January 27 Elder Flowers

Flowers for Black Elders is a project of images and interviews with musicians Mel Brown, Alonzo Chadwick, Libretto Jackson, Derrick McDuffey, and Saeeda Wright. Musician Onry, photographer Brett Brown, and Future Paririe principal Joni Whitworth made it.

It is at Nationale now in their project room with a closing reception in late February in association with One Grand Gallery.

At www.nationale.us 15 SE 22nd Map their regular hours Free

January 26 - April 29 Data Weaving

While Upfor Gallery has shifted to consulting and physically closed, they have undertaken a large curatorial project, Weaving Data. Humans are tool makers and art makers. The petroglyphs, cave paintings, and artifacts show it. Since then, America has a history of craft revivals, and both craft and craft as art are a popular Northwest regional theme.

https://sites.google.com/pdx.edu/weaving-data/brochure provides a well written explanation of the show and art theory by Shannon R. Stratton. It is worth a read.

The short version is that artists Faig Ahmed, April Bey, Jovencio de la Paz, Ahree Lee, Kayla Mattes, Shelley Socolofsky, Joan Truckenbrod, Vo Vo, and Sarah Wertzberger use data in which we are awash to inspire the pattern of their woven works.

The show is up January 24 – April 29. https://sites.google.com/pdx.edu/weaving-data/calendar-of-events is a list of events including for children for the show. The opening is tonight, January 26.

At the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University https://www.pdx.edu/museum-of-art/ 1855 SW Broadway 5PM-7 RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weaving-data-opening-reception-tickets-474378237077 Free

January 21 Indiscreet Opening Sun Flow

The current show by Hannah Newman and Susan Murrel hosts an interview with the artists by MK Guth. At Carnation Contemporary www.carnationcontemporary.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N Interstate. Also on Instagram Live. 2PM Masks encouraged Free


Jose Bonell from Barcelona has paintings The Indiscreet Night. At Adams and Ollman Gallery, the second of two members of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, www.adamsandollman.com 418 NW 8th 1PM-4 Free


John Vitale has What has Gone Wrong Becomes an Opening. At Nationale www.nationale.us 15 SE 22nd Map Masks required 2PM-4 Free


Sun Foot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBF8YGF17rQ is a band with Portland multiartist Chris Johanson. He created the Portland Quiet Music Festival we hope returns. They play tonight. Sun Foot at Mississipi Studios 8PM $10

January 14 Pop Low Surrealism No Brow

Although I am familiar with La Luz de Jesus Gallery and Roc La Rue from the early days, lowbrow and pop surrealism never was of interest. Too California or creepy. But hey, some people like it, including famous Portlanders. In that vein, John Sauer has Pretend Times, and Diego Corral has Destroy. At Brassworks Gallery 3022 NE Glisan Ave 5PM-9 Free

January 13 Yawa Quadrivial

The Ivan McClellan and Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe show Inheritance has a closing party this evening. There will be a musical performance by Yawa - Amenta Abioto. Recommended.

At The Lumber Room http://lumberroom.com/exhibitions/2022/quaicoe-mclellan 419 SW 9th, above Liz Leach Map  6PM-8 Free

Lisa Congdon operns The Opposite of Sorrow along with a big group show Quadrivial.

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

January 7 Reclaiming Outside Watersky Flowstone

David Rice is a Portland based photorealistic painter. He shows Outside along with a group show Wilderness III he curated with the gallery. At Antler Gallery antlerpdx.com 2728-2724 NE Alberta Noon-4 Free


Douglas Burns and Amirah Chatman collaborated on an interactive work Watersky. The ball pit was very popular with smaller type children. At Well Well Projects www.wellwellprojects.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N. Interstate Map  5PM-8 Free


Hannah Newman and Susan Murrel collaborate on Flowstone, loosely inspired visually and conceptually by sunsets. The work includes fluoro stalgmite-like structures with embedded fragments of coal and obsiian. They have a pile of pebbles, some seats, and an about 10 minute recording to contemplate the rock you picked along with earth-theme literary readings. They have a talk January 21, 2PM with MK Guth, masks required. At Carnation Contemporary www.carnationcontemporary.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N Interstate. 5PM-8, masks required in the first hour Free


Oregon Contemporary continues their Home School show and Intisar Abioto performs at 6. At Oregon Contemporary nee Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan www.oregoncontemporary.org 8371 N. Interstate Map 5PM-8 Free

January 6 Eastside Art Openings

Sad 2 year aniversery of January 6 2020.

For now we are going to discontinue First Fridat listings. You can find them on the 1FPDX FB, their FirstFridayPDX Insta and individual space socials.

Many of the spaces slow down in rainy season. Eutectic has moved to appointment. The Afru building was sold.

Have fun in your independent explorations and keep your feet dry!

January 5 Westside Art Openings+

Westside art openings are reviving slightly, though others focus on Saturday mid-day openings.


Sara Siestreem is Hanis Coos, one of the Oregon tribes. She has paintings and mixed media, and a video work, in a show taking the whole gallery, Looking for the Land///Found the Weather. Many Oregon tribes were de-recognized by the federal government as discussed in the recent https://www.underscore.news/reporting/experts-say-lawsuits-pose-greatest-threat-to-tribes-in-decades. The last Hanis language speaker passed in 1972, before the artist was born. This scene, from a famous Wim Wenders film, Where the Green Ants Dream, set in Austrailia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiN2B9cklC0 captures that idea. Recommended. At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 6PM-8 Early Close Free


The late David Pace, working in West Africa, presents The Architecture of L’Ancien Village, https://www.blueskygallery.org/exhibitions/archives/2023/david-pace. Saturday at 3PM is a talk. Eli Durst has The Community, https://www.blueskygallery.org/exhibitions/archives/2023/eli-durst. He has a 1PM Saturday talk.

The Nine Gallery inside Blue Sky has Paula Overbay, a Portland and East Coast late career artist. In this show, Cells, she interprets cell growth with a pointalist painting style.

At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 5PM-7 Early Closing Free


Blackfish has Monica Mitchell with Unos Sitios Escondidos Hidden Places, Corey S. Pressman with The Light at the Center, and Carol Bensonwith Counterpanes. At Blackfish Gallery https://www.blackfish.com/ 938 NW Everett Map 6PM-9 Free


What If? is a show of 27 artists across America by 4 curators. It is themed on a what if? future. Gallery 114 is a coop as are several local galleries, often focused on the work of their members. At Gallery 114 www.gallery114pdx.com 1100 NW Glisan 5PM-7 Early Closing Free


Waterstone continues their 30 year retrospective group show. At Waterstone Gallery www.waterstonegallery.com 124 NW 9th 4PM-7 Early Closing Free

December 17 Groupers

This time of year, group shows are popular.


Outlet PDX gathers many of the artists who use their Risograph printers and their art buddies. They are also activating their courtyard. The event continues Sunday, check their socials for deets.

At Outlet https://www.outletpdx.com/ 2500 NE Sandy Blvd E Saturday, September 17th from 10AM-6PM Free


Fisk gathers about 25 of their artists for a group show. Their events are always great.

At Fisk Projects 3613 NE MLK Jr. Blvd. 5PM-10 Free

December 16 Family Affair

Family Affair is the group show in honor of the reopening in a new spot and the rebranding of Chefas.

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


Manu Torres brings bright sculptures for dark season optimism, along with the current show of work designed by Javier Reyes and fabricated in Oaxaca. Bachata & cumbia ensue!

At Landdd Gallery https://www.landdd.org 714 NW Glisan 6PM-9 Free

December 10 Tree Music

Lynne Woods Turner is a longtime portland minimalist painter. Vince Skelly carves wood sculptures from whole logs. At Adams and Ollman Gallery, the second of two members of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, www.adamsandollman.com 418 NW 8th 1PM-4 Free


If you like your Winter music experimental, Elwand (Elrond and Moss Wand) Francisco Botello and Carly Barton bring it. At Leven Community Center 5431 NE 20th at Killingsworth Masks preferred 8PM $8-15

December 9 Lines Elsewhere

Elsewhere is a new show by Alfred Liuion. At Nucleus Portland http://www.nucleusportland.com 2916 NE Alberta 5PM-7 Free


Sebo Walker and Noah Smith drop Between the Lines. At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 5PM sharp Free

December 8 Elegant Minimalism

Kristin Miller's work fits well with PDX Contemporary's zeitgeist. The canvases are light colored fabrics, come found, with microscopic Italian glass beads hand sewn thereon. It is a quiet, minimalist, aaand beautiful way to store time. Also good news, the Marie Watt neon piece from the last show was bought by PAM. At PDX Contemporary Art www.pdxcontemporaryart.com 1825 NW Vaughn Map 5PM-8 Free

December 4 Snow or Shine Spellbinding

The annual open studios at NW Marine Art Works, with artists from the other associated studios is today. 2516 NW 29th. 10AM-4 Free


Sarah Turner is half of the Mobile Projection Unit and is pursuing her media MFA back East. She has new video work incorporated into an online performance streaming at 8PM tonight. It recontextualizes sex cam work admixing self realization and witchy. "I’ve developed a new character, glitch_bitch, who will guide you through a seggsy meditation through spell-casting and manifestation practices. During the live stream, I want you to enter the chat, and tell glitch bitch your deepest desires. she’ll help you get there! What’s through the 😻 portal? You’ll have to tune in to find out! Must be 18 +" You can find the details on her insta and browse in. 8PM by donation

December 3 Bluegrey Moon

Blue Moon Camera presents 3 years of looking at customer images being processed and selecting what they like. It is a unique and social show. At 45th Parallel Wines - 8527 N. Lombard, Two Stroke Coffee - 8517 N. Lombard, Revolutions Book Shop - 8713 N. Lombard, St. Johns Boxing - 7441 N. Leavitt, and Leisure Public House - 8002 N. Lombard. Recommended 7PM Free


Charlie Salas-Humara opens a new show. At Nationale www.nationale.us 15 SE 22nd Map Masks required 2PM-4 Free


Mujer, by Cortney Morentin is at Well Well Projects www.wellwellprojects.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N. Interstate Map  5PM-8 Free


Art and design duo Midgray are Kris Blackmore and Simon Boas, also featuring Pat Boas. They present A Useless Task it Seems. At Carnation Contemporary www.carnationcontemporary.com in the Disjecta building 8371 N Interstate. 5PM-8


Oregon Contemporary is having a big sale to raise funds with the help of artists. 5PM-8

December 2 Walking

Downtown Vancouver Washington has its own first Friday evening gallery openings. It is laid out at vdausa.org/first-friday. 6PM-9ish Free


Portland's distributed East side lists some of its openings tonight at the 1FPDX Facebook group. Free

December 1 Westside Art Openings

Westside art openings are reviving slightly, though others focus on Friday and Saturday openings.


Stumptown opens portrait paintings based on photographs by Nicole Williford. At Stumptown www.stumptowncoffee.com 128 SW 3rd 5PM-7 Free


Blackfish has Barbara Black, Barbara Coyne, and Angela Passalacqua. They have a virtual artist talk 5:30PM-6 on Facebook Live, and are open at their new location 938 NW Everett. https://www.blackfish.com/ 6PM-9 Free


Continuing last month's show until December 10, Lee Materazzi has Pushed In, photographs of collages. Jordanna Kalman has Jordanna and the Masters of Photography, photographs of collages of images by the photographer and other photographers. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 5PM-7 Early Closing Free


Waterstone has a 30 year retrospective group show. At Waterstone Gallery www.waterstonegallery.com 124 NW 9th 4PM-7 Early Closing Free


Kristiano Hargisimo has There Are No Roads Here along with the late Richard Bartow Frog Talk Seriously. There are exhibit eonversations Saturday at 11AM. At Froelick Gallery www.froelickgallery.com 714 NW Davis 5PM-8 Early Closing Free

December 1-3 DIY Confab

PNCA holds its annual symposium open to all. It is loosely themed Do-It-Yourself/Do-It-Ourselves! with a focus of hands-on interspersed with a few guest lectures. It also includes open studios in the 511 Building Saturday. DIY symposium https://pncaevents.willamette.edu/e/3171 at PNCA 511 NW Broadway, entrance on Park. Various hours. RSVP requested at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pnca-graduate-symposium-2022-do-it-yourself-do-it-ourselves-tickets-440007041907 Free

November 25 Exploring

Exploring the Vessel gathers functional mugs and other small ceramics from artists, mostly pretty. At Antler Gallery + Talon Gallery antlerpdx.com + talongallery.com 2728-2724 NE Alberta 11AM-5PM Free

November 24 Pilgrim Society

The Anti-Pilgrim Society meets, with live painting, prints for sale, and dialogue. Hosted by native artist April Holder.

At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 5PM sharp Free