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 slect 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.
