February 27 You Who La Cucaracha

Portland's adult-child variety show put on by artist-musicians returns. The thesis is that adults need not be bored to oblivion by childrens' material and the reverse, which is really more important. Small ones might need earplugs, but that's no reason to not go with kidchilds. Performers include the Corin Tucker Band and DJ Anjali. Advance tickets which you will need to get in at www.youwhoportland.com and Black Wagon. Doors noon, show one.



A little later Publication Studio principal Mathew Stadler releases his own novel La Cucaracha. Stadler is noted writer, editor and publisher operating in Seattle, New York, Amsterdam and Portland. Reservations requested please, owing a very very small space, but it's free. RSVP via email at http://www.publicationstudio.biz/events/ 6PM-8 Free

February 26 Motley Crew

Publication Studio has been making a name and a business printing on demand books that reach their intended audience, not just fill the pipes. It's a far cry from the expired business model of the late Borders and upstream pipe publishers. Tonight is the release of John Motley's thoughtful writing on shows at Fourteen30 Contemporary Art, one of the most progressive Portland galleries, if not the most. Writing is critical in constructing narrative around art. RSVP required, owing a very very small space, but it's free. RSVP via email at http://www.publicationstudio.biz/events/ 7PM-10 Free

(By the way, send to LA friends news of a PubStud event on Chung King Road tonight too)


Disjecta opens a large installation fabricated of wood by Karl Burkheimer. It was curated by large installation sculptor Jeanine Nagy, who has spectacularly filled the space in the past. At Disjecta www.disjecta.org 8371 N Interstate 6-10PM Free

February 25 Free The Museum Appendix

I'm a huge proponent of free, most events listed here are free. On the other hand, many arts organizations which charge fees hire artists as staff, which I also strongly support. And many cultural organizations that charge admission have have yearly membership programs that pay themselves back in 3 visits for two in a year. How do you decide whether the year membership is valuable to you? Go on a free day! And the Art Museum is free tonight.Go early and see the whole thing and weigh little discounts, a dollar, for films, and not paying for blockbuster shows. It's a vertical workout, but the Masonic contemporary wing is best viewed from lowest floor to the top and after check the NW contemporary show at APEX. At the Portland Art Museum www.pam.org 1219 SW Park 5PM-8 Free



Sylvie Deutsch has an event at Appendix. They have been having occasional events over the Winter, and they are always challenging in a good way. At Appendix Project Space. On the alley between 26th and 27th, South of Alberta. Wear shoes you can get muddy. www.appendixspace.com Map 7PM Free

February 25-27 Bikes Attack!

The bicycle film festival returns to Portland. It's an international phenomena with showings in Lisbon, Liverpool, London, Milan, Montreal, Munich, Paris, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, Toronto, Vienna and Portland! There are films Friday evening and Saturday afternoon on, with after events, all within riding distance! It's always a pleasure to see a bike pile on Clinton where the bike crush overwhelms locking spots! Get tickets in advance. At Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton 7PM on Friday, 3on Saturday $9.43 per show online

February 24 Ice Foot Worldchanging Department

I'm going to be frank. I cast a jaundiced eye upon identity-based art. Not sure if bringing a block of ice from the arctic to the Bahamas qualifies, but if that interests you you can research the artist Tavares Strachan who speaks tonight at PNCA and decide whether to go. At PNCA 1241 NW Johnson 6:30PM Free



Meanwhile over at Goodfoot a show by Adam Sheppard, Joel Barber, Johnny Tragedy and Tripper Dungan opens. At www.thegoodfoot.com/gallery 2845 SE Stark Map 4PM-late



It's no secret worldchanging is my interest. That has many dimensions. Those interested in the broad range of worldchanging options mught be interested in the work of Vandana Shiva. Her angle is local, small scale, innovation. She speaks at a World Affairs Council of Oregon event the evening before and her talk at PCC may be streamed free - check the link. 10AM PCC Cascade Free



We like the Art Department because they have a good business savvy in presenting Portland arts and culture. That's required for sustainability. For example, one of their principals self published a book on the history, philosophy and international duplicability of food carts. Tonight they open their doors at a new exhibition and collaborative space specifically to recent art grads, art students, art curators and art teachers to network and find new material for future shows. See adxportland.com 6PM Free

February 23 Is It a Mouse? Is It a Ghost?

This idea started in Brooklyn. It's a perfect excample of new arts presentation models that are popular with audiences, and are fueled by drink sales. Hope the performers and artists are paid. Tonight's Portland edition of Mouse Ghost is coproduced by Ladycop and Together Gallery as a ladycop tour platform. Visual arts include Together editioned prints by Evan B. Harris, Ben Tour, Adam Friedman, Mark Warren Jacques, Nas Chompas, Timothy Karpinski and David Wein at $40 and $80. Jessie Malmed, who is also part of Deep Leap Microcinema, doing a multimedia performace. Fashion will be represented by Golden Rule, Little Edie's Five and Dime, and Clawhammer and Clothespin. Choreographer-dancer Lucy Yim previews Loose Hands Lunging with Jin Camou, Alyssa Reed and Danielle Ross and accompanied by Jean Paul Jenkins and Michael Degutis. At Holocene www.holocene.org 1001 SE Morrison 9PM $5

February 22 The Mystery of Upholstery

Upholstery is part of our unconscious physical landscape, but how is it made? You can find out this evening from Erin Lolcama of Acanthus Green Upholstery. In addition to touching on the crafty art's history, Lolcama talks about more sustainable and non-toxic materials she uses in her own practice. You can tune into the free live webcast off the Core77 site or visit in person at Hand Eye Supply www.handeyesupply.com/pages/curiosity-club 23 NW 4th 6PM Free

February 21 Free Japanese Garden and Free Art

The Portland Japanese Garden is free for all today. japanesegarden.com 611 SW Kingston Avenue. 10AM-4.


Portland and some other cities have public art programs funded by a percentage on city construction. New York too, and the result is a defacto public art collection. New York City curator and director of the City public art program Sara Reisman talks about each of those projects, public art and non-public sector curation. Talk Monday in the Shattuck Hall Annex, SW Broadway and Hall on the PSU Campus Map. 7:30PM Free

February 20 Some Days Spring Research

Local filmmaker Matt McCormick has built a steady career on film curation, distribution, making a festival, art shorts, installation, landscape film, advertising work, music videos, photography and music. You could say he's the artist-filmmaker's filmmaker-artist. He has created his first feature Some Days Are Better Than Others. It's not Reichert, or Van Sant, or Haynes or Miranda July even, it's its own thing. The film priemered at SXSW last year, shows in Portland tonight and proceeds on to MOMA in NYC and other major cities in the coming months. Part of the Portland International Film Festival. www.nwfilm.org In the Art Museum Whitsell Auditorium, www.nwfilm.org 1219 SW Park 7:30PM $8-10



Music continually evolves. Where there is an historical record of who composed a piece, there is also an historical record of the work being loved by new music lovers and hated by old music lovers. And of course today's new music lovers are sometimes tomorrow's new music haters. An example is the composer Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), early modernist. He wrote his first symphony at 25. A very famous piece, Rite of Spring, begun when the composer was 29, was first performed when he was 31. It elicited the following review: "The most essential characteristic of [The Rite of Spring] is that it is the most dissonant and the most discordant composition yet written. Never was the system and the cult of the wrong note practiced with so much industry, zeal and fury." The premiere of the dance performance in collaboration with greats Nijinsky and Diaghilev, actually erupted into fistfights in the audience and the police were called. The Oregon Ballet Theater is reprising classic Stravinsky modern ballet and commissioning local performers to make new work to Stravinsky. The collaborators speak on the project which performs February 26 - March 5. Describing the process of creating work include Rachel Tess, Rumpus Room Dance; Anne Mueller, Oregon Ballet Theatre; Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland, BodyVox; costume designer Morgan Walker, PNCA; and composer Heather Perkins. More info at OBT Stravinsky Program www.obt.org/season_program3.html. PNCA talk today at PNCA 13th and NW Johnson. 2PM-4 Free



The Research Club continues its intimate and informative brunch series, today returning to the intimate and informative False Front Studio, near Alberta. This brunch includes presentations by Jamie Marie Waelchli, the artist showing Thought Maps this month at the gallery, speaking on her work; Alison Jean Cole, on her peer to peer open source university project and institution-free degree granting; Michael Cook from the City Repair Project, Portland champion mud hut activists, and an idea that has spread to other cities; and Abraham Ingle, from Portland Skill Share and also famous for artist projects such at the Neighborhood Diaries podcasts. Bring vegan or vegetarian friendly food to share. In an important DIY action to cut down on the many pounds of garbage the event could generate, bring your own cup, plate and utensils, hey maybe a cloth napkin! A project of research-club.org At False Front Studio www.falsefrontstudio.com 4518 NE 32nd Map noon-3 Free

February 19 Mall Grow

Seemingly distant in culture, both tonight are doing good things, thanks to artists.

At Project Grow, Why make Art? is a part of their lecture series. Leading off with films by some very creative filmmakers, Karl Lind and Jennifer Keyser, the evening segues to socializing and a discussion by Harrell Fletcher, Chris Johanson, Avalon Kalin, Sandy Samson, Larry Supnet and Karl Lind on the why. At Project Grow at the Port City Development Center. 2156 N Williams Ave at Tillamook. Films 6PM, talk 7. Free



Meanwhile at the mall...IN(ter)DEPENDENCE, is a group show of shows from interdependent independent curators and spaces. Included artists nurturing curators include &Review: Jeff Guay, Jesse Malmed, Morgan Ritter; Appendix Project Space: Zack Rose; Deep Leap Microcinema: Tabor Robak, Duncan Malashock, Philippe Blanchard and Mark Essen with artist made video games; Elizabeth Lamb (OSU White Box): Weird Fiction; False Front: Jason Doize; Golden Rule: Emily Counts; Half/Dozen: Michelle Liccardo; Kelly Rauer (Portland Art Center, NAAU): Mack McFarland; Little Field: Nathanial Oester; RECESS: DIY Lover, Alicia Gordon, Sean Patrick Higgins; Place: Juleen Johnson; Tribute Gallery: J.Brown and Courtney Cullen. The following will also bring artists: Ditch Projects and Grand Detour. At the Pioneer Place Mall, bounded by SW Morrison, Yamhill, 5th and 6th. Third floor. 6PM-9 Free



And a little off the beaten path is the always entertaining San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade and Treasure Hunt! Parade & Hunt. San Francisco 4:30PM & 5:15 Free & $10-40 per person

February 17 Carolee Schneemann at PCC

Carolee Schneeman is an artist working since the late 1950's as painter, performer, filmmaker, writer. Definitely an artists' artist, and an artist driven by issues. She has inquired into the body, sexuality, experimental dance, food and the socio-political issues of war and feminism. Schneeman speaks of her work in a talk titled Mysteries of the Iconographies. This is a big win for PCC to present such an artist, it was organized by the students themselves, good job. Performing Arts Center, PCC Sylvania Campus 12000 SW 49th. 7PM. Parking per carload $3, Lecture Performance Free

February 11-12 Revenge of Revenge of Revenge of The Whale

Moby Dick is an epic American novel. It is still interesting today, weaving themes of American exceptionalism, Christian dominion over the earth and beasts, the then quest for whale oil, now replaced by ground oil, anthropomorphism of whales, more realized now, and tragedy. Since I think I read it last in about junior high school, a reading may be a pleasant refresher. Organized by the IPRC, 135 readers will read aloud a chapter of the book. The event starts at Powell's Friday evening and continues at undisclosed locations for a continuous 24 hours. At Powell's Books 5PM-10 Free

February 11 UN Susan Rice

Susan Rice will be Secretary of State. She is bright and accomplished. To get to that position, you have to have made grave errors that seemed right at the time. It's the way of the world. The current Secretary of State was surely involved in the US and the UN not intervening in Rwanda in 1994. Rice was involved in the 1999 Lomé Accords which not only legitimized one of the 20th Century's most horrific rebel wars, but rewarded its leader with control over the country's diamond exports. Nonetheless, she is a fascinating speaker and, as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, one of Obama's most powerful foreign policy team players. Rice speaks as guest of the Portland World Affairs Council. Tickets www.worldoregon.org/events/registration/susan_rice.php At the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1126 SW Park. 7PM $20, $10 students

February 10 RECESS is Over

The Artistery has declared success and is closing. The Artistery has been one of Portland's most successful all ages venues. Music is art. It's not covered here because others do it much better elsewhere. Music and art have thrived together at the Artistery in a building likely to be town down by developers and that day has come. It joins whole neighborhoods no more that were home to artist studios, band practice space, experimental performance spaces, collaboration and leading edge culture, worldwide.

An Artistery project is the RECESS Gallery programmed by experimental curator Tori Abernathy. Abernathy combines a deep curiosity for systems thinking, social practice ideas proposed by Joseph Beuys and a John Cage-like process of chance combination. In an ongoing, The Synthesis Series, at RECESS and in other venues, she has arranged artist collaborator pairs by chance, that shift. Other shows have included leading idea based Portland artists, social media themed art, mobile phone generated art, art on language and memory.

This Thursday is one of the last times the art venue will be open. Stop by. At RECESS recesspdx.blogspot.com 4315 SE Division 7PM-11

February 9 Blow Dyne

Khaela Maricich is performer The Blow. In several incarnations, The Blow has included Jona Bechtolt, now half of Yacht, and has been solo. Khaela has also performed stellar multimedia spoken pieces, essentially stories. Melissa Dyne is a polymode artist too, working in large scale sculpture installation, inspired by a deep interest in science. They have been collaborating lately, combining songs, narrative, lighting and sound influenced by audience reaction. So in a way the audiences become coequal participants in something new. Perhaps it's social sculpture, or audience, artist, performance sculpture. Hear about it. At the Cleaners at the Ace Hotel, corner SW 10th and Stark, 7PM-8:30 $7

February 6, 7 Stratman on Film

I first came across experimental filmmaker adventurer Deborah Stratman through Matt McCormick's Experimental and Documentary Film Festival. Matt distributes some of Stratman's films. Stratman's Kings of the Sky is the fruit of traveling lightly with camera into Uygurland, Western China. I worked on a project with a stellar Uygur translator, but we didn't talk politics, so the idea of tightrope walking as a cultural meme is cool. Stratman has formed a relationship with Portland as a result of that initial encounter too. Sunday she shows films and workshops with aspiring filmmakers at the NW Film Center. Monday she speaks at PSU. Recommended.

Workshops and consultation through the Film Center www.nwfilm.org/calendar/2011/02/08/deborahstratmanw11 10AM-3 Sunday $20

Screenings at the Film Center nwfilm.org/screenings/32/288/#1807 Sunday 7:30PM Whitsell Auditorium $10

Talk Monday in the Shattuck Hall Annex, 1914 SW Park Avenue, at the corner of SW Broadway and Hall on the PSU campus. 7:30PM Free

February 6 Performance Recital

I have always found the word recital odd. It came to my ears from musician friends, performing in music school. Tonight it's the name given to a an occasional series at intimate Valentines. Movers Jin Camou and Lucy Yim have collected performers Justin Smith, Maesie Speer, Dana Dart McLean and Heather McKenzie. More at recitalpdx.wordpress.com. Event at Valentines valentineslifeblood.blogspot.com 232 SW Ankeny Art 9PM, $5-10

February 5 Mighty Together Whitebox Lightdome

Paulskeee, Master Culture and the Universal Zulu Nation present Mighty4. 5x5 crews battle for $500. Tecumseh and Surreal - 206 Zulu - on the wheels of steel. Live aerosol art by Kauz Roc. MC performances by Orbitron and Theory Hazit. Poppin showcase by New Lineage - BopNTodd, Donnamation, Icon - and Einstein - 45th Parallel Zulu Nation. Judges Paulskee - Rock Force Crew - Orb - Circle Of Fire, Soul Shifters - and Thesis - Knuckleheads Cali. Crews: Foreign Objects, Soul Phase, Crisis Crew, Massive Monkees, Rhythm Bandits, New Birth, Raw Action, Wicked FX, Vicious Puppies, Unleashed, Moon Patrol, Tang N the gang, Tangled Roots, Tru Roots, Art Of Movement and Hamburgerlicious. 109 SE Salmon Doors 6PM Battles 7 All Ages Kids 12 and under Free otherwise $15



Together Gallery opens Supernatural and The King's 6th Finger. Supernatural is work by Adam Friedman, Nicole Linde, David Wien, Cody Cochrane and Betsy Walton. The King's 6th Finger is a children's book with illustrations by Jolby and Rachel Roellke. Musical interludes by Barna Howard, Vikesh Kapoor, and The Moon in Light. At Together Gallery www.togethergallery.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste A Map 6PM-11, Music 9 Free



The UO-PDX Whitebox Gallery opens Collect Four, Matthew Green, Midori Hirose, Jason Traeger and Benjamin Young as curated by Jessie Hayward. It's nicely hung sparsley. Recommended. At White Box in the White Stag Block 24 NW First. Opening reception 6PM-8 Free



It's that time of year that though theoretically days are lengthening, our bodies are still in Winter. So it's a great opportunity to bathe in light. Seek the light yurt and its astral travelers for solace.

February 4-6 And Everything is Going Fine

I am convinced that the appreciation of storytelling is in our DNA. Your and my auditory neocortex differs significantly from other species while retaining the deep brain connections tied to primitive emotion.

Thus the history of human is the history of storytelling. From the Illiad and epic, spoken or sung, found in many early cultures, to our appreciation of the lyrics of the sappiest of pop music, our brains, trained by storytelling from infancy, are narrative hungry.

Spaulding Gray was one of America's primier storytellers. A theater person, he found his groove with sit down storytelling. It's a little like stand up comedy, but less ADD. For instance, see his famous monologue Swimming To Cambodia, a tiptoe around one of the top five human-made tradegies of the 20th Century.

The great filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has woven the metanarrative of Gray into a film. It's a great review of the Gray era. Many followed, including former Portlander Miranda July. Today it has become a popular art form with examples Mike Daisey, and many performative storytellers curated by The Moth, Radiolab, Portland's Back Fence, Mortified, Nervous Breakdown and more.

The film has its Portland premiere at NW Film Center. In the Art Museum Whitsell Auditorium, www.nwfilm.org 1219 SW Park, 7PM Friday, 9PM Saturday, 4:45PM Sunday $9

February 4 Eastside Art Openings

Bruce Conkle, well known for his Northwest Eco-Baroque sculpture installations, is guest Grow artist. Grow, building on its social practice art taproot, adds a lot of artmaking by Grow clients. Now they have a large exhibition space for showing guests and collaborations to the Portland Art world. Tonoght is it Conkle inspiring Project Grow artists and being inspired by them. See it at Project Grow at the Port City Development Center. 2156 N Williams Ave at Tillamook. 7PM-10



Golden Rule kicks off a new show which includes sleeping in the gallery performance experiments, An Invitation to Sleep. Artists Emily Counts, Sally England, Amanda Luna and Alexis Powell have made dream theme works for the space inspiration. At Golden Rule Gallery www.goldenruleportland.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 122 in the back



Local, national, international fav Kendra Binney opens new work way down in Sellwood. At Tilde www.tildeshop.com 7919 SE 13th 6PM-9



The Press Club has art shows but I rarely get up that way Fridays. They also have great film, food and tuneage. Tonight they host Portland multiartist Rachel Blumberg. You have probably seen her illustration-style work and heard her music without putting them together. This work is flatter style figure painting. At the Press Club 2621 SE Clinton



I like Local Goods and local goods too. They often have surprisingly good art shows, and although I haven't seen this artist, Marilyn Potter, I am curious. At Local Goods, LLC 2136 E Burnside 5:30PM-8



As always, the rest of the 811 block is recommended, Nationale and Redux!

February 3 Westside Art Openings

Wondering what to do tonight? Free? Wonder no longer.


Christine Clark has been infecting metal students at Oregon College of Arts and Crafts with contemporary for some time. Her own work has run recently to very detailed wire constructions. The work is at the Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky, an artist formed and run gallery specializing in installation and contemporary work. The Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky 122 NW 8th



Courier Coffee continues its art program with a group show. The space alternates between guest curators and guest artists. This show, themed Intuition, includes Portland, Austin, SF, LA, Guatemala and other contributions. DJ from House of Records spinning international rock, soul and funk. At Courier Coffee. 923 SW Oak 5PM-late



The revenge of the Oregon Painting Society is a double show at PSU. Society collective member Jason Traeger shows New Perspectives in Cave Painting. Painting Society proper shows now you c me now you don't / joker n the deck. Trager in Autzen Gallery - Second floor, PSU Neuberger Hall, Room 205, 724 SW Harrison Society in AB Lobby Gallery, PSU Art Department Building Lobby, 2000 SW 5th. While you are there check another show in the upstairs gallery. All three, 5PM-8



PDX Contemporary has word geometry by Victoria Haven from Seattle. The work is elegant and minimal, perfect for PDX. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders Map early close 8PM



Laura Russo Gallery has Whitney Nye, known for finely detailed collage paintings, with a field of repeating elements. At Laura Russo Gallery www.laurarusso.com 805 NW 21st



P:ear has work by Jennifer Mercede, Flora S. Bowley, Sarah Cruise, Mia Nolting and Nicole Linde working with P:ear youth. At P:EAR www.pearmentor.org 338 NW 6th



Off the Westside art grid, Appendix Project Space on Alberta has a performance 4More by Carlos Gonzalez. Always a lively spot for experimental performance. At Appendix Project Space. On the alley between 26th and 27th, South of Alberta. www.appendixspace.com Map 6-10ish Free



And stop by the Everett Lofts...

February 3 Innovation Energy

Energy Innovation, I'm for it. Tonight Roger Pielke, political scientist, working at the intersection of energy policy and technology research offers an energy innovation prescription. The sponsors, Illahee, are well known for finding the smartest speakers operating at the leading edge of thinking on contemporary challenges, and their solution. Tickets in advance recommended to beat the crush at www.illahee.org First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Park 7PM $20

February 3 The Harmonious Society

Our view of another country, itself made up of large numbers of independent individuals, is by nature vague, or false, or both, even for those paying attention. So with China. That doesn't mean it doesn't matter or that we shouldn't try. Today is an opportunity to do so.

The harmonious society, 和谐社会, is an abstraction and slogan capturing an engineered vision of Confucianism and a contented middle class. It is really not a bad idea, perhaps it is like 1950's America. But the intense pace of change in China, growth in GDP of about 10% yearly for 30 years, has strained that society.

Part of that engineering is evolving the role of law. It can support the government or challenge it, as it does here. Law professor Margaret Lewis studies the question and presents her analysis on the evolving role of law in China. Cosponsored by the NW China Council, the World Affairs Council and the UofO at the White Stag Building, Room 142/144, 70 NW Couch, noon-1:30 Free

February 2 Second Story Moving Targets

Video art, sit down cinema, VJing and architectural video mapping are all close cousins. If they were presented sit down-style by an interactive firm, they would be called design films. That is what they are tonight.

Second Story defines this program as short self initiated work, not for client. If you know Portland, you might recognize some of the creators: MK12, Jeff Scher, Tomorrow Partners, Mark Owens, Everynone, Secondary School, Jiaren Hui, Bran Dougherty-Johnson, PSST! Pass It On, Chris Lael Larson, goodfocus, Alex Cornell, 3 Legged Legs, Nadia Tzuo, Joe Hollier, Andrew Sloat, Rob Tyler and Feel Good Anyway.

It's a great evening which we hope becomes regular. Arranged by Second Story in association with AIGA, the Moving Targets program http://blog.secondstory.com/moving-targets premieres this evening at 714 N Fremont St #200 7PM-9 Free