Art Spark. Portland's monthly arts networking happy hour is at the Eastside dive bar the Goodfoot. It's not as improbable as you might think, as the Goodfoot sells quite a bit of generally outsider art from its gallery walls monthly. Most of the evening is engaging conversations with artists and arts administrators, in both visual and performing arts. There will be a short presentation at 6PM by Profile theater, with an excerpt from their current play. www.portlandartspark.com At the Goodfoot www.thegoodfoot.com/gallery 2845 SE Stark Map 5PM-7 Free
The Art Department is a multi-space, hosting many visual art events and short run shows. They are also an event rental space with catering connections, conveniently next to a microdistiller. Tonight they host the release party for a book on Portland food carts, Cartopia. And come to think about it, an afterlife without food carts would be sad.
One of the Art Department cofounders is cowriter to the book. It's a history and manifesto, tracing the connections between locavore culture, great chefs, Portland's evolutionary-experimental culture and the new economy. It's packed with interviews and photographs, of the cartrepreneurs; and architects, planners and City officials. No doubt this book will be the seed of a cart revolution in many cities to come.
For the release, there will be a show of photography from the book, musicians, food, beer and wine, as well as Dino Tarot(!). The event is also the terminus of a food cart bike tour.
At the Art Department www.artdeptpdx.com 1315 SE 9th Avenue Map 6PM-10 Free
