Wednesday, December 19, 2007

December 22 Tahni Holt S Waterfront Movement Project

Arts funding is fleeting. A new addition is funding by developers, envisioned by branding visionaries Ziba, and set on the Civic Condominiums and the South Waterfront Development. Artist choreographer curator Linda K Johnson has selected performance artists to work there and all their performances are free to you! And the artists are paid!! So be there!!!

Today modern dancer choreographer Tahni Holt presents the "The Party Project". You, the audience, stroll outside between 3 performance inside venues. Therein observe 30 performers, some collected from an open call to anyone, including SoWa residents perform Holt's movement abstracted from parties. The link above explains it. In the end join everyone inside for one big party. Music created and played by Kate O’Brien-Clarke, Corrina Repp and Joe Haege. Lighting Bill Boese. Meet at the Bella Espresso Cafe, in the Meriwether Building - consult the S. Waterfront map on their website. You can easily go by streetcar or Tram. 4PM sharp. Free

December 20 Modern Dance

Modern dance performance is an endangered art. It is expensive to maintain a warm dry rehearsal space to develop the work, especially one with a floor that doesn't kill. That is to say nothing of renting a space to perform. It is somewhat obscure as well, often an altogether short lived creature of college dance classes. But like musicians, dancers may find the experience so transformational it is bliss. Thus they are driven to continue. We are glad they do.

I think that is the case tonight as performers Cydney Wilkes and Mike Barber are commissioned to perform seminal mover-choreographer Deborah Hay's "The Runner". These two are known as organizers of "Ten Tiny Dances" and often collaborate together on that small stage. Seeing them move together is always a pleasure. It is at the Lent School Gymnasium. 5105 SE 97th Ave. (Just south of Holgate)Doors 7:45, performance 8 PM $10

Saturday, December 15, 2007

December 16 59 Seconds Film Festival at Gallery Homeland

Friday's opening at Homeland's new home brought together a great collection of artists. The space is large, a wide windy corridor with high ceilings, and extends, for now, into additional yet to be rented areas. The building is drawing plenty of creative cotravelers too, such as Plazm. Tonight they present films as part of Project 59 which is a very complicated media art project originated on the East Coast. Kind of like Drowning By Numbers but with 59 only. A lot of 59's. The simple version is you can go see short films there tonight and maybe make one to submit to the project. At Gallery Homeland www.galleryhomeland.org 2505 SE 11th Avenue x Division 7PM $5

Friday, November 30, 2007

December 15 Prints

TodayArt is somewhat a continuation of 333 Hancock. So hosting a huge printmaking marathon to benefit PICA as did 333 is not unexpected. Artists Adam Sorenson, Alex Felton, Annette Thurston, Barb Tetenbaum, Bill Park, Blair Saxon Hill, Bonnie Paiseley, Brad Adkins, Brendan Clegnehan, Brendan Sthalman, Bruce Conkle, Bryan Schellinger, Calvin Ross Carl, Carol Ferris, Catherine Rondthaler, Cecilia Hallinan, Cris Gander, Christine Bourdette, Corey Lunn, Cris Moss, Cynthia Lathi, Dana Louis, Darren Orange, David Corbett, Deb Horell, Eleanor Erskine, Ellen George, Emery Hinckley, Gabriel Liston, Gabriele Irle, Harvest Henderson, Heather Watkins, Henk Pander, Hilary Pfeifer, Jenene Nagy, Jesse Hayward, Joe Hockett, Joe Thurston, John Brodie, Josh Berger, Kristan Kennedy, Linda Hutchins, Linda K Johnson, Mack Mcfarland, Manya Shapiro, Mark Mahaffey, Marty Houston, Meg Peterson, Melia Donovan, Midori Hirosi, MK Guth, Modou Dieng, Morgan Walker, Nan Curtis, Nathaniel Price, Nicole Smith, Paige Saez, Patrick Long, Patrick Rock, Pete McCracken, Philip Iosca, Rae Mahaffey, Renne Zangara, Rhoda London, Rob Halverson, Robert Gamblin, Samantha Wall, Sarah Gottesdiener, Scott Porter, Scott Wayne Indiana, Sean Carney, Sean Healy, Stephen Hayes, Stephen Slappe, Storm Tharp, Tim Dalbow, TJ Norris, Yoshihiro Kitai, Yuji Hiratsuka gather in the day with a raft of volunteers and experiment with one off printing processes - mono-style. After getting studio clothes and fingers dirty all day, from 6-9 all the prints are sold in a benefit. If you are interested in printmaking, it's a great volunteer opportunity and chance to get dirty. At 439 SE Grand. Enter on Stark. 6-9PM Prints $100-250, visiting, free

December 14 Endless Homeland Center

Gallery Homeland is a NW Thang thing operating on a small international stage, and doing it well on the smallest of budgets, Portland style. Homeland has brought Portland artists to Art Basel Miami and Scope Hamptons in wry performance exhibitions. They have brought artists for residencies. They have had shows and skate parties. They were homeless, operating out of the studio-live space of one of their superheroes, now they have a home.

Tonight they open a show NW Thang in the new space. The show features Marc Dombrosky, Saya Moriyasu, Patrick Rock, Paige Saez, Cynthia Star and Jason Wood, commenting through a regional lens on "class, culture and aesthetics". Knowing some of these artists, I would expect a playful approach to such heavy topics. www.galleryhomeland.org At 2505 SE 11th Avenue x Division Doors 6, band 9, close not too late. Free



The Portland Art Center planned and successfully made happen a huge art show as fundraiser with dozens of artists. Take a look at the First Thursday listing. Tonight is a party for the artists at the Center. Portland Art Center www.Portlandart.org 32 NW 5th 7-11



"It's Kind of Endless" is Quality Pictures gallerist Erik Schneider's take on Portland art of interest. Schneider moved his noted photography gallery from Atlanta a year ago because of Portland's hot art community. He has become part of the community, looked around and is now presenting Portland artists alongside international artists, here and in Miami. There is a reception for the "Endless" artists Kevin Abell, Dana Dart-McLean, Alex Felton, Midori Hirose, Kristie Louderbough, Corey Lunn, Meg Peterson, Nathaniel Price, Taryn Tomasello and Jason Traeger tonight at the gallery. Quality Pictures www.qpca.com 916 NW Hoyt 6PM Free

December 8 Indian Reading Circus

An intimate performance of Carnatic vocal music by Madhunapantula Sowbhagya Kameswari with Dharmala Sailaja on violin and Dharmala Ramamoorthy on mridangam will occur at the Westside Church of Christ, 17415 NW Walker Rd., Beaverton, OR. RSVP requested to Sekhar Madhunapantula, 503 533 9114. 3:30 - 6:30PM Free



Juggernaut Disjecta presents 3 of Loggernaut's n+1 writers, reading. Keith Gessen is author of All the Sad Young Literary Men and the translator of Voices from Chernobyl. Chad Harbach is novelist as well. The elder, Barry Sanders is author of books, including ABC: The Alphabetization of the Popular Mind (with Ivan Illich) and A Is For Ox: Violence, Electronic Media and the Silencing of the Written Word. At Disjecta 5 SE 3rd under the Burnside Bridge 7PM $6



Everyone loves the circus and Portland is no exception. Neo circus performers are multiplying here and that means more performances. Cirque Magique! features performers Kazum, Leapin' Louis Lichtenstein, Leah James Abel on trapeze, Dave Clay, Sweet Juice and music, dance later with DJ Nicoluminous. "The emcee will be Dave Clay, acting as a delusional and imaginative amateur magician. Scarred by the criticism he receives from his unrefined act, he self-righteously displays to the audience how grand he truly is in his own imagination, being an Earthly contact with aliens, friend of wild cowboys and suave with the ladies." Someday Lounge 10PM $10

December 6 Westside Art Openings +

Jessica Bronk makes dark landscapes in yellow ochre and burnt umber with a sometime touch of pale sky blue. Maybe they would be landscapes you would like to be lost in. Enigmatic in a good way. Tonight she shows at Powell's Basil Hayward Gallery on the third floor. Hey galleries, sign this artist. Powell's Corner 10th and W Burnside.



Filmmaker Ryan Jeffery is well known for his work as visualist for Adelade/Small Sails and for lyrical, maybe mythical, films with characters set in landscape. One had a figure trapped in an illuminated translucent box in the deep forest. Another, Fallen, close shots of Keri Merkl's mysterious resin music box-like machine, juxtaposed with a character in the landscape. Tonight Jeffery shows Origin at PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders



Ogle's ambitious exhibition program flies under the radar but consistently shows adventurous sculpture and arte povera. They close early, 8:30PM, in contrast to many of the Everett Loft spaces that surround their building, but they are open for viewing business hours largely in contrast to the intimate Everett Loft living rooms. Tonight they open a group show with artist Rob Tyler, Yoshi Kitai, Brenda Mallory, and Mary Lang. See this show. www.ogleinc.com 310 NW Broadway



Portland is a printmaking town and it is not because we had plenty of trees to make into paper. Artist, printmaker, teacher, collector Gordon Gilkey was born in Linn County Oregon. In his 20's, serving in WWII, he wrote a letter to President Roosevelt proposing a project to minimize damage to European artwork and architecture in war planning. The project was approved and his unit later recovered thousands of artworks stolen and displaced by the war. For his work, he was knighted by France and similarly honored by Italy, Sweden, Germany and the United States. As a result, Gilkey developed lifelong friendships with print collectors and artists worldwide and continued his own collection begun in Oregon before the war.

Gilkey taught at Albany College, Oregon State, where he headed the art department, and at PNCA. Curator of prints at the Portland Art Museum, Gilkey donated his collection of over 8000 prints to establish the Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Center for Graphic Arts. The entire collection is open to the public which is pretty awesome.

As a result of Gilkey's efforts, printmaking in Portland is vibrant. Tonight City Hall hosts a show of printmaking from some of Portland's print studios. Printmaking equipment is often large and heavy. So it makes sense to share it in a studio. Studios Lark Press, Letterary Press, Egg Press, Oblation Paper and Press, Stumptown Printers, Flight 64, Pinball Publishing, Shu-Ju Wang Studios, Oni Press, Top Shelf Comix, Bitch Magazine, Veneer Magazine, Stumptown Printers and Sharon Helms show work, from fine art to the practical.

At Portland City Hall 1221 SW4th Early 5-7PM Free



The Portland Art Center is doing things no one else is. They show unsaleable installation and sound work, they show video work consistently. The publish a mind blowing map of Portland art addresses. Now they need money. It's beyond juggling between paying the wireless bill and the rent, they will close without an infusion of support. Tonight they show panels of art for sale by artists Katherine Ace, Kelly Akin, Tisa Ambcosino, Michael Ambcosino, Matthew Anderson, Carl Annala, Melissa J Armstrong, Josh Arseneau, Adam Bailey, Hayley Barker, E. Dan Barker, Carolina T. Barres, Nicole Barton, Bennett Battaile, Jonathan Beaver, Susan Beck, Jordan Behr, Deanna Belinoff, London Bellman, Chris Bennett, David Benz, Ryan Birkland, Eric Blaisdell, Chuck E. Bloom, Jennifer Bogartz, Jacquelyn Bond, Mason Bond, Alisa Bones, Brian Borrello, Elizabeth Bottomly, Alison Boz Schurr, Jason Bradbury, John Brodie, Sharon Bronzan, Christopher James Brown, Tara Brown, Mazana Bruggeman, Huyden Buell, Peg Butler, Matt Carlson, Sarah Cella, Natasia Chan, Hannah Chavez, Niina Cochran, Thomas K. Conway, David Corbett, Robin Corbo, Dodge Corvallis, Michael Costello, Brianna Courtney, Kc Cowan, Kindra Crick, Leo Daedalus, Anna Daedalus, Kerry Davis, Margaret De Bona, Tatiana Defigueiredo, Rita Dekelaita, Brad Delay, Nathan Dinihanian, Kara Distler, Tore Djupedal, Tanja Djupedal, Melia Donovan, Shelby Dorneden, Robert R. Dozono, Tripper Dungan, Jessica Eastburn, Kara Edge, Joel Eisenhauer, Andrew Englehorn, Eleanor Erskine, Audrey Eschright, Peter Eschright, Karen Esler, Jenn Feeney, Chelsea Fletcher, Gabriel Flores, Jess Fogel, Shane A. Fortner, Sarah Fox, Jason Frank, Emily Freeman, Paul Francis Fukui, Alison Gayne, Ellen George, Pam Gibson, Bean Gilsdorf, Christina Glaze, Erik Goetze, Liz Goltz, Julie Gragg, Lisa Graham, Gordon Grant, Jen Gulzow, Christina Gyulafia, Chris Haberman, Cecilia Hallinan, Meghan Hanlon, Chris Harback, Carrie Hardison, Roll Hardy, Gregory Harrold, Sara Harwin, Fred Harwin, Sol Hashemi, Mo Hashemi, Kaebel Jk Hashitani, Stephen Hayes, Harvest Henderson, Paul Hendricks, Shelley Hersnberger, Helen Hiebert, L. Harrison Higgs, Lindsay & Nita Hill, E Ann Hinds, Beau Von Hinklywinkle, Kaz Hiromoto, Vidya Hivale, Theodore Holdt, Jeff Houghtaling, Scott Wayne Indiana, Colin Ives, Diane Jacobs, Collin Janke, Pamela Jayawardena, Molly Jochem, Lindsey Johnson, Barry Johnson, Marilyn Joyce, Jennifer June, Jaclyn Kampmeier, Eileen S. Kane, Emily Katz, Penny Kavan, Daniel Kaven, Joann Kemmis, Lindsay Kennedy, Kelly Kerwick, David Kimmel, Yoshihiro Kitai, Suzy Kitman, Linda Kliewer, Randall Koch, Nikki Kress, Nicky Kriara, Sadie La Rue, Bonnie Laing-Malcomson, Emily Larson, Tony Le Tigre, Stephanie Leet, Jeremy Legrand, Bishop Lennon, Maya Levy, Michelle Liccardo, Gabriel Liston, Rhoda London, Grace Luebke, Erin Mader, Rae Mahaffey, Bonnie Laing-Malcomson, Victor Maldonado, Sara Mapelli, Brian Mathus, Shannon Mayorga, Matt Mccalmout, Sef Mccullough, Mack Mcfarland, Jamshid Mehr, Bonnie Meltzer, Jennifer Mercede, Palmarin Merges, Leslie Miller, Don Minnerly, Nova Moisa, Cindy Monica, Ashley Montague, Monique Mos, David Mosher, Christine Mosher, Dave Mosier, Angela Muldoon, Brenna Murphy, Noah Nakell, Lorna Nakell, Seth Nehil, Jim Neidhardt, Kelly Neidig, Tj Norris, Dave Nunn, Caesy Oney, Shannon Page, Tammy Paladeni, Eugenia Pardue, Trude Parkinson, Timothy Peitsch, Carola Penn, J.D. Perkins, Hilary Pfeifer, Tom Prochaska, Nathoniel Prorka, Alex Rauch, Kelly Rauer, Jason Rhodes, William Rihel, Alexander Robbins, Mario Robert, Rita Robillard, Ben Rosenberg, Laura Ross-Paul, Blair Saxon-Hill, Lisa Sayles, Nancy Schaefor, Brian Schellinger, Megan Scheminske, Richard Schemmerer, Michael Schlicting, Jeremy Schultz, Gwenn Seemel, Mark E. Seibold, Evan Serrill, Dorthy Sharrar, Ty Shaver, Shannon Shea, Adam Sheppard, William Shouse, Colleen Siviter, Mark Smith, Cyrus W. Smith, Jessie Smith, Nicole Erika Smith, Moe Snyder, Kentree Speirs, Abi Spring, Benjamin Stagl, Dan Steffan, Blake Stellyes, Claire Stephens, Karen Stephens, Taylor Stevenson, Michelle Stiehl, Mika Suri, Angelita Surmon, Jenevive Tatiana, Lauren M. Taylor, Nishiki Tayui, Tyler Tervousen, Dave Tinman Edgar, Anna Todaro, Marjan Torabi, Anni Tracy, Jeremy Tucker, Nubby Twiglet, David Vanadia, Dana Vinger, Morgan Walker, Pat Walker, Sarah Walker, Shu-Ju Wang, David Ware, William Washburn, Staci Wendt, Alisha Wessler, Rebecca Wild, Emily Willis, Georgeann Wilson, Dane Wilson, Michael Wilson, Rachael Wilson, Sherrie Wolf, Linda Womack, Jana Woodson, Jennifer J. Woodward, Matthew Allen Wooldridge, Kerrie B. Wrye, Jenny Zajac. Just about everyone. They are priced at $300 which is cheap for an unknown and many of these artists are far from unknown. They are also doing a raffle at 221 NW 2nd at the Northwest Resource Credit Union - details. And they have a show by their own staff and Memory Machines by Alicia Eggert who is responsible for the awesome Kitchen Sink. If you ensure PAC survives, it is set to re-rename itself The Modern Zoo and set the stage for operating on a global level with some serious backers. That is good for Portland because it offers an opportunity to inject Portland artists into the world. All details at www.portlandart.org 32 NW 5th until 11PM



Fernanda D'Agostino is a mid career artist well known for installations. "Flight Studies" is video sourced from slow motion studies of bird flight done in collaboration with Dr. Bret Tobalske. CCA is an important West Coast art incubator. L'enfant terrible Larry Rinder, responsible for the 2002 Whitney Biennial shook up the NY art making machinery by presenting artists such as Miranda July and Chris Johanson who were formulating new aesthetic movements. Fully expecting to be fired, Rinder then curated risky show "The American Effect", art about America from outside America, in a post 9/11 New York. It was a success. Rinder is now dean at CCA from which he has launched a show "Coming Up: New Work by Recent Graduates of the California College of the Arts" Both at Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th



Quality Pictures moved here from Atlanta for the art. They have shown Portland artists but now they are jumping in in a very positive way. This month they open a large group show "It's Kind of Endless Paintings, Works on Paper and Sculpture by new Portland talent". We say yea! www.qpca.com 916 NW Hoyt



Eva Lake is a painter and collage maker. She is the artist's artist with a pretty awesome history as an artist, fashion worker, blogger podcaster, and gallerist with a finger in the music world. Richter Scale is her new show of vibrating bright geometric work. Artists just starting will benefit from learning from her experiences, delivered point blank, no candy coating. Since we are sitting on the fault line, Lake's work provides both visual and metaphorical touchpoints. At Augen downtown

Former Portlander Dharma Strasser Maccoll is known for ceramic multiples and elegant minimal mixed media work. "Growth Patterns" would be that. Recommended. Augen DeSoto

www.augengallery.com 817 SW 2nd and 916 NW Davis.



A standing recommendation are the Everett Lofts, bounded by NW Broadway, Everett, 6th and Flanders. It's easier to see everything in an evening than to try to find out in advance what is happening. Likewise the DeSoto building NW Broadway and Davis is home to several established galleries of high repute.



PNCA has many things worth seeing anytime. One tonight is Rip City Gingerblaze, candy and gingerbread sculpture made with sincerity. It would be hard to top the gingerbread office at April's Kitchen Sink which was devoured by fans. At PNCA www.pnca.edu corner NW 13th and Johnson



A DIY show, Mellow Yellow, goes down Eastside late. It's a mixed media group show at new bar mecca East End. Curator Jhordan Dahl wrangled artists Jaclyn Campanaro, Jake Cartwright, Liam Drain, Damien Gilley, Sarah Johnson, Barbara Kinzle, Kristie Louderbough, Dam Markson, Sarah Meadows, Sophie Mckinley, Tamar Monhait, Jud Nichelson, Corey Smith, & Jason Traeger. East End 203 SE Grand 8PM-2AM



The AIA, the American Institute of Architects, is where architects hang. Portland has a vibrant chapter which has just completed its move to NW 11th and Flanders in the old SK Josefsberg Gallery. They present monthly shows of architecture, planning, design and art. Tonight they present a show of the record of Portland architect John Yeon. Active in the early mid late 20th century, Yeon is known for establishing the Northwest mid century modern style in houses and in landscape. He was an influence on Pietro Belluschi and many Northwest architects to follow. Interestingly his first built work, the 1937 Watzek House in the West Hills is home to part of Eugene's U of O Art program in Portland. The ecology of U of O, PSU and PNCA art programs here is yet to play out. At the AIA offices and gallery www.aiaportland.com 403 NW 11th Early close, 8PM



Other shows which might be interesting are Heidi Kirkpatrick "Lost & Found" at Chambers Gallery, Debra Beers, known for longtime work with homeless kids on art Woolley, and a Bullseye group show dedicated to legendary glass maker Murano from which some of Bullseye's secret formulas may have derived.

December 4 New Orleans Photo Talk

Primarily focused on photography, 23Sandy opens a show of night photography, Night Moves, this week. One of the photographers, Portlander Stewart Harvey, speaks of his night photography experience in New Orleans. New Orleans, of course, feels different. The smells, the bugs, the krews, Yoruba magic, nature's decay-regeneration, impenetrable subcultural communities. I do not know if Harvey has captured it for you, but this is an easy way to maybe feel a little of what it is like to be there. At 23Sandy 623 NE 23rd 7PM Free

November 30 Toy Camera Book Talk

The one word career advise "Plastics" in the 1967 film "The Graduate" has been the real life career of author Michelle Bates. Holga queen Bates is the author of "Plastic Cameras: Toying With Creativity". She teaches how to mod and use these inexpensive, lo-fi, primarily chemistry-based imagers.

The book samples the work of photographers who use cameras such as the Holga, Diana(s), Action Sampler, Lomo, Fujipet, low tech digitals such as the Rollei Minidigi and Portland's own Lensbabies. She reviews the history of plastic cam models. She also explains how to fix your brand new Holga so it actually works.

To illustrate her talk, Bates will present chemistry-based slides of plastic imaging artists.

At Powell's. 1005 W Burnside 7:30PM Free

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

November 15 !!ArtsLaunch!! Seattle

There isn't something like this in Portland and maybe there should be.

!!Arts Launch!! happens 4 times a year. Artists spanning media present new works followed by a free flowing discussion with the audience on the creative process. No pressure of a big venue. An opportunity for cross fertilization of genres.

Tonight it is choreography by Sheri Brown and Diana Garcia Snyder with live music by Rosalynn DeRoos; Bharatanatyam dance by Divya Rangarajan; koto and shakahuchi by Elizabeth and John Falconer - Duo En; piano with toy piano by Nicole Truesdell and Adrienne Varner; musical theater by Holly Eckert, Amy Denio, and LA Heberlein; singer/songwriter Tim Franklin; paintings by Jessica John and mixed media by Tori Ellison.

!!Arts Launch!! is sponsored by Allied Arts which started as the Beer and Culture Society. Their list of accomplishments is truely awsome. Check this - funded by the "Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs." So Portland, get it on.

At a sweet central location: The Chapel Space at the Good Shepherd Center 4649 Sunnyside Avenue North, (Wallingford) Seattle. Doors 7PM, performance 8. $5 - $15 suggested donation

Monday, November 12, 2007

November 17 Aishu Venkataraman

Indian violinist Aishu Venkataraman was born in 1993. Beginning her violin training with her grandmother at age 18 months, by the Suzuki method, she became the youngest musician ever admitted to Berklee last year. She is simultaneously pursuing a high school degree in California and college degree in Boston over summers while touring to perform. Her teacher is Panjidt T. N. Krishnan, India's preeminant violinist, and now 80. He flies in from India to teach her here. In her own words: "I think I'm doing a lot more in the summers [than my peers] and I guess I'm working harder, but on the weekends, I'm still nagging my parents. I'll say, 'Dad, I'm going out.'". Her accomplished father, a mathematician, Vinod Venkataraman, accompanies her on mridangam. Of her musical career, her father remarks: "I think what's happened in her life is that she's become very focused and become very good at time management".

Sponsored by Kalakendra. At Lewis and Clark College in Evans Auditorium. Adults: $20 advance, $25 door, the next gen (age 5-12): $10 advance, $12.50 at door. 7:30PM

November 12 Pecha Kucha=Smart Show and Tell

Art and design evolves more quickly than the culture at large because creative people are sharing ideas, the raw feed, continuously. A new vehicle for that is Pecha Kucha. Created by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in Japan for designers to show their work, each presentation is 20 slides presented for only 20 seconds each. The format promotes intuitive response, so perfect for post presentation brainstorming. Pecha Kucha has spread worldwide, now to Portland.

Presenters tonight include Urbanhonking blog cofounder, Mike Merrill; Holst Architecture; artist provocateur, Scott Wayne Indiana, responsible for the Portland Horse Project; PhaseOne multi genre event organizer, Garrett Strickland; designer-traveler Ryan Yaden; founder of P:ear, Pippa Arend and Portland Architecture blogger Brian Libby .

Sponsored by designers cityscope, the research lab of architects Works Partnership, Picha Kucha Night Portland Vol 01 takes place at the Ace Hoel Cleaners, SW 10th and Stark. Sliding scale admission by donation. Doors 7:30PM, talks 8:20

Saturday, November 10, 2007

November 10 Battles and More

While the city has been waging a war of attrition on hip hop, a small group is building community around b-girl b-boy crews. Individual style, teamwork and psychology all come together for battle events which combine fierce competition with love. The Amplified Techniques Ashes2Ashes event this summer was the performance of the year for me. A more intimate event is the 7th annual Reed battle.

The Foundation is a 5 on 5 event. On the wheels of steel itz Sugarman of the Buttermilk Baby Makers (PDX/AZ)and judges are Kareem (R4C), Andy Tiger Claw (Misguided Steps) and Tim Chips (Fraggle Rock).

At the Reed student union. Doors 6PM, battles 7. All proceeds to Ethos (yea!!) $3 Reed students, $7.


Meanwhile there is a bellydance performance by Severina and Znama with Kristin, Emily, Angel and Lili. They are accompanied by musicians Negara which is Doug Shafer, Sean Malloy, Chris Jacobson and JD Devros. That is at Marino's Cafe, 4129 SE Division. 8PM $5

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

November

Portlandorusnow is on vacation with limited Internet connectivity, regularly scheduled programming will resume next week. Have fun First Thursday and First Friday!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

October 29 Fritz Haeg Placemaking

Fritz Haeg creates experimental places for creative interaction. He may do one next year at Reed. He operates at the nexus of academic and experimental art in LA. It is very mysterious there is not a collective doing similar art-action here.

At the 5th Ave Cinemas 510 SW Hall Room 92 7:30PM Free

October 26 Please Listen I Have Something to Tell You About What Is

Sage artist Chris Johanson lives here. Before that he was a humble key figure among a small group of artists dubbed "the Mission school" post ipso facto. Humble in a good way. At one time the Mission 'hood in San Francisco was an affordable place to live and that fermented an arts community. The real diversity of the communities living there too was a key ingredient.

The Mission school vectors were picked up much later in the Brooklyn drawing style about the same time it was discovered by museums. Chris' work continues to evolve in his new Portland home where he has been super supportive of emerging art entities.

Tonight is his special night - the release of a book "Please Listen I Have Something to Tell You About What Is" on his work. His gallerist, Jack Hanley, contributed text to the bookalong with Aaron Rose and Sean Kennerly. The book release is at Reading Frenzy, 921 SW Oak, starting at 7PM Free

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

October 25 Slideshow Potluck

I had come across this at a distance in NY. Complaints about no venues to show your art? Bring it here. Kind of like the schoolage book report. More fun though, with the opportunity to meet other artists. All info at http://www.slideluckpotshow.com/portland.php At the Ace Hotel, SW 10th and Stark 7PM Free

Monday, October 15, 2007

October 22 Steve Badanes Architecture as Art

UW prof Badanes makes community architecture, often scaled down, participatory, in the community. So applied art. Perhaps in the tradition of Hassan Fathy, the Egyptian participatory architect. His take on the City Repair Project would be interesting.

At the PSU 5th Ave Cinemas 510 SW Hall Room 92 7:30PM Free

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

October 21 Art&War: Commentary in Ceramic

Richard Notkin makes maddeningly refined ceramic sculpture. Those finely detailed miniature YiXing Chinese teapots from Jiangsu province are his inspiration.

I believe craft is characterized by an overwelming emphasis on technique passed between individuals. Contemporary art places heavy focus on the idea behind the piece. Notkin gravitates more toward the idea pole but with work that reminds fine craft. Thus, he is perfect for a slide lecture sponsored by the Museum of Contemporary Craft. It is "Art&War Four Decades of Social Commentary in Clay".

No matter your political persuasion, it is hard to disagree with Notkin's thesis, expressed in his work: "We have stumbled into the 21st Century with the technologies of 'Star Wars' and the emotional maturity of cavemen... Ultimately, my current works are about lessons heard, but not heeded, during the 20th Century, and how these ignored lessons will affect this new century and the human species' ability (or inability) to survive the next 100 years. My work is a visual plea for sanity. It's really quite simple."

Notkin speaks at PNCA NW Johnson x 13th. Reception 3, talk 4PM Free

October 20 Bitch Magazine Party

Bitch Magazine moved from San Francisco to Portland. They are independent and reader supported, not part of the world publishing media plex. So sometimes they throw a gettogether to recharge the battery. Tonight they invite you and some artists to an art auction party - sm[art]. Evolutionary thinking and art go together. Consider the artists gathered - Hannah Stouffer, Eva Lake, Shannon Wheeler, Amy Ruppel, Nikki McClure, and the Guerilla Girls. A tarot card reading with Michelle Tea(!), some Queen Bee creations and other things you might want are up for auction too. The Sprockettes will perform and Anjali will DJ for your mad dancing pleasure. 21+ Tickets are on a sliding scale $15-45 at www.brownpapertickets.com. Details: www.bitchmagazine.com Event is at the Ace Hotel Cleaners 7-11PM

October 20 North Indian Ragas

Brij Narayan sarod, joined by Abhijeet Banerjee, tabla, play for you evening ragas. In the perfect place to see this, the old wood church downtown. The vibrations of the low tabla notes carry through the building corpus. You will feel them. Presented by Kalakendra. Cosponsored by Lewis and Clark. Advance- Tickets West. At the First Congregational Church 1126 SW Park. $25/20 or members free. 7:30PM.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

October 19-24 Portland Fashion Week

Fashion has sometimes a bad rap. It stands in for economic-class issues, celebrity culture, junior high in-ies vs out-ies carried on into life. On the other hand, it is a form of communication at a distance which can be used to fight evil. And make people smile. In Portland I think it is a force for good. Independent creative artists started by reconstructing previously made pieces and then added new sustainable materials to the mix. It is supporting people economically in Portland and we are even exporting beautiful things to other cities. That's economically sustainable.

Portland Fashion Week is a distillation of all of those creative vectors. If you are going, consider what one of a kind or small local label item you will wear to communicate your values at a distance. Maybe you made it yourself.

Much more informed information than I can provide on all the events can be found at ultrapdx.com. The venue is the always surreal Portland Shipyard. Leave plenty of time to find and arrive. Depending on what space they are using at the shipyard, tickets may be limited.

Details on all of the events at Portland Fashion Week. Tickets are also available in person at Dragonlily, Souchi, Visage, Dana Lynn, Greenloop and IDOM

October 18-20 10 Or Less Film Festival (shorts)

I met the organizers of this and they are cool, non-short attention span people. But if the stress and strife of the modern world is getting you down, or you are just curious about the art of short story telling on the wide screen, then maybe this is the perfect diversion. They have parties and panels, so you may find the festival pass useful. There is plenty of info on their website: http://www.10orlessfest.com/ At the Hollywood Theater and various locations.

October 15 Alan McCollum on Population and Art

Alan McCollum is working on a large project to create a unique 2D profile for every person on the planet, up to, and including, the anticipated peak of over 9 billion in about 2050. This work continues a long series of unique multiples begun in 1969. On its surface, McCollum's obsession seems odd. Consider though the art world's obsession with rarity and singular uniqueness. The one Van Gogh oil. McCollum's exponentially scaled output is a direct challenge to the idea. With his Shapes project, the scale of billions is such that he cannot complete the project in his lifetime. It is designed as an Adobe Illustrator algorithm which others can carry forward. It is also a meditative touch point for our species' sustainability on lifeship earth.

At the PSU 5th Ave Cinemas 510 SW Hall Room 92 7:30PM Free

October 11-14 Tahni Holt endless ocean endless sky

endless ocean endless sky is an experimental performance for an audience of 10 told in 100 instants. This intimate exchange unfolds in architectural space at PNCA. Reservations required. 7:30pm, 9pm, 10:30pm. Corner NW Johnson x 13th. $15

October 11, 13 Interactive Installation @ 911 Seattle

This is hard to describe, much less imagine, thus it must be seen. We all know of Marco Polo's travels to the East. Imagine the reverse journey, of a fictional Japanese woman, West. Artist Tamiko Thiel has done so in “The Travels of Mariko Horo”.

It is a 3d virtual world in which you, the viewer, experience the journey from Mariko's point of view. The story takes place between the 12th and 22nd centuries, enabled by time travel.

Tamiko Thiel's piece opens this evening with a reception, contact the center for details on the show's run.

On Saturday see a video of "In the Land of Babari-an". For this piece, the artist controlled the narrative path of the "The Travels of Mariko Horo" VR offstage, while dancers Shinichi Iova-Koga (inkBoat, San Francisco) and Ishide Takuya (Tokyo) performed in front of the screen.

Thank you Brenda Laurel.

At 911 Media Arts Center, 402 9th Ave N, Seattle.

Opening reception Oct 11, 6-9PM
Dance-installation video Oct 13, 4:30PM
Both Free.

October 11 m.o.n.o. Collective

I am all for collectives. When they are really clicking the result is beautiful. I hope more form up in Portland and make an impression internationally.

The m.o.n.o. Collective is sort of a tighter place-based Born Magazine. Writers and visual artists work together to realize something greater in whole than in parts. A collective.

Realizations therein include "I know you" by Kristie Louderbough/ images by Miranda Lehman; "Women of Sand, Men of Salt" by Tiffany Edwards/ images by Jaclyn Campanaro. "Cedar Rapids, The Coming of Derrick Dean" by Lisa Wells/ images by Sarah Meadows and Melanie Brown; /Nicholas Bindeman and Rasheeda Lalsingh music for all.

At the Portland Art Center
32 NW 5th Ave $2/free PAC members 8PM

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

October 5-8 HP Lovecraft Film Festival

I don't like horror films much. Really at all. I have been lucky to have been only on the periphery of a few real politically motivated horrors. Comparatively, celluloid horror is thin. So for me this is just one of those Portland oddities: the annual H.P. Lovecraft film festival. Lovecraft was a brilliant sad writer - look back through my old posts for history. This festival pairs John Carpenter's "The Thing" with a new, filmed in Astoria, "Cthulhu". I don't know if Cthulhu actually appears in the film. The details are at http://www.hplfilmfestival.com as well as all the times and admission prices.

October 5 Eastside Art Openings

At the Grass Hut, Shawn Wolfe shows "ponderous, playful, pointless and panicky" graphic work crafted with "heartfelt ambivalence". Sounds very post post ironic. Mike and Michelle Kelly, Le Merde make painting, sculpture and figures. See all of the above at the Grass Hut

Moshi moshi is vibin'on halloween too with a show by Brett Superstar, Tripper, Nicolai Dornstauder, Dung Ho, RITS, Nomearts, Geneva Smith and Justin Scrappers Morrison. Moshi-Moshi

Redux shows collage works by Jason Dietz. Some are glossy magazine snips or made from paint chips. Some are fantastic landscapes, others cityscapes. At reduce reuse redux

all 811 E Burnside



Painter Rose McCormick shows "Americana", paintings at the New American Art Union. McCormick's paintings are bright, made with egg tempura which works well with her style. Here is a link good for this month of her paintings. At New American Art Union 922 SE Ankeny



Newspace shows work by Todd Stewart, Paul Yurkovich & Rishi Singhal. Newspace is no longer new, it's 5. So later in the evening, they are celebrating their birthday at Holocene with music by Cicada Omega and Bark, Hide and Horn $8 Holocene:1001 SE Morrison. Newspace Gallery:1632 SE 10



The 23 Sandy photospace shows Photo+Construct. It's a group show in which artists incorporate photomaterial into sculptural and flatter mixed media work. This gallery is a welcome addition to Portland's photography ecosystem. 623 NE 23rd Avenue three doors north of Sandy Boulevard. http://www.23sandy.com/Location.html



The Eastside artshop guide has been updated, so there is much more cool stuff than I could possible know there: http://www.firstfridayart.com/

October 4 Westside Art Openings

Shows are up all month, generally Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 or 6. So rainy Saturdays are a good time to see art without opening crowds.

Just Be Toys/ Compound duals Japanese illustration shows and small sculpture reliefs. Illustrators include Sayka, Makiko Sugawa, Yuka Yamaguchi and Micca.

The beautiful strange polymer clay reliefs are "The Evolution of Psychepolymereganics" by Meredith Dittmar.

Prolific Portland creative Merideth Dittmar had a great show a while back at Stumptown. Now her work is at Compound, a good suggested match. Her description wins the copywriting award of the month:

"Meredith Dittmar is an artist living and playing in Portland OR. Born near Boston Mass, she grew up in a world of pet pigs, horses, hay-forts and spy games. Follow this with an education in computer science, a career in interactive design, a compulsive need to create, and a drive to seek and you get the major elements of her person and work.

Dittmar's human-animal-plant-energy amalgams contain threads of common elements and colors to express deep levels of union across themes of biology, technology, and consciousness. Her characters are frequently involved in quiet expressive moments, or lounge facing their audience so they can share their inner space. Dittmar believes it is this space we recognize in ourselves, and through convening in that space, the interconnectedness of all things is revealed. She sees the act of spontaneous artistic creation as part of a larger practice of being present, and a way to better understand herself and reality."

At Compound/ Just Be Toys www.justbedesign.com 107 NW 5th



Reading Frenzy has been a reliable art outpost for self taught artists since its inception. More than a few have blossomed into showing their creative work at galleries in and outside Portland. The 'Frenzy has always concentrated on small very affordable work - that means you can buy it. Repeat "you can buy it". This month see "Forget Me Not", a show themed on the Day of the Dead, holiday of remembrance. Take a look at the list of artists: Alicia Justus, Carye Bye, Cathy Pitters, Cynthia Lahti, Dan Ness, Donal Mosher, Edith Abeyta, Julianna Bright, Justin "Scrappers" Morrison, Nicole Georges, Philip Iosca, Tara Jane O'Neil, Theo Ellsworth. We each, and the artists too, have lost. Loved ones, the land, companion animals, places, the past and longed for futures. If you are so inspired, bring a small photo or drawing to add to an altar of remembrance. If you like, wear your Sunday-best to the opening. At Reading Frenzy 921 SW Oak



Busy-ness ontogulates efficiency. So I say see the Everett Lofts, the Portland Art Center and the Daisy Kingdom art megaplexes. It won't take much time to find things you like and I don't need to write about everything. The intent is for you to see a lot and craft your own quality. The Everett Lofts and cotravelers are bounded by NW Broadway, Everett, Flanders and 6th. The Daisy Kingdom houses very quality commercial and non commercial galleries. It is at the corner of NW Broadway and Davis. The Portland Art Center is at the corner of NW 5th and Couch and has multiple shows each month. Artist studios in the same building are often open first Thursday.



Mathew Picton is an Oregon artist from Ashland who operates on a global geographic. In this case, geographic is the meme. Picton's sculptural theme has been to sample the world, from lifting peeling paint from decaying walls; casting Alvord desert playa fissures; sampling the subocean topography; tracing the fascinating patterns below our feet of cracked concrete. Look sometime, those beautiful patterns are hidden around us all. For this show, Picton has sampled street grids and relayered them on the gallery walls. Especially fascinating is Baghdad's street grid, drawing us against our will into a sad maelstrom. Generations will know that map. Cartography is a more subtle art than appreciated, repurposing it for art maybe brings back the mystique. At Pulliam Deffenbaugh 929 NW Flanders early opening close - 8PM



We are a place. Unimaginably beautiful forests of fifteen foot diameter firs were cut to pieces to craft loving homes and a myriad of supporting structures. With them we realize now all the lost salmon and more. A great romantic swath for some, for others the loss of Rousseau's Eden. That is Karin Weiner's start point. Her schematic paintings depict stumps, lost bears, the houses made from all the long grown wood. At Elizabeth Leach 417 NW 9th



Particiation breeds inspiration. That was the inspiration behind Zoom Uganda. Twelve girls were given cameras to document their lives over 24 hours. When I was there, the country had one of the highest HIV infection rates. I met the [UN] WHO AIDS research director. He was exactly the deep philosopical person needed for the job. It opened my eyes. He had a unique perspective on conflict and loss. What AIDS there means is orphans. In the village there are elders and children. All else is missing, which, when considered, tears society, ripling generations. Imagine no, or only one, parent from childhood on. Think about it. So when you hear a Bono or a Bush mention it, don't discount the message for the messenger. The photos of these young women/next generation are at W+K 224 NW 13th



The Mark Woolley Gallery, now downtown, opens a themed show "Blue". Color and blue sky. At Mark Woolley Gallery
817 S.W. 2nd



Oregon (Salem?) quiet artist D. E, May shows minimal weathered work of paper. May has niched a spot that might be difficult for an emerging artist to enter now. Nonetheless, the work has a quiet Zen appeal which could play worldwide. At PDX Contemporary Art 925 NW Flanders early opening close 8PM



PNCA graduate Tom Cramer is known for bright geometric paintings on building walls, and painting vehicles from old school bugs to scooters. He is a sculptor, imprinting the same aesthetic on carved wood totem poles. His work of recent are low relief carved wood panels. Cramer carves wandering quiet patterns and colors them with rich finishes. At the start of this body of work, he collaborated with a lost friend, Cassie Wright, traveler and artist, to find the surface finishes which complete the work. The combination draws you in. Now at Laura Russo Gellery 805 NW 21st

Monday, October 01, 2007

October 1 PSU Lecture Series: Corin Hewett

Corin Hewett is known for making sculpture of site specific material. For example he made a sculpture from street detritus. Sometimes his gathering touches media and events of the day. He worked in the Small A Projects constructing and deconstructing sculptures in September. Tonight he discusses his work in the first regular Monday talk at PSU. At the 5th Ave Cinemas 510 SW Hall Room 92 7:30PM Free

Thursday, September 20, 2007

September 30 Morning Ragas

Ragas are a thing in Indian music I leave to non-analysis. They are to be performed at a specific time of day, so some for morning, some for evening, and so forth. There is no analogue in Western music.

Terry Riley is a force of nature in music. You know many justborn stars burning brightly in music. At age 72, Riley has been burning for some time, very, very brightly.

Musique concrète is very, very early electronic music. The most experimental musicians back in the day explored it using the first electronic music instruments and tape loops, an early sampling technology. John Cage, fellow Buddhist to Riley, was the first to incorporate chance into composition, ordering phrases into a piece by random processes such as the I-Ching, in 1951.

In the 1950's, Riley began experimenting with tape loops. Influenced by Stockhausen (I recorded once a Stockhausen piece, Kontakte, a piece for 4 electronic channels and a bevy of live percussion. Its score is a work of art), Riley, soon after, went much, much, further out.

Combining these influences, Riley produced the first minimalist composition mass released In C in 1964. Collaborator Steve Reich, and followers Philip Glass, John Adams, Robert Ashley, ultimately influenced Brian Eno's ambient music. That thread has continued in many forms of today's electronica.

Riley is somewhat infamous for all night improv concerts in the 60's. The audience camped in sleeping bags or bundled in blankets. In that time, he discovered Indian classical music. Studying under Pandit Pran Nath, Riley became primarily a classical Indian vocal musician. That is his long lived musical vector for this morning. His long lived friendships bring him here.

Riley sings morning ragas for an intimate audience at the Community Music Center, a beautiful thing in itself. It's 3350 SE Francis. Performance 11AM, $20, door only.

September 29 Movement St Johns Art

Construct/Re-Construct is a visual group show curated by Rhoda London. Artists include Josh Arseneau, Francesca Berrini, John Brodie, Tiffany Lee Brown, Clare Carpenter, Cathy Cleaver, Nancy Cushwa, Kristina DiTullo, Tore Djupedal, David Hacker, Helen Heibert, Harrison Higgs, Scott Wayne Indiana, James Jack, Horatio Law, Todd Leninger, Seth Nehil, Liz Obert, Kelly Rauer, Anya Shapiro, Benjamin Stagl, Andy Stout, Robert Wilhelm, Karen Willey, Linda Wysong. It is in the St Johns warehouse formerly occupied by Columbia Sportswear before they moved to th suburbs, Initially offered for lease to artists at $.25 per square foot month, it is what Portland needs more of.

In the Cathedral Park art warehouse megaplex. 6635 N Baltimore 5-8pm Free


Butoh is not for everyone. This butoh is not beginner's butoh either. I am not big into noise dark improv, but it has its adherents here. The musical lineup tonight is dark chaos and noise. Musical performers include A Minority of One, Sleeping With the Earth, Redbird, Critical Theatre, Cult of Zir. The butoh interest is Briana Chittenden performing with musician Poet Noise Body, who, despite the name, is more of an electroacoustic improviser. Chittenden's angular movement is not afraid of risk. It is fascinating and challenging, maybe like Hijikata's. He was the originator of the form.

At ROTTURE 315 SE 3rd Ave $5 10PM on

September 28 The Art of Travel

Travel is transformational. Art too. Combining the concepts, tonight is the opening of a show: The Art of Travel. Visual artists Amy Ruppel, Justin “Scrappers” Morrison, Evan B Harris, Shawn Wolfe, David Kaul, Brent Wick, Jeremy Pelley, Philip Iosca, Sarah Gottesdiener, Liza Rietz and Storm Tharp show work. Japanese design phenom Uniqlo, brings limited artist designed shirts. In Japan they are dispensed (as are many strange things) in nifty tubes from vending machines at any hour. Music by Kanda, the Chromatics, and Beyonda. The show runs Sepember 29-October 2, 11AM-7PM. For the opening RSVP is required to pdxjapan@acehotel.com Ace Hotel Cleaners 10th and SE Stark 9:30PM on Free

September 27 Office Bellydance Musics

This Last Thursday on Alberta may be the last without rain for the season. There OfficePDX shows art by co-owner Tony Secolo: Typography of Typewriters. Those ancient text processors were a big thing in the day with over 300 brands spanning 125 years, just in North America! Blickensdorfer, Peoples and Crown Index, Merritt, Underwood, Columbia Barlock, Hammond, Remington, Oliver, Royal, Simplex - most of the old brands are relic. Those alien type balls from old electric IBM typewriters presaged our word processors with myriad typefaces. Olivetti engaged smart industrial designers to design their typewriters, a strategy copied by Apple. Secolo is trained as a graphic artist, that is the starting point for this work reprising the mechanical word processing age. At OfficePDX www.officepdx.com 2204 NE Alberta



Rererato continues its beautiful music series with Celesteville, Moodring and Very Stereo - artist, filmmaker, director, organizer, distributor Matt McCormick's musical unit. There is art on the wall too. Rererato www.rererato.com 5135 NE 42 x Sumner $4 7PM



I often met really good creative people, later I find they study with one of the great creative belly dancing communities in the city. Performances are a treat, especially accompanied by live music. I believe there is a weekly at It's a Beautiful Pizza. I do not know these performers, but tonight musicians Al-Arwah performs live for belly dancers Tiffany, Tamara, Oberon & Eden. At Mississippi Pizza, 3552 N Mississippi $5 9PM

September 26-28 The Moon

On the 15th day of the eighth month, 909, in Kyoto, the court gathered to view the moon. That tradition, O-Tsukimi, has even more ancient roots in China in the period of the Zhou Dynasty, 1122-256BC. Chinese mythology holds stories of Chang-e, the immortal goddess of the moon, who is able to fly with the aid of a magic elixir. The moon festival tradition is found in many other Asian cultures, tied to the Autumn full moon. It is a celebration of harvest and the season's change parallel to the equinox, which is based on a non-lunar calendar.

The Portland Japanese Garden's O-Tsukimi is sublime. We stroll the garden in the early evening. It is lit by candles in the stone lanterns. Shakuhachi and koto duo En play quietly. We consume hot green tea, hot saki, vegan sushi and mooncakes. Sitting watching the moon rise in front of the pavilion, overlooking the city, or strolling, we write poetry, which is tied to the branches of a small tree for all to read.

There are details at www.japanesegarden.com. The gardens are a walk up from the Rose Garden in Washington Park. Reservations required. $20 members, $25 non. 6:30-8:00PM.

September 26 Just be there #29

I was lucky to participate in a beautiful intimate class "Using Global Media" in the dining room of renaissance man Mathew Stadler. His book filled house, glowing woodstove, shy cats, awesome guests and tasty potlucks were the perfect complement to deep lively discussions on creating creative networks, in person and virtual, by the exchange of gifts and relation, worldwide.

One of our crew, Sarah Gottesdiener, is a renaissance woman, and musician - her band the Gay Deceivers, is just off performing at PICA's TBA. (The band story is sweet too.) Sarah is putting all of her global media skills to this event and it shows!

The party celebrates the release of PLAZM#29.

29 explores the theme of collective memory.

It includes art from Sue Coe, Art Chantry, Storm Tharp, Todd Haynes. It has interviews with JD Samson, Yoko Ono, and Jessica Jackson Hutchins. 29 contains writing from Robert Mackey and Domenick Ammirati. There is a PDX musical memory map documenting 30 years of independent music. Also a taxonomy of meth labs and thoughts on the End of War. More stuff too. I'll put all of the exclamation points for all of that here: !!!!!!!!! 29 you can buy and read anytime, and will be on sale at a discount tonight.

The night includes mad dancing to DJ BJ, DJ Linoleum, and DJ Girlfriends.

Fueled by Saint Cupcake, New Deal Vodka, New Belgium Brewing and Guayaki Yerba Maté.

With art by David Eckard, Art Chantry, Storm Tharp, Kristan Kennedy, Philip Iosca, Sam Gould, Horatio Law, Matthew Stadler, and others. It's themed "the end of war" and the art will be auctioned to benefit Veterans for Peace. Amen.

Wow music by Evolutionary Jass Band, Hooliganship, and Glass Candy.

Film by Vanessa Renwick.

Ok I'll put some more exclamation points here: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


http://www.plazm.com
http://www.plazm.com/news
http://www.myspace.com/plazmrocks

At the Ace Hotel. Corner 10th and SW Stark. $3. all ages. Doors 8PM, bands 9.

Sept ember 25 Ponyghost Landuse Bus

Rererato continues David Kyle & The Invisables, Jenni Potts, True Tape Ponyghost. The art show Remembery is up too.

At Rererato 5135 NE 42nd $4 Starts 7



The Bus Project, of which we've written, has created a debate to make learning something about Oregon's land use planning undo redo exciting. Really. In the 70's?, Oregon put in place revolutionary land use laws to make Oregon beautiful and sustainable. Last year voters undid part of that. Now we get to vote on redoing part. If you don't completely understand, come to the debate at Rontoms. 6th & E Burnside. 21 and over, 7PM Free

September 24 Patient Sub Ocean

Rererato continues Patient Patient, Ocean Floor, Sub-Cons. The art show Remembery is up too.

At Rererato 5135 NE 42nd $4 Starts 7

September 23 Music East to West

Rererato hosts a special guest appearance by the owner's band THE COURIERS from NYC and the Synesthete Ensemble and Cars & Trains. Show starts at 7pm.

At Rererato 5135 NE 42nd Starts 7 Free



For something a little beautifully different, Gaurav Mazumdar, Sitar, West Bengal; Kuntal Roy, Tabla, Delhi; are accompanied by Portlander Rose Okada, tambura play Indian music. It is at the Nityananda Institute, NE 31st and Holiday. 4PM $20 donation

September 22 Music Art Rollerderby

Rererato continues with Dead Air Fresheners, Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, LA Lungs, M.E. & me. The art show Remembery is up too.

At Rererato 5135 NE 42nd $4 Starts 7



The Rose City Rollers roll on towards the end of the season. Check their website for details. Their shows often sell out without help from Andrew Dickson. At the Expo Center. Go By Train.

http://rosecityrollers.com/rosecityrollersevents.php Doors 5PM, roll 6. Tickets $15-25 often sell out.

September 21 Cut + Paste

Ever wonder the process of creation? It is probably both less and more mysterious than imagined. In the graphic design space some projects seem to take infinite time. Alternate ideas are devised, discussed, debated, discarded. What if there was no time for that? Tonight design enters the realm of sport with time limits and competition as variables in Cut + Paste. 8 designers have 3 rounds to convince 5 judges to award them, only one, 1 crown. Judges include Jose Cabaco, W+K; Kristan Kennedy, PICA; Josh Berger, Plazm; Eric Lawrence, Ziba; Jason Bacon, UNKL. DJ's Rev Shines, Kez and MC Omega Watts preside. www.cutandpaste.com At the Wonder 128 NE Russell $10 advance (website), $15 door. Doors 7PM, show 8.

September 20 graf-musics-performance + VJ Night

The ad agency has its ear to the ground, it has its ear to the sky and also its ear on the tracks of pop culture sensing the next train. They bring them there and you can see them for free.

Today it's graffiti+art+music+performance from david choe and saber live.

choe is somewhat infamous for the content of his books, calendars, murals, comics, toys, print design and animation

graf artist saber travels the world making it beautiful. saber has executed the largest piece in the world ever - it required 97 gallons of paint, took 35 nights and covers the size of a football field!

In the W+K atrium 224 NW 13th 3PM Free



In Seattle, the 911 Media Arts Center presents their monthly VJ night hosted by VJ scobot. This month is a little different in that it is a screening of a documentary on VJing, "Video Out" by Paul Vlachos and Meredith Finkelstein (13Bit Productions, www.13bit.com ). The filmmakers will also show work in progress "Lumia".

911 Media Arts Center www.911media.org 402 9th Ave N. Seattle, WA 7:30PM

Friday, September 14, 2007

September 15 Who is the Fairest of them All

Dueling street fairs, which is so unnecessary, unfold North and South. The Alberta Street Fair continues with, well, the Alberta Street Fair vibe. I'm voting for the underdog, the Foster Road Fo-Po fair www.myspace.com/fosterartwalk. Many artists live in each area because the rent is or was cheap. Details on their websites

Rererato continues its music and art with an art show themed on memory - Remembery - including artists Megan Berner (Iowa), Megan Jacobs(Georgia), Ann Mansolino (Michigan), and Rob Southard (Kentucky). Jacobs piece is melting, so time is of the essence. Musicians Alison Denis & Yeti Love perform. The show is up September 15th through October 20th at viewing hours on their website. NE 42nd and Sumner Free tonight 7-9PM

September 14 Music Ragas Waffles

Rererato continues its experimental almost living room music series with Pilgrims, Wroom, sirius.fnord vs Ty Cobb and The Clothing Collection. All the details at www.rererato.com 42nd and NE Sumner $4 7PM

I am more for instrumental music of the subcontinent. Maybe I need to listen to more vocal rags. Here is an opportunity. Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty sings ragas accompanied by four instrumentalists. He is the first recipient of the "Kumar Gandharva" award for the best musician under 45, he received the "President's award for the best male playback singer in 1990" , he is the first Fellow to receive a Gold Medal from the "Sangeet Research Academy" (SRA). So good within that system of aesthetics. At the OHSU Main Auditorium, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Pk Road $15 (12 years and younger Free) 7:30PM

There is also an opening at Jáce Gáce 6-midnight and a performance-installation at Rocksbox 6540 N.Interstate/Cesar Chavez Blvd x Portland Blvd/Rosa Parks Way 6-11PM and some things happening on Mississippi

September 14-16 Art Aqua Portland

Not really. The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel is a small art fair, mixing in some out of town galleries, profit and non, with locals. Since it is generally considered good to see as much art as possible, this is a way to do so without traveling. Each gallery occupies a Jupiter room, so most work is small, with works on paper common. See what is being made and presumably selling elsewhere, though to sell that yourself may require selling it outside Portland, which is good, because art prices are higher in other art center cities. There is also a talk Saturday on selling art which is not selling out, in my view. Thanks to Laurel Gitlen of Small A projects (Small A also has an opening Saturday evening) and Stuart Horodner (former PICA visual curator) for organizing this. www.affair-jupiterhotel.com $5 noon-7

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

September 12 DIY Marriage

Rererato is a DIY gallery-storefront-house that hosts art shows and live music. Their last visual show was themed sleep. Tonight music is added from the local Marriage Records community. Their motto is "first comes love". Always. Playing are Grouping, Fortress of Amplitude, Mudboy, Lucky Dragons and Ghosting. The night perfect.

At Rererato 5135 NE 42nd $4 Starts 7

Thursday, September 06, 2007

September 7 Eastside Art Openings

Timothy Scott Dalbow is known for colorful paintings. They are at the New American Art Union this month 922 SE Ankeny



"Welcome to California [North]" may come sooner than later with global warming. Already we are becoming Brooklyn West. In the '70's? there was a famous sign on I5, to the effect "welcome to Oregon, enjoy your visit, but don't stay". So the copywriting award of the month goes to the Grass Hut Gallery:

"Bwana Spoons and Justin "Scrappers" Morrison are coming outta the closet. The secrets out, they're from California. They've kept it a secret because they thought Oregonians might get mad and hate on them with a "Locals Only" attitude. As it turns out though, everyone's been super nice and welcoming here in Portland. So take this show as a welcome right back at you.

In their new body of work the Cali-boys explore and reflect everything rad and lame about California. That covers everything from surfing legend Moon-Doggy to gangsta rap legend Easy-E.

Using vivid colors and bold icons in their new painting, Bwana and Scrappers celebrate their first show together in Grass Hut gallery"

"Bwana Spoons:
Growing up in California I began to think of it as it's own country. Born in Santa Ana on a dragbike, and after a momentary stint in Michigan, my folks moved me up and down the coast and the valley. We made pit stops in Trona(Death Valley)- where my dad worked at the the Kerry-McGee plant. Home to Silkwood. Then Fairfield- where I learned to skate like every other Californian. Central Valley- not the area, the town right near the Shasta Dam. Walnut Creek- where my mom thought our house was haunted, but really just felt uncomfortable because everybody was rich, Then off to the shithole Oakley- Again, not the goggle/sunglass company, just some walnut orchards, cholos, and rednecks out in the middle of suburbia. Then to mendocino- Where I realized that you didn't have to hate school, and fight, or run from fights everyday. The ocean, hippies, no fences, and no walkie talkies. And lastly, when I graduated from mendo I moved to SF. home to hills, killer art, king of slappies, and earthquakes. So... by the time i moved to portland back in '96, at first i just thought it was an extension of the country California. I love it here, and I still love california. This show is about my love for all things Cali, the good, the rad, and the ugly.

Justin "Scrappers" Morrison:
I am Californian: I have kicked Mickey Mouse in the balls, I have been to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, I saw the LA riots, I had my first kiss under the Hollywood sign next to Madonna's house, I listened to "Straight Outta Compton" by NWA while on spring break in Palm Springs, I smoked pot in a VW van parked in front of Jimm Morrison's house, I surfed my first wave at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, I watched my first movie on the Walt Disney studio lot, I've seen Erik Estrada (Ponch) from Chips dressed up as Santa Clause hand out gifts at the Los Angeles Mission, I learned how to tree-sit by Earth First protesters in Humboldt county, I found a seal's tooth on Catalina Island, I made a necklace from Big Bear mountain pine cones and I have hocked a loogie off the Golden Gate bridge.
I was born in Canada on Vancouver Island, had my diapers changed in Medford Oregon, but I grew up in Los Angeles county. I grew up around gnarly bikers, greasy mechanics, Armenian gang members, Hispanic family members, crazy surfers, bleach blond pool cleaners, Hollywood butt rockers, movie studio slaves, plastic surgery junkies and uselessly over-watered palm trees. Somehow my stoner buddies and I graduated from Burbank High School, then I studied random art, music and history at Pasadena City College and the College of the Redwoods. It wasn't till I moved to Portland that I got a History degree from PSU and devoted a year of my life to the Wieden+Kennedy 12 advertising agency/school/experiment. Now I live in Portland, paint with old house paint, run Grass Hut studio/gallery/shop with my buddy Bwana and swim in the rivers every chance I get."

At Grass Hut Gallery 811 E Burnside



Moshi-Moshi shows illustrations by Jun Seo Hahm. I'm all for palindromes and so is Ham: www.qbodp.net At Moshi-Moshi 811 E Burnside



Mylar
is one of those "space age" materials. Thin plastic coated with evaporated aluminum. But it is not flat. Photographer Jason Kelley lined his studio with mylar which reflects its surroundings fun house mirror-style. His photographs "Mylarsian Dreams" are the result. Also with Jake Shivery at Newspace Photo 1632 SE 10th

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

September 6 Westside Art Openings

Visual art has seasons. September is a special month with out of town maybe art buyers visiting for T:BA and the Affair at the Jupiter hotel art fair.

Roberta Bayley shows photographs of punksters Blondie and the Ramones in the 70's. One wonders what the contemporary examples are, and how they will look 30 years hence. What is the interplay between familiarity/nostalgia and novelty in a generation of viewers? How will digital photography's look evolve? Compare this to, for instance, the current show at Dantes. Also showing, mixed media work with an old school master's etching feel, by Morgan Walker. Compare this style to illustration style work at Compound or the Grass Hut. At Augen www.augengallery.com One show at 716 NW Davis, the other at 817 SW 2nd

Yamamoto Masao shows quiet photographs at PDX. Chill. www.pdxcontemporaryart.com

PNCA schooled Rebecca Guberman-Bloom shows enigmatic mystical figurative work. At Mark Woolley in his new downtown location. www.markwoolley.com 817 SW 2nd

Portland photographer Dianne Kornberg shows vintage prints from her past work. Claire Cowie populates environments with creatures. Her fantastic constructions mirror the interplay of the natural and industrial environment near her Seattle studio by the Duwamish River. Some are a little scary. At Elizabeth Leach www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th

Jeffery Mitchel is ultra baroque. Take a look for yourself at Pulliam Deffenbaugh www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com 929 NW Flanders early close 8PM

Painter Abi Spring creates subtly textured minimalist abstract paintings. You want to touch. But don't. At Chambers Gallery 207 SW Pine

"The Awesome But True Electric Institute in Outfits" is a show of illustration at the always affordable Reading Frenzy. www.readingfrenzy.com 921 SW Oak

The Everett Lofts and the Portland Art Center - Everett and NW Broadway and 32 NW 5th respectively should be standard itinerary points.

Digmeout, of which we have written, shows the latest batch of Osaka-based illustration style art. At Compound/ Just Be Toys www.justbedesign.com 107 NW 5th

The US Bank branch shows graffiti style art by nishiki tayui 1040 NW Lovejoy until 8

Tender Loving Empire is a newish gallery, music label, small press, consignment space. They show Finn Riggins "a soldier, a saint, an ocean explorer" and Cameron Browne "moments of splendor" www.tenderlovingempire.com 18th and NW Lovejoy Opening 4-8PM

Arvie Smith's work is a wild portrait of of his African American world. What a pleasure to be invited in for a glimpse of "chitlin' circuit". At Beppu Wiarda www.beppugallery.com 319 NW 9th

Heather May Rodetzke shows new work at Quality Pictures in the long project space. www.qpca.com 916 NW Hoyt

Tamar Monhait shows high contrast symmetrical prints, stencil or lace-like, at the downtown Stumptown. 128 SW 3rd

Westside, but not downtown:

Seattle's Darren Waterson makes dreamy abstractions which resemble landscapes or maybe the -scapes of celestial bodies. At the Lewis and Clark College Gallery www.lclark.edu/dept/gallery

September 6 The MPO:Portland

The Music Population Orchestra:Portland plays another sublime new chamber concert. It is at Apotheke. Founder Brede Rørstad is visiting from Oslo and conducting his own "Words of My Mouth", composed for a film by Portlander Jessica Baclesse. This is a perfect spot to hear the MPO. At Apotheke 1314 NW Glisan 9PM

September 6-16 PICA T:BA Fest

This solid 11 days of theater, music, dance, performance, visual art, workshops, talks, film and mingling is larger than I can do justice. They have a book that describes everything so the homework is yours. Or just head out with friends. Or consult the variety of blogs, including the most excellent Urban Honking coverage. If you like it, consider volunteering next year for free tickets.

September 6-9 Bicycle Film Festival

The Bicycle Film Festival is an international show at Cinema 21. There are accompanying parties at Holocene, Rotture and Rontoms. Check the website for details www.bicyclefilmfestival.com Valet bike parking at some events - how civilized!

September 5 Cooley Gallery at Reed (re)opens

Galleries renew their walls continuously, but sometimes something more drastic is needed. The Reed College Gallery, in the Library building, has hosted some pretty fantastic shows. One in fact had live sheep for weeks. Art takes a toll, so some renovation was needed. The gallery has been spiffed and kicks a new show tonight by Viennese artist Marko Lulic and Peter Kreider from Brooklyn. (Noted local contemporary curator Marjorie Meyers was instrumental in bringing Kreider) Details. Up until December 9. There is a big barbecue and party for it starting at 6PM Reed College

September 5 Local Filmmakers and Music at Milepost 5

This courtesy of Matt McCormick:

City Commissioner Sam Adams is responsible for the arts. One of his projects is a legal live work space for artists - Milepost 5 near MAX transit in Montavilla. Tonight local filmmakers Matt McCormick, Vanessa Renwick, Grace Carter + Holly Andres present work along with music by Watery Graves, Mattress, Joe VonAppen, Haiku Inferno, Pash and Rush-n-disco. (!!!) Details. Go by MAX. All free! 6PM

September 4 Living Room Cinema

The Living Room Theaters show small run cinema on video in comfy plush spaces. They are a local startup. They are also starting an open screening program for local filmmakers. Free, free, free. All the details are at http://www.livingroomtheaters.com/openscreening.html

Saturday, September 01, 2007

September 1-3 Kumoricon

Japanese pop culture is inscrutable but that doesn't mean it's not fun. Much revolves around fictional worlds in manga, anime and gaming. Those fictional worlds, sampled, become participatory in cosplay, fanfic, AMV, RPG, Plushie-kerade (in which stuffed toys are dressed in costumes and played as puppets by ninja clothed puppeteers), cosplay life size chess, and, of course, karaoke. This is an all ages event, strictly no hentai, yaoi or yuri.

Sometime I need to research trends in IP rights in Japan. Does otaku culture sampling and repurposing creative material create a stronger business model than the "sampling is death" position taken by the RIAA and MPAA? Especially since the sampling battle has been essentially won by the samplers.

Much information at the Kumoricon Website and a detailed schedule charting all times.

At the Vancouver, WA Convention center
$40 full weekend, $25 - Saturday or Sunday, $20 Monday, Free age 5 and under

Friday, August 31, 2007

September 1 The Stars Are Beautiful

The Stars Are Beautiful is a film from Stan Brakhage, American experimental film luminary. He taught at the University of Colorado, sending forth a generation of students. He is known for hand processed film, including hand scratching exposed leader after developing allergies to film chemistry.

It is also this evening's title for a collection of shorts shown outside at Artemesia Nursery:

Bridges Go-Round by Shirley Clarke [1958, 16mm, color, sound, 4 min.]
Glimpse of the Garden by Marie Menken [1957, 16mm, color, sound 5 min.]
BOUQUETS 21-30 by Rose Lowder [2001-2005, 16mm color, silent, 14 min.]
Lions and Tigers and Bears by Rebecca Meyers [2005, 16mm, 12 min, color,
sound]
There's A Pervert In Our Pool! by Martha Colburn [1998, 16mm, color,
sound, 3 min.]
The Stars Are Beautiful by Stan Brakhage. [1974, 16mm, color, sound, 19min.]

Music by Presents! + Kelvin Tippan kicks 7:30, films at 8:15.

The Cinema Project, which usually presents inside, is creating this evening with support from NAAU. Bring your own absinthe.

Artemisia Garden & Gallery, 110 SE 28th Avenue x Ankeny $6 7:30PM

August 31-Sept 3 Westside Invite

The Portland United Messengers Association hosts the 7th Westside Invite. It's a weekend of messenger sporting. Kicking with registration at Ash St Friday noon-7, the event may include many alleycats, velodrome racing, bbq'in, criterium street racing, polo and fun and games. Check Portland Messenger for info.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

August 30 Readymade Bicycle Antics

ReadyMade Magazine is about you making stuff. This event has demonstrations and displays by Seattle rock poster guy Dan Stiles and Portland jewelry maker Melissa Stiles. Free magazine issues, cheap magazine subscriptions, free drinks, drawings for more free stuff.

RSVP darci at readymademag.com by email

At the Cleaners space at the Ace Hotel 1003 SW Stark 7PM Free


The Portland Sprockettes have an identical separated at birth bicycle performance troupe twin in the BC Clettes. They will both be performing at the Last Thursday on Alberta. Somewhere. Just follow the rawkus. 7:30PM Free

Saturday, August 25, 2007

August 19 Model Behavior

Organism presents contemporary art in Portland. Tonight they open a show in the old Blue Sky space. "Model Behavior" including artists Hank Willis Thomas, Yoram Wolberger, Weppler & Mahovsky, Matt Clark and others. Models are a powerful concept-tool. I'm not sure how this show relates to that. Go and see for yourself. Website for details and hours www.artorganism.org navigate to programming. 1231 NW Hoyt St # 101 Opens 7-9:30PM free

August 19 Iron Artist Competition

SCRAP saves stuff from the landfill for you. Even if you don't need anything, a visit is fascinating. It's a no profit enterprise, and the Iron Artists Competition is a fundraiser for them. Iron Artists was created at Wacky Willies, artistic love brainchild of Georgia Lee Hussey and Seann McKeel (McKeel went on to create Nocturnal). Teams compete to build a sculpture from a set of given and brought materials. There will be costumed teams, rabble rousing, cheating, fouls, sound effects and more. At SCRAP N Vancouver and Failing 12:30-5/6ish $5-20

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

August 15,21,26 Rererato Experimental Musics

Rererato invites you to experience sounds in their live, work, show space. August 15 Jellyfish & Bubbles, EET; Augist 21 Bonanza City, Full Contact Botany, Leif Kailian; August 26 Places Unknown, PUQ, Wroom. Simultaneous you can intake the zzzzzz visual show themed on sleep. But you cannot sleep there after the show. Rererato 5135 NE 42nd (x Alberta/Summer) Music's 7. Art Tue-Sat by appointment.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

August 12 Crafty Wonderland

The Crafty Wonderland instantiates at the Doug Fir Lounge. A good pre-post brunch diversion. 11-4 Free

August 11 Etsy-craft

Etsy is a website that provides a lightweight web store for crafters. Many Portland crafty vixens represent there. Today they bring Portland Etsy into the physical world. We can't say brick and mortar because they will be set up outside in the South Park Blocks by PSU at the farmers market. PDXEtsy 8AM-4PM

August 10-12 Audio Cinema Visual Collective Show

Artists Bean Gilsdorf, Candace Gossen, Cat Coats, Cyruss Smith, Dan Gilsdorf, Geoffery Ellis, Ilan Laks, Jeremy Tucker, Josh Kim, Katie Behel, Kimber Shiroma, Mike McGovern, Pasha, Samantha Wall and Uli Beutter show work at Audio Cinema. Gallery 500 refugees organize the the space yearly - the results are varied but never boring. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to P:ear.

226 SE Madison Audio Cinema

Artist preview Thursday, August 9th 7-10pm. Invitation only.
Opening night Friday, August 10th 6-2am. $5 donation (also the same night Disjecta closing party)
Saturday and Sunday, August 11th and 12th 12-6pm. Sliding scale donation.

Monday, August 06, 2007

August 8-12 Cocoon Bird

Tracy Broyles makes dance. Modern dance. Imprinteur Theory 1:dance.

In ages past, the strange birds had a place in society as oracles. Now they are discarded. One example are the anchoress', oracles sealed in caves. Inspired by these histories, Broyles has conceived a dance piece that unfolds in the rooms of a house-cave. The movement was inspired by trance-like states akin to those experienced by the oracles. The final work incorporates voice and original music. The audience is limited to 10 each evening by the intimate setting.

House at 1414 SE 32nd Ave x Hawthorne
Reservations Required: cocoonbird@gmail.com $18/$15 students, artists, seniors 8 and 10PM

Saturday, August 04, 2007

August 7 Sincerely, John Head

Is hard to explain. So look around their web site. From free barbecue guerrilla tailgating to Foghat photo session breakfasts, R. Scott Porter & Nat Andreini tap social performance art with a food element thrown in for good measure. They are having a fundraiser for their Ranchero. BBQ, DJing '77 vintage rawk, a raffle. Details at UH At Tiga 1465 NE Prescott 6-10 free spectation, or eat and contribute.

August 7 Gallery Homeland Free Breakfast

Gallery Homeland presents a free breakfast for your edification 8-9AM on the East Bank River Esplanade.

August 4, 5 Most Excellent Mostlandian Championship

M.O.S.T is a social art performance group. The Mostlandian Galactic Championship phase one includes competitive feats of cigarette rolling, singing, and Xeroxing. Phase two, for the brave, includes coffee making, bowhunting, CPR, slam dunking, fencing, computer hacking, roller skating, double dutch, pig Latin, tongue to nose-ing, cartography and joke telling. Rock, paper, scissors will be used in the case of a tie. I am not making this up - check the rules. Meet at the Galaxy Saturday 7PM sharp; Col. Summers Park, Sunday 1PM

August 4,5,6 Harmos Community Art Remembering

Time is generally thought to unfold monotonically. There are many things we might wish undone none the less. One is the development and use of the atomic bomb. The worldwide resources devoted to its creation, use, evolution and proliferation, over more than 50 years, both material and psychic, are incalculable.

Kyoto was an initial target because its "people [were judged as] being more highly intelligent and hence better able to appreciate the significance of the weapon". However it was spared because the secretary of war had fallen in love with the city on his honeymoon. Nagasaki and Hiroshima, August 6th and 9th, 1945, so long ago, were not spared.

Not being able to undo the past, remembrance is a way to meditate on decisions now to err not.

Thus is the mission of the Harmos project of community based art making, including art made by school children, as meditation and remembrance.

Saturday the project meets at Unthank Park by SEI, 510 N Shaver at 8PM

Sunday the project meets at the Japanese American Historical Plaza NW Naito and Couch in Waterfront Park at 7:30PM

Monday it is at Buckman School SE 16th and Taylor at 8PM

The essence of the gathering is a performance using the work made by children. A good kid thing. Details Harmos PDX Free

Monday, July 30, 2007

August 4 Qawwali Music

Qawwali is ecstatic singing in the Sufi tradition. I am not an expert, but my understanding is that Sufi evolved from Islam. Instead of a god above, the Sufis believed god is within every individual. They cultivated ecstatic dancing, singing and poetry in devotion to that idea. Qawwali is over 600 years old. Old enough that non Asian-born musicians are making it. Tonight French Qawwali Fanna-Fi-Allah perform. How beautiful they call their ensemble a Qawwali party.

"Qawwali is an ancient practice wherein the fire of divine love (ishq) is ecstatically expressed through the mystical verses of Sufi poets. The poems of Rumi and Hafiz sung in Urdu and Farsi."

Fanna-Fi-Allah perform at Yoga Shala True North 3808 N Williams 9PM $18

August 3 Gary Hill

Gary Hill is a gen3 video artist. Gen1 included Nam Jun Paik, Yoko Ono, Vito Acconci, Dara Birnbaum and others. Gen2 would be Bill Viola who added a layer of elegant meditation. Hill experimented with display topology, multiplying the channels, presaging today's multitasking world. We are probably now in the upper single gen digits.

Tonight Seattle's Hill shows Glass Onion, Clover and other works at the 911 Media Arts Center. 911 is similar to SF's BAVC, it is what the Film Center could be if it busted out.

""“Glass Onion”, is a complex installation work incorporating a close-circuit video camera, five video displays, and eight speakers. Precisely scored animated text and layered speech both describe and mirror the process of feedback.

The viewer becomes topologically mapped into a field of concentric rectangles reflecting further the inherent structures of video feedback and cybernetics.""

Hill premiered an early version of "Glass Onion" in 1981 at and/or, 911's predecessor.

911 Media Arts Center 402 9th Ave N 6PM

August 3 Eastside Art Openings - Art Space Butoh River

Scratching the Surface is an annual show of an evening that makes art on the river. Sometimes floating in the river too. It is centered on the East Bank Esplanade - the foot of SE Madison is a good place to start. Bruce Conkle's Mountain Romance kicks off at the Ash St. Pier at 6pm, architect artists Grace Luebke and Ben Stagl are floating their installation Tumbleweed at 7pm, and Brooklyn artist Tim Folland launches Ship Wrecked at 9pm. Last year, the maintenance guy hauled away some of the installations the morning of the event thinking they were refuse, but it is all sorted this year. More details at Gallery Homeland the river wranglers. 6-10ish Free

Note Stagl also has an installation in the Portland building lobby "Below Marquam" between August 6 and September 4.



Gabriel Liston shows Tearfully Remembering Familiar Things, nostalgic illustration style paintings as well as drawings and objects. At the New American Art Union 922 SE Ankeny



In the 811 block...

Ayumi Piland, one half of APAK, shows all her own My Secret Pocket Journey. "The one thing I try not to forget before doing the laundry is checking my husband's pockets. All his pockets are always filled with many little things... all types of twigs, rocks, plants, old screws, nuts, balls of fuzz, receipts, post-it notes, coins, dirt, broken piece of plastic, small metal parts, candy wrappers, toys, stickers, business cards, flyers...etc. In contrast, my pockets are usually empty and I feel sort of envious of his collection. But I do have a secret pocket that I keep non-objects, my imagination. I hide the secret pocket around my belly to keep it quite safe. This is where my soul curls up and takes a nap to dream. In this show you get a chance to peak at the world of my secret pocket. I hope you enjoy it!" This is a perfect example of the power of art in a world that seems to be falling apart. At Grass Hut Gallery


By cosmic coincidence the other half APAK, Aaron Piland shows Imagination Machine at Moshi Moshi. His illustration-style work is max kawaii too.


Redux presents P. Williams' Flotsam and Jetsam - paintings on salvaged materials.

"P. Williams current series of work is an exploration of the relationship between humans and nature. The work looks at the plastic divide between humans and the world at large, as well as the tragedy and disasters that come from ignoring the seemingly benign.

P. Williams’ began his professional career after graduating from Art Center College of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration Design. His work is a combination of comics and realism, using two stylistic approaches, fundamentally opposed, allowing for a deeper conversation between the viewer and the artist. There is a cast of characters that perform in these paintings. Being iconic yet completely general. Through subtle manipulations, the characters become distorted to mirror internal conflict, landscapes change from one painting to the next yet they all manage to stay firmly rooted within the same world, the same characters, just a different chapter in the mythology of suburbia. His audience is appreciative of the fact that the modern suburban landscape is that of a warped nature, and the resulting social structures are equally warped. These paintings don’t need to reflect a specific explanation or a title but have items that relate to many storylines and possibilities within a wide range of people."

In his own words;
“ My paintings are fun, and they are supposed to be fun, but they are also intended to be challenging. In many ways, my work functions like a comic, drawing heavily on the lexicon of comic mechanisms, but also invents, distorts, and leaves few puzzles for the viewer to discover. The paintings can be viewed as single panels, or as a collection of snapshots of some novel, standing perfectly alone yet some how complete.

I am also heavily invested in myths, and the way that they relay information, ideas and of course, misconceptions. I explore the way myths and stories tell us how to exist within a society, and what is important. The weight that myths give to creation and destruction have come to function heavily in this current series. Burning foot hills, bleak skies and giant beasts, the work has evolved in to a myth system of it’s own. It is a collection of repeating symbols and metaphors perfect for reinterpretation of modern life.”

Definitely the copywriter of the month award. At Redux

All 811 E. Burnside



Collaborators Justin Gorman and Caleb Freese, who had a recent show at Ogle, show their work at Jáce Gáce. It's their place and their design sense, including culinary, makes for a sweet spot to savor art, beer and waffles. Jáce Gáce 2045 SE Belmont



One of my obscure interests is Butoh, a very modern dance form from Japan. You can search my older posts for plenty of reference. Tonight butoh fusion artist Akira Kasei performs. Kasei fuses eurythmy with butoh. So I guess that would be Waldorf Butoh. He has been teaching a workshop this week at Portland State and he and the students will perform together and separately tonight. I took the same workshop last year and there is no way you should not see this. He is quite the rock star at 63! At Imago Theater 17 SE 8th 7:30PM Free(!!!)



For something completely different, the Film Center is reprising the works of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Tonight it's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The vastness of space and cinematography demands seeing this as film on the big screen. This is the famous meditation on the meaning of life and our spiritual evolution. Let's get it right! It also stars HAL9000, the sensitive AI. A space traveler is led by the monolith through a wormhole to the beginning of time, to become the creator of the universe. (I think you have to read the book to get that, sorry for the spoiler, but the last fourth of the film is a little abstract) See also Dr Strangelove and A Clockwork Orange later in the series. At the NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium in the Art Museum $7/6 members 7PM