Wednesday, March 01, 2006

March Things Here

March 1-5

Reed Arts Week brings a host of events and opportunities to the Reed community, and you, as Reed's art programs increasingly engage Portland's larger art community. Details at web.reed.edu/raw/main.html


to May 28

The Portland Art Museum, after muddling about in 18th and 19th century painting and decorative arts, is getting today. For the next few months, the Museum is running Roxy Paine's Painting Manufacture Unit, a machine for making paintings. This Powerbook controlled, very industrial machine, sprays 16 gallons per minute of specially formulated white acrylic paint on canvas every 2 or 3 hours building dozens of layers over a period of weeks. Paine, www.jamescohan.com/artists/...ndex.html in this piece, explores the interrelationships between machine time and materials time, between the program and randomness, between adhesion and gravity, as the heavy flows of paint form canyons and foothills. The gallery shows PMU, 24, completed in 2005. Between February 25 and May 28, when the show ends, the machine will make 5 more paintings. Plan a visit to the Museum for a few hours, check the programmed painting time when you first arrive, and plan your museum wanderings to correspond to the next painting cycle. www.pam.org Museum admission has crept up to $15, so find a friend who is a member to get in for free or join, $45 per year for one and $75 per year for two.


March 1

Preopenings (note that some Everett Station Lofts are doing preopenings on the Tuesday of Wednesday before first Thursday)


March 2

Portland hosts the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Conference this month and so many galleries are showing local ceramics as well as out of town ceramic artists curated by out of towners. I'm am not super interested in ceramics. Portland though is living on the fault line between art and craft, so you are on your own to discover what is out there and form your own opinions. More conference info at www.nceca.net.

Greg Renfrow www.elizabethleach.com/Shows-Detail.cfm shows seductive minimalist colorfield flows on plexi panels. Simple and delicious. Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com until 9PM 417 NW 9th

Vicki Lynn Wilson shows her installation "Love in the Wild". Wilson, a recent PSU MFA graduate is known for her curatorial chops ("The Locals" September 2004 at Blackfish), her ability to work across media and her wit. She is a smart pixie! In this show, imaginary species intermingle with household appliance-animal hybrids, such as an 8 foot refrigerator-polar bear. Wilson also performs amid the work Saturday March 4 at 7PM. Blackfish Gallery www.blackfish.com 420 NW 9th Avenue

PDX Gallery presents ceramic koosh ball-like sculptures by Bean Finneran www.pdxcontemporaryart.com/main....html . Do not touch, though you know you want too! PDX is hit or miss as far as opening nights, having correctly determined that few sales, but a lot of stress and strife, accompany first Thursday. Besides, PDX-style work is best seen in a quiet gallery. They may be open Wednesday evening. www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders

Kim Ray, PNCA graduate, shows in the Nine installation space in the Blue Sky Gallery. Ray has long been fascinated by Andy Warhol and multiples, fierce conceptual brilliance underlies her work. I've no idea what's up this time, but it may be worth a look.

Reading Frenzy presents a group show And Then You Were Born, curated by brilliant local artist, and PNCA grad, Shawna Ferreira. until about 9 www.readingfrenzy.com 921 SW Oak

Motel presents "Unnatural World" by Boston Artist Amy Ross. Alexis Rockman's www.artseensoho.com/Art/GORN...man1.html dark future landscapes of plants and animals mutated by pollution recall David Lynch in tone. In contrast, Ross irvinecontemporary.com/newsle...dex.php uses Audubon style illustrations of hybrid creatures which may presage genetic engineering gone wild. The significant white space in the pieces allows them to slip past our aesthetic filters like the illustrations in childrens' books. I have often felt that Motel's aesthetic would suit the rooms of children. Perhaps those children will be the ones who wreak these creatures upon the world as adults, or, maybe in high school biology lab. www.motelgallery.com until 9:30PM NW Couch between 5th and 6th across the street from Ground Control.

Just Be Design/ Compound Gallery presents Stash and Sense. NY Graffitti artist by Stash observer.guardian.co.uk/cash/s...00.html is responsible for the Recon stores in NY, SF and Tokyo. www.justbedesign.com until 9:30PM 107 NW 5th Avenue

Jessica Bronk shows her dark atmospheric landscapes at Vino Paradiso. This venue, with a new curator, is one to watch. www.vinoparadiso.com until 11PM 417 NW 10th

The Hot Dish group show opens for three days, March 2-4, at a temporary space. This is the output of respected local painter Jacqueline Ehlis' class, so pot luck. In the old Fashion Incubator space 23 NW 5th

In our espresso addled regional reality, the concept of an actual coffee pot may seem quaint. But for more pot luck, the Starbucks coffee sponsors a show of art by its employees curated by PICA's executive director Victoria Frey. It's perfectly fine to buy art you like from artists unsigned to the majors. Complementary appetizers and Oregon wine. 6-9:30PM Weiden + Kennedy, 224 NW 13th Free

Pulliam Deffenbaugh shows the ultra baroque ceramic sculptures of Seattle artist Jeffry Mitchell.
www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com closes early first Thursday, about 8PM 929 NW Flanders

Rm.744 shows Replicating the Object, sculpture including a sea of slipcast fingers by Jennifer Anable. This is a new space, let's see where they go. Show March 2-12 Tue-Sun 12-4 Opening 6-9 at 744 NW 12

Might take a peak in at the work of Judy Hill. In the past, Hill has produced subtle narrative sculpture. Now? At the Bullseye glass gallery www.bullseyeconnectiongallery.com 6-9PM 300 NW 13th

At Blue Sky, Steven Benson shows The Cost of Power in China: The Three Gorges Dam and the Yangtze River Valley, documentary photographs of the area to be flooded by China's huge hydroelectric project. www.blueskygallery.org 1231 NW Hoyt

Butters Gallery, to my taste, presents work much too beautiful for its conceptual and emotional content. Elise Wagner, one of Portland's best encaustic painter makes vaguely, astronomical images. Encaustic is one of those luscious art materials but very tricky to use as it is based on wax, liquid only when heated to near inflammability. Judge for yourself. Until 9 www.buttersgallery.com 520 NW Davis, 2nd floor

The Everett lofts bounded by Everett and Flanders, Broadway and 6th NW will no doubt have something to see. As galleries are priced out of the Pearl district, they are migrating to Old Town. The Everett Lofts will soon be joined by upscale nonprofits across the street in the Daisy Kingdom building.

Valentine's presents Zak Margolis' Moon Babies, comics and diptychs inspired by twins separated at birth. According to the gallery cafe bar's own press release: "In his attempt to create a cohesive story in the gallery setting, Margolis has given us an underwhelming, disjointed show, with each piece seeming more meaningless than the next. Admittedly, the artist does receive points for the number of flaccid penises that appear in these works. There seems to be between 1 and 5 penises in each piece! But then, what else is new with the work of Zak Margolis? Margolis is best known in the art world as a collaborator in the Pacific Switchboard art group which, rumor has it, is on hiatus. It was also reported that Margolis is the recent father of twins - the apparent subject of this abysmal show." until late Valentine's 232 SW Ankeny

The Sugar Gallery, a new gallery, and successor to Gallery 500, is hard at work at establishing its identity beyond party space. We'll see how that develops. This month you can see an installation by Georgia artist Dallas Oliver titled Inflatable Control. Also on view: Now You Know, paintings by Christian DeFilippo and Maria Dixon "exploring the link between the known visible world and things intangible". www.sugargallery.org 420 SW Washington, 5th floor


March 3

In the Burnside art heart nexus, adjacent spaces Renowned, Denwave, Moshi Moshi and Yes open shows.

Renowned presents a show, Business Minded, of artwork on found business cards. Artists include: Jeremyville, Lily deSaussure, Jill Bliss, Kevin Scalzo, Deth P. Sun, Luke Ramsey, Ryan Bubnis Jacob Magraw, Breanne Trammell, Jennifer Jackman, Wilson Hsu, I Like Drawing, Daniel Lim, Omar Lee, Victoria Keddie, Michelle Blade, Marci Washington, Maxwell Holyoke-Hirsch, Kelly Lynn Jones. 6-9:30

Next door Denwave shows music posters and operates a barbecue.

Moshi Moshi shows work by artist couples including Brett and Whitney Superstar homepage.mac.com/bwsuperstar

Yes, Yes will have art on the walls too.

All at 811 E Burnside

Across the street, the Ivy Studio design store, in the Jupiter hotel fashion megaplex, shows Checkered Past, Martin McBride's and Luke Smalley's work including '80's punk fliers. theivystudio.com 800 W Burnside

NAAU shows photographs by Jim Lommasson themed Heaven and Earth - of down to earth storefront Christian churches and their relics. Until about 10 www.newamericanartunion.com 922 SE Ankeny

Newspace Center for Photography, way over on the right side of the Eastside industrial district presents a black and white show. Paul Hernandez shows nudes and landscapes, while David Reamer recreates found photographs. Until about 9 www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th


March 4

The Reed Arts Week presents a talk by hip hop artist Paul Miller, aka DJ Spooky. While his reputation sometimes overwhelms the aesthetic quality of his work, Miller has long been practicing conscious hip hop. Intellectual and philosophical, Miller's talk last fall in a small W&K conference room was reported out as brilliant and thought provoking. 3:30PM Vollum Lecture Hall Reed College $3/ Reedies free


March 5

Sometimes it's a bit depressing to see the direction of our fair country has taken. The best therapy is to work for change. Where to start? - anywhere which inspires you! If you are inspired by working in other countries, the Peace Corps is offering an afternoon of panels and workshops. I've worked with and visited several volunteers, the program will be intense, but you will emerge with tools that will allow you to undertake anything. General info at www.peacecorps.gov.
2-5pm PSU Smith Center Room 228 Free


March 6

The PSU Art Department presents Steven Badgett of Simparch www.simparch.org whose work combines the politics of place with the politics of art into large scale structures. PSU 5th Avenue Cinemas SW 5th and Hall St 7Pm Free


March 7

Marina Abramovic, born 1946, in post war Belgrade, is the mother of extreme performance in the art world, now grandmother, still performing at age 60. This article www.eyestorm.com/feature/E...rticle.asp articulates some of her performance history much better than can I. I wouldn't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to hear Abramovic speak. Arrive early, or you may watch the talk videoconferenced to the overflow classroom. 7pm Vollum Lecture Hall, Reed College Free

Michael Lerner reads from his book The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right. Lerner is an influential political thinker and author. His many writings offer a spiritual basis for living and spreading progressive politics accessible to America's middle.
7:30 Powell's Burnside Free

March 8

Lewis and Clark College presents a reading by and discussion with poet and novelist Michelle Tea. Tea has been living and exploring life and identity to the edge and writing of it from San Francisco. The energy of her writing is matched by her persona and her readings. 3:45-5:15 Council Chamber of the L&C Templeton Student Center Free (but expect to pay for parking if arriving by car)


March 9

Some Hawthorne area art spaces have claimed the second Thursday for openings. This includes Local.35, showing work by Kendra Binney. The clothing store is commissioning a mural by Binney and spectacular dressing areas by artist Jessie Reno. DJ 7-10PM www.local35.com 3556 SE Hawthorne


March 11

Not in Portland, but worth a trip, the Degenerate Art Ensemble www.degenerateartensemble.com performs Cuckoo Crow at the Moore Theater in Seattle. The DAE, formerly the Young Composers' Collective combines now music, plated expertly with fierce butoh dance performance. Details at the DAE website.


March 12

The Portland Art Museum presents a lecture by John Elderfield, the NY Museum of Modern Art's chief curator of painting and sculpture. Elderfield will review the history of modern art in the context of art made now, right now. 2PM Whitsell Auditorium at the Portland Art Museum advance tickets free for Museum members or with Museum admission that day.


March 13

Ripe Back Room presents a dinner-discussion with Lawrence Weschler, former staff writer for The New Yorker; director of the New York Institute for the Humanities at New York University; and author. Weschler has written on artist Robert Irwin, the Museum of Jerassic Technology and artist JSG Boggs, who prints money and exchanges it for goods. Tonight's focus will be the new economies of writing and his book Everything That Rises, published by McSweeny's. The $65 price includes a copy of the book, the tastiest dinner to be had in all of Portland that Monday, wine and brandy, with proceeds benefiting Reading Frenzy. Reservations www.ripepdx.com

PSU's artist lecture series presents Frederic Paul. 7PM PSU 5th Avenue Cinemas SW 5th and Hall St Free

Holocene hosts a performance by Ethan Rose with visuals by Ryan Jeffery (small sails visualist), a performance by Unrecognizeable Now with visuals by Rob Tyler, vcr100.com, and a new film by Jeffery - Fallen, with music by Rose. 8PM www.holocene.org/calendar $4


March 15

Ethan Clark discusses his book Stories Care Forgot: An Anthology of New Orleans Zines. The over years, zine authors have "poured their hearts out, sharing their thoughts and opinions on music, politics, bikes, gentrification, gender, class and, of course, the city itself", perhaps offering some insight beyond the blame game and CNN's seemingly endless flyovers. 7PM www.readingfrenzy.com 921 SW Oak


March 17

Mike Barber presents 10 Tiny Dances - performances on a stage 3 feet square. This 10th edition includes Tracy Broyles, Margretta Hansen, Gabriel Masson, Anne Furfey, Josie Moseley, Mary Oslund, Cydney Wilkes, Linda Austin, Mike Barber and Minh Tran. The pieces are short, ADD engaging, and often fun. See at the Wonder Ballroom, details www.tentinydances.org


March 18

Local presenters of classical Indian music of the subcontinent present Shashank and Purbayan Chatterjee, bansuri flute and sitar. This is the real thing. Details at www.kalakendra.org $15 advance/20 door 7:30 PM Flannegan Chapel Lewis and Clark College.


March 20

Susan E. Rice www.huffingtonpost.com/contri...bio.php speaks on "The National Security Implications of Global Poverty: Africa's Strategic Importance to the U.S" at Reed College. Rice, former National Security Council member focused on peacekeeping and Africa in the Clinton administration, and was later Assistant Secretary of State for Africa under Madeline Albright secretary.state.gov/www/albr...ght.html. Rice is now at the Brookings Institution. Her tenure includes policy decisions on Somalia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone addressed cinematicly in "Black Hawk Down", "Hotel Rwanda", and "Lord of War" respectively. 7PM Vollum Lecture Hall Reed College Free


March 22

Author Elizabeth Kolbert reads from her book Field Notes from a Catastrophe, an account of global warming and its impact.
7:30 Powell's Burnside Free

March 25

The Rose City Rollers, girls roller derby teams Guns N Rollers, the Heartless Heathers, Break Neck Betties, and the High Rollers, go at it again. Information at www.rosecityrollers.com

The Portland Opera presents Nixon In China. See March 30.


March 29

Clothing by Church and State, formerly Anther Pistil, the designs of Nathaniel Crissman and Rachel Turk, will be presented at a fashion show at Seaplane. 7PM www.e-seaplane.com 827 NW 23rd Free


March 30

Nixon In China is an avant garde (why does that term seem so dated...?) opera by brilliant composer John Adams, with production design by enfant terrible Peter Sellars. Nixon, the other president who illegally wiretapped his political enemies, was forced to resign when tapes of his own oval office bugs threatened to expose his coverup of a black ops burglary of Democratic Party offices. Luckily his loyal secretary of 24 years, Rosemary Woods, erased a crucial 18 1/2 minutes from the tapes before they were turned over to prosecutors seeking Nixon's impeachment for lying. Arch anti Communist Nixon was probably the only politician of his era who could have credibly opened diplomatic relations with China. Perhaps the same could be said of Mao, who lead China's Communist revolution in the 1940's. The opera focuses Nixon's trip to China and the dynamics between Nixon, his wife, Mao, his wife, Henry Kissinger and Chou En-lai. In English 7:30 www.portlandopera.org $37-$133


March 31

Who Get's to Call it Art? the film reviews the art world of the 1960's from the viewpoint of Metropolitan curator Henry Geldzahler. The film has an updated MTV style, offputting to some, but nonetheless sounds fascinating, including much historical footage. 7PM www.nwfilm.org Whitsell Auditorium of the Portland Art Museum $7/ 6 members

March 30

Brede Rørstad's Music Population Project materializes its demographic, that would be you, for a musical meeting of ears, minds and hearts. Classical chamber music, the music everyone loves to hate, was in its time the improvisational frontier. It was the avant garde. (For a laugh, try to locate "Lexicon of Musical Invective by Nicholas Slonimsky - scathing reviews of classical music in its time) The MPP rekindles that spirit by performances of 21st century music on classical instruments accompanied by video projections and sometimes electronic sounds. Tonight's performance will be by an 18 piece orchestra, Brede's biggest yet!

www.thempp.com 7:30PM W+KAgency atrium 224 NW 13th. Free, ages 0-200

March 22

Continuing a vector of presenting the first solo shows of artists, Small A Projects opens the work of Allyson Vieira. Vieira composes her work around the ideological resonance between disparate times: in this case, ancient Greece, the Enlightenment, and sometimes also includes the American Revolution (how far we have strayed) and the French Revolution (something to be learned?). Artist - curator, Vieira, has a BFA from Cooper Union and has been included in group shows by Jeffrey Deitch.

Shawna Ferreira, PNCA grad, also presents "Oblivion's Everywhere Else". Ferreira presents smart installations that juggle intimate scale and filling the space. Well. She is an artist to watch.

That makes this Vieira+Ferreira!

www.smallaprojects.com Small A Projects 6-9PM 1430 SE Third (near Audio Cinema)