February 8 Tropical

Portland Tropical Gardens is an artist project open to you in anything but tropical Portland. Ralph Pugay is behind it. They have erected a greenhouse in Director Park downtown. It's filled with tropical plants and tonight it opens with presentations gathered in real tropical gardens around the world. https://www.facebook.com/events/149513472400405/ Director Park 877 SW Park 5:30PM-7:30 Free

February 7 Portrait Love Net

Tonight brings some outstanding art choices!


Stumptown Coffee Roasters presents their second fellowship award artist, Jennifer Brommer. Her color photographic portraits capture ordinary individuals in a dramatic way. We, each one, are special; Brommer lenses that.

This show is from her Memphis series.

It captures a generation of social grace, wealth and studied appearance. It is that generation's way to project identity entwining Southern culture with the East Coast Gilded Age. The photographer processed the contrast of growing up in the New York City surviving artist world, with her grandparents' experience. The artist discusses the project here: https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/blog/stumptown-artist-fellowship-jennifer-brommer.

Her work reminds Holly Andres and the Yale school along with local portraits of a different tribe by Ann Ploeger. Brommer is one of the many SFAI-schooled artists who have made an impact on Portland art over the last few years. At Stumptown www.stumptowncoffee.com 128 SW 3rd 5PM-7 Free



British artists Jon Thomson and Alison Craighead investigate the intersection of flesh and blood people with the Internet. Many people do and many artists do. But it is always a pleasure to experience contemporary artists outside our country contextualizing our evolving relationship with the net.

They bring a selection of work spanning almost 20 years, Academy of Saturn.

The lecture space is small, arrive early. After the talk, the artists open the show in the Cooley Gallery.

Talk Eliot Hall Chapel upstairs, reception and exhibit at the Cooley Gallery in the library building. At Reed College 3203 SE Woodstock Talk 6:30 Free



Grapefruits Art Space drops their latest artist zine: Turkey Club Issue #3 - "The Love Edition." It includes Aki Kame, Artur Erman, Candice Goodman, David Dresbach, Jack Graydon, Kate Bingaman-burt, Kennedy Cruz, Lisa Kohn, Matthew Kramer, Ralph Pugay, Robby Day, Ruby Li, St. James Sneed, Tyler Alexander and Zac Pranji. Contributors David Dresbach, photography; Jack Graydon, painting and Zac Pranji, collage have full size work on the wall. At Grapefruits, www.grapefruitjuiceartists.org/www.grapefruitsartspace.org 2119 N Kerby, STE D. 7PM-10 Free

February 3 All You Need is Love

This show runs to self-taught local artists who do their art for love. Usually that is not our focus. The gallery in the Ford Building hall is different from previous Homeland.

But who can argue with love? This invitational of 200 artists has a potluck, live music, performance and a clothing drive for Transition Projects too!

And it's part of the Portland Winter Light Festival with an installation by Larry Steiner. The streets there to lower Division are a fine parking location for the OMSI Hub A Winter Light Festival, and the Ford Building is steps from the Clinton MAX station. The MAX will also get you toward the World Trade Center Hub B.

The Portland Love Show (of art) portlandloveshow.com at the Ford Building Gallery 2505 SE 11th. 6PM-11 Free

February 2 Eastside Art Openings

Tonight your best option is the Winter Light Festival



Humanæ are head and shoulder photographic portraits by the Angélica Dass from Brazil. The backgrounds are Pantone colors approximating the skin tone of the model. At Pushdot Studio www.pushdotstudio.com 2505 SE 11th Avenue Suite 104 6PM-8 Free



ANX, the gallery at ADX, has aligned their openings with First Friday. They often have talks toward the end of the month. Tonight they open Ink + Press. At adxportland.com/anx-gallery/ ANX Gallery 1015 SE Stark 6PM-9 Free



Victoria Christen has vessel sculptures, along with Sugar: sugar bowls by Dirk Staschke and sugar-themed prints by Lauren Gallaspy. At Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 6PM-9 Free



Redux has a collage show. Collage is upcycling, so right. They have upgraded their previews of the show at http://reduxpdx.com/artists/. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside 6PM-9 Free



Black Box photo gallery has Black and White. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs Early close 5PM-8 Free

February 1 Westside Art Openings

This is not another cat show. It's from Alix Pearlstein who makes minimalist video works staging suggestions of human social interaction in architectural space. The cat piece, Harem Room-1, is a timely comment. You can see both and read about both. This is a great show by Upfor operating on a national stage. The artist speaks Wednesday January 31 in the gallery at 6 on art and #metoo/#notsuprised. At UpFor Gallery www.upforgallery.com 929 NW Flanders early close 6PM-8 Free



Ellen George and Jerry Mayer have Repose. It's a minimalist room installation involving rice. Loose material piled resolves into a natural angle of repose. It's an interesting topic. The Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky Map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free



Henk Pander has new drawings. Pender is a Dutch artist and longtime portland artist resident with a unique rough realistic style edging surreal. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8PM Free



G. Lewis Clevenger has Reclaiming My Time, along with Robert Yoder: Club Number and Heavenly Bodies by Elizabeth Malaska. At Laura Russo Lee Gallery www.russoleegallery.com 805 NW 21st early close 5PM-8 Free



Froelick has Willie Little, a California artist raised in North Carolina.

His work references self-taught, even visionary, artists from the South. Those artists always existed as folk artists. The art valuation excesses of Reagan-era Wall Street drew collectors to discover these folk artists.

Locally and in New York, the Jamison Thomas gallery added folk artists. Charles Froelick worked for the Jamison Thomas Gallery and assumed some artists in this style, so this is an apt return. The Portland Museum of Modern Art has also championed folk art & self taught art styles.

Willie Little is a new generation of self-taught artists embraced by the gallery-museum ecosystem. It's a nice complement to the work of Edwin Jeffery Jr now at W+K. Jeffery was a fireman involved in the civil rights movement who used firehouse free time to carve artworks of wood.

Also showing is the late Rick Bartow, a former Jamison Thomas artist. At Froelick Gallery www.froelickgallery.com 714 NW Davis early close 8 Free



In a similar vein Alison O’Donoghue has New Bones, paintings. At Powell's Basil Hayward Gallery, 3rd floor. www.powells.com. 10th and W Burnside



Leach has collages by Jimmy Baker, Pat Boas, Claire Cowie, John Evans, Ann Hamilton, Lee Kelly, Kara Maria, Vik Muniz, Melody Owen, Eunice Parsons, Charlie Perez-Tlatenchi, Michael Scheurer, Brion Nuda Rosch, Michelle Ross and Myrna Tatar. At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 6PM-9 Free



The RACC + Open Signal Night Lights series of video projection has Julia Calabrese. It's on the building wall at 411 NW Park 5PM-9ish



The Ace Hotel has started a First Thursday experimental music event curated by Sounds et al. It pairs well with Veriform's sound gallery First Thursday, but it detracts from people flowing to galleries and it is a very small space. This month: Brin and Christi Denton. In the Ace Hotel Lobby 1022 SW Stark 6PM-8



PNCA is recommended to stop in. They have long time cycle shows and pop ups distributed throughout the building. PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 6PM-9 Free



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map closing ranges from 9PM-10:30ish, in cold Winter earlier

February 1-3 Let There Be Light

The Portland Winter Light Festival is inspired by light festivals around the world and hometown DIY projects like the Light Bar. It's in its third year. So there are more events in locations beyond the OMSI center, including performances in the World Trade Center. It has a large schedule and online catalog which is mobile friendly. It's big enough and dispersed enough that you can experience it over multiple evenings. It's child friendly and popular with families. The Portland Winter Light Festival www.pdxwlf.com some daytime locations, OMSI evenings, the World Trade Center evenings. 6PM-11 Free

January 28 Secret Revelation

Secrets is a new show by Katie Aliprando, Aline Cautis, Sonja Gerdes, Lia Lowenthal at Private Places. Revelation Theater is new a show by LA poet-visual artists Alec Egan and Andreas Gurewich at Chicken Coop. They are two independent exhibition spaces who focus on openings, beyond that, by appointment. So recommend to see it now! They are geographically diverse, with this opening coordinated and welcome to carpooling.

At Private Places www.privateplaces.us 2400 Holliday noon-2 Free

At Chicken Coop Contemporary www.chickencoopcontemporary.com 12400 SE Knapp 2PM-6 Free

January 27 Winter Library

Caldera Arts is a Summer arts immersion for at-risk youth. In Winter/Spring, guest artists visit for an uninterrupted residency in a beautiful setting. Today is an open house to see the work and meet the artists in the cycle.

Full artist bios: www.calderaarts.org/caldera/arts-in-residence/current-roster/.

Arrive at 1PM sharp for presentations by the artists, then visit the studios.

At Camp Caldera www.calderaarts.org, 31500 Blue Lake Drive, Sisters, OR Map 1PM-3 Free



Library Style is a show of artist books.

Portland has a rich history from the IPRC & zines, OCAC's books arts program for one of a kind, art publishers for few of a kind, like Publication Studio, Container Corps, Ampersand and Blue Sky along with local library rare book collections and the Gilkey Center. Many artists have some pretty epic journals and sketchbooks. This was an open call, so more likely one of a kind.

Library Style https://www.facebook.com/events/914991205336544/ at OV Project Space 7604 SE Washington 7PM-10 Free

January 26 Next Greyhound Optimism

Ampersand is a thriving art book store with a strong representation of photography. Photographer Robert Lyons launches Pictures From The Next Day, documenting the interior of a home. The occupant lived there from birth to death, excepting a service time in WWII. Chikara Umihara launches Tsumugu, five years documenting cross country Greyhound trips. All the exposures were made from the bus and the bus stations. Both photographers are showing their work as photobooks.

At Ampersand Gallery www.ampersandgallerypdx.com 2916 NE Alberta, Ste B. Map 7PM Free



ANX has an artist talk for the closing of the current show Ever the Optimist by Sami Lee Woolhiser. The ANX gallery is deepening its curatorial philosophy to include contemporary shows. At adxportland.com ANX Gallery 1015 SE Stark 7PM Free

January 25 Agent Orange

Cuban-American artist Edel Rodriguez has Agent Orange, a Trump-themed graphic design-style commentary. He is joined by Edwin Jeffery Jr, sculptor and artist from Memphis. At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th Map 5:30PM-8:30 Free

January 21 Gender Endings

Emma Kohlmann opens paintings Sun Spots. They are bright primitive schematic style, installed over floor to ceiling reproductions from her zine in the same style. Good addition by Nationale. At Nationale www.nationale.us 3360 SE Division Map 3PM-5 Free



Endings opens today. It's work by Portland artists Srijon Chowdhury and Bobbi Woods who each also operate independent exhibit spaces. Chowdhury works in oils; Woods, photography. At Marylhurst University www.marylhurst.edu/theartgym/ Map 4PM-6 Free

January 20 Flood

Portia Munson from the Hudson Valley opens her show Flood tonight. She is an installation artist working with plastic consumer goods staged en masse. She also has mandalas of biological materials in contrast. At Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.disjecta.org 8371 N. Interstate Map 6PM-9 Free

January 19 Psychological Propeller

AMPM is a show of paintings by Hayley Barker, previously a Portlander, now in LA. They are face forms abstracted by dense mark making as psychological studies. Her artist book Vintage Self Help will be available. It was commissioned by Cherry & Lucic. That gallery in a garage is no longer operating; one of the 3 principals is cofounder of Williamson | Knight.

The announcement also wins the copywriting award for the month:
"AMPM—like the convenience store. You walk in, looking to quench some kind of thirst. You want quickness and reach around, grabbing for something that does the job. All day. All night. Like dreams and psychological states. Spiritual experiences that you ultimately enter—knowing delicacy or disappointment. There is a little bit of everything in the store, but maybe not exactly what you want. Maybe it’s not enough.

In dreams and in shamanic meditation, there comes a flow of both spiritual and mundane imagery. Messages from guides and one’s intuition. Meetings with spirits, goddesses, and versions of my-self. The paintings are self portraits; they are icons—reminders of who I have met, been, and could be in vast internal realms. They start with the “beddrawings” then become paintings. They include text and faces which come intuitively in morning drawing practices and reveal a woman-looking self in a slightly awake state. This is a state of desire, anger, exhaustion, and anxiety, all at once."

At Williamson | Knight www.williamsonknight.com 916 NW Flanders early close. 6PM-8 Free



Huun Huur Tu - http://www.huunhuurtu.ru/ - a progressive throat singing quartet from Tuva, graces Portland tonight. They are one of the most extensively toured Tuvan throat singing performers in the West and we are one of a very select set of cities they are touring. Progressive means they have collaborated with Western musicians and electronica artists since 1992.

Huun Huur Tu is translated as “Sun Propeller” - beams of sunlight cast through clouds in the golden hour or through tree leaves by overhead sun.

Portland has its own Tuvan throat singer, Soriah! So it is natural they visit our small town. You can preview Huun Hour Tu by a video search.

At the Alberta Rose Theater www.albertarosetheatre.com 3000 NE Alberta. Doors 7PM, show 8. $25 advance, $30 door (sold out)

January 17 Memory Wilderness Party

Science as an inspiration for contemporary art is a largely overlooked opportunity. Perhaps it's the math filter for science careers or the conceptual semantics filter for contemporary art careers. It could be the overall downward interest in science in America. Or it could be the culture wars on art.

But science produces beautiful and complex visual artifacts which can be sampled for art. And the conceptual base is right under the surface.

There is beautiful raw material in physics, nanomaterials, visualization of molecules, energy, climate, geology and tectonics as well as biological building blocks: phages, viruses, cells and organs.

Portland artist Elise Wagner has work inspired by high energy physics and climate. Geraldine Ondrizek draws inspiration from science. There are Portland scientists who make art, but not in the contemporary art ecosystem.

I've always loved Janine Antoni's Slumber, based on electroencephalograms.

A subset is bio art related to genetics.

Bioartist George Gessert's art is inspired by plant breeding. He has traced the history of DNA-inspired art: https://is.muni.cz/el/1421/jaro2012/IMK48/A_History_of_Art_Involving_DNA.pdf. Early, Dali was inspired by DNA https://www.nature.com/articles/422817a. In 2002, Robin Held at the Henry mounted Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics. Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, who ranges across many scientific topics, developed visual material based on gel electrophoresis of DNA. Now those DNA analysis patterns have crossed into consumer decorative and fashion items independent of the contemporary art world.

Genetics travels beyond primitive viruses in DNA. DNA? That was discovered by Watson and Crick and noted by a Nobel. The illustrations for the original paper were conceived by Odile Crick. Portland artist Kindra Crick is their granddaughter.

She has her own science-inspired projects.

Tonight artist Crick opens Illuminated Wilderness: Memory here. It occupies the whole of the Littman Gallery.

One piece includes models of neurons at about 30000:1 scale, with LED lighting suggesting action potentials. It was developed in collaboration with a neuroscience researcher in Washington. This should be a fun show and is included in the Winter Light Festival outlying shows.

The artist gives a talk January 31, 6PM at the gallery. Opening at the PSU Littman Gallery in Smith Union. www.littmanwhite.com/ PSU Smith Hall, Room 250, 1825 SW Broadway. Map 5PM-8 Free



We don't cover every Open Signal event but some. Strewn: Lu Yim, Sidony O'Neal, Maya Vivas, & Hannah Krafcik with Pepper Pepper and They Gamble perform tonight. At Open Signal www.opensignalpdx.org 2766 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. 7PM $8-$10 sliding

January 14 Mirror +

Portland artist Melanie Flood has Mirror Mirror. The artist also operates their own small gallery space. At the first of two members in Portland of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, Fourteen30 Gallery www.fourteen30.com 1501 SW Market Street Map 11AM-1PM Free



Butoh+ is a flexible format variety show Seattle organized by DAIPANbutoh. This month has Helen America, Marcia Tate Arunga, Alycia Scott Zollinger, Izumi Fairbanks, Jay Hamilton, and DAIPANbutoh members Kaoru Okumura and Sheri Brown. At Union Theater 1406 18th Ave, Seattle, WA Map Doors 6PM, Show 7 $10-20

January 12 Bomb Grapefruit

Gataro is an artist and son of a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Those survivors, hibakusha 被爆者, have a complex place in Japanese culture which cannot be translated. Gataro makes drawings of his everyday life and the surrounding city. His day job of 30 years is working as a janitor in apartment complexes built for those displaced by the destruction.


NHK made a documentary https://www.nhk.or.jp/peace/english/library/program/20130810.html about him and his work. This showing is of the English translated version.


Movement artists here, Meshi Chavez, Yukiyo Kawano and collaborators have drawn inspiration of the 1945 bombings, which could be repeated immanently. They encountered the documentary traveling their performance. So Kawano translated it to English. She is a hibakusha granddaughter.


That documentary is screened tonight in its premiere performance in English. Popcorn provided, bring your own refreshments. At Momentum Studio 1028 SE Water ave. #250 7PM Free



Grapefruits Rainbow in the Clouds by Momo Meow and Andrew Auble. At Grapefruits, www.grapefruitjuiceartists.org/www.grapefruitsartspace.org 2119 N Kerby, STE D. 6PM-9 Free

January 11 Beauty and Beast

Dino Mat and Marlon Mullen have stylized vintage magazine cover paintings and ceramic vessels that look like a gum wall. At Adams and Ollman Gallery, the second of two members of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, www.adamsandollman.com 209 SW 9th early close 6PM-8 Free



Myths and fairytales inform our psychic DNA. Many originated thousands of years ago in oral tradition. They are entwined with brain development and our love of narrative. At points they have been captured in writing.

Beauty and the Beast, La Belle et la Bête, is one. Many writers have captured it, including Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756. In turn, many film versions have been made. An early one is Cocteau's in 1946.

This evening it is accompanied by a live score with Patricia Wolf + CM Wolf Ensemble of: Noah Bernstein, John Niekrasz, Amenta Abioto & Jonathan Sielaff and Like a Villain.

It's part of the Fin de Cinema occasional we love. Recommended.

Fin de Cinema presents Beauty and the Beast https://www.facebook.com/events/1892468914126858/ at Holocene 1001 SE Morrison. Doors 8:30PM, film 9:15 $10

January 6 - February 10 SRL in NYC

Survival Research Labs - SRL is an art project started in 1978 by Mark Pauline and collaborators. They built large robots, usually powered by automobile engines running hydraulics with destructive capabilities, and staged theatrical performances of them in public. The performances were dangerous, though I don't think an audience member was ever injured.

Pauline had worked building military equipment in his early career. One interpretation of SRL is as critical commentary on our use of science, technology and industry for destructive ends.

SRL exchanged members with other cultural explorers such as the Suicide Club, the Cacophony Society, Seemen in the 1970's to '90's San Francisco Bay Area.

The performances are much rarer, and Pauline-SRL has moved from underground, to art group-institution sponsorship, to the gallery.

This is art work, but au courant as AI & robots mate with military & industrial uses today.

Performances are documented in video. Perhaps you can imagine the audience risk.

The NYT covered it with some great quotes: www.nytimes.com/2018/01/05/arts/design/mark-pauline-survival-research-laboratories.html as does this short doc www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dcg9MpNYuc.

The show, Inconsiderate fantasies of negative acceleration characterized by sacrifices of a non-consensual nature www.marlboroughcontemporary.com/exhibitions/survival-research-laboratories, opens at Marlborough Contemporary 545 West 25th Street, New York, NY. Free

January 6 Installation Work in Progress

Portia Munson opens her artist in residence studio this afternoon. The work is being made for a future show Flood at Disjecta. That show opens January 20. At C:3 Initiative www.c3initiative.org 7326 N Chicago Map 2PM-5 Free

January 5 Eastside Art Openings

Eutectic has Persistence of the Residuum, sculpture by Thaddeus Erdahl, Richard James and Russell Wrankle. At Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 6PM-9 Free



One Grand has Vara, abstract grid ink on paper by Paul Savovici. At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 7PM-10 Free



Black Box photo gallery has Framed: Landscape Photography. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs Early close 5PM-8 Free



Chefas has a show of paintings. At Stephanie Chefas Projects www.stephaniechefas.com 305 SE 3rd Ave #202 - the City Sign Building, formerly a low cost artist space Map. 6PM-9 Free

January 4 Westside Art Openings+

Robert Frank, now 93, started early in industrial photography and fashion. Perhaps that allowed him to move on early from the industrial objectives of commercial work.

At age 31 he started The Americans. It was a two year road trip, 1955-6 of 28,000 exposures; a view of America without hubris. Certainly his personal associations with the Beats placed him with the skeptics of that economic expansion which bypassed so many. Frank has lived an ascetic life and continuously explored new artistic challenges.

This is a two month show: Books and Films: 1947–2017.

It is ephemeral in that the works are printed on non-archival newsprint and will all be destroyed at the end of the show to discourage art collector speculation.

Vogue has an article about the show, naming him the Bernie Sanders of photography. The show is accompanied by a series at the film center nwfilm.org/film-series/robert-frank-frank-perspectives/. It launches January 10 with the documentary Don't Blink about Frank made in 2015, followed by several of his films.

This show is strongly recommended.

At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free

The Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky 122 NW 8th



MK Guth is known for her ongoing social practice performance body of work. Collaborative Red Shoe Delivery Service brought social practice performance to NYC early. Later projects included connecting hair and memory. In a large Marylhurst show, she introduced social meals with handmade tables, utensils and journals. Instructions for Drinking With a Friend continues that theme, reprising a similar project at her East Coast Gallery. You may sign up in pairs to particpate.

Her work benefits from knowing the concept and narrative over pure instant visual pleasure. But it's worth it to engage.

Also showing Presence/Absence, monochrome abstractions.

At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 6PM-9 Free



Reed artist Vance Feldman has Foreverscape, an obsessive pop surrealist mural in panels, continuously expanded since 2009. At Blackfish Gallery 420 NW 9th 6PM-9 Free



Georgina Reskala has Residue of a Vision. She is a recently minted CCA MFA originally from Mexico City, now LA. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders Map early close 8PM Free



The Ace Hotel has started a First Thursday experimental music event curated by Sounds et al. It pairs well with Veriform's sound gallery First Thursday, but it detracts from people flowing to galleries and it is a very small space. This month FreeIndira Valey, RON and Location Services. In the Ace Hotel Lobby 1022 SW Stark 6PM-8 Free



Every First Thursday, the Art Museum is free from 5PM-8.

It is a great opportunity to see the year-long project by Libby Warbel: We Construct Marvels Between Monuments. Warbel is the creator of Portland's other art museum, the Portland Museum of Modern Art. The first visual show in the series is made of works by intellectually disabled artists in Portland, Ricky Bearghost, Kurt Fisk, Perry Johnson, Elmeator Morton, Lawrence Oliver and Dawn Westover.


Portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/we-construct-marvels-between-monuments/ at the Portland Art Museum www.portlandartmuseum.org 1219 SW Park 5PM-8 Free



PNCA is recommended to stop in. They have long time cycle shows and pop ups distributed throughout the building. PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 6PM-9 Free



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map closing ranges from 9PM-10:30ish, in cold Winter earlier



Damien Hirst is one of the bad boys of art in a number of dimensions. In the Fall he installed "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable." It is connected to the parafiction movement with examples by Josiah McElheny, the Museum of Jurassic Technology, RTMark and back to Dada. But it also represents a marker in time of the concentration of wealth in the world economy. The accompanying film has dropped on Netflix under the same name. Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable forms an interesting pair with the Robert Frank show.

December 23-24 NTVTY VIII

Virgin birth of artworks is something artists do all the time. Whoops, where did that come from?

This is also the eighth year a group of artists have interpreted the nativity - www.xhurch.net/photomatrix.html. Each year has a big conceptual theme. A favorite was the alien nativity scene. Jesus was an alien, right?

Transformation and memorial is this year's theme. There is a lot of white in the space and the music schedule is freeform - want to play music - do it!

The Xchurch has a fascinating history. It was a synagogue. In 1948, the Vanport flood displaced African Americans to the Alberta neighborhood. Alberta was one of the small areas allowed for African Americans to buy homes under the Red Line system. It reminds the South African Bantu act of 1913. Apartheid.

The Red Line system was a product of the federal Home Owners' Loan Association project. But in South Africa, the white South Africans out-flanked the government and sold homes in white-only areas to African South Africans. An example is the Johannesburg suburb of Rosebank. We used it as an elections disaster recovery site where all races of election staff would not be questioned. We laid disinformation that the secure disaster site was in Sandbank, a wealthy gated white suburb of Johannesburg.

In 1952, that Jewish congregation sold the Xchurch to an African American Christian church.

But there was an anti-Negro force opposing an African American church there. The brave synagogue overcame it.

Lately it has been a rare artist live-work-perform space, amid Portland escalating rents. I'm sure there are several layers there.

Now it may be converted back to its use as a synagogue by new gen Jews.

Is that an Xxhurch? That's much better than an apartment block.

This is a great opportunity to chat with artists in chill space.

NTVTY VIII https://www.facebook.com/events/222370621638553/ at Xhurch xhurch.net 4550 NE 20th. Map 7PM-9+

December 9 Kill a Volt

Volt Divers is a night of analog synth performers. This month they are Brain Washers = Caustic Touch + Rick Ghastly, Erin April Cooper, Arkham Sunset + Kakiharae, ∆ Cult Group II ∆, Chaos SoahC, Glo Globes, Vaelentine and ∆ Cult Group I ∆. Visuals by Neybuu. 100% of the modest cover, $5, goes to the ACLU. Volt Divers at Lovecraft Bar 421 SE Grand 7PM Sharp-10 $5



The Killjoy Collective has Panteha Abareshi, Tyler Mackie, Katie Piatt, Caitlin Rooney and Hailee Va. Can You Handle Me? www.killjoypdx.com/events/2017/12/9/can-you-handle-me at 222 Southeast 10th Avenue #102B 7PM-9 Free

December 7 Westside Art Openings+

Many of the commercial galleries are continuing last month's show or doing group shows. Some of them are in Miami for Art Basel Miami and adjacent contemporary shows.



The downtown Stumptown Coffee has been known for its art curation for some time. It is also a venue with walls that can accommodate large work. Tonight Wendy Red Star, who shows at very noted venues, opens Grandmothers (I Come As One But I Stand As Ten Thousand.) This project previously showed at the Seattle Art Museum. Wendy Red Star is Crow. This project starts with photographs of Crow women by Richard Throssel made between 1902 and 1911, beginning at age 20. It was the first generation on the reservation in Montana. The photos of Crow grandmothers are superimposed on mirrors so the viewer can join the grandmother of over 100 years. At Stumptown www.stumptowncoffee.com 128 SW 3rd 7PM-9 Free



Blue Sky continues last month's collage portraits by Sylwia Kowalczyk. Added is a museum quality show of Wigs, 1994 and Details, 1996 by Lorna Simpson. The work is loaned from the collection of Jordan Schnitzer. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free



Augen has a retrospective of photographer Terry K. Thompson. His monochrome works span portraits, abstract portraits, landscapes and naturescapes. There is also a print show by international names you would recognize, so free art history lesson! At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8PM Free



The RACC + Open Signal Night Lights series of video projection has Ezekiel Brown from Chocolate Giant. It's on the building wall at 411 NW Park 5PM-9ish



Every First Thursday, the Art Museum is free from 5PM-8. It is a great opportunity to see the year-long project by Libby Warbel We Construct Marvels Between Monuments. Warbel is the creator of Portland's other art museum, the Portland Museum of Modern Art. Portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/we-construct-marvels-between-monuments/ at the Portland Art Museum www.portlandartmuseum.org 1219 SW Park 5PM-8 Free



The Ace Hotel has started a First Thursday experimental music event curated by Sounds et al. It pairs well with Veriform's sound gallery First Thursday, but it detracts from people flowing to galleries and it is a very small space. In the Ace Hotel Lobby 1022 SW Stark 6PM-8 Free



PNCA is recommended to stop in. They have long time cycle shows and pop ups distributed throughout the building. PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 6PM-9 Free



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map closing ranges from 9PM-10:30ish



In an exercise of bad planning, the Precipice grant award announcement is scheduled this evening on the East Side. The Precipice Fund created by the Warhol foundation gives small grants to individual artists and alternative spaces. At 15 NE Hancock St 6PM-8 Free

December 2 Tidal Petals

Some of our favorite performers in Portland are Wobbly, the duo and partners Yulia Arakelyan and Erik Ferguson. They have been doing dream like films. Tidal screens tonight. Tidal "is an exploration of the relationship between the rhythm of mechanized breath and the rhythm of the oceans. It is a fantastical film, where breathing masks transform into diving masks, ventilator tubing morphs into costumes, and an ancient diver who calls the ocean home, draws us into his world. We fall, we dream, we dive." Strongly recommended. Screening and discussion by Wobbly www.witd.org/headwaters/2017/12/2/witd-recommends-wobblys-tidal-the-first-cut at 2PM & 8:30 $10



Sarah Meyohas opens an installation Cloud of Petals taking all of Disjecta. At Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.disjecta.org 8371 N. Interstate Map 6PM-9 Free

December 1 Dust

Johanna Jackson has lived in SF, Portland and LA, doing art. Tonight she opens Dust, sculptures and textile pieces. Some of her hooked rugs are time consuming projects. They contain time. And on the floor they capture dust. Dragging and Ox Through Water performs at 7. Recommended. At Adams and Ollman Gallery, the second of two members of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, www.adamsandollman.com 209 SW 9th 6PM-8 Free

November 26 Monad

Monad is a metaphysical concept of creation and spiritual force. The big bang, proposed by Lemaître in 1931 is our model of the formation of the material universe. The monad is the corresponding model of origin of the conscious universe.

Soriah is a force of nature. He has mastered Tuvan throat singing.

We might not know of Tuva but for the obsession of physicist Richard Feynman who planned to visit there, but was frustrated by visa problems. Feynman was one of the great Nobel fundamental physicists who contributed quantum electrodynamics, a building block for experimental work on the big bang theory.

Soriah did visit Tuva many times to study, despite visa obstacles, and ultimately won throat singing championships in Tuva where he has a new family.

He performs only a few times a year here. Tonight he performs The Monad, an improvised soundscape.

Proceeds will help bring his 3 year old son on his first visit to the US.

He has a channel if you are unfamiliar with his music.

Doors 9PM. Dance night begins about 10:45, The Monad is somewhere in between.

At the Star Theater, 13 NW 6th $10

November 24 Body Pomes

Mushimaru Fujieda, a veteran mover influenced by butoh, describes his movement as Natural Physical Poetry. He gives a rare performance this evening. At Headwaters Theater 55 NE Farragut St. #9. The theater is in the back of the building by the active railroad tracks facing Winchell Street. Map 7PM $15-30

November 19 Animation

Tonight is the last in the Fall Boathouse media series. Nathan Sonenfeld, Kello Goeller and Luca Dipierro present their experimental animation. Theo Bowen shows on the video wall. At the Boathouse Microcinema www.boathousemicrocinema.com 822 N River 7:30PM $8

November 18 Balkan Toy Auction

Butoh never sleeps, even when night is long. That's especially true in Seattle. They have a big performance tonight with Shoko Zama, Paula Helen, Honeydo, Beverly Aaron, Joan Laage and the Balkan vocal ensemble Dunava. Daipan Butoh www.daipanbutoh.com at the Taoist Studies Institute, 225 N 70th St., Seattle. 7PM $5-20



ANX is the new gallery space for ADX - ANX@ADX? Some of the makers creating in the ADX shop make toys. ANX has a show of their and other local toymakers. Children are welcome and it's a great opportunity to find some toy gifts. At adxportland.com ANX Gallery 1015 SE Stark Noon-5



Disjecta is a nonprofit. The annual art auction helps them pay rent, pay the tiniest staff, heat the place, keep the lights on and ship art. Of local nonprofit spaces, they are one of the most funds efficient.

Tonight there is a live auction and a silent auction. Artists include Alyson Provax, Amanda Wojick, Amjad Saleh Faur, Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen, Annie Swiderski, Bobbi Woods, Braxton Congrove, Calvin Ross Carl, Carson Ellis and Le Oui, Chris Johanson, Christine Nguyen, Christopher Russell, Colin Kippen, Corey Arnold, Cynthia Lahti, Dan Attoe, Dan Gluibizzi, Daniel Duford, Daniel Peabody, Emily Counts, Emily Nachison, Heather Watkins, Jack Featherly, Jaik Faulk, Jeff Sheridan, Jennifer Rabin and Ross Lee Chappell, Jeremy Okai Davis, Jessi Reaves, Jessie Henson, Joby Barron, Jovencio de la Paz, Julia Oldham, Justin L’Amie, Justyn Hegreberg, Kathleen Murney, Kristen Miller, Larry S. Clark, Laura Fritz, Lindsay Jordan Kretchun, Malia Jensen, Marie Watt, Margie Livingston, Michael Boonstra, Michelle Grabner, Michelle Ramin, Michelle Ross, Nan Curtis, Pat Boas, Patrick Kelly, Polina Tereshina, Rachel Warkentin, Ralph Pugay, Roll Hardy, Ryan Molenkamp, Ryan Pierce, Samantha Wall, Srijon Chowdhury, Storm Tharp, Tannaz Farsi, Tessa Heck, Vanessa Calvert and Vanessa Renwick.

You can see art details at https://eventsavvyllc.tofinoauctions.com/disjecta17/catalog

Event design by Alyson Provax, Bill Will, David Bithell, Eric Mast and Fernanda D’Agostino.

Advance tickets at https://eventsavvyllc.tofinoauctions.com/disjecta17/tickets/ticket_sales. Art auction-party at Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.disjecta.org 8371 N. Interstate Map Doors 6PM $40

November 14 Get Small

We rarely cover some of the more distant college galleries though their curation has been excellent episodically. That includes L&C, PCC Cascade, PCC Sylvania, Linfield in Newberg and Clark College in Vancouver. Here is one though. ULTRA Real are photographs by Alison Carey, Mark Hooper and Grace Weston. They build sets, some miniature, in the studio, and photograph them. At Archer Gallery www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/archer/index.php, Clark College 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 6PM-8 Free

November 13 Revolution Africa

Not art. Dr Ali Colleen Neff speaks on innovation in Africa. It's a creative process like the visual arts we mention. And it pairs with art projects like the Ghana Think Tank in my view. Future Talks https://www.meetup.com/New-Relic-FutureTalks-PDX/events/244495000/ at New Relic 27th floor111 SW 5th. Reservations requested. 5:30 doors, talk 6. Free

November 12 Boat Tube

Getting to Know You Tube is back with Ralph Pugay, Tabitha Nikolai and Ním Wunnan. At the Boathouse Microcinema www.boathousemicrocinema.com 822 N River 7:30PM $8

November 11 Image Coup

The Chicken Coop Contemporary is one of Portland's well-curated galleries in a home. Portland has a history of home, basement, garage, live-work space and now a chicken coop. Today, Divine Image by André Fortes & Harry Gould Harvey IV opens. (Chicken Coop Contemporary is by Leach Botanical Gardens, always free. You might double check to see if it's open on Veterans Day. There is also a detour involving SE 122 explained at http://leachgarden.org/) At Chicken Coop Contemporary www.chickencoopcontemporary.com 12400 SE Knapp 2PM-5 Free

November 10 The Philosophy of Human Development

Creative mornings presents a talk by Sohail Coelho on conceptual death in the creative profession. He is Director of Human Development at Instrument. In his ongoing study of philosophy he has realized the human pattern of building identity and the necessity to leave limiting pieces of it behind. Creative Mornings has https://creativemornings.com/talks/sohail-coelho at the PICA warehouse. 15 NE Hancock 8:30AM-10, Free

November 9 PDX History

Portland artist Sabrina Haque has been artist in residence at the City of Portland archives. Her work is making documentation and social practice art of the history of development in East Portland. In that project, she worked with 17-24 year olds of Portland Youth Builders. This is the result. You can see and discuss with the builder artists and Haque this afternoon. It is at the Youth Builders space 4816 SE 92nd. 3PM-4:30 Early Free



The Murdock Collections is a secondary market gallery. They hold the history of regional artists. For this show, Terrain: Native American Spirituality, they have Rick Bartow, Joe Fedderson, James Lavadour, Emmi Whitehorse, and others. When you are there, browse the back room. at the Murdoch Collections murdochcollections.com 2219 NW Raleigh Map 5:30PM-7:30 Free



Intisar Abioto continues her black Portlanders portrait series with a show of over 150 tonight. DJ 6PM, talk 7PM. At the PSU Littman Gallery in Smith Union. www.littmanwhite.tumblr.com/ PSU Smith Hall, Room 250, 1825 SW Broadway. 6PM-9 Free

November 5 Aeration

Trinie Dalton is an LA writer and curator. She has curated Epochal Aeration: Or, The Slow Hand with artists Sarah Braman, Sam Falls, Pearl C. Hsiung, Dorothy Iannone, Johanna Jackson, Xylor Jane, Chris Johanson, Elisabeth Kley, JP Munro, Cristina Toro and Hush Arbors.

At the first of two members in Portland of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, Fourteen30 Gallery www.fourteen30.com 1501 SW Market Street Map 11AM-1PM Free

November 3 Eastside Art Openings

The 811 building is always recommended. Black Box, upstairs, has a show ending at 8 - early. Redux has a regular show extending later. Other shops, up and down join in. The 811 building is always recommended. At 811 East Burnside Map 6PM-8 Free



Brian Donnelly has Reassemble, colorful surreal portraits. Marnie White has Vanity of Vanities, classical still lifes. At Stephanie Chefas Projects www.stephaniechefas.com 305 SE 3rd Ave #202 - the City Sign Building, formerly a low cost artist space Map. 7PM-10 Free



Shannon Goff has sculptures and Inherent Terrain with Undine Brod, Rain Harris, Sasha Koozel Reibstein and Amanda Salov continues. It is at Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 6PM-9 Free

November 2 Westside Art Openings

Tom Cramer has Under the Sun, polychrome carved wood reliefs; Mark Andres, artist-filmmaker has Pompeii Portland, drawings from his film; and Janet Marcavage has prints at Lineation. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8 Free


Sarah Horowitz has Fragments & Fences, botanical illustrations and landscapes made in Leavenworth Washington and Bellwald, Switzerland. Also showing is Nat Meade. At Froelick Gallery www.froelickgallery.com 714 NW Davis early close 8 Free



Adam Sorenson has Places, colorful schematic urban landscapes. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders Map early close 8PM Free



Sylwia Kowalczyk has Lethe, portraits made of collaged photographs, rephotographed. Benoit Fournier has Babylon, lo-fi monochrome urban landscapes made in Babylon, a favela in Rio De Janeiro. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free



Ben Buswell has fused glass and photo-based sculptures. At UpFor Gallery www.upforgallery.com 929 NW Flanders early close 6PM-8 Free



Raque Ford has con•fi•dence, monoprints inspired by their sculptures. At Williamson | Knight 916 NW Flanders early close. 6PM-8 Free



Night Lights continues its series of outdoor video art with a VR experience from Stephanie Mendoza, member of the Portland Immersive Media Group. http://pdximmersive.media/. It is in the parking lot to the North of 411 SW Park.



PNCA is recommended to stop in. There are galleries throughout. At PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 6PM-9 Free



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map closing ranges from 9PM-10:30ish

October 27 22 Floors

Artist Emily Wobb works the dynamics of our construction of big things: buildings, jetliners and cars, and their destruction. Perfect for ADX, maker central! Her website has a much more eloquent description - www.emilywobb.com/22floors. This show has an about 1/50th scale model of The Yard monolith, a geometric black residential tower designed by Skylab. It is fabricated from a previous project themed on suburban homes, that were subsequently distressed. The show also includes models of jetliners carrying wood chips from models of luxury suburban sport utility vehicles. Recommended. At adxportland.com ANX Gallery 1015 SE Stark 7PM-9 Free

October 27-29 Cloudy Con

Kumori is the Japanese word for cloudy. It names Kumoricon: Portland's big cosplay, and it aligns with Halloween! You can find all about it at www.kumoricon.org. If you see cosplayers around, smile and wave! At the Portland Convention Center varying hours until late $65

October 22 Kawaii Dogs

NY painter Sophie Larrimore has Sunday Painting opening today. They are bright schematic paintings of poodles. At Nationale www.nationale.us 3360 SE Division Map 3PM-5 Free

October 20 Violet Pixies

Joy Feasley has Violets Under a Spell, paintings and fused glass sculptures inspired by the Aurora Borealis. At Adams and Ollman Gallery, the second of two members of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, www.adamsandollman.com 209 SW 9th 6PM-8 Free



George Kuchar was an experimental filmmaker. His work spanned video art to low budget drama. Tonight his films Phantom of the Pine Barrens, 1998, 49 minutes; Domain of the Pixel Pixies, 1998, 33 minutes and Weather Diary #3, 1998, 24 minutes screen His work is archived at the Video Data Bank where previews area available www.vdb.org/artists/george-kuchar. At Yu Contemporary Art www.yucontemporary.org 900 SE 10th. 7PM Free

October 16 Gambling Profit

French artist Eva Barto presents two books on the imprint Buttonwood Press: All in, An Anthology of Gambling, 2016, and Give Way to Profit, 2016. Her recent work is focused on money and wealth. She speaks about her work this evening. At Yu Contemporary Art www.yucontemporary.org 900 SE 10th 7PM Free

October 14 Hair Volt

Volt Divers is a night of analog synth performers. This month they are Anon, Darcy Neal + Lolo, Kakiharae, Cult Group II, Astrowarrior, Jakub Jerzy, Pixel Crusher and Cult Group I. Tonight 100% of the modest cover, $5, goes to the ACLU. Yes. Volt Divers at Lovecraft Bar 421 SE Grand 7PM Sharp-10 $5



The Killjoy Collective is a project by recent PNCA MFA grads taking action to show women artists. Hair care businesses are a safe community space. Tonight is Safety in Numbers by Seattle artist Jono Vaughan. The artist has been working on the role of hair in identity. For this show they create a hair salon and perform in it. Safety in Numbers at Killjoy Collective http://www.killjoypdx.com/events/2017/9/16/perceive-candace-jahn-jill-falk. 222 Southeast 10th Avenue #102B 7PM-9 Free

October 14, 15, 21, 22 Open Source

Portland Open Studios is a yearly event. Artists self-select, apply, are curated, are included in a guide and then open their studios. It is an opportunity to see what a working artist studio looks like, straightened up for guests.

In the past, you, the viewer and collector, paid a fee for a printed calendar and map to the studios, many in residences.

What is new is that there is a free app to guide you. There is an in-app upgrade if you want a map and images from the artists in your phone. Otherwise the images of artists works are on the Open Studios website. There is also a printed guide for sale - check their website.

Portland Open Studios portlandopenstudios.com. Throughout town. 10AM-5. (better app) $4.99, (paper guide)$15, Free

October 13 Rainy Reflection

Peggy Sisouvong and Steven Mayer have Reflection Pools. At Grapefruits, www.grapefruitjuiceartists.org/www.grapefruitsartspace.org 2119 N Kerby, STE D. 6PM-9 Free

October 6 Eastside Art Openings

Portland encaustic artist Elise Wagner has Climate Charts. Wagner has been inspired by science over several bodies of work. With climate and science a species-level concern, it is welcome artists are addressing it. She stealths scientific illustration into sensual, warm works. Is it OK to have something beautiful in our home to inspire changing the world? Yes. Eric Boyer also has small wire screen sculptures. Artist talk 6:30PM. At Butters Gallery www.buttersgallery.com 157 NE Grand 6PM-8 Free



The 811 building is always recommended. Black Box, upstairs, has a show ending at 8 - early. Redux has a regular show extending later. Other shops, up and down join in. The 811 building is always recommended. At 811 East Burnside Map 6PM-8 Free



Ann Ploeger is a Portland photographer. She is noted for commissioned straight-shot color portraits of individuals, couples and families in their homes. Her trademark is often clients/subjects in bare feet at home. She has The Woman Who Was Alive There, portraits of female-identified friends. At Pushdot Studio www.pushdotstudio.com 2505 SE 11th Avenue Suite 104 6PM-9 Free



Mike Lee & Betsy Walton have a show. At Stephanie Chefas Projects www.stephaniechefas.com 305 SE 3rd Ave #202 - the City Sign Building, formerly a low cost artist space Map. 7PM-10 Free



One Grand has poppy Porous Walker. Their openings are fun whatever the work. At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 8PM-11 Free



Inherent Terrain is a show by Rain Harris, Amanda Salov, Undine Brod and Sasha Koozel Reibstein. It is at Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 6PM-9 Free



The Splendorporium is lovely Portland creative electricity. Their main vector is children art studioing and connecting to parents of self same. But that does not mean they can't be subversive in a good way. They are the root of an art bike moon ride tonight: http://firstfridaypdx.org/2017/09/21/costumes-cats-and-bikes-oh-my/ - meet 5:30PM. Main show is on Tarot 7. Always worth a check. At http://www.splendorporium.net/ 3421 SE 21st. 7PM-9 Free

October 5 Westside Art Openings

Karolin Klüppel has Mädchenland, Kingdom of Girls, documentation of young people in Assam, India. They are indigenous Khasi people photographed in their town of Mawlynnong. Thomas Roma has Plato's Dogs, photos of the shadows of dogs. Kim Ray and D. Scott Clark have an installation, Reliquary: The Stuff We Save. They are photographic prints of the interiors of an elder relative they share. It is in the Nine Gallery. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free



Enfant terrible Jim Riswold has prints has How to Make Fun of Nazis, unfortunately topical. Riswold is a former ad man at W+K. He doesn't shy from provocation. Karen Esler has detailed figure drawings in situ. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8PM Free



Riswold also has a very large show themed on cancer, death, bad men and women, medical research. It has plenty of 2d and substantial sculptures. At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th Map 5PM-9 Free



Mel Katz was in the thick of the NY art world of the 1950s. He has lived and taught in Portland for many years, bringing that experience. He has Options, abstract wall sculptures fabricated of aluminum. Betty Merken has Continuum pigment-saturated minimal sculpture and painting. Calvin Ross Carl has paintings I Am Here Until I Am Not, geometrics, icons and words. At Laura Russo Lee Gallery www.russoleegallery.com 805 NW 21st early close 5PM-8 early close Free



The weather will be perfect tonight for the RACC projection series which takes place in a parking lot at Park and Glisan. Pepper Pepper and friends will perform live. Their fun drag stylings will be captured live, sent through a kaleidoscopic MAX patch and projected on the large blank wall of the RACC building. Fun. We hope to see this around throughout the year. RACC First Thursday projection night. SW Park and SW Glisan. 7PM-9 Free



Raque Ford has con•fi•dence, abstract monoprints. It's at Williamson | Knight 916 NW Flanders early close. 6PM-8 Free



Upor continues General Song by Rodrigo Valenzuela. At UpFor Gallery www.upforgallery.com 929 NW Flanders early close 6PM-8 Free



Gallery 114 is a member coop, similar to Blackfish. It is a useful model, along with Tokyo's short rental gallery shows. They do video press releases which is interesting. But they are rarely on my sonar. This month they have guest Horatio Yung-Yan Law with Burnt Offerings, along with Mary Jo Mann with Un-Becoming, contrasting weeds and houseless humans in our urban environment. At Gallery 114 www.gallery114pdx.com 1100 NW Glisan 6PM-9 Free



The Jewish Museum has a permanent collection and traveling shows. They will be open until 8 on First Thursday in the previous Contemporary Craft Museum space.



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It is always evolving and there are many strong spaces. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map closing ranges from 9PM-10:30ish



PNCA is recommended to stop in. They have long time cycle shows and pop ups distributed throughout the building. PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 6PM-9 Free

October 1 Crafty Repurposed

Symmetry Breaking is a group show by Emily Counts, Jovencio de la Paz, Jo Hamilton, Anya Kivarkis, Brenda Mallory, Kristen Miller, Emily Nachison and Jane Schiffhauer. The theme of the show, curated by Blake Shell, nee the Clark College Archer Gallery and now Disjecta is the use of craft materials in contemporary art, oh so Northwesterly. Recommended show.

Symmetry Breaking https://events.marylhurst.edu/event/opening-reception-symmetry-breaking/ at the Marylhurst University www.marylhurst.edu/theartgym/ Map 4PM-6 Free

September 30 Tricks Toys and Joys

Marisa Manso has Tricks Toys and Joys. She removes painting from the frame, painting abstracts on low relief shapes and freestanding sculptures, sometimes incorporating illumination. She lives in Seattle, along with guest curator and sculptor, Francesca Lohmann. They have colaborated on shows together. It's fun work of quality by a recent MFA who has been getting good shows in Seattle alt spaces. Tricks Toys and Joys https://www.facebook.com/events/173720679860856/ at OV Project Space 7604 SE Washington 6:00PM-9 Free

September 29-30 Degenerate Matriarch

Degenerate Art Ensemble are longtime friends with the coolest performance name. Degenerate Art (Entartete Kunst) was the name given by Hitler to modern and experimental art. He set the government, institutions and the public against those artists. Those artists included many viewed today as world changing.

Degenerate Art Ensemble is Haruko Crow Nishimura, choreographer, dancer and vocalist + Joshua Kohl, composer and musician, with collaborators. Their home is Seattle. They present their new piece Diphylleia Grayi, Skeleton Flower. This is the intimate version and we are very fortunate to be able to see it in Portland. Often DAE's works unfold over several years. An example was the Predator’s Songstress piece.

Mizu Desierto is Water in the Desert in Japanese. She is the force of nature in Portland butoh. Her work is often inspired by, and performed, outdoors. She is a master of physical theater and psychodynamic themes. She has a new piece, Matriarch, tonight. A previous piece was Migration.

Degenerate Art Ensemble and Mizu Desierto perform their new works tonight, http://www.witd.org/witdperformance/dae. Advance tickets are strongly recommended for the small theater. mizu@witd.org 503.404.2350. At Headwaters Theater 55 NE Farragut St. #9. The theater is in the back of the building by the active railroad tracks facing Winchell Street. Map 8PM $5-30

September 23 Meat Transformations

Glass art ranges in aesthetics from crafty, to excessively beautiful, to idea-driven contemporary. This show is the third.

Transformations is by artists Ligia Bouton, New Mexico; Kate Clements, Pennsylvania; Emily Counts, Washington; Emily Nachison, Oregon; and Judy Tuwaletstiwa, New Mexico.

They win the copywriting award for the month.

"Mysterious in its creation, common in its application, and utopian in visions of the future, glass is rife with cultural, scientific, and metaphysical meaning. The glass we encounter is largely comprised of sand, soda ash, lime, and metallic oxides. These minerals are combined, melted, and then cooled into a myriad of forms. The recipe is millennia old, but retains much of the magic that likely accompanied its first discovery. Sand is transformed into glass; it is a transformation that borders on the alchemical. A common material is made into something new with unique qualities that require a new category of matter: amorphous solid. [The] artists ... approach glass from diverse perspectives, but it is transformation – be it through meditations on mortality, adolescence, fantasy, or the spiritual - that draws them to this material and connects their work."

The website has a artist statements and photos.

Closing reception and artists' talks at www.bullseyeprojects.com. RSVP requested http://www.bullseyeprojects.com/events/38/. 300 NW 13th 1PM-2:30 Free



Artists Mel Carter, Maggie-Rose Condit, Braxton Congrove, Dakota Gearhart and Elizabeth Mputu present A Situation of Meat. The show is curated by Julia Greenway from Seattle, the 7th Disjecta guest curator. At Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.disjecta.org 8371 N. Interstate Map 6PM-10 Free

September 21 A Life in Waves

Suzanne Ciani is an electronic musician in the post-musique concrète generation. She has won five Grammys for her work. The documentary A Life in Waves traces her exceptional career, including pioneering electronic sound logos.

Her work as an early musician using modular synths is particularly relevant in Portland now. There is a resurgence in modular synths, a synth store, a synth library and synth music classes. There are a large number of women synth musicians and synth classes focused on women at S1. Internationally and historically trans musician Wendy Carlos was a pioneering analog synth artist. Bebe Barron is known for the first electronic score for a studio film. It's a diverse field.

The early electronic musicians had large cluttered studios like electronics labs. Modular synths, based on modular analog computers were introduced in 1963 by makers Moog and Buchla. They packed a large modular library into a small, even transportable chassis, which could be endlessly configured into the musician's own instrument.

There will be a performance on a Buchla (Ciani on Buchla) modular synth before the film.

At Clinton St Theater cstpdx.com/show/life-waves 2522 SE Clinton. Doors 6PM $8 advance, $10 door

September 20-23, 26-29 Embryotrophic

Butoh is a Japanese contemporary dance form. It is often improvised, inspired by images from nature. Kokoro Dance are Vancouver BC butoh performers operating for more than 20 years. They are known for their annual Wreck Beach performances. There are videos of Kokoro and butoh. Some performances involve nudity, possibly NSFW.

Vancouver is one of about two handfuls of international butoh cities, hosting a favorite group Dairakudakan recently. The cities would be Portland, Seattle, SF, Boulder, Berlin, Chicago, NYC, Buenos Aires, Tokyo and Kyoto.

Kokoro opens a new stage performance, Embryotrophic Cavatina. When I've seen them, their performances have been theatrical and humorous. The core couple have been working together for many years, like Eiko and Koma, creating a special dialog which is beautiful to watch.

Recommended. Embryotrophic Cavatina by Kokoro Dance kokoro.ca at Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre
181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, BC. 8PM $25-30

September 19 Type Cast

Portland is home to the C.C. Stern Type Foundry. They have antique machines that make metal fonts and print from them. They are a cult! A new film, Pressing On, tells the story of other printers around the country using antique metal type. At Clinton St Theater cstpdx.com 2522 SE Clinton. 7PM $8 advance, $10 door

September 17 Long Busy

Michael T. Hensley has Long Haul, bright busy mixed media paintings. At Nationale www.nationale.us 3360 SE Division Map 3PM-5 Free

September 16 Perceve Joy

The Killjoy Collective is a project by recent PNCA MFA grads taking action to show women artists. Tonight it's Perceive, photographs by Candace Jahn and paintings by Jill Falk, both also from PNCA. Perceive at Killjoy Collective http://www.killjoypdx.com/events/2017/9/16/perceive-candace-jahn-jill-falk. 222 Southeast 10th Avenue #102B 7PM-9 Free

September 15 Dolphin Secret Grapefruit

We used to mention fashion events when our friends were doing it. Grapefruits Art Space is relatively new. Tonight they are doing art in the form of clothing. Martha Daghlian, founder of umbrella https://www.grapefruitjuiceartists.org/organization and curator, shows ceremonial protective garments along with TravB. At Grapefruits, 2119 N Kerby, STE D. 6PM-9 Free



Experimental musicians Indira Valey, Amenta Abioto, Secret Drum Band and Dolphin Midwives play this evening in above order https://www.facebook.com/events/247348132429565/ at the famous Xhurch xhurch.net 4550 NE 20th. Map 7PM-10 $5-10

September 8 Eastside Art Openings+

Eastside art openings have been lacking getting organized. Here are a few.

The 811 building is always recommended. One interesting event are photos from musician Corrina Repp at the Liza Rietz Showroom.

At 811 East Burnside Map 6PM-8 Free



Stephanie Chefas Projects has David Bray from the UK with Return of the Returner. At Stephanie Chefas Projects www.stephaniechefas.com 305 SE 3rd Ave #202 - the City Sign Building, formerly a low cost artist space Map. 6PM-9 Free



Not East -

Adams and Ollman has an older artist Joan Nelson. They often uncover older or deceased artists. At Adams and Ollman Gallery, the second of two members of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, www.adamsandollman.com 209 SW 9th 6PM-8 Free



Then there is Rainen Knecht with Earth Alien. At the first of two members in Portland of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, Fourteen30 Gallery www.fourteen30.com 1501 SW Market Street Map 6PM-8 Free

September 7 Westside Art Openings

You can check the usual spots NW Park and Davis, NW Flanders and 9th, and below. They will be fine but no wow this month.



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map closing ranges from 9PM-10:30ish



PNCA is recommended to stop in. They have long time cycle shows and pop ups distributed throughout the building. PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 6PM-9 Free

September 3 Labor Day

Labor Day is a show by Manuel Arturo Abreu, Carmen Argote, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Rodrigo Valenzuela and Carmen Winant. It is an up to date show curated by Asha Bukojemsky at a new experimental gallery, the Chicken Coop Gallery.

There is a statement worth reading on the gallery website.

Chicken Coop is shaping up to be the heir to Appendix. Recommended. Labor Day at the Chicken Coop Gallery www.chickencoopcontemporary.com 12400 SE Knapp 6PM-9 Free

September 1 Eastside Art Openings en Bike

The First Friday Eastside art opening pattern is always in flux. Galleries flux and opening schedules flux.

Here is a multi-gallery bikey event. Hope organizers Portland’s Eastside Artwalk and The Street Trust continue it.

Bikes start at Eutectic Gallery opening at 5:30PM. Bikes leave there at 6 and end at Splendorporium. True Measure Gallery, East Creative Collective, Bite Studio and Studio 2507 all participate,

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NASDIX_XcUfoTkj6ETKDi16TILQ&usp=sharing


Eastside galleries opening. https://www.facebook.com/events/1950287668590347/ Start at Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 5:30PM-9

August 24 Arch

Proscenium Arch is a group show installation by Inga Danysz, Keisuke Iiri - Le Makeup, Nicolette Polek and Kira Scerbin. It's curated by Spring PNCA BFA grad Charles Klein Stobbs III. LeMakeup provides a recorded soundtrack at 7:30. At S1, formerly Multiplex, www.s1portland.com 7320 NE Sandy Map 6PM-9 Free

August 14 DIY Art in 1950s Japan

Neglecting the American-Native American war of expansion between 1690 and 1924, the last war on US soil was the civil war. It was 4 years, 150 years ago. They did not have modern weapons. But we are still fighting that war today.

Japan engaged wars of expansion too. The United States entered one of those wars in late 1941, transforming the conflict into total war with modern weapons. The definition of total war and absolute war vary. When it was formulated in the 1800s, modern weapons did not exist. I use it to mean war on civilians with modern weapons. By the time of the atomic bombings, which are the ultimate expression of total war, several Japanese cities had been already been leveled.

Tonight's talk is about individual artists and community groups of artists that flourished in the Japan of the 1950s. Protests in 1959 and 1960 against the US-Japan Defense Treaty also included street theater and experimental performance, leading to enduring artistic movements.

Americans have a limited understanding of the cultural impact of war on their home soil, and no understanding of total war. So the impact of those on artistic creativity is foreign. We make those war decisions today in the abstract, but the impact is not abstract for the individuals involved. We are sowing generations of unhappiness and, for some, the desire for revenge.

The Creativity of Uncertainty: Amateur Woodcut in 1950s Japan is a talk by Justin Jesty from the University of Washington, in the context outlined above, on people, time, place and beauty.

A longer more eloquent description is https://www.facebook.com/events/109729873045005/.

At Yu Contemporary Art www.yucontemporary.org 900 SE 10th 7PM Free

August 12 There is Still Time!+

There is Still Time! is a show by artists Rose Dickson and Sarah Smiley. They are artist friends, communicating as often as daily, making their works, separated by a thousand miles.

Their work is related. Dickson is more minimal, Smiley has a little more visual humor and she adds performance. They both were schooled at RISD, where they met.

Don't be shy, meet artist friends. There is Still Time! https://www.facebook.com/events/1233546403439933/ at OV Project Space 7604 SE Washington 6:00PM-9 Free



Volt Divers is a night of analog synth performers. This month they are Caustic Touch, Grease Envelope, Ben Davis, Big Mountain Fudge Cake, Greyjoy, Enough Static, Sea Moss, Kinder and Arkham Sunset. Visuals by Judy Gloom. Tonight 100% of the modest cover, $5, goes to the ACLU. Yes. Volt Divers at Lovecraft Bar 421 SE Grand 7PM Sharp-10 $5

August 9-12 Convergence

Converge 45 is a Portland visual art event with a lot of talk and some performance. It has keynote events and receptions requiring paid tickets. Other things are free. It places emphasis on artist networking and co-inspiration. The big list is here: http://converge45.org/event/year2017/august9-12/. Converge also promotes local galleries by publishing a list of the contemporary ones and their shows. Converge 45 various places, times and prices.

August 9-13 Drift Iteration Paths

PortlandORUSNow is event-oriented. We list the receptions where you might meet other artists. The reception for this is 11AM-1PM Thursday.

MSHR has Drift Iteration Paths, a large distributed musical synth and sculpture. It uses electronic circuits connected to optical circuits. The lasers, LEDs, incandescent bulbs and light-sensitive detectors make a continuously evolving sound and light show. They are part of a sculpture with Mayan- or ancient Chinese-like mystic sculptural units.

MSHR is now operating in NYC and getting some great shows there.

At the PSU Littman Gallery in Smith Union. www.littmanwhite.tumblr.com/post/163465069432/drift-iteration-paths-mshr-august-913-2017 PSU Smith Hall, Room 250, 1825 SW Broadway. Noon-5 Wednesday, Noon-6 Thursday Friday, check for other hours. Closes 5PM-8 Sunday. Free

August 9 Suspended Moment

Suspended Moment is a performance and a sculpture commemorating the atomic bombings in Japan on August 6 & 9, 1945. Yukiyo Kawano was born in Hiroshima. She has sewn her mother's kimonos into the shape of one of the bombs. It is suspended in the performance space. Meshi Chavez & Kawano perform butoh on that set with support by poet Allison Cobb, musician Lisa DeGrace and projectionist Stephen Miller.

From Despair to Hope is a commemoration at the Japanese American Historical Plaza, NW Naito Parkway, Waterfront Park from 6PM to 7.

The Suspended Moment is after at the University of Oregon White Stag Building in the main floor atrium 70 NW Couch 7PM-8 Free

August 4 Eastside Openings+

Maya Vivas has Beauty in Fragility, two bodies of work: Radical Emergence: An exploration in adaptation, sensuality, & abundance and Black: Dissected & Articulated. At 7pm there is a poetry reading by t.a. edwards from her series The Ugliest Girl in The World. An artist talk & closing reception is 7PM August 25th. At adxportland.com 1015 SE Stark 6PM-9 Free



Butters has an anniversary group show by Dorothy Goode, Ted Katz, Julie Rall, Marlana Stoddard-Hayes, Elise Wagner, Rick Stare, Brenda Mallory, David Geiser, Jeffrey Butters, Deborah Gillis, Michael Kessler and Stephanie Shank. It is a good opportunity to survey the aesthetics of the gallery. At Butters Gallery www.buttersgallery.com 157 NE Grand 6PM-8 Free



Girls of Summer is work by Alea Bone, Stephanie Brockway, Heide Davis. At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside 6PM-9:30 Free


Shades of Gray is a monochrome show of primarily landscapes. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs Early close 5PM-8 Free


All at 811 East Burnside Map



Slater Herman has Images of Nothing, actually photographs of everyday items found traveling in the US. At Pushdot Studio www.pushdotstudio.com 2505 SE 11th Avenue Suite 104 6PM-9 Free



Chefas has cartoon-like paintings themed on pop culture. At Stephanie Chefas Projects www.stephaniechefas.com 305 SE 3rd Ave #202 - the City Sign Building, formerly a low cost artist space Map. 6PM-9 Free



Breaking the Mold are slip-cast ceramics works that take advantage of the resolution of porcelain, but on projects that would not be practical in mass slip-cast production. Artists are Julian F. Bond, Jeff Campana, Sharan Elran, Kyle Johns, Joris Link, and Peter Pincus. At Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 6PM-9 Free



Daniel H Wilson has a PhD in robotics. He's better known for his fiction works about robots and AI. He speaks tonight on his new thriller The Clockwork Dynasty. Could there be human-like machines hidden among us for centuries? Discovering that is the quest of an anthropologist. More anthropologist protagonists? Yes! At Powell's Burnside 1005 W Burnside 7:30PM Free

August 3 Westside Art Openings

August is a slow month for commercial galleries. Some are drawn away by the Seattle art fair and collectors are vacationing.



Katie Torn has surreal paintings and video. She is part of a trio of gallerists artists: Morehshin Allahyari, Brenna Murphy and Katie Torn, mounting a group show August 23 through September 2. At UpFor Gallery www.upforgallery.com 929 NW Flanders early close 6PM-8 Free



PDX continues the previous show. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 925 NW Flanders Map early close 8PM Free



The Eclipse Show is a massive show curated by Christopher Rauschenberg. It includes artists Blake Andrews, Jacob Aue Sobol, Karl Baden, Gloria Baker Feinstein, John Baldessari, Steve Beckly, Deborah Bergman, Matt Black, Romain Blanquart, Laurie Blakeslee, John Bridges, Anja Bruehling, Jason Burch, Catherine Cameron, Lucy Capehart, Kristin Capp, Caleb Charland, Jo Ann Chaus, Alexander Chekmenev, John Chervinsky, Adrain Chesser, Vince Cianni, Larry Clark, Jamila Clarke, Paul Dahlquist, Kris Davidson, Rocio de Alba, Desiree Edkins, Matt Eich, Adam Ekberg, Elliott Erwitt, John Faier, Bill Finger, Dean Forbes, Klaus Frahm, Robert Frank, Patricia Galagan, Ingeborg Gerdes, Kevin German, Joseph Glasgow, Carole Glauber, John Gossage, Lauren Grabelle, Michael Hall, Bob Haft, Adam Hartzell, Stewart Harvey, Craig Hickman, Ann Hughes, Rachel Hulin, Carol Isaak, Megan Jacobs, John Jerard, Tom Jimison, Matt Kallio, Denise Keim, George Kelly, Ann Kendellen, Katrina Kepule, Sara Kirschenbaum, Les Krims, Laurie Lambrecht, Robert Langham, Susan Lapides, Jason Larkin, J.K. Lavin, Russell Lee, Isa Leshko, Fritz Liedtke, Nathan Lucas, Helena Lukas, Mary Ann Lynch, Lajos Major, Ann Mansolino, Roberta Margolis, Rania Matar, Lee Materazzi, Shay McAtee, Groana Melendez, Julie Mihaly, Andrew Miksys, Andrea Modica, Daniel Muchiut, Dan Nelken, Adam Novak, David Pace, Louie Palu, Gordon Parks, Colleen Plumb, Craig Pozzi, Douglas Prior, Christopher Rauschenberg, Tony Ray-Jones, Shawn Records, Arne Reinhardt, William Rihel III, Vanessa Renwick, Suzanne Revy, Saul Robbins, Jana Romanova, William Rugen, Pentti Sammallahti, Andi Schreiber, Traer Scott, Lauren Semivan, Steve Smith, Christopher Sohler, Matt Stuart, Paul Sutinen, Cody Swanson, Brandon Thibodeaux, Stewart Weir, Andrés Wertheim, Reiko Yagi and Bijan Yashar.

Kris Sanford has Through the Lens of Desire, vintage found photographs of same identified individuals recontextalized into same identified relationships.


Nan Curtis has What if We Let It in the Nines Gallery space inside Blue Sky.

At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free



Wolf Haven are photographs made at a Washington State wolf sanctuary by Seattle's Annie Marie Musselman. Because it is a fenced facility the photographer could make photos at a close distance. At Charles Hartman Fine Art www.hartmanfineart.net 134 NW 8th early close 8PM Free



The Jewish Museum has a permanent collection and traveling shows. They will be open until 8 on First Thursday in the previous Contemporary Craft Museum space.



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. It is always evolving and there are many strong spaces. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map closing ranges from 9PM-10:30ish