The kung fu movie. The phenomenon started over 100 years ago in China, and blossomed there, post WWII, especially in Hong Kong. It came to America in the persona of the legendary Bruce Lee. Lee was an accomplished martial arts master and child actor from Hong Kong. Coming to America at age 19, he studied philosophy at UW, and later opened martial arts studios in San Francisco and Seattle. At that time, the Chinese martial arts were primarily taught within the Chinese community to Chinese Americans. Lee opened his studios to Westerners.
In his early acting career, he played Kato to the Green Hornet beginning about age 25. Breaking out as a lead, at age 29 he made several kung fu films, launching the Asian martial arts craze in America. While that wave has been eclipsed by yoga today, it could resurge.
Sadly Lee passed at age 32 from a brain embolism. What could he have done, if he had lived to today, when he would be 72?
Year of the Dragon is a show of more than 25 artists honoring Bruce Lee, including Patrick Fong, Ren Sakurai, Robert Mars, Brian Flynn, Dennis Moore, Tetsuya Tashima and more. Presented by the Bruce Lee Foundation, which has the awesome motto: using no way as way having no limitation as limitation.
At Compound Gallery www.compoundgallery.com 107 NW 5th
One of Portland's finest printmakers in traditional style, Sarah Horowitz, has Das Stachliges Dickicht. Horowitz excels in botanical illustrations, printed on handmade papers. At www.froelickgallery.com 714 NW Davis. Early close
Augen has brought some fine Frankenthaler and Motherwell prints from their trove, so you can have a museum art lesson for free! At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8
Sculptor and installation artist Laura Fritz shows Entorus. Fritz is known for installations that seem vaguely scientific, and maybe disturbing, certainly enigmatic. It's in the old Blue Sky Building, basement suite B5. 6PM-9
It's Portland photo month, many galleries are showing photography. Blue Sky is all photography all the time. This month are Nigel Dickinson and John Faier. Dickinson has the Smokey Mountain series, Phnom Penh, Cambodia: documenting a community of recyclers living atop a waste dump. Faier has Queen of Heaven, documenting the indoor landscapes of a mausoleum in Chicago. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9
Blaine Fontana is a Portland, designer, illustrator, sculptor and furniture maker. He has his first Portland solo show, Mergers & Acquisitions, allowing him to create a complete environment. At Hellion Gallery www.helliongallery.com 19 NW 5th Suite 208. Through the lobby of the arched brick entry, up the stairs and to the back. Very upper floor Japan-style.
Map
That's My Ride, Bro! is a show of custom van-themed art curated by Tripper. Artists include Hilary Pfeifer, Bwana Spoons, Scrappers, Martin Ontiveros, Meredith Dittmar, Brett Superstar, Eatcho, Adrienne Vita, Aaron Barker, Chelsea Fletcher, Caleb Highley, Tripper Dungan, Steve “ManVan” Mathews and Shawn Wolfe. I douby any of them have vans, but maybe it will be a new hipster ironic trend! At Grass Hut in Floating World. At Grass Hut www.grasshutcorp.com inside Floating World Comics 400 NE Couch
Stage 5 of the Portland Biennial, organized by Disjecta, has Vanessa Calvert, Sang-ah Choi, Daniel Duford, Wendy Red Star and Vanessa Renwick. Recommended. At the White Box Gallery in the University of Oregon White Stag Building, 70 NW Couch
The Laura Russo is a haven for late career artists, including this month painter and sculptor, Michael Brophy and Michihiro Kosuge. Brophy is notable for what can be done in landscape painting that's a little rougher than realistic, capturing the dramatic energy of landscape. Kosuge hews to a Japanese minimalist take on sculpture. At Laura Russo Gallery www.laurarusso.com 805 NW 21st
As always we recommend the Everett Station galleries, NW Broadway and Everett.
Likewise PNCA is bursting with shows at NW 13th and Johnson and in the surrounding buildings, ask for directions.
This is a wild card to do with as you may. We are a proponent of social practice art in its finest forms. Lily Yeh went to art school, then began work on children's and community art projects in Philadelphia in the 1960's. Founding Barefoot Artists, she expanded her participatory community art projects internationally. Contemporary art operates with certain codes, alien to children, and really most of society. So how Yeh fits into our usual topics is unknown to me. But you can hear her speak today about what she does. Sponsored by the World Affairs Council www.worldoregon.org/persona/lily-yeh. At the The Old Church, 1422 Southwest 11th, Noon $5-10
The film and video business in Portland is overwhelmingly made up of small businesses. Like. Tonight the Oregon Media Production Association hosts Portland Candidates for Mayor in a discussion of their ideas to support Portland's creative economy. The organizer request you RSVP on their website. The event will be captured for later broadcast on cable access, but good luck finding out when. At KGW studios, 1501 SW Jefferson 6:30PM Free
