April 5 Northside Art Openings+

Amanda Wojick, professor at UO, brings sculptures, Higashiyama Spring. The work of canvas, maple, paper, and paint was developed at her residency in a 200 year old house in Kyoto. Briar Marsh Pine brings Rare Earth. "Rare Earth explores the material consequences of our digital age. The term ‘rare earth’ refers to the mineral elements used to make electronics, magnets, and US military weapons systems. This project investigates the extraction of rare earth material from Mountain Pass Mine, the only rare earth mine in the United States."

At Ditch Projects https://ditchprojects.com/ 303 S. 5th Ave #165, Springfield OR Map 5PM-7 Free


The Portland Synth Library is a beautiful example of DIY hospitality open to all. They have found a nice home in the Lloyd Center Creative Mall. They have an open house today. Synth Library open house at the Synth Library Portland https://www.synthlibraryportland.org/ in Llovd Center 2nd floor by Dicepool. RSVP required at https://withfriends.co/event/23016204/synth_library_open_house. 2PM-5 Free, donations accepted


Anya Roberts-Toney has The Echoing Green, impressionistic landscapeish printings. At Nationale www.nationale.us 15 SE 22nd Map 2PM-4 Free


Jamin London Tinsel https://www.jaminlondontinsel.com/ has ceramic sculpture Homemades. It is more personal than the domestic projects of, for instance. Andrea Zittel. There is a better explanation at https://www.pcc.edu/galleries/2025/03/28/jamin-london-tinsel-homemades/. At the PCC Sylvania Northview Gallery www.pcc.edu/about/galleries/sylvania/ 12000 SW 49th Ave. Portland, OR 97219 CT Building, Rm 214. 2PM-5 Free, parking on weekends at PCC is Free


A new photography gallery and darkroom, Franklin Foto, opens Our Streets by Sai Stone. It images the Black Lives Matter movement in Portland. At Franklin Foto https://www.franklinfoto.org/ 8953 N Lombard 5PM-8 Free


Davor Gromilović, Heartslob, and Taegan Treichel bring varied work

https://www.nucleusportland.com/blogs/future-exhibitions/3-person at Nucleus Portland http://www.nucleusportland.com 2916 NE Alberta 4PM-6 Free


Ondrea Bell Levey & Madeline Staurseth bring Signal Fire. It is inspired by progressive survivalist bunkers. Of course the oligarchs are building bunkers. In an article on them, the question of guards and servants was raised. A security consultant for one of the projects commented "I'm not worried about an army at the gate, I'm worried about a starving mother and baby at the gate." Then there is the case of the tomb of Ghenghis Kahn. The story is that the people that built the tomb were executed, and the people who executed them were executed. So the tomb has never been found. Strange days.

At Well Well Projects www.wellwellprojects.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N. Interstate Map  5PM-8 Free


Megita Denton, Sarah Pagliaro, and Jeremy Rotsztain bring Bodies in Blotter. It is all explained at https://carnationcontemporary.com/Bodies-in-Blotter-Megita-Denton-Sarah-Pagliaro-and-Jeremy-Rotsztain.

At www.carnationcontemporary.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N Interstate. 5PM-8 Free


Outer Voice is a performance residency. Tonight, Trajectories includes performances by Marcus Fischer and KT Kusmaul/Body Home Fat Dance at 6PM and 7. At Outer Voice https://www.outervoicepdx.com/ in the Disjecta building 8371 N Interstate. Free


Oregon Contemporary has Ben Buswell with This Land. "This Land presents new work by Ben Buswell which continues his inquiry into place and self, in part, as a response to the notions of both American Manifest Destiny and Exceptionalism. The centerpiece of the exhibition is an expansive floor piece, a mirrored landscape that despite its reflective surface disallows the viewer to catch sight of their own image. As in the artist’s past work, reflection, or more specifically, the denial of reflection, creates a metaphorical space questioning the relationship between location and how one sees oneself." Timely.

In the Special Art on Loan Gallery are Reggie Burrows Hodges, Kieth Haring, Manoucher Yektai, and Josef Albers.

At Oregon Contemporary nee Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.oregoncontemporary.org 8371 N. Interstate Map Noon-8 Free


Erin Espelie all the way from UC Boulder, where she teaches, has curated a collection of movies by Anna Kipervaser, Kamila Kuc, Madison McClintock, Emma Piper-Burket, Stacey Steers, and her own on a theme of From the Sweat of the Spider. Recommended.

At the Boathouse Microcinema www.boathousemicrocinema.com 822 N River Doors 7:30PM show 8 Free


The yearly CAP Art Auction and afterparty are tonight. They are encouraging creative clothing. I think it sold out. More at https://www.capartauction.org/.


If you are down in LA, Suzanne Ciani performs live in Doug Aitkin's Lightscape. https://www.lightscapeart.org/events/lightscape-activation-by-doug-aitken-workshop-kcrw-suzanne-ciani at the Marciano Art Foundation 2PM sold out

April 4 Eastside Art Openings+

For your +1, After/Time has their opening tonight of Jeff by Ahuva S. Zaslavsky. It is video having to do with the sea, a golum, and a laviathan.

Later in the month are Leviathan, a dance performance, Friday, April 11 7PM, Washed Ashore, a Cento poetry workshop led by Ash Good, Sunday, April 13 2PM-4, a poetry reading, Sunday, April 13 4PM-5, an artist talk hosted by V Maldonado, Saturday, April 19 6PM-8, and life drawing, Sunday, April 27 1PM-4.

At After/Time Collective https://www.aftertimecollective 735 SW 9th Ave #110 6PM-9 Free


For your +2 The Reser center in Beaverton has an art gallery. Tonight they open two shows.

Infinite Possibilities is a show by Mika Aono, Isami Ching, Yoonhee Choi, Menka Desai-Crawford, Sabina Haque, Yuji Hiratsuka, Sandra Honda, Helen Liu, Tien-chu Loh, Kanani Miyamoto, and Satoko Motouji. More at https://thereser.org/gallery/infinite-possibilities/

(UN) Belonging by Sabina Haque https://thereser.org/event/infinite-possibilities-opening-reception-un-belonging-live-performance/ is a performance by Sitara Razaqi Lones and Jordan Isadore within a projection installation.

There are events throughout the month at the link above.

Infinite Possibilities at the Patricia Reser Center Gallery. 12625 SE Crescent Street, Beaverton. See the parking suggestions on their website or go by train on the TriMet MAX. 6PM Free


Nucleus has a big mushroom show, Cluster 3. By Andrea Guzzetta, Bill Mayer, Bird Cvlt, Briana Hertzog, Candie Bolton, Cheyenne Barton, Deb JJ Lee, Dusty Ray, Gina Matarazzo, Kimera Wachna, Maggie Chiang, Matt Schu, Michael Camarra, N.C. Winters, Paper Puffin, Stevie Shao, and Taryn Knight.

https://www.nucleusportland.com/blogs/future-exhibitions/cluster-3 at Nucleus House Gallery 1137 NE Alberta 5PM-7 Free


All the Eastside events are at http://firstfridaypdx.org/ and their socials which list many shows and their times.

April 3 Westside Art Openings+

First Thursday also includes the Saturday following in the afternoon.


Adams & Ollman, Stelo, Froelick, Ily2, and Leach continue.


For your +1 Lewis and Clark College has a 16 speaker performance venue, Experimental Art Research Forest - EAR Forest, in a forest on campus. https://college.lclark.edu/departments/art/ear-forest/

Drumer John Niekrasz performs their composition Civilipoli for percussion and 16 channels. It reminds Stockhausen's Kontakte.

Civilipoli at EAR Forest space at Lewis and Clark College https://college.lclark.edu/departments/art/ear-forest/directions/ (and parking) 615 S Palatine Hill 5:30PM-6:30 Free


For your +2 you can experience Flamenco music with guitarist Brenna McDonald and guitarist/vocalist Yeshe Wingerd. A project of Espacio Flamenco, it repeats on first Thursdays. At Bar Botellón 606 NE Davis 7PM-9 Free


+3 The Portland Art Museum, through a private grant, is open free first Thursdays. They are free the whole day 10AM-8PM.


+4 The Schnitzer Collection is open First Thursday and other limited hours. They have long running theme shows and occasional events. At the Schnitzer Family Collection https://www.jordanschnitzer.org/schnitzer-collection/ 3033 NW Yeon 3PM-8 Free


+5 Painter Aldo Valdez opens Transfigurations. He started his career in LA and is now based in Portland. At Souvenir Gallery https://souvenirartspdx.org/ 1233 NE Alberta 5PM-8 Free


Dinh Q. Lê: A Survey, 1995-2023 is strongly recommended at Elizabeth Leach Gallery. Lê attracted attention upon completing his BFA at UCSB in 1989, and maintained trajectory through his MFA at SVA and beyond. Leach brought him to PICA's founding art show in 1996. He was an excellent gentlemen who passed of a stroke.

Lê has many eloquent artist obituaries. He left Vietnam in 1978 in the great diaspora, and later in his career worked in Vietnam supporting contemporary artists there.

At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 5:30PM-7:30 Free


Kristen Diederich has energetic colorful paintings Special French Blue. At Fine Art Fruit https://fine-art-fruit.square.site/ 925 NW 19th Ave Suite A 6PM-8


Nykelle DeVivo brings Tha Crossroads, photos with manipulated highlights. The artist statement is a fantastic read. https://www.blueskygallery.org/exhibitions/archives/2025/nykelle-devivo

The Critical Mass curatorial project brings Laura Beth Reese with #influenced. She prints 2d cutouts of influencers, arranges them in a still life tableau, glams and accessorizes them, then photoraphs that in a collage-like treatment.

Nines LeBrie Rich https://www.lebrie.com/ brings 2- and 3-D sculptures, Crackers (& Cookies) - they are brand snacks and their packaging magnified into quilted, embroidered and felted objects. https://lebrie-rich.square.site/ Giant snacks in the Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky.

At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 5PM-9 Free


The Edge of Eden are paintings in a new direction by G. Lewis Clevenger. He previously did geometric abstracts, these are landscapes in a variety of styles.

Stephen O’Donnell brings 95 / 25: A Thirtieth Anniversary Exhibition. A self-taught painter he brings luminous realist approach to a range of subjects: portraits, still-life, and wildlife.

At Laura Russo Lee Gallery www.russoleegallery.com 805 NW 21st 5PM-7 Early Close Free


Sally Cleveland brings landscape printings.

The Opening reception is Saturday, 1:30. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis 5PM-7:45 Free


PNCA has a myriad of shows. It is easier for you to just go than to list them all. At PNCA | Willamette University www.pnca.wilamette.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 5PM-8 Free


Philip Stork has pastel and pencil drawings, Connections. Hannah Theiss has mixed media collages, Qualia. Noah Alexander Isaac Stein has abstract paintins with a fire theme in Luminous Fire from a Broken Machine. In collaboration with 2025 Ekphraestival, Blackfish artists have reimagined book covers from existing books.

All at Blackfish Gallery https://www.blackfish.com/ 938 NW Everett Map 5PM-8 Early Close Free


2025 Ekphraestival is an art project combining poetry and visual art. Intertwined are the resulting collaborations between poets and visual artists. At Writers Block Studio curatingthewriterblock.studio 818 NW Flanders 5PM-8 Free


Sabina Haque has The New Abnormal 2.0, collage, painting, and video themed on climate disaster. www.waterstonegallery.com 124 NW 9th 5PM-8 Free


Love is the Power is a show of dense graphic patterns in the Tom Cramer style by Saleam. The artist moved here from Atlanta. He would easily fit in with Fisk and is bringing his murals here too.

At The Black Gallery https://www.theblackgallerypdx.com/ 916 NW Flanders 5PM-7 Free


Clive Knights has abstracts combining color with slashes of black in show Incomplete Paperwork. At Laura Vincent Design and Gallery www.lvdesignandgallery.com/ 824 NW Davis 5PM-8 Free


Fans Only shows its residents along with guests. It's an artist residency in an office building with First Thursday readouts. At Fans Only https://www.fansonly.studio/ 1010 SW 11th 5PM-7 Free


The Portland Arts Collective has a group show of nude figures. At the Portland Arts Collective https://www.portlandartscollective.org/ 122 NW Couch 6PM-9 Free

March 22 Stone Field

The Lumber Room has a group show from their collection, and are open this afternoon. They did not do a big opening because some of the sculptures would not do well with a crush of people. Otherwise check their website and make an appointment to see it.

A Stone in a Field includes Jo Baer, Lynda Benglis, Louise Bourgeois, Sarah Braman, Mary Corse, Moira Dryer, Suzan Frecon, Luchita Hurtado, On Kawara, Yves Klein, Yayoi Kusama, Robert Mangold, Anna Maria Maiolino, Agnes Martin, John McCracken, K.R.M. Mooney, Betty Parsons, Sarah Rapson, Dorothea Rockburne, Michelle Stuart, Stefanie Victor, Erika Vogt and Evelyn Taocheng Wang.

At The Lumber Room https://lumberroom.com/exhibitions/2024/549 419 SW 9th, above Liz Leach Map  Noon-5 Free

March 16 Modulating Mystic Radiant Gourd

It's apropos that Susan Ciani, https://www.sevwave.com/gallery?pgid=j9dy07n9-5efc3014-6871-4538-a329-d85a413ba514 https://www.sevwave.com/bio veteran synth musician, played Berghain Friday, at age 78. This afternoon, Modulations: Cinema for the Ear shows at the Synth Library.

It is a 1998 documentary on electronic music including EDM. The topic is vast and this is a good introduction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4df3YTGfV9s.

The Synth Library was started by Felisha Ledesma after her Multiplex Gallery in the Everett Lofts. Originally S1, it was driven from place to place by Portland Fire Department regulations. It has operated since as a collective, bringing hands-on synth opportunities, and hosting Portland's instance of the worldwide Modular on the Spot free concerts.

Modulations https://www.synthlibraryportland.org/events/synth-cinema-modulations-1998 at the Synth Library Portland https://www.synthlibraryportland.org/ in Llovd Center 2nd floor by Dicepool. Tickets are required: https://withfriends.co/event/22903580/synth_cinema_modulations_1998 4PM $0-10


The Oregon Painting Society, an artist collective http://oregonpaintingsociety.org/about.html was birthed in 2007. MSHR, Mission Statement Human Radiance, performing on electro-optical synths of their own design, evolved from that in 2011. Today they perform worldwide. They just completed a tour of China, and touch down for an intimate performance tonight, releasing recording Live In Wuhan.

The evening includes White Gourd (Psychic Sounds | Belfast, Maine), Trigger Object (EMS/Sige Records/An Out Recordings), and Kelli Frances Corrado (Grimalkin Records mystic songstress).

Arrive promptly at Virtua_Gal nee Xhurch at Lloyd Mall Suite B216. Park, bike, or walk, entering from the Halsey Street side by Barnes and Noble, the mall is locked to the outside after 7PM. Virtua is in the former Lady Foot Locker, second level, above Zumiez and Hot Topic. 6PM-9 $15 at the door

March 15 Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Secret Water Memory

Donald Lloyd Morgan is the cofounder of Ditch Projects and professor at the UofO. If you know Ditch, his usually abstract drawings would fit right in there and he does playful sculpture too.

The show: "Tomorrow was Yesterday includes recent drawings and a sculpture that create a visual language of corroborating evidence, pulled from the overflowing storage locker of information that lives behind our eyes. Morgan often starts drawings by tracing the outlines of the cover of a paperback book, providing a familiar form to anchor viewers. Tools, shapes and signs, known to the artist, accumulate like notes or a tune in an improvisational context. They are then let loose on the page, like giving over to the impulse of just doing without overthinking. In this compressed time frame, there are often forms that have a visual connection to the structure of short-form stories, poems or three-minute songs. In other instances, a more imaginary and chaotic adaptation is applied to the pieces.

Drawings not intentionally responding to the structure of poems or emphasizing visual alignment with the mood of a short story develop in ways where such connections to the source material are less evident. These works explore figure-ground relationships, creating contrasts between different patterns and textures, and the interplay of flatness and illusory depth. This consistent push-and-pull builds a lyrical quality or syntax into the compositions, leaving viewers questioning how they perceive the page.

The themes in Morgan’s work—including humor, mortality, and superstition—are extensive but have a unique ecology that shepherd us toward exploration. This sense of discovery and uncertainty is part of understanding what it means to be human while acknowledging that human-ness is ever shifting and never gospel."

At at SE Cooper Contemprary https://www.secoopercontemporary.com/ 6901 SE 110th Map 1PM-5 Free


Lowell is a shop with art shows. Today Water Memory, paintings, by Jesi Jordan & Nick Carter, opens.

"Nick Carter approaches his work from a fiber, craft, & sculpture background, using traditional methods like Shibori dyeing & machine embroidery as a framework for abstract painting. Nick hand-works familiar materials into vibrant, patterned pieces that are at once comforting & psychedelic, balancing between object & image.

Jesi Jordan creates surreal, figurative paintings through a process of automatism & metamorphosis. Jesi’s works connect vivid imagery of the cosmos & nature with emotional introspection & psychic transformation in repeating forms of women, celestial bodies, fruit, & flowers.

shown together, Nick & Jesi’s divergent mediums continually shift our perspective & vision, while reciprocating color & form in delightful & surprising ways."

At Lowell https://www.lowellshopgallery.com/ 2136 E Burnside 4PM-6 Free


Secret Room Press is a zine, small press, and Riso shop. They are having their aniversery celebration and a book release and reading of Sleepy's Delay by Erin Tanner. At Secret Room Press 3225 SE Division 6PM-9 Free

March 14-16 Coastal Art Weekend

Sou'Wester Lodge is a vintage trailer hotel. In Seaview, Washington, they are on the fault line and wipeout by tsunamis from the Really Big One https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one. Friends of mine survived the 2004 tsunami in Asia, many did not. Friends provided relief Tohoku 3-11.

A long time ago, friends created Spaceness at Sou'wester, a week for artists to make work themed on aliens and the paranormal. The last three years a new curtorial team has moved from that theme, and this year are curating in Seattle artists.

The Sou'wester Lodge art weekend has expanded to support an art space in Ilwaco, a very low budget hamlet in the Southern Long Beach penninsula by the bridge.

For this project a curatorial committe on the project website collects artist residency applications. You could be one!

The artists work for a week at a minimal hotel fee. They guest you me and everyone we know to experience the work and meet the artists. It is family friendly. Some events are children workshops.

Sou'Wester Art Weekend https://www.souwesterlodge.com/artsweek2025/. https://www.souwesterlodge.com/arts-week-2025-program-draft/ March 14th at Ilwaco Artworks 109 1st Ave N, Ilwaco, March 15th at The Sou’wester 3728 J Place, Seaview, March 16th at Wave Preschool | 1306 39th Pl, Seaview. Free

March 14 You Me and Everyone We Know

Miranda July is known to many Portlanders. I met her at Tidbit and promoted her to PICA. Her artistic track is a deserved triumph of lady DIY. If you are not familiar she has many books and videos. Tonight she has a showing and talk at the Portland Art Museum Tomorrow Theater.

Carte Blanche: Miranda July https://tomorrowtheater.org/movies/carte-blanche-miranda-july/ at the Portland Art Museum Tomorrow Theater 3530 SE Division 7PM $65 Sold Out