Here, in the left coast rainforest, the darkest month finds us hiding out indoors with friends, family, tasty morsels, our art, maybe a fire. But art never sleeps:
Many galleries mount group shows in December. If you are looking for a gallery, it's a convenient time to see the gallery's overarching style. Likewise, there are innumerable group sales of functional art and crafty things. To find them, ask your friends where their friends are doing it. Note that www.ultrapdx.com is a great source for these events! The blog www.portlandart.net puts some serious thought to reviews and news as well.
December 1
Artist-architect Grace Luebke presents a tensegrity fabric installation at the RAKE Gallery 325 NW 6th (x Flanders) in the Everett Lofts. Tensegrity structures, with a history as varied as Russian constructivists, Bauhaus performance art and the Dymaxion expositions of architect-futurist Buckminster Fuller are built by the interplay of stretchy materials in tension and rigid materials in compression. Geodesic domes, invented by Fuller, may be considered a class of tensegrity structure. In his late work, Synergetics, Fuller fashioned tensegrity's ideas into a philosopical framework championing creative thinking in the service of an optimistic humanity. How far we have strayed from those ideals...
The Everett Station Lofts, of which RAKE is part is always recommended for adventure and is usually open only on first Thursday.
Artist Anna Fidler presents ever more refined abstract printings, forged softly by her PSU MFA. ( www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com/Artw...l.cfm ) Fidler has traveled from her fantastical obsessive maybe-sea-plant-scapes, also in the show, painstakingly cut from paper, to looser and more expressive paintings. (See an animation of an early work accompanied by Fidler's music in collaboration with E*rock at www.mumbleboy.com/anna/gardenscape.html ) Fidler also shows a video of a performance installation on the land of Eastern Oregon, Utah and New Mexico's Chaco Canyon, "Fajada Strands". Given Portland's convergence of contemporary aesthetics amid a varied natural landscape, it's a shame more artists are not experimenting with short lived contemporary site specific work on the land.
Art cafe bar Valentines presents "Gone Fishing Pretty Trippy" - art show happening music party video installation with Adam Forkner (White Rainbow), Honey Owens (World), Andy Brown and Jason Frank (Paint and Copter) (plus many more side and cross projects including Fontanelle and Valet). Early start, 9 sharp. 232 SW Ankeny
See the installation by Chandra Bocci at PNCA. Bocci is known for her installations incorporating materials in the recycling waste stream. Cute in contemporary art is hard to pull off, and she is doing it well. For this installation, she was able to put a team of assistants to work on a project, a necessary evolution to undertake large pieces. This piece composes thrift store clothing by color. PNCA's students have made it dynamic by impromptu clothing swaps and play. 13 & NW Johnson
Just Be Toys+Compound Gallery presents "Hear Me Roar" a show of women artists from across the globe: Anna Cangialosi, Amunisim, Marguerite Sauvage, Lesley Reppeteaux, Jillian Tamaki and Cicci & Sulley all show varied styles. www.justbedesign.com
Augen presents -dare I say it- visionary art by Tallmadge Doyle. Doyle's show occurs in the context of the Los Angeles MOCA exhibition "Ecstasy: In and about altered states" curated by Paul Schimmel and Gloria Sutton and documented in a catalog by MIT Press. The Ecstasy show is more about altered states, but may provide a curatorial opening for outsider art in the visionary new mysticism/ psychedelic transcendence genre, entirely different from the visionary art of African Americans in the South, such as Howard Finster. That being said, I don't think the work is of quality within its genre, just an existence proof that it can be shown in galleries.
Reading Frenzy presents it's under $50 cheap art show in conjunction with a book release party for Supercrafty - a how to craftactivism manifesto - written by Portland crafty vixens.
The Chambers gallery presents work by its namesake, Wid Chambers involving archaic computer painting programs and the work of painter Abi Spring 5:30-8:30 207 S.W. Pine Street, No. 102
Crack Press, the Portland art empire's publishing arm, celebrates its 10th anniversary. Crack Press combines old school press printing (Gutenberg, 1450) with modern technique and good design. Judge for yourself and maybe recognize some hits at www.crackpress.com/portfolio/index.html . Berbati's 7-10 See also December 10.
Blue Sky Galley presents trademark shows, one of suburban domestic interiors, another of county fairs of rural New York State.
December 2
NAAU, Newspace, and Fix all open shows, Small A continues
Homestar, yet another mid century design objects store, opens photography by Marne Lucas. Lucas' photographs attempt to bring classic pinup photography into the contemporary gallery world. Recently she has been experimenting with more sedate landscape photography and even combining the genres. www.marnelucas.com 7-10PM 4747 SE Hawthorne
Just Be Design does just be design best, but in its success is inspiring stores like The Missing Link on Belmont and opening tonight, at 811 E Burnside, Moshi, Moshi.
December 5
Pints for PICA at the Low Brow Lounge - the title says it all.
December 6
Reed alumni and composer Bruce Bennett, now at Berkeley lectures on the history of electronic music. $:15 PM in the psych auditorium. Free.
December 7
Take it EZ - Local artists Zach Reno, Melinda Melmoth, Hooliganship, Jason Leonard, Eliza Fernand, E*Rock, Meg Peterson, Emily Barry, Daniel Peterson, Corey Lund, Nathan Hamric, Mac McFarland, Ryan Alexander-Tanner, Jason Hoffman present animation wrangled by Jeff Kriksciun. Hand drawn, computer, experimental and more. Guild Theater 7PM $3
Tracy and the Plastics, fronted by Tracy - Wynne Greenwood, and backed a video incarnation of her band, Cola on drums - played by Greenwood, and NIkki on Keyboards - also played by Greenwood, will beam down at Holocene. Tracy and the Plastics were Olympia's contribution to rocking the 2004 Whitney biennial. Tracy and the Plastics will be joined by Swan Island, female dance rockers, Masha Qrella, German electro singer songwriter, and 01, electropop/ambient DJ. Holocene
December 8
The Portland Art Center is taking the big step of building out a new space in Old Town. As the first of many fundraisers, they are having an auction of work by local artists: Josh Arseneau, John Brodie, Jacqueline Ehlis, Cecilia Hallinan, Harvest Henderson, Scott Wayne Indiana, Una Kim, Rhoda London, Ron Mills, Suzanne Moulton, Liz Obert, Eugenia Pardue, William Park, Donna Savastio, Blair Saxon-Hill, Megan Scheminske, Michael Schlicting, Pat Walker www.portlandart.org 32 NW 5th Maybe phone them for the time at 503-236-3322 (see also Dec 17)
December 10
Local 35 presents the paintings of Adam Hayes 7-9 3556 SE Hawthorne
The Crack Press 10 year anniversary continues with music by The Doors of Perception, McCracken's Doors cover band, Rollerball and Lackthereof Berbati's 9 on
LPB presents a film/video showcase 3PM-midnight at the Jupiter Hotel. At 10 Conveyer Films - Jacob Pander, cartoonist, filmmaker, designer and Jeremy Wilson, musician, with Arnold Pander, artist and production designer - present 12 of their music videos conveyorfilms.com . $5 for the day. Conveyor films at 10, also something about an hourly raffle throughout the day with $1 tickets, PBR and food by J Cafe.
December 12
Visage Eyewear presents Experimental Visions 2, screenings of film and video from around the world. For this edition, curator Cris Moss will show work from Alois Kronschlaeger/ Austria, Bently Sprang/ Montana, John Harris/ Austrailia, Claire Fowler/ UK. Moss, PNCA and later NYU MFA grad, is well known as the curator of the video art and installation series "Donut Shop". Most notable was Donut Shop Three: Domesticity, held in an empty house off Alberta and featuring a rocket ship. Cris is back from NY, 9 Donut Shops later. BYOB, BYOdonuts, popcorn provided, 1046 NW Johnson 7PM free
Note also Visage is showing the clothing of a brilliant designer. Her own wedding dress, in the window, is not for sale.
December 17
PICA's annual printathon-sale puts local artists, not all even printmakers, to the press. A great networking event with wildly varying work priced at $100-250. The practiced eyes of the buyers and the cult of personality can make the buying somewhat competitive, if that matters. Artists include, but not limited to: Kevin Abell, Patrick Abbey, Brad Adkins, Josh Berger, Patricia Boas, John Brodie, Ty Ennis, Alex Felton, Cecilia Hallinan, Levi Hanes, Stephen Hayes, Sean Healy, Robin Hoffmeister, Una Kim, Patrick Long, Corey Lunn, Bill Park, Nathan Price, Blair Saxon-Hill, Kristan Kennedy, Marty Schnapf, Stephanie Snyder, Adam Sorensen, Storm Tharp, Andrea U'Ren
4 - 9 pm Studio 333 : 333 NE Hancock above Dunes.
The Portland Art Center's December party involves the traffic in ornaments. Make one and get in cheaper, make one there , buy one. 9PM-2AM 32 NW 5th $5 with ornament $7 without.
December 18
Clare Fowler, Royal College of Art grad in Communication Art and Design, presents a night of film. Fowler's short films establish a poetic field of images and actions. Imagery, emotion laden, minimal, but elegant, simply combined with thoughtful sound design, lies down to dream. Films include:
A Poem is Only Game. DV Color 7 minutes 2001
With a soundtrack of Czech poetry, spoken, simple pregnant images alternate before their ultimate resolution.
Where Paper Will Touch The Skin. B&W DV One Minute 2001
Title inspired by sewing instructions, this work is a meditation on a paper dress.
The Devil & The Fly. 16mm B&W 8 minute 2004
An Icelandic folk tale inspires images arrayed as symbols of a mythical struggle. Sound recordings of the Icelandic glacier, Katnajokull, form the bed of sound for this film.
One Second Between States. Color DV 40 minutes
A rose blossom decays ever so slowly in a time lapse composition.
and
Tadpole B&W Hand scratched 16mm on DV One Minute 2003
To Touch Color DV 7 minutes 2000
Butterfly 2000 B&W DV One Minute 2000
9PM Holocene Free !!
Tuesday December 20
Small A Projects presents a screening and discussion by LA artist Joe Sola. Sola has attracted interest in LA for sampling film and television as well as employing all the tools of the film industry to document performances built on an inside joke ( www.joesola.com ). A SF artist friend, now in LA, related that LA art now is all flash built upon a one liner. This would be an example. Like the overseas popularity of Baywatch or the syndication of Desperate Houswives in China, Sola has met success showing his work overseas, but that doesn't make it good. It has been discussed widely that the poor quality of feature film is directly tied to producing work of emotional simplicity, minimal dialog, flash and large explosions which survives dubbing for ever larger foreign audiences. Is art headed in the same direction? Let's hope not.
Small A projects is commended for seeking out high profile artists and selling their work to out of town collectors, while hosting discussions with the artists here. This work, though saleable and au courant, will have a hard time producing tectonic emotional responses in the viewer to say nothing of meaning anything even a few years hence. Judge for yourself. www.smallaprojects.com Tuesday 8 PM free
Have great holidays with those around you. It's not about the holiday video log, the highest rated channel this time of year. That fact does say something though.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
November: transforming halloween to thanksgiving
You may notice several butoh events listed here, unusual to date for Portland. An improvisational dance form, butoh works to produce movement unlike any other dance form and, in doing so, transport the audience. It ranges from sublime to grotesque and these poles will all be represented here this month! If you see something you don't like, don't give up on the form. It is usually easy by asking around, to find out ahead of a performance what pole attracts the group. If you are a mover, try a workshop sometime!
November 1
Charles Jenks, architectural critic and author presents a slide lecture "The Iconic Building" themed on architectural forms which challenge the common staid conception of boring monument. "On the one hand, to become iconic a building must provide a new and condensed image, be high in figural shape or gestalt, and stand out from the city. On the other hand, to become powerful it must be reminiscent in some ways of unlikely but important metaphors and be a symbol fit to be worshiped, a hard task in a secular society." from an interview at: calitreview.com/Interviews...ks_8020.htm Sponsored by Portland Arts and Lectures. 1st Congregational Church 1126 SW Park avenue 7:30 $15/10 students
November 2
Usual preopenings
Talk at Blue Sky Gallery 7:30 by photographer Abby Robinson. See below or www.blueskygallery.org
Reed College sponsors a talk by artist MONA HATOUM 7 p.m.at the Vollum lecture hall free
Her work is on display at Reed's Cooley Memorial Art Gallery November 1–December 23, 2005 I saw her work at the Jupiter affair and remembered liking it, but I'm not sure I could describe it now...
Curator Stephanie Snyder: "Hatoum is one of the most important British artists of her generation. Born in 1952, Hatoum attended the Slade School of Art having been stranded in England after the outbreak of war in Lebanon, her country of residence while growing up. Emerging onto the British art scene during the convulsive excitement of the YBA (Young British Artists) movement in 1980s London, Hatoum's early work included physically extreme, enigmatic public performances exploring personal and public space, vulnerability, and social relationships. Moving into complex sculptural and multi-media work, Hatoum has consistently explored cultural dynamics of immigration, gender, and physical and psychological displacement. Hatoum often uses the personal space of the body and its products as a means for exploring broader cultural and political concerns. Over the past twenty years, Hatoum has created works as intimate in scale as an installation of tiny sculptures crafted from the artist's hair, to enormous large scale steel sculptures. For this unique exhibition, the Cooley Gallery is extremely pleased to be including Hatoum's La Grande Broyeuse—one of the artist's largest steel sculptures. La Grande Broyeuse replicates a common object on a massive scale—alternately threatening, humorous, and monumental. In addition to this important work, this exhibition includes video, photography, and mixed media sculpture. Hatoum's work has been featured at the Tate Britain, London; the Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; the Oaxaca Museum, Oaxaca, Mexico; and the 2005 Venice Biennale. In 2004, Hatoum was awarded the prestigious Sonning Prize in Copenhagen, Denmark—the first visual artist to receive this distinguished honor. The Sonning Prize is awarded every other year by the University of Copenhagen to a man or woman "who has significantly contributed to the advancement of European civilization."
November 3-6
The Catlin Gabel rummage sale www.catlin.edu/news/rummage/index.php decamps at the Portland -go by MAX- Expo Center Thursday through Sunday. This event is the major fundraiser for scholarships to this expensive K-12 Portland private school. The students' parents purge their basements and attics. That means shop early and often. All items are priced, but some bargaining is possible with each section's overlord. On Thursday all items are marked up 35%, Sunday is best for bargains. Thurs 5-9, Fri/Sat 10-6, Sun 10-3
November 3 First Thursday
The F word. Forgiveness. The Forgiveness Project, a grass roots international project, based in London and working internationally presents documentation, interviews and photographs. Inspired by South Africa's response to the end of apartheid. the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the project has been active in South Africa, Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Romania, Israel, Palestine and yes, the US. Interestingly, the South African experience has been repurposed in Rwanda (800,000 dead over 10 weeks) and Sierra Leone as a UN program. This is a great followon to last year's presentation by artist Alfredo Jaar. In addition, Nov 8 12:30-1:30 the Forgiveness Forum presents speakers sharing their experience of community violence, reconciliation and story telling. On Nov 9 12:30-1:30, the Portland Reader's Theater will perform the play "Goodbye Oscar" a meditation on which sins are forgivable and which not. www.theforgivenessproject.com All events free at PNCA www.pnca.edu
Illahee www.illahee.org and the City Repair project present a talk by Terry Tempest Williams, www.coyoteclan.com/ , activist, naturalist, passionate about the preservation of wilderness in the West. Williams will contrast her response to a visit to Rwanda, where family, societal and cultural restoration are the primary concern with her work in the West at the interface of wilderness and society. 7PM First Congregational Church 1126 SW Park $20
Blue Sky presents Abby Robinson's photographs of photo studio backdrops in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam mashup layers of photography about photography and the cultural aspirations of their unpictured subjects. Lecture by the artist Wednesday 7:30 at the gallery. Also Melissa Ann Pinney her daughter whispering clues of the mystery of growing up. Perhaps, grown, will her daughter be a character in a Liz Haley photograph or perhaps a Justine Kurland?
Augen presents Dharma Strasser, taking ceramic multiples out of craft and into art, and the photographs of Amy Archer. Archer is fascinated by multiples as well - found in situ or constructed of multiple prints. www.augengallery.com/calendar.html
Gallery 500 presents its last opening with drawings by Nicholas Di Genova whose work would be at home in the Compound Gallery, and the dark rich scenes done as layered drawings of Troy Briggs who was part of Portland Modern #2. Gallery 500 will close at the end of the month, possibly to be reincarnated in another location in the future. www.gallery500.org
Motel gallery www.motelgallery.com presents the motel-style illustrations of Jen Corace, characterized by their sweetness.
Compound/Just Be * presents a show of work inspired by Blythe. What's a Blythe? A Japanese doll-super model with a large head and those sooo Japanese moon eyes. The doll was originally produced in 1972 for one year then canceled by Hasbro. Blythe was revived as the spokesmodel for a Japanese department store in 2001 and legions of neo-Blythes followed. The Just Be Otaku store will also show the dolls. [end trivial pursuit factoid] www.justbedesign.com
The Mark Woolley continues last month's show of Tom Cramer. An interesting field trip is to see about the complete history of Cramer's work at the Woolley Gallery at the Wonder Ballroom on NE Russell.
PDX Contemporary Art opens a group show Next. With its exapnded space it's possible to see just about all of the gallery's artists together. Included are Brad Adkins, Tina Beebe, Nick Blosser, Kevin Burrus, Bean Finneran, Jacques Flechemuller, Ellen George, Victoria Haven, Laure Heinz, Mary Henry, Elizabeth Knight, Taimuras Kozirev, Cynthia Lahti, James Lavadour, Lisa Lockhart, Nancy Lorenz, Joe Macca, D.E. May, Kristen Miller, Megan Murphy, David Shratter, Barbara Stafford, Eric Stotik, Storm Tharp, Terry Toedtemeier, Molly Vidor, Marie Watt and Masao Yamamoto. Their new space is at 925 NW Flanders, not sure if they are open first Thursday
The Everett lofts will no doubt have plenty interesting. You might stop at Pause to see Paige Saez's paintings. This sculptor, performance artist, installationalist and half the Homeland Gallery can paint a mean abstract, and that is a complement.
Apotheke presents photograms and spirograph drawings.
Valentine's restaruant presents "Oldtown Union" a show of artists living or working in the Oldtown neighborhood curated by Kendra Larson. 8-late with musical interludes. 232 SW Ankeny
Art in City Hall - early 5-7 - presents some paintings which I decline to comment upon, some wine, some food, some music (actually Alfredo Muro, Brazilian guitarist) and at 6 some movement, a short performance by the b unit of Hubbard Street modern dance from Chicago who perform later in the evening for White Bird. Make these events your own, I'm sure the city government would love to converse with actual artists.
November 4 First Friday
Homeland has a new home, with 3000 sf, you would think leisure boater Paul had moved to the 'burbs, but no, it's really the perfect spot for a Paige-style skate party, and it's at 222 SE 10th, in the E Burnside aesthetic vortex. Artist Scott Wayne Indiana shows "Wallpaper", a collage themed on chairs and nose rings, experiences and self portraits, as a continuous 72 foot scroll, it's sort of a graphic version of "On the Road", without speed.
Wallpaper runs from November 4th - December 4th open Sat and Sun 12pm - 6pm
Opening night starts at 7pm , with live music at 8pm. 222 SE 10th Ave
New American Art Union presents mixed media work by Ty Ennis. Ennis is a recent PNCA printmaking graduate known for his meticulous drawings. www.newamericanartunion.com/arti...l.php 922 SE Ankeny 7-10PM
Newspace Photo presents Myron Filene and Jodi Boatman. www.newspacephoto.com/gallery/
Small A projects closes their show of metal [music] inspired art. At 8, Todd Haynes presents Velvet Goldmine. The filmspace holds about 50 people, so RSVP if you would like to see it. www.smallaprojects.com
Fix presents the paintings of outsider-artist style Jessie Reno www.circlesquarexline.com www.galleryfix.com Music and opening 7-10
The NW Film and Video Festival opens see NWFilm.org for details.
Mizu, butoh movement artist provocateur invites you to a movement workshop. She strives to awaken through her dance the psychic terrain, the collective unconscious, the ordinary, the dream, the silent archaic language of the land, and the possibilities of being human without borders.
THE PSYCHIC DANCE BODY (melange of butoh, contact, improvisation and play):: Beginning with the spine, the serpentine.... Matrices of a dual pathway: tension and release Inside/Outside....seamless My world, yours, intersecting in unknown ways. Each player essential Every moment divinely planted undesigned in its perfection, flowing into it. Mutating every detail Like mating periodic elements Into alchemical future How do we refine the prima materia Come again to be the primal ingredient...The first?
ARTIST BIO: Mizu is Japanese for water, Desierto is Spanish for desert, meaning "water in the desert." The name was offered in a dream while dancing in Japan. It represents Mizu's homeland (in the Arizona desert) as well as the emphasis in her work on cultural exchange and the dualities woven throughout all of life. This past year she toured throughout France and into Spain with the Pachamama Project. She has danced in Tokyo, Mexico, New Zealand, New York, Boulder, Chicago, San Franciso, Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, Tucson, the Mountain Aire Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, and the Burning Man Festival. She has performed with Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno, Harupin-Ha, The Carpetbag Brigade, Flam Chen, and Human Nature (amongst others).
Friday Nov 4 10AM-12:30PM at Performanceworks NW www.performanceworksnw.org/ and foodandshelter.blogspot.com 4625 SE 67th Ave off Foster $30
See the website for a weekend of workshops and performances Nov 4 & 5
November 5,6,13,17 Seattle performance/film hybrid artist
If you happen to be in Seattle, this sounds too fantastic to miss... The Henry presents the films of Lynn Hershman Leeson. I am not making this up:
Saturday, November 5, 2 PM
Teknolust (2002)
85 minutes/ Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Davies
"Anxious to use artificial intelligent robots to create companions in a lonely world, Rosetta Stone, a bio-geneticist devises a way to download her own DNA into a "live” brew she is growing in her computer. She succeeds in breeding three Self Replicating Automatons that look human, but were bred as intelligent machines. All of the characters struggle to find meaning in a world where love is the only thing that makes things real. In the process they find harmony between the real and the virtual worlds. Lynn Hershman Leeson and exhibition curator Robin Held will introduce the film."
and
Sunday, November 6, 2 PM
Conceiving Ada (1997)
85 minutes/ Tilda Swinton
Themes of love, sex, artificial life, and DNA-transference history intertwine in Hershman Leeson's first feature film. Emmy Coer, a computer genius, devises a method of communicating with the past by tapping into undying information waves. She manages to reach the world of Ada Lovelace, founder of the idea of a computer language in the nineteenth. Emmy has a plan to defeat death and the past using her own DNA as a communicative agent to the past, bringing Ada to the present. But what are the possible ramifications?
Sunday, November 13, 2 PM
Short Films and Videos
A sampling of shorts filmed from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s that explore identity, gender, and technology.
Thursday, November 17, 7 PM
The Electric Diaries (1984-1995)
75 minutes
The Electronic Diaries derives from feminist performances in the 1970's. Both are concerned with documentation and articulation of identity. The Electronic Diaries, however, is specifically designed to be electronically distributed to a mass audience. Each video is produced privately, using no camera person or technicians. The completed works are, paradoxically, widely distributed and internationally broadcast. Exhibition curator Robin Held will discuss Hershman Leeson's provocative series of videos shot as intimate confessionals. A 75-minute film program will follow."
The Henry Art Gallery is on the campus of the University of Washington www.henryart.org each show is included in the gallery admission which is $8, free for UW students
November 5
More workshop'n: 10am - 1pm at TLC Alberta (The Little Church): 5138 NE 23rd Ave (& Sumner) $30
State of Becoming: with Delisa Myles
Experience with greater awareness the dance that is- in you- in relational exchange-in group consciousness. Use imagery and poetic stimulus to tune into individual physical and psychic territory. Practice qualities of permeability, availability, and sensitivity to the dance of another. Increase the field of play by opening to the emerging composition of the group. Guided improvisational experiments range from deep internal listening to partner work, to playful romp, to witnessed spontaneous compositions.
Mizu performs "Devil's Apples" with Delisa Myles (Lily Noir), a butoh-burlesque excavation of the feminine psyche at Suono Angelica a Kaosmosis costume party. Loren DJ's late. Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside 9PM-4AM $15-25 sliding scale
Kalakendra presents a tribute to the greatest Sufi singer of modern times, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn, to benefit earthquake relief in South Asia. Sufiism is a mystical branch of Islam that holds that the deity is within each person, not external. Kahn, 1948-1997. was part of a 600 year unbroken family lineage of qawwali singers which his son continues today. 7:30 Flanagan Chapel Lewis and Clark College $30 advance (Tix West or indogram.com)/$35 door
November 6
Aa part of the EnterActive Language Festival for the LANGUAGE OF NIGHTMARE, Societas Insomnia, the Nightmare Company will perform. The performance features fire dancing, body modification, hook suspension, domina betka schpitz, improvised experimental music and butoh inspired movement.
www.societasinsomnia.com www.2gyrlz.org Sabala's Mt. Tabor, doors at 9pm. $5-$15.
November 10 2nd Thurs
Local 35 on Hawthorne opens a new show. Other Hawthorne locations may join in for art events each month.
November 11
Osseus Labyrint will be performing in “the Language of Random Mutations”. OL has for over 10 years of translated the movements of bats and insects to their own bodies. Some would draw a direct connection with butoh styles. www.2gyrlz.org www.osseuslabyrint.net/ at PNCA 8PM
1241 NW Johnson Street Sliding scale $5 - $15, all ages are welcome, there will be beer and wine with 21+ ID
November 12
LANGUAGE OF THE EAST encompasses performances by Seattle butoh artists the Degenerate Art Ensemble and P.A.N. butoh with interludes by Portlanders' Sardonik Grin, Soriah, the Venerable Showers of Beauty Gamelan, and Hop Frog from LA. details: 2gyrlz.org/calendar/ELfest05/12NOV.htm Backspace Annex 115 NW 5th ave $5-$15 doors at 8:30pm
The Film Center's NW Film and Video Festival, in its 32nd year, and running Nov 4-12, closes with a program of more abstract works and a special showing by Vladimir of her latest Viewmaster opus, "Actaeon at Home" www.vladmaster.com/actaeon.html . Experience a Vladmaster event - the artist constructs micro miniature dioramas, shoots them in stereo, then assembles them into Viewmaster wheels, adding a soundtrack. Tonight the Apt Ensemble provides the soundtrack live. www.vladmaster.com/pdx01.html . Amaze your friends, you can have your own Vladmaster show, Vladimir may sometimes be found at the Urban Art Network's 13th Street First Thursday Street Art Show! See nwfilm.org for details. 7PM Guild Theater
November 16
Artist, sculptor, architect Maya Lin www.pbs.org/art21/artists/lin/# discusses her Confluence Project www.confluenceproject.org, a series of sculptures along the Columbia River. In an open competition, Lin won the commission to design the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC at age 20. She has continued to design elegant minimalist memorials and sculptures with emotional taproots miles deep, complementing her sublime architectural work. Lin was the subject of the Academy Award winning documentary "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision" Sponsored by Portland Arts and Lectures. Schnitzer Concert Hall 7:30 $30
November 17
Small A Projects opens Will Rogan's "Getting Through" with a conversation between Will Rogan and Harrell Fletcher at 8.
November 18
For the month of Halloween, Disjecta walks the earth. Why? To collect money, which is what artists and arts institutions do. Courtesy of www.ultrapdx.com: Baddoll shoes opens their new store at 1639 NW Marshall. Urb-style artists Seth Neefus, Tim Karpinski, Taylor Brubaker, and Dave Wien--are, John Baldwin Gourley, Wesley James Hubbard, Makenna Combs, Ryan Bubnis, Corey Smith, Crack la Rock, Mukgora, Fash-izm and A.W.E. will mod up shoes to be auctioned to benefit Disjecta who have secured a warehouse space at 2nd and SE Burnside. Music by Dj Black Keys, Dj Roomate, Dj Izm, Dj Makeout, Dj Belo. 5-11PM 1639 NW Marshall
November 20
Nexus presents "Disciplines for the Hungry Body" a Butoh Workshop in the afternoon and later, at 8, a performance by Shinichi Momo Koga www.inkboat.com/ "Only a dance on the edge of control brings real life. Such risk traces a path to fear and joy. Each quickly becomes the other. Our work is to transform the space between, the body map, with sensitivity and dynamism." Workshop Conduit 12-4 918 SW Yamhill, Ste. 401 $48 Send registration to: Alenka Loesch 1832 SE 48th Ave, Portland, OR 97215 Performance 8PM, same place, sliding scale $10-15
November 24
Thanksgiving is the last holiday that is pure. Not commercialized. No need to buy, buy, buy, party, party, party, no regrets. Just pure love and family. The best to you and yours.
November 25 Last [Thursday] but not least [Friday]
Last Thursday is on last Friday this month for obvious reasons.
The (relatively) new kids on the block, OFFICE, 2204 NE Alberta, will open a show of 20 works: "Employee of the Month". Artists Adam Bayer, Apak, Arbito, Brad Simon, Bwana Spoons, Carson Ellis, Chris Hutchinson, Corey Lunn, Corey Smith, Driscoll Reid, Evan Harris, Jerry Inscoe, Justin B. Williams, Lina Hitomi, Martin Ontiveros, Matt Clark, Le Merde, Molly Anderson, Shawn Wolfe, Snaggs and Wesley Younie interpret the 20 years of the building's history with imaginary portraits of employees of the month spanning that time.
7-9 Friday, then regular OFFICE hours.
November 1
Charles Jenks, architectural critic and author presents a slide lecture "The Iconic Building" themed on architectural forms which challenge the common staid conception of boring monument. "On the one hand, to become iconic a building must provide a new and condensed image, be high in figural shape or gestalt, and stand out from the city. On the other hand, to become powerful it must be reminiscent in some ways of unlikely but important metaphors and be a symbol fit to be worshiped, a hard task in a secular society." from an interview at: calitreview.com/Interviews...ks_8020.htm Sponsored by Portland Arts and Lectures. 1st Congregational Church 1126 SW Park avenue 7:30 $15/10 students
November 2
Usual preopenings
Talk at Blue Sky Gallery 7:30 by photographer Abby Robinson. See below or www.blueskygallery.org
Reed College sponsors a talk by artist MONA HATOUM 7 p.m.at the Vollum lecture hall free
Her work is on display at Reed's Cooley Memorial Art Gallery November 1–December 23, 2005 I saw her work at the Jupiter affair and remembered liking it, but I'm not sure I could describe it now...
Curator Stephanie Snyder: "Hatoum is one of the most important British artists of her generation. Born in 1952, Hatoum attended the Slade School of Art having been stranded in England after the outbreak of war in Lebanon, her country of residence while growing up. Emerging onto the British art scene during the convulsive excitement of the YBA (Young British Artists) movement in 1980s London, Hatoum's early work included physically extreme, enigmatic public performances exploring personal and public space, vulnerability, and social relationships. Moving into complex sculptural and multi-media work, Hatoum has consistently explored cultural dynamics of immigration, gender, and physical and psychological displacement. Hatoum often uses the personal space of the body and its products as a means for exploring broader cultural and political concerns. Over the past twenty years, Hatoum has created works as intimate in scale as an installation of tiny sculptures crafted from the artist's hair, to enormous large scale steel sculptures. For this unique exhibition, the Cooley Gallery is extremely pleased to be including Hatoum's La Grande Broyeuse—one of the artist's largest steel sculptures. La Grande Broyeuse replicates a common object on a massive scale—alternately threatening, humorous, and monumental. In addition to this important work, this exhibition includes video, photography, and mixed media sculpture. Hatoum's work has been featured at the Tate Britain, London; the Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; the Oaxaca Museum, Oaxaca, Mexico; and the 2005 Venice Biennale. In 2004, Hatoum was awarded the prestigious Sonning Prize in Copenhagen, Denmark—the first visual artist to receive this distinguished honor. The Sonning Prize is awarded every other year by the University of Copenhagen to a man or woman "who has significantly contributed to the advancement of European civilization."
November 3-6
The Catlin Gabel rummage sale www.catlin.edu/news/rummage/index.php decamps at the Portland -go by MAX- Expo Center Thursday through Sunday. This event is the major fundraiser for scholarships to this expensive K-12 Portland private school. The students' parents purge their basements and attics. That means shop early and often. All items are priced, but some bargaining is possible with each section's overlord. On Thursday all items are marked up 35%, Sunday is best for bargains. Thurs 5-9, Fri/Sat 10-6, Sun 10-3
November 3 First Thursday
The F word. Forgiveness. The Forgiveness Project, a grass roots international project, based in London and working internationally presents documentation, interviews and photographs. Inspired by South Africa's response to the end of apartheid. the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the project has been active in South Africa, Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Romania, Israel, Palestine and yes, the US. Interestingly, the South African experience has been repurposed in Rwanda (800,000 dead over 10 weeks) and Sierra Leone as a UN program. This is a great followon to last year's presentation by artist Alfredo Jaar. In addition, Nov 8 12:30-1:30 the Forgiveness Forum presents speakers sharing their experience of community violence, reconciliation and story telling. On Nov 9 12:30-1:30, the Portland Reader's Theater will perform the play "Goodbye Oscar" a meditation on which sins are forgivable and which not. www.theforgivenessproject.com All events free at PNCA www.pnca.edu
Illahee www.illahee.org and the City Repair project present a talk by Terry Tempest Williams, www.coyoteclan.com/ , activist, naturalist, passionate about the preservation of wilderness in the West. Williams will contrast her response to a visit to Rwanda, where family, societal and cultural restoration are the primary concern with her work in the West at the interface of wilderness and society. 7PM First Congregational Church 1126 SW Park $20
Blue Sky presents Abby Robinson's photographs of photo studio backdrops in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam mashup layers of photography about photography and the cultural aspirations of their unpictured subjects. Lecture by the artist Wednesday 7:30 at the gallery. Also Melissa Ann Pinney her daughter whispering clues of the mystery of growing up. Perhaps, grown, will her daughter be a character in a Liz Haley photograph or perhaps a Justine Kurland?
Augen presents Dharma Strasser, taking ceramic multiples out of craft and into art, and the photographs of Amy Archer. Archer is fascinated by multiples as well - found in situ or constructed of multiple prints. www.augengallery.com/calendar.html
Gallery 500 presents its last opening with drawings by Nicholas Di Genova whose work would be at home in the Compound Gallery, and the dark rich scenes done as layered drawings of Troy Briggs who was part of Portland Modern #2. Gallery 500 will close at the end of the month, possibly to be reincarnated in another location in the future. www.gallery500.org
Motel gallery www.motelgallery.com presents the motel-style illustrations of Jen Corace, characterized by their sweetness.
Compound/Just Be * presents a show of work inspired by Blythe. What's a Blythe? A Japanese doll-super model with a large head and those sooo Japanese moon eyes. The doll was originally produced in 1972 for one year then canceled by Hasbro. Blythe was revived as the spokesmodel for a Japanese department store in 2001 and legions of neo-Blythes followed. The Just Be Otaku store will also show the dolls. [end trivial pursuit factoid] www.justbedesign.com
The Mark Woolley continues last month's show of Tom Cramer. An interesting field trip is to see about the complete history of Cramer's work at the Woolley Gallery at the Wonder Ballroom on NE Russell.
PDX Contemporary Art opens a group show Next. With its exapnded space it's possible to see just about all of the gallery's artists together. Included are Brad Adkins, Tina Beebe, Nick Blosser, Kevin Burrus, Bean Finneran, Jacques Flechemuller, Ellen George, Victoria Haven, Laure Heinz, Mary Henry, Elizabeth Knight, Taimuras Kozirev, Cynthia Lahti, James Lavadour, Lisa Lockhart, Nancy Lorenz, Joe Macca, D.E. May, Kristen Miller, Megan Murphy, David Shratter, Barbara Stafford, Eric Stotik, Storm Tharp, Terry Toedtemeier, Molly Vidor, Marie Watt and Masao Yamamoto. Their new space is at 925 NW Flanders, not sure if they are open first Thursday
The Everett lofts will no doubt have plenty interesting. You might stop at Pause to see Paige Saez's paintings. This sculptor, performance artist, installationalist and half the Homeland Gallery can paint a mean abstract, and that is a complement.
Apotheke presents photograms and spirograph drawings.
Valentine's restaruant presents "Oldtown Union" a show of artists living or working in the Oldtown neighborhood curated by Kendra Larson. 8-late with musical interludes. 232 SW Ankeny
Art in City Hall - early 5-7 - presents some paintings which I decline to comment upon, some wine, some food, some music (actually Alfredo Muro, Brazilian guitarist) and at 6 some movement, a short performance by the b unit of Hubbard Street modern dance from Chicago who perform later in the evening for White Bird. Make these events your own, I'm sure the city government would love to converse with actual artists.
November 4 First Friday
Homeland has a new home, with 3000 sf, you would think leisure boater Paul had moved to the 'burbs, but no, it's really the perfect spot for a Paige-style skate party, and it's at 222 SE 10th, in the E Burnside aesthetic vortex. Artist Scott Wayne Indiana shows "Wallpaper", a collage themed on chairs and nose rings, experiences and self portraits, as a continuous 72 foot scroll, it's sort of a graphic version of "On the Road", without speed.
Wallpaper runs from November 4th - December 4th open Sat and Sun 12pm - 6pm
Opening night starts at 7pm , with live music at 8pm. 222 SE 10th Ave
New American Art Union presents mixed media work by Ty Ennis. Ennis is a recent PNCA printmaking graduate known for his meticulous drawings. www.newamericanartunion.com/arti...l.php 922 SE Ankeny 7-10PM
Newspace Photo presents Myron Filene and Jodi Boatman. www.newspacephoto.com/gallery/
Small A projects closes their show of metal [music] inspired art. At 8, Todd Haynes presents Velvet Goldmine. The filmspace holds about 50 people, so RSVP if you would like to see it. www.smallaprojects.com
Fix presents the paintings of outsider-artist style Jessie Reno www.circlesquarexline.com www.galleryfix.com Music and opening 7-10
The NW Film and Video Festival opens see NWFilm.org for details.
Mizu, butoh movement artist provocateur invites you to a movement workshop. She strives to awaken through her dance the psychic terrain, the collective unconscious, the ordinary, the dream, the silent archaic language of the land, and the possibilities of being human without borders.
THE PSYCHIC DANCE BODY (melange of butoh, contact, improvisation and play):: Beginning with the spine, the serpentine.... Matrices of a dual pathway: tension and release Inside/Outside....seamless My world, yours, intersecting in unknown ways. Each player essential Every moment divinely planted undesigned in its perfection, flowing into it. Mutating every detail Like mating periodic elements Into alchemical future How do we refine the prima materia Come again to be the primal ingredient...The first?
ARTIST BIO: Mizu is Japanese for water, Desierto is Spanish for desert, meaning "water in the desert." The name was offered in a dream while dancing in Japan. It represents Mizu's homeland (in the Arizona desert) as well as the emphasis in her work on cultural exchange and the dualities woven throughout all of life. This past year she toured throughout France and into Spain with the Pachamama Project. She has danced in Tokyo, Mexico, New Zealand, New York, Boulder, Chicago, San Franciso, Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, Tucson, the Mountain Aire Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, and the Burning Man Festival. She has performed with Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno, Harupin-Ha, The Carpetbag Brigade, Flam Chen, and Human Nature (amongst others).
Friday Nov 4 10AM-12:30PM at Performanceworks NW www.performanceworksnw.org/ and foodandshelter.blogspot.com 4625 SE 67th Ave off Foster $30
See the website for a weekend of workshops and performances Nov 4 & 5
November 5,6,13,17 Seattle performance/film hybrid artist
If you happen to be in Seattle, this sounds too fantastic to miss... The Henry presents the films of Lynn Hershman Leeson. I am not making this up:
Saturday, November 5, 2 PM
Teknolust (2002)
85 minutes/ Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Davies
"Anxious to use artificial intelligent robots to create companions in a lonely world, Rosetta Stone, a bio-geneticist devises a way to download her own DNA into a "live” brew she is growing in her computer. She succeeds in breeding three Self Replicating Automatons that look human, but were bred as intelligent machines. All of the characters struggle to find meaning in a world where love is the only thing that makes things real. In the process they find harmony between the real and the virtual worlds. Lynn Hershman Leeson and exhibition curator Robin Held will introduce the film."
and
Sunday, November 6, 2 PM
Conceiving Ada (1997)
85 minutes/ Tilda Swinton
Themes of love, sex, artificial life, and DNA-transference history intertwine in Hershman Leeson's first feature film. Emmy Coer, a computer genius, devises a method of communicating with the past by tapping into undying information waves. She manages to reach the world of Ada Lovelace, founder of the idea of a computer language in the nineteenth. Emmy has a plan to defeat death and the past using her own DNA as a communicative agent to the past, bringing Ada to the present. But what are the possible ramifications?
Sunday, November 13, 2 PM
Short Films and Videos
A sampling of shorts filmed from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s that explore identity, gender, and technology.
Thursday, November 17, 7 PM
The Electric Diaries (1984-1995)
75 minutes
The Electronic Diaries derives from feminist performances in the 1970's. Both are concerned with documentation and articulation of identity. The Electronic Diaries, however, is specifically designed to be electronically distributed to a mass audience. Each video is produced privately, using no camera person or technicians. The completed works are, paradoxically, widely distributed and internationally broadcast. Exhibition curator Robin Held will discuss Hershman Leeson's provocative series of videos shot as intimate confessionals. A 75-minute film program will follow."
The Henry Art Gallery is on the campus of the University of Washington www.henryart.org each show is included in the gallery admission which is $8, free for UW students
November 5
More workshop'n: 10am - 1pm at TLC Alberta (The Little Church): 5138 NE 23rd Ave (& Sumner) $30
State of Becoming: with Delisa Myles
Experience with greater awareness the dance that is- in you- in relational exchange-in group consciousness. Use imagery and poetic stimulus to tune into individual physical and psychic territory. Practice qualities of permeability, availability, and sensitivity to the dance of another. Increase the field of play by opening to the emerging composition of the group. Guided improvisational experiments range from deep internal listening to partner work, to playful romp, to witnessed spontaneous compositions.
Mizu performs "Devil's Apples" with Delisa Myles (Lily Noir), a butoh-burlesque excavation of the feminine psyche at Suono Angelica a Kaosmosis costume party. Loren DJ's late. Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside 9PM-4AM $15-25 sliding scale
Kalakendra presents a tribute to the greatest Sufi singer of modern times, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn, to benefit earthquake relief in South Asia. Sufiism is a mystical branch of Islam that holds that the deity is within each person, not external. Kahn, 1948-1997. was part of a 600 year unbroken family lineage of qawwali singers which his son continues today. 7:30 Flanagan Chapel Lewis and Clark College $30 advance (Tix West or indogram.com)/$35 door
November 6
Aa part of the EnterActive Language Festival for the LANGUAGE OF NIGHTMARE, Societas Insomnia, the Nightmare Company will perform. The performance features fire dancing, body modification, hook suspension, domina betka schpitz, improvised experimental music and butoh inspired movement.
www.societasinsomnia.com www.2gyrlz.org Sabala's Mt. Tabor, doors at 9pm. $5-$15.
November 10 2nd Thurs
Local 35 on Hawthorne opens a new show. Other Hawthorne locations may join in for art events each month.
November 11
Osseus Labyrint will be performing in “the Language of Random Mutations”. OL has for over 10 years of translated the movements of bats and insects to their own bodies. Some would draw a direct connection with butoh styles. www.2gyrlz.org www.osseuslabyrint.net/ at PNCA 8PM
1241 NW Johnson Street Sliding scale $5 - $15, all ages are welcome, there will be beer and wine with 21+ ID
November 12
LANGUAGE OF THE EAST encompasses performances by Seattle butoh artists the Degenerate Art Ensemble and P.A.N. butoh with interludes by Portlanders' Sardonik Grin, Soriah, the Venerable Showers of Beauty Gamelan, and Hop Frog from LA. details: 2gyrlz.org/calendar/ELfest05/12NOV.htm Backspace Annex 115 NW 5th ave $5-$15 doors at 8:30pm
The Film Center's NW Film and Video Festival, in its 32nd year, and running Nov 4-12, closes with a program of more abstract works and a special showing by Vladimir of her latest Viewmaster opus, "Actaeon at Home" www.vladmaster.com/actaeon.html . Experience a Vladmaster event - the artist constructs micro miniature dioramas, shoots them in stereo, then assembles them into Viewmaster wheels, adding a soundtrack. Tonight the Apt Ensemble provides the soundtrack live. www.vladmaster.com/pdx01.html . Amaze your friends, you can have your own Vladmaster show, Vladimir may sometimes be found at the Urban Art Network's 13th Street First Thursday Street Art Show! See nwfilm.org for details. 7PM Guild Theater
November 16
Artist, sculptor, architect Maya Lin www.pbs.org/art21/artists/lin/# discusses her Confluence Project www.confluenceproject.org, a series of sculptures along the Columbia River. In an open competition, Lin won the commission to design the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC at age 20. She has continued to design elegant minimalist memorials and sculptures with emotional taproots miles deep, complementing her sublime architectural work. Lin was the subject of the Academy Award winning documentary "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision" Sponsored by Portland Arts and Lectures. Schnitzer Concert Hall 7:30 $30
November 17
Small A Projects opens Will Rogan's "Getting Through" with a conversation between Will Rogan and Harrell Fletcher at 8.
November 18
For the month of Halloween, Disjecta walks the earth. Why? To collect money, which is what artists and arts institutions do. Courtesy of www.ultrapdx.com: Baddoll shoes opens their new store at 1639 NW Marshall. Urb-style artists Seth Neefus, Tim Karpinski, Taylor Brubaker, and Dave Wien--are, John Baldwin Gourley, Wesley James Hubbard, Makenna Combs, Ryan Bubnis, Corey Smith, Crack la Rock, Mukgora, Fash-izm and A.W.E. will mod up shoes to be auctioned to benefit Disjecta who have secured a warehouse space at 2nd and SE Burnside. Music by Dj Black Keys, Dj Roomate, Dj Izm, Dj Makeout, Dj Belo. 5-11PM 1639 NW Marshall
November 20
Nexus presents "Disciplines for the Hungry Body" a Butoh Workshop in the afternoon and later, at 8, a performance by Shinichi Momo Koga www.inkboat.com/ "Only a dance on the edge of control brings real life. Such risk traces a path to fear and joy. Each quickly becomes the other. Our work is to transform the space between, the body map, with sensitivity and dynamism." Workshop Conduit 12-4 918 SW Yamhill, Ste. 401 $48 Send registration to: Alenka Loesch 1832 SE 48th Ave, Portland, OR 97215 Performance 8PM, same place, sliding scale $10-15
November 24
Thanksgiving is the last holiday that is pure. Not commercialized. No need to buy, buy, buy, party, party, party, no regrets. Just pure love and family. The best to you and yours.
November 25 Last [Thursday] but not least [Friday]
Last Thursday is on last Friday this month for obvious reasons.
The (relatively) new kids on the block, OFFICE, 2204 NE Alberta, will open a show of 20 works: "Employee of the Month". Artists Adam Bayer, Apak, Arbito, Brad Simon, Bwana Spoons, Carson Ellis, Chris Hutchinson, Corey Lunn, Corey Smith, Driscoll Reid, Evan Harris, Jerry Inscoe, Justin B. Williams, Lina Hitomi, Martin Ontiveros, Matt Clark, Le Merde, Molly Anderson, Shawn Wolfe, Snaggs and Wesley Younie interpret the 20 years of the building's history with imaginary portraits of employees of the month spanning that time.
7-9 Friday, then regular OFFICE hours.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
October surprises
October 1
Holocene presents T. Raumschmiere, Glass Candy and The Chromatics: a night of sleazy electro-fried glam/punk/electronic hybrids -
t.raumschmiere.com/front/index.php
myspace.com/glasscandy
www.goldstandardlabs.com/chrom...s.html
From their press release: T. Raumschmiere's notable skill is this: "his line-so-far of joybanging singles and especially remixes (of Goldfrapp, KomÎit, 2raumwohnung): Monstertruckdriver, the track one imagines led the New York Times itself to compare his music to "a monster truck rolling through a rave." (And this was even after they resumed double-checking to make sure their stories were, like, true: you can't argue with that.)"
October 1-2
The Portland Art Museum opens their contemporary wing in the old Masonic Temple. www.pam.org is a small art museum with a collection that is patchy broad and of varying depth, but they sure can raise money! The director's passion for French realism and impressionalism of the 18th and 19th century is somewhat tempered by the realization that contemporary art is where it is now in Portland. The contemporary curator, Bruce Guenther, has a strong eye for photography, our left coast flavor of painting, and occasional diversions into installation and sculpture. Right now with the demise of PICA's art programs, they are filling a needed role. If you are a member of the museum, tour the new wing Saturday, it's open to everyone Sunday. The primary value of any museum is to preserve and contectualize the past in art, useful, but never on the front edge. They do run a biennial art contest which greatly benefits local artists who often gain gallery representation as a result. They also collect local artists on a small scale.
The art museum has free admission October 2-16
October 2
On Sunday, Oct. 2 from 10-11:30am, PNCA, in conjunction with the Affair at Jupiter Hotel, hosts Wayne Koestenbaum who will give a talk about poetry, art writing, desire, and hotels. Koestenbaum is the author of 4 books of poetry, a new novel, and numerous articles about contemporary art and culture. His writing on Andy Warhol, Jackie Onassis, opera, identity politics, and fashion is some of the most intelligent and passionate criticism around. Koestenbaum is a professor of English at the City University of New York and a visiting professor at the Yale School of Art. Free and open to the public at PNCA.
October 5
Holocene presents the short films of Portland filmmaker Chel White. Chel White www.skysociety.com/chelwhite.html will be celebrating the release of a DVD compilation of many of those films "Fever Dreams and Heavenly Nightmares" tonight. The event is free.
Pacific Switchboard at Albina Press reprises Rose McCormick's Dovetail project in which she delivered 800 hand drawn and painted postcards to neighbors in North Portland. 7-10. 4637 N Albina
Preopenings at the usual suspects.
October 6 First Thursday
Mark Woolley Gallery presents "The Politics of Experience" by Tom Cramer. Cramer is known for his murals and painted vehicles www.tomcramer.net/pages/jungle1.htm - oh that guy. His recent body of lushly pigmented abstract low relief carvings in wood www.tomcramer.net/pages/redwood.htm was developed in collaboration with the late Portland artist and traveler Cassie Wright. Tom's aesthetics could loosely associate him with visionary artists, you decide. Opening 1st Thursday 120 NW 9th, and Saturday Oct 8 noon-8 in the Wonder Ballroom Woolley space.
Viewers may be interested in John Mace's installation at the Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky Gallery NW Hoytx13th. Mace's ambitious installation combines water and video projection. He is also known for his installatons at the Portland Art Center, themed on the medical travails of his family. Mace is about 85% there, putting him ahead of most other Portland installationalists. Judge for yourself.
Motel presents Megan Whitmarsh's ( tinyindustries.com ) Crystal Logic - sparse compositions of tiny characters.
Compound presents Monster - an international take on the theme - with work by Charles Glaubitz, Gordon Wiebe, Jon Burgerman, David Barneda, David Lee, Kristian Olson, Saiman Chow, Teriyaki Tagashira, Rokutaku Sakamoto and Gen ( justbedesign.com )
Visage presents drawings by Kendra Larson ( kendralarson.com ) of Oregon forests cleansed by fire. Larson's work represents a nascent forest fire meme including Chandra Bocci's "blaze - celebrity hair" in Fresh Trouble ( freshtrouble.com ) and Justine Kurland/Jonathan Raymond's "Old Joy ( www.artbook.com/1891273051.html )
Gallery 500 presents an emergency replacement show - installations by Portland's fashion community, and, on first Thursday, a fashion show at 8:30
The Everett Station Lofts should be highly variable, but will never be dull. Some I know of: Trish Grantham at Genuine Imitation, Dan Ness at Pause
Pulliam Deffenbaugh and PDX open their new spaces at 925 NW Flanders
Kim Hamblin shows her collaborations with street kids at p:ear
Fashion mavens may sample fashion shows at 7 and 8PM at Urbaca 120 NW 9th themed on pink - see ultrapdx.com for details.
October 7 First Friday
The usual suspects Fix, NAAU and Newspace photo present evening openings.
Laurel Gitlen opens her new gallery space, Small A Projects. "Adopting a strategy that combines the best attributes of commercial galleries with the experimental attitude of alternative exhibition spaces, Small A Projects will present exhibitions and projects with emerging and underrecognized artists as well as more established artists." Her first show is ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING, "a group show celebrating the transcendental, transformative and humorous aspects of heavy metal and rock and roll" featuring Michael Bise (Houston), Barb Choit (Vancouver/NY), Zoe Crosher (LA), Craig Doty (New Haven), Erik Hanson and Josh Mannis (Chicago). www.smallaprojects.com
The Portland Art Center www.portlandart.org/ ) presents an artist talk with James Jack on his current show Natura Naturans, an ephemeral installation and print study. Artist talk—6:30 pm, reception follows 7-10 with drinks and Japanese snacks. Portland Art Center, 2045 SE Belmont St. Portland, OR 97214
October 7-9
HP Lovecraft Film Festival materializes at the Hollywood Theater Friday-Sunday October 7th- 9th.
The festival features films, panel discussions and artwork on Lovecraftian themes.
Author Lovecraft (1890-1937) is considered to be the father of modern horror, more focused on dark occult themed stories than what passes today for horror in cinema. Afflicted with childhood disease, he suffered from poikilothermism leaving his body cold to the touch. He also suffered insomnia and is reported to have written for 60 hours without sleep to complete one story. His prolific letter writing, over 87 thousand letters in his lifetime, qualifies him as the first blogger. His father was hospitalized for psychosis when Lovecraft was 3 and remained so for the rest of his life, later his mother was committed to the same asylum. He suffered a nervous breakdown at age 18, never completing high school. Many of his stories were inspired by his nightmares.
There will be a live performance by Patti Smith OG buddhist-punk-poet-rocker 11:30 Saturday at the festival.
www.hplfilmfestival.com/schedule.htm
also October 7,8,9
"the edge of the fell" a dance piece by Linda Austin w/ Cidney Wilkes, Karla Betts, Lilly Chamberlain, Anne Furfey, Rebecca Harrison, Kathleen Keogh, Paige McKinney & Emily Stone. I have not seen this work, but includes visual design by Portland artist Linda Hutchens. Oct 7,8 8PM Oct 9 2, 8 $15/12 students - performanceworksnw.org
October 8,9,15,16
The Portland open studios presents this proposition: artists pay $160 to apply to a jury for selection. If not selected, $150 is returned. Portlandopenstudios.com displays an image on their website and sells a guide for $12 with a map to the studios of artists selected admitting 2. See the website for details.
October 12
TJ Norris opens at the Chambers Gallery - chambersgallery.org
October 13
Intelligent Design officially opens their new store filled with seductive minimalist design, international style from 5-8 at 537 SE 12. The store is in the vintage building rehabed by Portland architect, Jeff Kovel, designer of the Doug Fir/Jupiter Hotel. Thx Lisa at ultrapdx.com for the tip.
Gus VanZant's first film, Male Noche, celebrates its 20th anniversary with a screening to benefit Outside In and the Social Justice Fund.
"An independent film in the truest sense, Van Sant financed Mala Noche after saving $25,000 from his tenure at a New York advertising agency. Based on Walt Curtis’ novella, Mala Noche is a tale of doomed love between a gay liquor store clerk and a Mexican immigrant. Filmed in Portland’s Old Town and starring Tim Streeter, Doug Cooeyate, Ray Monge and Nyla McCarthy, Mala Noche features some of the director's hallmarks, notably the sensitive portrayals of societal outcasts, an unfulfilled romanticism, a dry sense of the absurd, and the refusal to treat homosexuality as something deserving of judgment.
Shot in black-and-white, Mala Noche earned its director almost overnight acclaim on the festival circuit, with the Los Angeles Times naming it the year's Best Independent Film. Over the past two decades Van Sant has gone on to wider acclaim with a filmography that includes Drugstore Cowboy, To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Elephant, and Last Days."
Mala Noche takes place Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8pm at Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell Street in Portland. Tickets (subject to service charges) are $15 general admission or $75 for patron tickets (which includes a catered pre-screening reception with Van Sant at the Mark Woolley Gallery, downstairs from the Wonder Ballroom
Local 35 hosts its Hawthorne Second Thursday, October 13th 6-10PM
Local painters Brett and Whitney Superstar, who represent regularly at 1st Thursday's Urban Art Network on NW 13th street as well as Alberta's Last Thursday open their show at Local 35. Their often figurative or landscape themed work is characterized by heavy black outlines and an off saturated palette. These hardworking artists and their faithful dog have traveled widely, working hard to self represent themselves as artists. (Note another Portland artist, Trish Grantham, who has done the same, has been able to quit her day job, showed in September at Local 35, has been signed by a NY/London-based gallery)
Dj Barrett Ryker from Portland's PGE provides sounds. 10% off the entire store during show, 6-10p that night...
October 18
Saving the world from mass production, Portland craft superheroes Susan Beal, Torie Nguyen, Rachel O'Rourke and Cathy Pitters host a book release party for "Super Crafty" st the Doug Fir Lounge. Doors 8, show 9, MC'd by Andrew Dickson and including Olympia softrocker Rebecca Pearcy, Millions of Birds and Roy Tinsel. FREE
More info and a host of craftactivism information at www.pdxsupercrafty.com/
October 19
An experimental participatory movement experience, Axolotl, will occur Wednesday. October 19 at the Mississippi Rising Ballroom at 8PM. It is presented by Seattle movers with backgrounds including contact improv dance.
In Axolotl, you are invited to place a blindfold over your eyes and spend two hours interacting and exploring with each other and a group of actors, dancers, and musicians. There are no rules per se, other than that you are asked to keep your blindfold on until asked to remove it. The piece is not a singular event on a stage, but a multiplicity of events occurring simultaneously in the minds of the members of the audience... an experience of movement, touch, theater, conversation, soundscape, environment and interpersonal interaction. The performers come to the space with a shared culture of investigation, rather than a specific pattern of experiences to give the audience. The audience interacts with each other while the performers offer possibilities and challenges, kinesthetic and psychological. One could call it an improvisation with an intuitively apprehended search for meaning. What arises is a co-creation amongst those present…
$12 advance/$15 door, more background including reviews at www.toishou.org/Axolotl.html
October 20 Thinking about art school?
California College of the Arts CCA (nee CCAC) presents an open house Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy School. As the balance of aesthetics shifts West, CCA has become a major player along with UCLA, Art Center and Cal Arts. The graduate program in studio arts allows students to use a chunk of their weighty private school tuition to hire any named artist they can recruit as a mentor. Larry Rinder, enfant terrible curator of the 2002 Whitney Biennial, and curator of some Portland artists into that biennial (Miranda July, Harrell Fletcher), is dean of grad studies. Graduate programs presentation noon, undergrad 2PM. Details on art programs at www.cca.edu RSVP for the presentations and discussions with admissions and financial aid at 415-703-9523
October 27
Ryan McGinness, an artist whose stenciled sensibilities cross to very non commercial installation and very commercial graphic design speaks Thusday October 27 at 7PM. McGinness' work www.ryanmcginness.com combines two of my favorite aesthetic vectors, clean lines- bright colors- pop and maddening complexity. McGinness will sign copies of a new book Installationview ryanmcginness.com/pdf/insta...onview.pdf after the talk. Talk sponsored by the Art Institute and PICA. $10/ $8 AI students,PICA members. PICA/ W+K atrium 224 NW 13th
Pacific Switchboard est mort, yet may rise again...
Last Thursday at Pacific Switchboard October 27
"take my life, please"
Help commerorate the end of our time with The Albina Press Cafe by
joining in the destruction of Jennifer Gleach's installation "altar
ego". This incredible labyrinth of ephemera is comprised of the
artist's entire collection of collage materials including fabric,
metal, wood, and x-rays.
"altar ego" will be on view as a whole on October 9th, 16th, and 23rd
from 12-4 pm.
last Thursday hours will be 6-10pm on October 27th. All visitors this
evening will be encouraged to steal this art.
Pacific Switchboard is located at 4637 N. Albina Ave.
for more info please call 503-515-7319
October 29, 30
Studio 333 stages its annual studio open house and sale. This long time artists' studio has survived speakeasy, Russian disco and now ultra hipster downstairs neighbors plus the travails of the fire martial to produce a lot of great art. 333 NE Hancock St Saturday 4-9, Sunday noon-4
And
The new Portland Modern catalog #3 is out and available free about town. This instance includes excellent work by two recent PSU MFA grads. Holly Andres - working in installation and video ( www.marylhurst.edu/artgym/i...ndres.jpg ) has a great DVD, Brave New Girl. Mariana Tres, photographer, installation artist and performer makes work that would be at home in the Museum of Jurassic Technology, but focused on her discoveries of the lost work of creative women in a faux performance that works. Also included is TJ Norris, known for his sound art gallery, making loose minimalist abstractions. Norris has a show later in the month at the Chambers Gallery. Though some have been critical of the application fees for artists submitting work to Portland Modern, the free publication is not breaking even. They did distribute 1000 copies at the Jupiter Affair art show to gallerists and collectors, including out of towners.
Holocene presents T. Raumschmiere, Glass Candy and The Chromatics: a night of sleazy electro-fried glam/punk/electronic hybrids -
t.raumschmiere.com/front/index.php
myspace.com/glasscandy
www.goldstandardlabs.com/chrom...s.html
From their press release: T. Raumschmiere's notable skill is this: "his line-so-far of joybanging singles and especially remixes (of Goldfrapp, KomÎit, 2raumwohnung): Monstertruckdriver, the track one imagines led the New York Times itself to compare his music to "a monster truck rolling through a rave." (And this was even after they resumed double-checking to make sure their stories were, like, true: you can't argue with that.)"
October 1-2
The Portland Art Museum opens their contemporary wing in the old Masonic Temple. www.pam.org is a small art museum with a collection that is patchy broad and of varying depth, but they sure can raise money! The director's passion for French realism and impressionalism of the 18th and 19th century is somewhat tempered by the realization that contemporary art is where it is now in Portland. The contemporary curator, Bruce Guenther, has a strong eye for photography, our left coast flavor of painting, and occasional diversions into installation and sculpture. Right now with the demise of PICA's art programs, they are filling a needed role. If you are a member of the museum, tour the new wing Saturday, it's open to everyone Sunday. The primary value of any museum is to preserve and contectualize the past in art, useful, but never on the front edge. They do run a biennial art contest which greatly benefits local artists who often gain gallery representation as a result. They also collect local artists on a small scale.
The art museum has free admission October 2-16
October 2
On Sunday, Oct. 2 from 10-11:30am, PNCA, in conjunction with the Affair at Jupiter Hotel, hosts Wayne Koestenbaum who will give a talk about poetry, art writing, desire, and hotels. Koestenbaum is the author of 4 books of poetry, a new novel, and numerous articles about contemporary art and culture. His writing on Andy Warhol, Jackie Onassis, opera, identity politics, and fashion is some of the most intelligent and passionate criticism around. Koestenbaum is a professor of English at the City University of New York and a visiting professor at the Yale School of Art. Free and open to the public at PNCA.
October 5
Holocene presents the short films of Portland filmmaker Chel White. Chel White www.skysociety.com/chelwhite.html will be celebrating the release of a DVD compilation of many of those films "Fever Dreams and Heavenly Nightmares" tonight. The event is free.
Pacific Switchboard at Albina Press reprises Rose McCormick's Dovetail project in which she delivered 800 hand drawn and painted postcards to neighbors in North Portland. 7-10. 4637 N Albina
Preopenings at the usual suspects.
October 6 First Thursday
Mark Woolley Gallery presents "The Politics of Experience" by Tom Cramer. Cramer is known for his murals and painted vehicles www.tomcramer.net/pages/jungle1.htm - oh that guy. His recent body of lushly pigmented abstract low relief carvings in wood www.tomcramer.net/pages/redwood.htm was developed in collaboration with the late Portland artist and traveler Cassie Wright. Tom's aesthetics could loosely associate him with visionary artists, you decide. Opening 1st Thursday 120 NW 9th, and Saturday Oct 8 noon-8 in the Wonder Ballroom Woolley space.
Viewers may be interested in John Mace's installation at the Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky Gallery NW Hoytx13th. Mace's ambitious installation combines water and video projection. He is also known for his installatons at the Portland Art Center, themed on the medical travails of his family. Mace is about 85% there, putting him ahead of most other Portland installationalists. Judge for yourself.
Motel presents Megan Whitmarsh's ( tinyindustries.com ) Crystal Logic - sparse compositions of tiny characters.
Compound presents Monster - an international take on the theme - with work by Charles Glaubitz, Gordon Wiebe, Jon Burgerman, David Barneda, David Lee, Kristian Olson, Saiman Chow, Teriyaki Tagashira, Rokutaku Sakamoto and Gen ( justbedesign.com )
Visage presents drawings by Kendra Larson ( kendralarson.com ) of Oregon forests cleansed by fire. Larson's work represents a nascent forest fire meme including Chandra Bocci's "blaze - celebrity hair" in Fresh Trouble ( freshtrouble.com ) and Justine Kurland/Jonathan Raymond's "Old Joy ( www.artbook.com/1891273051.html )
Gallery 500 presents an emergency replacement show - installations by Portland's fashion community, and, on first Thursday, a fashion show at 8:30
The Everett Station Lofts should be highly variable, but will never be dull. Some I know of: Trish Grantham at Genuine Imitation, Dan Ness at Pause
Pulliam Deffenbaugh and PDX open their new spaces at 925 NW Flanders
Kim Hamblin shows her collaborations with street kids at p:ear
Fashion mavens may sample fashion shows at 7 and 8PM at Urbaca 120 NW 9th themed on pink - see ultrapdx.com for details.
October 7 First Friday
The usual suspects Fix, NAAU and Newspace photo present evening openings.
Laurel Gitlen opens her new gallery space, Small A Projects. "Adopting a strategy that combines the best attributes of commercial galleries with the experimental attitude of alternative exhibition spaces, Small A Projects will present exhibitions and projects with emerging and underrecognized artists as well as more established artists." Her first show is ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING, "a group show celebrating the transcendental, transformative and humorous aspects of heavy metal and rock and roll" featuring Michael Bise (Houston), Barb Choit (Vancouver/NY), Zoe Crosher (LA), Craig Doty (New Haven), Erik Hanson and Josh Mannis (Chicago). www.smallaprojects.com
The Portland Art Center www.portlandart.org/ ) presents an artist talk with James Jack on his current show Natura Naturans, an ephemeral installation and print study. Artist talk—6:30 pm, reception follows 7-10 with drinks and Japanese snacks. Portland Art Center, 2045 SE Belmont St. Portland, OR 97214
October 7-9
HP Lovecraft Film Festival materializes at the Hollywood Theater Friday-Sunday October 7th- 9th.
The festival features films, panel discussions and artwork on Lovecraftian themes.
Author Lovecraft (1890-1937) is considered to be the father of modern horror, more focused on dark occult themed stories than what passes today for horror in cinema. Afflicted with childhood disease, he suffered from poikilothermism leaving his body cold to the touch. He also suffered insomnia and is reported to have written for 60 hours without sleep to complete one story. His prolific letter writing, over 87 thousand letters in his lifetime, qualifies him as the first blogger. His father was hospitalized for psychosis when Lovecraft was 3 and remained so for the rest of his life, later his mother was committed to the same asylum. He suffered a nervous breakdown at age 18, never completing high school. Many of his stories were inspired by his nightmares.
There will be a live performance by Patti Smith OG buddhist-punk-poet-rocker 11:30 Saturday at the festival.
www.hplfilmfestival.com/schedule.htm
also October 7,8,9
"the edge of the fell" a dance piece by Linda Austin w/ Cidney Wilkes, Karla Betts, Lilly Chamberlain, Anne Furfey, Rebecca Harrison, Kathleen Keogh, Paige McKinney & Emily Stone. I have not seen this work, but includes visual design by Portland artist Linda Hutchens. Oct 7,8 8PM Oct 9 2, 8 $15/12 students - performanceworksnw.org
October 8,9,15,16
The Portland open studios presents this proposition: artists pay $160 to apply to a jury for selection. If not selected, $150 is returned. Portlandopenstudios.com displays an image on their website and sells a guide for $12 with a map to the studios of artists selected admitting 2. See the website for details.
October 12
TJ Norris opens at the Chambers Gallery - chambersgallery.org
October 13
Intelligent Design officially opens their new store filled with seductive minimalist design, international style from 5-8 at 537 SE 12. The store is in the vintage building rehabed by Portland architect, Jeff Kovel, designer of the Doug Fir/Jupiter Hotel. Thx Lisa at ultrapdx.com for the tip.
Gus VanZant's first film, Male Noche, celebrates its 20th anniversary with a screening to benefit Outside In and the Social Justice Fund.
"An independent film in the truest sense, Van Sant financed Mala Noche after saving $25,000 from his tenure at a New York advertising agency. Based on Walt Curtis’ novella, Mala Noche is a tale of doomed love between a gay liquor store clerk and a Mexican immigrant. Filmed in Portland’s Old Town and starring Tim Streeter, Doug Cooeyate, Ray Monge and Nyla McCarthy, Mala Noche features some of the director's hallmarks, notably the sensitive portrayals of societal outcasts, an unfulfilled romanticism, a dry sense of the absurd, and the refusal to treat homosexuality as something deserving of judgment.
Shot in black-and-white, Mala Noche earned its director almost overnight acclaim on the festival circuit, with the Los Angeles Times naming it the year's Best Independent Film. Over the past two decades Van Sant has gone on to wider acclaim with a filmography that includes Drugstore Cowboy, To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Elephant, and Last Days."
Mala Noche takes place Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8pm at Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell Street in Portland. Tickets (subject to service charges) are $15 general admission or $75 for patron tickets (which includes a catered pre-screening reception with Van Sant at the Mark Woolley Gallery, downstairs from the Wonder Ballroom
Local 35 hosts its Hawthorne Second Thursday, October 13th 6-10PM
Local painters Brett and Whitney Superstar, who represent regularly at 1st Thursday's Urban Art Network on NW 13th street as well as Alberta's Last Thursday open their show at Local 35. Their often figurative or landscape themed work is characterized by heavy black outlines and an off saturated palette. These hardworking artists and their faithful dog have traveled widely, working hard to self represent themselves as artists. (Note another Portland artist, Trish Grantham, who has done the same, has been able to quit her day job, showed in September at Local 35, has been signed by a NY/London-based gallery)
Dj Barrett Ryker from Portland's PGE provides sounds. 10% off the entire store during show, 6-10p that night...
October 18
Saving the world from mass production, Portland craft superheroes Susan Beal, Torie Nguyen, Rachel O'Rourke and Cathy Pitters host a book release party for "Super Crafty" st the Doug Fir Lounge. Doors 8, show 9, MC'd by Andrew Dickson and including Olympia softrocker Rebecca Pearcy, Millions of Birds and Roy Tinsel. FREE
More info and a host of craftactivism information at www.pdxsupercrafty.com/
October 19
An experimental participatory movement experience, Axolotl, will occur Wednesday. October 19 at the Mississippi Rising Ballroom at 8PM. It is presented by Seattle movers with backgrounds including contact improv dance.
In Axolotl, you are invited to place a blindfold over your eyes and spend two hours interacting and exploring with each other and a group of actors, dancers, and musicians. There are no rules per se, other than that you are asked to keep your blindfold on until asked to remove it. The piece is not a singular event on a stage, but a multiplicity of events occurring simultaneously in the minds of the members of the audience... an experience of movement, touch, theater, conversation, soundscape, environment and interpersonal interaction. The performers come to the space with a shared culture of investigation, rather than a specific pattern of experiences to give the audience. The audience interacts with each other while the performers offer possibilities and challenges, kinesthetic and psychological. One could call it an improvisation with an intuitively apprehended search for meaning. What arises is a co-creation amongst those present…
$12 advance/$15 door, more background including reviews at www.toishou.org/Axolotl.html
October 20 Thinking about art school?
California College of the Arts CCA (nee CCAC) presents an open house Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy School. As the balance of aesthetics shifts West, CCA has become a major player along with UCLA, Art Center and Cal Arts. The graduate program in studio arts allows students to use a chunk of their weighty private school tuition to hire any named artist they can recruit as a mentor. Larry Rinder, enfant terrible curator of the 2002 Whitney Biennial, and curator of some Portland artists into that biennial (Miranda July, Harrell Fletcher), is dean of grad studies. Graduate programs presentation noon, undergrad 2PM. Details on art programs at www.cca.edu RSVP for the presentations and discussions with admissions and financial aid at 415-703-9523
October 27
Ryan McGinness, an artist whose stenciled sensibilities cross to very non commercial installation and very commercial graphic design speaks Thusday October 27 at 7PM. McGinness' work www.ryanmcginness.com combines two of my favorite aesthetic vectors, clean lines- bright colors- pop and maddening complexity. McGinness will sign copies of a new book Installationview ryanmcginness.com/pdf/insta...onview.pdf after the talk. Talk sponsored by the Art Institute and PICA. $10/ $8 AI students,PICA members. PICA/ W+K atrium 224 NW 13th
Pacific Switchboard est mort, yet may rise again...
Last Thursday at Pacific Switchboard October 27
"take my life, please"
Help commerorate the end of our time with The Albina Press Cafe by
joining in the destruction of Jennifer Gleach's installation "altar
ego". This incredible labyrinth of ephemera is comprised of the
artist's entire collection of collage materials including fabric,
metal, wood, and x-rays.
"altar ego" will be on view as a whole on October 9th, 16th, and 23rd
from 12-4 pm.
last Thursday hours will be 6-10pm on October 27th. All visitors this
evening will be encouraged to steal this art.
Pacific Switchboard is located at 4637 N. Albina Ave.
for more info please call 503-515-7319
October 29, 30
Studio 333 stages its annual studio open house and sale. This long time artists' studio has survived speakeasy, Russian disco and now ultra hipster downstairs neighbors plus the travails of the fire martial to produce a lot of great art. 333 NE Hancock St Saturday 4-9, Sunday noon-4
And
The new Portland Modern catalog #3 is out and available free about town. This instance includes excellent work by two recent PSU MFA grads. Holly Andres - working in installation and video ( www.marylhurst.edu/artgym/i...ndres.jpg ) has a great DVD, Brave New Girl. Mariana Tres, photographer, installation artist and performer makes work that would be at home in the Museum of Jurassic Technology, but focused on her discoveries of the lost work of creative women in a faux performance that works. Also included is TJ Norris, known for his sound art gallery, making loose minimalist abstractions. Norris has a show later in the month at the Chambers Gallery. Though some have been critical of the application fees for artists submitting work to Portland Modern, the free publication is not breaking even. They did distribute 1000 copies at the Jupiter Affair art show to gallerists and collectors, including out of towners.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
September's big bang
This September illustrates Portland's critical mass of artistic energy. School is in session...
September 1
PNCA presents the work of 5 artists from Rio de Janeiro. Portland is
sending the work of 5 artists to Brazil in exchange! Ernesto Neto
produces installations of soft stretchy fabric and was featured in the
49th Venice Bienniale. For opening night, the Lions of Batucada perform
- dancing encouraged. This looks like one of the events of the evening.
www.pnca.edu/exposure/calendar.php
Augen presents prints by well known minimalist artists Ellsworth Kelly,
Sol Lewitt, Robert Mangold and Frank Stella who established their
careers in the 60's and 70's. This is a good opportunity for an art
history museum-type outing.
Liz Leach presents poppy collage painter Mark Smith www.elizabethleach.com/Shows-Detail.cfm Smith is known for his sculptural work with vacuum packed found clothing (hard to describe). Organic sculptor Christine Bourdette www.elizabethleach.com/Shows-Detail.cfm shows her work and curator-artist Christy Edmunds shows photos.
Pulliam Deffenbaugh presents a group show of 50 SF bay artists curated
on the basis of each of the artists having worked with one or more of
the others.
Laura Russo presents the paintings of Jay Backstrand
www.laurarusso.com/exhibits/index.html , a Portland artist of
the 70's and 80's who successfully sells his work in NYC. Maybe ask him
for hints...
Motel Gallery presents the illustrations of Carson Ellis www.motelgallery.com/gallery...ain.html who has created artwork for local musicians, The Decemberists.
Gallery 500 presents a group show of artists from the US points N,S,E&W curated by Jeff Jahn, local arts writer, artist and curator. Jahn had the challenge of curating an open call, publicized in Art in America, from slides, and we'll see the effects, live. Plenty of artists from everywhere want to show here, so Portlanders, get ready to compete!
Blue Sky Gallery presents photos by Pedro Lobo of the cells in an infamous Brazilian prison, since demolished, illustrating the inmates attempts at domesticity and individuality amidst the institution's pressures in opposition. Also showing are the photos of Brigitte Grignet of the domestic environment - the people and their echoes - of Chile.
Compound at Just Be/toys-Design present "Digital Beauty" riffing on a book with a similar name, illustrating electronic characters. While the challenge of creating three dimensional electroactors for film continues to be met by ever more lifelike characters each year, the aesthetics are still Barbie. I'm not sure if that is due to the otaku-nature of the animators or whether it is inevitably inherent in the film industry itself. See also www.softimage.com/Products/...e_info.asp
The Everett Lofts are always varied and always recommended.
Sometimes the workings of the Portland City Hall seem remote at best.
Perhaps their activities are so subtley pervasive, or needed only when really needed, or the reverse. That's why the idea of art in City Hall sounds perfect.Enen though the art itself may not be interesting to you, here is your chance to lay claim to some Portland art identity by showing up as you are, mix it up with a different crowd, tell them what artists in Portland need! This is an EARLY event. Details:
"
Commissioner Sam Adams invites you to City Hall First Thursday on September 1, 2005 5pm-7pm at Portland City Hall, 1221 SW Fourth Avenue, featuring:
:::::The Susan Komen Foundation UP CLOSE in PINK Art Show:::::
KomenUP CLOSE in PINK is a body of works exploring the artistic and creative expressions of those affected by breast cancer. This event is part of the Paint Portland Pink! Campaign of the Komen Portland Race for the Cure to further Komen's mission of eradicating breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.The UP CLOSE in PINK show will be on display in the North Atrium of City Hall for the entire month of September.
:::::A special performance by Oregon Public Broadcasting's Live Wire!:::::
Live Wire isn’t just a show, it’s a happening. It’s a place where you’re never quite sure what might happen next. From radical cheerleaders popping in at unexpected moments, to audience members dressed as giant evil bunnies, to on-air head shavings, it’s Talk Show meets Sketch Show meets Side Show. And it’s something you truly need to see/hear to believe.
Live Wire will be performing throughout the evening in the South Atrium and will be featuring some City Hall surprise guests.
:::::"Mind States" paintings by Megan Scheminske:::::
Megan's work deals with a clash between controlled construction and random occurrence, and the internal struggle between the two she observes in her daily and artistic life. "I pay attention to my mind as I paint, observing the tension that arises when I force myself to accept a messy, 'unexplainable' or unintended brushstroke instead of perfecting it by molding it into something deliberate. In this way, my paintings are exercises in meditation and expressions of mind states. I can only hope they'll get simpler as time passes…"
Megans work will be on display in Commissioner Adams office for the entire month of September.
:::::Also joining the City Hall 1st Thursday activities:::::
Works by Shu-Ju Wang
PomegranateBorn and raised in Taiwan, Shu-Ju Wang settled in Oregon after stays in Saudi Arabia, California, and New Jersey. Trained as a Software Engineer, she started taking classes at Oregon College of Art & Craft in the late 80’s (then Oregon School of Arts & Crafts), and had her first solo show in 1996 at the school’s Centrum Gallery. In 2000, she left the high tech industry to become a full time studio artist. With one foot firmly rooted in her adopted home in the Silicon Forest and the other in the artistic traditions of East & Central Asia and the Middle East, Shu-Ju paints a portrait of her sometimes wonderful, sometimes unsettling, first generation American life. Whether it's a bird in winter or a chrysanthemum in full bloom, there are always layers of meaning waiting to be discovered.
Shu-Ju's work will be on display in Commissioner Saltzman's office for the entire month of September.
Photography by Tony Sibley will be featured in Commissioner Leonard's office.
September 2
Rake, the art collective, enters its terrible two's with another Space Ambulance. "rake is a post nuclear flying fortress of robot dropouts, messianic criminals, and red eyed cosmonauts. regardless of any organization, members of rake suffer from the compulsion to break things down and rebuild them which ultimately makes us happy. Rake's experienced cosmonauts join with additional artists culled from an open call in a show of music, art and ethanol fueled talk. The show is up for a month and the works are for sale. www.rakeart.com This is a great example ofPortland's DIY attitude, no idea on the art but it should be fun. Voleur restaurant Sw 1st & Ash 6pm-4am.
Newspace Photo continues its neo-retro theme from the looks of these photos by Bootsy Holler
Fix opens the collage screenprint paintings of Dan Ness 7-10
Portland Art Center opens installations Natura Naturans on paper using
materials from nature arranged in circular forms by James Jack and an
installation by Kelly Rauer. www.portlandart.org 7-10
September 7
The Wonder Ballroom megaplex opens: concert hall, restaurant, bar and two art galleries - with an ALL AGES Dance Party with Anjali
Gala opening in the the gallery * free * 6-9pm * refreshments
In the Ballroom :
9pm Wade Mccollum performing from the rock musical “One”
10pm-1am DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid
$5 cover at the door
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell
503-284-8686
www.wonderballroom.com
September 7 and 8
Fix Studios, Portland furniture and interior space makers, and Design Within Reach, the SF-based purveyor of modern furniture present Show2005, a juried show of Portland furniture, conceptual or concrete. The selected work will be displayed at the DWR store at the corner of NW 12th and Everett. On September 7 a reception for the artists and jurors will open the show, the $10 admission provides hors d’oeuvres and beverages (early only likely) and supports ShowArchive, promoting local designers. The show will continue one day, September 8, free.
The show was juried by Jeff Kovel of skylab design, Bill Fritz of Intelligent Design, Pete McCracken of Crack Press and Plazm, Stella Farina nee of PDX Fashion Incubator, David Boyd of Studio Alloy, Michael Hebberoy of ripe, and Craig Olson of DWR.
September 9
The Oak Street building is reviving art shows at their location, no idea on the quality, but plenty earnest, I'm sure. Photo show featuring Flint Jamison, and Jake Longstreth, closing of “AMERICAN LANDSCAPES” art show with photos by Cody Cloud, Andy Cross. Music Thanksgiving and Dirty Projectors 425 SE 3rd Ave. 1st Floor gallery 8pm. $5
September 8-18 PICA TBA Festival
There are too many items to list for this. Thursday at 8, there will be a free performance on Pioneer Square of the acrobatic dancers of STREB. Look at the schedule and pick your own events. In the past years, the warehouse cabarets late have been a great place to talk to other artists and dance if you are so inclined, plus way better than average not too expensive late food. The Dada ball has been a great place to show your most imaginative costuming skills, no limits, none.
www.pica.org/himages/TBA05_Guide.pdf
September 7,8, 17 and points between: Some Dueling (early/late? established/upstart?) Portland Fashion Events:
Out of the ashes of the Fashion Incubator Portland Fashion week rise two series: "The Collections" organized by Elizabeth Dye featuring established Portland designers and and Semper Fashion's "FW05", a large collaboration of designers spanning 2 weeks, and, in part, benefiting the Oregon Food Bank and the Maiti Nepal Organization www.maitinepal.org. Many Semper events are hosted by Palas, who have been supportive of the local DJ community. The Dada costume ball caps it all Saturday September 17. Thanks to Lisa Radon and her fashion
ultra blog pdxultra.com for the 411 on this.
September 7
Emily Ryan and Liza Rietz will show their new fashions at Peter Bro's new Clinton Street nightspot, the Savoy Tavern and Bistro, 2500 Clinton on Wednesday, September 7, 8 PM. Rietz' show at Seaplane earlier this year showed a singular vision while Emily's work is romantically avant-garde.
September 8
Collections presents Kate Towers and Holly Stalder, powerhouses of the independent fashion scene in Portland who not only were among the forward-guard of those who locally employed reconstruction in their designs, they also provided THE platform and showcase for designers of
a similar aesthetic first at their Belmont boutique, Seaplane--now on 23rd--as well as through years of fashion shows--will show on the Wieden + Kennedy rooftop (224 NW 13th) on Thursday September 8. The show, entitled "Victorian Forest", begins at 7 PM. Free, but tickets in advance at the Seaplane store.
Semper Fashion presents Opening night. Shows on the hour till midnight. 8:00 PM Pala Fashion Lounge 105 NW 3rd Tickets $10.00, 300 general admission available at the door.
September 9
Collections presents one of Portland's finest, Adam Arnold, who will show in his lower Morrison Studio (727 SE Morrison) on Friday September 9 at 7 PM.
Semper Fashion presents Men's wear at Crush Bar tentatively 2 shows 20 minutes each, 9PM and 11:00PM. Followed by Purple Passion Party, dress in purple, RIBBONS AWARDED. FREE 250 SRO
September 10 Saturday
Fix Studios (E Burnside) present the new fall lines of the three resident designers 5-8 PM (just before the 8 PM fashion show at YES down the street). As an open studio event, it will be casual--no models, just the work. Interestingly, fix co-owner (and Jackie-O Motherfucker member) Genevieve Dellinger says that while browsing and trying on, you may be called to take part in an impromptu photo shoot. The designers catalogues will feature photos taken during the event.
Semper Fashion presents an Industry after party for the NW Regional apparel buyers association conference. 9:00 PM Pala Fashion Lounge Featuring an invitational fashion show from Saffrona, WeMa, Sizzle, Rocket, and the DoubleCross Belt Co. Very limited availability $10.00 tickets at the door.
Collections presents the machine-embroidered art garments of Bonnie Heart Clyde (by Emily Katz and Shaun Deller) and embroidered and appliqued work by TRex in a show at YES Clothing (628 E Burnside) at 8 PM.
September 11
The Collections wrap at clarklewis (1001 SE Water) with Elizabeth Dye's smart and elegant designs in fine fabrics and Jess Beebe's lovely dresses showing Sunday, September 11 at 8 PM.
Semper Fashion presents "I Want To Be Feared" Fierce Fashions, Full On! 8:30 PM Dante's Inferno 3 SW 3rd and Burnside. Tickets $5.00 at the door.
September 13
Semper Fashion presents "Its still summer and still hottt!" Swimwear and lingerie show" 8PM Pala Fashion Lounge Tickets $5.00 at the door.
September 14
Semper Fashion presents "Hot Ice" Winter Fashions 8:00 PM at Greek Cusina Minoan Room 404 SW Washington. Tickets $5.00 at the door. 150 person seating.
September 15 Thursday
Semper Fashion presents "Laid Back": Casuals and Urban Chic 8:00 PM Voodoo Lounge/OHM . Tickets $5.00 at the door, 250 available.
Semper Fashion presents Men's Wear Re Dux, just in case you missed something. 7:00 PM Crush Bar Tix: $5.00 at the door.
September 16 Friday
Semper Fashion presents Finale "Black and White" show, dress to impress. 9:00 PM at Pala Fashion Lounge-Shows on the hour until midnight. Jewelry and accessories.
September 17
PICA:TBA presents the Dada Ball, an anything goes costume party.
Saturday September 24
Curator-critic-artist Jeff Jahn opens his new group show "Fresh Trouble" Saturday September 24 at 4246 S.E. Belmont Street 5-9PM
Some are critical of the Blond Viking for "spoiling art in Portland" by suggesting that artists can support themselves as a career by sales of their art work, but I say yeah - go for it! This show offers a perfect example of pairing local artists who are making good work with out of town artists further in their career.
The artists include Cao Fei (2003 Venice Biennale, China - see below), Lee Walton (sculptor in residence Socrates sculpture park, and no stranger to big works, New York), Douglas Holst (installation INOVA & Art Chicago 2004, Milwaukee Wisconsin, in attendance), Hildur Bjarnadottir (Iceland, who bends traditional Icelanic craft into sublime minimalist works), Jack Daws (Seattle’s trouble maker), Scott Patt (Boston, recently of Portland, now director of design Converse, who combines urban graphics with weighty concepts), Patrick Rock (Portland, recent Headlands show), Matthew Picton (Oregon’s fastest rising star, LA, SF, London next - Mathew samples seemingly random patterns of the built and natural environments), Ellen George (Portland, fresh off her Dallas show, who constructs sweet shapes in polymer), Chandra Bocci (Portland, whose works of recycled materials put the serious in cute), Jacqueline Ehlis (smart painter grad student of McArthur grant recipinet Dave Hickey, Portland), Matt McCormick (Portland film maker, with a major show in Olso coming up), Laura Fritz (Portland, creator of trange instalations which touch vaguely on scinece, fresh off her critically lauded Seattle show), Sean Healy (Portland, with shows in Germany and Houston), Dan Fagereng (Portland, straight off his Art Center MFA), Bruce Conkle (Portland, ORLO arts/environment curator and Bigfoot afficianado, with shows in Iceland and Brazil in 2006), TJ Norris (Portland,sound artist, with a recent show in Montreal), Joe Thurston (Portland, painter of disturbing portraits), Katherine Bovee & Philippe Blanc (Portland, husband and wife duo and creators of smart installation work), Brendan Clenaghen (Portland), Paige Saez (Portland, see the HOMELAND listing), Mark Smith (Portland, see last month's gallery openins listing for E. Leach), Joe Macca (Portland), Marne Lucas (Portland erotic activist) and Horia Boboa (Portland)
See for example the resume of one of the artists in the show, who is taking life threatening political risks, at www.courtyard-gallery.com/artis...cv.htm .
regular hours saturday & sunday 12;00-5:00PM ... through Oct 9th
special hours September 30th 6:00-9:00 PM
September 25
Spare Room, Portland Art Center & Nestucca Spit Press present a publication party & reading for Salt: A Collection of Poetry on the Oregon Coast with short readings by poets featured in the anthology, music by John Berendzen & the Parametric Orchestra, food & drink.
Sunday 7:00 - 10:00 pm free Portland Art Center 2045 SE Belmont Street 503-239-5481
www.portlandart.org
September 29
HOMELAND opens Thursday September 29 with a show by Portland artists Zak Margolis, Charles Moss and Amy Steele.
"Zak Margolis has been making a reputation for himself in Portland for
quite some time, with haunting yet beautiful animation and stunning
music. His work has been featured in the PDX Experimental Film
Festival, PDX Film Exchange in Chicago and is founding member of the
much loved Pacific Switchboard Gallery. Charles Moss is a Portland
newbie, bringing us a series of process-based experimental paintings
from New Jersey. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of
Chicago, Moss has shown work in upstate New York, Chicago and Miami
with Lifeboat. Moss presents us with an exciting series of mono-prints
and organic landscapes. Amy Steele, an Art Institute grad herself, and a
Pacific Switchboard staple is the missing link of the Familiar. While
teaching at Pacific Northwest College of Art, she has still managed to
exhibit around the US. Amy’s work explores issues of gender, desire, and
sexuality". Amy is planning graduate work at the California College of
the Arts where Larry Rinder is dean.
Artists Paul Mittendorff and Paige Saez are behind Homeland, a new space
for genre bending projects in the visual and performing arts.
Paige is known for her work in painting, installation and performance.
She is capable of out Boltoning James Bolton as evidenced by some large
scale abstracts auctioned at the Disjecta auction; installations,
including a Core Sample work of thrift store afghans, unknit to their
kinky constituent; and lately performance with Sam Gould of Red 76 and
Mr Mittendorff including a tatoo roadtrip roadfilm project.
Paul curated many excellent shows for Disjecta but now attracting
attention in collaboration with Mary Mattingly, PNCA grad, with his
art-world-politics performance installations. These include
constructing a liferaft carrying the works of Portland artists and
landing it Cuban refuge-style on the beach at Art Basel-Miami as well
as constructing a hot tub for gallerist and collector interviews at
SCOPE Hamptons. ( www.marymattingly.com/html/miamiweb.html )
The opening night includes particapatory happenings involving stuffed
animals and live music by Squish and the Tim DuRoche Trio with Doug
Theriaul and Jonathan Sielaffand.
HOMELAND doors open up at 7pm , with live music starting at 8pm. 926 SE
34th Avenue located at the intersection of 34th and Belmont in the old
scooter building.
September 30
The second Affair at the Jupiter Hotel, ( www.affair-jupiterhotel.com/ ) a Portland art weekend of in town and out of town galleries and educational panel talks opens with 2 parties. The first, a benefit for the Portland Art Museum's new contemporary wing (see Oct 1,2) is 6-9 and costs $100. From 10-1, the artists party, much more fun, features music Deep Throats and Barr, and DJ P Disco at $10. Pleease, hope this DJ is better than every PICA DJ's! There are a bunch of other talks - check the website. As for the art - this is a mini version of large art fairs all over the world that allow you to see a lot of work in one place and check the artist resumes for career directions.
Many of the SE galleries will also be open this evening including a group show at the New American Art Union, SE 9th and Ankeny, and ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING, a group show themed on metal [music] at Small A Projects, Laurel Gitlin's new gallery in the old Savage space, 1430 SE 3rd under the Hawthorne Bridge.
September 30-October 1
NWEAMO, the Northwest Electro Acoustic Music Organization presents it's annual festival themed "Ancient Knowledge and The Future: Neolithic Roots in the 21st Century" Friday and Saturday at PSU. NWEAMO promotes exploration of the fusion of electronica and acoustic music modes. Their past festivals have also featured quality visual accompanianist-collaborators such as Pirate TV. www.nweamo.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi
September 1
PNCA presents the work of 5 artists from Rio de Janeiro. Portland is
sending the work of 5 artists to Brazil in exchange! Ernesto Neto
produces installations of soft stretchy fabric and was featured in the
49th Venice Bienniale. For opening night, the Lions of Batucada perform
- dancing encouraged. This looks like one of the events of the evening.
www.pnca.edu/exposure/calendar.php
Augen presents prints by well known minimalist artists Ellsworth Kelly,
Sol Lewitt, Robert Mangold and Frank Stella who established their
careers in the 60's and 70's. This is a good opportunity for an art
history museum-type outing.
Liz Leach presents poppy collage painter Mark Smith www.elizabethleach.com/Shows-Detail.cfm Smith is known for his sculptural work with vacuum packed found clothing (hard to describe). Organic sculptor Christine Bourdette www.elizabethleach.com/Shows-Detail.cfm shows her work and curator-artist Christy Edmunds shows photos.
Pulliam Deffenbaugh presents a group show of 50 SF bay artists curated
on the basis of each of the artists having worked with one or more of
the others.
Laura Russo presents the paintings of Jay Backstrand
www.laurarusso.com/exhibits/index.html , a Portland artist of
the 70's and 80's who successfully sells his work in NYC. Maybe ask him
for hints...
Motel Gallery presents the illustrations of Carson Ellis www.motelgallery.com/gallery...ain.html who has created artwork for local musicians, The Decemberists.
Gallery 500 presents a group show of artists from the US points N,S,E&W curated by Jeff Jahn, local arts writer, artist and curator. Jahn had the challenge of curating an open call, publicized in Art in America, from slides, and we'll see the effects, live. Plenty of artists from everywhere want to show here, so Portlanders, get ready to compete!
Blue Sky Gallery presents photos by Pedro Lobo of the cells in an infamous Brazilian prison, since demolished, illustrating the inmates attempts at domesticity and individuality amidst the institution's pressures in opposition. Also showing are the photos of Brigitte Grignet of the domestic environment - the people and their echoes - of Chile.
Compound at Just Be/toys-Design present "Digital Beauty" riffing on a book with a similar name, illustrating electronic characters. While the challenge of creating three dimensional electroactors for film continues to be met by ever more lifelike characters each year, the aesthetics are still Barbie. I'm not sure if that is due to the otaku-nature of the animators or whether it is inevitably inherent in the film industry itself. See also www.softimage.com/Products/...e_info.asp
The Everett Lofts are always varied and always recommended.
Sometimes the workings of the Portland City Hall seem remote at best.
Perhaps their activities are so subtley pervasive, or needed only when really needed, or the reverse. That's why the idea of art in City Hall sounds perfect.Enen though the art itself may not be interesting to you, here is your chance to lay claim to some Portland art identity by showing up as you are, mix it up with a different crowd, tell them what artists in Portland need! This is an EARLY event. Details:
"
Commissioner Sam Adams invites you to City Hall First Thursday on September 1, 2005 5pm-7pm at Portland City Hall, 1221 SW Fourth Avenue, featuring:
:::::The Susan Komen Foundation UP CLOSE in PINK Art Show:::::
KomenUP CLOSE in PINK is a body of works exploring the artistic and creative expressions of those affected by breast cancer. This event is part of the Paint Portland Pink! Campaign of the Komen Portland Race for the Cure to further Komen's mission of eradicating breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.The UP CLOSE in PINK show will be on display in the North Atrium of City Hall for the entire month of September.
:::::A special performance by Oregon Public Broadcasting's Live Wire!:::::
Live Wire isn’t just a show, it’s a happening. It’s a place where you’re never quite sure what might happen next. From radical cheerleaders popping in at unexpected moments, to audience members dressed as giant evil bunnies, to on-air head shavings, it’s Talk Show meets Sketch Show meets Side Show. And it’s something you truly need to see/hear to believe.
Live Wire will be performing throughout the evening in the South Atrium and will be featuring some City Hall surprise guests.
:::::"Mind States" paintings by Megan Scheminske:::::
Megan's work deals with a clash between controlled construction and random occurrence, and the internal struggle between the two she observes in her daily and artistic life. "I pay attention to my mind as I paint, observing the tension that arises when I force myself to accept a messy, 'unexplainable' or unintended brushstroke instead of perfecting it by molding it into something deliberate. In this way, my paintings are exercises in meditation and expressions of mind states. I can only hope they'll get simpler as time passes…"
Megans work will be on display in Commissioner Adams office for the entire month of September.
:::::Also joining the City Hall 1st Thursday activities:::::
Works by Shu-Ju Wang
PomegranateBorn and raised in Taiwan, Shu-Ju Wang settled in Oregon after stays in Saudi Arabia, California, and New Jersey. Trained as a Software Engineer, she started taking classes at Oregon College of Art & Craft in the late 80’s (then Oregon School of Arts & Crafts), and had her first solo show in 1996 at the school’s Centrum Gallery. In 2000, she left the high tech industry to become a full time studio artist. With one foot firmly rooted in her adopted home in the Silicon Forest and the other in the artistic traditions of East & Central Asia and the Middle East, Shu-Ju paints a portrait of her sometimes wonderful, sometimes unsettling, first generation American life. Whether it's a bird in winter or a chrysanthemum in full bloom, there are always layers of meaning waiting to be discovered.
Shu-Ju's work will be on display in Commissioner Saltzman's office for the entire month of September.
Photography by Tony Sibley will be featured in Commissioner Leonard's office.
September 2
Rake, the art collective, enters its terrible two's with another Space Ambulance. "rake is a post nuclear flying fortress of robot dropouts, messianic criminals, and red eyed cosmonauts. regardless of any organization, members of rake suffer from the compulsion to break things down and rebuild them which ultimately makes us happy. Rake's experienced cosmonauts join with additional artists culled from an open call in a show of music, art and ethanol fueled talk. The show is up for a month and the works are for sale. www.rakeart.com This is a great example ofPortland's DIY attitude, no idea on the art but it should be fun. Voleur restaurant Sw 1st & Ash 6pm-4am.
Newspace Photo continues its neo-retro theme from the looks of these photos by Bootsy Holler
Fix opens the collage screenprint paintings of Dan Ness 7-10
Portland Art Center opens installations Natura Naturans on paper using
materials from nature arranged in circular forms by James Jack and an
installation by Kelly Rauer. www.portlandart.org 7-10
September 7
The Wonder Ballroom megaplex opens: concert hall, restaurant, bar and two art galleries - with an ALL AGES Dance Party with Anjali
Gala opening in the the gallery * free * 6-9pm * refreshments
In the Ballroom :
9pm Wade Mccollum performing from the rock musical “One”
10pm-1am DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid
$5 cover at the door
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell
503-284-8686
www.wonderballroom.com
September 7 and 8
Fix Studios, Portland furniture and interior space makers, and Design Within Reach, the SF-based purveyor of modern furniture present Show2005, a juried show of Portland furniture, conceptual or concrete. The selected work will be displayed at the DWR store at the corner of NW 12th and Everett. On September 7 a reception for the artists and jurors will open the show, the $10 admission provides hors d’oeuvres and beverages (early only likely) and supports ShowArchive, promoting local designers. The show will continue one day, September 8, free.
The show was juried by Jeff Kovel of skylab design, Bill Fritz of Intelligent Design, Pete McCracken of Crack Press and Plazm, Stella Farina nee of PDX Fashion Incubator, David Boyd of Studio Alloy, Michael Hebberoy of ripe, and Craig Olson of DWR.
September 9
The Oak Street building is reviving art shows at their location, no idea on the quality, but plenty earnest, I'm sure. Photo show featuring Flint Jamison, and Jake Longstreth, closing of “AMERICAN LANDSCAPES” art show with photos by Cody Cloud, Andy Cross. Music Thanksgiving and Dirty Projectors 425 SE 3rd Ave. 1st Floor gallery 8pm. $5
September 8-18 PICA TBA Festival
There are too many items to list for this. Thursday at 8, there will be a free performance on Pioneer Square of the acrobatic dancers of STREB. Look at the schedule and pick your own events. In the past years, the warehouse cabarets late have been a great place to talk to other artists and dance if you are so inclined, plus way better than average not too expensive late food. The Dada ball has been a great place to show your most imaginative costuming skills, no limits, none.
www.pica.org/himages/TBA05_Guide.pdf
September 7,8, 17 and points between: Some Dueling (early/late? established/upstart?) Portland Fashion Events:
Out of the ashes of the Fashion Incubator Portland Fashion week rise two series: "The Collections" organized by Elizabeth Dye featuring established Portland designers and and Semper Fashion's "FW05", a large collaboration of designers spanning 2 weeks, and, in part, benefiting the Oregon Food Bank and the Maiti Nepal Organization www.maitinepal.org. Many Semper events are hosted by Palas, who have been supportive of the local DJ community. The Dada costume ball caps it all Saturday September 17. Thanks to Lisa Radon and her fashion
ultra blog pdxultra.com for the 411 on this.
September 7
Emily Ryan and Liza Rietz will show their new fashions at Peter Bro's new Clinton Street nightspot, the Savoy Tavern and Bistro, 2500 Clinton on Wednesday, September 7, 8 PM. Rietz' show at Seaplane earlier this year showed a singular vision while Emily's work is romantically avant-garde.
September 8
Collections presents Kate Towers and Holly Stalder, powerhouses of the independent fashion scene in Portland who not only were among the forward-guard of those who locally employed reconstruction in their designs, they also provided THE platform and showcase for designers of
a similar aesthetic first at their Belmont boutique, Seaplane--now on 23rd--as well as through years of fashion shows--will show on the Wieden + Kennedy rooftop (224 NW 13th) on Thursday September 8. The show, entitled "Victorian Forest", begins at 7 PM. Free, but tickets in advance at the Seaplane store.
Semper Fashion presents Opening night. Shows on the hour till midnight. 8:00 PM Pala Fashion Lounge 105 NW 3rd Tickets $10.00, 300 general admission available at the door.
September 9
Collections presents one of Portland's finest, Adam Arnold, who will show in his lower Morrison Studio (727 SE Morrison) on Friday September 9 at 7 PM.
Semper Fashion presents Men's wear at Crush Bar tentatively 2 shows 20 minutes each, 9PM and 11:00PM. Followed by Purple Passion Party, dress in purple, RIBBONS AWARDED. FREE 250 SRO
September 10 Saturday
Fix Studios (E Burnside) present the new fall lines of the three resident designers 5-8 PM (just before the 8 PM fashion show at YES down the street). As an open studio event, it will be casual--no models, just the work. Interestingly, fix co-owner (and Jackie-O Motherfucker member) Genevieve Dellinger says that while browsing and trying on, you may be called to take part in an impromptu photo shoot. The designers catalogues will feature photos taken during the event.
Semper Fashion presents an Industry after party for the NW Regional apparel buyers association conference. 9:00 PM Pala Fashion Lounge Featuring an invitational fashion show from Saffrona, WeMa, Sizzle, Rocket, and the DoubleCross Belt Co. Very limited availability $10.00 tickets at the door.
Collections presents the machine-embroidered art garments of Bonnie Heart Clyde (by Emily Katz and Shaun Deller) and embroidered and appliqued work by TRex in a show at YES Clothing (628 E Burnside) at 8 PM.
September 11
The Collections wrap at clarklewis (1001 SE Water) with Elizabeth Dye's smart and elegant designs in fine fabrics and Jess Beebe's lovely dresses showing Sunday, September 11 at 8 PM.
Semper Fashion presents "I Want To Be Feared" Fierce Fashions, Full On! 8:30 PM Dante's Inferno 3 SW 3rd and Burnside. Tickets $5.00 at the door.
September 13
Semper Fashion presents "Its still summer and still hottt!" Swimwear and lingerie show" 8PM Pala Fashion Lounge Tickets $5.00 at the door.
September 14
Semper Fashion presents "Hot Ice" Winter Fashions 8:00 PM at Greek Cusina Minoan Room 404 SW Washington. Tickets $5.00 at the door. 150 person seating.
September 15 Thursday
Semper Fashion presents "Laid Back": Casuals and Urban Chic 8:00 PM Voodoo Lounge/OHM . Tickets $5.00 at the door, 250 available.
Semper Fashion presents Men's Wear Re Dux, just in case you missed something. 7:00 PM Crush Bar Tix: $5.00 at the door.
September 16 Friday
Semper Fashion presents Finale "Black and White" show, dress to impress. 9:00 PM at Pala Fashion Lounge-Shows on the hour until midnight. Jewelry and accessories.
September 17
PICA:TBA presents the Dada Ball, an anything goes costume party.
Saturday September 24
Curator-critic-artist Jeff Jahn opens his new group show "Fresh Trouble" Saturday September 24 at 4246 S.E. Belmont Street 5-9PM
Some are critical of the Blond Viking for "spoiling art in Portland" by suggesting that artists can support themselves as a career by sales of their art work, but I say yeah - go for it! This show offers a perfect example of pairing local artists who are making good work with out of town artists further in their career.
The artists include Cao Fei (2003 Venice Biennale, China - see below), Lee Walton (sculptor in residence Socrates sculpture park, and no stranger to big works, New York), Douglas Holst (installation INOVA & Art Chicago 2004, Milwaukee Wisconsin, in attendance), Hildur Bjarnadottir (Iceland, who bends traditional Icelanic craft into sublime minimalist works), Jack Daws (Seattle’s trouble maker), Scott Patt (Boston, recently of Portland, now director of design Converse, who combines urban graphics with weighty concepts), Patrick Rock (Portland, recent Headlands show), Matthew Picton (Oregon’s fastest rising star, LA, SF, London next - Mathew samples seemingly random patterns of the built and natural environments), Ellen George (Portland, fresh off her Dallas show, who constructs sweet shapes in polymer), Chandra Bocci (Portland, whose works of recycled materials put the serious in cute), Jacqueline Ehlis (smart painter grad student of McArthur grant recipinet Dave Hickey, Portland), Matt McCormick (Portland film maker, with a major show in Olso coming up), Laura Fritz (Portland, creator of trange instalations which touch vaguely on scinece, fresh off her critically lauded Seattle show), Sean Healy (Portland, with shows in Germany and Houston), Dan Fagereng (Portland, straight off his Art Center MFA), Bruce Conkle (Portland, ORLO arts/environment curator and Bigfoot afficianado, with shows in Iceland and Brazil in 2006), TJ Norris (Portland,sound artist, with a recent show in Montreal), Joe Thurston (Portland, painter of disturbing portraits), Katherine Bovee & Philippe Blanc (Portland, husband and wife duo and creators of smart installation work), Brendan Clenaghen (Portland), Paige Saez (Portland, see the HOMELAND listing), Mark Smith (Portland, see last month's gallery openins listing for E. Leach), Joe Macca (Portland), Marne Lucas (Portland erotic activist) and Horia Boboa (Portland)
See for example the resume of one of the artists in the show, who is taking life threatening political risks, at www.courtyard-gallery.com/artis...cv.htm .
regular hours saturday & sunday 12;00-5:00PM ... through Oct 9th
special hours September 30th 6:00-9:00 PM
September 25
Spare Room, Portland Art Center & Nestucca Spit Press present a publication party & reading for Salt: A Collection of Poetry on the Oregon Coast with short readings by poets featured in the anthology, music by John Berendzen & the Parametric Orchestra, food & drink.
Sunday 7:00 - 10:00 pm free Portland Art Center 2045 SE Belmont Street 503-239-5481
www.portlandart.org
September 29
HOMELAND opens Thursday September 29 with a show by Portland artists Zak Margolis, Charles Moss and Amy Steele.
"Zak Margolis has been making a reputation for himself in Portland for
quite some time, with haunting yet beautiful animation and stunning
music. His work has been featured in the PDX Experimental Film
Festival, PDX Film Exchange in Chicago and is founding member of the
much loved Pacific Switchboard Gallery. Charles Moss is a Portland
newbie, bringing us a series of process-based experimental paintings
from New Jersey. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of
Chicago, Moss has shown work in upstate New York, Chicago and Miami
with Lifeboat. Moss presents us with an exciting series of mono-prints
and organic landscapes. Amy Steele, an Art Institute grad herself, and a
Pacific Switchboard staple is the missing link of the Familiar. While
teaching at Pacific Northwest College of Art, she has still managed to
exhibit around the US. Amy’s work explores issues of gender, desire, and
sexuality". Amy is planning graduate work at the California College of
the Arts where Larry Rinder is dean.
Artists Paul Mittendorff and Paige Saez are behind Homeland, a new space
for genre bending projects in the visual and performing arts.
Paige is known for her work in painting, installation and performance.
She is capable of out Boltoning James Bolton as evidenced by some large
scale abstracts auctioned at the Disjecta auction; installations,
including a Core Sample work of thrift store afghans, unknit to their
kinky constituent; and lately performance with Sam Gould of Red 76 and
Mr Mittendorff including a tatoo roadtrip roadfilm project.
Paul curated many excellent shows for Disjecta but now attracting
attention in collaboration with Mary Mattingly, PNCA grad, with his
art-world-politics performance installations. These include
constructing a liferaft carrying the works of Portland artists and
landing it Cuban refuge-style on the beach at Art Basel-Miami as well
as constructing a hot tub for gallerist and collector interviews at
SCOPE Hamptons. ( www.marymattingly.com/html/miamiweb.html )
The opening night includes particapatory happenings involving stuffed
animals and live music by Squish and the Tim DuRoche Trio with Doug
Theriaul and Jonathan Sielaffand.
HOMELAND doors open up at 7pm , with live music starting at 8pm. 926 SE
34th Avenue located at the intersection of 34th and Belmont in the old
scooter building.
September 30
The second Affair at the Jupiter Hotel, ( www.affair-jupiterhotel.com/ ) a Portland art weekend of in town and out of town galleries and educational panel talks opens with 2 parties. The first, a benefit for the Portland Art Museum's new contemporary wing (see Oct 1,2) is 6-9 and costs $100. From 10-1, the artists party, much more fun, features music Deep Throats and Barr, and DJ P Disco at $10. Pleease, hope this DJ is better than every PICA DJ's! There are a bunch of other talks - check the website. As for the art - this is a mini version of large art fairs all over the world that allow you to see a lot of work in one place and check the artist resumes for career directions.
Many of the SE galleries will also be open this evening including a group show at the New American Art Union, SE 9th and Ankeny, and ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING, a group show themed on metal [music] at Small A Projects, Laurel Gitlin's new gallery in the old Savage space, 1430 SE 3rd under the Hawthorne Bridge.
September 30-October 1
NWEAMO, the Northwest Electro Acoustic Music Organization presents it's annual festival themed "Ancient Knowledge and The Future: Neolithic Roots in the 21st Century" Friday and Saturday at PSU. NWEAMO promotes exploration of the fusion of electronica and acoustic music modes. Their past festivals have also featured quality visual accompanianist-collaborators such as Pirate TV. www.nweamo.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi
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