The Portland Art Center opens several shows including something from John Mace, known for large installations such as one with water raining at filling the Nine Gallery and one with blood-like liquid pumped through a network of tubes at the old Art Center space, now Jace Gace. One of the other shows is Portland Modern #5: Environmentalists. In the connected building up the funky elevator are individual artist studios some open for a look at work in progress.
http://www.portlandart.org 32 NW 5th
Installationist, painter, photographer Paige Saez takes over the downtown Stumptown with bright painting-collages. 128 SW 3rd
Photographer Krista K. Wheeler is known for candid portraits of creative Portland at play and photographing her own family. Her photos of Portland 1990's nightlife are at Ogle http://www.ogleinc.com/ 310 NW Broadway until 8:30
Sculptor and installationist Brenda Mallory is known for unitized sculptures, each element just a little different, one to another. Handmade, her work reminds of nature's infinite variation, organized by pattern, be they plant or microorganism. At Nine Gallery in Blue Sky 1231 NW Hoyt (it's also good news that the Nine Gallery space will continue in Blue Sky's fancy new digs when they move later in the month)
P:ear pairs Portland artists and street kids working on art. Hundreds of local artists have participated. It costs money to run such a program and now P:ear has attracted the attention of a local pop radio station with the ability to reach a broad audience beyond the art making community. This is a good thing. Tonight they partner for a sale of encaustic painting at a local salon. If people buy it, it's good all around. Urbaca Salon http://www.urbacahairsalon.com http://www.pearmentor.org 120 NW 9th
Painter Gabriel Macca shows impressionistic landscapes at Froelick Gallery http://www.froelickgallery.com/ 817 SW 2nd
The Laura Russo gallery mounts a summer group show. Galleries are channels, connecting a group of artists to a group of art buyers through an aesthetic theme. Akin to the old television model. The channel which is Motel Gallery has the same concept, just a different aesthetic. Pick any other gallery, it is the same. It can be instructive however to see what the established galleries are programming, in other words what they are selling, which, in turn, pays the artists' rent.
Laura Russo Gallery http://www.laurarusso.com/ 805 NW 21st until 8
Deborah Oropallo shows "Guise" unusual digital photographs of women composited onto pre-20th century style formal painted portraits of royals and military men. The artist has an impressive resume, this work is more captivating than the paintings on her website. It's also an example of cultural vectors of acting-costuming employed by many current photographers and sampling, which is everywhere. Pulliam Deffenbaugh http://www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com/ 929 NW Flanders until 8
Compound shows Fracture: illustrators Jason Shawn Alexander and Andrew Hem. This is a little rougher non-kawaii, non transformer illustration show than Compound's usual. At Compound/Just Be Toys 107 NW 5th
The Everett lofts are recommended as always, including Soft at Tilt curated by Kristan Kennedy.
