Nagy on November 15, 2006 at 13:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.14.06 Jim Coddington Lecture  Tomorrow night Reed College brings in Jim Coddington, Chief Conservator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, to give a talk about art conversation issues. Both a craft and science, conservation has recently moved into the spotlight. Opened earlier this year, the Lunder Conservation Center exposes visitors of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery to what happens behind the scenes. And because they need to look fantastic doing it, the conservators wear smocks specially designed for them by Isaac Mizrahi. With the increasing number of media works and less than traditional materials being used in art making, Coddington should have plenty of interesting topics for the night. Jim Coddington lecture Wednesday, Nov. 15 • 7p Reed College • Vollum Lounge 3203 SE Woodstock • Portland, Or Free Posted by Jenene Nagy on November 14, 2006 at 14:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 11.12.06 Mark Newport at PSU 
Mark Newport's knitted costumes and embroidered comic book covers combine masculine superhero fantasies with the kinds of subversive appropriation of feminine domestic handcraft that has resurged in the past decade. Newport's work finds resonance in everything from Jim Drain's knitted bodysuits for Forcefield to Dave Cole's oversized knitting machine and work of DIY craft artists like Jenny Hart, who is part of Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery's New Embroidery show, which ends today [disclosure: I am Visual Media Coordinator at Contemporary Crafts]. On Monday, Newport will be the featured PSU MFA Lecture Series guest, coinciding with the opening of his solo show at PSU's Autzen Gallery. The exhibition, entitled Heroic Endeavors, "will feature wearable costumes hand knit by the artist that are based on 'heroic' masculine role models such as the cowboy hero from the 60s and 70s as well as the classic comic book superheroes such as Batman and Superman. A series of prints plus a bedcover will accompany the costumes and expand on the visual language of comic books and the narratives suggested by the costumes." Lecture · Monday, November 13th · 8:15 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema · 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Funded in part by PICA, PNCA, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel Special Exhibition Hours · Monday, November 13th · 6:30 to 8 p Through December 7th · Autzen Gallery · Portland State University · 2nd Floor, Neuberger Hall, 724 SW Harrison Street Posted by Katherine Bovee on November 12, 2006 at 9:18 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 11.11.06 Bargaintastic benefit tonight 
Ahhh the bargain hunting holiday art sale season is in full swing and to that end Gallery Homeland presents Residence, a benefit art sale geared towards art lovers and new collectors. Over 50 artists have contributed their best affordable works to benefit Homeland's Residency and National/International art exchange program. Here's the list: Nicole Amore, Holly Andres, Josh Arseneau, Joe Beil, Troy Briggs, Chris Buckingham, Ali Cook, Sam Coomes, Brent Comstock, Bruce Conkle, Tim Dalbow, Marguerite Day, Nick diSessa, Fred Fliesher, Liz Haley, Kim Hamblin, Meg Hanson, Jimmy Hatch, Scott Wayne Indiana, Ryan Jeffery, Chris Johanson, JoAnn Kemmis... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on November 11, 2006 at 11:52 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.10.06 Sound and Video Festival  sound artist Oliva Block Celebrating the release of their 5th issue "Autonomy", FO(A)RM magazine is presenting a Festival of Sound and Video at the Portland Art Center. The magazine, published once-yearly, presents investigative projects with a special focus on sound-art, experimental poetics and social sculpture. Each issue clusters around a given topic, gathering together a variety of perspectives, methods and articulations - from the extravagant to the pedestrian (and the juncture between). Included in the festival will be work from man-about-town Mack McFarland, who will be featured in the Northwest Biennial, and an experimental video from the multi-faceted Melody Owen. The lineup also includes critically acclaimed electro-acoustic composer Olivia Block, minimalist drone artist Seth Cluett, local avant-folk accordionist Luc, and ethereal noise trio Borborygmus (Jonathan Sielaff/David Hirvonen/Jean-Paul Jenkins), along with a screening of abstract video curated by Morgan Currie and an ongoing barrage of installed video, ranging from the conceptual to the non-linear and fragmentary. Tickets can be purchased here, and will not only get you in the door, but will also get you $2 off the latest issue of the magazine. FO(A)RM Magazine • Festival of Sound and Video Portland Art Center 32 NW 5th Avenue • Portland, Or Saturday, Nov. 18 • 8p $8/avdance • $10/door Posted by Jenene Nagy on November 10, 2006 at 17:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 11.04.06 Too Much To Do, Too Little Time  Jenny Hart, This Work Never Ends, 2003 hand stitched embroidery on vintage linen, 11 x 11 inches collection of the artist Monday night promises amazing feats of travel as art-o-philes zip above the city of Portland on their hovercrafts to enjoy a bonanza of lectures all spaced conveniently 30-45 minutes apart…or about as long as it will take to get from one place to another. PSU, Reed College and PNCA/Contemporary Craft are all inviting you to fill their seats and listen at approximately the same time. Unfortunately, the technology's not quite there and you’re going to have to choose. Don’t the people in charge of the schedule know each other? Might I suggest a nice coffee date before the next scheduling session with calendar in hand? It would be one thing if something was happening every night, but this ain’t NYC people. There are other days of the week that are open, free and available-like Tuesday, for instance...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on November 04, 2006 at 8:57 | Comments (5) PermalinkThursday 11.02.06 First Friday Picks for November  "The show is called Driftwood Castle 'cause that's sort of what we're building. Yesterday we drove my pickup to the coast and loaded it up with driftwood, logs and big rocks. When Bwana and I,'Scrappers,' talked about designing the gallery space we both imagined a beach fort. Call it dumb or whatever, it just seems like the right thing to do." I wouldn't call it dumb at all, Scrappers. In fact, I, "PORT," have been contemplating building my own little fort, or better yet, bunker, ever since I read your press release. I think you've hit the nail on the head, zeitgeist-wise. Driftwood Castle, an exhibition/night of thematic revelry, will benefit Habitat for Humanity, serve as homebase for a 6pm scavenger hunt, and feature artwork by Bwana Spoons, Scrappers, Dawn Riddle, Ryan J. Smith, Martin Ontiveros, APAK, Le Merde, Souther Salazar, Jacob Macgraw, and Luke Ramsey, as well as David Wien, whose fantastical drawings are always well worth checking out. Opening Reception • 6-9pm Grass Hut • 811 East Burnside • 503.445.9924.....(more) Posted by Jessica Bromer on November 02, 2006 at 12:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.01.06 Lecture • Lou Cabeen • Reed College  Lou Cabeen, Legacy If you’re looking for an alternative to the first Thursday rounds or like to squish a lot of art into a short amount of time, make your way to Reed College for Lou Cabeen’s lecture “Home Embroidery: The Art and Craft of Domestic Pleasure”. Posted by Melia Donovan on November 01, 2006 at 9:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.31.06 First Thursday Picks for November 
Jesse Durost at Elizabeth Leach Every so often, Jesse Durost surfaces somewhere in Portland to reveal the striking visual results of his experimentation in the realms of atmospherics and semiotics. With Hole in the Sky, Durost takes on the big subjects of Flag and Country. Catch him while you can during his 5-day turn in Elizabeth Leach's main gallery. MK Guth's Growing Stories has been extended and will occupy Leach's smaller space through November 4. Later in the month, Elizabeth Leach Gallery will commemorate 25 years in the art business with A Century of Collage, a survey show in which works by renowned artists Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Motherwell and Kiki Smith will share wall space with collages by locals Judy Cooke, Lee Kelly and Michelle Ross. A Century of Collage runs Nov. 11-Dec. 30. Reception for Hole In the Sky • Nov. 2, 6-9pm • Oct. 31-Nov.4 Elizabeth Leach • 417 NW 9th Ave. • Tel. 503.224.0501 ...(more) Posted by Jessica Bromer on October 31, 2006 at 19:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkNew Directions @ the Archer Gallery  Daniel Barron Once again, Marjorie Hirsch makes it so worth your while to make the trip north. Following the huge success of the Margie Livingston exhibition, this month the Archer Gallery is showing Current Photography: New Directions, featuring the work of eight very up and coming artists. Not to be missed are the sexy, milky images of Daniel Barron and some really fresh work from Portlander Liz Haley. Also included in the exhibition are Holly Andres, Blake Andrews, Amy Archer, Mark Hooper, Tamara Lischka, and Grace Weston. The boundaries of the photographic medium are reevaluated and reapplied, with each artist demonstrating a conceptual prowess that delivers maximum results. Opening reception with many of the artists in attendance, Wednesday November 1, 4-7p. Exhibition runs until December 1. Regular gallery hours are: Tues. – Thurs., 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sat & Sun 1 – 5 p.m. Current Photography: New Directions Archer Gallery • Penguin Student Union Building, Clark College Ft. Vancouver Way • Vancouver, WA Free Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 31, 2006 at 14:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.27.06 Vanessa Renwick at PSU  Vanessa Renwick, Portrait #2: Trojan Filmmaker Vanessa Renwick will be the next guest in PSU's MFA Monday Night Lecture Series. Renwick's Portrait #2: Trojan, her elegy to the formidable architectural presence of the recently demolished Trojan nuclear power plant, recently gained accolades as part of the 2006 Oregon Biennial and was screened at the Austrian Viennale earlier this month. Renwick's current projects include Critter, a feature length documentary about the reintroduction of grey wolves into the West, slated for release sometime next year. Next in the series: Jessica Jackson Hutchins on Nov 6th Lecture · Monday, October 30th · 8:15 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema · 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Funded in part by PICA, PNCA, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 27, 2006 at 8:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.23.06 Two Opportunities to Hear Karrie Jacobs Speak
Karrie Jacobs, co-author
of The
Perfect $100,000 House: A Trip Across America and Back in Pursuit of a Place to
Call Home (published by Viking), contributing editor at Metropolis
Magazine, regular contributor to Travel
+ Leisure, and founding editor-in-chief of Dwell
will be in Portland for two engagements....(more)
Posted by Melia Donovan on October 23, 2006 at 9:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 10.21.06 Jeffry Mitchell at PSU 
Seattle-based artist Jeffry Mitchell will be the next PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture series guest. Mitchell's decorative ceramics and delicate drawings revel in the cute and the kitsch and his solo show at Pulliam Deffenbaugh last March showed off his ongoing fascination with the high/low dialectic... Lecture · Monday, October 23rd · 8:15 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema · 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Funded in part by PICA, PNCA, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 21, 2006 at 7:59 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 10.20.06 McMakin Lecture at Portland Art Museum  Roy McMakin, A Slatback Chair, 1998. Eastern Maple with enamel, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery and James Harris Gallery, Photo: Mark Woods Jennifer Gately's first post-Biennial endeavor as the Portland Art Museum's Curator of Northwest Art, the APEX series, was initiated earlier this month with the opening of an exhibition of work by Roy McMakin. Focusing on small shows highlighting the work of Northwest artists, the series will allow the Museum to have the kind of responsiveness to contemporary art of this region that the community has been demanding for quite some time now. This Sunday marks the first in a series of lectures associated with APEX, bringing in this Seattle-based artist for a discussion of his work, which plays between object and concept through work in both traditional media, furniture design and architecture. APEX lecture with Roy McMakin · Sunday, October 22nd · 2 pm Portland Art Museum · 1219 SW Park Ave · Tel. 503.226.0973 Admission: $5 Members, $10 Non-Members (includes museum admission) Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 20, 2006 at 16:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkTee Time  What could possibly be cooler than mini-golf? How about artist-designed mini-golf in one of the hippest bars in the city? That's right folks; Holocene will host its 3rd annual Mini Golf Art Invitational next Tuesday and Wednesday. The high ceiling converted warehouse is a perfect setting for this art and design spectacle...(more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 20, 2006 at 16:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.17.06 Save the Date! Art Book Sale! 
If you’re anything like me, you hoard, collect and squirrel away art books and catalogues. The perfect opportunity to expand your holdings is coming up this Friday and Saturday from 10 to 4. The Portland Art Museum’s Crumpacker Family Library will be selling hundreds of new and used art books at reasonable prices....(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on October 17, 2006 at 19:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkIllegal Art panel discussion Thursday October 19th Just a heads up, I'm taking part in a panel discussion for the Illegal Art Show at PNCA on Thursday October 19th. The topics will range from; copyright and art, symbolic economies, intellectual
property vs. freedom of expression, fair use laws, and much more. It's a good
show that I reviewed in part here.
The panel features; Carrie Mclaren (moderator, main curator for the Illegal Art Show and founder of Stay Free Magazine), John Calvelli (PNCA Faculty, Design Dept.), Kohel M Haver (Partner in Swider Medeiros Haver LLP, Portland Oregon, specializing in all types of arts, copyright, publishing, arts and entertainment law), Jeff Jahn (co-founder of PORT, artist and director/curator for Organism), Lydia Loren (Dean and Professor of Law Lewis and Clark College), Jim Riswold (artist and longtime creative director for Portland ad agency Wieden & Kennedy). Should be fun... I plan to work counterfeiting and Las Vegas' appropriation of other cities skylines for the purpose of tourism into the mix as well. Thursday Oct. 19th 7pm @ Swigert Commons PNCA 1241 NW Johnson St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 17, 2006 at 11:35 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 10.14.06 On Nuclear Time: Julia Bryan-Wilson at PSU 
Last week, Houston-based artist Robert Pruitt kicked off the PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture series. Working with materials and ideas that he mines from the African-American communities that he grew up in, Pruitt forces a confrontation between the white box and black identity. Pruitt toes the line between his use of stereotypes and true cultural artifacts, citing rap culture, gold chains and Air Jordans alongside tongue-in-cheek allusions to everything from 70s conceptual art practice to Duchamp's ready-mades and Koons' love of commodity... This Monday, Julia Bryan-Wilson will give a lecture entitled On Nuclear Time. Though the press release did not reveal much detail about the talk, it appears to be part of an ongoing project looking at the social implications of nuclear technology... Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 14, 2006 at 10:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.13.06 End of an Era  Sadly, this weekend is the last annual open house party at the famous 333 Studios. The building has been a creative hotbed for ten years and their annual party is always excellent. Beyond the space being super arty and gorgeous, the building houses excellent artists including John Brodie, David Eckard, Carol Ferris, Gilles Foisy, Cecilia Hallinan, Stephen Hayes, Robin Hoffmeister, David Inkpen, Una Kim, Blair Saxon-Hill and Marty Schnapf. Stop by and show some support to a great group of artists who will soon start the awful process of finding a new, affordable home. 333 Open Studio Party 4-9PM Saturday • 12-4PM Sunday 333 NE Hancock, upstairs • Portland, Or Free Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 13, 2006 at 17:50 | Comments (2) Permalinkopening at small A projects tonight  Surface to Air, 2006 Opening reception tonight at small A projects that will include a *nightviewing* at 8:30p of Diana Puntar’s show “An Hour On The Sun”....(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on October 13, 2006 at 10:57 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 10.09.06 What Is Kymaerica?  "Tunnel", 2003, Kymaerica series Artist and geographer-at-large, Eames Demetrios (grandson of the great Charles and Ray) has created what he considers a "three-dimensional stroytelling experience" consisting of installations, performances, songs, and lectures. Nicely wrapped up in a dense website, Demetrios has invented an alertnative universe as a way to see past a world we think is inevitable. Noteworthy Kymaerican sites accross America "discoved" by Demetrios have been recogonized with plaques, describing the site and its revelance to Kymaerica. This Tuesday night is a chance for you to see one of these sites in person and participate in the dedication ceremony. All this sound strange? Yes, to me too, but just strange enough to be intriguing. That and the event is being graciously hosted by Portland artist Brenda Mallory. Kymaerica Dedication Tuesday, October 10 • 6:30pm Sidewalk in front of 2136 NE 10th Ave • Portland, Or RSVP: brenda@brendamallory.com Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 09, 2006 at 23:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.04.06 First Friday October 2006 
The 2005 National Juried Exhibition Winners at Newspace are J.Sofford of Portland, Jeffery Milstien of New York and Siri Kaur of LA. See their photographs on display as Newspace celebrates its fourth birthday. Opening reception: Friday October 6th, 7 to 10p. • Through October 27, 2006. Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 se 10th ave • 503.963.1935 The New American Art Union has recreated the studio space of artist Rose Willow McCormick inside the gallery. Each Saturday during the month of October she will complete a live painting in the duplicated studio. The Bushwick Paintings includes work on display from a year-long sabbatical in Brooklyn . Colorful, familiar, tranquil but loud, and varied. Show runs September 30 to October 29, 2006 • First Friday Reception: (time not listed) NAAU • 922 se ankeny st • 503.231.8294 more.... Posted by Nicky Kriara on October 04, 2006 at 23:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 10.03.06 October First Thursday 2006 
Mark Zirpel, Eye Chart, kilnformed glass, 2005. Bullseye Gallery. The International Exposition of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art, or SOFA , is an annual exhibition that takes place next month in Chicago. The Bullseye Gallery is one of 90 galleries invited to participate. This month the gallery is hosting a SOFA/Chicago 2006 Preview of the work heading to the Midwest. The preview consists of fourteen artists who have shaped glass at North Lands Creative Glass in Scotland. Preview Reception: October 3, 5:30 to 7:30p • Exhibition runs September 19 - October 21, 2006. First Thursday Reception: October 5, 5 to 8p Bullseye Gallery • 300 nw 13th ave • 503.227.0222 MK Guth is showing at Elizabeth Leach . Her work combines a narrative of fairytale (often the disturbing parts, not the happily ever afters) with video art. In Growing Stories, she "explores life through the context of a fable using footage from popular films and sitcoms as a backdrop." Preview Reception: October 4, from 6 to 8p • First Thursday Reception: October 5, from 6 to 9p Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 nw 9th • 503.224.0521 more..... Posted by Nicky Kriara on October 03, 2006 at 13:23 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 09.26.06 Round Table and Big Building  Ulrika Andersson Both of our friendly neighborhood NPOs have interesting events for you to enjoy this week...(more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on September 26, 2006 at 19:42 | Comments (1) PermalinkSunday 09.24.06 Using Global Media-Workshop Run By Matthew Stadler
Hurry! Hurry! 3 Spots Left!
Monday evenings, starting October 2, from 6:30-9:30 Matthew Stadler will be teaching a workshop entitled Using Global Media. Posted by Melia Donovan on September 24, 2006 at 19:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 09.23.06 Huyghe Opens at Portland Art Museum  Pierre Huyghe, This is not a time for dreaming, 2004, Live puppet play and super 16mm film, transferred to DigiBeta. 24 minutes, color, sound, Photo: Michael Vahrenwald Today, Pierre Huyghe's video, This is not a time for dreaming, quietly opens at the Portland Art Museum. Huyghe is perhaps most famous for his 1999 collaboration with fellow Frenchman Philippe Parreno, No Ghost Just a Shell, in which they purchased rights to an anime character and allowed her to have a brief existence through a series of collaborations with other artists before symbolically putting her to rest. In This is not a time for dreaming, Huyghe revisits themes of unstable histories, reality vs. fiction, Modernist dreams and utopianism. Huyghe's video was commissioned in 2004 by Harvard University in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Carpenter Center, the sole building completed by Le Corbusier in the United States (and, interestingly, named after Harvard donors from Southern Oregon). Staged as a marionette show, Huyghe's film relays the history of the building and the process that Le Corbusier undertook in building the Carpenter Center, while documenting his own experiences in making this video. Through December 31st · Portland Art Museum · 1219 SW Park Ave · 503.226.0973 Admission: $10 General, Free for members Posted by Katherine Bovee on September 23, 2006 at 11:37 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 09.19.06 Embroidery and the Prairie  Terry Evans The Contemporary Crafts Museum and Gallery has a great show opening this week. New Embroidery: Not Your Grandma's Doily boasts an impressive roster of artists including a personal fav, the crafty and conceptual Hildur Bjarnadóttir. ...(more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on September 19, 2006 at 15:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.12.06 Answering Burning Magnesium Questions: Sutapa Biswas Tonight  Still from Biswas' Birdsong 2004 Join Sutapa Biswas tonight for a lecture and opening reception at Reed's Cooley Gallery. I was particularly taken with her bird paintings at Elizabeth Leach and a night filled with some rationalization for filming burning magnesium origami creatures sounds wonderful too. Lecture at 6:30 p.m., September 12th @ 314 Elliot Hall on the Reed College campus Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 12, 2006 at 10:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkTwo Talks  Margie Livingston Two noteworthy artist talks coming up... This week the Portland Art Museum hosts yet another installment of the Biennial Artists Speak lecture series. This week's line-up includes K.C. Madsen, Bill Will, and Lucinda Parker. Like the other Biennial talks, this will too be worth fitting in, even if you have been TBA-ing all week long. Biennial Artists Speak • Portland Art Museum Thursday Sept. 14 • 6-7p 1219 SW Park Ave. • Portland, OR Free with museum admission And after you have gotten your fill of TBA, head over the river to the gorgeous Archer Gallery to check out the first show of the season. Seattle artist Margie Livingston will have a exhibition of new paintings and will also be giving a talk about her work. Livingston's work was featured in the 2004 NW Biennial and in "Exploded View", a nice group show at Soil where she exhibited a 3D version of her heavily marked surfaces. An artist reception follows the talk. Margie Livingston • Artist Lecture and Opening Reception Wednesday Sept. 20 • 2:30p Archer Gallery • Clark College Penguin Student Union Building Ft. Vancouver Way • Vancouver, WA Free Posted by Jenene Nagy on September 12, 2006 at 10:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 09.10.06 Brad Adkins Will Take You On A Walk 
Legend has it that the powerful personality, Brad Adkins, can convince people to drive backwards along busy thoroughfares while listening to the devil’s music. Everyday during TBA Mr. Adkins has been chartering a tour of sorts based on mundane events and the paranormal. There are 7 tours left and then it’s over. Catch the ride at 2pm daily at PICA headquarters through the 17th. Brad Adkins • Oh Yeah OK Daily, 2pm through Sept 17 TBA Central Box Office • 224 NW 13th Ave 503.224.7422 • Free Posted by Melia Donovan on September 10, 2006 at 20:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.08.06 Not your ordinary parking lot experience  What the hell is going on with that BMW and an electronically wheezing and buzzing portable construction site office around the corner from Harell Fletcher's awesome The American War for TBA? It is Taeglichdigital, a German artist group consisting of Benne Ender and Jan Northoff. It's part of TBA but there is little info on it except here. The installation is called,"The Bio Feedback Machine & The Temple of a Higher Something." This text from their website should clarify nothing for you: THe bFM is a universal responding SUPERviolent aPPERATURE. It feedsback not only the human spirit and energy, it is built to capture and transform a variety of...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 08, 2006 at 17:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkWhat the A is going on with your free time?  Jessica Jackson Hutchins' Iceland Collage OK seeing everything this weekend is next to impossible but if you arent going to Laurie Anderson tonight try this opening on for size. Besides it is right across from PICA's "The Works" at AudioCinema. Jessica Jackson Hutchins The War Never Left at Small A Projects. Landscape and human connections are the theme (is it just me or is that the general theme of 2005-2006?). Opening September 8, 6 to 9p • Through October 7th Small A Projects 1430 se 3rd • 503.234.7993 Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 08, 2006 at 10:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.06.06 Time Based Art Festival 2006 - Institute: Workshops, Chats, Lectures What follows is a complete listing of all workshops, Guest Lectures, and Chats concerning the Visual Arts during the TBA festival:
Time Based Art Festival 2006 - Institute: Workshops, Chats, Lectures September 7 - 17, 2006 Visit PICA's website for all the details. Visual Arts Workshop Isaac Peterson: Visual Art Criticism Thursday, Sept 7, 2pm Ecotrust Friday, Sept 8, 2pm Ecotrust PNCA Art History Professor Isaac Peterson gives a 2-day crash course on looking at and writing about contemporary visual art. Workshop includes a visit to TBA's visual art exhibitions. Must attend both days. Bring laptop if you have one (wireless is great) be ready to look, discuss and write! Lectures Mark Russell on The Bridge Monday, Sept 11, 6pm, Weiden + Kennedy Atrium Russell will talk about his own experiences of the history of performance and its future. James Yarker on Why Be a Professional Artist? (Workshop match: Stan's Cafe) Friday, Sept 8, 3pm, PNCA Why do you want to be an artist? Why do you want to do it professionally? Why do you want to do it now? With a wry sense of humor and almost fifteen years of experience as a professional artist, James Yarker offers up a compendium of strategies and practical advice for the incipient artist. (read more for all visual art events......) Posted by Isaac Peterson on September 06, 2006 at 15:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkTBA-David Eckard and the Corberry Press
Fortunate days are ahead for the cheap and lazy. Tomorrow kicks off an amazing
month of art in Portland-no need to buy airfare, it’s all coming to us.
PICA’s TBA
Festival provides an incredible opportunity to bask in the efforts of interesting,
thoughtful and engaging work. Wallow and take your fill – some of it only lasts
ten days....(more)
Posted by Melia Donovan on September 06, 2006 at 11:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.05.06 First Thursday September 2006  Sean Healy: Test Protector, cast pencils at Elizabeth Leach Sean Healy identifies with the social studies of high school bullies and the bullied in his new work at the Elizabeth Leach Gallery. Supernormal involves castings of rubber bands, pencils, and an extensive use of chewing gum. Opening September 7, 6 to 9p • Through Sept 30 Elizabeth Leach Gallery 417 NW 9th Ave • 503.224.0521 With City In A Box, Tad Savinar documents the small challenges that make up the complexities of our cities. Savinar uses bronze, digital prints, etched glass and other media to explore aspects of city life. Opening September 5, from 6 to 8p •Through Sept 30 PDX Gallery 925 NW Flanders St • 503.222.0063...(more) Posted by Nicky Kriara on September 05, 2006 at 10:04 | Comments (6) PermalinkGo Git Yer Grants Tonight in PICA's Resource Room, Sean Elwood (Creative Capital) and Kelly Cooper
(MAP Fund) offer a grant information session on their respective funding initiatives
for visual and performing and new genre artists. The Creative
Capital Foundation is a national nonprofit that "supports projects
that have the potential for significant artistic and cultural impact, that transcend
discipline boundaries and tell us something new about ourselves, our communities,
and the moment in which we live." The Multi-Arts
Production (MAP) Fund supports new works in all disciplines and traditions
of the performing arts. Their aim, "...is to assist artists who are exploring
and challenging the dynamics of contemporary live performance. In contrast to
the preservation of existing repertoire, MAP supports those creating the art
of our own time."
This talk is free and open to the public. So, if you like grant money (and who doesn't), you'd be silly to miss this. Tuesday, September 5th • 7p PICA • 224 NW 13th, 3rd Floor Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on September 05, 2006 at 0:01 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 08.30.06 Road Trip: Portland at the Henry  Storm Tharp, Old Sport, 2006, Ink on paper, Courtesy of the Artist and PDX Contemporary Art PORT's Northern readers won't have to experience Portland vicariously anymore (at least for a night)—Reed curator Stephanie Snyder, Oregon Biennial artists Kristan Kennedy and Storm Tharp, and several other Portland-based artists including Dana Dart-McLean and MK Guth will converge in Seattle this Thursday to discuss what's going on down here. The timing is appropriate, as Portland is already beginning to feel the rumbling of activity that could only mean one thing: it's Fall here in Portland, and we're about ready to begin a non-stop line-up that begins with time-based art, continues with a month of solid gallery shows and peaks in early October with our very own art fair. From the press release: "Check out the latest in art made just to the south. Stephanie Snyder joins special guests to discuss new activities in Portland and consider the work of Portland-based artists Kevin Abell, Dana Dart-McLean, Alex Felton, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Kristan Kennedy, MK Guth, Storm Tharp, and others. Part of what Snyder describes as Portland's 'representational imaginary,' the evening will consider an intergenerational group of Portland artists that explore 'self' through experimental film, drawing, painting, sculpture and social practice. These imagined and constructed self-discoveries are often created in dialog with art history, popular culture, and an interdisciplinary media practice signature to Portland's scene." The Return of Projections: Portland · Thursday, August 31st · 7 pm Henry Art Gallery · Henry Auditorium · University of Washington 15th Avenue NE & NE 41st Street, Seattle · Tel. 206.543.2280 Posted by Katherine Bovee on August 30, 2006 at 19:47 | Comments (1) PermalinkOld Joy at Cinema 21  Time is running out for you to catch the very Portland feeling Old Joy at Cinema 21. Based on a short story by writer, curator, and critic Jonathan Raymond, Old Joy not only sports some local landmarks but manages to truly capture the essence of living in Portland. Originally conceived as a book in collaboration with photographer Justine Kurland, the film retains the sumptuous beauty of the photos on which the story is based. Featuring musician Will Oldham and directed by Kelly Reichardt. Old Joy • Cinema 21 Last night Thursday Aug.31 616 NW 21st Ave • Portland, OR GA $7 (cash or check only) Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 30, 2006 at 14:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.29.06 Free Dennis Nyback Screening Tonight  Portland artist Mac McFarlan and film archivist Dennis Nyback have teamed up for this year's TBA festival presented by PICA. Entitled The Portland That Was, their collaboration looks quite promising. Tonight, as a thank you for all those who participated in the making of this project, McFarlan and Nyback along with Anne Richardson are presenting a special screening of films from Nyback's collection. The theme of the evening is Request Night and several people were asked what films Nyback should dig up. Included in the evening will be a 1960's American Cancer Society film featuring the television cast of Mission Impossible in which Peter Graves goes to the proctologist, along with many other gems. Thank You Screening for THE PORTLAND THAT WAS Whitsell Auditorium Tuesday, Aug. 29 • 7:30 PM 1219 SW Park • Portland, OR FREE Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 29, 2006 at 15:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.18.06 Biennial Artists Speak #2  Work by Storm TharpThe Biennial fun just doesn't end and this weekend you will get another chance to see more of the artists from the exhibit talk about their work. The second installment of the Portland Art Museum's "Biennial Artists Speak" lecture series hosts a strong group featuring Kristan Kennedy, Storm Tharp, and David Eckard. These talks provide an interesting opportunity to gain a greater understanding of individuals and their practice while establishing links between the artists as well. Biennial Artists Speak • Portland Art Museum Sunday August 20 • 2-3p 1219 SW Park Ave • Portland, Or Free to members or with museum admission. Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 18, 2006 at 15:36 | Comments (1) PermalinkIron Artist IV  Last year's winner of "Most Materials Used" Award This Saturday check out one of the most original fundraisers in town, Iron Artist IV benefiting SCRAP (The School and Community Reuse Action Project). The event features performances by the Sprockettes (all female mini-bike dance troop), March Fourth, and a beer garden. The main attraction of this high-energy celebration of creative reuse is a timed three-hour sculpt-off where 10 teams of scrap artists create sculptures from reused materials provided by SCRAP and other local reuse organizations such as The ReBuilding Center, Free Geek and the ReStore. Each team will receive boxes of similar materials and race against the clock to create their masterpiece. A theme for the sculptures will be announced when the competition begins, and in the end, a panel of local celebrity judges, including PORT's own, Jeff Jahn, will critique the final pieces and award the coveted Cup du SCRAP, a gold trash can adorned with Mardi Gras beads. Beyond just being a cool event to attend, SCRAP works to promote creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community. So get out there and show a little love. Iron Artist IV, SCRAP Benefit August 19th, 2006 • 12:30pm - 8:00pm In the Lot on the Corner of North Vancouver and Failing $5-20 sliding scale Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 18, 2006 at 13:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 08.10.06 Biennial Artist Talk  Donut Shop by Brittany Powell Tommorow night kicks off the first of a series of weekly gallery talks led by Biennial artists. Artists will discuss their working process, influences, and philosophies as they relate to the works presented in the Biennial. This week's talk features Brittany Powell, Jesse Hayward, and Pat Boas. The Oregon Biennial will be on exhibit at the Portland Art Museum until October 8.  Jesse Hayward  Pat Boas Biennial Artists Speak • Oregon Biennial Thursday Aug. 10 • 6-7pm Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park • Portland, Oregon Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 10, 2006 at 0:24 | Comments (3) PermalinkFriday 08.04.06 inClover  Small Herd by Brenda MalloryTomorrow is the one day open-air art show inClover curated by Portland artist Scott Wayne Indiana. Indiana selected inClover’s roster of artists for the thoughtful spatial engagement of their work; featured media include installation, illustration, painting and photography. Artists involved were encouraged to investigate and engage the exhibit’s outdoor environs within the brevity of the show’s run – one day only – while responding to the theme of the show’s summery title, inClover, which means “Living a carefree life of ease, comfort or prosperity.” (...more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 04, 2006 at 19:21 | Comments (1) PermalinkAugust First Friday  Alex Gross at Renowned Gallery Group Show • New Expressions in Fine Art Printmaking A diverse mix of etching, wood-blocks, screen-printing, xerox tansfers, and photo-gravures combined with storytelling, landscapes, and abstracted photography. Curated by Erik Sandberg of Los Angeles. Renowned Gallery • 811 e burnside 111 portland, or 97214 Opening Reception: 6:30 to 9:30 pm, Friday August 4. Closes August 31, 2006. Group Show • The Influence of Motorcycle on Contemporary Art This exhibit revs up the motorcycle culture through visual images. Curated by Rachel Sanders Fine Art and Design Inc. Guestroom 128 ne russell st portand, or 97212 • 503. 284.8378 Opening Reception: 5pm, Friday August 4. Closes September 16, 2006. ...(more) Posted by Nicky Kriara on August 04, 2006 at 11:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.01.06 First Thursday August 2006  James Lavadour's Boarder Camp, 2006 Sun Spots • James Lavadour • painting Lavadour exhibits a series of oil paintings based on landscapes and architectural under-paintings, which were layered and manipulated over the past six years. PDX Contemporary Art 925 nw flanders st pdx 97209 • 503.222.3068 Opening Reception: Aug 3, from 6 to 8p. Black and White • group show Compare and contrast black and white galore (!) from Linda Hutchins line drawings to Richard Serra's Etchings. Also Featuring Richard Diebenkorn, Brian Borrello, Richmond Burton, Greg Chann, G. Lewis Clevenger, Jerry Iverson, Marc Katano, Peter Millett, James Siena, Jeffery Simmons, Heather Larkin Timken, and Terry Winters. Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery 929 nw flanders st pdx 97209 • 503.228.6665 Preview Reception: August 2 from 5:30 to 7:30p. All My Clothes • Alicia Cortney Eggert • drawings, sculpture & installation This show reflects a series of studies relating to the ideas of ownership and identity that focus on the artist's personal wardrobe. Using common household objects and accessible materials, her artwork explores the essence of human nature in modern society. Valentines 232 se ankeny pdx Opening Reception: Aug 3, from 6 to 10p. Show ends Aug 31, 2006. Posted by Nicky Kriara on August 01, 2006 at 19:59 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 07.21.06 It might cool off....right?
Kitchen Sink: Welcome Home, Stranger
If you're not headed towards cooler weather and sticking around town this weekend there's an event taking place in St Johns that might make the heat bearable. 20 artists, 7 bands and 2 DJ’s will infiltrate a vacant house in St. Johns on July 22nd for a one-night-only multidisciplinary arts event titled Kitchen Sink: Welcome Home, Stranger. Invited visual artist's will fill the home’s empty rooms with site-specific installations. Band's in the backyard, performance, short films and a DJ-assisted dance party round out the festivities. Email kitchen.sink.art@gmail for more information. Saturday, July 22 • Doors at 3p, Music at 5p • 5037 N. Princeton $2-5 Donation. Posted by Melia Donovan on July 21, 2006 at 21:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 07.15.06 Sometimes a Flower is Just a Flower 
The details of Georgia O'Keeffe's life and complicated artistic and personal relationship with photographer Alfred Stieglitz have inspired scads of biographies and an inance devotion to dissecting the personal life of this iconic Modernist painter. For those who just can't get enough of O'Keeffee, writer and critic Hunter Drohojowska-Philp will give a talk this Sunday at the Portland Art Museum on Georgia O'Keeffe in the 1930s: A Woman Changed. Author of the recently published biography Works Full Bloom: The Art and Life of Georgia O'Keeffe , Drohojowska-Philp will discuss how O'Keeffe's struggle to balance her burgeoning career with her tumultuous relationship with Stieglitz drove her to leave Manhattan and establish herself in New Mexico in the 1930s. Tickets required. Call: 503.226.0973 Lecture •Sunday, July 16th • 2 p Fields Sunken Ballroom • Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park Ave • 503.226.0973 Admission: $10 General (includes entry into exhibitions), Free for members Posted by Katherine Bovee on July 15, 2006 at 10:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.07.06 First Friday July 2006  Corin Hewitt at Small A Projects Atlas of the Unknown Romanticisms of the Great Outdoors. Features Graham Anderson, Sarah Braman & Phil Grauer, Corin Hewitt, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Asha Schechter. Curated by Tina Kukielski. small A projects 1430 SE Third PDX 97214 503.234.7993 Opens July 7 from 6 to 9p. Portrait Show Over 35 local and formerly local Portland artists. Includes Storm Tharp, Paige Saez, Sean Healy, James Boulton, Kristan Kennedy and Isaac Peterson. Curated by Levi Hanes. The Hall Gallery 630 SE 3rd ave PDX 971.570.2290 Opens July 7 from 6 to 10:30 p. Closing Reception July 27 from 6 to 10:30 p. Posted by Nicky Kriara on July 07, 2006 at 10:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.05.06 First Thursday July 2006  Utopian Architecture by James Boulton at Pulliam Deffenbaugh James Boulton • painting A 2003 Oregon Biennial artist, his style is inspired by both abstract expressionism and grafitti culture. Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery 929 NW Flanders Portland, OR 97209 • 503.228.6665 First Thursday Opening July 6, 2006. 5:30 to 8p. Ends July 29, 2006. Oxygen Paintings • Joe Macca Focusing on giving breath color, Macca uses thin translucent coats of paint to meditate on moments of pleasure, pain, tension, joy, rage, etc. PDX Contemporary Art 925 NW Flanders Street Portland, OR 97209 • 503.222.0063 First Thursday Opening July 6, 2006. 6 to 8 p. Ends July 29, 2006. more........ Posted by Nicky Kriara on July 05, 2006 at 10:12 | Comments (2) PermalinkMonday 06.26.06 BBQ for PICA Artist-in-Residence • Tuesday, June 27 5-8p 
PICA artist-in-residence Matthew Day Jackson wants you to eat some hot dogs and add your voice to his project on Tuesday June 27 from 5-8pm. During the bbq he is inviting you to his studio to record your "sung" version of an air raid siren. These recordings will be incorporated into one of his pieces on view this Fall as part of TBA 06. Hang out or participate at this recording session and bbq. FREE Tuesday, June 27 • 5 - 8 pm Drinks and Dogs while they last(veggie dogs too!) Corberry Press • NW 17th + Northrup PICA Posted by Melia Donovan on June 26, 2006 at 2:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 06.20.06 Lawrence Robbin at Yes  Yes, a fashionable boutique that sits among the smart young businesses on lower Burnside, has been hanging art on the walls since they opened two years ago. This month is their most sophisticated and impressive showing to date. Lawrence Robbin spent a year living in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s as a photographer for the radical Los Angeles Vanguard. Documenting everything from notable personalities such as Charles Bukowski to absurd and bittersweet street scenes, these black and white photos capture not only the spirit and the style of the era, but also highlighted the tenderness, humor, and emotional complexity of the subjects. Although the photos stand on their own as historical documents, Robbin’s appreciation of composition and mastery of closing the shutter at the right moment give them life as works of art. Tonight, Robbin will be up from California to present fifteen works in the LA76 series. Lawrence Robbin • LA76 Artist Reception • Tuesday, June 20th • 7 to 10p Yes • 811 E Burnside Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 20, 2006 at 10:02 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 06.15.06 Don't Forget... PORT's one year anniversary celebration tonight!
Eurotrash Bash 8pm at Apotheke (1314 NW Glisan, Upstairs) with DJ van DIS We'll be announcing the winner of the first annual "Pretentious Art Writing Contest" Hope to see you there! Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 15, 2006 at 12:54 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 06.12.06 Reminder Thursday Just a reminder, PORT's 1 year anniversary party, the Eurotrash Bash along with
the results of our pretentious art writing contest will take place on Thursday
night 8:00 PM at Apotheke. Click here
for details. You have till Wednesday night to email me the writings ... and
because you asked, yes pseudonyms are kosher, this is a pretentious art writing contest afterall.
Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 12, 2006 at 19:01 | Comments (6) PermalinkFriday 06.09.06 Richard Rezac 
Saturday, the Portland Art Museum will play host to sculptor Richard Rezac’s work for a second time. The museum’s 1985 Oregon Artists Biennial debuted Mr. Rezac’s work 11 years after graduating from PNCA’s BFA program. Twenty-one years later, he is back with a selection of sculptures and drawings from 1998-2005...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on June 09, 2006 at 8:00 | Comments (3) PermalinkWednesday 06.07.06 Announcing the Eurotrash Bash & Pretentious Art Writing Contest for PORT's 1 Year Anniversary  To mark our 1st anniversary PORT announces: The Eurotrash Bash, 8:00PM June 15th at Apotheke, Portland's uber angular bastion of Northern European spirits and nosh • 1314 NW Glisan, Suite 2A (Upstairs). Come over, get your Gjetost on, meet PORT staffers and try some Zwak Unicum as you listen to the Europhile sounds of DJ van DIS. In conjunction PORT is announcing our first annual "Pretentious Art Writing Contest." Simply give us your most craven and pedantic prose somehow remotely related to art (either real or imagined) by emailing it to me on or by the 14th (a shadowy league of judges will decide). Yes you get points for name dropping but only to a point. Also, anyone caught simply copying from the Art Forum Diary or Okwui Enwezor will be publicly flogged in pioneer square for crimes against linguistic communication. To set the bar let this be a benchmark for your entries (on the scale of 1-10, 10 being most pretentious, this is a mere 7). The winning entry will be published on PORT and receive a dinner for two, complements of Le Happy, where you can feast on the veritable sea of undermined ironic pretenses distilled into their legendary Le Trash Blanc crepes. We will announce the winner of our pretentious art writing contest at the Eurotrash Bash. Thank You PORT sponsors, readers and staffers Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 07, 2006 at 0:00 | Comments (2) PermalinkFriday 06.02.06 Barney & Bjork • Drawing Restraint 9 • Opens Tonight 
LET THE FLENSING BEGIN! Have you been wondering what Matthew Barney has been doing for the last four years? Wonder no longer. Besides making babies with Bjork he's been making a new film with her... (more) Posted by Melia Donovan on June 02, 2006 at 8:00 | Comments (5) PermalinkThursday 06.01.06 First Friday June 2006 
Natalie Cartwright • Enamored, a photo travel diary Cartwright reflects on the wonders of her childhood with a photographic diary of a more recent journey through Japan. Moshi Moshi 811 east burnside portland or 97214 • 503.445.9924 Opening Reception Friday June 2, 6-9 p. Show ends July 1, 2006. grey|area • group show So-called theme-less, non-narrative, conceptual and abstract minimalism are part of the blurred-line of focus for this show, which could be really strong. Curated by TJ Norris. The 13 selected West Coast artists include Troy Briggs, Ty Ennis, Scott Wayne Indiana, Laura Fritz and Ellen George. Guestroom Gallery 128 NE Russell • 503.284.8378 Opening Reception Friday, June 2, 6 - 9 p. Runs through June 30, 2006. more..... Posted by Nicky Kriara on June 01, 2006 at 15:17 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 05.30.06 1st Thursday June 2006  Ellen George's Pulse at PDX Contemporary Art The Portland Art Center celebrates its official grand opening of it's newly renovated space in Old Town. Event includes installation by Barry Johnson, paintings on steel by Jeff Fontaine video and sound installation curated by Jason Frank and Andy Brown, and the Oregon College of Art and Craft Post-Baccalaureate Exhibition....... Posted by Nicky Kriara on May 30, 2006 at 22:45 | Comments (3) PermalinkMonday 05.29.06 The School of Panamerican Unrest 
Pablo Helguera's The School of Panamerican Unrest may sound like another artist-proposed, utopian vision for the future. And in many ways it is, although the Mexican-born, New York-based artist is trying to do much more than just revel in the impossible scope of his project. Housed in a mobile yellow structure resembling a one-room school house, the main component of the project is "a nomadic forum or think-tank that will cross the hemisphere by land, from Anchorage, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina, in Tierra del Fuego." Recognizing a greater potential for cross-cultural for communication between the nations that comprise the Americas, Helguera's SPU will host forums, panels, discussions, performances, screenings and collaborations between May and September 2006. Perhaps it has something to do with his recent 7-year stint heading up programs at the Guggenheim, but Helguera has pieced together what promises to be a truly engaging lineup of activities that will actually create dialog amongst English, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. The itinerary includes Portland, where Helguera and his yellow schoolhouse will be stationed May 30 through June 1 for a panel discussion, first Wednesday and First Thurday receptions and a performance by Helguera entitled Panamerican Fiction. After the schoolhouse departs for Alberta, Canada and a couple dozen other destinations throughout North, Central and South America, the artist will continue to send ephemera and other documentation to be displayed at PNCA's Feldman Gallery through July. The topic of Helguera's panels and discussions changes with each location. On Tuesday evening, Helguera—along with a panel that includes Red 76's Sam Gould, Harrell Fletcher, and Ian Greenfield (Lightbox Studios and the Oregon Bus Project—will engage in a panel discussion on The Portland Liberty Bell: Questions on Civil Disobedience. "On Nov. 21, 1970, a powerful bomb exploded behind Portland's City Hall, and arguably destroyed the State's bronze replica of the Liberty Bell. A urban myth that the Portland Liberty Bell was destroyed has never been fully dispelled, along with the open mystery of who carried out this and other terrorist acts—although it was largely suspected of students and civilian activists. This discussion explores that historic moment in Portland and the US and will include a discussion civil life and unresolved social or political conflict." Supported by PICA, PNCA, and RACC. Panel Discussion • Tuesday, May 30th • 7p Gallery Preview • Wednesday, May 31st • 6–8p First Thursday Opening • Thursday, June 1st • 6–9p Panamerican Fiction • Performance • Thursday, June 1st • 6:30p All events take place at: Feldman Gallery • PNCA •1241 NW Johnson • 503.226.4391 Posted by Katherine Bovee on May 29, 2006 at 18:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.25.06 Last Thursday? Oh Yes.  Dave McKenzie @ Small A Projects OK, I'm not going to lie to you, Last Thursday, the artwalk claimed by NE Alberta and co., doesn't usually "tickle my fancy" as it were. But, tonight there are a couple events worth a look-see... On Alberta, the productive and prolific Morgan Currie has spearheaded a Public Media Works project, The Vision Vessel. Tonight marks the kick-off for the first of over 18 installations of the Vessel throughout Portland over the course of the next 3 months. So, what is it? "The Vision Vessel is a multi-media recording booth where you can offer your ideas about the City of Portland as it grows and changes in the 21st century. Through text, voice recordings, and photographs, the Vessel creates a living archive of Portlander's insights, while offering a fresh, practical and innovative approach to urban civic engagement." That's right, wander into this mobile data machine, give your 2 cents and your input will be qualitatively analyzed and considered in public policy decision making. Beats the hell out of a town meeting, if you ask me. Thursday, May 25 • 5pm until late Vision Vessel • Alberta Co-op parking lot, at the intersection of 15th and NE Alberta. In Southeast, Small A Projects celebrates the opening of its video library with a screening of selections curated by Alex Felton and Kevin Abell. The Small A video library currently holds approximately 50 titles by 17 artists with new arrivals added each week. Tonight's screening includes works by Dave McKenzie, Alyse Emdur, Alex Felton, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, and Rachell Sumpter among others. Video Library Grand Opening Thursday, May 25 • 7 to 9p Small A Projects (loading dock) • 1430 SE Third Black Market Culture, a 17 month-old online art emporium showcasing the work of emerging artists (with street culture and urban-style leanings), presents an in-the-flesh exhibition at the Goodfoot. Tonight's show features work by Jesse Reno (currently showing at Zeitgeist), Lyla Emery Reno, Doug Boehm, Charlie Alan Kraft, Aimee Whatley, Mike Albury, Jason Brown, Keith Rosson, Kendra Binney, Justin Rock, Ashley Montague, Klutch, WP762, Tyler Kline, Cathie Joy Young, Lori Olds, Chris Haberman, Charlotte Foust, Zach Egge, Daniel Damocles Wall, Michael Fields and more. Grab a beer and a game of pool while you're there, and then there's a usually a kickin' soul-music dance party downstairs as the night wears on... Thursday May 25th, 2006 Black Market Culture Group Showcase @ the Goodfoot • 2845 SE Stark • Tel. 503.239.9292 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on May 25, 2006 at 0:11 PermalinkFriday 05.19.06 This Weekend Diesel Fuel Prints,
the world's largest publisher of screen printed rock art posters, housed right
here in Portland, marks their 15th year in business with the opening of a retail
store and gallery. Tonight they will be having a Grand Opening party at their
new facility featuring new paintings by Klutch. Andy Stern started Diesel Fuel
in 1991 and since then it has grown into the largest and one of the most respected
names in silk-screened art print shops. Portland-based artist Klutch (the curator
of the Vinyl Killers series seen at Zeitgeist), a street/stencil/skateboard
artist, has been continually creating visual mischief since his involvement
in the early 1980's punk and skateboard scenes. See what he's up to tonight with a new series and collaborative mural.
Grand Opening Party • Friday, May 19th • 6 to 9p Diesel Fuel Prints • 726 SE 10th Avenue On Sunday, as part of the Portland Art Museum's Critical Voices lecture series, Modern art scholar and curator Anne Rorimer presents "Context as Content: Installation Art in the '60s and '70s". The talk will cover the work of internationally recognized artists of the Conceptual period, whose projects have laid the groundwork for installation art as practiced worldwide today. Free for Museum members or included with Museum admission, call 503.226.0973 Sunday, May 21 • 2:00 p.m. Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park Avenue Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on May 19, 2006 at 13:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.18.06 Horia Boboia's Spring Collection opens tonight at Chambers 
Apparently Horia Boboia's "The Spring Collection" has arrived... with so much fashion activity in Portland the sophisticated PSU prof channels a meme and to top it off this latest show just drips with Max Ernst cool. I can't be there since I'm traveling, but you've got no excuse. Judging from the window a few days ago it looks like Chambers Gallery's best show to date. Boboia always looked good at Tracy Savage's spaces but never this good. Opens tonight Thursday, May 18 2006 5:50 - 8:30pm Also Featuring New Works by Guy Martelet at Chambers: 207 SW Pine Street No. 102 Portland, Or. 97204 Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 18, 2006 at 9:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 05.13.06 Take Mom to Weimar  Max Pechstein, Self-portrait with Pipe, 1921. Woodcut. Portland Art Museum, Museum Purchase: Helen Thurston Ayer Fund. (c) 2006 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn PAM's low key From Anxiety to Ecstasy: Themes in German Expressionist Prints is probably the single most satisfying museum show in the Pacific Northwest right now (I've gone 4 times). It features all of the big names like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Franz Marc, George Grosz etc. In fact, it's the best show I've ever seen at PAM in terms of depth and intellectual relevance. Early 20th century Germany was a heady melange of decadence, hedonism, industrialization, self expression, politics and an eventual fascist backlash. These expressionist artists defined existentialism before the term existed and unlike most prints, stand as some of the most important artistic accomplishments in any era. Look, Hitler hated this stuff and if your idea of cosmopolitanism is drinking something with Cointreau in it, get your lame intellectual credentials down to PAM to check this out. Yes expressionism was about internal angst but it was also about developing a culture of tolerance and general social engagement. On Sunday May 14th at 2:00PM there will be a lecture on the art and society of the early decades of 20th-century Germany by distinguished author and University of Oregon professor Sherwin Simmons. For tickets, call 503-226-0973. Bring Mom. Location: Portland Art Museum, Whitsell Auditorium Fee: Members: Free. Non-members: Included with Museum admission. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 13, 2006 at 16:12 | Comments (2) PermalinkFriday 05.12.06 PM4  Tonight, Portland Modern (gallery in print) celebrates the release of issue no. 4 with a party. Curated by Kristan Kennedy of PICA and Matthew Stadler of Clear Cut Press (+ more), the theme of the latest issue is "Saturation", expored through the work of Roberta Aylward, Amber Bell, Michael Boyle, David Corbett, Alexander Felton, Anna Fidler, Caleb Freese & Justin Gorman, Sarah Gottesdiener, Liz Haley, Levi Hanes, Mary Henry, Philip Iosca, Eva Lake, Jonathan Leach, Isaac Lin , Marne Lucas , Rae Mahaffey, Jeannie Manville, Chelsea Mosher, Daniel Peterson, Shawn Records, Spirit Quest (Khaela Maricich & Melissa Dyne), Amy Steel, and Casey Watson. Drop by the white-on-white euro-sexy Apotheke tonight to grab one of the first copies (and a drink or two). Tunes by DJ Stay in School. Friday, May 12 • 9p to 2a Apotheke • 1314 NW Glisan, Suite 2A (Upstairs) P.S., If you can't make it to the party, you can pick up a copy Saturday at the PM viewing room (1715 NW Lovejoy, 12 to 6p) or at Radius Studio (2515 SE 22nd Ave at Division, 11a to 5p). Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on May 12, 2006 at 12:37 | Comments (9) PermalinkThursday 05.11.06 So Awesome/Weird  Tonight at Reed is HAVOC IN SUBURBIA, an evening of gelastic puppetry and psychic geography. It's hard to say what absurdity will ensue but the image on the press release is so awesome/weird that I want to be there. The evening begins with the ubiquitous Matthew Stadler and Jon Raymond reciting their original collaboration, 23 Propositions on the West Hills. But then comes the real goods... MONKEY WREAKS HAVOC IN SUBURBIA, a theatrical exploration of the photographs of Gregory Crewdson inspired by the 16th Century Chinese novel The Journey to the West. After the puppet show the evening descends into "suburban twilight ecstasy" with the punk-posse band SHOW ME THE PINK. Beer and and snacks will be on hand. OK, so I wish this was just a weird puppet show and not necessarily a performance exploring Crewdson's work (I can't even imagine who dreamed up such an esoteric concept), but nonetheless, it looks pretty amazing. Rumor is Crewdson even posed for his own puppet-likeness. FYI, MONKEY WREAKS HAVOC IN SUBURBIA is suitable for children and they are invited to attend. I'm so there! Thursday, May 11 • 6:30pm Student Union at Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on May 11, 2006 at 8:42 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 05.06.06 Extra Sansory Perception  San Keller, Memosan Next Monday's PSU lecture will not only make your day, but will make your whole week, kicking off a 4-day long workshop/action with visiting artist San Keller. The work of this Swiss artist is smart and funny, with a thoroughly European sensibility. He works with the codes of the public space as well as of the exhibition space, very much in the vein of work by Jeppe Hein, a German artist whose work I saw for the first time on my last visit to Paris... (READ MORE) While here in Portland, Keller will initiate Make My Day, a project in which participants propose, realize and document a project in collaboration with Keller. 
Lecture • Monday, May 8th • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Proposal/Selection • Tuesday, May 9th • 2 - 8 p Valentines • 232 SW Ankeny • 503.248.1600 Public talk/presentation • Friday, May 12th • 2 p Valentines • 232 SW Ankeny • 503.248.1600 Posted by Katherine Bovee on May 06, 2006 at 10:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.05.06 p:ear blossoms vs. TADA Tomorrow night is a match of the dueling fundraisers: p:ear blossoms and PICA's
TADA. Lisa
Radon gives a thorough run-down of the blunder on Ultra and points out the
scheduling pickle that Portland's art patrons have been placed in with two major
benefits double-booked. Whatever floats your boat, it seems you can't go wrong.
Just pick one, at least, for goodness sake.
p:ear blossoms Saturday May 6, 2006 Wieden + Kennedy Atrium • 224 NW 13th Ave • 6 to 9p More info at pearmentor.org or call 503.228.6677 TADA Saturday May 6, 2006 AudioCinema • 226 SE Madison 6p • Patron Dinner hosted by AC Dickson 10p • PICA Birthday Party with entertainment by Fleshtone and Copy $10 members, $15 general at the door (Two Free Drink Tickets with admission) More info at pica.org or call 503.242.1419 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on May 05, 2006 at 12:47 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 05.03.06 1st Friday May 2006  Zoe Crosher's LAX Best Western at Small A Projects Out the Window (LAX) • Zoe Crosher • photography This LA based artist is getting international attention for her studies of transitional situations. Her latest series explores images taken from hotel rooms by the LAX airport. small A projects • 1430 se third avenue portland, or 97214 • 503.234.7993 Opening Reception May 5, 6-9p. Artist talk, 8p. Show ends May 27. group show • mixed media Paintings, illustrations and silk-screened images by Kelly Lynn Jones, Josh Cochran, Matt Haber, Allison Cole, Kelley McCarthy. Renowned • 811 east burnside suite 111 portland, or 97214 • 503.445.9924 Opening Reception May 5, 6 -9:30p. Show ends May 31. click below for more..... Posted by Nicky Kriara on May 03, 2006 at 21:07 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 05.02.06 1st Thursday May 2006  Torrent (detail) by Linda Hutchins at Pulliam Deffenbaugh Line Drawing • Linda Hutchins Using India ink, Hutchins' images "record a meditative practice involving the arc of the arm, the gesture of the hand, and the path of the gaze." The results reflect land, water, hair and other natural formations. Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery..... Group Show Zeitgeist is celebrating its nine-year anniversary this month, which is pretty good for any gallery and damn near eternal for the Everett Station Loft spaces--which tend to change hands pretty quickly. Owner and curator Paul Fujita opened this month's show to past exhibitioners ...(there is more).... Posted by Nicky Kriara on May 02, 2006 at 20:54 | Comments (5) PermalinkMonday 05.01.06 Kathryn Van Dyke at PSU 
Painter Kathryn Van Dyke will lecture tonight as part of PSU's Monday night lecture series. First seen in Portland at the Bay Area Bazaar show, Van Dyke has recently joined Pulliam Deffenbaugh's stable of artists. Her work was seen alongside Yoshi Kitai and Sian Oblak in last month's Introductions show. Monday, May 1 • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Posted by Katherine Bovee on May 01, 2006 at 8:59 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.27.06 Tokyo Flow 
Just over a year after W+K's John Jay and design giant Teruo Kurosaki held a public discussion about the state of Portland's creative culture and the need for more exchange between Tokyo and Portland, the dialog continues. Both Kurosaki and Jay are back, this time as part of a day-long symposium that also includes other notable guests like young designer Oki Sato and MoMA's Curator of Architecture and Design, Paola Antonelli. The theme is given as Tokyo Flow and the symposium not only contributes to the flow of dialog between Tokyo and Portland, but also takes a look at the ways in which Japanese populated culture has permeated the design world. Sessions include a discussion about otaku culture, a presentation by Sato and a panel on design strategies for the Japanese market. The evening discussion, moderated by Antonelli, takes an in-depth look at the exhibition on view in the Feldman, a collection of small objects from Tokyo collected by a group of "suitcase curators" that include Kurosaki and Sato. The revolution segues into a party on Saturday with PNCA's annual gala and afterparty, "Za Kurabu," featuring Tokyo breakbeat duo Hifana of the Wieden + Kennedy TokyoLab music label. Read on for a full symposium schedule. Tokyo Design Revolution II: Tokyo Flow • Friday, April 28 • 10:30am • 9:30pm Free and open to the public Pacific Northwest College of Art • 1241 NW Johnson Posted by Katherine Bovee on April 27, 2006 at 7:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 04.26.06 PDX Film Festival Begins Tonight Detail of still from Old Joy, which opens tonight The Portland Documentary and eXperimental Film Festival (PDX Film Fest for short) begins today and runs through April 30, 2006 at the Guild Theatre. Presented by Peripheral Produce and the NW Film Center, the festival will showcase provocative, artistic, and firmly uncompromising films from around the globe. The festival is an offshoot of Peripheral Produce, a video distribution label and screening series started by Portland filmmaker Matt McCormick. 2006 is the 10-year birthday of Peripheral Produce, and since it’s inception in 1996, Peripheral Produce has grown from a small, DIY project into an internationally respected venue and outlet for contemporary experimental cinema. festival highlights include: Old Joy: Portland Premiere with filmmakers in attendance tonight at 7:30. Shot in the Portland area and fresh from its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, the PDX Film Fest is proud to host the Portland Premiere of the new feature film Old Joy. Directed by Kelly Reichardt, the film stars musician Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy), was co-produced by PortlanderTodd Haynes (dir. Far From Heaven) and based on a novel by Portland author Jon Raymond. Those in the art scene have seen this project progress from a collaborative book project between Justine Kurland's photography and Jon Raymond's prose. I felt that the visuals overwhelmed the narrative in that initial collaboration but I suspect the re-writes and the filmaker's savvy brings this one around. (read more)for complete info and schedule... Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 26, 2006 at 5:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 04.24.06 Crewdson Lecture Tonight  Gregory Crewdson, Untitled (Summer Rain), Summer, 2004, Digital C-print, 64.25 x 94.25 in. Edition 5 of 6. Image courtesy of the artist and the Ovitz Family Collection, Los Angeles Don't miss the highly influential photographer Gregory Crewdson, who will be giving a lecture tonight @ Reed College's Vollum lecture hall, 7:00pm. Yes it is free so get there 25 minutes early for a good seat. Although I prefer his former student Justine Kurland, he is important-ish if you consider him as a part of a late 90's staging trend along with Matthew Barney's constructed cinematic stillness and Thomas Demand's equally staged/constructed photos. Crewdson's talk occurs in conjunction with the exhibition New Trajectories II: expansions, recent photography from the Ovitz Family Collection, at the Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery, Reed College, April 11–June 11, 2006 I reviewed Part I here and I promise to cover Part II in the coming weeks. Till then here is John Motley's review in the Merc and D.K. Row's interview in the O. Also, the Cooley Gallery will be open 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. the day of the lecture, so see it already! Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 24, 2006 at 21:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 04.21.06 Friday Night in NE Tonight Guestroom Gallery opens Compound Concoction curated by Katsu of Just
Be. Featuring a grip of young Japanese artists and a couple Americans, this
show seems to be the Dig Me Out show at Compound last fall redux, perhaps
with some new surprises. I'm interested to see what ZanPon's got up his sleeve
this time around. While you're over there, be sure to check out Dan Ness' solo
show at Woolley at Wonder.
Opening Reception • Friday, April 21 • 6 to 9 Guestroom Gallery • 128 NE Russell (Under the Wonder Ballroom) • Tel. 503.284.8378 *ADDITION Artist talk tonight at Tilt. Portland artist Brenda Mallory discusses the work in her current exhibition "Offcuts". "Working with the base form of an elongated oval, Mallory invents and reinvents structures through the use of various methods including stitching, burning, and cutting." Friday April 21 7:30pm • Free Tilt Gallery and Project Space • 625 NW Everett • Tel. 908.616.5477 Mark your calendars: May 6 is p:ear's 4th anniversary celebration and benefit, p:earblossoms. This annual benefit features food, wine, dance and an auction. p:ear is an awesome non-profit that builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthy lives. Saturday May 6, 2006 • Wieden + Kennedy Atrium • 6 to 9pm $75 per person or $130 for 2 More info at pearmentor.org or call 503.228.6677 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on April 21, 2006 at 13:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 04.16.06 Bill Daniel at PSU  On location during the filming of Who is Bozo Texino?
This Monday's guest lecturer at PSU is resident Portlander and filmmaker Bill Daniel. Daniel cut his teeth documenting the Austin punk scene in the 80s and has been working for over two decades documenting outsiders and subcultures. His work includes "Tresspassing Sign," made in collaboration with the late Margaret Kilgallen, and "The Girl on the Train in the Moon," a "hobo campfire installation" that was part of 2001's Widely Unknown show at Deitch Projects. Last year, Daniel debuted his feature length documentary on the history of hobo graffiti, Who is Bozo Texino? Monday, April 17 • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Posted by Katherine Bovee on April 16, 2006 at 9:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.13.06 Grass Hut Opening  Bwana Spoons stands as one of Portland's most prolific, energetic, multi-talented, community-minded and warm hearted young artists. He has had his fingers in zines, comics, illustration, painting, sculpture, toy-design, curation, storyboarding and I'm sure much more. Now he can add entreprenuer to the list as he's taken the reins and opened his very own shop to showcase his artwork, products and other items by people he loves. Nestled inside Renowned among the conglomerate of creative businesses at 8th and Burnside, the Grass Hut Shop opens tonight with some sweets and treats including rootbeer, a t-shirt release and a contest with prizes! Grass Hut Shop @ Renowned Grand Opening • Thursday, April 13, 5 to 8p 811 East Burnside, Portland Oregon 97214 Normal Hours • Wednesday thru Saturday 12-7pm Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on April 13, 2006 at 11:19 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 04.11.06 New Trajectories II Opens  Today the Cooley Gallery opens the second installment from the Ovitz Family Collection. The first was an impressive overview of some exciting contemporaries. New Trajectories II: Expansions features recent photography by Gregory Crewdson and Candida Hofer. Exploring the construction, narrative properties, and imaginary qualities of built environments, the exhibition contains seven large-scale works. From the press release: "Crewdson, who cites Stephen Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind as one of his most seminal influences, asserts, 'All photographs are unresolved. Unlike other narrative forms, a photo is mute and frozen in time. There is no before and no after. The events remain a mystery.' Of Close Encounters, he notes: 'I hope I achieve a similar tension between wonder and dread in my work.' While Crewdson produces elaborate, Hollywood-scale staged environments that are captured in individual images, Hofer isolates aspects of existing environments, exposing their enigmatic qualities. In both photographers’ work, an inexplicable stillness prevails." Hofer was seen with the rest of the Becher school at Pulliam Deffenbaugh when then opened their new space last fall. Her large scale still lifes are mesmerizing for their balance, sometimes symmetry and unencumbered documentation of architecture and interiors. There is no opening reception tonight, but later in the month Crewdson will give a public lecture at Reed and join in a Ripe family supper. New Trajectories II: Expansions • Through June 11 Gallery Hours • Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5pm The Cooley Gallery at Reed College (inside the Library) 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Tel. 503.777.7790 Image: Gregory Crewdson, Untitled (North by Northwest), Summer, 2004, Digital C-print. Image courtesy of the artist and the Ovitz Family Collection, Los Angeles Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on April 11, 2006 at 10:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 04.09.06 Back in Session  Jim Drain at The Moore Space
Two concurrent events are taking place Monday evening, competing for your attention. You can't go wrong! First of all, school's back in session and Harrell Fletcher resumes his Monday night lecture series at PSU. This week Jim Drain—a Providence resident, RISD grad and ex-member of the now defunct collective Forcefield (working under the alias Gorgon Radeo)—will take the podium. Drain's work combines the hedonistic aesthetics of 60s psychedelic culture with a decidedly un-masculine craftiness in a way that Portlanders should appreciate. Recent projects include a major installation at Art Basel (where he also received the Baloise Art Prize), a solo show at Greene Naftali Gallery and Wiggin Village at The Moore Space, where he teamed up with fellow ex-Forcefield member, Ara Peterson to create a trippy utopian environment. Monday, April 10th • 7p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Meanwhile, one the other side of downtown Portland at Valentines, there will be an event to raise money for the films of Oakie Treadwell. Clips of Treadwell's films will be screened, including scenes from work-in-progress Maggots and Men, a historical drama with a mostly female cast that focuses on the Kronstadt rebellion in 1920s Russia, in which sailors staged a rebelled to protest against Bolshevik rule. The evening's lineup also includes music by Sarah Dougher and K Records musician Calvin Johnson as well as a lecture by Diana George on the films of Treadwell. But the highlight of the evening will undoubtedly be the planned craft activity: building Tatlin's Monument to the Third International with marshamallows and drink straws. The event is presented by Jon Raymond, Stephanie Snyder, and Matthew Stadler. Monday, April 10th • 7p • $5 suggested donation Valentine's 232 • SW Ankeny St • 503.248.1600 Posted by Katherine Bovee on April 09, 2006 at 22:01 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 04.08.06 Red 76 in Oakland tonight As part of their
residency at Yerba Buena in San Francisco, Portland's Red 76 collective
is doing another one of their "How
To Create a Cultural District and Have it Vanish Into the Morning Mists of Dawn"
projects in Oakland tonight. PORT reported on the
Portland version here last summer. Once again, far
from being naïve to the effects artistic activities have on the civic
fabric, they understand the catalytic effects such activities historically have
on neighborhoods and its their understanding of history that makes them relevant.
It's like developers have radio tracking collars on artists and Red 76 acknowledges
their role in the process in their statements. Their partial solution is to
be more ephemeral and will take place tonight (11:59PM - 3AM) around 2nd and
Franklin in Oakland, CA. They are also doing 2 laundry lectures tomorrow as
well. Call their hotline for more info: 1(888) 212-5652.
Of course this raises larger questions, for instance is the intentional ephemeral, non commercial nature of these activities more or less easily co-opted by real-estate moguls? Also, I'm not convinced all developers are bad, although San Francisco certainly has been a massive cautionary tale that thankfully Portland has heeded to some degree. Is it enough? Objects as artifacts can be empowering as stubborn reminders to be navigated as well but Red 76 is just as bold about its ephemeral/communal approach. Also, does that ephemeral approach place them slightly more the mercy of writers?... and possibly attractive for that same reason? It's all good and I like Red 76's catalytic role, check em out. Posted by Jeff Jahn on April 08, 2006 at 14:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 04.06.06 First Friday April 7, 2006 Drift,Wander,Migrate • Michelle Blade • paintings and illustrations Blade is inspired by myth and folktales of Russian, Hungarian, Indian, Mexican and Native American aesthetics. Renowned Gallery • 811 East Burnside Suite 111 PDX 97214 • 503.807.8128 Opening Reception 6-9:30pm. more... Posted by Nicky Kriara on April 06, 2006 at 17:51 | Comments (3) PermalinkTuesday 04.04.06 1st Thursday April 2006  Todd Johnson at Augen Gallery FRESH • Group Show • multi-media New works by upcoming and mid-career artists range from paintings in wax, cellophane collages, hand-stitched photography, to sculptural topography. Chandra Bocci, Elise Engler, Pierre Gour, Sean Healy, Kristan Kennedy, David McDonald, Mark Mulroney, Yuki Nakamura, Melody Owen, Daniel Peterson, Michelle Ross, Adam Sorensen, Daniel Sturgis, Brad Tucker and Amanda Wojick Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97209 • 503.224.0521 First Thursday Opening 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Exhibit ends May 27. Boredom: I learned It by Watching You • Group Show Ah, possibly another show attempting to lower the bar for the Portland art scene! Yawn? Curated by Josh Arseneau and Gabriel Flores. Artists include..... Posted by Nicky Kriara on April 04, 2006 at 23:53 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 03.30.06 Attack of the 50 ft tall Curator 
Geldzahler This looks like a good flick about New York back when it was THE place the art world lived. Featuring; Warhol, Poons, de Kooning, Johns and yes a curator from the Metropolitan, Henry Geldzahler. Ever notice how artists still don't look to curators from past eras for inspiration?... this film should demonstrate why! See the trailer here. WHO GETS TO CALL IT ART? DIRECTOR: Peter Rosen (US 2006) Rosen's film documents the downtown New York pop art scene in the 1960s, as seen through the eyes of legendary Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Henry Geldzahler. A legend in his own mind, but also in the hearts of the artists whose works he championed, Geldzahler was instrumental in raising consciousness about the vibrancy of contemporary American art. His landmark exhibition "New York Painting and Sculpture 1940-1970" shaped not only the Met's future, but the art world's as well. Featuring Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, James Rosenquist, Larry Poons, David Hockney, Mark Di Suvero and many others, Rosen's film offers a provocative journey through a brash era. NORTHWEST FILM CENTER - Whitsell Auditorium, Portland Art Museum MAR 31 FRI 7PM, APR 1 SAT 7PM, APR 2 SUN 4:30 & 7PM Admission: $7 General $6 PAM Members, Students, Seniors $4 Friends of the Film Center Posted by Jeff Jahn on March 30, 2006 at 1:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.28.06 Dwelling Globally Last week at PSU, Clementine Deliss was on hand to discuss two of her pet projects. Metronome, an ongoing printed publication, allowed Deliss to stop curating exhibitions while continuing the same kinds of critical explorations or, in her own words, to stay involved in research instead of service. For the tenth publication of Metronome, Deliss is teaming up with members of another project she initiated, Future Academy. This project, which has been three years in the running, has allowed Deliss to enter the university system in an informal way, creating a structure based on her own interests and the voluntary involvement of students rather than codified academic structures.
The next issue of Metronome, published in conjunction with Documenta 12, borrows its theme and format from the nearly thirty year old Philomath-based photocopied 'zine, "Dwelling Portably." Working closely with Oscar Tuazon and Marjorie Harlick, Deliss has been creating this issue while on location in Oregon, working from an RV and engaging in a half-assed attempt to meet the couple who runs "Dwelling Portably." The ideas they explore are worthy of investigation—the notion of studio, risk, institutional structures, micro-savings, ecologies, translations and architecture as lifestyle. The bothersome part is their project wallows in self-imposed limitations and the futility of this project ever reaching the same level of practicality that "Dwelling Portably" achieves, which to me seems to undermine the lab-like nature of their inquiry. A few members of the crowd weren't quite convinced that "outing" the couple who runs "Dwelling Portably" to an international audience during Documenta 12 presented any interest, especially when even the small town postman, who works at the post office where the couple mails out their 'zine, claimed that he didn't know what they looked like. I was more concerned by the lack of acknowledgment about the parasitical nature of their activities, which depend on the very institutions (universities and international art venues alike) that they try to subvert. Despite my reservations, I am still curious to see what the collaboration between Metronome and Future Academy will bring. Tonight, we can see the debut of Metronome 10 for ourselves during the release party at PICA. Metronome 10 release party • Tuesday, March 28 • 7 to 9p PICA Resource Room • 224 NW 13th Ave. 3rd Floor • 503.242.1419 Posted by Katherine Bovee on March 28, 2006 at 9:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkResonanCity + Ghosting + Seth Nehil at Apotheke Tonight! Three experimental sound art pieces! Don't miss this rare experience tonight at 9 pm at Apotheke! The field of sound art though related to visual art remains autonomous, and traces an independent history as densely complex as the history of visual art.
ResonanCity is a live multimedia performance by Sara Kolster and Derek Holzer. It has been performed live internationally, notably at the Transmediale 05 festival in Berlin. Their Portland date is part of a limited North American engagement. Both Sara and Derek find inspiration in the history of experimental cinema and electroacoustic music, as well as in contemporary video and microsound practices, and a variety of live sources such as Photographic film and found objects are used to generate the visions and sounds. Seth Nehil presents a new piece for 6 Speakers. Apotheke • Tuesday • March 28 • 9 pm • $5 Cover 4605 NE 13th Ave • Portland, OR • 97211 503 • 320 • 7512 Posted by Isaac Peterson on March 28, 2006 at 1:08 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 03.21.06 Fourth Wednesday at Small A  Tomorrow night, Small A Projects opens their latest exhibition, the solo show of Brooklyn-based artist Allyson Vieira. To borrow from the press release, "Vieira's work explores the formal and ideological connections between disparate historical periods including Periclean Greece, the Enlightenment, the American and French Revolutions and Minimalism. Using a palette of blue, red, and white, these works don't necessarily share a common Hellenic endpoint, but rather constellate around a common center that includes Euclid, Pericles, and Athena Polias." I couldn't have said it better myself. Also opening is a project by Portland-based Shawna Ferreira. Drop by to check out the digs and say hello to the artists. Allyson Vieira, Works on Paper and Sculpture Project by Shawna Ferreira, Oblivion's Everywhere Else Opening Reception • Wednesday, March 22 • 6 to 9 pm Small A Projects • 1430 SE Third Avenue • Tel. 503.234.7993 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on March 21, 2006 at 17:20 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 03.19.06 Future Academy at PSU 
PSU's Monday night lecture series is on hold until early April, after the next term commences. Fortunately, for those who are disturbed by this news, there will be a special lecture/presentation this Monday, same time, same place, featuring Clementine Deliss, Marjorie Harlick and Oscar Tuazon with Harrell Fletcher and Matthew Stadler. "Future Academy will discuss mobile working environments, local institutions, and the long-running hippie survivalist zine 'Dwelling Portably,' published in Philomath, Oregon. Living and working out of a temporary, mobile publishing and video studio in a 1999 Tioga Arrow RV, Future Academy is preparing Metronome no. 10, the first magazine to be published in conjunction with Documenta 12. The premier of Metronome no. 10 will be held at PICA next weekend. Spanning five continents, Future Academy is a student-led investigation into the art college of the future, whereby key questions are raised with regard to the architecture of future buildings; mobility and portable working environments; the content and form of the future library and archive; and new forms of interdisciplinary collaboration between informatics and art." What to build is more important than where to build An artists' talk presented by Future Academy Monday, March 20th • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Posted by Katherine Bovee on March 19, 2006 at 22:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 03.18.06 Laundry Lecture: Bonnie Fortune Tonight Red76 and
Homeland join forces to offer a Laundry Lecture for Chicago-based artist
Bonnie Fortune. Bonnie will be talking about her recent projects Free
Walking, In the Weather,
and introducing her latest interactive social art collaboration, Dormant. A
Q & A will follow the talk. Bonnie will also be washing a load of socks
and underwear, you are encouraged to bring your own laundry, too. Bonnie is
in town thanks to Homeland's new artist-in-residency program.
Saturday, March 18th • 6pm F & I U Wash • 28th SE (btw. Burnside and Ankeny) Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on March 18, 2006 at 10:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 03.13.06 Fallen debut  Tonight at Holocene, local experimental filmmaker Ryan Jeffery will be screening his most recent work, Fallen. Word is the film was just completed yesterday so it's hot off the splicer. The film is part of Ethan Rose's record release party, featuring music by Rose as the score. The seven minute piece stands as a sort of modern myth or creation story, exploring the advent of technology in society. A key element of the film is a machine designed in collaboration with Kari Merkl, who actually constructed the sculpture. Between Jeffery's mastery of the moving image, Rose's aural delights and Merkl's innovative and visionary construction, the film is definitely worth a look-see. Ethan Rose/Small Sails Vinyl Release Party featuring Ryan Jeffery and Unrecognizable Now Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison • 8 pm • $4 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on March 13, 2006 at 9:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkFrédéric Paul Lecture at PSU 
Tonight's PSU Monday night lecture series will feature Frédéric Paul, writer and curator at Domaine de Kerguéhennec, a contemporary art center in Brittany, France. Paul has worked on exhibitions and publications for artists including Claude Closky, Richard Artschwager, David Shrigley and Beatriz Milhazes. This fall, the center will present a solo exhibition by Harrell Fletcher, who completed a residency there in 2005. Monday, March 13th • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Posted by Katherine Bovee on March 13, 2006 at 8:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 03.07.06 Marina Abramovic at Reed Reed College and PICA bring acclaimed performance and installation artist Marina Abramovic to Portland.
Marina Abramovic, Balkan Erotic Epic (detail) 2005 video projection, dimensions variable Laurie Anderson describes Abramovic's work in Bomb Magazine: "...Marina can actually transform and direct thoughts. She understands and uses the ecstatic. And she creates transformation out of the simplest materials, featuring her own body. An intensely physical person, she combines it with the spiritual in a completely unique way." Abramovic will give a free public lecture tonight (March 7) at 7pm at the Vollum Lecture Hall at Reed College. Seating is limited so be sure to show up early! Posted by Isaac Peterson on March 07, 2006 at 2:39 | Comments (4) PermalinkMonday 03.06.06 Simparch lecture at PSU 
Steven Badgett, who comprises one half of collaborative effort Simparch, will lecture at PSU later today. Badgett has been collaborating with Matt Lynch as Simparch for about ten years, but the pair broke into international notoriety with Freebasin. A fully functional skate bowl re-created within the gallery space, Freebasin was the key piece in Deitch Project's defining skate-culture-as-art exhibition, Session the Bowl, in 2002, and has also been exhibited at the Tate and Documenta XI. Simparch has also exhibted at the 2004 Whitney Biennial, The Renaissance Society, The Wexner and InSITE. Monday, March 6th • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Posted by Katherine Bovee on March 06, 2006 at 12:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 03.04.06 Vicki Lynn Wilson Performance at Blackfish 
Tonight, Vicki Lynn Wilson will activate her fantastical installation at Blackfish with a performance. The highlight of her installation, Love in the Wild, is hybrid appliance / animal sculptures. Further interactions between the natural world and the domestic sphere will take place as she enacts her performance within the white-clad space. Performance • Saturday, March 4th, 7p Blackfish Gallery • 420 NW Ninth Ave • 503.224.2634 Posted by Katherine Bovee on March 04, 2006 at 12:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 03.03.06 First Friday March  Heaven & Earth • Jim Lommasson • photography Lommasson has traveled from Churches to Museums, artists' studios, outdoor revivals, and beyond in search of the various shapes Faith takes in our contemporary environment. New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny Street PDX 97214 • 503-231-8294. Opening Reception: March 3. Show ends March 26, 2006. Read on... Posted by Nicky Kriara on March 03, 2006 at 12:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 03.02.06 Kaja Silverman Lecture at PAM 
This Sunday, Kaja Silverman's lecture will continue the Critical Voices series at the Portland Art Museum. Programmed in conjunction with the opening of the Jubitz last fall, this series is bringing a list of notable thinkers to town, including critic Arthur Danto last fall and MoMA curator John Elderfield next week. A film and rhetoric studies professor at Berkeley, Silverman has written extensively on feminist theory, psychoanalysis, film theory, sexuality and time-based visual art. She is working on two books, including one on photography that provides the starting point for her lecture, entitled Photography as a Tool for Art in the 20th Century and Beyond. Advanced reservations are recommended: 503.226.0973 Lecture •Sunday, March 5th • 2 p Whitsell Auditorium • Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park Ave • 503.226.0973 Admission: $15 General (includes entry into exhibitions), Free for members Posted by Katherine Bovee on March 02, 2006 at 7:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 03.01.06 First Thursday March 
Windmill AK47 w-clogs, Charles Kraft at Gallery 114 NCECA 2006 Explorations and Navigations: The Resonance of Place If it seems as though there is an overwhelming amount of ceramic art in the galleries across town this month, it's because NCECA is here. Portland is hosting the 4oth Annual Conference for the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). The Oregon Convention Center will be the central location for demonstrations, educational panels, lectures, performances, panels, and lots and lots of clay. Aside from the city being flooded with an anticipated 4,000+ ceramic enthusiasts, over 100 galleries, museums, and exhibition spaces will be featuring ceramic work throughout March. The conference runs from March 8-11 and many galleries have First Thursday openings prior to the event. For a complete listing of NCECA exhibitions, click here. Read on... Posted by Nicky Kriara on March 01, 2006 at 22:46 | Comments (5) PermalinkTuesday 02.28.06 R.A.W. Ego It's nearly time for Reed Arts Week, an annual frenzy of activity that descends upon Reed's campus in SE. This year, the student-organized festival has taken as its central theme the notion of ego, manifesting itself in everything from the alter ego of Paul D. Miller operating under his performance moniker, DJ Spooky, to the mutable sense of self in the performance art of Eleanor Antin. Some R.A.W. events that might be of interest to PORT readers:
Kick off the week with a dancepod party, a collaborative project masterminded by painter Marty Schnapf that "begins as a conventional art exhibit and devolves into an uninhibited and live webcast dance party." "Dance party/postmodern dance performance" • Wednesday, March 1st • 9 pm – midnight Student Union • $3 suggested donation for the public, free to the Reed community On Friday, Eleanor Antin will discuss her work as a performance artist, creating a cast of historically-based identities through which she delves into issues relevant to the present. Lecture • Friday, March 3rd • 6 pm Vollum Lecture Hall • $7 general, $5 students, free to the Reed community If you missed Paul D. Miller's lecture during the PICA's tba Noontime Chats, you missed the best part of his appearance at the festival. Happily, Miller is back to present another iteration of "Rhythm Science," teasing out the parallels between art and hip hop in an engaging and articulate lecture. Lecture • Saturday, March 4th • 3:30 pm Kaul Auditorium • $10 general, free to the Reed community (limited seating) The photographs of Elena Dorfman explore both the banal and erotic lives of RealDolls and their owners in the mostly suburban environments they inhabit. While Dorfman's photos lure the viewer with images of fetishistic attachments normally hidden behind closed doors, her close attention to light and subtle compositions allow her to reach beyond pure shock value, lending the scenes a rather surprising tenderness and humanity. Slide lecture • Sunday, March 5th • 2 pm Vollum Lecture Hall • Free and open to the public 
Nan Curtis' Pregnancy Peep Show In addition, projects by Nan Curtis, Paige Saez, Chas Bowie and Reed students will be on display. If you're a Reed student, things get even better, with workshops lead by Chas Bowie, Eleanor Antin and Harrell Fletcher taking place throughout the week. Check the R.A.W. 2006 website for a complete schedule. Reed Arts Week – Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd Tickets: 503.777.7758 Posted by Katherine Bovee on February 28, 2006 at 0:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 02.26.06 Edie Tsong at PSU's Monday Night Lecture Series  A few years ago Edie came to Portland on a residency and proceeded to raise hell. She showed in the extinct but excellent Field Gallery at the Everett Station Lofts, dressed up as Miss America while strolling down Burnside and livened things up at many of the 2Girls performance festivals. Then she left for San Francisco and promptly landed herself in the very prestigious Bay Area Now triennial (we'd like the upcoming Oregon Biennial to be as relevant). Now, because Portland consistently steals a lot of SF's best talent (Chris Johannson, Harrell Fletcher, Patrick Rock, Brendan Clenaghen and Jesse Hayward etc.) she's back. Edie Tsong's recent projects have utilized fax, video, teleconference, performance, and plasticene to explore identity as an interactive group project. She has performed collaboratively with Pete Kuzov in Portland's enterActive Language Festival in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Tsong has exhibited and lectured nationally. She has recently shown at the Mattress Factory, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Atlanta Center for Contemporary Art. Tsong lives and works in Portland, OR. Monday, February 27th • 7 pm PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Posted by Jeff Jahn on February 26, 2006 at 23:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.24.06 Ghosttown is Everywhere, Especially New York 
Red 76's Ghosttown, U.S.A., which descended upon Portland in January, is now going to New York City. As part of Reshuffle: Notions of an Itinerant Museum—organized by students at Bard's Center for Curatorial Studies at Art in General—Red 76 questions the differences between one's experience within the white box versus one's experiences on the streets and in the cities. Beginning today and continuing through March 2, Red 76 will enact projects throughout the five boroughs, creating the kinds of ephemeral structures and social encounters that define many of Red 76's projects. They will kick off Ghosttown's NYC iteration by a DJ Parasite performance tonight in Manhattan and continue the project throughout the week with "Sounds of Ghosttown," playing an NPR broadcast recorded on-site at the Ghosttown Clothing Exchange in Portland last January; a lecture by Kris Soden exposing the historical underbelly of Washington Square Arch; an Incident Report from the steps of the Met, relayed via cell phone by Stephanie Snyder; a Memory Dinner in Brooklyn reliving Hope Hilton's gastronomical roots in the South; and a clothing exchange at an undisclosed location in Manhattan. A complete schedule of events is posted on Red 76's website. A reception for Reshuffle, which also includes work by Portlander Harrell Fletcher, will take place tonght at Art in General, 79 Walker Street, from 6-8 pm. Posted by Katherine Bovee on February 24, 2006 at 8:33 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 02.21.06 Mexterminator vs. the Global Predator 
Guillermo Gómez-Peña will give Portland audiences a dose of his classic genre-busting, politically potent performance this Thursday at PNCA. A MacArthur fellow and longtime performance artist, Mexico-City–born Gómez-Peña brings to the forefront issues of globalization, immigration, identity politics, cyber culture and post-colonial theory in a mix of video, audio, spoken word and performance. Portland is no stranger to Gómez-Peña's breed of performance. He has been through town before and was part of Reed's Film Series exhibition in 2002. He also shares a close affinity with the work of fellow performance artist Coco Fusco, who presented a PICA-commissioned work dealing with many of the same themes for the first tba festival. In 1992, Fusco and Gómez-Peña collaborated on a notorious performance, which involved the pair posing as "undiscovered" and caged Amerindians from a fictitious island, originating at the Walker and continuing to both the Sydney and Whitney Biennials. Since 9-11, Gómez-Peña has been coming to terms with a political and culture climate increasingly restrained by conservatism and fear, and much of his most radical work, often done in collaboration with his troupe La Pocha Nostra, is now being performed outside of the United States. In a recently published statement, Gómez-Peña made a frank declaration of his decision to perform his more "extreme" works outside US borders, finding a last refuge to confront the most provocative issues in his solo, spoken word performances, "since language in the contemporary USA appears to be less dangerous than live art." In Thursday's performance, Mexterminator vs. the Global Predator, Gomez-Pena will present a solo performance, unleashing "demons, both personal and political, and...[inviting] them onstage for a mano-a-mano, from which no one will emerge unscathed." Thursday, February 23 • 7 p • Free Pacific Northwest College of Art • 1241 NW Johnson • Tel 503.223.2654 This performance is the Oregon College of Art & Craft 2006 Jamison Lecture and is part of Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery's Excellence is Craft Lecture Series. Co-presented with 2 Gyrlz Performative Arts and Pacific Northwest College of Art. Posted by Katherine Bovee on February 21, 2006 at 22:11 | Comments (1) PermalinkSunday 02.19.06 Arnold J. Kemp Lecture at PSU  Arnold J. Kemp, Untitled (Played Twice series), 2001
This week, Harrell Fletcher welcomes Arnold J. Kemp, artist, writer and former associate curator at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. During his 10 year stint at YBCA, Kemp was involved in curating the first three Bay Area Now shows, Rapper's Delight, and solo shows by Laylah Ali, Tracey Moffat and Mark Dion. His own work has been shown at the Studio Museum in Harlem, The Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts and Chisenhale Gallery. Kemp is represented in permanent collections at the Met and the Studio Museum. From PICA's press release: "Kemp is currently at work on several projects including a series of paintings and a radio-film inspired by Dada and what curator Thelma Golden has called the 'post-black.'" Monday, February 20th • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Posted by Katherine Bovee on February 19, 2006 at 23:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.17.06 Courtney Booker Tonight at Homestar Cafe! 
Courtney Booker, Freelance Animator and figurative painter has an opening of new work tonight (!) from 6-10 pm at the Homestar Cafe. Booker's expressive linear approach to the figure is rooted in Kathe Kollwitz, Egon Schiele, and Alice Neel, but her animation work and hip-hop flava bring a new personal dimension beyond simple emulation of the masters of figurative expression. Booker has shown extensively in the San Francisco area. *With Music by Casey Neill!* Courtney Booker • Opening • Friday, Feb. 17th (today) • 6-10 pm • Homestar Cafe • 4747 SE Hawthorne • Posted by Isaac Peterson on February 17, 2006 at 13:35 | Comments (2) PermalinkWednesday 02.15.06 Josh Mannis at small A  Josh Mannis, Obsessed By Cruelty (video still)
On Thursday, Chicago artist Josh Mannis, who had the best work in small A project's inaugeral show, will be on hand for the opening of Iron Eagle, a solo exhibition featuring new video and large, gloriously Bavarian photo collages. "Mannis' videos and photo montages are populated by characterizations and dramatizations drawn from the canons of science fiction, PBS, drug culture, National Geographic, cultism, astronomy, soft-core pornography, the evil mysticisms of rock and roll and of course, Modernism." Opening Reception • Thursday, February 16 • 6 to 9 p Small A Projects • 1430 SE Third Ave • Tel 503.234.7993 Posted by Katherine Bovee on February 15, 2006 at 19:55 | Comments (2) PermalinkSunday 02.12.06 Monday Night with Dan Attoe  Dan Attoe, Slayer on IceDan Attoe will be this week's Monday night guest. Born in Washington and, according to his Chicago gallery, based in Portland, Attoe is a painter who makes pseudo-narrative work, often with a Lynchian eerieness and an obsession for pine trees, lonely landscapes, woodsy interiors and tents, attesting to his Pacific Northwest origins. If he is indeed based here in town, he keep a low profile, probably because he's busy showing work at Peres Projects (LA), John Connelly Presents (NYC), Hiromi Yoshii (Tokyo) and Vilma Gold (London). Read a nice interview here or just show up Monday evening to hear for yourself. Monday, February 13th • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Posted by Katherine Bovee on February 12, 2006 at 12:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 02.10.06 Comics Battle Title Bout: Duford v. Heffernan  Seamus Heffernan, the student champion of last year's Comics Battle at PNCA, now faces a titanic onslaught not from another student, but from the faculty! Daniel Duford will challenge Heffernan for his title at 12:30 on Valentine's Day, a day that will live on forever in infamy. Both contenders are given specific themes they must address while rapidly improvising narrative, dialogue and imagery in sequential art form. Kind of like Iron Chef, only with comics. The winner is determined by audience applause and will henceforth be known as: Omniversal Intergalactic Sequential Art Overlord, as well as recieving a substantial prize. That is of course, until next year, when a new challenger must arise! With commentary and trash talk by your MC, last year's challenger, Ryan Alexander-Tanner. The vitriolic ink slinging has already begun, with spontaneous comics throw downs appearing mysteriously over night... This one's for all the marbles, folks! Will Seamus (the incumbent) defend his title from the onslaught of Earth Elemental Daniel Duford? Will a lone student comic artist topple the faculty Goliath (once and for all)? SEE the dreadful collision of Behemoth and Fledgling Hero! FEEL the shockwaves ripple outward from the event horizon of burning graphite and splattering ink! HEAR lightning split the sky as nature itself recoils from the spiritual fission of this fearsome melee! SCREAM as the very foundations tremble beneath the feet of these sequential art juggernauts! FLEE IN TERROR as Seamus and Duford recode the outside of PNCA so that in place of the Rimbaud poem, the visual encryption henceforth reads "ITS CLOBBERIN' TIME!!!!" um... maybe I went a little too far with that last one.... so, um... you get the general idea, right? Daniel Duford vs Seamus Heffernan • Comic Battle Title Match Tuesday, February 14th • 12:30 to 1:30 pm Swigert Commons • PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St. • Portland, OR • 97209 • 503•226•4391 • www.pnca.edu Posted by Isaac Peterson on February 10, 2006 at 13:06 | Comments (9) PermalinkThursday 02.09.06 Psychedelic Logging  A modern symposium, replete with food, drink, and music, exploring the spatial logic of late capitalism as expressed in art, logging, and dancing... Inspired by the spatial cacophanies, utopian visions, and intensive labors found in the Cooley Gallery's NEW TRAJECTORIES 1: relocations exhibition. Psychedelic Logging begins at 6 pm, in the Reed library with the viewing of Case Works 9: The Valentine Exchange, and New Trajectories I , then moves to the Reed student union at 7 pm for live performances by The Watery Graves and We Two and the Universe. Love poem recitation by Heather Watkins, curator of The Valentine Exchange; and a lecture on the history of logging by Doug Sackman historian at the University of Puget Sound. The event includes mind bending archival films of high-lead logging, and interstitial ephemera by Matthew Stadler accompanied by a slide exhibition curated by Stephanie Snyder. Logger's stew prepared by Mickey Murch '06; Craft-in by Reed art collective Vitamin A. Psychedelic Logging is organized by Stephanie Snyder and Matthew Stadler. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit Reed's public events website,REED, or call the events line, 503/777-7755. Saturday • February 11 • 2006 Reed College • Portland • Oregon • 6 pm Hauser Memorial Library + Cooley Gallery • 7 pm Reed Student Union Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Portland. Posted by Isaac Peterson on February 09, 2006 at 20:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 02.08.06 Art vs. Craft: The Debate Continues with Paula Owen The art vs. craft debate has been perpetuated in part because of the lack of analytic and critical thought devoted to craft, leading to an ambiguity that leaves crafts at the margin of art discourse. No doubt a DIY-inspired breed of craft has given new mainstream visibility for craft in the early 21st century by a generation of 20 and 30-somethings who are involved in knitting sessions and eschewing big business in favor of the handmade. But there's much more to it than that. Paula Owen, writer and curator at the Southwest School of Art and Craft in San Antonio is calling for a concerted effort on behalf of the craft community to establish a critical framework for craft. In a recent essay, she cites Roberta Smith's writings in 1999 calling for the "rematerialization" of art to provide a counterpoint to the emphasis on non-material practice in art since Conceptual art took root. Owen also sees Dave Hickey's observation and championing of a more material-based practice at UNLV as a key sign of the return to the tactile. It's clear that without a more sharply defined critical discourse artists like Teresita Fernandez—recent MacArthur winner who works with textile, glass and bamboo—will continue to be more readily compared to Robert Irwin than contextualized within in the craft lineage. Likewise, without such discourse, thousands of craft artists will continue to work in relative anonymity at the margins of the dominant art practice. Hear more from Owen on the craft establishment at tonight during her lecture, given as part of Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery's Excellence in Craft Lecture Series.
Lecture • Wednesday, February 8 • 7 p Pacific Northwest College of Art • 1241 NW Johnson • Tel. 503.223.2654 Posted by Katherine Bovee on February 08, 2006 at 9:23 | Comments (6) PermalinkMonday 02.06.06 Yan Chung-Hsien at PSU  Yan Chung-Hsien, Still from Knitting Tree Last week, graciously, the mic was fixed and Jo Jackson gave us yet another invigorating Monday night lecture - especially invigorating for Jo, since she spent lots of time chasing her mop of a dog as he raced down the aisle, barking dutifully at latecomers. In all seriousness, it was yet another reminder of how Portland's art scene is benefiting from the recent influx of artists who are moving here for livability, afford ability, politics and a host of other good things about this city. This week, Harrell Fletcher has invited Taiwanese artist Yan Chung-Hsien. I don't know anything about this artist, other than a quick visit to his website [warning: be aware there are lots of persistent pop-ups on his site] and I'm really intrigued. Chung-Hsien is a professor of Architecture design in Taipei, has authored over a dozen books and recently, has completed several high-profile international residencies at places including Art Omni and PS1. He creates odd, soft sculptures that sometimes take on architectural implications, other times seem like props from a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie, and yet other times are employed as costumes. Several of his films involve performances using these costumes in ritualized performances, such as the scene in Knitting Tree, in which a group of figures in soft white costumes with long, tentacle-like appendages, are seen from an aerial view in an elaborate formation. I think this is yet another lecture you don't want to miss. Monday, February 5th • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA, PNCA, and Reed College Posted by Katherine Bovee on February 06, 2006 at 2:46 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 02.03.06 First Friday February Group Show • Walter's Daydream • Drawings and Paintings
This exhibit features new work by A.J. Purdy, Andy Rementer, Andy
Dixon, Andrew Dick, and Justin B. Williams. The artists seek to represent the memories, fantasies, dreams, fears, desires, and ideas in a stream-of-consciousness creation they call Walter.
Renowned Gallery • 811 East Burnside #111 • Tel. 503.807.8128 Opening Reception Friday February 3, 2006, 6-9pm Show closes February 28, 2006 more.... Posted by Nicky Kriara on February 03, 2006 at 13:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.31.06 First Thursday February by Nicky Kriara 
Patrick Rock • I think there might have been some kind of mistake... • Interactive Installation Some blond guy who also blogs for PORT is drooling over this internationally-experienced, native Oregonian and current PNCA Intermedia Artist in Residence's work because he had hoped Rock's installation, Cool, would be in his recent Inertia group show. The Styrofoam coffin was in Germany at the time. Now you have a chance to see what all the fuss is about! Opening Reception • Thursday February 2, 6-9pm • Closes Feb 28 Interactive Media Arts Gallery, PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson Street • Tel. 503.226.4391 more... Posted by Nicky Kriara on January 31, 2006 at 22:20 | Comments (15) PermalinkSunday 01.29.06 Jo Jackson at PSU 
Last week, hordes showed up to hear Chris Johanson narrate his life's work on a trippy vintage sound system. This week, let's hope they've fixed the mic in time for Johanson's wife and sometimes collaborator, Jo Jackson, who will be this week's PSU MFA Monday night lecture series guest. Even though they work so closely and both emerged out of the SF scene of the late 90s/early 2000s, they've both held on to their own distinctive styles. As Johanson reminisces in a long interview with the couple in the latest ANP Quarterly magazine, "...her work, I didn't get it immediately." Monday, January 30 • 7 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema • 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Sponsored in part by PICA Posted by Katherine Bovee on January 29, 2006 at 18:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 01.26.06 New Trajectories for Cooley  Richard Prince, Untitled (Publicity)
In 2005, Reed's Cooley Gallery filled the gap in Portland's contemporary art programming that PICA left with the discontinuation of its ongoing exhibition program and that the Portland Art Museum is only beginning to address with its excellent new Meigs endowment programming. The Cooley will not slow down in 2006, beginning the year with a major two-part exhibition of work from the Ovitz Family Collection, opening on Thursday. Jeff's rundown of hotly anticipated art exhibitions and events can tell you why Ovitz has positioned himself as a major collector. But his position as a major collector should be obvious just by looking at the artist list for New Trajectories I: Relocations. Artists include jokester Richard Prince, recent MacArthur fellow Julie Mehretu, Stefan Thiel, Cosima Von Bonin and Idris Khan. If you're looking for something to do before the opening, NYU professor Jonathan Brown will be lecturing on another noted collector - okay, a seventeenth century collector - Philip IV of Spain. Co-sponsored by the Robert Lehman Foundation. Opening Reception • New Trajectories I: Relocations • Thursday, January 26 • 6:30 p Cooley Art Gallery, Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Tel 503.777.7790 Lecture: Philip IV of Spain, the Greatest Picture Collector of the Seventeenth Century • Thursday, January 26 • 4:30 p Reed College, Psychology Auditorium • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd (closest parking: East lot) Photo: Richard Prince, Untitled (Publicity), 2001 Double-sided frame with stand, Publicity photograph with handwritten jokes, 33.5 x 27 in., Ovitz Family Collection Posted by Katherine Bovee on January 26, 2006 at 0:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 01.19.06 Chris Johanson Lecture at PSU Jan 23rd 
Chris Johanson is Portland's top living international artist but of course he's here because it is a great place to live and work, especially if you follow your own iconoclastic drumbeat. He will present his work as part of the PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture Series The public is invited and it's free! Monday, January 23rd, 7:00pm 5th Avenue Cinema Room 92 510 SW Hall St. (on the corner of SW 5TH & Hall on the PSU Campus) Sponsored in part by PICA Posted by Jeff Jahn on January 19, 2006 at 22:03 | Comments (3) PermalinkWednesday 01.18.06 Extreme Ceramics  Nina Jun
One thing that curator Matilda McQuaid made clear during her lecture at W + K several months ago on her recent exhibition of industrial textile design at Cooper-Hewitt, is that industry is far ahead of art in pushing the material limits of a medium. The newest exhibition at Lewis & Clark College's Hoffman Gallery touches on the use of technology in ceramics, another media whose high-tech industrial applications rarely enter the realm of art. Though one could easily pull together a show of industrial ceramic products analogous to McQuaid's Extreme Textiles, L&C curator Linda Tesner has focused instead on how ceramic artists incorporate technology within their practice. The majority of artists in the show are relatively unknown, but the list includes work by Richard Notkin, whose post-apocalyptic wall tiles can be seen in PAM's new wing. There will also be work by Garth Johnson, who writes a very good crafty culture/design blog and makes work that perverts traditional ceramic ware, using the same high-low clash exploited by 2003 Turner prize winner and transvestite ceramist Grayson Perry. A quick web search on the other artists leads me to believe that I won't be seeing much influence from the kinds of industrial materials that I find so intriguing and full of potential. Regardless, the exhibition brings up some interesting questions about how technology is advancing even what we consider the most elemental of materials and art practices. In the realm of art, where the notion of progress seems to be merely a Modernist fantasy, it's interesting to consider how technology still carries an aura of progress and advancement. The New Utilitarian: Examining Our Place on the Motherboard of Ceramics Opening Reception • Thursday, January 19 • 5 to 7p Lewis & Clark College Hoffman Gallery• 0615 SW Palatine Hill Road • Tel. 503.768.7687 Posted by Katherine Bovee on January 18, 2006 at 11:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 01.10.06 Guestroom Opening  This Thursday marks the grand opening of Marilyn Murdoch's new gallery, Guestroom. Marilyn has long been a supporter of the Portland arts community as an art lover, collector and the matron of Katayama framing. On Thursday, she sets sail as a gallerist with an innovative new space. Guestroom is thus named because each month will be guest curated, offering a constantly rotating and evolving collection of artwork from local and national artists, ranging from emerging to established. Housed in the Wonder Ballroom alongside Mark Woolley's space, Guestroom promises a dynamic format for art exhibition. On Thursday, she opens her first show, Selections from Sketchbooks by Ted Katz, followed on Sunday by an artists' chat covering Katz' 50-years of sketching people, animal and places. Grand Opening • Thursday, January 12 • 6 to 9 p Artist Talk • Sunday, January 15 • 2 to 4p Guestroom • 128 NE Russell • Tel. 503.284.8378 Also on Thursday, Local 35 continues their tradition of Second Thursday openings for the Sk8 set with new paintings by Justin Fry. If you've got the arting bug, drop by to see what they're up to. There will likely be a DJ, drinks and a fashionable crowd. Opening Reception • Thursday, January 12 • 7 to 9p Local 35 • 3556 SE Hawthorne Blvd • Tel. 503.963.8200 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on January 10, 2006 at 22:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 01.09.06 Anne Daems Lecture at PSU 
Belgian artist Anne Daems will speak tonight, marking the first in a series of Monday night lectures presented by PSU's MFA program. Daems work ranges from spare, pseudo-narrative drawings with long, poetic titles (think Ty Ennis) to serial photographs that poignantly reveal the strangeness of mundane social behavior and posturing. A recent series of street photographs shows women wearing fur coats, ring-laden fingers clutching luxury goods shopping bags, reminiscent Jessica Craig-Martin's severely-cropped photographs of the rich and famous. Monday, January 9 • 7 p PSU Art Building • 2000 SW 5th Ave Room 200 Posted by Katherine Bovee on January 09, 2006 at 7:15 | Comments (3) PermalinkFriday 01.06.06 First Friday A raucous First Thursday is followed by some good shows in the Central Eastside
Industrial District.
The CEID arts district is making some bold expansions with a new gallery opening this month on Division. 12X16 Gallery celebrates their grand opening tonight, unveiling their new space on Division. The inaugural show includes a smattering of collage, photography, mixed media and painting from Cary W. Doucette, Luke Dolkas, C.W. Doucette, Maureen Herndon, Israel Hughes, Eunice Parsons, Lee Ann Slawson, and Edward Story. Grand Opening • Friday, January 6, 6 to 9 p & Sunday, January 8, noon to 6p 12X16 gallery • 1216 SE Division • Tel. 503.239.4766 For the last 3 years Newspace has been offering great photographic exhibitions, studio space and instruction thanks to volunteers who work in trade for darkroom time. Tonight they showcase the artistic skills of this upstanding crew with a Volunteer Group Show including the belevalent and talented Faulkner Short, Ran Ben, Laura Valenti, Joshua Dommermuth, Phillip Goetzinger, Sika Stanton, Valerie Dolan, Ben Wizansky and Lyla Emery Reno. Artists will be in attendance for the reception. Opening Reception • Friday January 6th • 7 to 11p Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th Ave • Tel. 503.963.1935 Small A Projects opens a solo exhibition from Michael Bise, Joey and Melissa. "Bise makes narrative drawings that depict an uncanny, yet stereotypical suburbia and a fetishistic attachment to the objects, textures and patterns of that mundane setting." These graphite on paper drawings dramatize the relationship of three characters with an aesthetic that seems to have jumped right off the kraft paper book cover of a high school math book. The artist will be present for the opening and giving a gallery talk during the reception. Opening Reception • Friday, January 6 • 6 to 9 p Artist’s Talk • 8 pm Small A Projects • 1430 SE Third Ave • Tel 503.234.7993 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on January 06, 2006 at 11:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 01.04.06 First First Thursday of '06 Well, as a New Year's treat, I have the First Thursday listing up ahead of time (who-hoo!) and have included every single opening I received a press release for. Usually, I comb through the announcements folders and pick some favs but this month, I'm pulling out all the stops. There's lots going on so you've got no excuse to sit at home. And don't forget to save room for First Friday! Read on for complete listings... Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on January 04, 2006 at 1:27 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.20.05 Grin and Bear It 
Tonight at Small A Projects, Joe Sola discusses his work. Sola is a L.A. based artist who uses images, structures, and spectacles from Hollywood films to create artwork in film, video, performance and watercolor. For several years, Sola has been mining the history of Hollywood films as a source for imagery of masculinity and power. Tonight he talks onhis past and present work and his upcoming solo projects at the Atlanta College of Art Gallery and the Wexner. There will even be comfortable seating as well as cookies and delicious beverages! Grin and Bear It, Joe Sola discusses his work Tuesday, December 20th • 8p Small A Projects •1430 SE Third Ave Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 20, 2005 at 0:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 12.17.05 Le Happy est Cinq!  Everyone's favorite frenchie crêperie celebrates its 5th Anniversary with much fanfare including an anniversary group show featuring art stars Wesley Younie, Caitlin Troutman, Natascha Snellman, John Roos, Corrina Repp, Marne Lucas, Cecilia Hallinan, Ty Ennis, Bruce Conkle and John Brodie. Le Happy always has great stuff hanging on their red walls. I even scouted an artist for the gallery there myself once. Come out for the opening party on Sunday. As an added bonus, all Nutella crêpes are 50% off during the entire month of December! We ♥ Le Happy. Bon anniversaire! Opening Reception • December 18, 6 to 9p Le Happy • 1011 Northwest 16th Avenue • Tel. 503.226.1258 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 17, 2005 at 13:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.09.05 Weekend Events  Tomiko Jones @ NewspaceNewspace strays from the pack this month with a mid-month opening. Tomiko Jones presents Landscapes, a reinterpretation of the female gaze, "destabiliz[ing] the viewer momentarily by placing them in an unexpected private view in what might normally be portrayed as a public neutral view". These luscious b/w landscapes and portraits are executed with a formal and technical precision and some unexpected subject matter. Opening Reception • Friday, December 9 • 7 to 10p • *artist will be in attendance Artist Lecture and Workshop • Saturday, December 10 • 1 to 4 p • $35 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th Ave.• Tel. 503.963.1935 Radius Studio holds over their 2nd Annual Holiday Studio Sale for two more weekends "featuring an eclectic assortment of unique hand-crafted gifts from Radius Studio artists and Portland community artisans." Including pottery, sculptural ceramics, paintings, prints and more! Priced between $1 and $50, there is something for everyone... Saturday & Sunday, December 10 & 11 • 12p to 5p Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18 • 12p to 5p Radius Studio • 2515 SE 22nd Ave (at Division) • Tel. 503.231.4145 And, P.S., I don't have anything against PAC. I didn't remember their benefit last night because they didn't send me a press release. To be considered for the PORT Openings & Events listings, send all press releases to calendar@portlandart.net at least 2 weeks prior. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 09, 2005 at 10:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.08.05 Art + Craft + Christmas  Ultra qualifies as one of my favorite bloggy pleasures. This week, they're full of news about lots of great holiday sales going on around town, including the Winter Art Bazaar tonight at Homestar and the official O.G. PDX Handmade Bazaar this weekend at the Wonder Ballroom. If you'd like to give the gift of handcrafted delights this season, you can also drop by Portland's many shops featuring handmade/locally made goods including Seaplane, Motel, Relish, Reading Frenzy, Memoir and more. Keep checking Ultra for other seasonal sales for a happy handmade holiday! Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 08, 2005 at 0:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 12.05.05 On the Big Screen Tomorrow night, the Guild Theater hosts Take it EZ, a collection of
animation and video works by innovative local artists, orchestrated by Jeffrey
Kriksciun. Zach Reno, Hooliganship, WYLDFILE (E*Rock and Paperrad), Ryan Alexander-Tanner,
and Eliza Fernand sweep the screen with pieces ranging from hand-drawn to computer
driven to experimental.
Wednesday, December 7th • 7p • $3 Guild Theater • 829 SW 9th Ave Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 05, 2005 at 17:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkPints for PICA  Tonight you can throw one back for a good cause. The Low Brow Lounge is opening their bar to benefit PICA. For one night only, half of every beverage sold will benefit PICA's artistic programming. The benefit runs all night from 3p to 2:30a. From 4:30 to 11p, there will be PICA memberships and merch for sale, with a chance to win two Flex Passes for TBA:06 and a showcase of short films selected by the PICA staff. Grab a frosty one for a good cause! Monday, December 5 • All night long PICA @ the Low Brow Lounge • 1036 NW Hoyt Street Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 05, 2005 at 10:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.02.05 First Friday  Marne Lucas at HomestarThe Eastside wraps up a drippy week with a strong showing from the young ones. In what must be a bona fide East Burnside art revival, Moshi Moshi opens next to Denwave (formerly Fix) and Renowned with Rainbow Connection, a group show featuring Meredith Dittmar, Guy Burwell, Tyson Summers, APAK, and Justin "Scrappers" Morrison. Opening Reception • December 2 • 6 to9 p Moshi Moshi • 811 E. Burnside For Renowned’s second exhibition they present Hold Me, Please new work by Casey Watson (PDX) and Isaac Lin (PDX). Opening Reception • December 2 • 6 to10 p • artists will be in attendance Renowned • 811 E Burnside Suite 111 • tel. 503.445.9924 With Denwave, Renowned and Moshi Moshi are all in the same building, I am hoping they'll come up with a name for themselves as a group (something other than LoBu, please). While you're in the 'hood, don't miss Bailey Winters' paintings and Greg Simons' multimedia installation at NAAU. Winters shoots Hi-8 and still photographs which elaborates into expressionist paintings which bear a quiet isolation. Opening reception • December 2 • 7 to 10 p NAAU • 922 SE Ankeny Street • tel. 503.231.8294 Marne Lucas presents Amusement, a series of color photographs from road trips and travels at Homestar. "Humorous self portraiture, an eye for the unusual and quirky use of animal figurines express a sense of discovery and playfulness she experiences while traveling." Also, in the back room, the Velour Girls Pin Up Lounge, Lucas' latest Pin Up photographs of women in a boudoir atmosphere. Opening Reception • December 2 • 7-10p Homestar • 4747 SE Hawthorne Blvd • tel. 503.235.0349  Bailey Winters @ NAAU Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 02, 2005 at 13:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.01.05 First Thursday Round Up  Cythia Lahti @ PDXLots going on tonight. We'll just have to see how the weather pans out, right now they're forcasting a winter storm. Happy Holiday arting! Cynthia Lahti • New Found Land (New Sculptures and Drawings) I lahve Cynthia's work. Hopefully she'll have more of those beautiful Rorschach types she's been doing recently. If I wasn't working tonight, I'd be there. Then again, maybe Jane isn't holding a reception... PDX • 925 NW Flanders • Tel. 503.222.0063 Anna Fidler • Oblivious Peninsulas (Paintings, Collages, Film and Soundtrack) Saw this one at the preview last night, loved it too. The colors are sublime Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery • 929 NW Flanders Street • Tel. 503.228.6665 Jenene Nagy (PNCA Artist-In-Residence) • Backyard Icing (Sculpture) Manuel Izquierdo Gallery • Pacific NW College of Art • 825 NW 13th Avenue Hap Tivey • Leukos Transit (LED light, acrylic and painted surfaces) Elizabeth Leach • 417 NW 9th Avenue Four Squared (Group Show) Small works on paper (4" x 4") by 22 young up and comers including Tauba Auerbach, Chris Duncan, Nikki McClure, Bwana Spoons, Harrison Haynes and Katherine Bovee. Motel • NW Couch between 5th & 6th • Tel. 503.222.6699 Hear Me Roar (Group Show) Featuring Cicci & Sulley, Jilliam Tamaki, Lesley Reppeteaux, Amunisim and Anna Cangialosi. Compound • 107 NW 5th Ave • Tel. 503.796.2733 Wid Chambers and Abi Spring • Process (Paintings) Chambers • 207 S.W. Pine Street Crack Press turns ten with a retrospective at Berbati's including collaborations with Portland movers and shakers. Berbati's Restaurant • 19 SW 2nd, Portland OR • Tel. 503.248.4579 • 7 to 10p New Gallery Opening... We've reported on Rake before. Tonight they're opening a permanent space in the Everett Station Lofts with a giant group show. 325 NW 6th Ave • Tel.503.750.0754 • 6 to 11p  Chris Duncan @ Motel Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 01, 2005 at 0:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 11.28.05 Annual Holiday Art Sale Make sure to stop in to PNCA's Annual Holiday Art Sale this first Thurdsay, December 1st. The sale will be going on all day from 9 am to 9 pm and also runs at the same times on Friday and Saturday.
Artwork for sale is all by PNCA artists and on Saturday a raffle will be held for two flawless Hokusai reproduction prints: The Wave and Mt. Fuji. PNCA also features new work by Chandra Bocci, constructed with assistance from the PNCA student body. Here is a preview of the new work: 
Pacific Northwest College of Art • 1241 NW Johnson • Portland, OR, 97209 • www.pnca.edu • 503•226•4391 Posted by Isaac Peterson on November 28, 2005 at 8:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 11.17.05 Over the Weekend  Will Rogan at small A projectsHere's a brief rundown of some things to do through the weekend... Small A Projects defies the conventions of First Thursday, First Friday, Second Tuesday and what have you with an opening smack dab in the middle of the month. For her second exhibition, Gitlen presents a solo show of new work by Will Rogan entitled Getting Through. Rogan is a Bay Area artist known for his photographs and video works of “found situations” and incidental sculpture. His work is often about awe, and the incongruous conjunction of the everyday and the fantastic. In this body of work, Rogan takes as a central theme an ordinary life renderedextraordinary. Join Rogan tonight for the opening reception with a conversation with Harrell Fletcher at 8p. Opening Reception • Thursday, November 17 • 6 to 9p small A projects • 1430 SE Third • Tel. 503.234.7993 Tomorrow night Mark Woolley presents The Art of Tom Cramer and Music of Klaus Schulze. This evening of art and sound-scapes features Klaus Schulze, Germany’s pioneering electronic space musician, and his brand new album, Moonlake. Klaus has been exploring the outer reaches of electronic music since 1970, as co-founder of legendary space-rock bands, Ash Ra Temple and Tangerine Dream. Now, some 35 years later, is considered to be the father of, what has come to be known as "21st Century Classical Music." In addition to the new album, there will be a kaleidoscopic selection of music from Klaus’ other major works, as well as unreleased material and rare DVDs. Friday, November 18th • 8p to 2a Woolley @Wonder • 128 NE Russell On Sunday, critic Arthur C. Danto speaks at the Portland Art Museum on Modern Aesthetics, The Gap Between Art and Life. From PAM's website, "Arthur Danto, Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University and art critic for The Nation, has been a major shaper of recent aesthetic theory. Find out how the celebrated author of The Madonna of the Future: Essays in a Pluralistic Art World, After the Death of Art, and the award-winning Encounters and Reflections: Art in the Historical Present looks at art today." Jeff says, "it will sell out." Sunday, November 20th • 2p • $10 PAM • 1219 SW Park Ave • Tel. 503-226-0973. On Monday, Justin Oswald talks to Eva Lake on Artstar Radio. Maybe he will release his granndiose plans post-Gallery 500... Monday, November 21 • 5p 1450 am on your radio dial or kpsu.org On Tuesday, NAAU offers Mona Hatoum films through Cinema Project. Over the approximate span of twenty years, Hatoum has traveled freely between performance, video, photography, drawing, sculpture and installation. Cinema Project will be screening several of Hatoum’s early video work including Changing Parts, a video inter-cutting imagery from her parents’ house with the documentation of a performance in which the artist was trapped inside a plastic walled container; and Measures of Distance, a video that focuses on Hatoum’s separation and isolation from her family in Beirut. This screening is part of a series of public events surrounding her solo show at the Cooley Memorial Art Gallery at Reed College. Tuesday, November 22 • 7:30 p Cinema Project @ NAAU • 922 SE Ankeny Street • Tel. 503.231.8294 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on November 17, 2005 at 10:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.09.05 Mid-Week Grab Bag  Joe Macca at MarylhurstA few things going on around town... Tonight Michael Brophy speaks at Powell's on The Romantic Vision of Michael Brophy, a recently released book edited by Rock Hushka. The book explores how Brophy's art reassesses the historical events and decisions that shaped the American West. Brophy is best known for his quietly haunting landscape paintings addressing forest ecology and history (he is currently showing sumi-ink drawings at Laura Russo). Wednesday, November 9th • 7:30p Powell's City of Books • 1005 W Burnside drawing(s) 40+ artists / 200 works The 25th anniversary drawing show at Marylhurst that opens today. "Old heavyweights, mid career artists, and young turks." Including Henk Pander, Tad Savinar, Judy Cooke, George Johanson, Michael Brophy, DE May, Marie Watt, Linda Hutchins, Ryan Boyle, Melody Owen, and Joe Macca. While you're out there, don't miss Brad Adkins' re-enactment of Michael Bowley’s 1979 Walking in a Circle Until a Mark is Made, a 25ft dirt/crop circle on the south side of the driveway into Marylhurst. Show runs through December 11th. The Art Gym @ Marylhurst • 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy. 43) • tel. 503.636.8141 Tomorrow night is On The Wall, a group art show to benefit Skaters For Portland Skateparks featuring customized Vans slip-on's and hand-painted skate decks by local up-and-comers and national talent. All monies raised from the sale of artwork will be donated to S.P.S. to aid them in their goal of free public skateparks in metro Portland. Drop by the opening for DJ’s, limited edition catalogs and posters. Work by Russ Pope, Paul Fujita, Joker, Jesse Reno, Klutch, Chad Kelco and more. Opening reception • Thursday November 10th • 7 to 10p Local 35 • 3556 Hawthorne Ave • Tel. 503.963.8200 Also, the SE Portland Artwalk's Call to Artists continues through Nov. 15th. Apply at seportlandartwalk.com. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on November 09, 2005 at 14:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 11.04.05 First Friday (finally!) If you're tiring of the same old gallery reception schtick but still love an
arty party, then tonight's your night. The Eastside does First Friday with a
flare, including a gallery grand opening and celebrity-graced movie night.
Across from the Jupiter Hotel, Fix has been holding down fort for the past year or so. Through some incredible magnetism and muscle, they have attracted at least 3 other young independent art-minded businesses to take up shop in the same building. Tonight, Tony Nguyen opens Renowned with Soon and Very Soon, a group show of local and national artists including Bwana Spoons (PDX), Maya Hayuk (NY), Erik Sandberg (LA), Jill Bliss (SF), and Deanne Cheuk (NY). Grand Opening • Friday, November 4 • 6-10p Renowned • 811 East Burnside, Suite 111 Around the corner, NAAU offers What it all Meant, the second solo exhibition by Ty Ennis. This collection of minimal drawings walks the line between irony, rebellion and social critique. Opening Reception • Friday, November 4 • 7 to 10p New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny St. • Tel. 503.231.8294 A hop, skip and jump away, Homeland takes up fort at their second (temporary) location with new works by Scott Wayne Indiana. My interest is piqued by the promise of a 72 foot scroll stretched from pillar to pillar, "a long painting resembling the artist’s sketch book and revealing a reflective exercise of examining his own stream of consciousness as a visual representation." There will also be a collection of smaller new works. Opening Reception • Friday, November 4 • starting at 7p, live music at 8 Gallery Homeland • 222 SE 10th (within the Troy Building) CHANGE OF VENUE: NOW AT WONDER BALLEROOM • 128 NE RUSSELL A little further south at Newspace are Myron Filene and Jodi Boatman. Filene presents a series of panoramas in the form of prisms, splicing together thin slices from full panoramic shots to effect an extreme stretching of the vertical field. Boatman’s work deals with memory; her images dwell on objects or spaces that trigger personal recollections. Opening Reception • Friday, November 4th • 7 to 10p Newspace • 1632 SE 10th Ave. • Tel. 503.963.1935 Over at small A projects, Laurel Gitlen wraps up her inaugural exhibition All I Want is Everything with a movie night screening of Velvet Goldmine featuring a casual conversation with director Todd Haynes. Seating is limited so call the gallery to RSVP or bring your pillows to sit on the floor. Beer, soda and popcorn will be provided. Movie Night • Friday, November 4 • 7 to 10p small A projects • 1430 SE Third Avenue • Tel. 503.234.7993 Wrap up your Eastside Evening at Holocene with a benefit for Flight 64. Flight 64 is a non-profit co-op dedicated to providing affordable access to a press in order to nourish a new generation of artists and Portland's printmaking community. Prints will be for sale by over 30 local artists. The evening will be punctuated by a $5 raffle of prints by Chrisy Wycoff, Emily Ginsburg, and Martha Pfanshmidt. The evening will be accompanied by live music from Horsefeathers, Sexton Blake, and Blitzentrapper. Flight 64 Benefit • Friday, November 4 • Doors at 5, Raffle at 8:45 at Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison • Free until 9, then $5 cover Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on November 04, 2005 at 14:01 | Comments (1) PermalinkFirst Friday There's plenty of great events going on tonight. First Thursday madness has put me a little behind on my PORT posting. Expect a complete run-down of tonight's receptions this afternoon. Hopefully by 2pm or so.
Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on November 04, 2005 at 10:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 11.02.05 First Thursday Round-Up  Victoria Haven at PDXLaura Russo presents large, monochromatic drawings by Portland strong-holds Michael Brophy, Mel Katz and Lucinda Parker. Brophy takes a break from two years of focused painting offering sumi ink washes and drawings hauntingly depicting the Pacific Northwest. Katz presents charcoal drawings depicting the realized designs for his 3 dimensional works. Opening Reception • November 3 • 5 to 8p Laura Russo • 805 NW 21st Ave • Tel. 503.226.2754 At Pulliam Deffenbaugh, sumi ink reappaears in Jerry Iverson's Nerve Block. Iverson works with tissue paper, ink, rabbit skin glue and varnish on gessoed chip-board for a result that is as much collage as painting. Opening Reception • November 3 • 5:30 to 8p Pulliam Deffenbaugh • 929 NW Flanders Stree• Tel. 503.228.6665 PDX has reached a milestone. The gallery that has so long resisted First Thursday receptions finally joins the brouhaha in their new location in the heart of things on Ninth Ave. PDX christens their new space with Next a group show featuring gallery artists. It promises to be a strong showing with new works by D.E. May, Eric Stotik, Marie Watt, Joe Macca, Storm Tharp, Brad Adkins, Nick Blosser, Ellen George, Cynthia Lahti, Kevin Burrus, James Lavadour, Terry Toedtemeier, Jacques Flechemuller and more. Opening Reception • November 3 • 6 to 8p PDX Contemporary Art • 925 NW Flanders • Tel. 503.222.0063 Froelick presents glass sculpture by Joe Feddersen and works on paper by Sally Finch. Fedderson, a member of the Coleville Confederated Tribes (and faculty at my alma matter, go geoducks!), creates hand blown glass sculpture with traditional woven basket froms. Finch presents a collection of delicate assamblage pieces loosely based on grids, cellular substructures, printed circuit boards and book text. Opening Reception • November 3 • 5 to 8p Froelick • 817 SW Second Ave • Tel 503.222.1142 Motel announces the first solo exhibition of Jen Corace. In this new body of work on paper, Corace elaborates on her distinctive linear style by introducing meticulously detailed scenery to otherwise minimal compositions. This exhibition marks the most elaborate series to date from this talented up-and-comer. Corace’s precise line work, subtle use of color and restrained composition crafts a series that is remarkable for both its artistic and narrative qualities. Opening Reception • November 3 • 6:30 to 9:30p Motel • Located on NW Couch St, between 5th & 6th Aves • Tel. 503.222.6699 On the heels of last week's news that Gallery 500 is closing it's doors, it seems obvious that you won't want to miss this, their final First Thursday reception and what promises to be a blow-out party. Nicholas DiGenova and Troy Briggs each present new bodies of work, DiGenova with bold detailed drawings using animation techniques of cel painting and Troy Briggs' moody, minimal portraiture and landscapes. Bring flowers and tip your hats as we bid adieu to Gallery 500. Opening Reception • November 3 • 6p till late Gallery 500 • 420 SW Washington • Tel. 503.223.3951 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on November 02, 2005 at 12:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 11.01.05 2 Lectures: Jencks, Hatoum  Mona Hatoum at ReedTonight, as part of the Portland Arts & Lectures "Literary Arts" series, Charles Jencks presents a slide/lecture presentation on The Iconic Building, his new book surveying modern structures that challenge the traditional architectural monument. Jencks is a seminal theorist on architecture and postmodernism. This evening, he will discuss the work of his contemporaries Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, Peter Eisenman, Enric Miralles, Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind, Renzo Piano, Will Alsop, and Rem Koolhaas. A Q&A session and book signing will follow the event. Tuesday, November 1 • 7:30p (Doors open at 6:30) First Congregational Church • 1126 SW Park Ave Literary Arts • $15 General, $12 College/Senior, $10 Youth/Architecture Interns Call 503.227.2583 for tickets Mona Hatoum stands as one of the most important British artists of her generation. You may have seen her humorous photographs and small-scale sculptures in the project room at the Affair last month. Through the hard work of Stephanie Snyder and the Coolley Gallery, we are fortunate to have her and her work in Portland. Hatoum emerged onto the British art scene in the 1980s during the brouhaha of the YBA (Young British Artists) movement. Since that time she has been exploring the cultural dynamics of immigration, gender, and physical and psychological displacement,often using the personal space of the body and its products as a context for broader cultural and political concerns. Tomorrow night, she talks about her work, which has ranged from physically extreme public performance in her early years to more recent video, photography, and mixed media sculpture. This is one not to be missed! Wednesday, November 2 • 7 p • Free Vollum Lecture Hall • Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Tel. 503.771.1112 Hatoum's exhibition runs through December 23 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on November 01, 2005 at 8:18 | Comments (3) PermalinkSaturday 10.29.05 333 Open House Today and tomorrow, 333 Studios presents its 9th annual October Show, a group
exhibition featuring new work by professional and emerging artists who work
at the the multi-studio space. The event offers a rare opportunity to inhabit
the studio environment in which the work was made, allowing both a glimpse into
the artistic process and sources of inspiration. With its cult-like following,
the October Show has become a must-attend event for Portland’s art community
and beyond. Resident artists showing work include: Blair Saxon-Hill, Marty Schnapf,
Una Kim, David Inkpen, Robin Hoffmeister, Stephen Hayes, Cecilia Hallinan, Gilles
Foisy, Carol Ferris and John Brodie.
Saturday, October 29 • 4 to 9p Sunday, October 30 • Noon to 4:00p 333 Studios, 333 NE Hancock Street (at MLK) • Free! Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on October 29, 2005 at 9:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.27.05 Not Constantinople If you are vacationing in or near Istanbul this time of the year, you've got
one more day to catch Two Continents and Beyond: Waterways, at the
Official Independent Project of the 9th Istanbul Biennale. This project, which
counts Portland-tied Paul Middendorf and Mary Mattingly as its curatorial advisors,
debuted at the Venice Biennale this year and now makes a second showing. Installed
on one of Istanbul’s largest ferries, Waterways sails between
historic ports of the European coast and the Asian to actively engage and explore
the complex dynamic inherent in the systems of politics and international exchange
as it relates to environmental conservation and global warming. Over 30 artists
have collaborated on the project including Portlanders David Eckard, Ryan Jeffery,
Paige Saez, Stephanie Snyder and Amy Steel.
For more info, click here and here. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on October 27, 2005 at 10:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.26.05 McGinness on Tap  Ryan McGinness comes to Portland tomorrow for a PICA talk about his new exhibition on view at Deitch Projects and his recently released book installationview. In case you're somehow in the dark, McGinness has been garnering international acclaim over the past five years or so for his stylized baroque compositions crafted from an amalgam of inconographic symbols. "His graphic drawings and personal iconography are replicated, recontextualized, and materialized infinitely throughout his densely layered paintings and installations." His work is notable not just for its coneceptual thematics of language and symbolism but for its innovative marriage of art and design lexicons. McGinness has exhibited in traveling museum exhibition, Beautiful Losers and at the Greater New York exhibition at P.S. 1/MoMA. The talk will be followed by a book signing of installationview, which was released this month by Rizolli. Thursday, October 27th • 7pm PICA • 224 NW 13th Ave • Tel. 503.242.1419 Members $8 • General $10 • Tickets available at the door Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on October 26, 2005 at 18:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.20.05 (William + Lecture + Free) x 2 Two Lectures this weekend to satisfy your critical cravings....
A Voice in the Crowd: The Art Exhibit and the Citizen by William Ray Ray, Reed College Professor of French and Humanities, will present a talk on the roles that public art exhibitions and museums have played in the formation of the modern citizen, exploring "how the enjoyment of art introduced the larger public to practices of self-expression and consensus that were crucial to the development of modern citizenship and representative government." The lecture is followed by a reception in the newly restored Field Ballroom of the Mark Building. Hey, why not? Friday, October 21 • 7p • Free The Whitsell Auditorium • Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park Ave African American Vernacular Art: A Secret Language, A Hidden Tradition by William Arnett Arnett will lecture on the often-overlooked aesthetic traditions of Black art in the American South with particular attention to the Quilts of Gee’s Bend, which demonstrate a sophisticated color play evocative of 20th century abstract painters. Quilters Mary Lee Bendolph and Louisiana Bendolph will be in attendance. The original quilts were exhibited at Liz Leach last June. Saturday, October 22 • 6p • Free Kaul Auditorium • Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd Park in the West Parking lot, off Botsford Drive, via SE 28th Avenue Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on October 20, 2005 at 0:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.19.05 Super-8 Opera Prima Encore A couple of months ago I attended an under-publicized screening of films made
by 10 up-and-coming artists (many with no filmmaking experience) on the occasion
of the 40th anniversary of Super-8 film. These short films were beautiful, humorous, chaotic, experimental and unexpected.
This Thursday, the Northwest Film
Center offers an encore presentation for those of you who missed the first
event. Included in the program are Ryan Boyle, Zachary Reno, Sean Healey and Andrea
U-Ren, Chris Johanson, Chris Larson, Philip Cooper, Matt McCormick, Morgan Currie
and Melody Owen. The films will be accompanied by an original score by Tara Jane
O'Neill recorded live at the initial screening.
Thursday, October 20th • 7pm Guild Theatre • 829 SW 9th Ave. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on October 19, 2005 at 0:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 10.15.05 Whittle Away the Weekend  Today and tomorrow mark the last two days for free admission to the Art Museum. Your best bet is to pick your free tickets up at Fred Meyer but you can also score some at the door. And, if you're wanting to know more about the collection, architecture, and the long-term plan for the New Wing, one of the museum's most contentious figures, Bruce Guenther (the Museum's Chief Curator and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art) will be giving a lecture tomorrow on The Vision Behind the Center for Modern and Contemporary Art. Sunday, October 16th • 2p Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park Ave • $10 Tonight, if you're looking for an opportunity to officially usher in fall (as if the wind and rain weren't enough), the Guild Theater presents Murnau's Nosferatu with live musical accompanyment by Boston's Devil Music Ensemble. Saturday, October 15th •7:30p $10 general • $ 8 members & students Guild Theatre • 829 SW 9th Ave. Image (above): one of my favorite surprises in the new collection. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on October 15, 2005 at 10:01 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.13.05 TJ Norris opens at Chambers  Don't let this mid-month opening slip by you. TJ Norris opens Nucleo tonight at Chambers, the second in a tri-part series of installations entitled tribryd . The artist explains, "It is the centerpiece of the series and as such acts as a balancing point. The work includes photographic imagery (or "evidence"). The images were found in mostly industrial and abandoned areas of cities in the Pacific Northwest, New England and Montreal. These images have gone through many manifestations to end up in a spherical state, representing a sort of zen center, by editing the edges of my own perception (my peripheral vision), and in a way mimicking the camera's lens." Opening recepetion tonight • 5:30 to 8:30p • Through November 26 Chambers • 207 SW Pine St No 102 Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 13, 2005 at 10:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.07.05 First Friday  Barb Choit at small A projectsWell, there were a few changes and missteps last night and turns out Erwin Wurm isn't at Liz Leach this month after all and PDX didn't debut their new space yet, but all in good time. Sorry for any confusion or misdirection. Eight days of art madness is winding down tonight in the Central Eastside Industrial District with three openings and one tailgate party. My pick of the evening is the housewarming party at Laurel Gitlen's small A projects. She kicks of her new digs with All I Want is Everything a group show celebrating everything rock 'n roll. The reception starts at 6p and at 8p there's a free screening of Heavy Metal Parking Lot, a cult classic that chronicles a day in the life outside a Judas Priest concert circa 1986. There will be a tailgate party throughout the evening with hot dogs and libations. Be there or be, well, wussy. small A projects • 1430 SE Third Ave • Tel. 503.234.7993 Newspace shows Station to Station by Lisa Gidley (PDX). The exhibition maps NYC through a collection of photographs shot within one block of the Metro stations, 443 in total. A nice homage to public transit and the Big Apple. Opening Reception • 7 to 10p Newspace • 1632 SE 10th Ave • Tel. 503.963.1935 At NAAU Arcy Douglass presents Panta Rhei, a bold series which negotiates the line between representation and abstraction. Opening Reception • 7 to 10p NAAU • 922 SE Ankeny Street • Tel. 503.231.8294 After a last minute relocation, Homeland debuts tonight in the Hall Gallery. I can't seem to find the press release but I think the show is still Zak Margolis, Charles Moss and Amy Steel. I'm guessing from 6 to 9p or 7 to 10p, something in that range. Gallery Homeland @ The Hall Gallery • 630 SE Third Avenue * Don't forget, only one more weekend of Fresh Trouble. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5p. 4246 SE Belmont. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on October 07, 2005 at 14:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 10.06.05 Ah yes, First Thursday  Robert Yoder at FroelickFirst the Affair, then the Museum wing and now, don't forget, First Thursday! This month offers the best line-up of shows I've seen since PORT launched. Things have been so busy in gallery land, I've hardly had a wink of sleep though, so this month's post is a list of top picks (with the gallery's name as a link to their site where you can get more info including address and reception times). See you all tonight! • Bernd and Hilla Becher at the brand new Pulliam Deffenbaugh space • Masao Yamamoto at the brand new PDX space • Robert Yoder at Froelick Gallery • Erwin Wurm at Liz Leach • Megan Whitmarsh at Motel • Tom Cramer x 2 at Mark Woolley East and Mark Woolley West • Gregory Grenon at Laura Russo • T.J. Norris at Chambers • Plus, the launch party for Fake Your Own Death, a new art magazine with Issue 1 featuring Ryan Jacob Smith, Jessie Rose Vala, Emily Counts, Nathan McKee and more, at Valentine's (232 SW Ankeny). Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on October 06, 2005 at 7:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 09.27.05 Double Feature 
Critter, Vanessa Renwick's experimental documentary about the reintroduction of grey wolves into the West, has been several years in the making and, well, you'll just have to wait a little bit longer. But luckily, you can help speed along the creative process by attending a special benefit screening on Wednesday, where Renwick and partner in crime/art/life Bill Daniel will be on hand to present two new documentries based on their shared and ongoing obsessions with trains, American folkloric mythology and graffiti.Who is Bozo Texino? is described as the "culmination of Daniel's twenty-plus year investigation into the century-old folkloric practice of boxcar graffiti." Renwick will premiere a film that documents the man behind Portland's Lovejoy Columns, Greek immigrant and rail worker Tom Stefopoulos. Renwick will also debut a new short, Cascadia Terminal, with a score by Tara Jane O'Neil. Wednesday, September 28 • 7:30p Presented by Cinema Project • Hollywood Theatre • 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. Sliding scale $6-$25 Posted by Katherine Bovee on September 27, 2005 at 9:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkThe Living Hokusai Friday at PNCA the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Print in association with the Japan Foundation gave a crowd of spectators a startling insight into the process of a master.
The Adachi Institute continues the Ukiyo-e hand made print tradition. The mass production and circulation of woodblock prints underlay the blossoming of Japanese popular culture that occurred during the Edo era (1600 - 1867). The Adachi Institute makes exact replicas of famous prints from the Edo era. Friday's lunchtime demonstration was a step by step walk- through of the printing process of one of Hokusai's most famous prints: The Great Wave... Posted by Isaac Peterson on September 27, 2005 at 1:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 09.24.05 Trouble Tonight  Ellen George's BroadcastTonight PORT's own Jeff Jahn opens his latest curatorial endeavor, Fresh Trouble. Much coverage has already been given to this biennial-style exhibtion, including write-ups in the Oregonian and Ultra. You would be foolish to miss this independent exhibition which features a slew of talented (mostly younger) artists from around the globe. FT occupies a 10,000 square foot warehouse for 2 weeks to "highlight artists who bravely seek to change or redefine the world they live in even if it is similar to the effects of butterfly wings kicking up storms farther away. Some are primarily ironists who point out areas that lack of change but require it; others are visionaries who make objects that lift one above the everyday experience and effect change one viewer at a time." The exciting roster includes China's Cao Fei with her West Coast debut of cosplayers, Jack Daws (Seattle), Matthew Picton (PDX), Ellen George (PDX), Chandra Bocci (PDX), Laura Fritz (PDX), Matt McCormick (PDX), Sean Healy (PDX), PORT's Katherine Bovee with husband Philippe Blanc (PDX) and so many more. Opening Reception • tonight! • 5 to 9p 4246 SE Belmont • Through October 10th Hours: Saturday & Sunday, noon to 5p • Special Hours: Sept 30, 6 to 9p Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on September 24, 2005 at 10:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.23.05 Raad at Reed  Tonight, Walid Raad, who is showing in Mapping Sitting at the Cooley Gallery, gives a public talk on his ongoing project, The Atlas Group Archives. The talk, The Loudest Muttering is Over: Documents from the Atlas Group Archives, delves into his fictional non-profit collective which works towards a re(creation) of Lebanon's history through notebooks, films, video and photographs. Calling into question assumptions of history, memory, agency and representation, Raad's work toys with these provocative ideas by rooting them in the real-world context of a politically troubled and heartbroken nation. Raad is an internationally acclaimed artist whom we are fortunate to have in our fair city. He is Assistant Professor of Art at Cooper Union in New York City. His works include textual analysis, video, and photography. He has performed in the 2003 Venice Biennale; the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; the House of World Cultures, Berlin; and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. The Atlas Group was included in the 2002 Whitney Biennial, and Documenta 11 in Kassel, Germany. Friday, September 23 • 7p Kaul Auditorium • Reed College Free and open to the public The gallery will hold special hours from 5 to 10 to accomodate the talk Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on September 23, 2005 at 0:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.22.05 Jen Rybolt on Meow Meow at TBA 
From the moment she fluttered onto the stage-dressing gown clutched around her, her short dark flyaway bob bracketing crimson lips-- Meow Meow held us captivated. Was it her childlike giddiness? Her manic starlet hysteria? Her worldly, womanly curves? Or that in her query, "What is Love," she seemed to be asking another question entirely... Posted by Guest on September 22, 2005 at 1:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.21.05 Bi*m*rphic 
I've heard rumors that it's really big. And, for Ellen George, the PDX artist who makes accumulations of small, delicate polymer clay objects resembling fungus and colorful biological phenomena, that's a really good thing. The show's title is a glyph - * - a clue to the formal geometry that gives structure to the approximately 8,000 pieces that make up the installation and a reference to the number 8 (look down, silly), which the press release explains is "a constant number in the personal life of the artist" as well as a sideways infinity symbol. Portlanders, you'll have to trek up north to see this one - it's across the Columbia in Vancouver, where George resides. Opening Reception • Wednesday, September 21 • 4 to 7p Show runs through October 23 Archer Gallery at Clark College • 1800 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver, WA • Tel. 360.992.2246 Posted by Katherine Bovee on September 21, 2005 at 7:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkTracy + the Plastics 
Wynne Greenwood took the stage at the Works last Tuesday performing in her cyborg/ multiple selves/ lo-fi band Tracy + the Plastics. She came on in ugly white pants and sheepskin boots and spent a few moments adjusting her gold headband before turning on the microphone and the single synthesizer. She asks that the lights be dimmed and starts arranging the audience: "Can't we make a less hierarchal space in here? Why don't you guys sit down?" Wynne plays Tracy... Posted by Isaac Peterson on September 21, 2005 at 1:45 | Comments (4) PermalinkSunday 09.18.05 Fresh Trouble The website for my Fresh Trouble warehouse show has been updated. Things are looking very good indeed with a combination of international caliber art, and some frankly thrilling Dia/Marfa meets Superflat presentations of art that go beyond just minimal industrial fetishing and expands into strong art as an inhabitant. Special focus will be placed on how artist's activities (creating trouble and making the world fresher) effect the cities they live in.
Posted by Jeff Jahn on September 18, 2005 at 22:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.14.05 Straight Trippin' Tonight, V-Gun opens their latest exhibition, Trippin'
Balls: A Mycological Exploration. I imagine there will be some, uh, inspired
work by over 20 local and national artists (including Jesse Hayward, Tom Cramer,
Wesley Younie, Carolyn Zick and Michael Oman Regan). Works range from painting,
drawing, sculpture and fabric arts to other curiosities, all in homage to the
'shroom.
Opening Reception • September 14 • 5 to 7p• Through November 5 V-Gun (inside Veganopolis) • 412 SW 4th Ave • Tel. 503.226.3400 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on September 14, 2005 at 13:33 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 09.12.05 TBA Kickoff 
TBA (Portland's Time Based Art festival) kicked off at Pioneer Square on Thursday night with a free performance by Streb and an emotional send off celebration for Kristy Edmunds, whom the tribute video repeatedly called a "Pied Piper". Kristy, PICA's beloved founder leaves PICA and Portland for Melbourne Australia to peddle her particular brand of rabble rousing for their performing arts festival. So raise a glass to the toast of the town this week. -I.P. Review: The Streb performance was physically elemental and each set tended to focus on formal concerns like; spinning, squirming, gravity, slipping and sliding, cramped quarters, being tied together etc. Some of these were... Posted by Isaac Peterson on September 12, 2005 at 1:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 09.10.05 If TBA Doesn't Float Your Boat...  Mike RathbunFor those of you looking for something to do, The Art Gym opens their 25th season with two great installations, Mike Rathbun with N45º23.871’ W122º38.864’ and Diane Jacobs with Cross Hairs. Rathbun's installation consists of three interrelated structures: a wave floor, a suspended 20-foot boat, and ceiling-high matrix of 2,800 linear feet of two-by-twos that the artist hand-cut and split from logs(!). Jacobs presents a collection of sculptures made from human hair, which she incorporates with cultural linguistics for an innovative and heady (get it?) body of work. Both Rathbun and Jacobs developed and executed their projects for approximately two years with funding from Artist Project Grants from RACC. Opening Reception • Sunday, September 11 • 3 to 5p Show runs through October 23 The Art Gym at Marylhurst University • 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy 43), Marylhurst • Tel. 503.636.8141 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on September 10, 2005 at 18:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.09.05 Professor Spooky to You 
tba:05 has begun. And, this afternoon, in the Wieden + Kennedy lobby, the tba institute kicked off with a lecture by Paul D. Miller, known to many as DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid, who set the stage for his performances later tonight and tomorrow of Rebirth of a Nation, which takes D.W. Griffith's shamelessly racist 1915 film, Birth of a Nation as its starting point. Miller is a DJ, artists and writer equally fluent in the vocabulary of electronic music, philosophy, art history, cultural studies, 20th century composition and hip-hop. In his recently published book, Rhythm Science, Miller states that he began DJing as conceptual art. Miller is certainly one of the most articulate DJs around and his work fits as comfortably in a warehouse as in a museum (in fact Rebirth of a Nation was performed last year at Paula Cooper Gallery in NYC). DJ culture embodies a postmodern aesthetic and none of its potential as a medium for cultural commentary is lost on Miller. During the lecture, he parsed the way in which he conceptualizes DJ culture as art. For Miller, it's more than just sonic play, it's a form of sculpture. The DJ as sculptor borrows freely from a media-saturated culture of sound and image, what Miller refers to as "information ecology," implying the ways in which data gives way to meta data. The DJ is a sculptor of memory, and when constructing mixes for an audience, the DJ is playing with context as much (or perhaps more) than content. DJ culture lays bare the fluidity and unfixed nature of meaning, a demonstration of how meaning functions in a Structuralist sense. Miller's lecture was as fluid as his prose, freely folding in sound and image, explanation and demonstration. Complimenting his explanation of sampling as a sculpture of memory, audience members walked away with CDs, each with a slightly different mix burned straight from Miller's Powerbook, bringing in everything from 20th century composition (Monk, Glass, Reich) to traditional Gamelan to work by other contemporary DJs. Miller's work is as much about deconstructing as reconstructing and Rebirth of a Nation promises to confront these issues head-on, but of course, not without style or humor. See the performance of Rebirth of a Nation tonight and tomorrow. You can also catch him spinning around midnight at The Works late night tonight and tomorrow at PNCA for Saturday's noontime chat. Visit the tba website for details. Posted by Katherine Bovee on September 09, 2005 at 20:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 09.07.05 Twinkle Twinkle Tonight marks the opening of Mark
Woolley's second gallery, "Mark Woolley at the Wonder Ballroom"
with Form and Emptiness: Works of Contemplative Paradox. Of course, there
will be lots of Buddhist-inspired artwork in this inaugural group show but this
is also the ideal opportunity to get a first glimpse of the new gallery space.
For those in the dark, the Wonder Ballroom is something of a Northeast cultural
mecca with the upstairs ballroom hosting musical and performance events while
downstairs houses the Woolley space, Marilyn Murdoch's forthcoming Guestroom
Gallery and a fine dining restaurant.
Opening Reception • 6 to 9p Wonder Ballroom • 128 NE Russell St. • Tel. 503.224.5475 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on September 07, 2005 at 11:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 09.02.05 Young Fresh Friday Plenty to do tonight...
 Bootsy Holler at NewspaceAccompanying their Bay Area Bazaar exhibition, Pulliam Deffenbaugh hosts the Red and the Green, a play written by Kevin Killiam and Karla Milosovich satirizing pop culture and politics, with a cast of 30 artists reading from scripts and relying on improvisation. The evening begins with readings from curator Larry Rinder, poet Dodie Bellamy and writer Jocelyn Saidenberg, Doors at 7pm • $5 • *Limited Seating Pulliam Deffenbaugh • 522 NW 12th Ave • Tel. 503.228.6665 Newspace continues their consistently good programming with Ruby & Willie by Seattle-based photographer Bootsy Holler. This series documents the details of Willie's Richland, Washington, home after Ruby's death. With a museum documentary style, Holler captures the subtleties of the family abode. Opening Reception • 7 to 10p Newspace • 1632 SE 10th Ave. • Tel. 503.963.1935 FIX gallery takes on Dan Ness with Blackboard Drawings. Ness is one of Portland's most prolific young artists popping up everywhere from the Pearl to Chinatown to Alberta to SE. With his classic iconic imagery and well-executed collage style, he maintains a consistency and drive that makes him one to watch. Opening reception First Friday 7-10pm FIX • 811 East Burnside, Studio No.113 • Tel. 503.233.3189 DK Row once said of me that I continue to show artists that nobody's heard of. Although I don't think this was or is true (yes, there is an art savvy world outside of Portland, Oregon that tracks the careers of emerging artists), I now bestow this honor to the Portland Art Center. PAC brings us another exhibition featuring talent I've never heard of. Tonight they open Natura Naturans, an installation and print study by James Jack. Using media appropriated from nature (pigments from the Oregon Coast and inks from Seder bark) Jack brings the outside in with a meditative and existential body of work. Opening Reception • 7 to 10p Portland Art Center • 2045 SE Belmont Street • Tel. 503.239.5481 Rake Art Group presents Space Ambulance "A Night with the Thief", a group show featuring photography, paintings, prints, film and music. Featuring 18 participants, this group introduces a number of unknown emerging artists working in various media. Opening Reception • 6p to midnight Rake at Voleur Restaurant. • 111 SW Ash St • Tel. 503.227.3764  James Jack at PAC Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on September 02, 2005 at 10:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 09.01.05 The Month that Art Ruled If there ever was a month that art ruled Portland, September would have to
be it. The galleries are packed with top-notch exhibitions, independent curators
are creating site-specific exhibitions, TBA
takes over the 9th through the 18th and the Affair
at the Jupiter Hotel kicks off on the 30th. For those who share Seaplane's
"vision of fashion as art", there's even the
Collections next week offering a heady roster of exclusive studio and runway
shows. You almost can't go wrong, no matter where you end up. We recommend the
Willamette
Week for a comprehensive listing of all gallery exhibitions but here's a
few picks for First Thursday:
 Inertia 2005 at Gallery 500Gallery 500 presents Inertia 2005, an exhibition juried by our own Jeff Jahn featuring 13 of the freshest emerging artists from across the nation. Expect giant chickens, Wal-Mart receipts, vinyl upholstery, and "the dangerous intersection of knitting and power tools". From what I've seen so far, this should be a good 'un. Opening Reception • 6p to midnight Gallery 500 • 420 SW Washington, Suite 500 • Tel. 503.223.3951 PNCA presents Troca Brasil. Read Isaac's post from yesterday for an overview of the exhibition with preliminary photos. Opening Reception • 6 to 9p PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St • Tel. 503.226.4391 Pulliam Deffenbaugh presents Bay Area Bazaar, a massive group show of 50 curated by Laurie Reed. "Reid has assembled a group based on friendship and time spent working together—either as students, colleagues or theatre/writing cohorts." The result is an impressive collection of work from some of SF's finest. Opening Reception • 5:30 to 8:30p Pulliam Deffenbaugh • 522 NW 12th Ave. Portland • Tel. 503.228.6665  Carson Ellis at MotelMotel presents Works in Pen and Ink by Carson Ellis. This solo exhibition includes pen and ink drawings on paper featuring Ellis' signature illustrative style. With a new collection of work anchored by two larger, more ambitious pieces, Ellis continues her obsession with uncommon characters and the scenery of Russia and Ireland. A superb showing by one of Portland's finest up-and-comers. Opening Reception • 6:30 to 9:30p Motel • On NW Couch Street, between 5th & 6th Aves • Tel. 503.222.6699 Chambers opens their second exhibition with work by two abstract painters, Sidney Rowe and Agnes Field. Sidney Rowe is a painter who also works through performance, often craftings her works live in front of an audience. Tonight she creates a new piece LIVE at 7pm as part of the exhibition. Also showing is painter/curator Agnes Field with a body of work exploring the local topographies around her studio in Astoria, Oregon. Opening Reception • 5:30 to 8:30p Chambers • 207 SW Pine, No.102 • Tel. 503.939.2255. The Alysia Duckler Gallery opens a photography exhibition by Berlin-based artist, Stefanie Schneider. There is something distinctly Deutsch about these portaits with their overexposed lighting, a color palette of tertiaries, and skin-tight vinyl catsuits; a sort of Barbarella meets Thelma and Louise. Opening Reception • 6 to 8p Alysia Duckler • 1236 N.W. Hoyt Street • Tel. 503.223.7595 At Froelick, Stephen O’Donnell presents Galeri des Modes and Still, two series of work on portraiture and the male form. The first is a series of acrylic paintings that allude to the quest of ancient Greek sculptors to carve the perfect physique. The second series uses ink and watercolor to explore dress, costume and this history of fashion. Opening Reception • 5 to 8:30p Froelick Gallery • 817 SW Second Avenue • Tel. 503.222.1142  Sidney Rowe at Chambers Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on September 01, 2005 at 10:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.29.05 Troca Brasil Lunchtime Lecture Series I first encountered Ernesto Neto's sensual soft sculptures at London's ICA in 2000 and was as intrigued by their seductive forms as by learning that their interactive nature caused gallery attendants to continually tend to minor tears in the thin lycra fabric. Neto's large, biomorphic, womb-like interactive sculptures are complete with orifices and dangling appendages, and must be seen in person to experience their full sensory impact.
This fall, Neto's work comes to Portland as part of Troca Brasil, an exchange between PNCA and A Gentil Carioca, the gallery that Neto co-founded in Rio de Janiero. Neto, along with fellow founders Marcio Botner and Laura Lima, kick off the exhibition early this week with a series of lunchtime lectures on their work in the upcoming exhibition, which opens this Thursday. On Friday, the series culminates in an evening lecture by Neto, who is by far the most widely acclaimed and exhibited artist in the group. Marcio Botner lecture • Monday, Aug 29th • 12.30 - 1:30 pm Laura Lima lecture • Tuesday, Aug 30th • 12.30 - 1:30 pm Ernesto Neto, Marcio Botner & Laura Lima lecture on A Gentil Carioca • Wednesday, August 31st• 12.30 - 1:30 pm Ernesto Neto lecture • Friday., Sept 2nd • 7 pm All lectures are free and take place at PNCA, Swigert Commons • 1241 NW Johnson St • Tel. 503.821.8962 Posted by Katherine Bovee on August 29, 2005 at 8:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkTaking Place Diary Part 3 Directly after Zicmuse fled the premises, we met Joseph Del Pesco, who gave us a tour of his posters.
Joe Del Pesco Joseph lives in San Francisco where he works at a press. Over the years he has accumulated a collection through trading and by printing posters designed by artists. Del Pesco sees poster collection as an alternative to fine art collection that is less materialistic as well as more portable. One of the most notable in his collection is a poster John Baldassari created as a campaign idea for California Public Libraries. It shows a beautiful young woman taking a break from a weighty biography of James Joyce in order to look up and smile seductively. Its caption: Learn to Read. It has the hallmark of the best of Baldassari. It is subtly disjointed... Posted by Isaac Peterson on August 29, 2005 at 1:12 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 08.26.05 Taking Place Diary Part 2 How to...Create a Cultural District (and Have it Vanish Into the Morning Mists of Dawn)
Continuing along 2nd street just before 12:30 Jessica and I found Matthew Stadler sitting behind a small desk on an elevated street corner. His reading light illuminates a stack of paper and a minidisk recorder with which he is intently fiddling. We sit down in one of the chairs and he welcomes us to help ourselves to a beer. 
Matthew Stadler He is going to start his performance exactly at 12:30. What time is it now? He is from Seattle but he finds the art scene here much richer, and travels back and forth frequently. He is a fiction writer, but finds it enriching to operate within a community of artists. He is associated with a radical, individual centered cultural movement in Europe called Amsterdam 2.0. The idea behind Amsterdam 2.0 is that the citizens are writing a constitution for themselves, one they prefer to live by, rather than the constitution of the government. Their constitution values the rights of the individual at all costs. Stadler was commissioned to write a piece of short fiction in honor of the beginning of Amsterdam 2.0. He saw a parallel between Amsterdam 2.0's assertion of the rights of the individual and the plight of turn of the century immigrants on the west coast. His story is called City of Wool, and is set in 1914 in Astoria, Oregon. It follows the lives of immigrants from the Middle East who are gradually assimilated into their new surroundings. His story seems driven completely by vivid, sensual imagery, and it is easy to see why Stadler spends so much of his time associating with artists. His descriptions are lucid and poetic. He identifies his work as a prose piece: just barely... Posted by Isaac Peterson on August 26, 2005 at 2:35 | Comments (2) PermalinkTuesday 08.23.05 Putt-Putt  Don your finest, brightest, shiniest, putting attire. Tonight and tomorrow, Holocene presents the Second Annual Mini-Golf Art Invitational. The Mini-Council of Jurors has again selected a group of outstanding local artists and designers, presenting them with the challenge of creating an on-site mini-golf hole that is both functional and artistic. These will be unveiled over the next two nights to the spirit of friendly competition, drinks and dancing. Patrons are invited to test the cunning designs and their skill on the course then cast their votes for their favorites. Plaids, pleats, caps and oxfords are all encouraged. There will even be a photographer on hand offering souvenir snapshots. Participating artsts/designers including Ryan Jeffry, Elise Bartow and Logan McLain, Shoshonah Oppenheim and Bonnie Barrett, WK12, Paul Lynch, Holst Architecture, KidMonkey, Lightbox, Adrian Melnick, KPSU, Scott Mazariegos, Adam Sorensen and Midori Hirose, and Johnne Eschelman. Deejays will be spinning odd hits throughout the event. Performance at 11pm on Tues by San Francisco dancepunk stars Hey Willpower Awards announced at 10pm on the 24th Tuesday, Aug 23rd, 9p - 2a • Wednesday, Aug 24th, 2p - 2a • $5 dollars • 21+ Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison • Tel. 503.239.7639 *flier by the illustrious Ryan Jacob Smith Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on August 23, 2005 at 14:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkTaking Place Diary Part 1 How to...Create a Cultural District (and Have it Vanish Into the Morning Mists of Dawn)
My friend Jessica and I attended the latest Taking Place event on Thursday, and dutifully documented our experiences for PORT. The second person we met was Sam Baldwin Gould. It was just after midnight and intending to be fashionably late (by seven minutes) we arrived at quarter past the hour. Sam was handing out programs which gave viewers instructions on how, exactly, to find the art. Standing under an overpass at 215 SE Morrison street, he looked more like a subversive political agitator than an artist. He gave us a stack of booklets to bring back to a project called Tailgating occurring out of the back of a powder blue Subaru. One of the Tailgaiting artists, Nat Andreini, was the first person we had met, a few minutes earlier. 
Sam Baldwin Gould - Walking Tour of My Old Neighborhood Sam's piece is an audio walking tour of the area, his old neighborhood, Produce Row. Listening to the CD later, I found it a loving and detailed catalog of his favorite graffiti, parts of buildings that were falling apart in aesthetically striking ways, posters that had been partially torn down leaving swaths of white paper that looked like ghosts... Posted by Isaac Peterson on August 23, 2005 at 1:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.22.05 Last Days of August Two institutional shows open today. If you're looking for some late summer
art-ing, this is the perfect opportunity. Plus, if you're dying to beat the
heat, chances are good they're air conditioned...
 Mapping SittingAt the Cooley Gallery, Mapping Sitting: On Portraiture & Photography, an installation by Walid Raad and Akram Zaatari, curated from the archives of the Arab Image Foundation in Beirut, Lebanon. "Raad and Zaatari reveal how Arab portrait photography not only pictured individuals and groups, but also functioned as commodity, luxury item, and adornment... Collectively, the photographs convey pluralistic and dynamic Middle Eastern communities through the lenses of indigenous photographers—images far different from photos of the region circulating widely today in the popular press." August 22nd through September 30th Cooley Gallery at Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd • Tel. 503.771.1112 David Eckard (PNCA faculty and artist) presents a new body of installation-based work, Heroes and Apparitions. "Specter, fictive recollection, temporal marker, arrested gesture and the potential theatrics dormant in articulated space." In Eckard fashion, it should involve some innovative apparatus and unusual machinery. August 22nd through October 15th Manuel Izquierdo Gallery at PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St. • Tel. 503.226.4391 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on August 22, 2005 at 0:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.19.05 We're Not Gonna Take It Amos Latteier was co-opting Power Point presentations as art before David Byrne published his book on Power Point as fertile creative medium. Last year, during PICA's tba festival, Latteier delved into cell phones as a device for disseminating audio tours of urban wildlife in Portland's Park blocks. During tonight's Taking Place event, learn about Latteier's next cell phone project as he explains his latest endeavor, entitled We're Not Gonna Take It, involving the use of cell phones as a means of political protest.
Friday Aug 19 • 7p Aalto Lounge (back room) • 3356 SE Belmont St Posted by Katherine Bovee on August 19, 2005 at 8:53 | Comments (2) PermalinkThursday 08.18.05 Artist Infestation Catch a warm summer night before they're gone. Grab your flashlight and meet at
215 SE Morrison at midnight for tonight's Taking
Place event, How To...Create a Cultural District (and Have it
Vanish Into the Morning Mists of Dawn). Upon arrival, you will be provided
with a map informing you of the locales of site-specific artwork. All pieces are
situated on the streets, in the doorways, broken windows, trees, open bay doors
of produce trucks within a five block radius of Portland's Produce Row neighborhood.
Participating artists include Le Ton Mite, Jo del Pesco, 0009, Khris Soden, Sam
Gould, Jessica Hutchins, Harrell Fletcher, Theo Angell, Nat Andreini and R. Scott
Porter. Till 3am.
Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on August 18, 2005 at 16:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.12.05 Vladmir at Dunes 
Tonight Vladimir (two-time reigning champ of the PDX Film Fest Invitational) presents two Vladmaster viewings, Jeremiah Barnes and Actaeon at Home at Dunes. These enchanting hand-made Viewmaster narratives are unlike anything you've seen before. If you haven't caught one yet, tonight's your chance. Also on the ticket is a traveling puppet show from New Orleans, a slide show from the quirky and eclectic Beau Von HinklyWinkle, and a short film by Miss Pussycat. All of this at 10pm behind the unmarked door at 1909 NE MLK. A word to the wise, it can sometimes get smoky in the small bar. 21+ Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on August 12, 2005 at 13:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.05.05 If you do one thing this weekend...  see Bent. Chandra Bocci, Jesse Durost and Ryan Boyle have been hard at work the past few months developing site-specific mixed media installations in the old Liz Leach space. These three exemplify some of the finest emerging artists in Portland. Chandra Bocci has rightfully earned a reputation as a driven and talented installation artist. She was last seen almost a year ago with Bubble Speak at the now-dead Haze Gallery. This time around she offers Wash, an abstract garden fabricated of "industrial and consumer castaways" that wanders over the gallery ceilings, walls and floors. Jesse Durost builds on his recent solo exhibition, the Hum of God with Pop Mantra, a suspended collection of verbal fragments on vellum from internal and external dialogues. He elaborates on this visual chatter with an accompanying sounds collage of repetitive, ambient everyday sounds, a reminder of the ephemeral nature of pure silence. Ryan Boyle stands as one of Portland's most talented, yet elusive young artists. He is rarely to be pinned for a formal gallery exhibition which perhaps makes his obessively detailed 3-D creations even more captivating. Exploring "imagined architectures and fantastical ecologies" in the Greenhouse Effect, he fabricates a minature post-industrial village with commercial cardboard as his primary building material. Organized by Stephanie Snyder as part of the Taking Place event, Bent is a non-commercial labor of love. To miss this event would be to miss what Portland's emerging art scene is all about: dedication, integrity, innovation and community. Opening Reception • Saturday, August 6 • 6 to 10p Located at 207 SW Pine Exhibition viewing hours • 1 to 6p •Tuesday through Sunday • Through August 21 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on August 05, 2005 at 14:18 | Comments (1) PermalinkIf you do more than one thing this weekend...  Rachael Allen at FIXFIRST FRIDAY Anne Ploeger's "Portraits" at Newspace Opening Reception • Friday, August 5th • 7 to 10p 1632 SE 10th Ave • Tel. 503.963.1935 Vintage Vandals at Savage Art Resources Closing Party • Friday, August 5th • 7 to 10p 1430 SE Third Avenue • Tel. 503.230.0265 Rachael Allen at FIX Opening Reception, Friday August 5th • 6 to 9p 811 East Burnside studio #113 • Tel. 503.233.3189 Gabriel Liston at NAAU Opening Reception, Friday August 5th • 7 to 10p 922 SE Ankeny Street • Tel.503.231.8294 SATURDAY Bent: Chandra Bocci, Jesse Durost and Ryan Boyle Opening Reception • Saturday, August 6 • 6 to 10p Located at 207 SW Pine Paul Middendorf discusses the latest efforts of Manifest Artistry, Lifeboat-Hamptons, at Scope-Hamptons. PORT covered Paul's endeavors here and here. Saturday, August 6th • 7:00p Gallery 500 • 420 SW Washington St. Suite 500 • Tel. 503.223.3951 Free Form Film Festival 2005 shorts program, plus live musical performance by Inlake Saturday, August 6th • 9:00p The Know • 2026 NE Alberta FFFF is also at the Clinton Street Theatre with American Astronaut "A Musical Space Western" Tuesday, August 9th • 10:00p Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on August 05, 2005 at 14:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.03.05 Thursday Trippin' {East to West}  Dan Gilsdorf at G5One of the exhibitions I'm most excited about this month is at what I'm now calling G5 (that's Gallery 500 to you). Dan Gilsdorf takes the bull by the horns with Interstate, an exhibition of kinetic sculptures and installation. Gilsdorf himself calls it “mechanical simulacra as homage to human consciousness”. This body of work embodies rich conceptual ideas exploring masculinity, industrialization, militarization and entropy while conveying the enchantment of mechanized animation. The repetitive and destructive nature of the automata is both fascinating and disturbing. You'll want to catch this exhibition early in the month before it meets its own demise. Opening Reception • Aug 4th • 6p to midnight • Through August 27 Gallery 500 • 420 SW Washington St. Suite 500 • Tel. 503.223.3951 At Motel, Jessie Rose Vala and Emily Counts unveil their mixed-media installation, The Future Remnants of Dreamvilles. In this ambitious exhibition Vala and Counts create a Victoriana living space, complete with hand-silkscreened wallpaper, custom upholstery, organza boughs and extensive collections of new drawings hung on the walls. Enter a world of wilderness, refinement, danger and mystery in the transformed gallery space. Opening Reception • Aug 4th • 6:30 to 9:30p• Through August 27 Motel • on NW Couch between 5th & 6th Aves • Tel. 503.222.6699 Local independent press emporium Reading Frenzy presents international art-stars Chris Johanson & Jo Jackson with Casual - Imagistic, a cacophony of posters, editions, video, ephemera, books and more. These Portland-based artists explode their archives onto the bookstore walls with some unseen and unconventional pieces for (purportedly) affordable prices. Not to be missed. Opening Reception • Aug 4th • 6 to 8p? Reading Frenzy • 921 SW Oak St. • Tel. 503.274.1449 The Everett Station Lofts host their annual Rooftop party. Also, at Compound, SUPERHERO group show featuring artists from around the globe.  Kenny Higdon at Artreach GalleryIn one of the more politically charged exhibitions of the month, Kenny Higdon presents Questions for the Christian, a collection of paintings and sculpture. Higdon, whose conceptual work flirts with the darker side of social history, was last seen at Lovelake with the Misadventures of Lewis and Clark. Opening Reception • Aug 4th • 5 to 8:30p • Through September 30 Artreach Gallery: First Congressional United Church of Christ • 1126 SW Park Ave Portland Modern delivers its latest installment from Issue No.2 at Gallery 114 with the work of Troy Briggs and Amanda Ryan. Ryan is a Portland native who creates rich abstractions. Briggs' work is more subdued, with distorted figure drawings conveying a sentiment of "elegant sadness". Opening Reception • Aug 4th • 6 to 9p • Through August 27 Portland Modern at Gallery 114 • 1100 NW Glisan • Tel 503.243.3356 In what may be the last event in their 12th Avenue space, Pulliam Deffenbaugh houses a "best of" Summer Group Show featuring their represented artists. New works by Brian Borrello, the recently departed (for L.A.) James Boulton, Brenden Clenaghen, Anna Fidler, Ken Kelly, Jeffry Mitchell and many more. Opening Reception • Aug 4th • 5 to 8:30p • Through August 27 Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery • 522 NW 12th Avenue • Tel. 503.228.6665 Mel Katz has been a Portland staple for the past 42 years. He held his studio across the street from Motel for much of this time and until he relocated last summer, would drop by regularly to tell me I was either crazy or brilliant for opening an emerging artist gallery. His influence on the city as an artist, teacher, mentor and activator has been sizeable. This week you can catch the kind-hearted curmudgeon at Laura Russo with his freestanding aluminum sculptures. Exploring the interplay of positive and negative space, his colorful and often humorous pieces may seem dated to some but speak to the artist's own aesthetic integrity and historical context. Also showing are Jun Kaneko and Manuel Izquierdo. Opening Reception • Aug 4th • 5 to 8p • Through August 27 The Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st Avenue • Tel. 503.226.2754 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on August 03, 2005 at 11:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 07.26.05 The Euro is strong  Ok, Northview Gallery curator and artist Marie Watt has finally found a way to get me all the way out to the PCC Sylvania campus. PORT's own Katherine Bovee and her evil genius husband Philippe Blanc have another show so Euro you might need to rename yourself Per and pay $5 a gallon for fuel to really see it properly. All kidding aside, they are two of the most promising artists around here and I watch their development closely. You can see what I mean because there is an artist lecture & gallery reception Thursday, July 28, 2 pm for their legacy: boxed version show. It sounds promising but will it be better than Savepoint, their previous show? They had strong, sophisticated ideas but the visual vocabulary was a bit anonymous in that outing. Here is their statement: "Playing with the intersection between art history, technology and gaming environments, legacy presents an idealized landscape fashioned out of simulated computer parts. The work included in legacy continues our exploration of the culture and vocabulary of computers by introducing computers as aesthetic objects, while simultaneously transposing discourse surrounding contemporary art into terms familiar to the computer user." During the lecture, they will discuss the implications of presenting tech art within a gallery space as well as several current, past and future projects. Northview Gallery Portland Community College, Sylvania Campus 12000 SW 49th Avenue, Portland, OR 97219 Hours: M - F 8 am - 4 pm or by appt (503.977.8017) The Northview Gallery is located in the CT building Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 26, 2005 at 21:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.22.05 SCRAPpy Saturday I have been doubly blessed this week with not one, but two art battles! Spoiled
indeed. First, Ingredients
and now, Iron
Artist, SCRAP's annual fundraiser. For those of you somehow in the dark,
SCRAP is a local re-use,
re-cycle funhouse packed with all sorts of strange arts and crafts supplies
you never knew you needed for dirt cheap. Saturday afternoon their fundraiser
kicks off with 10 teams of artists, celebrity judges, raucous referees, and
loud-mouth MCs, plus beer garden, carnival games, raffle, costumes, DJs and
much, much more.
Each team will be given boxes of similar materials and three short hours for the "sculpt off". Materials will be provided by SCRAP, the ReBuilding Center, Wacky Willy's and Free Geek. The event is timed and monitored by a raucous team of referees who will throw yellow flags while handing out bonus points and demerits. Watch Team Tazo, Lensbabies, Wild Oats, Gallery 500, Junk Town and others hash it out to determine who is The Iron Artist. The winning sculpture will be placed in the lobby of the 5th Avenue Suites Hotel for First Thursday, August 4th. Plus, this event is the perfect opportunity to check out the Northeast's newest hotspot, the Wonder Ballroom. July 23rd, 3:30 to 10p The Wonder Ballroom • 128 NE Russell Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on July 22, 2005 at 17:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday in the City  Justin "Scrappers" Morrison at V-GunThe Enchanted Forest at V-Gun And the winner of this summer's prolific artist award is... Justin "Scrappers" Morrison. Justin is showing in six (count 'em!) exhibitions this month. Tonight you can catch him and his newest paintings at V-Gun with The Enchanted Forest. Using recycled, salvaged, and eco-friendly paint, Morrison works on found and discarded wood. Exploring the wilderness within, his colorful narratives play host to a cast of lumberjacks, savage scouts, happy hobos, vintage beer commercials, protesters, strange trees, unicorn and yetis, all reminding you to "stay wild". As a bonus, 10% of proceeds go to benefit animal welfare. Opening July 22nd, 6 to 9p • Through September 10th V-Gun • 412 SW Fourth Avenue • Tel. 503.226.3400 Taking Place: A Summer of Programming Gets Underway Taking Place is a cultural investigation initiated by Sam Gould, Stephanie Snyder and Matthew Stadler. With an action-packed schedule of events between now and September 12th, Taking Place will investigate different modes and meanings of "taking" and "place". It all kicks off tonight at the Oak Street Building with A NEW BEGINNING. Attendees will be met at the door by a host who will guide them to a musical convocation at Marriage Records by Mount Eerie, Karl Blau and the Watery Graves. Visitors will then be accompanied on a stroll to the second venue to meet with the organizers and the Dynamite Family for general carousing, beer and discourse to celebrate the beginning of the project. Music at Oak Street, 6 to 7p • 425 SE 3rd Ave Socializing and conversing 7:30p to late • 222 SE 10th To keep abreast of all the Taking Place events, check the calendar for regular updates. Divorce Film Installation at Gallery 500 Collaborating with composer Brede Rørstad, Daniel Kaven will present several short films to accompany his Divorce exhibition. One night only. July 22nd, 9pm GALLERY 500 • 420 SW Washington St. Suite 500 • Tel. 503.223.3951 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on July 22, 2005 at 0:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 07.20.05 Ingredients: Art Battle  Tonight Holocene presents "Ingredients: a Music and Video Art Invitational" It's my wildest fantasy come true. I've long been dreaming up an "art battle" where artists would be forced to create Iron Chef style with limited time and resouces. Well, somehow Holocene has heard my cry and answered it. Tonight, 10 video artists and 20 musicians create original works in a limited time frame using provided source materials. There will be two sections, one for sound artists, and one for video artists. Contributors will be supplied with 10 visual or audio samples, which they will in turn use as source material for an original piece of music, sound, or video. Performances will be at least one minute long and no longer than 5; no pre-arranged sounds or images can be used; only the given source materials. The evening will be augmented by DJs and performances, as well as installation pieces related to the event. To top it all off, the whole thing is FREE to the over-21-year-old public! Wednesday, July 20th • 9p • 21+ only Holocene • 1001 se morrison • Tel. 503.239.7639 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on July 20, 2005 at 0:26 | Comments (3) PermalinkTuesday 07.12.05 Mid-Month Melee And you thought openings were only for the Firsts of the Month... Get your mid-month
kicks with a few summer-style events.
 Little Cities Build Yr Own House PartyWednesday Savage Art Resources presents new work by Zack Kircher and a group exhibition, Vintage Vandals Reprised. Kircher and the Vandals take on pop culture through painterly appropriation. Kircher's works explore the current media fascination with the cult of celebrity. Vintage Vandals is a collection of reconfigured thrifted paintings curated by Jason Sturgill of the Wurst Gallery. Opening July 13th, 6 to 8p • Through August 13 Savage Art Resources • 1430 SE Third Avenue • Tel. 503.230.0265 Red 76 is at it again with another Little Cities Build Yr Own House Party/Barbecue. This time, Dynamite! joins in for a discussion of their work with a preview of Potential Energy, a project opening on July 22nd at Correspondence Space as part of the Taking Place project by Sam Gould, Stephanie Snyder, and Matthew Stadler. Bring your own grillings and beverages for a night of cardboard construction and collaboration. One night only, July 13 • 7p Red76 • 916 SE 34th st. (Just off Belmont Ave.) Thursday {Bastille Day} Eva Lake is something of an art scene triple-threat as gallerist, artist and Artstar radio jockey. After closing Lovelake a year (or two?) ago, she's back in the saddle with a new gallery with Wid Chambers called, appropriately enough, Chambers. Opening in a space you will most likely find familiar, Chambers gets up and running with Cut and Paste, the assemblage and collage art of Eunice Parsons and Paul Fujita (of Zeitgeist Gallery). Opening July 14, 5:30 to 8:30p • through August 27 (Also Open First Thursday August 4 5:30 to 8:30p) Chambers • 207 S.W. Pine Street, No. 102 • Tel. 503.939.2255 Elsewhere Portland flexes its muscle at ~Scope Hamptons as Paul Middendorf and Mary Mattingly of Manifest Artistry captain the Lifeboat to Security Island. Micro-Scope, is a political education project involving a group of artists "transforming their bodies into well-oiled tanning machines while discussing security, the conditioning of humans, and other related topics against the back drop of island/oasis necessities, including a wading-pool, miniature working fountains, a small vanity table and mock-ups of large stocks of Evian and sculptures of other brands essential to modern culture. Additionally, video monitors will be set up by the Lifeboat team around various pulse-points in Southampton to watch the on-going performance and importance of the newly secured scene." Collaborating artists include Red 76, David Eckard, Bruce Conkle, Marne Lucas, Chandra Bocci, The Camouflagemuseum (NL), and many more. Definitely worth a look-see if you're on the other coast this weekend. ~Scope Hamptons • July 14 to 17  Paul Fujita at ChambersPosted by Jennifer Armbrust on July 12, 2005 at 23:21 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 07.07.05 First Thursday Round Up This First Thursday is all about the young ones. Chinatown and Downtown flex
their youthful muscle with some great showings along with a couple of hits from
the old guard.
In Chi-town there's a veritable slew of young movers and shakers.  Erika Kohr at MotelEverything is a-buzz at Motel with Pollinate, the works of Erika Kohr and Suzanne Husky. Kohr offers a sophisticated collection of narrative glass works exploring fertility and nature. Husky presents a series of psychedelic botanical drawings on paper featuring fluorescent flora and fauna. Opening July 7, 6:30 to 9:30p • Through July 30 Motel • Located on NW Couch St, between 5th & 6th • Tel. 503.222.6699 Compound delivers the Return of Digmeout, a visual artist excavation project out of Osaka, Japan. This group exhibition showcases young artists whose mediums are often posters, stickers, or magazine illustrations. The first Digmeout show was strong collection of unknown Japanese up-and-comers. This second helping promises even more and better. Opening July 7, 7 to 9p • Through July 30 Compound / Just Be • 107 NW 5th Ave • Tel. 503.796.2733 Genuine Imitation presents the Worldwide debut of the deliciously French artist, Fanélie Rosier. Rosier's distinctive pop-illustration style infuses these devilishly playful series of godesses. Opening July 7, 6 to 9pm with DJ IZM • Through July 29 Genuine Imitation • 328 NW Broadway, No.116 • Tel. 503.241.3189 Also in the Everett Station Lofts, Pepper Gallery presents Artists of Kentucky, an eclectic group show featuring artists from the Bluegrass state. Opening, July 7th, 6-10pm Pepper • 328 NW Broadway, No.113 Downtown hits...  "Male Pattern Baldness & Hummingbirds" at Reading FrenzySouth of Burnside, Gallery 500 presents the solo exhibition of PDX photographer-romantic extraordinaire, Daniel Kaven. Divorce is a collection of mixed-media works and installations exploring the separation of the artist's past. Brede Rørstad, who scored Kaven’s film, Naked Seoul, will conduct a string quartet during the opening, translating the emotions of the exhibition. Opening July 7, 6p to midnight • Through July 29 Gallery 500 • 420 SW Washington St., Ste. 500 • Tel. 503.223.3951 On a lighter note, artist/curator/illustrator/great guy Bwana Spoons packs 'em in at Reading Frenzy with a Sharpie show, Male Pattern Baldness and Hummingbirds, featuring a great collection of local and national up-and-comers, including Souther Salazar, E*Rock, Jessie Rose Vala, Ryan Jacob Smith, Amy Ruppel and many, many more. This is my pick for a steal of a deal. A handmade zine of the included artwork will even be available at the opening. Opening July 7, 6 to 9p • Through July 31 Reading Frenzy • 921 SW Oak St. • Tel. 503.274.1449 And in the Pearl...  Gretchen Bennett at PDX Window ProjectGretchen Bennett takes over the PDX Window with Hi, It's Me, a faux-naturalist take on the tensions and representations of interior/exteriors. Expect wood-grain Contact paper, buttons and more... Open 24 hours a day through August 13 PDX Window Project • 612 NW 12th Ave • Tel 503.222.0063 Portland cult literary icon Walt Curtis (Mala Noche) invades Mark Woolley with The Land of Ch'i, featuring his expressionist folk paintings. Opening July 7, 6 to 9p • Through July 30 Mark Woolley • 120 NW 9th Ave, Ste 210 • Tel. 503.224.5475 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on July 07, 2005 at 0:42 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 07.06.05 Dead to You  I (finally!) dropped by Pacific Switchboard for the first time this weekend. It's a great space located in the Albina Press with an inspired studio attached. They have been hosting regular shows for quite a while now but since I've never called the Northeast "home", I've been shamefully in the dark. When I stopped in there wasn't anything on the walls because they are preparing for their next exhibition Dedicated to You: a show for Ex-Lovers, "a night of rememberance, catharsis, and awkwardness dedicated to those with which we have been so intimate." Ah yes, lust, sweet lust. There will be artwork, movies, love songs, mix tapes, performance and an anonymous confessional booth for those still healing a heartbreak. Who knows, maybe you'll meet someone special... Featuring works by Jen Kruch, Charles Salas-Humara, Alicia McDaid, Mike Miller, Anna Simon, Cynthia Star, Paige Saez, Zak Margolis, Matthew Yake, Ruby Fitch, Elina Tuhkanen, Amy Steel, Ashley Shabo, Tara Jane O'neil, Matthew Hein, Jennifer Gleach, Thandi Rosenbaum, Tracy Olson, Emily Henderson, Daphna Kohn and Jeff Brown, Michelle Klein, Courtney Nyman, Gretchen Hogue, Molly Roth, Emily Henderson, Gretchen Vaudt, Fred Nemo, and more. Opening Wednesday, July 6, 7-10p • Through July 31 Pacific Switchboard • 4637 North Albina Avenue (located at The Albina Press) Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on July 06, 2005 at 10:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 07.01.05 If you're looking for something to do...  I am sitting in a Seattle hotel room spoiling myself with the IFC this morning and what is on but a behind-the-scenes of You, Me and Everyone We Know replete with numerous interviews with Miranda herself. I happened to catch the Portland debut of the film a couple of months ago at the PDX Film Fest. Now you and everyone else we know can see what all the hype is about as it opens this weekend in theaters nationwide. Also, as I was walking to work last week, I happened upon a stream of yellow paint dribbles which I recongnized as Brad Adkins' "cover" of a performance by Francis Alys. The performance entails punching a hole in can of paint and going for a walk until the paint runs out. Anyone who is interested in assisting with this reenactment should meet at the LANDMARK exhibition space on NW 13th & Flanders Saturdays at 2pm through July 16th. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on July 01, 2005 at 9:24 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 06.29.05 Rake Tonight  Rake is yet another arts collective in Portland, adding to a list which starts with the internationally active Red 76 arts group, but also includes Telegraph Arts and The Most etc... Yes, Portland is a close knit place and PORT supports these endeavors. It represents yet another wave of young artists in a crowded scene but the question of their seriousness needs to be raised? Will Rake amount to something more than a party? That said there will be a party and you can check them out at Palla (a new fashion, music, lounge venue) June 30th at NW 3rd and Couch. I like their snappy diamond logo with various aircraft but I've yet to see anything really serious in terms of art. Sometimes, these groups need to do a few events to get it together and this is event #2. These fine fresh fellows took over a house last month and there is also talk of a loft show in July. Good luck. Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 29, 2005 at 23:41 | Comments (4) PermalinkSet it off {First Friday in the CEAD}  Josh Sanseri at NewspaceI hope that Newspace is getting the press and collectors they deserve because not only is Chris the nicest guy, he keeps putting on amazing shows. This week they open a new exhibition by Josh Sanseri, Individual Dignity. A project that began in 1999, this series documents small business owners from around the globe, including Oregon, Illinois, New Mexico and Tennessee. His portraits are vibrant and sincere, capturing the creativity and community behind entrepreneurship, "With these photographs, my intentions are to document the character and sense of pride that I have found to be a common thread among small business owners and non-existent in large, corporate chains." Should be a good 'un. Through July 31• Opening July 1st, 7 to 10p Newspace • 1632 SE 10th Ave • Tel. 503.963.1935 At NAAU Joe Macca's Flotsam offers a wild ride with his collection of deconstructed Artforums, mail art and a video piece featuring Jeff, Jane, Joe and a collector making chocolate chip cookies in Joe's kitchen. Joe usually exhibits his soft color field paintings at PDX but crosses the river for a more experimental exhibition. Through July 30 • Opening July 1st, 7 to 10p NAAU • 922 SE Ankeny • Tel. 503.231.8294 Jacqueline Ehlis continues at Savage through the 9th. That's right, only nine more days to catch the exhibition that everyone, like it or lump it, has been talking about. Read PORT's review here. Savage Art Resources • 1430 SE Third Avenue • Tel. 503.230.0265 The fine folks at Holocene, the Eastside's Danish Modern-inspired non-smoking music venue, have begun hanging art on their lofty walls. This month, they present the photographs of New York artist Gavin Stevens. Custom Fit is a series of twelve color prints documenting the artist's work as the manager of San Francisco’s notorious gold front retail outlet, “Mr. Bling.” Grab a gin and juice to go with your gold caps to top off the night. Opening July 1st, 6 to 9p • Music by DJ Sew What Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison • Tel. 503.239.7639 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 29, 2005 at 10:56 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 06.25.05 Last Days of Art  D.E. May's Untitled …someone is always making the claim that art (or art writing) was better in days past. The sheer ubiquity of that Chicken Little statement through the ages undermines its argument. Sure, it might look that way because art from the past has been filtered through the passage of time. Time is the litmus test, sifting out the good stuff. For example there is a touring retrospective of Jean-Michel Basquiat going on right now (next stop LA July 17th), possibly making us think the 80's were so much better than today. Whereas I suspect being subjected to a touring retrospective of Julian Schnabel's 80's work might leave me hungry for the iffy mess of Greater New York Part Deux. It depends on what you focus on. Still there is no time like the present, so try and catch at least one of three Portland related shows that come down today. In Chelsea @ Pavel Zoubok gallery, D.E. May's Template-Grid-Inset has its last day. I like his free standing cardboard towers better than the wall works. In Portland, it is also the last day for Gallery 500's Habitat. It's a refugee camp as an art happening that some lucky person will have to clean up. Stop in and see how the art slum has changed in the last month. Also in the Rose City, right next to the Burnside bridge Sean Bracken has an open studio sale at 77 NE Burnside 9-7PM, June 25th and 26th. No it is not a soup kitchen, and it is probably worth a trip just to see who else has studios in the building. Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 25, 2005 at 9:42 | Comments (3) PermalinkSaturday 06.18.05 John Singer Sargent at PAM In Great Expectations: John Singer Sargent Painting Children, the Portland Art Museum has put together a comprehensive look at the career of the famous portraitist as exemplified by his paintings of children.
The exhibit, which continues through September 11, might be seen as an historical record of the changing views of childhood and the developing personality from infancy through adolescence. It might also be seen as the wistful imaginary family life of the never married, childless artist. Or, as an object lesson in how talent, drive, and commercial sensibilities combined to create one of the leading icons of nineteenth century art. Sargent, perhaps best known for his Portrait of Madame X,1884, is also famous for one of the best-loved images of children, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, 1886. He found a revival of commercial success often hinged on images of children. After the scandal of Madame X took him into self-exile in England, he was able to charm the British upper-crust, and divert their attention from his sketchy, controversial impressionistic style, with images such as Garden Study of the Vickers Children, 1884. 
Garden Study of the Vickers Children, 1884 Sargent began his career as a portraitist by drawing the models closest at hand: his siblings. Some of these images are included in this exhibition, as is the type of painting that caused him to finally abandon portraiture in favor of landscapes and murals. Little Ruth Bacon's mother was so emotional in both praise and condemnation as the painting progressed, and Ruth as uncontrollable as any toddler, that the artist took advantage of Mom's absence one day to hastily sketch in the background, call it good, and depart. 
Portrait of Ruth Sears Bacon, 1887 Adolescents challenged Sargent to see beyond their often veiled emotions. Sometimes, it seems he didn't try, but only painted the veil as it was shown to him. Elsie Palmer might have been a model for Edvard Munch, with her almost depressive stare and pale complexion. Also known as Young Lady in White, this painting draws one in with fine brush work and classical symmetry, but hidden emotions. It is also an example of how Sargent continued to alternate academic finesse with impressionistic painterliness, as in the Vickers scene. 
Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer, 1889-90 Overall, this show is successful on many levels: as cultural history, with examples of portraits in the grand tradition, as well as genre scenes and examples of the use of professional child models; as art history, as seen in the progression of one successful career; and as a chronicle of child psychology, and the changing role of the child within the family. It exemplifies the phrase "Great Expectations," as one can see a visual representation of the potential that is inherent in every child. Posted by Andie DeLuca on June 18, 2005 at 15:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkLast chance...to die  Resurrectory Performance Photo by Basil Childers Tonight is the last night of The Resurrectory by the Liminal performance group at the brand new Portland Art Center. This is PAC's second show, an interactive theater performance based around the famous Burke/Hare serial murders. It was a provocative choice, especially for an institution that has devoted its main gallery space to installation art. This is a time when Portlanders are a little sensitive to visual arts programming being cut to focus on performance art. ...bait and switch...grumble... So is it theater or installation art? Good question….but you simply have to see legendary local filmaker Jim Blashfield's video projection work.. Blashfield did those great Peter Gabriel videos in the 80's. One tip, definitely be there early (they were turning em away last night) for the performances (8-10PM) and use it as an impetus to discuss the different demands of installation art and set design. They can be the same but not always. Yes, PAC is doing some solid (if perplexing) things… but their plans for an expanded space in Chinatown and the critical appointment a new board of directors make this a young institution with a future. Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 18, 2005 at 11:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 06.15.05 Art Talk and More As we swing into the weekend, there's plenty of great art chatter including lectures, talks, a reading and even an auction...
Thursday, June 16th  Blumenfeld at PICAErika Blumenfeld Lecture @ PICA Blumenfeld's piece in the Landmark show is one of the most captivating and enchanting. In a dark side room, her white light projections shift slowly, catching the shadows and silhouettes of her onlookers. During the fall of 2004, Blumenfeld worked in an astronomer's house at the the McDonald Observatory's main peak where she created the video work Moving Light: Lunation 1011, now on display. Thursday night she talks about this project and her unique and delicate process of capturing light on film by by hand. PICA Annex • NW 13th & Flanders • 7pm • free to PICA Members / $2 general Pinball Publishing Book Release with Vladmaster performance 922 SE Ankeny Portland Local champions of the small press, Pinball Publishing, release their second poetry title, "Suspension of a Secret in Abandoned Rooms" by Joshua Marie Wilkinson. This book-length poem emerges from the author's exploration of Egon Schiele's work, region and era. Also joining in the festivities is local indie-film rock-star Vladimir, presenting one of her classic Viewmaster performances. If you haven't seen one of these before, you are truly missing out. at NAAU • 922 SE Ankeny • 7:30p to 9:30p • free Friday, June 17th Andi Kovel & Justin Parker Reception at Contemporary Crafts You may be most familiar with the work of these talented two as Esque functional glass objects and home accessories, gracing the tables of Clarklewis and GBT. At CCG they bridge art, craft and design, each presenting site-specific installations revealing their technical skill and conceptual wit. Sure to be playful and voluptuous. Also on view, works by ceramist Ted Vogel. See Saturday for accompanying lecture. Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery • 3934 SW Corbett Avenue • 5:30 to 8p Saturday, June 18th 
Hilary Pfeifer on the panel at CCGPanel Discussion: Making a Living Through Making Art: Bridging Craft & Design Hello young artists (and older). This one's for you! In this day and age there's nothing more formidable than a business-savvy artist. Listen up as Andi Kovel, Hilary Pfeifer and Tom Ghilarducci discuss working as a professional artist in a variety of arenas: museum exhibitions, fine craft shows, design shows, galleries and interior design. They will discuss the merging of studio practice with aesthetics and business and the challenges of making your living through art. I just might have to sneak in a tape recorder for this. Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery • 3934 SW Corbett Avenue • 1p Art on the Block @ Disjecta (THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY INCORRECTLY LISTED ON FRIDAY) Andrew Dickson wanders back from sunny L.A. to grace us with his auctioneering expertise and City Commissioner Sam Adams joins in for Disjecta's action packed fund-raiser. I'm certain there will be a lively crowd and perhaps some festive shenanigans as Disjecta makes a run for phase two of their development. Who knows, you could walk out with a steal of a deal from Brad Adkins, Damali Ayo, Chandra Bocci, Troy Briggs, Bruce Conkle, Harrell Fletcher, Kim Hamblin, Sean Healy, Chris Johanson, Jesse Durost, Ericka Kohr, Marne Lucas, Melody Owen, Bonnie Paisley, Joe Thurston, Terry Toedtemeier... Need I continue? Music provided by Clampitt, Gaddis & Buck Disjecta • 230 E Burnside • 7 to 10p • $? One Min Film Festival + Themed Art Show @ Holocene And the theme is... "pockets"! Over forty short-shorts, art on the walls and then a DJ. Participants are a mystery but with 40 to choose from, there's sure to be some gems. Then you can dance your little heart out. Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison • doors at 8p, show at 9 • $3 to $10 (sliding) Also opening Saturday is the John Singer Sargent exhibit at PAM. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 15, 2005 at 21:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 06.10.05 D.I.Y. Saturday  Part of Portland's charm is its Do It Yourself ethic. This weekend offers great events from two prominent underground groups, Red76 and the Handmade Bazaar. Break out your flip-flops and let the summer begin! Red76 hosts the Little Cities Build Yr Own House Party and Barbecue. You bring the grillables and they'll provide the building supplies (cardboard, sharpies, paint, tape, etc.). Make your own miniature abode and then reconvene on Sunday for the homesteading of the Little City. It's fort building for adults! Red76 • 916 SE 34th st. (just off Belmont) Saturday, June 11 • 5:30 to 9pm The Handmade Bazaar has been going strong for the past three and a half years, supporting young artisans and the handmade community. Meredith and Katie have created a tradition with these events, offering free space to local crafters of any skill level twice a year. This is a great place to find young innovators of new craft. Plus, there's always music and vegan treats. In the past it's been in their backyard, this year it moves to the Liberty Hall. 6th Annual Handmade Bazaar • Liberty Hall • 311 N Ivy St Saturday, June 11th 10a to 4p • Sunday, June 12th, 10a to 5p Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 10, 2005 at 21:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkIt's a Throwdown Tonight Disjecta does what they've always done best, performance, with a double-dutch
jump-off between SF-based Double
Dutchess and Seattle's On
the Double. Expect costumes, choreography, camp and sass as these teams
go head-to head (feet-to-feet?) to prove who's the best of the West. Also on the ticket
is Daniel Addy's aerial dance group, Aviator, who defy the laws of gravity by
walking on walls, suspending beneath bridges, and dancing in mid-air.
Disjecta • 230 E Burnside • Friday, June 10th • 9 p • $8 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 10, 2005 at 9:41 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.09.05 LANDMARK 
This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of PICA. Yes, it's been a whole decade. LANDMARK: PICA'S 10th Anniversary Visual Exhibition celebrates the artists that have left their mark on PICA and Portland over the past ten years, including a "cover version" of Francis Alys "famous" Portland walk by Brad Adkins, a series of commissioned photographs by Mike Slack documenting the exhibition and new work by William Pope.L, Kate Shephard, Jeffry Mitchell, Carol Hepper, Nan Curtis, Joe Sola, Malia Jensen and Erika Blumenfeld {for a complete list of participants, visit PICA's website}. Head out Saturday night for the LANDMARK party and exhibition opening. Artwork by 32 artists + a DWR lounge + nibbles from Bluehour, Ripe, Masu (and more) + adult beverages + DJs = a bona fide fancy-pants birthday party. And they even promise surprises and cake, cake I tell you! Birthday Party and Exhibition Opening • Saturday, June 11th • PICA Annex: NW 13th & Flanders • Tel. 503.242.1419 • $5 PICA Members, $10 General LANDMARK runs through July 16 • Wed - Sat, 12-6 pm • free to PICA Members, $2 General Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 09, 2005 at 13:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 06.02.05 First Friday in the CEID  Julia Sherman at NewspaceNEW PHOTOGRAPHY Newspace Center for Photography presents "New Photography", it’s 1st Annual National Juried Exhibition featuring 39 photographers from 16 states. Curated by Terry Toedtemeier, Mariana Tres and Chris Bennett, the exhibition includes color, black & white, digital, traditional silver and alternative processes. According to Toedtemeier, “The diversity of images in the 'New Photography' exhibit form a broad survey of the kinds of work being produces by emerging photographers today. The vitality of the show accrues to the richness of styles, humor, and varied traditional and digital media.” For a complete list of participants, see the Newspace website (click below). Through June 26 • Opening June 3rd, 7 to 10p Newspace • 1632 SE 10th Ave • Tel. 503.963.1935 JACQUELINE EHLIS After Andy Coolquitt's over-stimulating, down-home, folk-inspired love-fest last month, Savage returns to more traditional gallery programming with Jacqueline Ehlis' "Vigor". Bolder and more confrontational than her earlier work, Ehlis' new paintings assert themselves as sculptural forms in the gallery space. Using a neon palette and abstract gestures, Ehlis' work is both visually seductive and formally challenging. Everybody's been chatting about this show for weeks now... Savage Art Resources • 1430 SE Third Avenue • Tel. 503.230.0265 THRILL OF IT ALL My pick of the night is tucked away on Produce Row at the Hall Gallery. "Thrill of it all" feaures sound + video + installation + performance. For those who don't know, Hall has been an artist run space for at least half a decade, showing the artists who house their studios there as well as their friends and collaborators. Literally and figuratively an "underground gallery", I've seen some of my favorite works there. This Friday, they're at it again with a few of Portland's best kept secrets Ryan Boyle and Zach Reno as well as SF-based photographer Tim Sullivan. Also showing are Jeff Kriksciun, Claudia Mendoza, Candice Lin, and Maggie Foster. Opening 6 to 11p The Hall Gallery • 630 SE Third Avenue Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 02, 2005 at 23:48 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 06.01.05 First Thursday Picks {from West to East}  Ken Kelly at Pulliam DeffenbaughPortland's galleries are overflowing this month with fresh young talent. Thursday evening you might as well make a night of it... ON 21ST Don't miss the recent works of one of Portland's most promising young gems, Timothy Scott Dalbow at Laura Russo (in conjunction with the Carl and Hilda Morris Foundation Young Artist Exhibition). Dalbow's abstract landscapes capture Portland's architecture with a varied palette and a skilled and easy stoke. Also showing are Josh Arseneau (Paintings), Anna Daedalus (Photography), Anne Glynnis Fawkes (Paintings) and Eric Franklin (Glass Sculpture). Through July 2, 2005 • Opening June 2, 5 to 8pm Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st Ave. • Tel. 503.226.2754 IN THE PEARL Over 50 recent grads present their accomplishments and celebrate their new-found freedom at the reception for PNCA's Focus 2005 BFA exhibition. My picks are Alex Felton's stop animation drawings, Scott Porter's overly precise minimalist installation, Shawna Ferreira's restrained intaglios, Sarah Nordbye's custom commercial interiors and Patrick Meloy's towering neckties. Through June 18 • Opening June 2, 6 to 9pm PNCA • Steven's Studios • Corner of NW Johnson & NW 15th • Tel. 503.226.4391 Reminicient of Rorschachs, tattoos, spiderwebs and heavy metal, Ken Kelly presents "Babble" a new collection paintings on canvas at Pulliam Deffenbaugh. Impressive large patterned abstractions. Through July 2 • Preview June 1, 5:30 to 7:30pm • Opening June 2, 5:30 to 8:30pm Pulliam Deffenbaugh • 522 NW 12th Ave • Tel. 503.228.6665 CHINATOWN Over in the Everett Station Lofts, Martin Ontiveros presents "Mestizo" a semi-autobiographical exhibition exploring the boundaries and borders of culture through a series of superheroes. See his bold, precise, graphic-inspired paintings at Genuine Imitation. Through July 1• Opening June 2, 6 to 9pm Genuine Imitation Gallery • 328 NW Broadway #116 • Tel. 503.241.3189 Motel is packed with the luminous large-scale works of local up-and-comer Jesse Durost. Inspired by the color palettes of Baroque painters, Durost works with coffee, India ink and gold paint pen to craft transcendental drawings bursting with fluidity and rhythm. Through July 2• Preview June 1, 6 to 8pm • Opening June 2, 6:30 to 9:30pm Motel • NW Couch St between 5th & 6th Aves • Tel. 503.222.6699 DOWNTOWN Gallery 500 presents "Habitat", the culmination of a week-long on-site endeavor where six artists build their own shelters and inhabit them alongside one another. After Thursday night, the completed art habitats will transition from lived-in community to preserved ghost town, as only one artist remains in the space until June 1. Katrina Scotto di Carlo, Nana Hayashi, Marc Snegg, Jeff Stratford, Liz Harris, and Gabrielle Woladarski. Through July 1 • Preview June 1, 6 to 8pm • Opening June 2, 6pm to midnight Gallery 500 • 420 SW Washington, Suite 500 • Tel. 503.223.3951 ON THE EASTSIDE You thought Disjecta was dead or maybe just sleeping? Not so. They've been hard at work securing a new home and a gradiose vision for contemporary art in Portland. Preview The Donut Shop 9 and Portland Modern's latest gallery installment as Disjecta energizes the Templeton Building with 8,000 (!) square feet of unfettered exhibition space. Since 2000 The Donut Shop has been a forum for imaginative art in purposefully non-traditional environments with a total of eight incarnations of the yeasty project. Donut Shop 9 features the work of Alex Hubbard (NYC via PDX), Frank Parga (NYC), Melissa Dyne (LA), Jon Harris (Australia), Molly Dilworth and Daniel Heffernan (NYC). Portland Modern, Mark Brandau's gallery-in-print, presents its second exhibition from the sophomore issue in the same building. Diedrich Dasenbrock offers vibrantly colored nighttime photographs while Don Olsen exhibits humorous improvisational paintings on recycled panels. Special Preview June 2, 6 to 9pm • Opening reception, June 4th, 6 to 10pm. Disjecta • the Templeton Building • 230 E Burnside (Under the Burnside Bridge on SE 3rd)  Jesse Durost at Motel Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on June 01, 2005 at 12:21 | Comments (0) Permalink |
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Site Design: Jennifer Armbrust | • | Site Development: Philippe Blanc & Katherine Bovee | |