July 31 Car Couture

In time, fascination and fetishization of petroleum powered personal cars will seem as quaint as that with coal powered steam trains. Hope it won't take the form of a Mad Max movie. The Past is Present, by photographer Larry Mills, is part of that process, documenting the custom car mod and race culture of Southern California. At Lyrik Cafe, which has a smart art program www.lyrikpdx.com 2035 SE 39th at Lincoln 7PM-10

July 30(-August 1) Gaudi Sea Change

SEA Change Gallery, one of the larger Everett Station lofts, has presented a consistent program of art related to sustainability and social change, what they smartly term "Social Environmental Art". They are now taking their vision on the road as a bicycle tour to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which begins November 29 in Cancún, Mexico. On they trip they will film a documentary on global warming, one of the largest challenges to earth's plants and animals, with whom we travel and upon which we depend. To celebrate the trip they will hold a gettogether this evening. At SEA Change Gallery, 625 NW Everett, 5PM Free



Antoni Gaudí is one of the world's most individualistic architects. That says a lot in a risk-adverse business that makes large, long lasting and expensive things. The closest might be Hundertwasser. This weekend is a rare opportunity to see on the big screen a Gaudí documentary. Famed Japanese director Hiroshi Teshigahara has made a meditative document of the work, with little narration. The 5th Avenue Cinemas is a great bargain, free for PSU, cheap for others, and free popcorn! At 5th Avenue Cinema, www.5thavenuecinema.org. 501 SW Hall. 7PM and 9:30, Friday and Saturday, 3PM Sunday. Free PSU students and faculty, $2 other students, $3 everyone



Make The Air Thick is the latest project of Danielle Ross: dancer, choreographer, producer and organizer. Performers are Richard Decker, Michelle Rogers, Vanessa Vogel and Lucy Yim. The piece "examines the quirks, discomforts, honesty, and awkwardness of necessity. Do we truly require or is it an illusion? The evening will examine how structure, control, consistency, inconsistency, lust, progress, approval, and more have seeped into our shared understanding of what we need to feel full". At 534 SE Oak. Reservations 503-449-4373. Friday 8PM, Saturday 4PM & 8, Sunday 8PM. $12-15

July 29 Last Thursday Alberta Art Events

If a Tree Falls... is a perfect koan for art. It's also the title of a show Abraham Ingle. Ingle has created or collaborated on some great social practice projects: Neighborhood Diaries, Portland Papergirl I am Awesome Because, It's OK I Love You and Pants Exchange. This show considers the art-social-personal impact of an always connected network world. At False Front Studio www.falsefrontstudio.com 4518 NE 32nd 6-10 Free



I Dream Animal is loose a theme show by artists Caryn Baumgartner, making loose mixed media figurative work; Karen Klorek, some of whose work is based on x-rays; and Christine Nguyen who makes some pretty lush and luminous work - landscapes, animal scapes and seemingly scientific-photo paintings. They also have a reception Saturday. At the Alicia Blue Gallery aliciabluegallery.com 1468 NE Alberta 6PM-8 Free



Gail Pine shows The Black Pictures, night photography inspired by Edgar Allen Poe. They are small format editioned silver prints. Pine also collects vintage photographs making her a perfect partner with Ampersand. At Amersand Vintage Printed Material www.ampersandvintage.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste B. 6PM-10 Free



Together continues its drawing style with Elemental, collaborative works by Apak - Aaron and Ayumi Piland, Jill Bliss, Yellena James and Betsy Walton. And they also have a show of laser cut wood. At Together Gallery www.togethergallery.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste A

July 29 Stumptown Division Employee Art Show

Stumptown Coffee has quite a few artists on staff. They are creative and well networked, hiring artists is good for business. Today they open their annual Employee Art Show with work by: Bruce Paulson, Jason Overby, Matt Lounsbury, Tim Root, Carrie Lind, Keia Booker, Tim Wenzel, Shannon Hildenbrand, Aimee Foster, Mackenzie Courtney, Ty Ennis and May Juliette Barruel. At Stumptown Coffee Roasters 4525 SE Division 6PM-8 Free

July 27 Arts Town Hall Grand Detour

Portland loves public process. The mayor's office has been, and continues to be, a strong advocate for Portland arts. The arts make Portland a great place to live, a great place for business, and the arts themselves are a business. Portland has launched many internationally known musicians and visual artists. The arts inspire our creative industries and bring creative thinking to all businesses through employee pursuits of arts. When the region recruits new business to locate here, the arts are a factor to attracting them. The Regional Arts and Culture Commission hosts a town hall tonight with the mayor, discussing the arts in the context of Portland's 25 year long term planning process. There will also be a report on a proposed regional funding project for the arts. Whey come? Local office holders decide what to work on based on how many people show up at public meetings. If you want the City to work on art, show up. Details at www.racc.org At Gerding Theatre, 128 NW 11th 6PM-8



Grand Detour continues its summer screening series with the films of Allison Halter. At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 7PM-9 Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security. Free

July 24 Chicken Brain Research Coop

Brain Party is an event supporting the Right Brain Initiative, a project of the Regional Arts and Culture Commission. The Right Brain Initiative hires artists to teach in schools. Hey, we all have a right brain, so who can argue with that! The event includes art installations, games, music, a DJ, brain massage and a brain sprinkler as well as food and drink. affär at 3001 NE Ainsworth 5PM



Portland is a design town filled with chickens. The city allows each home three, but where are they going to live? They thrive with a spot out of the rain, and safe from coyotes, where they can hide their eggs from you. That would be a chicken coop. Portland designers have flocked to design fancy chicken coops. You can see some today in this self guided tour of Portland's most designer-y coops. It's sponsored by Growing Gardens which helps families start Victory Gardens, healthy and inexpensive food gardens modeled on WWII-era conservation gardens. A guide book to the coops is the ticket and is available at Concentrates, Garden Fever!, Livingscape, Naomi's Farm Supply, People's Co-op, Urban Farm Store and the Hollywood Whole Foods Market. Sponsored by Growing Gardens www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening-resources/chickens.php In N, NE, SE Portland. 11AM-3PM. Tickets available until the day before, $15



Research Club has a full day of events for your research pleasure. First is Study Hall #2, short entertaining talks. Mike Robinson tells you everything you ever wanted to know about telling jokes. The Every Country Club presents their project to learn the location, name, and capital of every place in the world. Nim Wunnan presents the History of Applause, reprising a lecture from Nationale in May. After Study Hall there is an open visual art crit. Sign up by email at the Research Club website. At Research Club research-club.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. Study Hall 11AM-3PM. Crit 3:30PM-6. Arrive within a half hour of start of each for admission due to building security. Free

The Research Club launches its ten week survivalist series with a few few free lectures. GTFO (the ABCs of Survivalism): "If you're not an artsy type, but you WOULD like to know how to deal with the worst-case scenarios (2012! nuclear holocaust! riots! zombie apocalypse!)... Taught by the captain of my apocalypse team, former Navy Electronics Technician and current Field Service Engineer Matthew Geiger, this class will focus on the basics: supplies to keep in your home and vehicle to protect yourself and successfully get to safety in the event of [[insert disaster here]], where and how to get them, and how to know what supplies you need (like iodide tablets), and what to skip (like colloidal silver). Be prepared."

Research Club Survival 101 first class at the Waypost 3120 N Williams 4PM-5:30 Free

July 23 Battles Free Museum

Free is good. The Art Museum usually charges admission, but not the fourth Friday of the month, 5PM-9, thanks to a business donation to keep the doors open. It's also a rare time in the evening for the Museum to be open. The big exhibits are in transition. Hopefully the upper floors of the contemporary wing will be open, they were closed recently for filming. At the Portland Art Museum www.pam.org 1219 SW Park 5PM-9 Free



Hippoh Project Dance Studio presents Jam Part III, a night of 1on1 and 3on3 bboy/bgirl battles. Computer Fam, aka Jyant of Moon Patrol, on the wheels of steel.

1on1 is all style: popping, locking, breaking, krumping, hip hop, whatever, and is judged by you, the audience. Movers include: Rakishi (Soul Phase), Doe Rock (Portland City Rockers), Blasian (Vandle Squad), Ben Vo (LDT), B Rippr (Rudeboiiz), Paul, Jeelani (New Zoo Boyz/H2A), Naoto, Yen Boogie, Bboy~Eklypse, BaoNgoc (Rip City Monsters), Chris (Soul Phase), Fligh (Tru Roots), JessHu, AB, Jovi (Motion Monsters), Typewriter, Charlie Chheath, Ka Lok One (Hillside Funk), Don Flo (Moveo), Thizz (A10tion) and Ron.

3on3 is judged by Mightee Mooves (Def Con 5), ThomasOragami (Soul Felons) and Mikey (Flexible Flave). Crews include: Floor Invaders 1, Soul Phase, Vandle Squad, Tru Roots, Rhythm Bandits, Def Con 5, New Era, THE UCHIA CLANC, Floor Invaders 2, Heart Crew and The Evil Aliens Of The Intergalactic Cyber Nation. The judge's decision is not final - the loosing crew in each round can call out the judges and battle them to reverse the decision. Wear those judges down!

Sponsored by Art Goes Everywhere (AGE) and OG producers Amplified Techniques. At Hippoh Project Dance Studio, www.hippohproject.com, 1306 NW Hoyt St. B-1. Doors 6PM, Battles 7. $5

July 17 Joblab Caldera Launch Benefit and Cut and Run

Caldera Arts is well known for work with creative youth, artist studio retreats and an expanding visiting art-visionary program. Tonight they team with a new creative job service Joblab for a party and fundraiser. It's at Sandbox Studio 420 NE 9th. Doors 6:30PM $20 advance/25 door



Meanwhile Grand Detour presents a traveling collection of experimental films, Cut and Run collected by Brenda Contreras and Mallary Abel from San Francisco. Pot luck - the list of films is on the Cut and Run website. At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 8PM Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security. Free

July 15, 18 McBride Groundfloor Gallery

Galleries are the great aesthetic educators in art. They occupy a space between art schools and museums. Art school process is relatively closed to the public, though less so in Portland. Galleries are relatively open to the public, but banker's hours, excepting openings. Museums are completely dedicated to the public.

Galleries' openness comes at a huge cost, none in Portland are wildly successful financially, unlike the few superstar galleries in major art cities. Galleries' enemies are rent and staffing costs. Many gallery sales are conducted by personal, phone or email contact with collectors whose interests are known by the best gallerists. Many Portland sales are out of town.

One response is the private gallery and consultancy. It is unburdened by keeping doors open to a space vacant of customers. It can focus its energy on client collectors, rather than educating the public. The Internet, to an extent, fills some of the education role.

Private galleries can fulfill many of the roles of conventional galleries. They can help artists price their work. They can advise on career planning. They can supplement the artist's own media relations. They could theoretically bring work to art fairs. That's a very expensive proposition. In Portland about 1-2 galleries do it, but the result are sales for single pieces in the tens of thousands for select Portland artists. While the conventional gallery focuses on the supply chain, the artists, you could argue the private gallery-consultancy focuses on the customer.

One Portland private gallery is open from time to time. The Heidi McBride Gallery has moved from a condo to a storefront space in the South Waterfront. McBride has expanded her artist clients with the addition of the Mark Woolley group. McBride has done a great job at connecting with realtors to display art in condos for sale.

You can see examples of her unusually wide range of aesthetics at a rare open house. Private galleries are also open by appointment. It's the Heidi McBride Gallery and Consultancy www.heidimcbridegallery.com In the South Waterfront Atwater Place Townhome Building, 0841 SW Gaines No. 117 5PM-7 Thursday, Noon-4 Sunday. Free

July 14 Social Net Works

Artistery brings Artistery energy to art, and the reverse. Great! This month they present a group show, Social Net Works, by Tori Abernathy, Amber Case, Alicia Gordon, JP Huckins, Dane Overton and Aaron Parecki. At RECESS recesspdx.blogspot.com 4315 SE Division 6:00PM Free

July 14 Tarkovsky's Fin de Cinema

Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986) is a filmmakers' filmmaker. His poetic features incorporate long shots, the opposite of current style, spiritual themes and metaphysical imagery. (As a side note, long shots return in 3d cinema) American audiences may be aware of his work by way of the remake (2002) of Solaris, originally filmed by Tarkovsky in 1972. Tonight Holocene presents Tartovsky's Stalker (1979) with a live score performed by Grouper, Golden Retriever, Ghosting and DJ Yeti. They are well matched to this film. Stalker is the story of three men's grappling with "The Zone". in the film, The Zone is a forbidden and abandoned overgrown landscape of miles, fenced and guarded by the government. Is it contaminated by radiation or industrial waste? The site of an alien visit? No one knows. The Professor and The Writer hire the guide, Stalker, to elude the guards and take them into the zone. They believe there is a room there which can grant any wish. Stalker is reluctant because of the danger. The previous Stalker, Porcupine, who taught Stalker the way, met a tragic end along with his family. But he is drawn to accept, to satisfy his own metaphysical needs. It is a very slow film, with wandering dialog, presented tonight in subtitles. The film uses black and white and color, color for shots in The Zone suggesting the characters' heightened awareness. 163 minutes long, so think of it as a dream. At Holocene www.holocene.org 1001 SE Morrison Doors and Yeti, 8PM; film commences 9. $3

July 13 Phenomenon as Revelation

Portland artist, curator and professor Mack McFarland presents some of his videos as part of the Grand-Detour experimental media program. McFarland currently directs PNCA's Feldman Gallery which primarily draws international artits into the school's orbit. He has made many brainy projects, some with subtle wry commentary. At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 7PM-9 Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security. Free

July 10 Disjecta's Stray Fires

It's the half way point for PSU's MFA students and they mount a group show, Stray Fires. It's artists Lindsay Aucoin, Ray Anthony Barrett, Eryck Boucher, Katie Dunbar, Daniel J. Glendening, Gia Goodrich, Bryson Hansen, Carl Klimt, Elizabeth Malaska, Ruta M. Perzynska, Tyler Stuart, Samantha Wall and Michael Welsh. At Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.disjecta.org 8371 N. Interstate 6PM-10 Free

July 9 Second First Friday

Worksound opens a show of installation and drawing, Ask the Lonely: an exploration of love and power. Artists are: Troy Briggs, Casey Lee Brown, Courtney Gates, Tony Hix, Rachel Mulder and Brittney Taylor.

Performing music, the sound part of Worksound events, is Nam Jun Psyche. Drummer and artist Valerie George's Mercedes biodesel station wagon land yacht roams America's lonely highways. It's not filled with Holly Andres' families shuttling between baseball games and backyard birthday parties. No, Nam Jun Psyche's The Car Kit is a nomadic recording studio and PA, gathering inspiration from the road trip's regional collaborators, here, distilling it into rock with Portland's Are You Gone.

At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder 6PM-10, music 8:30 Free



Meanwhile Fourteen30 Contemporary opens a summer show comprising Jesse Durost, Grier Edmundson, Devon Oder, Blair Saxon-Hill, John Sisley, Alex Steckly, Jesse Sugarmann, Nick van Woert and Bobbi Woods. Later in July and August the gallery hosts an innovative series of discussions over Skype with subsets of the artists. Way of the future. At Fourteen30 Gallery www.fourteen30.com 1430 SE 3rd 6PM-9

July 9-11 Live After Five

I have always found operas and musicals strange. They are a world where people sing instead of talking. Performance brought into the real world. Live After Five is something like that. It's a work a day story where office workers are hip hop dancers - bboys and bgirls. Their office world is their playground.

Live After Five is a production of Unseen Hip Hop, directed by Josh Burns. The company includes Liz Aguila, Akela Auler, Sarah Gomez, Meagan Madson, Michelle Metzler, Paula Metzler, Lauren O'Brien, Vivi Zacharias, Josh Burns, Josh Metzler, Michael Munday, Jon Sadony and Will Ylvisaker. They are joined by Chris Moua, Niko Cataby, Sher Her, Jessica Hu and Alex Panyounavath from Soul Phase and Huy Pham, Andrey Pakhnyuk, Patrick Valdefiera, Alex Phanphackdy and Colin Quill from Moon Patrol. Details and tickets at www.unseenhiphop.com. Performances at Imago Theater 17 SE 8th, 2PM and 6:30 each day $12-15

July 2 Eastside Art Openings

This first Friday has a split personality. Owing the July 4th holiday, some galleries are opening Friday the 9th.


Portland artist Megan Scheminske is a smart Portland painter, most recently making location-based work from the large search company's maps. She sometimes rephotographs the work at the map point, or draws participation from people at the location, in her series: You are Here and Wish You Were Here. This show, I Want To Feel At Home Here, is a show spanning (states) including John Berry (IN), Joey Borovicka (MO), Michelle Daly (OR), Rachel Eckstein (NY), Jaik Faulk (OR), Jason Greene (OR), Grant Hottle (OR), Julienne Hsu (CA), Steve Kim (CA), Chris Knight (OR), Elizabeth Malaska (OR), Jane Mount (NY), Nathan Orton (OR), James Olley (ON), Shannon Rankin (ME), Chris Russell (CA), Allyson Smith (IN), William Swanson (CA) and Amy Talluto (NY). Home is where the heart is, so the show should resonate. It's at Milepost5 www.milepostfive.com 900 NE 81st (go by MAX) 6PM-9 Free



Art polymath Jeff Jahn has a show, Vection. Jahn has a good knowledge of contemporary art and has curated a series of notable shows. His curatorial practice is ready to expand beyond Portland. This is his personal art work, entwined with words, another Jahn forte; he is the motive force behind Portland art blog PORT:portlandart.net. The space is always challenging to fill, it's medium large. Looking forward to seeing how this artist does so. At New American Art Union www.newamericanartunion.com 922 SE Ankeny Free



Sarah Gottesdiner is also an art polymath and cultural activist. For this show she takes a step into performance. Four artist friends provided Gottesdiner a week's worth of instruction for living her life. The work on display is her response to each. She also throws and art dance party afterwards, just ask for the details. Nationale runs a performance and talk series for a very reasonable monthly subscription, ask in the store. Recommended. At Nationale thenewnationale.com 811 E Burnside Free



Next door, Redux has collage artist Staphanie Meininger. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside Free



Newspace Photo has an annual international juried show, with any art form, seeing more is eye training. It's curated by Darren Ching of Klompching Gallery. Such outside influence keeps Portland fresh. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Free



23 Sandy, Portland champions of photography, book arts and mystical or romantic flavored mixed media constructions, has a mixed media show, Bowing to Paradox, by Diane Jacobs involving poems laser cut into magnolia leaves and other work. The artist is the gallery's annual installation artist. At 23Sandy www.23sandy.com 623 NE 23 at Sandy 5PM-8 Free



Merge Studio Lab, architecture and design studio, takes over the bSIDE6 project room with an installation involving lumber and bicycle tubes. 524 East Burnside 6PM-10 Free

July 1 Westside Art Openings

The Everett Lofts, bounded by NW Broadway, Flanders, 6th and Everett are always recommended for your viewing pleasure.



We are getting very confused about education and it will get worse before better. There is no guarantee that this month's show by conceptualists Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson, In the Classroom, will provide the key insight to untangle our confusion, but it should be a fun show. One suggestion, let's remove the word pedagogy from vocabulary. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders early close 8PM



Jack Davidson, Laurie Reid, John Zurier have a show of watercolors, the perfect summer medium at Pulliam Deffenbaugh www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com until 8



Pedaling: Bicycle Photographs from Then to Now, includes classic photographers Brassaï, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Antonin Gribovsky, Shinsaku Izumi, André Kertész, Nathan Lerner, Herbert List, Wayne Miller, Sabine Weiss, Corey Arnold, Mark Steinmetz and Issei Suda. One wonders how 2010 images of Portland's bicycle romance will play in say 90 years, the vintage of some of these exposures. I guess well. At Charles Hartman Fine Art www.hartmanfineart.net 134 NW 8th



From the studio of Roy Lichtenstein is a sure to be entertaining show documenting the work of the world's most popular pop painter. Photographer Laurie Lambrecht worked as a studio assistant to Lichtenstein between 1990 and 1992, providing an opportunity to capture mundane studio details and Lichtenstein's idea board which appear almost monochromatic against his bold and colorful pop pieces. Melbourne artist Emidio Puglielli shows part of his collection of found photographs, presenting the front image and notations from the obverse, superimposed. In the Nines Gallery, an installation space within Blue Sky, Nines cofounder Jerry Mayer collaborates with partner Ellen George on Lightly, a large field patterned by tiny burns. It reminds me of an outstanding piece by Ann Hamilton in which every square inch of the walls were covered by soot and wax marks from candles. The Hamilton show is also the only show I've seen that was picked by PETA. Mayer and George are much more minimal than Hamilton, and unlikely to draw PETA's ire. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org 122 NW 8th



Group shows of gallery artists are a great way to grok the type of art the gallery specializes, all in an easy viewing. Louis Bunce, Manuel Izquierdo, Jay Backstrand, Marlene Bauer, Judith Poxson Fawkes, Tom Fawkes, Cie Goulet, Gregory Grenon, Sally Haley, Mary Josephson, Kim Osgood, Betty Merken, Henk Pander, Lucinda Parker, David Schwarz, Anne Siems, Eric Stotik, Sherrie Wolf and Mel Katz are on the menu at their gallery Laura Russo www.laurarusso.com 805 NW 21st



Elise Wagner presents Solar Flare, meditations on the far fury of our sun. Wagner is known for her work in the fiery encaustic, wax pigment medium which must be heated to apply, and scientifically inspired imagery. At Butters Gallery www.buttersgallery.com 520 NW Davis, 2nd Floor 6PM-9



The always lively unofficial Japanese embassy that is Compound has Pedal Power, a bicycle themed show including Tripper Dungen, Kate Durkin, Jud Turner, Stuntkid, Berto Legendary H, Jessica Ward, Heidi Elise Wirz and Andrea Shear. At Compound Gallery www.compoundgallery.com 107 NW 5th



There is good ironic and bad ironic. And ironic has a shelf life. This trend has run its course, so this show may be entertaining, like those tragic photos of our oh so fashionable past. Rad Hatter is a show of trucker hats modified by artists. At Tender Loving Empire www.tenderlovingempire.com 412 SW 10th