Friday, March 15, 2024

March 17 Nevelson

The Oregon Alliance for the National Museum of Women in the Arts - https://nmwa.org/ - has Bruce Guenther presenting Hand and Eye: Louise Nevelson and a Bricolage Future.

Talk at PNCA | Willamette University www.pnca.wilamette.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 2PM-4 Free

March 16 Partake in Silence Knowing Doors Wake Modulation

PDX Contemporary has present and past employee art. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 1825 NW Vaughn Map 3PM-5 Free RSVP by email to info at pdxcontemporaryart.com3-5 Worker art


Glen Baldridge & Louise Sheldon have Doors in Floors along with Martha Daghlian The Great Art of Knowing. At Ditch Projects https://ditchprojects.com/ 303 S. 5th Ave #165, Springfield OR Map 5PM-7 Free


Nathan Paul Rice and Ellen Robinette have Modulations. At Sator Projects
https://www.satorprojects.com/ 1709 SE 3rd 4PM-7


One Grand has Partake in Me, a group aniversary show. At One Grand Gallery
www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 6PM-9 Free


Ambient musician Steve Roach has Structures From Silence, a 2 hour show with projection-mapped visuals. Their ticketing link is insecure, so no idea the price. At the First Congregatioional Church 1126 SW Park. 8PM


Neal Kosaly-Meyer reads Part II, Chapter 2 of Finnegans Wake in honor of St Patrick's Day. The reading will be in darkness and 2 1/2 hours without a break. At Passages Bookshop 1801 NW Upshur, Suite 660. 5:30PM Doors, 6 Lecture, 7 Reading, $5-20 No late entry


There is also flamenco at Artichoke, always fun.


The yearly CAP Art Auction and afterparty are tonight. More at https://www.capartauction.org/.

March 15-17 Go Sou'west, young person

The Sou'wester is a vintage trailer motel and lodge in Seaview, Washington. It is a short walk to the sea and adjacent to a wild native forest. They have arts and crafts events throughout the year. For a week the last few years, it is taken over by mostly Portland contemporary artists and musicians. They have a week of residency and a weekend of unfolding the work.

The plan is:

Friday, 6PM-10 Ilwaco Art Works

Saturday, Noon-2 Wave of the Future Preschool and 2PM-10 at Sou'wester proper

Sunday, 11AM-1PM Ilwaco Art Works

More at https://www.souwesterlodge.com/artsweek2024/ and a flipbook of the detailed schedule, projects, and a map https://www.souwesterlodge.com/artsweek2024/#flipbook-df_25976/1/


It is an about 2 1/2 hour drive each way, consider lodging on the coast nearby. The weather this year is stellar.

At the Sou'wester hotel trailer park at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA Recommended. Free

March 15 Secret Creature

Secret Room Press is part of the Portland Riso revival along with Outlet, PSU, and the IPRC. The Risograph is a Japanese color printer that uses stensels and ink. The ink is in a large cartridge. To change the color, you change the cartridge. It's lo-rez.

Tonight they open with a show Creature Comforts by Adam De Souza, Arantza Peña Popo, Chris Koelling, Cole Pauls, Eileen Chavez, Eleonora Simeoni, Erin Tanner, Jensine Eckwall, Kirsten Hatfield, Molly Lecko Herro, Patrick Kyle, Ryan Cook, Sean Christensen, and Victor Bizar Gómez. They are all printed with Sunflower, Aqua, Bubblegum, and Brown Riso ink.

At Secret Room Press https://www.secretroompress.com/ 3325 SE Division 5PM-8 Free

Thursday, March 14, 2024

March 14 Getting Stronger Every Day

I met Miranda July in the late 1990s at the Tidbit Gallery. The gallery had a storied short run. We struck up a conversation involving her red polkadot boots and patterned Summer shift, then ongoing about her writing that became Me, You, and Everyone We Know.

She had been doing zines with Johanna Fateman, then spoken word, and spoken word with images https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J419epd_oJA, performing venues like 17 Nautical Miles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA8E7Zb9P9c She collaborated on shows with Olympia and its diaspora Riot Girl bands including Cadallaca. She released several recordings of her stories on Kill Rock Stars and K records you can find. I suggested her to PICA, who commissioned Love Diamond, and PICA suggested her to The Kitchen. She has since built a sustainable career in social practice art, including Learning to Love You More, movies, and writing.

Along the way some of her short performances became short movies. Tonight you can see a few.

From CST:

"Atlanta (1996) — A 12-year-old Olympic swimmer and her mother speak to the public about going for the gold.

The Amateurist (1998) — A captivating video about surveillance, identity, watching, and being watched, which slides along the edges of horror and satire to create an unsettling portrait of a woman on the brink of technologically-driven madness.

Nest of Tens (1999) — Four alternating stories which reveal mundane yet personal methods of control, linked by a quasi-academic lecturer revealing the phobias and queasy strangeness that lies behind the everyday.

Getting Stronger Everyday (2001) — A dark and disturbing mystical tale about two boys who were taken from their families and then returned to them years later."

You can probably find most of them, but it will be more fun to see them with friends!

They encapsulate her slightly disturbing jumping narrative style and her unique voice on a DIY canvas.

Around that time she started her Big Miss Moviola / Joanie 4 Jackie video chain letter project. https://www.joanie4jackie.com/chainletter-tapes/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7KJw7icQjk Lady movie makers would send in their DIY shorts and a letter to viewers, they would be combined into as many as would fit on a VHS, and then sent out to the makers and subscribers.

July once explained, "The innocent woman is only innocent because she knows that if she shows what she knows nobody will like her and she won't be able to do all the important things she needs to do. Innocence is like an art form."

Vintage Miranda July on screen at the Clinton Street Theater. 2522 SE Clinton 7PM $10

Friday, March 08, 2024

March 9 Venerable Showers of Awakening Content

Hotels can be mini art galleries. In my memory it's been done in Eugene and in Portland on Interstate Avenue. The Ace Hotel did a version connected to the Portland independent fashion and stylist world. Now the Society Hotel has revived it.

Content 2024 has artists Rain Ezra, Dandy Gal, Arbor House, Brady Lange, Madre Linen + Camille Shu, Carolina Dulanto, Chris Lael Larson, Danielle Delceppo, Elouise Elliott, Father Fannie, Francesca Lohmann, Gili Rappaport, Holly Stalder, Hyun Jung Jung, i. max. miller, Nishimoto Is The Mouth, Spacelab, Kate Towers, Kristen Diederich, Making Earth Cool, Martie Kilmer: Space Design, Mary Luczycki, Megan Sinclair, Melissa Monroe, Michelle Freedman, Nami Hall, Rachael Modrcin, Sam Kalafat, Savina Monet and Outsrc.

Tickets are going to be needed in advance. There are two sessions, Noon-4 and 6-11. All ages. Tickets https://www.merctickets.com/events/148440551/content-a-multi-discplinary-fully-immersive-art-take-over. Content https://www.wearecontentpdx.com/ at the Society Hotel 203 NW 3rd Noon-4 and 6-11 $25-30


Pythagoras was wrong. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2419442-pythagoras-was-wrong-about-the-maths-behind-pleasant-music/#:~:text=An%20ancient%20Greek%20belief%20about,appreciate%20harmony%2C%20researchers%20have%20found. People like Western music and Eastern music with different rhythms and scales.

That brings us to the gamelan. It is back in public in Portland.

A gamelan is an Indonesian percussion symphony with added instruments, no conductor, and the possibility of improvisation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEWCCSuHsuQ It has existed about two millennia. Lewis and Clark College, with it's excellent ethnomusicology program, has a gamelan.

Tonight is a gamelan concert and a documentary Goong: Sound Through Fire on forging and tuning a large bronze Gamelan gong.

At Agnes Flanagan Chapel, Lewis & Clark College, 615 SW Palatine Hill Road. 7:30PM Tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gamelan-music-film-goong-sound-through-fire-tickets-826739960477?aff=oddtdtcreator $20, discounts for students


Tatsumi Hijikata was born 96 years ago in Northern Japan. At age 31 he created the first Butoh dance work a new form of modern dance. He died at age 57 leaving a family tree of performers though it is still a niche few see live.

Tonight Hiroko Tamano from San Francisco and Kaoru Okumura from Seattle perform a piece entitled Awakening of Insects on Hijikata's birthday.

Awakening of insects https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/city-center/kei-chitsu-awakening-insects-butoh-performance-cc-39 at the San Francisco Zen Center 308 Page Street $35 Sold Out

March 8 Microdose or bachata? Both!

Microdose 4 is the 4th Nucleus group show of tiny works. They would be perfect for a tiny home! And for apertments they are easy to move - just put it in your pocket! Artists this year are Amy Earles, Andi Soto, Cat Rabbit, Creature Creature, Chloe Niclas, Deth Sun, Diego Penuela, Erick Martinez, Felicia Chiao, Hanna Jaeun, Heather Birdsong, Heidi Moreno, Helice Wen, Jessica So Ren Tang, JP Neang, Juliet Schreckinger, Kanako Abe, Katie Gamb, Kim Baise, Kime, Kozy Kitchens, Laura Catherwood, LIFO, Lily Seika Jones, Marjolaine Roller, Matt Schu, Mizna Wada, Molly Mendoza, Nana Williams, Naoshi, PaperPuffin, Po Yan Leung, Samantha Mash, Sibylline Meynet, Yu Maeda, and Zach Meyer. At Nucleus House Gallery 1137 NE Alberta 5PM-7 (no early sales) Free


Landdd has new rugs and textiles from Mexico and visiting artists from Dominicana. They have mezcal and mini Coronas. They are playing cumbia and bachata vinyls and cassettes on their vintage art speakers. At Landdd Gallery https://www.landdd.org 7PM-9ish


The Portland Art Museum Tomorrow Theater has Afro-Futurist costume designer Ruth E Carter tonight at 7:30PM $75

Thursday, March 07, 2024

March 7 Westside Art Openings +

First Thursday also includes the Saturday following in the afternoon.


Illy2, Adams and Ollman, and After/Time continue. No idea on Landdd, or the Everett Lofts.


For your +1, Soil Gallery in Seattle opens Sleepless Nights by artists Marcelo Fontana, Pamela Hadley, Nicholas Moler-Gallardo, Hannah Newman, Jessie Rose Vala, Morgan Rosskopf, and Katherine Spinella. It's curated by Hannah Newman at Portland's Wave Contemporary and who has shown at Carnation.

They win the copywriting award today:

""Sleepless Nights explores the anxieties that keep us awake at night. In the transitional phase between wakefulness and sleep, the unconscious comes alive, quickening our thoughts to the realities and fears we suppress in waking hours. Doomscrolling, insomnia, and poor mental health are the results of carrying the uncertainties that litter our contemporary social, political, and physical landscapes.

To cope with our anxieties, we stay busy in our waking lives. Busyness in contemporary life is not simply a response to inflation or grind culture, but ultimately, a survival tactic. The moment we slow down, our worries catch up - we will be overcome by the weight of the unknown. Instead, we distract ourselves, focusing on consuming and creating beauty - the survival strategies of an artist. The anxiety waits, patiently anticipating our return to the twilight zone between waking and sleeping.

Recreating this liminal space, the exhibition Sleepless Nights unfolds in a dark room via blacklights, nightlights, phone screens, and projectors. The room is infused with a continuous stream of audio, a background score of current events, news updates, podcasts, and other data. The exhibition features work by artists working in a wide variety of media and methods, but connected by their anxieties, drive to create, and hope for the future. The artists display their work within an environment of the unease within which it is created. Each artwork becomes a talisman to hold our anxieties at bay.

Sleepless Nights is a space for reflection and introspection, where visitors can engage with their own cares and concerns as well as the uncertainties of the wider world. It is an invitation to look beyond the veil of busyness and productivity to confront the deeper fears that lie within us all.""

At Soil 112 3rd Ave S. Seattle 5PM-8


For your +2, Julie Rall opens installation Ghosts Ship. It includes large fabric sailing sails, encrusted anchor chain, and salt. At NW Marine Art Works https://www.nwmarineartworks.com/ Building5 https://www.buildingfive.org/ 2516 NW 29th 5PM-8 Free


It must be trying to be Spring, so for your +3 you can experience Flamenco msic with guitarist Brenna McDonald and guitarist/vocalist Yeshe Wingerd. A project of Espacio Flamenco, it repeats on first Thursdays. At Bar Botellón 606 NE Davis 7PM-9 Free


The Portland Art Museum, through a private grant, is open free first Thursdays. They are free the whole day 10AM-8PM.


Kirsten Blair has Found and Foraged. At Fine Art Fruit https://fine-art-fruit.square.site/ 925 NW 19th Ave Suite A 6PM-8 Free


The big ad agency brings Draw the Good, a group show connected with their Portland Is What We Make It campaign.

At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th Map 4PM-7 Free


In the Nine Gallery has Moons, by Susan Weil. It is a body of work from 1980 to now inspired by the moon on paper, canvas, plexiglas, mixed-media sculpture ans as artist book.

Fazilat Soukhakian has Queer in Utah. The artist was born in Iran, then moved to the US in their 20s. After school, they now teach in Logan.

Sarah Malakoff from Boston has Personal History, lush individualistic American domestic interiors sans occupants.

At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 5PM-8 Early Close Free


Walt Curtis was Portland's real multiartist: poet, painter, author, radio host, naturalist, historian, gay icon, and legend, in the words of the show organizers. All true and more. He made it to age 82! Walt was a big part of the Portland 80s & 90s creative world, inspiring Gus Van Sant's feature film breakout when Gus was in his early 30s. His mythic dream paintings, Moveable Feast, are up tonight. Dan Ness on the decks. At Portland Arts Collective 120 SW Harvey Milk 6PM-9 Free


PNCA/Willamette has First Thursday this month. There are too many shows to list inside, there are outdoor projections, and DJ Anjali and The Incredible Kid + DJ Timothy Bee spin.

At PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 5-9 Free


Weather Patterns by Barb Burwell is at Writers Block. 818 NW Flanders 5PM-8


Will a flower grow inside me if I eat soil and seeds? is a group show. At Stelo Arts https://www.steloarts.org 412 NW 8th Avenue 5PM-8 Free


Waterstone has impresionistic figurative painter Ruth Hunter. At Waterstone Gallery www.waterstonegallery.com 124 NW 9th 4PM-7 Free


The Black Gallery is open with Adriene Cruz: Power Prayer for the Community. It is textile work. She is in the Oregon Black Artists show at the Portland Art Museum. Curated by Teena Wildero of Art Bridges Community Partnerships. https://www.theblackgallerypdx.com/ 916 NW Flanders 5PM-7


Blackfish has their 45th Anniversary founding members show. The Unseen is clay sculptures by Ruri. Jana Demartini has prints. At Blackfish Gallery https://www.blackfish.com/ 938 NW Everett Map 5PM-8 Free


The Fables are primitive-style paintings by the late Michael C. Spafford. Approaching the Still Point of Turbulence are abstract apintings by Audrey Tulimiero Welch. At Russo Lee Gallery www.russoleegallery.com 805 NW 21st 5PM-7 Early Close Free


Sally Cleveland has paintings With the River. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis 5PM-7:45 Free


Froelick has Tom Prochaska paintings Another Go. Kevin Kadar has paintings Landscapes and Townscapes. At Froelick Gallery www.froelickgallery.com 714 NW Davis early close 5PM-8 Free


The late Lee Kelly has Bennington Suite & Color Studies, works on paper. Anna Von Mertens has drawings Elements and Objects. At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 5:30PM-7:30 Free


RACC has an open house with works from the substantial public collection they manage. At RACC.org 411 NW Park. 5PM-7 Free


Paul Xavier Rutz has Small Forwards: Paintings of Girlhood in Basketball, based on coaching their daughter's elementary school basketball team. Get on that W+K. At Laura Vincent Design and Gallery www.lvdesignandgallery.com/ 824 NW Davis 5PM-8 Free


Beatriz Alcaraz has bright busy schematic illustrations. At Erickson Gallery 9 SW 2nd 5PM-8

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

March 6 Papa Bear

Caldera Arts has always had a Portland office to go along with their artist residency on Blue Lake in Sisters. They open their doors this afternoon for a group show Origin Story. It will be an intimate opportunity to share stories of the late Dan Wieden on his birthday. At Caldera Gallery www.calderaarts.org, 1227 NW Davis. 3PM-5 Free

Saturday, March 02, 2024

March 2 Northside Art Openings

Hide & Seek Gallery has Donyel Ivy-Royal with Ceremony. At 2638 N. Interstate Unit B Noon-3 Free


Kim Slate https://www.kimslate.com/ has schematic animals. At Nucleus Portland http://www.nucleusportland.com 2916 NE Alberta 4PM-6 Free


Georgie Friedman from Boston has video piece Breathing-Light. There is also a preview until March 10 of donations to the CAP auction.

At Oregon Contemporary nee Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.oregoncontemporary.org 8371 N. Interstate Map 5PM-8 Free


Well Well has Meteorite Mama, sculpture and video, by Jessie Rose Vala. At Well Well Projects www.wellwellprojects.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N. Interstate Map  5PM-8 Free


Hours After Winter by Rachael Zur are mixed medial paintings referencing domestic spaces and processes. At Carnation Contemporary www.carnationcontemporary.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N Interstate. 5PM-8 Free

Friday, March 01, 2024

March 1 Mending Protean Jaunt

After/Time has Mending, paintings by Sarah Peters. At After/Time Collective https://www.aftertimecollective 735 SW 9th Ave #110 6PM-9 Free


Daniela Repas has Protean. She has an animation and illustration background. At Souvenir Arts https://souvenirartspdx.org 1233 NE Alberta 5PM-8 Free Portland, Oregon


Joseph is a group show curated by the Jaunt arts residency in Joseph, Oregon. They are Tim Biskup, Jillian Evelyn, William LaChance, Macarena Luzi, and Stevie Shao. At Stephanie Chefas Projects www.stephaniechefas.com 134 SE Taylor, Ste 203. Map. 5PM-8 Free


More at http://firstfridaypdx.org/ and their socials list many shows and their times.