Many of the Pearl Westside galleries continue viewing of their openings Thursday
The Cascade Festival of African Films opened yesterday. Today's matine is documentary Ernest Cole: Lost and Found. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzS95TW6edU His photojournalism in South Africa from about 1958 to 1966 and in the US and Sweden until his death in 1990, captures eras with no filters. After this festival showing, the film is available on several streaming outlets for a small fee.
He published one book, House of Bondage, at age 27. It played a role in the ultimately successful end of apartheid 27 years later. He died of cancer at age 49 in poverty, his nagatives lost, and few prints ever made. In 2017 his nagatives, recordings, and papers, were mysteriosly found, are preservied at Wits, managed by his family. This film is the result.
The film is narrated from his diaries and the picture from his still and movie archives, supplemented by contemporaneous material by other photographers.
A later group of photographers, Kevin Carter, Greg Marinovich, Ken Oosterbroek, and João Silva, documented the lead up to the 1994 elections in South Africa. That was the first election in which all South Africans could vote, with voters going from 5 million to 25 million. The country almost devolved into civil war. Photographer Oosterbroek perished in a crossfire. I credit that moment with motivating a withdrawal from the brink of civil war and the IFP rebels joining the election. Those photographers were documented in film The Bang Bang Club. Sadly some want to take us into a "papers / passbook, please," no is not an answer world in the US today.
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found https://www.africanfilmfestival.org/2026/festival/films/ernest-cole-lost-found/ at PCC Cascade Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building, Room 104 705 N Killingsworth. 2PM Free
Kahil El’Zabar has lead the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble for 52 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgaCqJcOAdc. His work has been melding African music with African American music. He is special guest tonight with host Meg Samples at Mono Space for a listening session.
Kahil El’Zabar and Meg Samples https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/an-evening-with-kahil-el-zabar-hosted-by-meg-samples at Mono Space 7PM-9 $30? Waiting list https://www.tickettailor.com/events/monospacestratafoundation/2045333
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.
At the Schnitzer Family Collection https://www.jordanschnitzer.org/schnitzer-collection/ 3033 NW Yeon Noon-6 Free
Rain, pfft. Katherine Aungier, Pat Boas, Agatha Jaquiss and Rebecca Shippee bring paintings, Sticky.
At Helen's Costume https://www.costumeintl.com/ 7706 SE Yamhill Street Opening today. 2PM-5 Free
Notes, Notes, Notes are notes of the late artist D. E. May. A show of them opens his afternoon. https://pdxcontemporaryart.com/notes-notes-notes
At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 1825 NW Vaughn Map 3PM-5 Free RSVP by email to info at pdxcontemporaryart.com
Felicia Chiao from the SF Bay Area brings her illustrations.
At Nucleus gallery https://www.nucleusportland.com/blogs/future-exhibitions/chiao2026 http://www.nucleusportland.com 2916 NE Alberta 4PM-6 Free
Jeremy Le Grand brings Simple Knots, digital pattern making inspired by woven textiles. The cover photo looks like kente cloth. The Northwest is rich in craft and there is a small Portland revival in loom weaving by artists.
At Well Well Projects www.wellwellprojects.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N. Interstate Map 5PM-8 Free
Lost Lake by Chris Lael Larson is his trademark colorful photography, painting, and sculpture, upped a notch.
At www.carnationcontemporary.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N Interstate. 5PM-8 Free
The Ursula Le Guin show A Larger Reality closes tomorrow. There are some films scheduled this evening and tomorrow. At Oregon Contemporary.
Yes we can have a house how in a gallery attic. At least 45 artists are doing it. It's a house party.
At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 6PM-10 Free
Hans Hickerson brings vintage Portland images made on film.
At Franklin Foto https://www.franklinfoto.org/ 8953 N Lombard 5PM-8 Free 5-8
Dear Portland is a show organized by Humans for Housing documenting homelessness at Stelo. They have a reception at 11, free tickets requested at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dear-portland-exhibition-tickets-1976990401510?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp at Stelo Arts https://www.steloarts.org 412 NW 8th 11AM-5 Free
