September 3 Eastside Art Openings

First Friday is split by venue between openings tonight and next Friday the 10th owing the Labor Day holiday and audience travel plans.



Golden Rule has a very interesting show, Making Sense, by Delphine Bedient. Bedient is working well across mediums, sometimes mixing them. She has a good eye for interior and exterior landscape photography; work involving thread and embroidery, including installation; found-reused materials; and a zine life as editor of Peep!. Some of this month's work is made from teabags of tea consumed and stains on paper of daily coffee grounds. Her work is part of a unique experiment in retail and family culture in that it is paired with a specific collection of vintage clothing in a shop that is gallery to both. At Golden Rule Gallery www.goldenruleportland.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 122 in the back



Carhole has Terminal Examination, by Liam Drain and Carmen Denison. This show examines formal education. Though we debate around the edges, formal education and its strictures are tightly woven into culture, from imperial China and ancient Greece, onward. Drain questions logic itself with book art and ceramics incorporating the symbol ≠, not equal. Denison infiltrates academia with textbooks and black/white boards of her own lessons, questioning education's foundations. At Car Hole Gallery 114 SE 12th x Ankeny 6PM-9:30ish



Mike Bray opens It Was Never About The Audience at Fourteen30. Bray makes sculpture, photographs and video. He is also a curator and arts organizer, cofounder of Springfield, Oregon's Ditch Projects, arguably the best thing that ever happened to Springfield since Matt Groening; and expertly tapping Northwest Twin Peaks mysticism. At Fourteen30 Gallery www.fourteen30.com 1430 SE 3rd 6PM-9



Kelly Rauer's Shaping Sequence continues at New American Art Union www.newamericanartunion.com 922 SE Ankeny



Redux has a charming show of fairy tale-inspired illustration by Julianna Swaney At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside



The Art Department has a show of PSU graphic design graduates, Keeping It Together. Designers include Tally Gunstone, Rachel Yoakum, Crystal Peck, Kyla Tom, Jesse Matz, Marsha Lindsey, Sylvia Dihn, Jordan Lessler, Linda Lee, Kristina Morris and Amanda Benson. Music by Wild Hog in the Woods and Drunk on Pines. At the Art Department http://www.artdeptpdx.com/ 1315 SE 9th Avenue



Longtime Portland photographer Stewart Harvey shows I Am What I Need To Be, The Odyssey of Identity in New Orleans. New Orleans is a unique place. Even in the law, it is different than the country in incorporating French law. It has its Creole - Krio language, shared with West Africa. Harvey likens New Orleans' uniqueness to Portland's, which is quite a complement. This show is his photographic exploration of the people of New Orleans. At 23Sandy www.23sandy.com 623 NE 23 at Sandy 5PM-8



Bside6 continues with its installation series in the form of BIG shirt / little TOP by Elisa Linda Saethe At bSIDE6 524 E Burnside



Milepost 5 opens their latest, Hidden Among the Leaves, paintings by Stephen Plount At Milepost5 www.milepostfive.com 900 NE 81st (go by MAX) 6PM-9 Free

September 2 Westside Art Openings

Justine Kurland is a brilliant photographer. Her career launched as part of the infamous 1999 Yale-school show, Another Girl, Another Planet. While shocking to some critics in the day, Kurland taps some pretty transcendent memes: childhood, utopia, wilderness, mythology. Her breakthrough work featured girls on a plucky and lighthearted Huckleberry Finn adventure sometimes on the broken margins of contemporary society. Subsequent work, such as Old Joy, utilizes Oregon's bold wilderness as a background for her characters. Her work documenting present day utopian communes is compelling. She has continued her Western expeditions with This Train is Bound for Glory. It captures the lonely travels of freight trains in the middle of a beautiful nowhere, sometimes with a glimpse of the trainriders. The work will be released in book form. Also at Leach, Stephen Hayes has very excellent abstract landscape monoprints inspired by Terry Toedtemeier’s Wild Beauty. At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com map 417 NW 9th



Adam Sorenson has some new stunning schematic landscapes. They tap the patterns and illumination styles of Japanese design while being a strong extension of his previous mystical landscape themes. Many illustrate the dramatic mountains and waterfalls in traditional Japanese and Chinese landscape illustration of the last 1000 years. Chinese and Japanese culture holds mountains and the landscape sacred, in different traditions. They are a mystical place of enightenment and home to spirits. Recommended. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com map 925 NW Flanders early close 8PM


Blue Sky continues with contemporary themes in the work of London RCA grad Danny Treacy. Treacy makes self portraits in mashups of discarded clothing. Carl Corey presents interior landscapes of Wisconsin bars. Many are elaborate and breathe historical artifact. It would make a great diptych with an earlier show of Mississippi Delta juke joints by Birney Imes, work pioneered by Blue Sky. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org map 122 NW 8th



Augen has former Portlander Dharma Strasser Maccoll, known for pattern-based work of organic elements contributing to abstract illustrations of nature. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis



Chris Hornbecker has his 1 Millimeter Project, constructed around slightly more than a year of daily photographs. The conceit is that they were made at lens focal lengths of 14mm through 400mm, incrementing 1mm in each step. Krista Connerly & Mark Shepherd, exhibiting as Luvers, has Waterfall: A Torrential Love Story. They are the artifacts of Luver's broken superhero Black Diamond, waterfall hunter. A perfect theme for our water myth infused Northwest. At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th 5PM-9 Free



xyxx is a 200 page book composed from iPhone images and with phone apps. It's a love letter of sorts between lovers Kimberly Warner and David McLaughlin, including conversations in image. We'll see more of this with the HDR app for the iPhone. In associaton with Publication Studio www.publicationstudio.biz/ At Lizard Lounge www.lizardloungepdx.com 1323 NW Irving 7PM-10



Don't forget the Everett Station Lofts. They are trying to have an up to date Internet presence at everettstationgalleries.com. I find it easier to just scan them all. In the block bounded by NW Broadway, Flanders, 6th and Everett. Usually to about 10, but sometimes earlier.



Compound has Idealistically Hypocritical: a mash up art by Ryuichi Ogino and collaborators Jun Oson, Taka Sudo, Junpei Inoue, Kei Morita, Shinya Mizuno, Nekonoko, Tamu, Loose end, Yuji Oda, Y Okuda, Dominik Kruger, Geneva Smith, Jason Graham, Sam Brosnan, Michelle Yamamoto, Alex Lamm and Matt Dye. At Compound Gallery www.compoundgallery.com 107 NW 5th



Cravedog Loft Gallery has paintings, drawings and prints by Nicole Linde and Mimi Williams. At Cravedog Music Loft Gallery cravedogloftgallery.wordpress.com 412 NW Couch St. #203 6PM-9



Kendra Larsen, inspired by growing up with the Oregon forests, presents 'Tracking Wilderness'. With live Music by The Tanner Cundy Band. At Pints Brewing www.pintsbrewing.com 412 NW 5th 7PM-10



Tender Loving Empire continues its lively first Thursday events with the mad stuffed objects Kelly Rundle: Things That Don't Belong To Me. Music by Woodwinds and Love Always. At Tender Loving Empire www.tenderlovingempire.com 412 SW 10th



Chambers has Arcy Douglass, "Cloud," 2010, digital work, resembling QR patterns channeled through Charles Harper. 916 NW Flanders



Reading Frenzy connects up with new print and zine outlet Together Gallery for tonight's show. The show includes small works by Timothy Karpinski, David Wien, Seth Neefus, Doodles AKA Nick Mann, Mia Nolting, Julianna Swaney, Betsy Walton and Mia Christopher. They are making more expansive use of the window with an installation by Nicole Lavelle, Sarah Baugh and Justin Flood. Details at Reading Frenzy www.readingfrenzy.com 921 SW Oak


In other landscape news, Michael Brophy shows realistic large format oil landscapes along with old master influenced portraits with enigmatic dream themes by Eric Stotic. At Laura Russo Gallery www.laurarusso.com 805 NW 21st



alteración is an installation collaboration involving light, maybe projection, between filmmaker Laura Di Trapani, painter-installationist Susan Harlan, painter-media artist Rachel Hibbard and architect-sculptor Jeff Schnabel. It's at PSU's Autzen Gallery, opening tonight. Room 205 Neuberger Hall. 6PM-9 Free



More landscape art news: Liz Haley has landscapes with geometric digital elements added. It's a nice spot to wind down the evening, though better to see the work with the lights up earlier. Musical stylin' by DJ OBGYN and DJ Gordon Organ. At Valentines valentineslifeblood.blogspot.com 232 SW Ankeny 6PM-late

September 2 Thoughts on the World Court

The International Criminal Tribunal sits in The Hague, Netherlands. The Court operates by treaty, its signatories creating its authority. A current case involves warlord president Charles Taylor, on trial for promulgating a brutal civil war in Sierra Leone to gain control over the country's diamond resources. Taylor is thought to have traded diamonds for arms provided by Victor Bout. As reported by Washington Port correspondent Doug Farah, Taylor's diamonds were also used by al Qaeda to convert bank assets to untracable diamonds before 9/11.

Journalist Judith Armatta and lawyer Norm Sepenuk debate an early World Court case, that of Slobodan Milošević, who died in the midst of a five year trial. Armatta is a human rights activist and author of a book on the trial. Sepenuk is a defense lawyer who defended Dragoljub Ojdanic against charges of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

This should be a fascinating, though probably depressing, discussion of the World Court, its effectiveness, or lack thereof, and its applicability to current conflicts. Sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Oregon. www.worldoregon.org Advance tickets on their website are required. At the Mercy Corps Action Center www.actioncenter.org 28 SW 1st 7PM $10

August 29 Brunch Research

Can you give a Powerpoint presentation on a whiteboard? Can you pay attention in class when it's outside? Research Club takes advantage of Summer's end within our event horizon. The August Research Club Brunch is outside in PSU's South Park Blocks while the Portland Zine Symposium rages inside. Talks include Tinkering in (and with) Education, Medicinal Plant Identification, The 21st century in Five Minutes, Engineering Urban Survival and No More Batteries! Bring brunch stuff, a plate and utensils would be helpful. In the PSU Park Blocks or near the Gym. Details at Research Club research-club.org 1PM-4 Free

August 28 Painting and Graffiti Art

Lyric Cafe continues its curated shows with Life After Death by Natalie Phillips & Jessamyn Patterson. They met in the cafe as artists customizing the space and vowed to show together. This is the result. At Lyrik Cafe www.lyrikpdx.com 2035 SE 39th at Lincoln Map 7PM-10 Free



Art Not Crime celebrates Love, Life & Art with graf-style art by Sektr 1, Antonio Alcocer, Rudy Rolon, Josh Evans & Matt West. Music by Will West, DJ Mel, Kimosabe and the Love Loungers. All ages. At Provenance Gallery artnotcrime.blogspot.com 4943 NE Martin Luther King Blvd. Map 5PM-2AM $5

August 26 Last Thursday on Alberta

Light art, art involving light, is a rare and beautiful medium. It is magical and almost weightless. Plus it takes place in the dark. If you have ever seen a large scale Turrell, you know. He did a spectacular walk in work, Spread, at the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle. The Henry also has a permanent Turrell light room.

Hughes is experimenting with similar and we are looking forward to that evolution. An ephemeral mark in light on the way will be her installation tonight at Appendix Project Space. On the alley between 26th and 27th, South of Alberta. www.appendixspace.com Map 6-10ish Free



Portland artist Midori Hirose has a beautiful Portland history of work. Earlier it incorporated touches of kawaii. Her evolving work still incorporates bright elements, but the geometries are more complex. Hirose is comfortable in 2d and 3d, interesting to see how she occupies this garage space. At Little Field Gallery, on the alley between 28th and 29th North of Alberta. www.appendixspace.com Map 6-9ish Free



Together has Jay Howell's I Understand, and I wish to continue; Mission style vibe. Also, from LA, Hannah Staufer's Ritual Magick. It mixes bright chaos with landscape and animal illustration samples in a neo-mythology. Together Gallery www.togethergallery.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste A Map



Amersand Vintage Printed Material continues last month's show. www.ampersandvintage.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste B. Map 6PM-10



Printmaking can be heavy lifting. Though the result is often on the lightest of paper, the machinery, the press is often something you never want to move. That makes it perfect for sharing. Flight 64 is one of the Portland shared printmaking presses. Tonight they have a group show of Flight 64 residents: Jemila Hart, Joel Frank, Wiley Hickson, Anna Hurtado-Gonzalez, Michelle McKay, Andrew McReynolds, Anne Cote, Sean O'Connor, Sara Pavado, Roger Peet, Sarah Landwehr, Garret Price and Heather McLaughlin. At Flight 64 Print Studio www.flight64.org 2934 NE Alberta Behind Bella Faccia Pizza on the NE 29th-30th Alley. Map



Monograph Bookwerks is always worth a stop for your art book fix. monographbookwerks.com 5005 NE 27th x Alberta Map

August 24,25,26,27 Grand Detour Summer Blowout

Grand Detour is busy this week! Tuesday is Ben Popp, Happy Accidents: the work is simply part of the process. It's an exploration of in camera filmmaking. Wednesday Martha Early presents the world premiere of Devotion. Thursday is Pure Cinema with John Behrens. Friday is Vincent Moon. All very impressive. At Grand Detour - the Research Club grand-detour.org 215 SE Morrison, Suite 2020. Map Arrive in the first half hour, the door may be locked after that

August 19 Art Spark, Vanessa Renwick, Mise en Abyme

Art Spark this month touches on the TBA Festival, September 9-19. Tonight Woolly Mammoth Comes to Dinner, a movement performance ensem, previews work destined for TBA on September 14. www.portlandartspark.com at Mississippi Studios' BarBar, 3939 N. Mississippi 5PM-7, performance 6. Free



Vanessa Renwick is a Portland punk rock filmmaker. Punk rock in the sense of ignoring boundaries in making film, and promoting it, diy-style, on road trips to college towns, often showing in rock venues, basements and coffee houses. And it's working. Who can argue with the name of her production unit, Oregon Department of Kick Ass. At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 8PM Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security.



Mise en abyme is Emily Hyde's light bending art work, viewable this month from sunset to sunrise. The title is a rich metaphor. Tonight is an opening with the artist, early, unlikely the work will be in operation. Later it's viewable nighttimes through the glass windows of the installation space. Presented by the Heidi McBride Gallery and Consultancy www.heidimcbridegallery.com. Installation at SW River Pkwy & SW Gaines St in the South Waterfront development. Opening 7PM-9 Free

August 17 Negating, Novelizing, Navigating Redundancy

Dustin Zemel a principal of Grand Detour, shows his own work. He had a great video installation using the mas television's Glee as source material, so this is a chance to see more of his work. You can't go wrong with the combination of words "Negating, Novelizing, Navigating Redundancy at Grand Detour"! At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 8PM Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security.

August 15 August Stock and Foreman Flavored Theater

The STOCK art grant dinner takes up residency at PNCA this month. Artists produce project proposals that could use a little cash to realize. The diners, you, sup on a simple meal, and vote on the proposals. It's your heady responsibility to select one proposal, through a two round cycle of secret voting, to receive the net proceeds of the evening. Grants have been in the neighborhood of $700 cash money. Each month, the previous month's winner reports on their project.

RSVP by email, portlandstock at gmail dot com, the meal reservations, limited by logistics, fill quickly. Details: www.portlandstock.blogspot.com At PNCA 12 NW Johnson 6PM-8 $10 cash only



Richard Foreman is a NY-based modern American phenomenon. Very challenging and densely constructed material. Portland fans with NY connections have been throwing a festival based on his work, the Richard Foreman Mini-Festival, now in the eighth year. The early show has David Abel + Sam Miller, Chuck Barnes + Lois Leveen, Jin Camou, Anthony Christy + Surprise Guest, Lisa DeGrace, Georgia Luce + Co., Our Shoes Are Red/The Performance Lab and Theo Wilson. The late show has Action/Adventure, Gregg Bielemeier, Tiffany Lee Brown, Mizu Desierto, Tim DuRoche + Lisa Radon, Formspace, Danielle Ross + Future Death Toll and Doug Theriault + Cyndy Chan. Both shows have the organizer Linda Austin and her Boris & Natasha Dancers. Each performer has had ten days to prepare a work based on passages assigned to them from Foreman's voluminous notebooks. All this takes place at Someday Lounge 125 NW 5th 5PM and 7 $15 on up

August 13 Papergirl PDX and Worksound Wears It

Wearable art is a concept that bubbles below the surface of academic definitions of art, but has its own infinite vibrancy as a branch of everyday expression. Especially true in Portland, where long time craft traditions meet new art grads, meet the concentration of clothing and volume footwear manufacturers.

Many artists push art with a clothing element far beyond the craft realm with idea based clothing art, art clothing incorporated into performance and clothing art never intended to be worn. Some fabricate work from whole cloth, others sample vintage, tapping a sustainability and reuse idea. For instance see the work of Lucy Orta.

This is Worksound's take on what's happening in wearable art here. Artists include Katie Behel, making jewelry, cuffs, collars and neckties from cloth and rubber; Deanna Bredthauer, whose PNCA thesis was a tribute to her mother in the form of heroic dresses from vintage materials; Palma Corral, forming art from iconic and material language; Alex Dolan, and his reverse shoplifting program at Urban Outfitters (See RTMark for famous history in reverse shoplifting art); Abraham Ingle, who uses art as urban lens; Hoyun Son, noted for her performances; Aaron Terry, with work inspired by magical urban myth; Devon Maldonado; and Iris Stevenson,from Germany. It's an ambitious show of early and early-mid career artists pushing some boundaries.

At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder 6PM-10



PaperGirl is a project hat started in Berlin. It replicated to Portland last year, and continues tonight. Artists contribute works on paper, which will be shown this evening. After, they are rolled and the Papergirl Posse webs out into Portland on bikes, distributing the work, free. Hosted by the Art Department www.artdeptpdx.com 1315 SE 9th 6PM-10 Free

August 12 Stephen Slappe at Grand Detour

Grand Detour continues its summer screening series with the films of Stephen Slappe. Local art prof Slappe reprises his Shelter In Place, an ambitious three screen memoir of the mediasphere of his youth, using vintage footage of the time. The work could only have been made possible by Ruth Ann Brown's Couture series of installation commissions, where the work showed first. Slappe is easily the most successful Portland artist working in multi-screen video. Smart work. At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 8PM Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security.

August 9 Front Line Photography & Fish Extinction

It's your worldchanging Monday.

Tonight is a little different for the Bright Light series of planning, architecture and sustainability talks. In some ways it is the polar opposite: disrupted planning, destroyed architecture, tenuous sustainability transformed to raw survival.

Cassandra Nelson presents photographs and stories from ten years of Mercy Corps projects, as member of the very first teams to arrive at large scale disasters. Not for the faint of heart. Her primary role in each case has been to be the field spokesperson for Mercy Corps, shaping the narrative to focus on human needs. She is also the lead Mercy Corps field photographer.

It is part of the Bright Lights series sponsored by the local architecture magazine Portland Monthly and the City Club, a thoughtful public interest group.

At Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th. Doors 5:30PM, discussion 6. Free



Three blocks away, author Paul Greenberg speaks at Powell's. Greenberg is the author of Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food. We eat little wild food. We've changed the land and changed the environment sufficiently to make it impossible. Our population density works against it too. The only exception is fish. Huge factory ships, up to 475 feet long, can capture as much as 100 tons of fish per hour, fillet and freeze it at sea. But even small boats are capable of destroying a fishery.

Author Greenberg traces the commercial history of the wild salmon, tuna, bass and cod; and their depletion. Salmon, for instance, are no longer viable in most of the North Atlantic, here, seriously depleted in the Sacramento River basin. Mediterranean tuna, which return to their birthplace to spawn, the same. He looks at fish farming, the inevitable future, though not entirely desirable, from the standpoint of the fish ground into fish meal to raise them. His conclusion is sustainable, industrial farming of species with a lighter impact on the seas, and allowing wild fish to again thrive. I'm a fish eater. This is food for thought. Greenberg speaks at Powell's Books www.powells.com 1005 W Burnside 7:30PM Free

August 6 Eastside Art Openings

Kelly Rauer continues her exploration of video art with a new piece, Shaping Sequence. At New American Art Union www.newamericanartunion.com 922 SE Ankeny



In the always exciting 811 block:


Nightwave Catalog is the latest installation of mysterious objects created by the epic Oregon Painting Society. They are also giving a talk Sunday as part of the Nationale subscription series. At Nationale thenewnationale.com


Howard Gillam has bright mythological marker paintings with animal characters at Golden Rule in the back of the building. At Golden Rule Gallery www.goldenruleportland.com


Adam Burke has photocollage on wood at Redux www.reduxpdx.com


Not visual art, but fashion art: Holly Stalder and Laura Irwin's new store Haunt is open. Holly Stalder and Kate Tower started Portland's independent fashion community as we know it in 2000. Laura Irwin is Portland's most accomplished art and fashion knitter. At Haunt www.hauntstudio.blogspot.com


All 811 East Burnside



Homeland is 5! The hardest working gallery collective in Portland easily has the most impact, including international impact, for the most modest budget. Exporting art to larger art cities is the only viable way to make a Portland art career. Tonight they gave a cross section of exportable, and in some cases, successfully exported artists: Bruce Conkle, Philip Iosca, Paige Saez, Ashley Sloan, Stephen Slappe and Vicki Lynn Wilson. Recommended. At Gallery Homeland www.galleryhomeland.org 2505 SE 11th x Division



Newspace takes a chance with a late career photographer, Linda Connor. Connor works at the intersection of landscape, cultural landscape and spiritual landscape. This is an exciting move for Newspace in establishing their reputation beyond Portland. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th



Julie Perini is an activist artist with East Coast roots, now in Portland. Her latest is Experiments With Fact & Fiction, video interviews with neighbors and imagined neighbors. At Pushdot Studio www.pushdotstudio.com 1021 SE Caruthers



Placement Product is a take by recent PNCA MFA's Laura Hughes and Michael Reinsch on commercial windows. It will evolve over the month. Bside6 is a great spot for installations, many active at night, viewable through windows. At bSIDE6 524 E Burnside



The Globe takes the space formerly Jace Gace and the Portland Art Center. It's a cafe eatery with big walls. They are filled by urban influenced work and photography for their first First Friday art celebration party. At The Globe www.globepdx.com 2045 Southeast Belmont

August 5 Westside Art Openings

Data visualization is all the rage. That's good. It can be a big help understanding the world's problems with a view to a solution. Perhaps it is the result of a few aesthetic generations' exposure to the great work of Edward Tufte. Maybe in a few years, these 2d visualizations will have the feel we have today for Eames or Charles Joseph Minard. That's because data visualization is continually improving on the way to full moving 3d immersion. Tonight is an opportunity to sample the current state. Noted data-vis designer Aaron Koblin shows examples tonight. Koblin's work is in MOMA's permanent collection and he received a first place award from the NSF for his work. At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th 5PM-9 Free



The Everett Lofts, bounded by NW Broadway, Flanders, 6th and Everett are always recommended for your viewing pleasure. Breeze Block is a new occupant. Tonight is their annual rooftop show - head upstairs from the Everett side.



Relative Picnic is a group show by staff, family and friends of PDX Gallery, including Midori Hirose, Monica Angle, Graham Bell, Greg Bell, Lillian Kingery, Peter Gronquist, Silas Beebe, Montana Maurice, Nell Warren, Wendy Burden, Jarrod McCann, Greg Misarti, Dieta von Matthiessen and Tina Beebe. Very varied. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com map 925 NW Flanders early close 8PM



Next door the group Richard Hoyen, Adam Silverman, Mara Baldwin, Doron Fishman and Julianna Bright of the Golden Bears have a show too. This is an exciting move for both the gallery and Bright, her last Portland show was at the lovely Fontanelle. Bright also shows extensively outside Portland, an essential strategy for Portland artists. At Pulliam Deffenbaugh www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com until 8



Getting into group think is an unusual triple bill: Antonio Martinez, Near the Egress - video installation and frame by tintypes; Jim Vecchi, so much depends...; and Lori Waselchuk, Grace Before Dying. Near the Egress was shot at a circus. We all have childhood memories of circuses and zoos; as adults, we have mixed emotions owing captive wild animals. Waselchuk has documented maximum security prisoners caring for fellow terminally ill prisoners at Louisiana's Angola State Penitentiary. Most of the prisoners are serving life with no possibility of parole. They will die there. Weighty material, but the program has greatly improved the prison community. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org map 122 NW 8th



Paper Cuts is a group show with Apricot Mantle, David Stein, Bryce Flynt Somerville, Mary Syring, Sonya Fu, Meg Hasegawa, Yasutaka Matsumoto, Meyoko and Sherry Delorme. A great Summer-y show. At Compound Gallery www.compoundgallery.com 107 NW 5th



The Lizard Lounge has music and art amidst smart clothing. Arsenio Torres painter, displays work while his father Bobby Tores, provides perfect Summer-y music. At Lizard Lounge www.lizardloungepdx.com 1323 NW Irving 7PM-10



Over by the PNCA MFA studios there is a new space that's been open for a few months, The Canvas Art Bar. You just have to go to understand what they are up to. They open a show of abstract paintings by Crae Hasler-Elliott with downtempo DJ Devon. At Canvas Art Bar www.thecanvaspdx.com 1800 NW Upshur 6PM-9

August 3 India Ink

Portland painter David Kilpatrick had the opportunity to work in an artist colony in Jaipur. It's a center for miniature painting, an India-specific genre, with some brushes a single squirrel hair. His fine india ink illustrations of India's varied ancient buildings share the feel of fine Chinese ink paintings. It's also a record of the personal impact of India's intensity, vastness, rapid change and long history. At Stumptown Belmont www.stumptowncoffee.com 3356 SE Belmont Street 5PM-7

August 2 Body Habitat Readout

Migration and exploration are our twin romances as a species. From the origins of life there has been migration. But the emergence of bipeds with a beefy neocortex in Africa brings us to Portland today. Somewhere in Africa over 200 thousand years ago we find fossil evidence of homo sapiens. A more detailed genetic analysis finds a mitochondrial "Eve" about that time and a Y-chromosomal "Adam" about 60 thousand years ago incorporating the L2 genetic unit, which is associated in some theories with a great leap forward in human creativity. From Africa, our ancestors migrated by foot to cover Earth, excepting Antarctica, before the age of fossil fuels.

Central to human creativity is exploration. Between twin reward systems, one for familiarity and one for the novel, exploration rewards novel. We have records of explorers from the first recorded history, the Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks. We have a romance with exploration. We study the history of the names that survived. Names like Marco Polo, Columbus, Stanley, the first astronauts and cosmonauts.

The definition of contemporary art evolves continually. It firmly includes exploration by artists walking such as Francis Alÿs, Janet Cardiff and Lone Twin. Lone Twin inspired Portland and Corvallis artists Lily Gael & Lisa Wells to walk from Corvallis to Portland, recording their experience in their blog Body Habit. They arrive in Portland to report in person on their project tonight. It's at At Performance Works Northwest www.performanceworksnw.org 6:30PM Free

July 31 Car Couture

In time, fascination and fetishization of petroleum powered personal cars will seem as quaint as that with coal powered steam trains. Hope it won't take the form of a Mad Max movie. The Past is Present, by photographer Larry Mills, is part of that process, documenting the custom car mod and race culture of Southern California. At Lyrik Cafe, which has a smart art program www.lyrikpdx.com 2035 SE 39th at Lincoln 7PM-10

July 30(-August 1) Gaudi Sea Change

SEA Change Gallery, one of the larger Everett Station lofts, has presented a consistent program of art related to sustainability and social change, what they smartly term "Social Environmental Art". They are now taking their vision on the road as a bicycle tour to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which begins November 29 in Cancún, Mexico. On they trip they will film a documentary on global warming, one of the largest challenges to earth's plants and animals, with whom we travel and upon which we depend. To celebrate the trip they will hold a gettogether this evening. At SEA Change Gallery, 625 NW Everett, 5PM Free



Antoni Gaudí is one of the world's most individualistic architects. That says a lot in a risk-adverse business that makes large, long lasting and expensive things. The closest might be Hundertwasser. This weekend is a rare opportunity to see on the big screen a Gaudí documentary. Famed Japanese director Hiroshi Teshigahara has made a meditative document of the work, with little narration. The 5th Avenue Cinemas is a great bargain, free for PSU, cheap for others, and free popcorn! At 5th Avenue Cinema, www.5thavenuecinema.org. 501 SW Hall. 7PM and 9:30, Friday and Saturday, 3PM Sunday. Free PSU students and faculty, $2 other students, $3 everyone



Make The Air Thick is the latest project of Danielle Ross: dancer, choreographer, producer and organizer. Performers are Richard Decker, Michelle Rogers, Vanessa Vogel and Lucy Yim. The piece "examines the quirks, discomforts, honesty, and awkwardness of necessity. Do we truly require or is it an illusion? The evening will examine how structure, control, consistency, inconsistency, lust, progress, approval, and more have seeped into our shared understanding of what we need to feel full". At 534 SE Oak. Reservations 503-449-4373. Friday 8PM, Saturday 4PM & 8, Sunday 8PM. $12-15

July 29 Last Thursday Alberta Art Events

If a Tree Falls... is a perfect koan for art. It's also the title of a show Abraham Ingle. Ingle has created or collaborated on some great social practice projects: Neighborhood Diaries, Portland Papergirl I am Awesome Because, It's OK I Love You and Pants Exchange. This show considers the art-social-personal impact of an always connected network world. At False Front Studio www.falsefrontstudio.com 4518 NE 32nd 6-10 Free



I Dream Animal is loose a theme show by artists Caryn Baumgartner, making loose mixed media figurative work; Karen Klorek, some of whose work is based on x-rays; and Christine Nguyen who makes some pretty lush and luminous work - landscapes, animal scapes and seemingly scientific-photo paintings. They also have a reception Saturday. At the Alicia Blue Gallery aliciabluegallery.com 1468 NE Alberta 6PM-8 Free



Gail Pine shows The Black Pictures, night photography inspired by Edgar Allen Poe. They are small format editioned silver prints. Pine also collects vintage photographs making her a perfect partner with Ampersand. At Amersand Vintage Printed Material www.ampersandvintage.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste B. 6PM-10 Free



Together continues its drawing style with Elemental, collaborative works by Apak - Aaron and Ayumi Piland, Jill Bliss, Yellena James and Betsy Walton. And they also have a show of laser cut wood. At Together Gallery www.togethergallery.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste A

July 29 Stumptown Division Employee Art Show

Stumptown Coffee has quite a few artists on staff. They are creative and well networked, hiring artists is good for business. Today they open their annual Employee Art Show with work by: Bruce Paulson, Jason Overby, Matt Lounsbury, Tim Root, Carrie Lind, Keia Booker, Tim Wenzel, Shannon Hildenbrand, Aimee Foster, Mackenzie Courtney, Ty Ennis and May Juliette Barruel. At Stumptown Coffee Roasters 4525 SE Division 6PM-8 Free

July 27 Arts Town Hall Grand Detour

Portland loves public process. The mayor's office has been, and continues to be, a strong advocate for Portland arts. The arts make Portland a great place to live, a great place for business, and the arts themselves are a business. Portland has launched many internationally known musicians and visual artists. The arts inspire our creative industries and bring creative thinking to all businesses through employee pursuits of arts. When the region recruits new business to locate here, the arts are a factor to attracting them. The Regional Arts and Culture Commission hosts a town hall tonight with the mayor, discussing the arts in the context of Portland's 25 year long term planning process. There will also be a report on a proposed regional funding project for the arts. Whey come? Local office holders decide what to work on based on how many people show up at public meetings. If you want the City to work on art, show up. Details at www.racc.org At Gerding Theatre, 128 NW 11th 6PM-8



Grand Detour continues its summer screening series with the films of Allison Halter. At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 7PM-9 Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security. Free

July 24 Chicken Brain Research Coop

Brain Party is an event supporting the Right Brain Initiative, a project of the Regional Arts and Culture Commission. The Right Brain Initiative hires artists to teach in schools. Hey, we all have a right brain, so who can argue with that! The event includes art installations, games, music, a DJ, brain massage and a brain sprinkler as well as food and drink. affär at 3001 NE Ainsworth 5PM



Portland is a design town filled with chickens. The city allows each home three, but where are they going to live? They thrive with a spot out of the rain, and safe from coyotes, where they can hide their eggs from you. That would be a chicken coop. Portland designers have flocked to design fancy chicken coops. You can see some today in this self guided tour of Portland's most designer-y coops. It's sponsored by Growing Gardens which helps families start Victory Gardens, healthy and inexpensive food gardens modeled on WWII-era conservation gardens. A guide book to the coops is the ticket and is available at Concentrates, Garden Fever!, Livingscape, Naomi's Farm Supply, People's Co-op, Urban Farm Store and the Hollywood Whole Foods Market. Sponsored by Growing Gardens www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening-resources/chickens.php In N, NE, SE Portland. 11AM-3PM. Tickets available until the day before, $15



Research Club has a full day of events for your research pleasure. First is Study Hall #2, short entertaining talks. Mike Robinson tells you everything you ever wanted to know about telling jokes. The Every Country Club presents their project to learn the location, name, and capital of every place in the world. Nim Wunnan presents the History of Applause, reprising a lecture from Nationale in May. After Study Hall there is an open visual art crit. Sign up by email at the Research Club website. At Research Club research-club.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. Study Hall 11AM-3PM. Crit 3:30PM-6. Arrive within a half hour of start of each for admission due to building security. Free

The Research Club launches its ten week survivalist series with a few few free lectures. GTFO (the ABCs of Survivalism): "If you're not an artsy type, but you WOULD like to know how to deal with the worst-case scenarios (2012! nuclear holocaust! riots! zombie apocalypse!)... Taught by the captain of my apocalypse team, former Navy Electronics Technician and current Field Service Engineer Matthew Geiger, this class will focus on the basics: supplies to keep in your home and vehicle to protect yourself and successfully get to safety in the event of [[insert disaster here]], where and how to get them, and how to know what supplies you need (like iodide tablets), and what to skip (like colloidal silver). Be prepared."

Research Club Survival 101 first class at the Waypost 3120 N Williams 4PM-5:30 Free

July 23 Battles Free Museum

Free is good. The Art Museum usually charges admission, but not the fourth Friday of the month, 5PM-9, thanks to a business donation to keep the doors open. It's also a rare time in the evening for the Museum to be open. The big exhibits are in transition. Hopefully the upper floors of the contemporary wing will be open, they were closed recently for filming. At the Portland Art Museum www.pam.org 1219 SW Park 5PM-9 Free



Hippoh Project Dance Studio presents Jam Part III, a night of 1on1 and 3on3 bboy/bgirl battles. Computer Fam, aka Jyant of Moon Patrol, on the wheels of steel.

1on1 is all style: popping, locking, breaking, krumping, hip hop, whatever, and is judged by you, the audience. Movers include: Rakishi (Soul Phase), Doe Rock (Portland City Rockers), Blasian (Vandle Squad), Ben Vo (LDT), B Rippr (Rudeboiiz), Paul, Jeelani (New Zoo Boyz/H2A), Naoto, Yen Boogie, Bboy~Eklypse, BaoNgoc (Rip City Monsters), Chris (Soul Phase), Fligh (Tru Roots), JessHu, AB, Jovi (Motion Monsters), Typewriter, Charlie Chheath, Ka Lok One (Hillside Funk), Don Flo (Moveo), Thizz (A10tion) and Ron.

3on3 is judged by Mightee Mooves (Def Con 5), ThomasOragami (Soul Felons) and Mikey (Flexible Flave). Crews include: Floor Invaders 1, Soul Phase, Vandle Squad, Tru Roots, Rhythm Bandits, Def Con 5, New Era, THE UCHIA CLANC, Floor Invaders 2, Heart Crew and The Evil Aliens Of The Intergalactic Cyber Nation. The judge's decision is not final - the loosing crew in each round can call out the judges and battle them to reverse the decision. Wear those judges down!

Sponsored by Art Goes Everywhere (AGE) and OG producers Amplified Techniques. At Hippoh Project Dance Studio, www.hippohproject.com, 1306 NW Hoyt St. B-1. Doors 6PM, Battles 7. $5

July 17 Joblab Caldera Launch Benefit and Cut and Run

Caldera Arts is well known for work with creative youth, artist studio retreats and an expanding visiting art-visionary program. Tonight they team with a new creative job service Joblab for a party and fundraiser. It's at Sandbox Studio 420 NE 9th. Doors 6:30PM $20 advance/25 door



Meanwhile Grand Detour presents a traveling collection of experimental films, Cut and Run collected by Brenda Contreras and Mallary Abel from San Francisco. Pot luck - the list of films is on the Cut and Run website. At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 8PM Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security. Free

July 15, 18 McBride Groundfloor Gallery

Galleries are the great aesthetic educators in art. They occupy a space between art schools and museums. Art school process is relatively closed to the public, though less so in Portland. Galleries are relatively open to the public, but banker's hours, excepting openings. Museums are completely dedicated to the public.

Galleries' openness comes at a huge cost, none in Portland are wildly successful financially, unlike the few superstar galleries in major art cities. Galleries' enemies are rent and staffing costs. Many gallery sales are conducted by personal, phone or email contact with collectors whose interests are known by the best gallerists. Many Portland sales are out of town.

One response is the private gallery and consultancy. It is unburdened by keeping doors open to a space vacant of customers. It can focus its energy on client collectors, rather than educating the public. The Internet, to an extent, fills some of the education role.

Private galleries can fulfill many of the roles of conventional galleries. They can help artists price their work. They can advise on career planning. They can supplement the artist's own media relations. They could theoretically bring work to art fairs. That's a very expensive proposition. In Portland about 1-2 galleries do it, but the result are sales for single pieces in the tens of thousands for select Portland artists. While the conventional gallery focuses on the supply chain, the artists, you could argue the private gallery-consultancy focuses on the customer.

One Portland private gallery is open from time to time. The Heidi McBride Gallery has moved from a condo to a storefront space in the South Waterfront. McBride has expanded her artist clients with the addition of the Mark Woolley group. McBride has done a great job at connecting with realtors to display art in condos for sale.

You can see examples of her unusually wide range of aesthetics at a rare open house. Private galleries are also open by appointment. It's the Heidi McBride Gallery and Consultancy www.heidimcbridegallery.com In the South Waterfront Atwater Place Townhome Building, 0841 SW Gaines No. 117 5PM-7 Thursday, Noon-4 Sunday. Free

July 14 Social Net Works

Artistery brings Artistery energy to art, and the reverse. Great! This month they present a group show, Social Net Works, by Tori Abernathy, Amber Case, Alicia Gordon, JP Huckins, Dane Overton and Aaron Parecki. At RECESS recesspdx.blogspot.com 4315 SE Division 6:00PM Free

July 14 Tarkovsky's Fin de Cinema

Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986) is a filmmakers' filmmaker. His poetic features incorporate long shots, the opposite of current style, spiritual themes and metaphysical imagery. (As a side note, long shots return in 3d cinema) American audiences may be aware of his work by way of the remake (2002) of Solaris, originally filmed by Tarkovsky in 1972. Tonight Holocene presents Tartovsky's Stalker (1979) with a live score performed by Grouper, Golden Retriever, Ghosting and DJ Yeti. They are well matched to this film. Stalker is the story of three men's grappling with "The Zone". in the film, The Zone is a forbidden and abandoned overgrown landscape of miles, fenced and guarded by the government. Is it contaminated by radiation or industrial waste? The site of an alien visit? No one knows. The Professor and The Writer hire the guide, Stalker, to elude the guards and take them into the zone. They believe there is a room there which can grant any wish. Stalker is reluctant because of the danger. The previous Stalker, Porcupine, who taught Stalker the way, met a tragic end along with his family. But he is drawn to accept, to satisfy his own metaphysical needs. It is a very slow film, with wandering dialog, presented tonight in subtitles. The film uses black and white and color, color for shots in The Zone suggesting the characters' heightened awareness. 163 minutes long, so think of it as a dream. At Holocene www.holocene.org 1001 SE Morrison Doors and Yeti, 8PM; film commences 9. $3

July 13 Phenomenon as Revelation

Portland artist, curator and professor Mack McFarland presents some of his videos as part of the Grand-Detour experimental media program. McFarland currently directs PNCA's Feldman Gallery which primarily draws international artits into the school's orbit. He has made many brainy projects, some with subtle wry commentary. At Grand Detour grand-detour.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 7PM-9 Arrive within 15 minutes of start for admission due to building security. Free

July 10 Disjecta's Stray Fires

It's the half way point for PSU's MFA students and they mount a group show, Stray Fires. It's artists Lindsay Aucoin, Ray Anthony Barrett, Eryck Boucher, Katie Dunbar, Daniel J. Glendening, Gia Goodrich, Bryson Hansen, Carl Klimt, Elizabeth Malaska, Ruta M. Perzynska, Tyler Stuart, Samantha Wall and Michael Welsh. At Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.disjecta.org 8371 N. Interstate 6PM-10 Free

July 9 Second First Friday

Worksound opens a show of installation and drawing, Ask the Lonely: an exploration of love and power. Artists are: Troy Briggs, Casey Lee Brown, Courtney Gates, Tony Hix, Rachel Mulder and Brittney Taylor.

Performing music, the sound part of Worksound events, is Nam Jun Psyche. Drummer and artist Valerie George's Mercedes biodesel station wagon land yacht roams America's lonely highways. It's not filled with Holly Andres' families shuttling between baseball games and backyard birthday parties. No, Nam Jun Psyche's The Car Kit is a nomadic recording studio and PA, gathering inspiration from the road trip's regional collaborators, here, distilling it into rock with Portland's Are You Gone.

At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder 6PM-10, music 8:30 Free



Meanwhile Fourteen30 Contemporary opens a summer show comprising Jesse Durost, Grier Edmundson, Devon Oder, Blair Saxon-Hill, John Sisley, Alex Steckly, Jesse Sugarmann, Nick van Woert and Bobbi Woods. Later in July and August the gallery hosts an innovative series of discussions over Skype with subsets of the artists. Way of the future. At Fourteen30 Gallery www.fourteen30.com 1430 SE 3rd 6PM-9

July 9-11 Live After Five

I have always found operas and musicals strange. They are a world where people sing instead of talking. Performance brought into the real world. Live After Five is something like that. It's a work a day story where office workers are hip hop dancers - bboys and bgirls. Their office world is their playground.

Live After Five is a production of Unseen Hip Hop, directed by Josh Burns. The company includes Liz Aguila, Akela Auler, Sarah Gomez, Meagan Madson, Michelle Metzler, Paula Metzler, Lauren O'Brien, Vivi Zacharias, Josh Burns, Josh Metzler, Michael Munday, Jon Sadony and Will Ylvisaker. They are joined by Chris Moua, Niko Cataby, Sher Her, Jessica Hu and Alex Panyounavath from Soul Phase and Huy Pham, Andrey Pakhnyuk, Patrick Valdefiera, Alex Phanphackdy and Colin Quill from Moon Patrol. Details and tickets at www.unseenhiphop.com. Performances at Imago Theater 17 SE 8th, 2PM and 6:30 each day $12-15

July 2 Eastside Art Openings

This first Friday has a split personality. Owing the July 4th holiday, some galleries are opening Friday the 9th.


Portland artist Megan Scheminske is a smart Portland painter, most recently making location-based work from the large search company's maps. She sometimes rephotographs the work at the map point, or draws participation from people at the location, in her series: You are Here and Wish You Were Here. This show, I Want To Feel At Home Here, is a show spanning (states) including John Berry (IN), Joey Borovicka (MO), Michelle Daly (OR), Rachel Eckstein (NY), Jaik Faulk (OR), Jason Greene (OR), Grant Hottle (OR), Julienne Hsu (CA), Steve Kim (CA), Chris Knight (OR), Elizabeth Malaska (OR), Jane Mount (NY), Nathan Orton (OR), James Olley (ON), Shannon Rankin (ME), Chris Russell (CA), Allyson Smith (IN), William Swanson (CA) and Amy Talluto (NY). Home is where the heart is, so the show should resonate. It's at Milepost5 www.milepostfive.com 900 NE 81st (go by MAX) 6PM-9 Free



Art polymath Jeff Jahn has a show, Vection. Jahn has a good knowledge of contemporary art and has curated a series of notable shows. His curatorial practice is ready to expand beyond Portland. This is his personal art work, entwined with words, another Jahn forte; he is the motive force behind Portland art blog PORT:portlandart.net. The space is always challenging to fill, it's medium large. Looking forward to seeing how this artist does so. At New American Art Union www.newamericanartunion.com 922 SE Ankeny Free



Sarah Gottesdiner is also an art polymath and cultural activist. For this show she takes a step into performance. Four artist friends provided Gottesdiner a week's worth of instruction for living her life. The work on display is her response to each. She also throws and art dance party afterwards, just ask for the details. Nationale runs a performance and talk series for a very reasonable monthly subscription, ask in the store. Recommended. At Nationale thenewnationale.com 811 E Burnside Free



Next door, Redux has collage artist Staphanie Meininger. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside Free



Newspace Photo has an annual international juried show, with any art form, seeing more is eye training. It's curated by Darren Ching of Klompching Gallery. Such outside influence keeps Portland fresh. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Free



23 Sandy, Portland champions of photography, book arts and mystical or romantic flavored mixed media constructions, has a mixed media show, Bowing to Paradox, by Diane Jacobs involving poems laser cut into magnolia leaves and other work. The artist is the gallery's annual installation artist. At 23Sandy www.23sandy.com 623 NE 23 at Sandy 5PM-8 Free



Merge Studio Lab, architecture and design studio, takes over the bSIDE6 project room with an installation involving lumber and bicycle tubes. 524 East Burnside 6PM-10 Free

July 1 Westside Art Openings

The Everett Lofts, bounded by NW Broadway, Flanders, 6th and Everett are always recommended for your viewing pleasure.



We are getting very confused about education and it will get worse before better. There is no guarantee that this month's show by conceptualists Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson, In the Classroom, will provide the key insight to untangle our confusion, but it should be a fun show. One suggestion, let's remove the word pedagogy from vocabulary. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders early close 8PM



Jack Davidson, Laurie Reid, John Zurier have a show of watercolors, the perfect summer medium at Pulliam Deffenbaugh www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com until 8



Pedaling: Bicycle Photographs from Then to Now, includes classic photographers Brassaï, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Antonin Gribovsky, Shinsaku Izumi, André Kertész, Nathan Lerner, Herbert List, Wayne Miller, Sabine Weiss, Corey Arnold, Mark Steinmetz and Issei Suda. One wonders how 2010 images of Portland's bicycle romance will play in say 90 years, the vintage of some of these exposures. I guess well. At Charles Hartman Fine Art www.hartmanfineart.net 134 NW 8th



From the studio of Roy Lichtenstein is a sure to be entertaining show documenting the work of the world's most popular pop painter. Photographer Laurie Lambrecht worked as a studio assistant to Lichtenstein between 1990 and 1992, providing an opportunity to capture mundane studio details and Lichtenstein's idea board which appear almost monochromatic against his bold and colorful pop pieces. Melbourne artist Emidio Puglielli shows part of his collection of found photographs, presenting the front image and notations from the obverse, superimposed. In the Nines Gallery, an installation space within Blue Sky, Nines cofounder Jerry Mayer collaborates with partner Ellen George on Lightly, a large field patterned by tiny burns. It reminds me of an outstanding piece by Ann Hamilton in which every square inch of the walls were covered by soot and wax marks from candles. The Hamilton show is also the only show I've seen that was picked by PETA. Mayer and George are much more minimal than Hamilton, and unlikely to draw PETA's ire. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org 122 NW 8th



Group shows of gallery artists are a great way to grok the type of art the gallery specializes, all in an easy viewing. Louis Bunce, Manuel Izquierdo, Jay Backstrand, Marlene Bauer, Judith Poxson Fawkes, Tom Fawkes, Cie Goulet, Gregory Grenon, Sally Haley, Mary Josephson, Kim Osgood, Betty Merken, Henk Pander, Lucinda Parker, David Schwarz, Anne Siems, Eric Stotik, Sherrie Wolf and Mel Katz are on the menu at their gallery Laura Russo www.laurarusso.com 805 NW 21st



Elise Wagner presents Solar Flare, meditations on the far fury of our sun. Wagner is known for her work in the fiery encaustic, wax pigment medium which must be heated to apply, and scientifically inspired imagery. At Butters Gallery www.buttersgallery.com 520 NW Davis, 2nd Floor 6PM-9



The always lively unofficial Japanese embassy that is Compound has Pedal Power, a bicycle themed show including Tripper Dungen, Kate Durkin, Jud Turner, Stuntkid, Berto Legendary H, Jessica Ward, Heidi Elise Wirz and Andrea Shear. At Compound Gallery www.compoundgallery.com 107 NW 5th



There is good ironic and bad ironic. And ironic has a shelf life. This trend has run its course, so this show may be entertaining, like those tragic photos of our oh so fashionable past. Rad Hatter is a show of trucker hats modified by artists. At Tender Loving Empire www.tenderlovingempire.com 412 SW 10th

June 29 McBride Art Consultancy Reception

Heidi McBride is a private art consultant with an open by appointment gallery, helping potential collectors narrow the world of art to a few pieces they can love. She hosts a reception with some of those pieces on display tonight. It's a good opportunity to see progressive ways that art finds its way from maker to collector. McBride partnered with Mark Woolley to pick up many of the artists his gallery represented. The Heidi McBride Gallery www.heidimcbridegallery.com In the South Waterfront Atwater Place building, top floor, concierge will direct you. 0841 SW Gaines. 5PM-8 Free

June 27 Sunday Parkways and le Sprockettes

Sunday Parkways is where you can bicycle a route of bike-only streets for a few hours. Every detail at www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=46103. Streets blocked for your cycling pleasure. 10AM-3PM. Free



The Sprockettes celebrate their anniversary of awesomeness today at vegan central, 13th and Stark, on the grounds of Washington High School, the derelict public school building there. 4:30PM. Free

June 26 Cinema Project Films 1939-1960 & R&R Camp Showcase - Grrl Power

Every summer the Cinema Project closes it's season with outdoor films. Tonight they are vintage films restored by the Women's Film Preservation Fund, founded by New York Women in Film and Television in collaboration with MOMA. Note that the Cinema Project is seeking staff and supporters, introduce yourself and inquire if you are interested. Full details at cinemaproject.org At Amersand Vintage Printed Material www.ampersandvintage.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste B. Doors 9PM, films 9:45. $7



Same evening, do both, Portland's awesome Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls gets session one bands on stage. Brave. This program is a great place for your donations and support. Rock and Roll Camp for Girls Summer camp showcase. At the Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Doors 5:30PM, show 6. All ages. $7-10.

June 25 Some Closing Events and a Hoedown

Shows open and they close. Sometimes the closing is an event too. That would be the case this evening.


The Nationale show (Not) So Bright, Please, in which artists transformed some brightly colored materials into new work over the month, closes tonight. See what those bright artists did! Musicians White Fang perform at 8. At Nationale thenewnationale.com 811 E Burnside Free



Worksound's sound and music themed show, Cadence has a closing party as well. At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder Free



Meanwhile Project Grow, a social practice art project, throws a Summer hoedown. They transformed a brownfield growing car parts and blackberries into an organic farm that operates as a CSA. It's part of a project for intellectually disabled adults who also participate in visual art projects and yoga. Good all around. Tonight they open their projects to you and give you a chance to meet many of the people making this special Portland project. Music by SAFE, Jeffrey Jerusalem and a special guest. At the Port City Development Center. 2124 N Williams Ave at Tillamook. Enter in the back of the building on either Tillamook or Thompson. 6PM-10 Free

June 25-26 Ides of June

Children Get Stuck Places Underground is an opera theater work by Bethany Ides. Ides is brilliant with language. So this will be an opera tracing the borders of language. The opera, which incorporates video as all modern opera does, is presented in the tiny Half Dozen Gallery, in the Everett Lofts on the Everett side. halfdozengallery.com 7PM & 9 each night Free (arrive early)

June 24 Last Thursday on Alberta

Dual garage galleries, Appendix and Little Field, present fusion performance- installation events this last Thursday on Alberta.

The Oregon Painting Society, returned from their show in London, occupies Appendix while Future Death Toll puts on a performance including homebuilt and circuit bent music machines at Little Field.

At Appendix Project Space and Little Field Galleries on the alleys between 26th and 27th, South of Alberta and between 28th and 29th North of Alberta. www.appendixspace.com 6-10ish



Always recommended is the never anticipated Emerson Space Case emersonspacecase.blogspot.com NE 30th and Emerson



Alicia Blue shows Kevin Taylor's dream-like nature and figure illustrations, finely detailed and maybe a little Jungian. As well, Coleen Flaherty shows impressionistic landscapes and botanical illustrations incorporating geometric patterns, some suggestive of Australian aboriginal patterning. Both artists practice in San Francisco. At the Alicia Blue Gallery aliciabluegallery.com 1468 NE Alberta



False Front has Michael Lauch shows Mountains, process work made climbing a mountain near his school in Ashville, North Carolina. It's not Bill Viola's Room for St John of the Cross because it's not video. But it does represent an artistic interchange between Portland and Ashville. At False Front Studio ww.falsefrontstudio.com 4518 NE 32nd 7-10



David Wien shows, The Bigger Picture, stencil-style art at Together Gallery www.togethergallery.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste A



Ampersand has reworked and encaustic crusted vintage photos from San Francisco's Jhina Alvarado. The artist's description is a little florid, so omitted here. At Amersand Vintage Printed Material www.ampersandvintage.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste B



Art Not Crime - Provenance Gallery team for a graf-style show. Art Not Crime creates opportunities for large scale graffiti art in spots with the owner's permission as an alternative to lazy tagging. May was a tribute to the late Pirate Town, a temporary autonomous zone, acquired, and demolished, by the University of Portland. It was the home of a notorious toxic was site, very Tarkovsky. Tonight fresh art by Vaquero, Raskoe, Ajust One, Sektr 1, delo MFK and Kauz. Music by ComputerFAM and Mr. Wu. At Art Not Crime 4943 NE Martin Luther King Blvd. 5PM-12AM $5

June 22-25 Deep Green

Deep Green is a film about hopeful solutions to global warming and sustainability, gathered from all over the world, by Portlander Matt Briggs. The genesis of the film was a trip Briggs made to China with Portland developer Dennis Wilde of Gerding Edlin and architect Clark Brockman of Sera. China has a strategic focus on green projects designed for export. In 2009, Chinese companies held 5 of the top 10 spots for solar cell production companies. Top wind turbine manufacturer in 2009. Intense efforts to develop sustainable industries are underway across the world, in the US and in Portland.

His film team gathered 40 hours of material illustrating green efforts in conservation, smart grid, agriculture, transportation, forestry and green building, world wide. The resulting 106 minute feature film film includes animated segues by Portland's Bent Image. It's a hopeful call to arms and includes interviews with many names you will recognize in sustainability.

The film has its world premiere at 7PM Tuesday, live music at 6, then continues through Friday at the Bagdad. It also shows later at the Film Center. At the Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne. Tuesday music 6PM, showing 7; Wednesday and Thursday 6PM; Friday 5:30PM and 8. All $6 (Also at the Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium July 1, 7PM

June 20 Atlas of Conflict

We have unprecedented access-exposure to a torrent of information, real time, about the world, not only around us, but around the world. A natural reaction is compartmentalization. I strongly believe in professional responsibility as an organizing principal for managing that.

Malkit Shoshan may too. He is an Israeli architect and author of Atlas of the Conflict, a book detailing the interplay of architecture and planning with politics in the subregion.

Mathew Stadler continues his thoughtful dinner discussion program established as the Back Room under the umbrella of Publication Studio.

You, thoughtful and curious Portlander's, gather over food at Refuel North Station, a food cart pod, to hear a talk and discuss with the speaker and one another the topic and whatever.

Publication Studio brings to mix the capability of printing a book. In this case, the subscriber fee includes a copy of Shoshan's book printed by the Publication Studio's printer and binder, food and conversation. You can bring your own beverages of persuasion on the lowdown.

Details and reservations, limited to 20 and required by the website at www.publicationstudio.biz/events/. N Killingsworth and N Greeley. 5:30PM sharp $30

June 19 Risk-Reward

All aesthetics lies in the brain. There ancient reptilian structures play nicely with our finely tuned neocortex. Risk engages the ancient brain's survival mechanisms. Reward, in arts, is the time after a performance, when the brain rests, pleasured, by the interplay of reptilian response, familiarity, novelty, analysis, intuition and memory.

I cannot guarantee that every piece in this curated show will result in pleasure. It is a show by varied artists, produced by a great experimental theater company in town, Hand2Mouth. They have good eyes and good instincts. They have built artistic networks with East Europe and with Seattle. Inspired by On The Boards NW New Works Program, which has for many years produced a curated program of experimental and noteworthy work, Hand2Mouth is doing something similar here. It is artistic research.

To keep costs low it's a concentrated event with a 5PM and 8 program. At 5 is Erin Leddy, Oslund + Co, Angela Fair and Paul Budraitis directed by Sean Ryan. At 8 is Hand2Mouth, Katherine Longstreth, Mike Pham, and The Cherdonna & Lou Show. You can do your own research at the project website, but a guess is this is very experimental theater, so manage your risk.

There are also workshops and discussions connected to the project on Sunday, see the website.

At Bodyvox Studios. www.hand2mouththeatre.org/now.html#risk 1201 NW 17th. 5PM and 8PM $10 door per performance, $8/$15 both advance at the website

June 19 School is NOT Out for Summer: Study Hall

Who can resist smart creative talk? That is Study Hall, short smart presentations. It's all organized by Research Club. At Research Club research-club.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020. 11AM-2PM Arrive within a half hour of start for admission due to building security. Free

June 17 Artsparking Radio

Radio, once thought dieing dead, is experiencing a revival. Radio has been with us since Marconi. The first commercial broadcasts on AM included "the nation's stations" broadcasting on clear channels at an awesome +87 dBm. That power could illuminate light bulbs within a mile of the transmitter! Radio has added fancy frequency modulation and even digital modulation (the horror!). Meanwhile in the UK in the 1960's, enterprising DJ's started pirate stations broadcasting from islands and sea platforms in international waters. The trend continued with sea-based and land broadcasters taking advantage of cheap RF technology and cassette tapes as a program source - pirates once outnumbered licensed radio stations in '80's and early '90's UK! It's gotten so bad that there have been more than one generation of Portland pirates and agencies do it for style.

Internet radio, despite rapacious per song charges, makes it easy. The FCC even licenses low band edustations, an example is KZME hinged off Gresham's Metro East Community Media and transmitting from high Brightwood. They are the featured arts presenter for tonight's Art Spark from 6:00-6:15.

Art Spark is a monthly arts meetup for free over drinks for conversation and networking. Did I say free? OK. www.portlandartspark.com at Radio Room 1101 NE Alberta 5PM-7 Free

June 16 Some Days Are Better Than Others in the Future So Bright

Portland filmmaker Matt McCormick is known for quiet cinematic meditations on landscape. Some man made, others nature made. He has also produced a steady diet of creative music videos for musician friends which are pretty sublime. His landscape work includes exploring the West's resting ghost towns. He reprises a collection of works this evening at the Film Center. Films at the Art Museum Whitsell Auditorium, www.nwfilm.org-cinemaproject.org 1219 SW Park, 7PM $8 members/$9

June 15-16 The Cinema Project Visits Palestine and Iraq

The Cinema Project continues its international series, hosting Kamal Aljafari. His personal documentaries lens his Palestinian experience. The Roof and Port of Memory cast their gaze on Jaffa. Visit Iraq is the motto of Iraq Airlines, the film Visit Iraq is a funny take on the impressions of Geneva Switzerland residents on the closed office of the airline. Tuesday: The Roof; Wednesday: Port of Memory and Visit Iraq. Full details at cinemaproject.org At the Clinton Street Theater. 7PM. $7, cash only.

June 15 Completing the Sustainability Smart Grid Circuit

There is a small concentration of smart grid activities in Portland. It's a huge topic. Today is a small conference on the smart grid: www.pdx.edu/eli/smartgrid/conference. In the past these have been organized by participants in PSU's smart grid class and drawn a great diverse group of thinkers. An important message from the last is the value of feed-in tarifs. Registration at the website above. Two World Trade Center Mezzanine, 121 SW Salmon 8:00AM-3:30PM $25

June 14 Mt Fear No Music

As part of the Pedalpalooza, there is an opportunity for you to listen to and make music. Bring your bike bell! First meet downtown for a discussion of bike law by Ray Thomas Esq. of the bike-ped legal clinic. Next ride from downtown to Mt Tabor with the group, ringing your chimest bell. Finally hear a concert by Fear No Music on Mt Tabor. They will play Eine Brise, a breeze, by Mauricio Kagel. The piece is scored for bike bells and the vocalizations of you! Details at www.wpcwalks.org/PDFs/pedlegal.triptych0610.pdf 824 SW 2nd bike-ped legal clinic, 5:30PM. Ride departs 6:30PM to Mt Tabor. Concert 7:30PM. Free

June 12 Homeroom: School's Out For Summer!

The Research Club hosts its first Homeroom. More fun and less scholarly than a stuffy lecture, it's an opportunity for creative discussion and brainstorming. Included for your price of free is Marc Salome showing animation from Brad Neely, Arthur Smid on tarot, a screening of Tillsammans (Together) a film by Lukas Moodysson, wildman of Swedish cinema, a Scandinavian cross between Almodovar and Wes Anderson. At Grand Detour Experimental Media Space and Research Club research-club.org, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020 6:30PM-11 Free

June 11 Doing It To It+

Doing It To It is a group show+happening of Portland and Berlin artists and collectives. You will see artists Patrick Collier, Per Schumann, Rudy Speerschneider, Amy Steel/Brian Drowns, Lisa Radon, Nim Wunnan, Malte Zacharias and Dustin Zemel; groups, Entwurf Direkt – Germany, Gartenstudios – Germany, Research Club – Portland and Grand Detour – Oregon. Tonight is the opening. Throughout the month there will be changing installations, dinners, performances which you can participate in as members of the Portland art community, coinspiring the artists. What is It? Come and be part of It! At Gallery Homeland www.galleryhomeland.org 2505 SE 11th x Division 6PM-9 Free



Falling into the category of cafes with consistently and thoughtfully curated art is the Albina Press on N. Albina. Tonight they open Motion paintings, somewhat surrealistic illustration influenced work by Isaac Bushkin. 4637 N. Albina Ave at Blandena 6PM-7ish Free



At the root of Albina, longtime studio space the North Coast Seed Building hosts open studios. At North Coast Seed www.portlandartstudios.com/ncs.php 2127 N. Albina 6PM-10 Free



For something completely different, join the bliss factory for an evening of Indian vocal music. Umakant Gundecha and Ramakant Gundecha, the Gundecha Brothers, perform Dhrupad, an ancient Hindustani style with poetic lyrics, often regarding Hindu gods. The work follows the raga structure, is of particular slow rhythm, in a low register. There is always something special in the vocal harmony of siblings; this would be one of many examples. At the Movement Center, in the Meditation Hall. 1021 NE 33rd $25 door

June 10 Storm Tharp at PAM+

The Art Museum hosts a monthly talk by a selected artist on a favorite work in the Museum. The talk is at the work. After the audience retires for an informal happy hour and discussion. This month's artist is Storm Tharp, recent Whitney selectee who is showing at PDX Contemporary. At the Portland Art Museum www.pam.org 1219 SW Park 6PM-8 Free members, otherwise regular admission and tour the Museum before



There are innumerable spaces with primary businesses that are not art, yet they have a smart eye for art and regular shows. One is Bamboo Grove, a salon and teashop; another is Black Wagon a shop for childrens' toys, books, clothes and art. Both have openings tonight. Bamboo Grove bamboogrovesalon.com/Bamboo_Grove_Salon/Home.html 134 SE 2nd 6PM-9. Black Wagon blackwagon.com 3964 N Mississippi 5PM-7

June 8 A Grand Detour to Portland

Shoot First & Ask Questions Later is a talk by Portland-Buffalo filmmaker-artist-social process activist Julie Perini. It's her explanation of her working practice. At Grand Detour Experimental Media Space and Research Club, 215 SE Morrison Street, Suite 2020 7PM-8 Free

June 6 Stock

The STOCK art grant dinner is back after a short break for the Open Engagement conference. This month artists Jen Delos Reyes, Helen Hiebert, Connie Hockaday, Dill Pickle Club, Ralph Pugay, E.P. Davee, the Wake-Up-Art collective, Sanna-Lisa Gesang-Gottowt and Rudy Speerschneider have submitted proposals for your funding consideration. Your contribution of $10 for a light dinner of soup, salad and conversation with artists, joins that of your fellow diners. The net proceeds fund one proposal by popular vote.

RSVP by email, the meal sells out quickly. Details: www.portlandstock.blogspot.com At Disjecta 8371 North Interstate 6PM-8 $10

June 5 Artistery Does Art!

School's out for Summer and longtime all ages music venue, the Artistery, celebrates recess by opening a gallery upstairs, RECESS. The inaugural show includes Nim Wunnan, Gary Wiseman, Rachel Montgomery, Abraham Ingle, Justin Flood, Ally Drozd and Crystal Baxley. Music by Future Death Toll and Prescription Pills. At RECESS recesspdx.blogspot.com 4315 SE Division Show 6:30PM, music 9:30

June 4 Eastside Openings

The Research Club opens its new space in the Portland Storage Building. They are an umbrella for experimental video, art and discussion, noted for some fine brunches, entertained by short talks from the participants. For the opening visual art show, Nim Wunnan shows large scale ink on mylar paintinga as well as smaller paintings on paper. research-club.org 215 SE Morrison, Suite 2020



Portland painter of figures, Allison O'Donoghue shows her paintings packed with charming oddity. At 12x16 Gallery www.12x16gallery.com 8235 SE 13th #5 Opening tonight 6PM-9, artist's reception Sunday 2PM-4



Worksound is known for rockin' musical accompaniments to its openings. Tonight they make it explicit with a sound and music themed show of sculpture, installation, performance art and video, Cadence. Fun as always. At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder 6PM-10



Tamara Lischka, known for stunning photos of small creatures cradled in a palm has an entirely different show of photo sequences, Muybridge-style, made with a multi-exposure Lomo "action sampler" plastic camera. At Pushdot Studio www.pushdotstudio.com 1021 SE Caruthers



The New American Art Union shows Ambush: The Story of the TDA, a fictional examination in paintings of an Idaho-style revolutionary group. At New American Art Union www.newamericanartunion.com 922 SE Ankeny



Nationale moves into the front space formerly Grass Hut with a group show by Marty Snap, Rikki Rothenberg, Jason Rens, David Neevel, Christy Lutz, Chelsea Heffner, May Juliette Barruel and Emily Baker. The show, No One & Everyone (Not) So Bright, Please, invites the audience to work with the artists to make something bright, driving away grey by the force of creative energy. Sgt. Forkner's White Rainbow provides sound accompaniment at 8. At Nationale thenewnationale.com 811 E Burnside



Redux has mixed media Portland streetscapes by Julia Gardner and documentary film related work by Edward Davee. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com



At bSIDE6, hosts a show of photographs from Ladakh, Shangri La in a way, as a benefit for school projects there. At bSIDE6 524 E Burnside.



There are also openings tonight at Nemo and Land as Eastside of the river art events proliferate North.

June 3 Westside Art Openings

PNCA has thesis shows in the Main Building, the Stephens Building and in the Old Portland Art Center. MFA downtown, BFA uptown. There is quite a bit to see, easily over more than an evening. Main Campus Atrium 1241 NW Johnson, Stevens Studio Building 1432 NW Johnson. Goldsmith Building 20 SW 5th. Extended hours may be found at pnca.edu.



The Everett Lofts, bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th have been showing great work consistently, but closing earlier. Recommended.



Storm Tharp is a Portland painter-illustrator whose work has been compared to - not the philosopher and scientist - Frances Bacon. It's a tribute to his talent and the career building work of PDX Gallery that he was featured in the recent Whitney. His latest works have a Japanese watercolor style, while retaining his disquieting vibe, and are more formal and restrained than his earlier work. These would be perfect paired with the past month's Van Sant photo collage portraits. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders early close 8PM



Across the Hall Gallery next door has Portland artist, performer, curator and organizer, Brad Adkins. He is known for one of the first social practice performance events, "Meeting People" surrounding a large 2002 group show he did in the Oak Street building under moniker Charm Bracelet with Chris Buckingham. 929 NW Flanders early close 8PM



Portland artist, curator, blogger-interviewer Eva Lake shows a selection from her long running collage project, Targets. They are wry, hard hitting; neither overdone or underdone, in the visual elements she has selected. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis



The Ace Hotel Lobby hosts an installation of knitted cranes, enduring peace symbols. A three year project; organized by artist, curator, producer and music booking genius, Seann McKeel; it's Portland's contribution to activist knitting graffiti presented in a gallery space, just as some spray graffiti is today.

Writes McKeel: "The origami crane is an international symbol of peace, due to the hopeful and heroic story of Sadako Sasaki. Sadako died of Leukemia after exposure from US atom bombings of Hiroshima in 1945. Following a Japanese legend of folding 1,000 paper cranes-- a kind of prayer for long life and recovery-- Sadako hoped to get well. She completed over 1,000 folded cranes before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of 12. Thousands of artists, children, religious groups, and other organizations commit to folding strands of a thousand cranes every year to express their commonality in banning nuclear weapons-- their solidarity for peace."

Hopefully this will be the start of regular art shows in the Ace Hotel Lobby, corner 1022 SW Stark, lobby hours.



Julie Forward Demay made photographs. She was diagnosed with cancer and passed in just 20 months, documenting her experience in a blog, cell war notebooks, photographs and writing. The result is this show, which she curated over that period, her last show. At Stumptown www.stumptowncoffee.com 128 SW 3rd



Tender Loving Empire hosts a Breezeblock organized show. Breezeblock operated on Alberta and Burnside before going virtual with graffiti and illustration styles. Music by Moonchild. www.tenderlovingempire.com 412 SW 10th



Lizard Lounge presents an art show themed on oceans and a benefit for the Surfrider Foundation, very topical. Surfrider advocates for cleaner ocean waters and beaches, free from pollution. At Lizard Lounge 1323 NW Irving 7PM-10



Reading Frenzy wins the copywriting award of the month with a show of illustration by Lori-D entitled Country Club. Writes the artist:
"Country Club features many high-end facilities and recreational opportunities for leisure seekers and so much more! As our guest, help yourself to our pond-side reclining lawn chairs and name-brand beers on ice. Take a load off and relax in comfort during the timeless and traditional bat vs. bug sunset showdown.

Whether you're hosting a business meeting, corporate retreat, wedding, charity event or holiday party, you'll find the perfect setting at the Country Club. We have enough stumps and tires to seat up to 300 of your most esteemed guests! Your guests will enjoy a scenic location, savory vittles, and surprise foot massages. Let our experienced staff assist you in planning your most memorable special occasion.

Not to toot our own horn of plenty, but our very own 'Man, I Feel Like A Woman Spa & Salon', just received the great honor of being awarded National Nail Artists of the Month by Town & Country Style Magazine! We are committed to living up to this high honor by helping you design the best nails imaginable." At Reading Frenzy www.readingfrenzy.com 921 SW Oak



Blue Sky Blue Sky Gallery pairs Alejandro Cartagena's Suburbia Mexicana, Cause and Effect with Christine Osinski's Staten Island Shoppers. It's a development poem. Both artists speak at 6:30PM Wednesday June 2 in the gallery. In the Nines Gallery sculptor Christine Clark collaborates with illustrator Mary Blankenberg to trace the projections of sculptures on the walls. At www.blueskygallery.org 122 NW 8th



Froelick has a curious show. Portland artists, many of whom did not know one another, were paired. Each then made a portrait of the other. At www.froelickgallery.com 714 NW Davis



Valentina Graziano shows photo-based work at Ogle. She is also the curator of the space which is known for quietly complex 2d work and bold sculptures, both often involving natural materials, arte povera-style. At Ogle www.ogleink.com 310 NW Broadway early close 8PM



Camp Caldera is an opportunity for children to make art in the wilderness with professional artists. It's always a question of who is teaching who in such situations. Tonight is a chance to see for yourself as the childrens' work is on display. Camper-made film 5:30. At the Mercy Corps Action Center www.actioncenter.org 28 SW 1st early close 8PM


In other Caldera news, photographer and Caldera resident artist Wendy Given presents How to Explain Magic to a Dead Rabbit. At the Wieden and Kennedy lobby 224 N 13th early close 8



Grassy Knoll Gallery is a workspace, so shows have been itinnerant. They are back with a collage show and a short film by twin brothers Noah & Nathan Rice. At Grassy Knoll Gallery www.grassyknollgallery.com 123 NW 2nd


Meanwhile Upper Playground has a bike-themed show Totally Spoked. An Alleycat starting at 6PM (register 5:30) runs from the East Bank Esplanade under the Hawthorne Bridge to the gallery. At 9:30PM the Sprockettes lead a parade from the gallery to a dance party across the river. At Fifty 24PDX in Upperplayground.com 23 NW 5th

June 1-2 Synaesthetic Energies: Abstract Video With Live Music

Japanese video artist Makino Takashi collaborates with Portland musicians Tara Jane O'Neil and Brian Mumford to present the world premiere of Inter View, a 25 minute video piece. This is one of my favorite branches of video art, abstract, ambient video, it's best known proponent, Stan Brakhage. The Cinema Project presents two programs. Tuesday: No is E [2006, video, color, sound, 23 min.]; Elements of Nothing [2007, video, color, sound, 20 min.]; still in cosmos [2009, video, color, sound,18 min.]; All music by Jim O'Rourke. Wednesday: The Seasons [2008, video, color, sound, 30 min.] music by Jim O'Rourke; while we are here [2009, video, color, sound, 15 min.] music by COLLEEN; The Low Storm [2009, video, color, sound, 16 min.] music by Lawrence English; and Inter View [2010, video, color, 25 min.] original score performed by Tara Jane O'Neil and Brian Mumford. Takashi san will be in attendance to discuss his work. This is a great example of a very small Portland presenter, the Cinema Project, operating on a world stage. Full details at cinemaproject.org At the Clinton Street Theater. 7PM. $7, cash only.

May 21 PSU MFA's, NAAU, Relish

Social practice artist Ariana Jacob presents her MFA thesis, Let's Talk About It. It's in the new video gallery by the lobby in the 5th Avenue building. Opening reception, New Video Gallery, 2000 SW 5th Ave. 6PM-9

Lori Gilbert also takes over the Autzen for her MFA thesis, Existential-ish. Autzen Gallery, 2nd floor PSU Neuberger Hall, Room 205. 724 SW Harrison 6PM-9 Free



The New American Art Union is hosting a one night group show "InterSection: the lines that brought us here". Working with themes touch, seeing, understanding, listening, forgiveness and love; artists Lindsay Kennedy, Gary Wiseman, Tahni Holt, Seth Nehil, Ty Ennis and Rikki Rothenberg, respectively, trace the evolution of some of their own work. At New American Art Union www.newamericanartunion.com 922 SE Ankeny 6-9 Free



Relish Design, outpost for elegant and sustainable design research, hosts its eighth anniversary this evening. Relish maintains close connections to Portland's visual arts world and architects. But it is primarily a champion of small and very small production objects such as jewelery and home items with a Northern Italian, Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetic. www.shoprelish.com 1715 NW Lovejoy. 5PM-9 Free

May 20 Art Spark Games Vendetta

Increasingly game is an organizing principle of interaction. See Jessie Schell's thoughts on our all game, on game, world.

Art Spark is a meetup for artists and arts administrators for networking. This month adds a curators theme in the persona of Tilt Export.

Tilt is an exhibition project by Jenene Naggy and Josh Smith, artist curators. They operated a respected space, Tilt, in the Everett Lofts, focused on minimalist-influenced installation. Now Tilt operates in opportunistic spaces as Tilt Export.

Game like, Naggy and Smith are soliciting exhibition proposals by you, artists, at this event. You can speak directly to the curators, one on two. It's not reality television. It's not location-based SCVNGR gaming. It's reality reality in an art world location. Several other curators will also be seeking artists.

So welcome to the artist-curator game. Bring a proposal and resume. You should also email an image to tilt@jjfab.com with Art Spark in subject. That may become part of the evening image show and will give you extra game points with the curators.

www.portlandartspark.com at Vendetta 4306 N Williams 5PM-7 Free