Winner of the copywriting award of the month, Bad Dreams is a show by Emily Wobb, a "patriot in a post-patriotic era... plan[ing] narratives, cycles of creation, destruction, and re-creation [of] American identity as spectacle."
"I'd never even passed beyond Ohio before. When I drove across the country to Bakersfield I saw the Rockies for the first time, and just had that romantic view of the United States, like "Wow! This is such an amazing place and I want to see all of it!" I got the travel bug and I wanted to see all the United States and Canada with my car. I drove to Alaska for a month and loved the adventure but mostly the time that I spent by myself. It felt freeing and I felt a stronger patriotism than I had ever felt before. That has a lot to do with this show, thinking back to being free, sort of, and exploring that naive patriotism that goes into the idea of "America's free and beautiful!" Especially right now. I'm thinking about how it's beautiful sometimes and not others, a lot of these feelings came up before the final election decision too. I feel guilty and betrayed by my love of my country."
She is cofounder of the Bronco Gallery. Some of her work has focused on suburban houses, car culture and airliners.
This will also be the last physical show by the Duplex Gallery. Duplex has curated some stunning new artist shows. They plan to maintain their super gallery guide, galleryguide.duplexgallery.com/. Thanks Duplex Gallery!
Recommended: Emily Wobb at Duplex Collective www.duplexcollective.com 219 NW Couch 6PM-9 Free
Fourteen30 has an unusual Thursday show. They are not far from the Goose Hollow MAX or Jefferson bus routes. Tonight it is Donald Morgan with bright sculpture-installation Reader's Tomb. He is a Eugene UO art prodessor and member of Springfield's excellent Ditch Projects www.ditchprojects.com/. At the first of two members in Portland of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, Fourteen30 Gallery www.fourteen30.com 1501 SW Market Street Map early close 6PM-8 Free 6-8
Waterstone has a sure to be colorful group show, breaking from prints, into painting and sculpture. It's Wish You Were Here: The Lure of the Exotic by Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley, Frank Hyder, Mary Josephson, Lisa Onstad, Adam Sorenson and Baba Wague Diakite. Wish You Were Here www.waterstonegallery.com/exhibitions/january-2017-2/ at Waterstone Gallery www.waterstonegallery.com in their new location 124 NW 9th 6PM-9 Free
Kendra Larson adds figures to new landscapes. There is also a group show by gallery artists. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8 Free
Kris Harris has baconesque figures. There is also a group show by gallery artists. At Froelick Gallery www.froelickgallery.com 714 NW Davis early close 8 Free
Upfor continues Claudia Hart. At UpFor Gallery www.upforgallery.com 929 NW Flanders early close 6PM-8 Free
Hartman has a good group show, including paintings. At Charles Hartman Fine Art www.hartmanfineart.net 134 NW 8th early close 8PM Free
Eric West has Cityscape Burma and Stan Raucher has monochrome Metro, photographing individuals on mass transit, recalling Dorothea Lange. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free
Art and Oddities is a show at W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th Map 5PM-9 Free
Laura Hughes, Stephen Milner, Natalie Wood and Alex Wurts have a mid-MFA show at the University of Oregon White Stag Building, whitebox.uoregon.edu 70 NW Couch 6PM-9 Free
Not to far is a new space, Impossible Box. Emily Kepulis, recent PSU grad, has Layers of Sentiment, abstract paintings. At 215 SW 1st 5PM-11
PNCA is recommended to stop in. They have long time cycle shows and pop ups distributed throughout the building. PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 6PM-9 Free
Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map 6PM-9 Free