Portland as music town goes in cycles and now is uptime. But Salem was home to famous guitarist John Fahey in the 80's and 90's, who lived 1939-2001. Fahey traveled extensively in the South collecting the folk music of Mississippi Delta, Appalachian bluegrass and New Orleans jazz musicians, in person, and in recordings made in the 1920's and '30's, and refining them into his own picking style with unique tunings. Fahey went on to found artist-focused, rather than label-focused, music labels Takoma and Revenant. In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey is a new documentary relating the story of his life. Folk music was what we had before copyright, and it's where we are headed to again, as the age of infinite reproduction and the music industry itself successfully slay the goose that laid golden eggs. Maybe that's a good thing, Internet folk music, and music in person. The film will be introduced by a performance by Chris Funk. At the Hollywood Theater 4122 NE Sandy 7:30PM $7
The art and design world is filled with many twisty career paths, not all alike. One is that of Raymond Pettibon, punk artist. Bass player in Black Flag early, and brother to Flag leader, Pettibon designed the logo. He went on to make pen and brush drawings, many used as music media cover art and for band posters. He has used hand lettered text extensively, a 1980's trend that returned in the new millenium, for instance, in the work of Mission School artist Chris Johanson. Pettibon was first tapped for the Whitney Biennial in 1994. Later he returned in 2004, the second year of Larry Rinder's new bad art boy curatorial direction. Perribon has exhibited extensively in Europe as well. Pettibon was tapped in 1995 by Portland's Plazm. They present a show of his early work, 1978-1986, band posters, his zines, and some vinyl covers, opening tonight. Band Blood Beach performs at the opening at 9. At One Grand Gallery 1000 E Burnside. 7PM-10+ Free
Hair, it can be an obsession for some. Soft & Sturdy by Heidi Hopfer is a show of hair theme drawings. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside
Black Box has a show of color photography curated by Katherine Ware of the New Mexico Museum of Art. She has been photography curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the Getty. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs 5PM-8:30 Free
At the Ford Building Gallery Homeland continues it's current show and Pushdot has a reception for a non-photography show, pointillist pen and ink drawings of insects. 2505 SE 11th x Division. Enter through the cafe on the corner if the main doors on 11th are locked. 5PM-7/9 Free
Universities are a rich stew of creativity as a value. It's stimulated by the ease of creative communication and collaboration. In art programs, there is a value placed in understanding what has come before. In that spirit, PSU artists reinterpret Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable over 45 years later. Bands include Etbonz & Videodrone. In Neuberger Hall Room 293. 7PM-9 Free
Aedion 44 Gallery shows Friends of Mine, from Portland photographer Brendan Coughlin. The gallery is in a space for graphic clothing. At Aedion 44 Gallery www.aedionaesthetic.com 4430 SE Hawthorne 7PM-11 Free
Newspace has Jeff Rich with Watershed: A Survey of The French Broad River Basin, documentation of a river in the Southeast. The photographer captured individuals in their homes along the river with river industrial facilities in the background. Photolucida director Laura Moya has an ongoing series, On My Walls, selections from her personal collection. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Map
The studios of the OCAC+PNCA MFA in Applied Craft + Design are open tonight for you to see what the students are doing. They will also be open tomorrow in the daytime. It will be tonight's hit. At the Bison Building, 421 NE 10th. 7PM-9 Free
RACC throws a party tonight in honor of Mayor Sam Adams, Portland's tireless art supporter. It is a benefit for the Right Brain Initiative. Patrons at 6, $175, open to all at 9, $25, breakfast midnight. racc.org/advocacy/racc's-party-name-art-almost-here At YU Contemporary 800 SE 10th
