Friday, July 31, 2026

August 3 Story of Pixels

At age 15 Sadie Benning revieved the gift of a camera from her father James Benning, a noted experimental filmmaker.

With the Fisher Price PXL-2000, the Pixelvision, she made movies about her queer experience. The 1989 camera records lo-fi black and white video on audio cassettes.

Benning was acknowledged at a young age my the movie and art world. Later she founded Le Tigre.

Many artist movies are archived by the Video Data Bank. vdb.org. They are connected to SAIC and are having financial problems. Tonight the Hollywood Theater shows a program of Benning's movies. Get those videos circulating!

The program covers 1989 to 1998 with Living Inside (5 mins, 1989), If Every Girl Had a Diary (8 mins, 1990), Me and Rubyfruit (5 mins, 1990), Jollies (11 mins, 1990), A New Year (6 mins, 1990), A Place Called Lovely (14 mins, 1991), It Wasn’t Love (20 mins, 1992), Girl Power (15 mins, 1992), German Song (5 mins, 1995), The Judy Spots (5 mins, 1995), and Flat Is Beautiful (50 mins, 1998.)

The early movies of Sadie Benning https://hollywoodtheatre.org/show/the-films-of-sadie-benning/ at the Hollywood Theater 4122 NE Sandy 7:30PM $12

August 2 Electronics in Nature

Modular on the Spot is an international network of outdoor synth concerts. Here it is sponsored by the Portland Synth Library.

This month brings Stuart Frederich-Smith, Demodex, Production Unit Xero, Matthew Rempes, Ivan Jan, and Hemadaxis.

At Cathedral Park 6PM-9 Free

August 1 Northside Art Openings+

Omari Jazz curates a listening session.

That's https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/gallery-hours-curated-by-omari-jazz-1 at Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. Noon-5 Free


The Emergent Field of Becoming is an installation by Jessie Rose Vala on the themes of "climate change, industry-made chemicals, mytho-historical migration narratives, and pop-esoteric imagery."

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


Sewing Seeds is a show of mixed media worls by Alexandria Saleem, Amirra Malak, Ara Manoogian, Bint Bandora, Jenna Saadeh, ‘Rah Sabino, Rodia Banaei, Sarah Farahat, and Zeinab Saab.

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


Oregon Contemporary is on break until the end of August. Then opens Converge45.


Franklin Foto 5-8 celebrates their second anniversery.

At Franklin Foto https://www.franklinfoto.org/ 8953 N Lombard 5PM-8 Free

July 31 Space - A Meditation

The Archive as a Mirror is a show and a library by Matthew Damato. He shows his work and a collection of printed matter by Ambulatory Archives.

At Riso Studio Arts https://pdx.risostudioarts.com/ 1327 SE Division 5PM-8 Free


An essential resource for Portland artists is studio space. The Unkeles family rents several buildings with the impossible beauty that the rent is stable until the artist moves.

Moviemaker David Poulshock shows documentary Space - A Meditation On The Meaning Of Art in an Unkeles building.

"It was supposed to be a simple documentary about a Portland landlord Ken Unkeles' quest to convert the run-down NW Marine Iron Works complex into a thriving art space. But when eccentric artist, Tim Stapleton who is diagnosed with ALS, moves into one of the new studios - on his own quest to paint until his dying breath - everything changes."

Space at NW Marine Art Works https://www.nwmarineartworks.com/ Building5 https://www.buildingfive.org/ 2516 NW 29th Tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/e/space-a-meditation-on-the-meaning-of-art-tickets-1991575168942 7PM-10 $15

July 31 - August 2 Salish

The Salish Sea Butoh Festival makes a home in Port Townsend. This year has performances by movers who studied with Hijikata and Ohno. Earlier in the week they had workshops.

Performers are Emiko Agatsuma, Tokyo/Nagano, Iván-Daniel Espinosa & Company, Chicago/Seattle/Los Angeles, Yumiko Yoshioka, Berlin, Mōe Yamamoto & Kei Shirasaka of Kanazawa Butoh-Kan, Kanazawa, Akira Kasai of Tenshi-Kan, Tokyo, Joan Laage Kogut Butoh, Seattle, Mitsutake Kasai, Tokyo, and Kota Yamazaki & Mina Nishimura, New York/Tokyo.

The Salish Sea Butoh Festival at Fort Worden Park American Legion Hall, 209 Monroe St, Port Townsend. https://www.salishseabutoh.com/2026-performances Tickets https://givebutter.com/salishseabutoh2026 8PM $25 each night

Sunday, July 26, 2026

July 26 Realistic Idle Wondering

The Daipan Butoh Collective in Seattle present their annual outdoor, Wandering & Wondering, in Seattle's Kubota Gardens.

Kubota is the original family home and nursery of Fujitaro Kubota. https://kubotagarden.org/fujitaroremembered.html It is now a city park and free. If you are in Portland, the Portland Japanese Garden curator has been advising them and his rock work is identifiable by sytle.

Parking can be fierce, so share those rides. Secure valuables in vehicles out of sight.

Daipan Butoh presents Wandering and Wondering https://www.daipanbutohcollective.com/ https://www.kubotagarden.org/event-details/wandering-wondering-a-butoh-performance 55th Avenue South, Seattle, WA  Map  Noon-4 Free


Realistic Moment is a Summer music series. They have concerts at the Leach Botanical Garden. The gardens need money or they will close. Consider becoming a member, then visit often. This afternoon is a benefit concert.

Cosmic Tones Research Trio, Foote & Dickow, Patricia Wolf, Pete Swanson and Ilyas Ahmed, and Carly Barton perform.

Experience it on the tree bridge with blankets, chairs, a picnic.

Realistic Moment at Leach Botanical Garden 6704 SE 122nd 4:30PM-8:30 $30 Sold Out


Old Fashioned Garage Gallery guests Elbow Room artists for a sale.

It is a residence. They don't want their address published. Look them up and follow the directions to message them for the address, or go with a friend already going, or later message them for an appointment.

Old Fashioned Garage Gallery opening show 10AM-3 Free


Ceramicist Nick Norman brings work themed on automobiles, in this case rough mugs with autos as a base in show Idler.

At Lowell https://www.lowellshopgallery.com/ 2136 E Burnside 3PM-5 Free

Saturday, July 25, 2026

July 25 Machine Garden

We are amidst a great discussion of artificial intelligence in the US. The discussion has not yet deeply engaged job loss and its tax subsidies for capital spending on robots. Artists are working with AI and others reject it.

Apropos, Hannah Newman brings her installation An Optimized Garden.

"In a world increasingly powered by artificial intelligences, An Optimized Garden expands the conversation into the open air. Transforming the backyard space of Gallery 1122 into a landscape teeming with digital and natural plant hybrids, the exhibition invites viewers to move through an environment where digital and organic systems collide and co-evolve.

As AI companies present AI as inevitable, the next stage of our human evolution, An Optimized Garden considers the ecological and human toll of a planet merged with AI. Throughout the exhibition, hand-built sculptures and paintings coexist with AI-generated imagery, combining natural and technological materials, including dried plant matter, silicon rocks, wires, circuit boards, and electronic debris. At the heart of the exhibition, an AI-generated voice narrates both the promises and the risks of AI’s entanglement with human and ecological systems.

Sprouting from the anxiety and unstable terrain of our contemporary moment, An Optimized Garden questions just what will take root from our new relationship with AI. Will the fruit of our gardens taste sweeter when everything is optimized?"

At 1122 Outside Gallery www.1122gallery.com 7629 SE Harrison 6PM-9 Free

Thursday, July 23, 2026

July 24 Astral Uncertainty

Jessie Weitzel Le Grand opens mixed media sculptures Astral Accessories.

At Stephanie Chefas Gallery www.stephaniechefas.com 134 SE Taylor, Ste 203. Map. 5PM-8 Free

Friday, July 17, 2026

July 18 Soft Country Decay

Cori McCullough https://www.iamcorii.com/ presents Soft Decay.

At False Front Studio www.falsefrontstudio.com 4518 NE 32nd Map 6PM-9 Free


Jeffrey Silverstein https://www.jeffreylewissilverstein.com/ is a NW progressive country musician. For your listening pleasure, he brings cosmic country.

That's https://mono-space.org/blogs/events/gallery-hours-cosmic-country-curated-by-jeffrey-silverstein at Mono Space https://mono-space.org/ 608 NW 13th Ave Ste 102. Noon-5 Free

Thursday, July 16, 2026

July 17 Cavity

Helen's Costume opens its 2026 season. Jackie Stewart, Ju Suk Reet Meate, Cody Brandt, Lena Lutz, and Chanel Conklin show work.

At Helen's Costume https://www.costumeintl.com/ 7706 SE Yamhill Street Opening today. 5PM-8 Free

Sunday, July 12, 2026

July 12 Nature

Public Nature is an improvised collaboration between a mover/dancer, a musician, and a word artist. Tonight Takahiro Yamamoto featuring Brandon Conway, performance, Judy Nahum, poetry, and Ari lynn, sound. It is an ongroing series by Danielle Ross https://www.daniellerossperformance.com/blog.

The performance is in a bookshop on the upper floor of a building filled with studios. Doors open at 7:30 and will absolutely close before the performance, no late arrival.

At Passages Bookshop, 1801 NW Upshur, Suite 660 8PM $10-15

Saturday, July 11, 2026

July 11 Resting

Part 2 of Brianna Spencer's I'm Resting Now Before It's Too Late opens and Consuelo Wise's Boy continues in the project room.

At Nationale www.nationale.us 15 SE 22nd Map 2PM-4 Free

Friday, July 10, 2026

July 10 Tarot

Junko Mizuno 水野純子 http://www.mizuno-junko.com/, brings her tarot design illustrations the latest in a several year project.

It's https://www.nucleusportland.com/blogs/future-exhibitions/junko-mizuno at Nucleus Portland http://www.nucleusportland.com 2916 NE Alberta 5PM-7 Free

Thursday, July 09, 2026

July 9 More Westside Art Openings

Many Westside galleries are involved in the aformentioned sports+art content tonight.


I Am Plodding Through Mud is a large group ceramics show by Ahuva Sz, Alice Christine Walker, Ansley Gwin, Cassie Tompkins, Kaitlyn Carr, Elizabeth Arzani, Emily Ginsburg, Jessica Joner, Linda Wysong, Luke Armitstead, Maya Vivas, Ryan Kitson, and TarynTomasello. There are more events beyond the opening on the show website.

It is https://www.buildingfive.org/i-am-plodding-through-mud at NW Marine Art Works https://www.nwmarineartworks.com/ Building5 https://www.buildingfive.org/ 2516 NW 29th 6PM-9 Free

Saturday, July 04, 2026

July 5 Mystic Anchor Gestures

Modular On The Spot brings July. Musicians are DSP Mystic, Empty Gestures, Trust Anchor, Wired Habitat, Limanjaya, and Clayton Davis.

Pier Park 10325 N Lombard 6PM-9 Free

July 4 Northside Art Openings+

For your +1. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist many readers know. His latest book is On Censorship. After 250 years, yes, we have it here. We also have corruption here, it's not just for "African dictators."

He is famous for many works, including an early social practice work Fairytale in 2007. Between 2008 and 2011, and continuing, he made art about deaths in the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan. About 5000 students perished because of corrupt "tofu construction" - public schools built at minimum cost for maximum profit.

The number of deaths and names were deemed a state secret. The artist's sin was going door to door to gather the names from families, almost all single children, and writing them down. The power of names in China is a cultural thing, the gravity of which is not understood in the West.

As a result, in 2011 he was disappeared for 81 days.

I am a student of democracy and have worked professionally in the field. I have studied the Chinese Democracy Movement. A great documentary is Gate of Heavenly Peace. I believe the Chinese government should have set up a student and young persons National People's Congress and started a transition to democracy in towns and cities. That would have been a great cultural learning experience and could have avoided much corruption. After a time, democracy could evolve to provinces and the central government. The fact that the central government right here is intent on ending democracy in our 250th year is very disturbing.

This weekend Ai Weiwei is reenacting the disapprearing time sampled into a 24 hour performance, Sewing a Button, in Manchester UK. Much of it is online.

Ai Weiwei and collaborators perform Sewing a Button online. Free


Oregon Contemporary closes their biennial.


Might as Well Well is a group show including new members.

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


Dana Lynn Louis' Gather Make Shelter project brings Aileen McPherson, Fahd Sadiq, Fawn, Gloria Rodriguez, Mia Winters, Marzipan Lee, and Zenyatta. The project has similarities to San Francisco's Hospitality House.

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

Friday, July 03, 2026

July 3 Eastside Art Openings

All the Eastside events are at http://firstfridaypdx.org/ and their socials which list many shows and their times.

Thursday, July 02, 2026

July 2 Westside Art Openings+

The Black Gallery, Imperfecta, and Lucky Girl continue.


For your +1, The Portland Art Museum is free all day. https://portlandartmuseum.org/event/free-first-thursday-july2026/ 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


Mixed Flock: 30 Years is a large retrospective group show by Patrick Abbey, Alma Allen, Anna Gray + Ryan Wilson Paulsen, Nick Blosser, Iván Carmona, Marjorie Dial, Amjad Faur, Bean Finneran, Jacques Flechemuller, Ellen George, Victoria Haven, Elizabeth Knight, Justin L'Amie, James Lavadour, Terran Last Gun, Nathan William Lambdin, Nancy Lorenz, D.E. May, Kristen Miller, Wes Mills, Jeffry Mitchell, Megan Murphy, Jenene Nagy, Ido Radon, Georgina Reskala, Joe Rudko, Tad Savinar, Susan Seubert, Adam Sorensen, Barbara Stafford, Storm Tharp, Gus Van Sant, Nell Warren, Heather Watkins, Marie Watt, and Yamamoto Masao. How many do you recognize?

"Mixed Flock comes from the idea of different species of birds gathering together for a variety of reasons including safety, cooperation, and community. In talking with wildlife scientist Derek Craighead about mixed flocks, Craighead suggested humans underestimate the sociability of animals, that wild animals will gather to be social, for fun, and for company. That’s worthwhile!

For thirty years, PDX artist’s have been a wonderful mixed flock with each artist having their own way of seeing the world and approaching their art-making.

Now is an important time to highlight and strengthen mixed flocks. Our country is a mixed flock, the “melting pot”, where diverse peoples, cultures, and ways exist together and we are better for it. This show is a celebration of the gallery’s many and varied artists, supporters, and collectors who make up our flock."

At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 1825 NW Vaughn Map 5PM-7


Blue Sky has their 5th decade retrospective.

The Nine Gallery has Jerry Mayer's sculptures.

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


Collage artist Arless Day shows along with a Summer group show of gallery artists.

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


Merridawn Duckler shows books and clothes. She has been a champion of a book art with her own gallery several years ago. Book arts are strong in Portland, but less so with the colsure of OCAC. Libby Wadsworth brings Intimate Strangers, botanicals shot with artificial light with text added. Anastasiya Gutnik has Spectral Ascent, sculptures and mixed media.

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


Jay Backstrand, Michael Brophy, Judith Poxson Fawkes, Tom Fawkes, Gregory Grenon, Roll Hardy, Frederick Heidel, Manuel Izquierdo, Fay Jones, Mel Katz, Michihiro Kosuge, Elizabeth Malaska, Michael Paul Miller, Geoffrey Pagen, Lucinda Parker, René Rickabaugh, Anne Siems, Eric Stotik, Akio Takamori, Gina Wilson, Sherrie Wolf, and Samantha Yun Wall are all part of a group show.

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


After | Time has a group show Reveal-Reveal, Porland and LA artists in collaboration with LA gallery Allied Special Projects. The artists are Amelie Laurice, Benjamin Latham, Chris Horner, Cindy Craig, Colin Roberts, Marcus Sendlinger, Maria Jean, Mary Lai, and Todd Molinari.

At After/Time Collective https://www.aftertimecollective 735 SW 9th Ave #110 5PM-8 Free


Woven is a group show of textile art.

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


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

Wednesday, July 01, 2026

July 2 Society

Society has a Summer Group Show with Mike Bray, Jodie Cavalier, Derek Franklin, Sidony O’Neal, Stephanie Simek, and Taryn Tomasello. Why they cross scheduled against Westside first Thursday openings is a mystery.

At https://societysocietysociety.com/ 711 SE Grand upstairs above Mother Foucault’s. 6PM-8 Free

July 1 - 31 Sporty

Portland art galleries sometimes have a month theme. This month, and some of last month, is large spectator sports. The annual economic throughput of sports in the US is about a trillion. Arts are about 1.2 trillion, but visual arts are only about 12 billion. So if you like, you can find the visual arts shows themed on sports in galleries, which includes https://portlandartsweek.com/. Most are free.