Thursday, May 31, 2012

June 1 Eastside Art Openings

Half Dozen closes its current brick and basement space, L/R, tonight. They have been consistently good here, in LoBu, and in the Everett Lofts. We wish them the best in their next adventure. The closing show is Drone Kitsch by Carl Diehl. It is a good candidate for copywriting of the week: "pulling from UFO lore for inspiration, playing on themes of technological anxiety, imagining nostalgic objects from an estranged futurity." At Half/Dozen Gallery www.halfdozengallery.com 722 E Burnside (enter on 8th) 6PM-9 Free



Union|Pine has Double Exposure, a group photo show from Mikola Accuardi, Holly Andres, Nina Bakos, Jaclyn Campanaro, Brendan Coughlin, Jon Duenas, Jay Fitzgerald, Parker Fitzgerald, J.R. Furbus, Randall Garcia, Laura Leon, Maryann Parrone, Jeremy Pelley, Boone Rodriguez, Alicia J Rose, Matt Schulte, Tatum Shaw, Christine Taylor, Kimberly Warner and Patrick Richardson Wright. At Union/Pine www.unionpine.com 525 SE Pine 7Pm-late Free



Manchus is consistently presenting video. Tonight they open Three-Way Migration by Christine Taylor. Taylor is a noted photographer, so exciting to see her video projects. At Manchus Clothing www.machusonline.com 542 E Burnside 6PM-9 Free



Black Box has Mirror, Mirror, a varied portrait show, curated by Holly Andres. Some are quite striking. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs 5PM-8:30 Free



Nicholas P Wilson is a photographer focused on Portland fashion and portraits. He has his first solo show tonight at Haunt. Then he graduates from high school. He is one of those great photographers in your high school class. At Haunt hauntstudio.blogspot.com 811 E Burnside 7PM-9 Free



Redux has illustrator Brooke Weeber. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside 6PM-9:30 Free



Nationale has swirly glitter clouds by Rikki Rothenberg. This swirly artist is also cofounder of Portland movement performance group Woolly Mammoth Comes to Dinner. In conjunction with her exhibition, Rothenberg and Seattle performer Allie Hankins do a movement work in the gallery on Saturday, June 23rd. At Nationale thenewnationale.com 811 E Burnside Map 6PM-9 Free




Newspace has Growing Up, by Daniel Farnum - meditations on the Midwestern landscape. Also a show of work by the instructors at Newspace. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Map 6PM-9 Free



The Ford Building opens many of its varied studios this evening, on all the floors. Gallery Homeland will have their video show powered up and sponsors an experimental music concert. At Gallery Homeland www.galleryhomeland.org in the Ford Building www.fordbuildingpdx.com 2505 SE 11th x Division. Enter through the cafe on the corner if the main doors on 11th are locked. 6PM-9 Free



Pushdot has landscape photographs from childhood Norway, primarily stark waterscapes by Joanne Fielder. They were made on occasion of grieving for the loss of her mother.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

June 1-3 ADX is 1

Coop shop and creative center ADX is one year old today. They are launching a prototyping and manufacturing service for Portland creative entrepreneurs. Friday is a reception. Saturday is a show of member projects and a talk at 2PM on prototyping and taking products to market. Sunday is a barbecue. You can check their website for details. At adxportland.com 417 SE 11th x Stark Map Free

May 31 Alberta Madness

The first full on Last Thursday of the season is tonight. The street will be closed, be kind to the neighbors.


Flight 64 has Secret Beasties, etchings by Martha Daghlian and Megan Hanley printed from copper plates. Both draw inspiration from organic lifeforms. At Flight 64 Print Studio www.flight64.org 2934 NE Alberta Behind Bella Faccia Pizza on the NE 29th-30th Alley. Map 6PM-9 Free



Seth Nehil has Children's Games, a video installation at 1422 NE Alberta.



Screaming Sky has Mystic Critters, by Tripper Dungan 3d anaglyph paintings, meaning in plainspeak, you need red and cyan filtered glasses to see the effect. Fun! Also work by noted outsider artist Klutch, creator of the Vinyl Killers series. Often worth stopping by Antler next door. At Screaming Sky www.screamingskygallery.com 1416 NE Alberta Free



Coral reefs are a critical part of our ocean ecosystem that grow slowly and are sensitive scaffolds for a myriad of life. Pollution, changing temperatures, acidification, anchors and fishing with explosives kill them. So this project, a community-crocheted coral reef analog falls squarely into the globally socially conscious social practice art paradigm. By Portland artist and sea researcher Colleen Flanigan. View in the Emerson Space Case emersonspacecase.blogspot.com NE 30th and Emerson Map



Appendix will be closed tonight. But Ampersand is always worth a visit.

May 30 - June 9 The 1 Festival Movement

This would fall under modern dance, theater, performance and improvisation. It's a mix of in town and visitors. Included are Elizabeth Huffman, Damaris Webb, Mark Hayes, Eric Hull, Cindy Tennant, Luciana ProaƱo, Portland Playback Theatre, Kristine Anderson, Matthew Nelson, Rachel Slater, Eowyn Barrett, Ed Alletto, Christine Bonansea, Vanessa Skanze, Anet Ris-Kelman, Sara Zalek, Kat MacMillan, Alan Sutherland, Stephanie Lanckton, Wobbly, Aura Fischbeck, Emily Gregory, Mindy Dillard, Mary Rose, Emily Stone, John Johnson, SubRosa Dance, Laurence Kominz, Qaos, Noah Peterson, Bill Ratner, Beth Lorio, PDX Dance Collective, Keyon Gaskin, Adriana Butoi, Micah Perry and the Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble. Descriptions of the performances and performers are on the website www.the1festival.com/services/the-line-up/ At the Headwaters Theater, by www.witdpresents.com 55 NE Farragut St. #9. The theater is in the back of the building by the active railroad tracks facing Winchell Street. Map Times and admission on the website



May 30 Recycling

Ampersand opens works on paper by Heather Cavalieri and John Hundt. Cavalieri incorporates found paper into her handmade papers, it's recycling! Hundt is a collage artist, that's recycling too. At Ampersand Vintage Printed Material www.ampersandvintage.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste B. Map 6PM-9 Free



It goes well with the show Chat with Flowers by Salem artist Christian Alborz Oldham, who exhibits primarily outside the region. Oldham's strategy is digital sampling from internet sources. He is known for graphic design for music projects. The show is open tonight and June 1-3. At Appendix Project Space www.appendixspace.com On the alley between 26th and 27th, South of Alberta. Map 7PM-10 Free

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

May 22-27 Let's Get Experimental

Portland has a new Experimental Film Festival. One was created by Portland filmmaker Matt McCormick. Artist and filmmaker Gretchen Hogue then assumed responsibility for it. Now version 2.0 has been created by Grand Detour. They continue the tradition of including video installation in the program with a show opening tonight at Gallery Homeland 6PM-9, then regular gallery hours. You can see the whole schedule and the distributed venues at www.effportland.com. Some events, including the gallery show are free.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

May 19 Le Mall

The Mall galleries open their new shows tonight.

At Place, placepdx.tumblr.com a gallery on the 3rd floor of the Pioneer Place Mall. Also the People's art of Portland and the Woolley Gallery. If the mall appears closed, enter the film theater building adjacent, travel through the tunnel to the Place mall, and take the elevator to the 3rd floor, sometimes the bridge on the 3rd floor is open too. 700 SW Fifth. 6PM-9 Free

Friday, May 18, 2012

May 18 Shapes and Smiles

Who can argue with shapes and smiles? Not me. This is graphic work by Josh Kenyon and Colby Nichols operating under Jolby opening at Albina Press on Albina tonight. At Albina Press 4637 North Albina 6PM-8 Free



Graduates Kathy Bradshaw, Amanda Brennan, Heather Bromer, Jody Dunphy, Sheri Earnhart, Larissa Hammond, Killeen Hanson, Andrew Lonnquist, Swapna Ketcham, Karl Ramentol, Amber Roelfs, William Rueck and Jacob Tietze of the joint PNCA and OCAC MFA in art oriented craft and design open their thesis work this evening. At 902 SW Morrison 6PM-9 Free

May 18-20 Open Engagement

Open Engagement is Portland's international conference on social practice art. The conference is organized around politics, economies, education and representation. Not sure where the discussion of quality comes in. You can scan the schedule at the website and participate. It's free. And recommended. www.openengagement.info At PSU. All day to late. Free!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

May 18-21 The Art of the Walk

The art of the walk is not unknown to art. We are not talking about silly walks, we are talking about serious walks. Canadian artist Janet Cardiff has made site specific audio walks. And Portland artist and curator Tori Abernathy has created Atmospheres. Atmospheres is an augmented reality audio experience for walkers. They will experience sounds captured in the inner Southeast industrial area and replayed in layers triggered by the location of the walker as they move. The samples, gathered over 2 years, are selected for the walker by the piece using GPS technology.

Those two years of experiences in a metaphysical way can be thought to reside in the place, whether captured or not, in a personal way. It is the same with each place and with each person. That it is mediated by space technology is another poetic layer. Interestingly the work runs along with many current explorations of experiencing data such as the Vibrant Data Project.

To participate in Atmosphere, visit the website http://www.doodle.com/n43t9b9d4phqp7ks and make a reservation for one or more of the five available experience mediating devices. Then arrive for your time and head out for a half hour or more on your walk.

The initiation point is at Recess Gallery recesspdx.blogspot.com at Oregon Brassworks Building, 1127 SE 10th Map noon-5PM Free

May 17 CHAD

Anyone who claims to not hate Powerpoint is lying. Some people really hate it, like Edward Tufte, all but blaming it for the fall of Western civilization. In his essay, The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint, and in seminars, he faults the design of the software with some serious mishaps, such as the loss of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. It is not far fetched to argue the use of Powerpoint in the military and government provides prima facie support to Tufte's case.

In a coda, I just learned that engineer Roger Boisjoly passed in January. Boisjoly was the engineer who discovered the design problem that resulted in the total loss of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. Boisjoly tried to stop the launch, presenting his arguments in a fated Powerpoint the night before, but was overruled by Morton Thiokol and NASA management. It has been theorized that NASA was anxious to launch the first teacher into space in time for president Reagan's state of the union speech scheduled later that same day. As a whistleblower, post the loss, he was subject to intense pressures, resulting a nervous breakdown. But he was awarded the Prize for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and dedicated the rest of his career to teaching engineering ethics.

Artist David Byrne has explored Powerpoint in art. There have been several Portland performance art projects using Powerpoint. The latest is a series CHAD, organized by artist, inventor and writer, Mykle Hansen.

His CHAD series is likely to be humorous bordering on ridiculous. Presenters include palindrome champion Mark Saltveit, on the science of non-science Justin Hanes, global inspirationist Lance Banks, pro-lifist Carrie Twoterm, and a channeler of the great Carl Sagan.

CHAD may be had www.thisischad.com at the Jack London Bar 529 SW 4th Ave in the basement of the Rialto Poolroom 8PM $5-10

May 16 Dreaming Mermaids

The Little Mermaid is a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. Mala Morska Vila is a Czech New Wave film interpretation with live actors from 1976. This beautiful surrealist version will be scored by Goodnight Billygoat, Wooden Indian Burial Ground and Blood Beach "with their twinkling orchestral pop", "their spacious and trippy rock landscapes" and "theremin-heavy psychedelia", respectively. It is part of the always a treat Fin de Cinema series of classic subtitled films with live soundtracks by Portland bands. At Holocene www.holocene.org 1001 SE Morrison. 8:30PM $5

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

May 15 Mr Weiwei is Never Sorry

It is no secret we have a sense of humor, particularly in how we formulate our headlines. Many artists have a sense of humor too, and some are serious about it. One is Ai Weiwei, Chinese contemporary artist. Mr Weiwei was reported an easy going partier and prankster in his NY days between 1981 and 1993. In that period, he was influenced by the experimental NY art scene, AIDS activism, and watched the events of 1989 unfold at home from afar.

Returning to China after, he collaborated in producing and presenting controversial experimental art in Beijing. He continued his father's interest in Chinese antiques, supporting himself as an antique dealer. Repurposing antiques in the service of conceptual art was a theme of his early work. Dropping a Han-Dynasty Urn in 1995 is a record of Weiwei dropping a 2200 year old antique vase which shatters on the ground. It is a simple yet richly barbed commentary on history and culture, especially as Chinese dominant ethnic group takes its name from that dynasty. The beauty of the work is that the urn might cost less than $5000 to purchase, while photographs of the work, in an edition of 8, are currently valued at over $150,000 each.

Mr Weiwei was in the right place at the right time to ride the Chinese art boom in China, as well as internationally. He used that platform more wisely than many superstar contemporary artists, to take on from within, flaws in a culture and a country.

If you are familiar with contemporary Chinese culture, it is by no means monolithic. But young and educated Chinese play the edge of rebellion, or at least question state controls, as an element of their identity, or as pure human response. It's common to present that publicly and certainly privately using the long established custom of euphemism in the Chinese language. So "jumping the wall" is commonly found in Weibao posts, meaning the writer is presenting information found by evading the Chinese Great Firewall, which blocks Internet content deemed controversial to the government. Today Mr Weiwei does not exist in Chinese search engines.

Individuals standing out is also a potentially dangerous transgression in Chinese culture. And the large security bureaucracy is bound to move inexactly in its sworn mission to minimize disruptions, especially in the years around the leadership transition. That would be now.

In the past, artists' and art school professors' commentary on society was ignored. Their audience was educated and small. They did not operate in the press and they were not visible internationally. Ai Weiwei broke the mold. His work was political, but only in a way that art insiders could understand. But he became very well known and wealthy as a result of museum shows in the West. The press followed, and Mr Weiwei was swept up in the cultural security apparatus. This, in turn, inflamed the Western press and the art world. An artist being mentioned by name by Secretary Clinton is unusual, to say the least. Not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also. The fact that Ai Weiwei's Western supporters are influential is a danger. And the fact that Mr Weiwei's revolution has been televised by his blog and Twitter is a new postmodern condition.

The film explores a series of projects Mr Weiwei has made around the Sichuan earthquake of 2008, in which an estimated 70,000 Chinese died. The artist focused on gathering and publicizing the names of more than 5,000 school children who were killed. Each was an only child. It is the heaviest burden for their families, and something that can not be fully understood in the West. The numbers and names of the individuals lost has never been released by the central government. China's building boom has resulted in much shoddy construction, dubbed tofu dregs construction, including schools destroyed by the earthquake. Although the event did open the society to public compassion and relief efforts unseen previous, the door of responsibility and transparency has not been similarly moved.

The social practice art project has resulted in an ongoing battle by the artist with the provincial government, who built the schools, and their building contractor patrons. It may be the artist's most dangerous project. The film covers the work and its subsequent exhibition in Munich, So Sorry.

Mr Weiwei has a piece from the project in the current Art HK show, soon to be Art Basel-Hong Kong. The work consists of 123 framed letters received from government agencies by Mr Weiwei in his request for information about the collapse of school buildings in the earthquake. On the back of the wall on which they are hung, are the names the artist and his collaborators have gathered, of 5,196 students who perished.

Mr Weiwei is unique in having a very large body of followers, supporters and volunteers surrounding his art projects in China. The war between Mr Weiwei and the state has escalated with Mr Weiwei's Shanghai studio workshop being bulldozed and the artist imprisoned for almost 3 months in 2011, both covered toward the end of the film. Though not its intent, the film represents the next escalation.

If you have been following the journey of Mr Weiwei, or are curious, you have a special opportunity this evening. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is a new documentary about the artist, his work, and his influence in the art world. It shows tonight at the Portland Art Museum. The director, Alison Klayman, spent several years with Mr Weiwei filming, and provides an intimate portrait of the man. The production values and editing are top notch. The film returns August 3 to the Living Room Theaters. You can obtain a free ticket at this web link. At the Whitsell Auditorium of the Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park. 7PM Free

Monday, May 14, 2012

May 15 Curious Big Smut Passport

Curiosity Club is back with a talk on structures by someone who had an opportunity to meet Mr Structure himself, Buckminster Fuller. At Hand Eye Supply www.handeyesupply.com/pages/curiosity-club 23 NW 4th 6PM Free



Big Art Group. Who can argue with a brand like that? They are in residence at PICA, interviewing Portlanders to prepare a TBA piece in September based on the three part tragedy The Oresteia. All very heady. Talk at PICA. 415 SW 10th Ave, Suite 300. 7PM-8:30 Free



Portland has many bike cultures. One of our "keep Portland weird" efforts are bike film festivals, including romantic and erotic bike movies. Bike Smut is a three night movie series on that theme. It's Spring! The series is May 15,22&29 At the Clinton Street Theater 26th and SE Clinton 9PM Age 18+ $7 (discount with password)



The Research Club is plotting a transition to action through its Passport program, an app for social networking around art events and groups. To promote and form that idea, they have a performance at Valentines. Details at www.portlandpassport.org. At Valentines 232 SW Ankeny 7PM-late $5

Sunday, May 13, 2012

May 14 On Curation

Curator Mary Jane Jacob from School of the Art Institute of Chicago talks about her work outside museums. A part of the PSU MFA Lecture Series pdx.edu/art/mfa-lecture-series. In the Shattuck Hall Annex, 1914 SW Park Avenue, at the corner of SW Broadway and Hall on the PSU campus. 7:30PM Free

Saturday, May 12, 2012

May 12 Crafty St Johns

We like the Crafty Wonderland phenomenon in Portland. It outgrew the Doug Fir Lounge monthly and now has a 2-3 times a year instantiation at the Oregon Convention Center. It's free, though parking in the area is not. Go by train! www.craftywonderland.com at the Oregon Convention Center 11AM-6PM Free



St Johns used to get no respect. Now it's got indy cred. They have a street fair, parade and music today. They have dubbed it the St Johns Bizarre. www.stjohnsbizarre.com 10AM-7PM Free

May 12-13 Free Stonehenge

The Maryhill Museum overlooks the Columbia in Goldendale, about 2 hours from Portland. It is the estate of the visionary end entrepreneur, Sam Hill, who is responsible for the Columbia River Highway. Through his European friends he built a small collection of Rodin sculptures, icons and decorative objects. He passed before the museum was completed. In the years since, 18th century and early 19th century realist portraits and landscapes, Native American artifacts and prints have been added to the collection. That has necessitated the addition of a new modern wing to the original mansion. This weekend the new wing will be dedicated in a celebration. There is no admission fee this weekend. If you visit be sure to see Brad Cloepfil's Maryhill Overlook, a running minimal sculpture. Hill is also responsible for a replica Stonehenge of stucco built as a memorial to WWI veterans. It is arguable that WWI represents the cusp of the transition between war fought with rules between armies, and total war in which civilians are indiscriminately swept up by design in warfare. Though there are earlier examples of total war, it is WWI with its use of technology which brought the terror of total war into modern consciousness. It resulted in Mr Hill's memorial and the formation of the UN. The Stonehenge is free year round. At the Maryhill Museum www.maryhillmuseum.org/Events/dedication.html 35 Maryhill Drive, Goldendale, Washington 10AM-5PM Free

Thursday, May 10, 2012

May 11 Create, Publish or Perish

Core 77's Hand Eye Supply is making a float, again, for this year's Rose Festival Starlight Parade. Last year they built a bird inspired float illuminated with sequenced electroluminescent wire. And last year they polled their community of designers, crafters, artists and visionaries to nominate, and then select, representative creatives to ride the float. They are doing the same this year with a brain inspired float. And they announce the selected floaters, from a pretty awesome list, with a celebration this evening. At Hand Eye Supply www.handeyesupply.com/pages/curiosity-club 23 NW 4th 6PM-9 Free



The IPRC is home to DIY publishing and pressing. They have classes and iron letter presses. It's a zine clubhouse. It's been successful, so it's busted out of the Oak Street building above Reading Frenzy, to another incubator, the Ford Building, home to Gallery Homeland and other creative businesses. Tonight they hold an opening party to introduce their new capabilities and space. At the Independent Publishing Resource Center www.iprc.org 1101 SE Division, Suite 2 7PM-11 Free



Ampersand holds a book release event for Photographs Not Taken with a talk by contributors Amy Elkins and Eirik Johnson. The book comprises essays, no photographs. It's a meditation by photographers on the exposures they never made. At Ampersand Vintage Printed Material www.ampersandvintage.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste B. Map 7:30PM Free

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

May 10 APAK Attacks

APAK, husband and wife artists Aaron Piland and Ayumi Kajikawa, come in peace with an attack of cute in their show of prints tonight at Black Wagon. Really good. At Black Wagon blackwagon.com 3964 N Mississippi Map 5PM-7

May 9 DIY Wilderness for Reals

ADX community members organize events in the space, including free movie night. Tonight is part 2 of the film Alone in the Wilderness. It's the sojourn of Dick Proenneke, who built his own cabin and lived in it, in remote Alaska, beginning in 1968, and continuing for 30 years. He documented his adventure on Kodachrome!
At adxportland.com 417 SE 11th x Stark Map 6:30PM Free

Sunday, May 06, 2012

May 6 Pairwise Perceptual Control: A Talk

The Perceptual Control residency at Worksound encourages collaboration between artists and the art community. Part of that process is lectures between selected residency participants and Portland artists, writers and curators. Jamie Marie Waelchli makes obsessive-looking, but probably not obsessive Life Diagrams, a visual and text organization of the concerns of everyday life. Tonight she chats with Portland performance artist Michael Reinsch. At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder Map 7PM Free

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

May 4-5 Local Culture Project & Visitors

Creativity is driven by inspiration, those neurochemical brainstorms of puzzle, pleasure and innovation that spring from intuition. The meme, though simplistic, "the right side of the brain", captures it.

Portland movement artists have taken to local as inspiration in a year long creative improvisational collaboration. They performed guerrilla-style on city streets, in parks and in a garden in St Johns. The project culminated in a series of sustainable dinners with performances in that garden. It is the Local Culture Project.

The project included visiting artists Koichi and Hiroko Tamano. They are noted butoh dance performers, performing together in the US and Japan, for almost 50 years. They also operated sushi restaurants in San Francisco, including the infamous Country Station, hidden on an alley in the Mission before the Mission was cool. Country Station was home to many an after party involving movement by the staff who were butoh dancers. Sharing food after a performance is a long practiced tradition in Japan, it is the same with the Tamano's restaurants and the Local Culture Project dinners.

Butoh itself was originally inspired by the landscape of rural Japan. Outdoor performances are common. One performer, Min Tanaka, has a farm in Kitakoma, Yamanashi, Japan, in the foothills of the mountains. He annually invited performers who rise early, farm, then perform late. The combination of shear physical exhaustion, an international mixture of new friends, and the rural environment, created an electric environment for the dancers. The Rite of Spring is his signature piece, and there have been spectacular realizations of the piece on the farm. Tanaka San ended his farm festival in 2010, at age 65. Throughout his career he maintained strong relationships with New York literary, art and music innovators. These included Richard Serra, John Cage, Cecil Taylor, Karel Appel, Meredith Monk, Susan Sontag, Yoko Ono, Julie Taymor and Anna Halprin; with performances at MoMA.

The Local Culture Project carries on these traditions with the performers in the garden growing the food for the dinners. It is also a multigenerational project. Several of the dancers have small children, who, of course, love to dance as if no one is watching. They are an inspiration.

A documentary film of the Local Culture Project will be shown exploring the experiences of participants and guest artists Diego PiĆ±Ć³n from Mexico, Hiroko & Koichi Tamano, Delisa Myles from Arizona, Haruko Nishimura and Sheri Brown from Seattle, Andrew Millison a permaculture instructor and Laurence Kominz, noted Japanese translator and scholar-performer of Japanese theater from PSU, along with well known local movers including Emily Stone, Tracy Broyles and Kestrel Gates. Also included was a large cast of participants including Meghann Rose, Yulia Arakelyan, Erik Ferguson, Kat MacMillan, Scott Belleri, Rosalie Roberts, John marc Schaelling, Athena, Eleanor, Xan, Quetzal, Amy Wolfberg, Joshua Talbert, Channing, Hollis, Rio, Eliana, Rebecca Harrison, Maya, John & Ruth Waddell, Luku, Sara Fay Goldman, Emma Banks, Eric Hull, Harrison Holtzman-Knott, Jenny Ampersand, Narayani Matson, Beth Bounds, Toshimi Kominz, Adam Josephs, Richard Decker, L’aura Oriol, Lillian Rossetti, David Krom, Mary Rose, Ed Alletto, Beth Giansiracusa, Viola Rose, Kathy Coleman, Yukio Waguri, Vangeline, Bob Webb, Yukio Suzuki, Nathan Montgomery, Azumi Oe, Keyon Gaskin, Nathan H.G., Christopher Mankowski, Amelia Burns, Trina Michelle, Sara Hart, Ronnie Baker, Kevin Cochran, Johanna Wearsch, Keeth Monta Apgar, Montana, Breanna Rogers and Jenn Brenner. The film weaves the thoughts of the performers, gardening, dinners, performances and playful experimentation.

Tonight, after the film is a performance choreographed by the very same Hiroko Tamano, who performs with Koichi Tamano, Mizu Desierto, KajAnne Pepper, Maria Moon and Meghann Rose.

Local, direct, playful and sustainable, it should be a treat.

At the Headwaters Theater, by www.witdpresents.com 55 NE Farragut St. #9. The theater is in the back of the building by the active railroad tracks facing Winchell Street. Map 8PM $12-15


Tuesday, May 01, 2012

May 4 Eastside Art Openings

Worksound is wrapping its 3 month collaborative residency, Perceptual Control. The artists, curators and writers, Amy Bernstein, Nathanael Thayer Moss, Emily Nachison, Kyle Raquipiso, Jamie Marie Waelchli, participants, present their work tonight. At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder Map 7PM-10



The Labrador Boatspace 12128 has installation interventionist Dan Gilsdorf. Recommended At 12128 Labrador Project http://www.12128boatspace.com/ It's moored by Fred's Marina 12900 NW Marina Way, Portland. Map More detailed directions, don't get lost, on the website. 7PM-10



Nationale has artist William Damiano, a young self trained artist from Project Grow. Project Grow's program which we have written of, is an artists' studio and more for alter-abled adults, though even that term is not the right one for the magic that happens there. A kindred spirit is Oakland's Creative Growth. Whenever this work enters the gallery system we smile. So bring your smiles to Nationale tonight thenewnationale.com 811 E Burnside Map 6PM-9ish


Blackbox has Black and White, curated by Julia Dolan, the photography curator at the Portland Art Museum. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs 5PM-8:30 Free



Half/Dozen will soon wrap up their underground space and go virtual. Tonight they have Backdrop by Paula Rebsom and Drone Kitsch by Carl Diehl. See them. At Half/Dozen Gallery www.halfdozengallery.com 722 E Burnside (enter on 8th) 6PM-9



Ab/Abecedarium, Lessons From A to Z by W+K 12.8 opens for one night tonight. Not art, it's a team and team building exercise in graphic design themed on the alphabet. Music by DJ Abcdefgangsta and DJ Copywriter. At Union/Pine www.unionpine.com 525 SE Pine 7Pm-midnight Free



Newspace has a landscape show, in this case from Jessica Auer, a 2007 Canadian MFA grad, Re-creational Spaces; and John Wimberley, Elegy for an Angel from a late career artist. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Map 6PM-9



"Put a bird on it" has become a Portland pop culture meme. There are plenty of Portland artists birding. One is Brent Wear, who for a time was putting the propellers of helicopters on his bird paintings. It's cute, poppy, bright painting of anthropomorphized schematic animals. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside 6PM to 9ish



ADX has an open house tonight. James Florschutz has wood sculptures and drawings. There will also be demonstrations by Bridgetown Forge, music by Dogtooth, food, drink and photo booth. At adxportland.com 417 SE 11th x Stark Map 6PM-9

May 3 Westside Art Openings

Lasers are magical in their sufficiently advanced technology. Photons in phase and polarization with a narrow spectrum, their color. They are the inspiration for a show Lazerz! Artists vibing on the lasers are Mike Hyp, Amy Ruppel, Jordan Domont, JesseHectic, Chris DeGaetano, Berto Legendary H, Nick Stokes, Joel Colley, Lonny Hurley, Brad Simon, Anne CotƩ, Hingyi Khong, Upendo Taylor, Nicole Lavelle and Nick Winchester. At Compound Gallery www.compoundgallery.com 107 NW 5th 6PM-10




Futro Fantastic
is a collaboration of video-makers, musician-DJ's, artists, visualists, designers and artists. They present their show tonight, including interactive video, with Alex Boyce, Chris, Diana-Peebles, Jacob Markof, Lara Paulson, Noelle Sosaya, Sean Sullivan and Minh Tran. They will be accompanied by their own DJ team too. At Fifty 24PDX in Upperplayground.com 23 NW 5th 6PM-9



Shwood is one of two designers in Portland of wood eyeglass frames. That's impressive. That's Oregon. Tonight they present This Is Oregon, a photo show and an Instagram challenge to you to make more. Concieved by Canadian photographer & designer Julian Bialowas, the photos are outdoors in wild areas within a 90 minute drive of Portland. They are mapped and accompanied by a complete panorama. Your challenge is to go there and make your own interpretation anew. The This is Oregon show at the Ace Cleaners in the Ace Hotel, SW 10th and Stark. 7PM Free



Tom Cramer is a Portland grown by way of PNCA painter and sculptor. You know his murals and occasional painted cars and scooters in bold tribal cartoon style. He shows new releaf carved sculptures tonight. At Laura Russo Gallery www.laurarusso.com 805 NW 21st



Amanda and Dylan Bradway bring their art from Oklahoma City. And Anneli Olander from Sweden. 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



Lite Box is a show curated by Modou Dieng with Devon Antonio VanHouten-Maldonado, Mary Brossman and Randy Rappaport. The Experimental Half Hour show kicks in at 9. At Valentines valentineslifeblood.blogspot.com 232 SW Ankeny Art 6PM-late



If you are interested in flora, fauna and landscape, Deborah Horrell has Celebrating Beauty and Ryan Pierce has New World Atlas of Weeds and Rags. At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 6PM-9



Across the Hall has Light, by Johannes Girardoni, Heechan Kim, Nancy Lorenz and Molly Vidor. Information on the PDX Contemporary website, across the hall. PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders Map early close 8PM



David Neevel has Propellers, a kinetic installation, involving, well, propellers. Everyone should have one. What's next? Personal drones? Ditto. At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th Map 5PM-9 Free



Mishka Henner has No Man’s Land which exploits Google Street View in rural Italy and Spain. Nate Larson & Marni Shindelman have Geolocation: UK based on Twitter geotags. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9


Alt ceramics and textile artist Dharma Strasser MacColl has Spin, quiet work at Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8



As always we recommend the Everett Station galleries, NW Broadway and Everett.



The White Box Gallery at the UofO continues the Disjecta 2012 Biennial. At the University of Oregon White Stag Building, 70 NW Couch until 8PM

May 2-3 The Great Northwest is A-OK

Filmmaker artist organizer Matt McCormick is noted for his landscape shorts, music videos and features. The landscape work is quiet, maybe a little like Benning. He is also known for The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal, a short mixing characters who are employed by the city to paint over tags and the landscape in which they labor. He has made a feature drama, Some Days Are Better Than Others, which traces the existential loneliness of an interconnected ensemble of rainy Portland characters. They each ultimately triumph in a small way over their trials. His new project follows his residency at the Center for Land Use Interpretation and a road trip through Northwest ghost towns, captured in Future So Bright.

McCormick found a scrapbook created by a group of women documenting their Western road trip in 1958. It's photos, notes, receipts and postcards of their stops, some which exist today and others which are no longer. He has retraced their 3,200 mile trip himself, and made a movie of it, The Great Northwest, combining his experience with shots from the scrapbook. It's a project combining landscape and characters, current and passed.

Matt will be at both screenings at the NW Film and Video Center in the Whitsell Auditorium of the Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park. 7PM $8, members, students, seniors; $9 otherwise