May 24 Outer Minimal

Terry Riley was born in 1935. He is famous for In C, 1964, a landmark in minimalism. I had that in vinyl when I had vinyl. Continuing his musical evolution, he studied classical Indian music with Pandit Pran Nath, 1918-1996. In Portland, Michael Sterling, Lewis & Clark instructor, studied with Terry Riley and guested performances and workshops by Riley here. That included at the humble Portland Parks and Rec Community Music Center in SE Portland in 2003. https://arthurmag.com/2021/10/16/their-masters-voice-the-impact-of-pandit-pran-nath-on-western-minimalists-by-peter-lavezzoli-arthur-2006/#more-20434

Hear https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/deep-dive-on-the-music-of-terry-riley-with-scott-frank at Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. 1PM $36.50


Outer Voice is a time-based art cohort. The cohort works together at least weekly for 9 months developing their invividual work.

This is the final readout by group 3. They present their work live, as movies, and as sound recordings.

Group 3 artists are Martha Daghlian, Adia Gibbs, Anne Greenwood, Emma Lutz-Higgins, Carolyn Supinka, and Ariella Tai, with co-directors Roland Dahwen, Sarah Rushford, and Ash Stone. Guests include Hannah Krafcik, Emily Jones, Todd Umhoefer, Tom Manzanarez, and Melinda Kowalska.

Outer Voice https://www.outervoicepdx.com/events/outer-voice-real-time at Dekum Street Theater https://www.dekumstreettheater.com 814 NE Dekum 5PM Free

May 23 Ambient Nature

Mono Space has its free, come and go listening session. This afternoon Batom brings world ambient.

That's https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/gallery-hours-curated-by-batom at Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. Noon-5 Free


Public Nature is an improv collaboration between a mover, a writer, and a sound artist, curated by Daniele Ross. Today is Sophia Ahmad, performance, Thick In The Throat Honey, text, and Warm Canopy, sound.

It is at a private residence you can join by looking up Public Nature and messaging them for an invitation, then RSVP to participate.

At Public Nature 7PM $5-15, all to the artists.


There is an artist talk at Leach. 11AM Free

May 20 Glean

In Portland, the Oregon Metro is responsible for solid waste. And here, as in many other cities, artists mine the waste stream to make art.

This year's GLEAN artists are Martha Daghlian, Hyun Jung Jung, Ebenezer Galluzzo, Lalo Perez, and Michael Bernard Stevenson Jr. Their show of the result opens this evening.

GLEAN artists www.gleanportland.com at 1325 SE 10th 5PM-8 Free

May 17 Radiance

Laraaji, accompanied by Arji OceAnanda, performs this evening with projection mapping.

Day of Radiance https://www.ambient.church/events/recLcjWpB3MRzjzXYat the First Baptist Church, 909 SW 11th. 7:15PM door, show 8 $40-65

May 16 Brotherhood Haunt Today

Mono Space has its free, come and go listening session. This afternoon Backyardmango, Sergio Lopez, brings selections from a lifelong collection of Mexican music.

That's https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/gallery-hours-curated-by-backyardmango. Noon-5 Free

The Merkaba Brotherhood is a local duo focusing electrionic and acoustic improv on ambient for their ticketed evening event.

https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/album-listening-session-presented-by-merkaba-brotherhood at Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. 7PM $36.50


Jesse Kamerzell brings Between Today and Tomorrow, schematic landscape paintings of buildings with no windows from a dream recurring since childhood.

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


Laura Jean Foster https://laurajeanfoster.com gives You’re Better as a Haunt.

At False Front Studio www.falsefrontstudio.com 4518 NE 32nd Map 6PM-9 Free

May 16-17 Rare Plant Research+

Rare Plant Research is a plant nursery which sells rare plants on the Internet. They are open just one weekend a year to the public for plant sales. They are open this weekend. It really is a special place. You can visit Rare Plant Research www.rareplantresearch.com

11900 S Criteser Rd, Oregon City. Do not park on Criteser road, park in their field. 11PM-4 Free


The keep Oregon wierd spirit is alive at the McMinnville UFO Festival Thursday - Saturday. Saturday is the parade and the city is filled with free performances. It is great for all ages. More https://ufofest.com.

May 15 For your Friday

The Menucha Art Center https://www.menucha.org/ in Corbett has artist retreats and workshops. Some of the artists who have participated over the years show work.

At the Arts Council of Lake Oswego https://artscouncillo.org/artspace 380 A Avenue, Suite A, Lake Oswego 5:30PM-7:30 Free


Godeleine de Rosamel brings Late Bloomers, ceramics.

At Stephanie Chefas Gallery www.stephaniechefas.com 134 SE Taylor, Ste 203. Map. 5PM-8 Free


Lukas Kubeja has Diaries, paintings and drawings based on photographs. It occupies downstairs and upstairs.

At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 6PM-9 Free

May 14 Society Failure Thesis

Todd Molinari brings show Failure Studies.

At After/Time Collective https://www.aftertimecollective 735 SW 9th Ave #110 5PM-8 Free


The PSU MFA thesis show occupies the PSU Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Afterparty at Fans-Only. At the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University https://www.pdx.edu/museum-of-art/ 1855 SW Broadway 5PM-7 Free

May 13-16 Butoh Here Now

Butoh is a contemporay dance form birthed in Japan in 1959. Some know it, to others it is liminal from media blips. Ultimately is an improvised somatic performance, liminal in that respect. It is a beautiful and challenging niche in culture. Butoh has NW concentrations in Seattle, BC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boulder, Chicago, New York, Mexico, more. That includes Portland organized by Carl Annala.

If you like, the movie Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis gives a history.

Portland's most famous butoh performer, Mizu, has ridden off into the sunset with her love. With that, Portland has a continuing butoh festival and workshops throughout the year.

This year visiting artists are Joan Laage/Kogut Butoh, Julie Becton Gillum, Minja Mertanen, Vanessa Skantze, Iván Espinosa and Co, Ash Pillar, Arlo King, Amapola, Salty Xi Jie Ng, Olga Kravtsova, Monel Chang, and Didi (Freddi) Wyss.

For movers, Minja Mertanen, Vanessa Skantze, Julie Becton Gillum and Joan Laage/Kogut teach workshops. The workshops are a bargain.

Last year, the festival was graciously hosted by Portland Art Collective. Now it occupies the New Expressive Works studio.

The Northwest Butoh Festival in Portland. https://northwestbutohfestival.crd.co/ https://newexpressiveworks.org/nwbutohfestival2026 at New Expressive Works Studio 810 SE Belmont.

Workshops Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 6PM-10, 10AM-2, and 10AM-2 respectively. Prices in links.

Performances Thursday, Friday, Saturday. 8PM Indiviual tickets $25, $20, senior/artist/student $15. All performance ticket $60.

May 13 Praise Science

Laurie Anderson is a great American story teller from the downtown tribe. She was in the Giorno poetry scene. In the early 1980s she got a deal with Warner to release album-length art projects. Big Science was the first in 1982. You can hear it this evening in a listening session on vinyl.

https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/big-science-presented-by-laura-cannon at Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. 7PM $36.50


The South Sound Experimental Film Festival are kindred to Portland filmmaking in Tacoma. We send things there ane they send to us. Tonigh they send Blue Jaye Corvidae-Schulte, Avian de Keizer, Miglė Križinauskaitė, Sitong Lu, Caroline Tuohey, Michael McCurdy, and Nikita Baranov with program Praise Kink.

It's https://www.boathousemicrocinema.com/apr-26-2026/ at the Boathouse Microcinema www.boathousemicrocinema.com 822 N River Doors 7:30PM movie 8 Free

May 17 Ending Once Portlander Thrives

Laurie Anderson continues to perform. She is known for her writing and spoken word performances, singing, and electronic instruments. Miranda July is a performer familiar to many. I promoted her to PICA, successfully. Marina Abramović, with a work in Venice, now is known for psychological and physical risks in performance. The three, Anderson, Abramović, and July have a show together in Copenhagen now. https://www.nbt.dk/en/shows/in-the-presence-of-others/ The show ends May 17.

May 9 Ghostly Delight

Ghostly International is this afternoon's selector for social listening.

https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/gallery-hours-featuring-ghostly-international at Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. Noon-5 Free


Lindsay Kretchun brings Objects of Delight, painting, textiles, and sculpture.

At Fine Art Fruit https://www.fineartfruit.com 925 NW 19th Ave Suite A 3PM-6 Free

May 8 Somewhere Soft and Quiet

Miranda Zimmerman, Faunwood https://www.faunwood.com/, is a schooled scientific illustrator in Eugene. But the training does not get in the way of her art. Her work is very inexpensive and comes in multiples, pins, and books which she will sign at 6.

https://www.nucleusportland.com/blogs/future-exhibitions/faunwood-solo http://www.nucleusportland.com 2916 NE Alberta 5PM-7 Free