August 27 Squirrels vs Humans

Anna Gray + Ryan Wilson Paulsen are Portland artists. Most of their work is conceptual and minimal. They have a 5 year old who has collaborated with them to make a book, Up With Toys. It has something to do with a battle between humans and squirrels which is too complicated to explain here. You can see it at their book release party organised by Recess Gallery at Mother Foucault’s Bookshop 523 SE Morrison 7PM-9

August 24 Self Reflection and Forest for the Trees

Sara O’Keeffe, curator at the New Museum in New York, speaks on her experience curating the museum's 2015 Triennial. The curatorial themes included: "What are the new visual metaphors for the self and subjecthood when our ability to see and be seen is expanding, as is our desire to manage our self-image and privacy? Is it possible to opt out of, bypass, or retool commercial interests that potentially collude with national and international policy? How are artists striving to embed their works in the world around them through incursions into media and activism?" Should be a brainy talk, O’Keeffe graduated from Reed in 2010 with a degree in art history. The talk is at Reed College in the Chapel 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. 6:30 Free



For a long time, murals were essentially banned in Portland. The City felt that the intersection of the Oregon constitution and the desire to control billboards also required banning murals. That logjam was eventually unstuck, unleashing some great mural making. One project is the Forest for the Trees NW project.

Each year has expanded and there are 29 international artists this year. Tonight is a concert kick off for this year's murals. Portugal the Man performs. Forest for the Trees kickoff pop party at White Owl Social Club 1305 SE 8th. 8PM $5

August 22 Jack In To The Matrix

Virtual Reality Movies. Yes, that is where you wear immersive goggles and enter the video. When you turn your head, the video is rendered in stereo3D as if you moved your gaze in the real world. This is very early in the art form, experimental. Each viewer is supported by a dedicated computer to render their specific view in the instant.

The first virtual reality film festival is today in Portland, Oregon. You can read about it at http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/virtual-reality-film-festival-kaleidoscope-vr-1201556965/. That it is in Variety says something. Tickets are at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/portland-the-kaleidoscope-vr-film-festival-tickets-18025083510. And you can tell you grandkids, 'Oh, yeah I was at the first one', if you can get them to unplug for a moment to listen. The Kaleidoscope Virtual Reality Film Festival at Flex Space, 1307 NW Overton. 3:30PM-8 $15

August 21 The Eighth Take

Melanie Flood Projects, taking the front space of Justin Oswald's 420 Washington space, presents Eight Takes. Emily Wobb, John Whitten, Erin Mallea, Lara Kim, Genevieve Goffman, Kello Goeller, Brittney Connelly and Travis Beardsley present works. At Melanie Flood Projects 420 SW Washington Suite 301 6PM-9 Free

August 20 Drive In Werd Ware

The Ware show at Surplus space has an artist talk tonight on the show closing. At Surplus Space www.SurplusSpace.info 3726 NE 7th 7PM Free



Just Take My Word For It is a show by Jodie Cavalier and Taro Mashushio. You can visit the gallery website and Facebook to figure out this. At S1 www.s1portland.com 4148 NE Hancock Map 6PM-9 Free



At the Drive In is a Summer series of drive in movies, at a notorious (in a good way) and precious, art live-work space. Several creative organizations have programmed evenings. Tonight is the Portland Museum of Modern Art and it is also a celebration of their third anniversary. They host Grand Style Orchestra, a light show, the Muppet movie cake, ice cream, hot dogs and popcorn - back to childhood! Bring blankets, pillows, chairs. At The Drive In PDX, 3001 NE Ainsworth. 8PM Free

August 18 Curious Melody

Melody Owen is a UO & NY schooled artist, working here and in the world. You can't exactly put your finger on what she does. It ranges from Portland igloos, carved narwal horns and whale sculptures to sampling vintage magazines. She speaks on her art projects and inspiration tonight.

A presentation of the Curiosity Club, you can tune into the free live webcast, see the video archive on the Hand Eye Supply website, or visit the talk and demonstration in person at Hand Eye Supply www.handeyesupply.com/pages/curiosity-club 427 NW Broadway 6PM Free

August 16 From Tuva With Love

Soriah is a force of nature. He combines Mexican indigenous mysticism with a fierce engagement in music. He immersed himself in Tuvan throat singing and won competitions there. He has a Tuvan family now which is held apart by US-Russia rivalries. Tonight he performs twice. As part of a reunion of band Black Orchid, and as throughout singer Soriah with keyboardist Ashkelon. At Star Theater 13 NW 6th 9PM sharp $10

August 14 Not Your Mother's Garden, Your Great Grandmother's Garden

Newspace Photo has an historic Portland gardens show now. Tonight there is a slide show (remember those?) of hand-colored transparencies of Portland gardens exposed between about 1920 and 1940. The projections will be narrated by Suzanne Bishop of Portland Garden Club garden history committee. The slides are from the Oregon Historical Society collection. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Map 6:30PM-8 Free

August 9 Pure Surplus Sanctuary

Surplus Space is a gallery in a home (and yard). The Littman & White Galleries are student-run spaces at Portland State University. Both are known for excellent curation. They are trading places with shows in each curated by the other. Tonight at Surplus is -ware by Eli Coplan and Rose Dickson. Interestingly both artists are within the Surplus Space aesthetic. Early, you can go see Bernie after. At Surplus Space www.SurplusSpace.info 3726 NE 7th Early 3PM-6 Free



Pure Surface, a monthly collaboration of modern dance, video and word, presents Julia Calabrese, Eileen Isagon Skyers and Patricia No, with those ingredients, respectively. Recommended. And you can catch Bernie on his campaign YouTube. Pure Surface www.puresurface.info at Valentines valentinespdx.com 232 SW Ankeny. Doors 6PM, performance 7 sharp Free



Sanctuary Sunday is a regular third Sunday musical event at Xhurch. It is what it sounds like. Painting, Anannaki, Pirate Radio and ADOS 33 present ambient experimental electronic sounds. At Xhurch xhurch.net 4550 NE 20th. Music 7PM-10 Free

August 7 Eastside Art Openings+

Women in the Landscape a group show by Jessica Auer, Jennifer Colten, Lauren Henkin and Dawn Roe which accompanies hand colored prints from transparencies of old Portland Gardens from the Oregon Historical Society. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Map 6PM-9 Free



Go Figure is a group ceramics show by Amber Aguirre, Wesley Anderegg, Chris Antemann, Stephen Braun, Kelly Garrett Rathbone, Gerit Grimm, Christine Golden, Calvin Ma, Crystal Morey, Heidi Preuss Grew, Erika Sanada, Keith Schneider, Russell Wrankle and Paige Wright. At Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 6PM-9 Free



Portraiture is a show of what it says. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs 5PM-8 Free



Lea Barozzi has a creepy, pop surrealism show of doll-inspired images. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside



San Francisco urban illustrator Ferris Plock has show Personal Pizza Party At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 7PM-10 Free



On the Westside, Sabina Haque has animation: Reclamation. At PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map6:30PM-8:30 Free

August 6 Westside Art Openings

I've been through my metaphysics stage and I'm on to neuroreductionism. And since my interest is not to analyze art, I avoid art theory. Roy Harris does not. He is emeritus professor of linguistics at Oxford, and a semiotician. The Great Debate About Art is his 2010 essay on art theory.

The Great Debate About Art is a group show inspired by that book by artists Ben Buswell, Srijon Chowdhury, Max Cleary, Anne Doran, Zack Dougherty, Erika Keck and Rodrigo Valenzuela.

It's at UpFor Gallery www.upforgallery.com 929 NW Flanders early close 6PM-8 Free



Jan Kempenaers has photographs from the former country of Yugoslavia of WWII memorial spomeniks, large 1960's-1970's sculptures. They are not being maintained. They are also on the edge of entering design nostalgia and exiting design rejectionism. Mines, as in removing a layer of the earth's crust: you can't live without them, but you probably wouldn't want to live with them. Oregon has them, Colorado has a lot. South Africa does too. Marc Should has photographs of the Brakpan abandoned minescape, and the South Africans living there. It is so close to the wealth of South Africa's commercial center, Johannesburg and its prosperous suburbs, yet so far. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free



Ryan Woodring has small 3d printed sculptures in a show Decimate Mesh. At Duplex Collective www.duplexcollective.com 219 NW Couch 6PM-9



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map closing ranges from 9PM-10ish



Likewise PNCA is always worth a look www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map