March 1 Grand Style Folk Art

Copalito is a show of vintage folk art from Oaxaca. Manuel Jiménez Ramírez (1919 - 2005) originated alebrijes, wood-carved animals painted with bright contrasting colors. Since they have been carved by many famiies.

Señor Ramírez story is worth a read, in the folklore of the region he was considered a nahual, a shaman who could shapeshift to animal and shares a soul with an animal guardian. https://en.artemarakame.com/Blogs/about-Oaxacan-alebrijes-2/biography-of-manuel-jimenez.

This show is simpler animal carvings in the alebrijes tradition. There is also a book on the art form, Animals of Oaxaca, by Shinji Iwamoto for sale in the shop.

"By the early 60s [Ramírez] had outgrown the gallery that first promoted his work, and they in turn were actively looking for wood carvers who could fulfill the demand for the style of work Jimenez had created. the four Santiago brothers, farmers by trade, also turned out to be brilliant and prolific. the illusive Zarate family began making work at this time, and the gifted carver Isidoro Cruz was hired by the government to teach the art form in the region and promote it in the rest of Mexico. By the 1970s, Jimenez's animalitos had taken on a life of their own, as the number of carvers continued to grow and the sons and daughters of the first wave of artists took up the craft."

At Lowell https://www.lowellshopgallery.com/ 2136 E Burnside 2PM-4 Free


Grand Style Orchestra will accompany a series of collaborative videos made by the Grand Style Remote Recording project during the pandemic. https://www.boathousemicrocinema.com/mar-1-2026/

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

February 28 Floral Disco Anime

Disco Diablo curates an open listening session. “An intentional sonic invocation where Afro-Latin rhythms and jazz dissolve the boundaries of time and space. Curated with care, each selection functions as a transmission, channeling ancestral frequencies, present-day consciousness, and future sonic worlds. The music moves beyond listening into ritual, carrying memory, resistance, and joy. This curation honors lineage, amplifies emerging voices, and preserves the encoded wisdom etched into every groove, offering a space for connection, discovery, and reverence for the sounds that continue to shape and carry culture."

At Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. Noon-5 Free


Floral Mart is a group show, sculpture, painting, clothing themed on flowers. Is it Spring yet?

At Fine Art Fruit https://www.fineartfruit.com 925 NW 19th Ave Suite A 2PM-6 Free


Saturday morning cartoons. In show Black Anime Julian Adon Alexander, Obi Agwam, Thierno Bam, Jeron Braxton, Z Cher-Aime, Jordan Coelho, Chris Montell Dennis, Frank Dorrey, Lauryn Levette, Brice Maleo, Chibu Okere, OSEANWORLD, Podge, Rixy, and David Torres II bring a show of black artists influenced by animation.

Opening at IndustryOneGallery www.industry1.org 415 SW 10th 6PM Free

February 26 - 27 The Black Man in the Cosmos

Sun Ra's movie Space is the Place is a classic of Afrofuturism worth the time. In that era he taught a class at UC Berkeley entutled The Black Man in the Cosmos. I would love to see the class materials for that. There is a new documentry too, Sun Ra: Do the Impossible by Christine Turner. See it when you can. Sun Ra's Arkestra plays two nights, each night a unique program. The Sun Ra Arkestra at the Hollywood Theater 4122 NE Sandy 8PM Sold Out

February 26 Bugs of Winter

You never know what is up Last Thursday on Alberta.


Emily Furr has paintings of bugs, Kevin Gleason of landscapes, Morgan Bak quilted paintings, and Em Randall has work too.

At Antler & Talon Gallery www.antlerpdx.com 2714 NE Alberta 6PM-9 Free

February 23 On the Road

Ty Jacob presents movie The Foreground, a 65 minute runtime roadtrip.

"Following the deterioration of a struggling film project, its unmoored director, Ty, embarks on a trip to visit old acquaintances and get a change of scenery. Teetering between meditation and voyeurism, the film closely follows Ty as he explores the mundane moments between creative death and rebirth. Lingering shots of daily rituals interspersed with ever-changing scenery and companions create a dreamlike quality that bends time as well as genre. Dramatic, fantastical, stark, and experimental, director Ty Jacob’s premiere feature film is a worthy addition to the slow cinema canon exploring creativity’s endless cycle of heartbreak and repair."

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

February 22 Graphing Landscape

Will Brown https://www.willbrownart.com/ has paintings, Layered Environment, photorealistic landscapes with graphic elements.

At False Front Studio www.falsefrontstudio.com 4518 NE 32nd Map 3PM-6 Free


Raul J Mendez and Brian Capati from the Common Distortion Fields & everyday Summonings show, perform Endnotes & Errata, video with live score. It's "a sonic meditation on art & capitalism and the resulting psychic intersection between nuclear war, literary ghosts, and philosophical darlings." White Knivez present shadow puppet cinema and Curious Hair.

At Oranj Studio 726 S Gaines doors 5PM show 6 Free

February 21 If Shaping Gems

Reed opens a show from their collection by Kristan Kennedy, Sister Corita Kent, and Hilda Morris.

At Reed College's Cooley Gallery in the Library Building. Reed College 3203 SE Woodstock. 1PM-4 Free


Jaik Faulk https://www.jaikfaulk.com/ opens Constant Shaping, paintings. Along with a film installation by Roland Dahwen in the Project Room.

At Nationale www.nationale.us 15 SE 22nd Map 2PM-4 Free


Mono Space hosts listening hours with Geoff Zagarola. Zagarola operates record store Music History specializing in international rare gems of jazz, soul, salsa, funk, fusion, and hip hop. Music History is part of the KMHD local Record Store Rundown show, check that for more.

At Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. Noon-5 Free

February 20 Purple Selections Earth Reflections

130 artists present about 400 5 inch by 5 inch works for sale at $75 per.

Opening reception Friday and Saturday at the Purple Door https://www.thepurpledoorpdx.com/ 3557 SE Division 6PM-9 Free


Earth\Studies https://earth-studies.com is a clothing and tea ceremony line that also does participatory events. In this case, it is TeaRoom_01. It is open source with you gallery hours. They sometimes collaborate with similar NYC 18East, which make ambient music, including with magnetic tape. With this they are collaborating with Bardo, Chess Club, Timme Lu, Damien Heller-Chen, and Peace Cabin.

The opening will be more conventional with ambient vinyl. At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 6PM-9 Free


Reflections out of LA has been producing ambient musical events with projection mapping. They have mapped the First Congressional Church, which is a wood hall with decent acoustics. Tonight it is Omari Jazz and Visible Cloaks. Tickets https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/yopq7p-reflections-visible-cloaks-omari-jazz-20th-feb-first-congregational-ucc-portland-portland-tickets.

At the First Congressional Church 1126 Southwest Park Doors 7 show 8 $43.26


Rev Shines brings Selections No. 5, a collaboration with Mono Space.

Selections No. 5 https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/selections-no-5-rev-shines at Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. 7PM Tickets https://www.tickettailor.com/events/monospacestratafoundation/2045375 $20-35

February 20 - March 20 50/50

Oregon Conyemporary has drawn its stable together for a large show which is for sale.

Artists are Alyson Provax, Amanda Wojick, Amy Bay, Andrea Alonge, Anna Gray + Ryan Wilson Paulsen, Anya Roberts-Toney, Bean Gilsdorf, Ben Buswell, Brenda Mallory, Bruce Conkle, Chris Lael Larson, Christine Bourdette, Colin Kippen, Corey Arnold, Cynthia Lahti, Damien Gilley, Dan Attoe, Daniel Peabody, Elizabeth Arzani, Emily Counts, Epiphany Couch, Erik Geschke, Iván Carmona, Jaleesa Johnston, Jeffry Mitchell, Jeremy Le Grand, Jess Perlitz, Jessie Weitzel Le Grand, Jodie Cavalier, Justin L’Amie, Kimberly Gronquist, Kyle Adam Kalev Peets, Laura Vandenburgh, Lisa Jarrett, Lynn Yarne, Marcelo Fontana, Marcus Fischer, Mark R. Smith, Matthew Bennett Laurents, Melanie Flood, Melody Owen, Michael Boonstra, Michael Espinoza, Michelle Liccardo, Michelle Ross, Morgan Ritter, Nan Curtis, Pamela Hadley, Pat Boas, Ralph Pugay, Ryan Pierce, Portia Munson, Rainen Knecht, Ralph Pugay, Ryan Pierce, Sam Tam Ham, Samantha Yun Wall, Sean P. Lambert, Stephen Hayes, Teresa Christiansen, Tia Factor, Vo Vo, Wendy Given, Willie Little, and Yuyang Zhang.

They are having a party March 7 too.

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

February 15 Microdose of Birds!

Microdose is a recuring group show of small works. Artists are 0073.uv, Aaron Nagel, Alex Dos Diaz, Amy Earles, Brian Serway, Briana Hertzog, Brooks Salzwedel, Caleb Sinchok, Candie Bolton, Cassey Kuo, Chloe Niclas, Dinara Mirtalipova, Dusty Ray, Eva Redamonti, Evan Mendel, Haley Manchon, Hannah Tjia, Heartslob, James Coffman, Jiayue Li, John Rego, JP Neang, Juliet Schreckinger, Kenichiro Chaffee, Kim Baise, Leo Matsuda, Lizzy Gass, Madeline Brice, Maggie Chiang, Marika Paz, Mary Ainza, Matt Schu, Matthew Crumpton, Michael Powers Tarantelli, Naoshi, Niky Motekallem, Parakid, Po Yan Leung, Rowan Kingsbury, Sara Kipin, Trevor Shin, V. Steiner, Zi Xu, and Zienna Brunsted Stewart.

See small https://www.nucleusportland.com/blogs/future-exhibitions/microdose-6 at Nucleus House Gallery https://www.nucleusportland.com/ 1137 NE Alberta noon - 4 Free


Birds! Birds! Birds! is a show of shorts.

At the Boathouse Microcinema www.boathousemicrocinema.com 822 N River Doors 5PM Free

February 14 - July 26 Hockney Prints

David Hockney was born in 1937. He is still out and about in bright colors. For many years he has been producing prints. The Schnitzer Collection has loaned many for a show. It would be unusual to find this many together.

Full details https://portlandartmuseum.org/event/david-hockney/. At the Portland Art Museum www.pam.org 1219 SW Park

February 12 Know What I'm Sayin?

Atelier Yaffe hosts a showing of movie Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat and a discussion.

The movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5zCOoWCwuQ traces the history of the Belgian Congo using historical footage on the cusp between colony and independence in 1960. It did not go well.

At the time was a great game for influence between the Soviet Union and the United States.

In the lead up to independence rival groups, funded by Western interests, struggled for control of the mineral-rich country. In June 1960, Patrice Lumumba was selected prime minister by the new elected parliament. In September, he was overthrown by Mobutu Sese Seko in a military coup. In January 1961, he was executed and his body disappeared.

The struggle between East and West played out in the UN, shown in the movie, and with American cultural diplomacy. America sent Lous Armstrong in October 1960 to perform to great acclaim. Armstrong later questioned his involvement while the CIA throughout worked to remove Lumumba. There is a short segment with Larry Devlin.

The film includes many scenes of black musicians of the time who were leaders in the ultimately successful civil rights movement. Is there more work to do? Absolutely. What is the role today of black music in that?

"Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat explores how Black music, culture, and global politics intersect — revealing who controls culture, whose voices are amplified, and what histories are erased or reclaimed. This gathering invites community into reflection, conversation, and collective learning drawing from African and Diasporic wisdom, Sankofa, and Ubuntu to look within and move forward together."

Strongly recommended.

Reservations may or may not be required, their socials are unclear. At Atelier Yaffe https://www.atelieryaffe.com/ 111 NE Martin Luther King Blvd, enter on Couch 6:30-9 Free

End notes:

Movie Lumumba (2020) by the great director Raoul Peck reenacts the story with contemporary actors, color and all

The story of Congo continues. The Rwandan War 1994 overflowed into Eastern Congo where it is still happening in the form of warlords mining tantalum, gold, tin, and tungsten. The tantalum is known to be illegally exported to China. That is depicted in movie When Elephants Fight, the Grass Gets Trampled (2016)

Book King Leopold's Ghost (1998), later movie, tells the dark story of Congo leading up to 1960

Book Fate of Africa summaries each African country's decolonization

Movie When We Were Kings (1996) has the story of the Muhammad Ali's 1974 boxing fight in Mobutu's Congo

Book In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz 2002 tells the story of Mobutu Sese Seko

Book The Poisonwood Bible tells the story of a Western family in the Congo outback in the voice of each character, Devlin is a small character