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
