Tuesday, May 12, 2026

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. At the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University https://www.pdx.edu/museum-of-art/ 1855 SW Broadway 5PM-7 Free



Society likes a good talk. For this, the artist Gareth James conferences in. You can join at the venue, or connect in on your own. Email the gallery for the Zoom.

At https://societysocietysociety.com/ 711 SE Grand upstairs above Mother Foucault’s. 7PM-9 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

Saturday, May 09, 2026

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

Friday, May 08, 2026

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

Wednesday, May 06, 2026

May 7 Westside Art Openings+

Writers' Block, and Adams and Ollman continue.


For your +1, The Portland Art Museum free all day. https://portlandartmuseum.org/event/free-first-thursday-may2026/ at the Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park 10AM-7 Free


For your +2 in Northeast. 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


For your +3 Venice. The Venice Biennale is open.

Notable is Florentina Holzinger, representing Austria with an installation and performance. She has been performing intense opera-like events in Europe you can find.

The Russian Pavilion is a problem. Russia was not invited in 2024 after invading Ukraine. They are back in 2026, but their show is press only. Nonetheless people are not happy about Russia and their pavilion is attracting artist protests, including Pussy Riot. The Pussy Riot story is worth looking up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxl52-1LW_k


Mark R Smith https://markrsmithstudio.com/ brings Desert or Ocean, inspired by habitation, climate change and migration. Derek Franklin https://www.derekfranklin.net/ brings Poet's Lips, abstract paintings in light hues and sculptures with inspiration from Kierkegaard.

Https://www.elizabethleach.com/exhibitions/256-sense-of-place-group-exhibition/overview/ at Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 5:30PM-7:30 Free


The Contrast Gallery shares The Horizon Enterprise Building with The Downbeat and a black creative business incubator. They bring Based, a large group show including Abigail Fraser, Abigail Tjaden, Apoorva Bhandari, Chelsea J. Ferguson, Cheng Lee, Christian Orellana Bauer, Cody Austin, Daniel Soriano-Valencia, Deangelo Raines, Eric Wixon, Jasper York, Jeffrey Tan, Kayla Rojas, Korina Keaton, Kyle Thompson, Mae Al-Jiboori, Melissa Alvarez Baliton, Naomi Likayi, Nova Warren, Olivia Sanchez, Stephanie Pozuelos, Tylor Rogers, Victoria Chavez, Wura Ogunsanya, Yathzi Turcot, Yuyang Zhang, and Zachary Del Carpine.

RSVP required at https://partiful.com/e/m2yGtKCtPPtN5BRFtJY4.

At the Contrast Gallery 433 NW 4th 6:30PM-9 Free


Fisk is programming the W+K gallery. Soft Connections is the new show of painting, drawing, and ceramics by Kentaro Okawara, Nia Misiba, and Marsha Mack.

At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th Map 5PM-8 Free


Froelick has its second unplanned retrospective exhibit. This one is from painter Kevin Kadar (1955-2025). The show New Landscapes and Seascapes includes work inspired by his visit to the Bandiagara Escarpment, Mali. Unfortunately it is not safe to travel there today due to the Azawad independence movement, Islamic rebels, Russian corruption, a military coup, and the exit of the French and the US. The attraction of Mali to conflict is gold, diamonds, as well as aliminum and iron ore.

At Froelick Gallery www.froelickgallery.com 714 NW Davis early close 5PM-8 Free


No Unsacred Places is a show of colorist landscape oils by Jef Gunn.

At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis 5PM-7:45 Free


Blue Sky has its fourth 50th anniversary exhibition spanning October 2005 and October 2015. New work from select artists is paired with work of the time.

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


Fans Only shows its residents and guests with a focus on PSU students.

At Fans Only https://www.fansonly.studio/ 1010 SW 11th 5PM-8 Free


Photographer Jim Lommasson continues his What I Carry project, an anthropology study of what travelers, migrants, and displaced individuals carry with them. This one is with local homeless individuals. It is presented alongside work of the Street Roots photography club.

At the Portland Arts Collective https://www.portlandartscollective.org/ 122 NW Couch 6PM-9 Free


The Mashiko Ceramics and Arts Association from Japan has sent works paired with local artists with families from the greater Pacific basin in show Many Bridges. Gallery 2 is a show by member artists Kanetaka Ikeda and Ruri.

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


Michael Spafford (1935-2022) has a retrospective of paintings, The Origin. Edge of Beauty and Survival are paintings by Margot Voorhies Thompson.

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


Resilience Is Our Nature are oil paintings by Susan Harrington. The landscapes and botanicals are inspired by climate change.

At Waterstone Gallery www.waterstonegallery.com 124 NW 9th 5PM-8 Free


From Turab to Noor is a show by 10 local muslum women.

At The Black Gallery https://www.theblackgallerypdx.com/ 916 NW Flanders 6PM-9 Free


Frol-ic-some is group show, along with Kelli Cooper in show From the Dark Side of Whimsy. At Imperfecta www.imperfecta.xyz 809 NW Flanders 6PM-9


James Florschutz has Sounds of Memory and Robin Kerr has With the Windows Wide Open.

At Laura Vincent Design and Gallery www.lvdesignandgallery.com/ 824 NW Davis 5PM-8 Free


PNCA Willamette has many visual shows tonight. One is Don’t Be Clever, Be True: Late Works by David Eckard (1964-2025) https://davideckardstudio.com/home.html .

At PNCA | Willamette University www.pnca.willamette.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 5PM-8 Free


The Urban Art Network occupies 13th with all their booths of stuff.

Saturday, May 02, 2026

May 2 Northside Art Openings+

Oregon Contemporary and False Front continue.


Usually in our listings we issue forward pointers for future associated events with the first or main event. So day of may not be relisted. Rare exceptions.

For your +1 Linda Hutchins speaks and previews a short film about her dream project.

She keeps a pad and writing implement bedside. Awaking from a dream, without opening eyes, she writes her dream. The show is a collection of 50 of those dream notes.

At The Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th Open 10:30AM, talk 11-noon, open until 5 Free


For your +2, Westside, Jenene Nagy brings her elegant minimal work.

At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 1825 NW Vaughn Map 3PM-5 Free RSVP by email to info at pdxcontemporaryart.com


For your +3, Westside, The Schnitzer collection is a vast archive of mostly multiples. They assemble vast shows from that. What's Not to Love is primarily portraits, local, national, and international. They have a large show of David Hockney at the Portland Art Museum too.

At the Schnitzer Family Collection https://jordanschnitzer.org/exhibitions/whats-not-to-love 3033 NW Yeon Noon-6 Free


Blue Moon Camera staff bring a show of their work. At Franklin Foto https://www.franklinfoto.org/ 8953 N Lombard 5:30PM-8 Free


Most Nearly Perfect Ham by Kelda Van Patten https://keldavanpatten.com/ is a show of collage.

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


Allan Pichardo and Alyssa Pichardo beam down Soul of the Hyperreal, a surreal video game.

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


Gallery Hours are curated by Anaya.

In "Arrivals, Anaya will explore the music of Asian and Asian-American artists, bands, and producers. Spanning many genres, including jazz, lofi, soul, hip-hop, and r&b - with some side trips related to Anaya’s heritage and upbringing."

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

Thursday, April 30, 2026

May 1 First Initial

In unusual opening schedule Ryan McLaughlin brings paintings Saentis Bindle II and Nao Kikuchi brings sculptures Spur.

At Adams and Ollman Gallery, the second of four members of the New Art Dealers Alliance newartdealers.org/members, www.adamsandollman.com 418 NW 8th 5PM-7 Free


Zachary Rau and Chris Sazaki bring PDX<>LAX.

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


Initial is a Portland arts writing project. Issue 2 drops tonight. Issue 2 writers are Joy Ulienne Alice, Gus Cannon, Martha Daghlian, Justin Duyao, Leslie Hickey, Midori Hirose, Jaydra Johnson, Brandi Kruse, Bennett Reeves, Ryan-Ashley Anderson, Ben Skiba, and Samantha Yun Wall.

At Nationale www.nationale.us 15 SE 22nd Map 7PM-10 Free


Of course it is Eastside art opening night on the first Friday socials.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

April 29 Music from India

Lewis and Clark College has a classical Indian music program. They have an end of semester class performance tonight. Https://college.lclark.edu/fine-arts/calendar/event/370291-indian-music-ensemble-performance in Evans Auditorium at Lewis and Clark College 615 S Palatine Hill Road Map 7PM Free