First Thursday is becoming simpler. DeSoto Block, Everett Block, NW 5th x Couch art megaplex. Here are some notes:
In the DeSoto Block check all the spaces, though the exhibit in the Contemporary Crafts Museum, free anytime, deserves more than a quick scan.
At Blue Sky, there are some great pieces in a group show in the Nine Gallery conceptual space. There is also a reprieve of the Rephotographic Survey Project. The government trained photographers to document the Civil War. After, it sent them West. At the time, there was a strong transcendental movement and a belief that dramatic natural vistas, then unspoiled, were proof positive of the hand of a creator. The landscape photographs captured by these expeditionary photographers were also used by the government to market the West to settlers. These first photographers transported glass plates up to 24 inches square, coated them on site, exposed the glass negative, developed them in a tent darkroom, then carried them back, all by pack animal. The first Rephotographic Survey Project was conceived in 1977 by East Coast photography students in Rochester, NY, Mark Klett, trained as a geologist, Ellen Manchester, JoAnn Verburg and others. They journeyed West to photograph the classic landscape images of the mid-late 1800's from exactly the same vantage point. The resulting photographs were displayed side by side with the originals. The results of mining, erosion, logging and diminished water are plainly visible. Klett returns with a third view show of recent photos at Blue Sky now. Something to think about.
Klett himself will speak at the gallery Saturday September 1 at 3PM, free.
Blue Sky Gallery in the DeSoto building, NW Broadway and Davis
The Everett Station Lofts are always recommended for your viewing pleasure. Bounded by NW Broadway, Everett, 6th and Flanders.
You may have noticed there is some construction along 5th and 6th downtown. Hopefully you have not fallen down the rabbit hole because it is max treach. To celebrate the almost finishedness of the Old Town section, the City is throwing a free block party at 5th and Couch.
See the photo show at upper playground by Ricky Powell, "illy funksters", documenting the 80's hip hop scene in NY where it began. Powell also presents a slide show 4PM Saturday at the Gallery Upper Playground 23 NW 5th
At Compound, it's Bliss E*press: Illustrating Happiness. Artists Ogushi, Aya Kondo, Marcos Chin, Rain and Fuco Ueda show. Just Be Megaplex 107 NW 5th
Stop into the Portland Art Center which never disappoints. 32 NW 5th
Somewhere along the Portland Tranist Mall - 5th and 6th the Music Population Orchestra:PDX will play new chamber music. This is part of a series of performances held simultaneously in Oslo.
Just look for a small chamber orchestra with music stands and classical instruments. The plan, subject to improvisation is to begin at 7:00 at NW 4th and Flanders and continue South towards Burnside for a performance near the Chinatown Gateway Arch.
At 7:30, from the arch the orchestra will head West on Burnside and NW Couch until they reach the Park Blocks West of Broadway.
At 8:00 they will continue West a bit for as long as their weary legs will hold them, offering more of our "urban guerrilla chamber music" along the way.
Pushdot are some of the few local masters of putting digital photography to print. To do so is actually harder than with wet processing film and paper. That is pretty complicated in itself! The once mighty Kodak spent over 120 years getting film just right. There is a pile of color science including studies of what colors are found in nature, the inexact color temperature concept, CIE and Munsen mapping, multi primaries, the complexity of RGB-CMYK mapping and handling our uber-sensitivity to skin tone.
Pushdot helps photographers through the process. For select art photographers they mount exhibitions. Past work is available for sale on their website, a virtual gallery. This month they mount a 5 year retrospective group show. Soon they will move to the East side, reopening in a few months.
Pushdot Studio 830 NW 14th
Design Within Reach shows blown glass including lighting by local Esque Studio – Andi Kovel and Justin Parker. This small art studio has blazed a trail with projects for Donna Karan, Martha Stewart, Doug Fir, Skylab and W Hotels. They are also somewhat locally infamous for turning their studio into a kitchen with food baked for seconds at over 1000 degrees in their glass fires of Mordor. DWR 1200 NW 12th
The Art Institute of Portland is adapting to a cozy niche training industrial clothing designers and animators, as it should, because there are Portland jobs for them. There are also plenty of one person fashion units here turning out clothing you should wear. A world, national and local vector in clothing is sustainability. One look at the mountains of fabric never used, clothing never sold, rarely worn then sadly discarded and you get the idea. In the gallery, the AI shows clothing by local designers using sustainable materials including Emily Katz, Entermodal, Anna Cohen, Sameunderneath, Blairwear, Knot Ugly Designs, Faith Jennings and Flood Clothing.
AI Portland 1122 NW Davis until 8
The Portland City Hall has been doing early art openings every First Thursday. They run on narrow rails between populist and multicultural and that is fine. Tonight the theme is skate related. It's a perfect opportunity to collar your commissioner and tell them what you think. You can bring your board too, or better, go by board. Board of Art: A Historical Perspective of Stumptown Skate City Hall 1221 SW 4th 5-8PM
Self taught artist Joe Thurston shows new abstract work at Elizabeth Leach. Thurston previously produced glowering portraits that were strangely affecting. For this show he continues with wood as a canvas which has been meticulously incised with a hand chisel. See it at Elizabeth Leach Gallery 417 NW 9th
PDX presents a varied group show "True Bearing" with work by Sam Beebe, Christophe Berhault, Nick Blosser, Harrell Fletcher, Lucas Foglia, Justine Kurland, Raymond Meeks, Megan Murphy, Barbara Stafford, and Nell Warren. PDX Contemporary Art 925 NW Flanders until 8
