October, 2014

Arts October 29, 2014

Seeing Beyond the Stigma at J. Pepin Art Gallery

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“The vernacular that’s used around mental health perpetuates the stigma,” sighs Jennifer Pepin, the artist behind the young, eponymous gallery. “Like, mental illness…I hate those words.” In 2007, the same year that Pepin received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, BMC Health Services Research compiled a list of 250 labels—derisive words such as crazy, bonkers, nuts, and psycho—used to stigmatize individuals with mental health issues. The negative attitudes attached to such labels are far reaching, and frequently generate feelings of fear, distrust, pity, and rejection. For some, joining a support group, which offers a nonjudgmental platform to share and explore similar experiences, is a way to mitigate that stigma. After a severe bout of depression in the summer of 2012, Pepin felt alienated and misunderstood. “I was seeking understanding, and people that could validate what I was experiencing. I simply went online and typed in ‘bipolar support groups.’” To her surprise, Pepin found that her support group was bursting with artistic talent. Among its members were several painters, a classically trained pianist-turned-composer, a published poet, and a dancer. They were people whose thriving creative practices and psychiatric diagnoses weren’t mutually exclusive. Still, Pepin felt that the stigma of mental health was…

Events October 28, 2014

Brent DeBoer’s Immigrant Union joins Federale on stage Nov. 6 at Mississippi Studios

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“Immigrant Union is a band with uncompromising appeal on the brink of international recognition and admiration,” asserts Jef Krohn, Music Editor at PDX Magazine. Led by Portland’s own Brent DeBoer, of the Dandy Warhols, Immigrant Union rolls into town on psychedelic waves to perform the final show of their North American tour at Mississippi Studios (3939 N. Mississippi Ave.) Thursday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. The Melbourne, Australia-based band released their second full length album, Anyway, in September. “The show is a rare opportunity to see this Aussie outfit in an up close and intimate setting before they hit the coliseums and amphitheaters around the world. Not to mention it’s Mississippi Studios, arguably one of the best-sounding venues in Portland.” Presented by PDX Magazine, Immigrant Union opens for Spaghetti Western-inspired local band Federale. The headliner’s conceptual tunes, best described as a tumbleweed of western soundscapes, takes listeners through a musical tracking of opening credits, stampedes, fast-draws, and a ride into the sunset. Federale is half the brain-child of Collin Hegna, the neo-psychedelic bass player of The Brian Jonestown Massacre. In addition, classic country crooners Brush Prairie—featuring Zia McCabe, also of the Dandy Warhols—are booked to open. Expect classic covers from…

Domicile by Corbett/Kathryn
Arts, Events October 21, 2014

New work by Corbett/Kathryn tackles our digital age’s ‘obsessive present’

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Travel down a path, ensconced by a geodesic dome and lit by projections of the celestial sky, to explore the sprawling sculpture at its center. A floating topographical representation of the Portland metro area is seen through the obsessive compilation of hundreds of digital satellite images. Allow the eye to roll over the exhibit’s mountains and valleys and wind through the rivers. Give into the perspective of the creation only to be brought back to reality by the mechanisms of the installation—the lighting, special effects, and structural components which draw you to the dome, and its safety and subjectivity. The experience is part of the new full-sensory exhibit, Domicile, orchestrated by local artists Tyler Corbett and Erinn Kathryn. The duo create art under the moniker Corbett/Kathryn (“Subjective Cartogrpahy,” Issue No. 8). The geodesic dome is a shell created from a network of great intersecting circles. The structure, Corbett explains, is a symbol of the encompassing environment that restricts or embellishes our understanding of a subject, in this case the topographical sculpture at the center of the installation. Corbett/Kathryn characterized their centerpiece as the earthly embodiment of the “obsessive present.” A concept described by Corbett as not only the global culturalization of…

All Jane No Dick
Events October 17, 2014

All Jane No Dick: Female comics gather to make Portland laugh

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The all-female comedy festival, All Jane No Dick, is well under way, having opened last night with a local showcase at Helium Comedy Club. JoAnn Schinderle, Amy Miller, Whitney Streed and a host of other comics who performed last night are Portland-based favorites, but the festival, organized by the nonprofit Curious Comedy Theater (5225 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.), highlights nationally and internationally recognized acts as well. The aim, according to the festival’s official statement, is to recognize diverse, quality comics in an industry in which women represent just one every five spots on high-profile comedy festival bills, one in five chairs in the writing room, and one in five television appearances. “Industry representatives explain this discrepancy by claiming quality women comedians are hard to find,” notes the festival organizers. “All Jane No Dick was created to help bridge the gap between women comedians, audiences, and industry decision-makers.” Though the festival is a push back against the rampant sexism in the industry, one male rights activist in particular sees the festival as just that—sexist. In an effort to bring attention to his cause, the man, who has since become known as the Lone Woof, posted fliers along Alberta Street that urged…

Dial M for Murder by Bag & Baggage Productions
Arts, Events October 16, 2014

Dim the lights: Portland’s mid-October theater opening highlights

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Television houses a surplus crop of zombie apocalypse and vampire romance. Break free from the parade of the undead with a string of mid-October Portland theater openings guaranteed to add a little mortality to this fall’s entertainment. After all, autumn is both a celebration of life and death. Milagro Theatre (525 SE Stark) has set the stage for the debut of Olga Sanchez’s ¡O Romeo!. Running from Oct. 17 through Nov. 9, ¡O Romeo! summons the victims of Shakespeare’s tragedies to appear to the dramatist in his dying days as he creates his final masterpiece. Inspired by Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the play is a bilingual performance that focuses on the culturally influenced concept of death. Director Sanchez credits her team of actors, designers, and crew for proving that the legendary playwright transcends cultural boundaries. Ticket prices range from $16 to $24. From Oct. 16 through Nov. 2, enjoy the songs and choreography given life in Portland’5 Center for the Arts’ 110 in the Shade at Brunish Theatre (1111 SW Broadway). The musical, which emerged from N. Richard Nash’s play The Rainmaker, tells a tale of small town America when a draught bares an opportunity for…

Jennifer Faylor
Arts, Events October 11, 2014

Chasing Ghosts: Excerpt of Jennifer Faylor’s ‘Edison’s Ghost Machine’

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New York City-based poet Jennifer Faylor lands in Portland this week, reading poetry from her latest collection of work Edison’s Ghost Machine. The compilation of poems details the process of one man’s grief over the loss of his lover, Alice. As part of the process he concocts a machine that speaks to ghosts, much like the invention Thomas Edison was rumored to have attempted. With a storyline that moves beyond the here and now to the afterlife, Faylor’s poetry tackles spirituality and science in equal measure. Faylor, who has her MFA in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College, has two upcoming reading events in Portland. The poet participates in the Show and Tell Gallery hosted by Three Friends Coffeehouse (201 SE 12th Ave.) on Monday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m., and reads at the Independent Publishing Resource Center (1001 SE Division St.) the following day, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. Edison’s Ghost Machine is published by Aldrich Press. An excerpt of Edison’s Ghost Machine: Hindu Milk Miracle The worshippers arrived in masses, stretched from the temple for miles, and blistered in September’s thick heat. Their hands clutched the cheap metal spoons that they would fill with milk, and hold up to the…

Heaven Adores You still
Arts October 10, 2014

Director, producers recount making of Elliott Smith documentary ‘Heaven Adores You’

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I’ve listened to the music of Elliott Smith, the prolific Portland-based singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the late 1990s, for several, several years. Recently, during a closing shift at my night job, I used the restaurant’s premium speaker system to blast his 1998 release, XO. As his gentle guitar strumming emanated from the speakers, I realized that I now heard his music, understood his music in a more profound way than ever before. The catalyst for this was my having viewed the new documentary on Smith by director Nickolas Dylan Rossi, Heaven Adores You, and my subsequent interviews with those involved in the project. Listening to the hushed voice of Smith suddenly had greater poignancy. In Heaven Adores You, Smith’s friend and former publicist, Dorien Gay, reveals that friends and colleagues of Smith’s came together to host an intervention after the musician sent Gay an email that said to not be mad at him if he ever did something to himself. After that intervention, Smith wrote XO as a response to those friends who tried to help him. What started as a documentary about musicians who were inspired by Smith’s music grew into a film focused solely on Smith’s music. The…

Events October 9, 2014

SuperTrash on display, let’s talk about it

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Our history is documented in everyday design. A passing glance at a poster may not strike the viewer as anything more than an artful image, designed to draw attention to an upcoming film. But what happens when more than 200 hundred posters, spanning fifty years, are placed juxtaposed in an exhibit? SuperTrash, a collection of cult movie bills curated by Jacques Boyreau, was first presented at the Andy Warhol Museum. Offering an alternative portrait of the 20th century, the prints amassed by Boyreau, author of TRASH: The Graphic Genius of Xploitation Movie Posters, are on display at PNCA’s Swigert Commons (1241 NW Johnson) through Oct. 21. As this showcase of vintage design warrants more than just a glance, the art school seeks to contextualize the thoughts and attitudes behind the graphic designs with a symposium hosted this Saturday, Oct. 11, as part of Design Week Portland. After settling in with a cup of morning coffee, the symposium begins promptly at 10 a.m. Boyreau opens the event, speaking to why this selection of cult movie advertisements is an avant-garde study of America’s collective past. Then, a discussion lead by notable presenters is to follow. Speakers Amy Borden, contributor to anthologies on…

Arts October 9, 2014

‘You Just Don’t Know Yet’: Excerpts from Derrick C. Brown’s ‘Our Poison Horse’

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“At first, moving to the countryside from Austin felt like an incredible peace,” says Texas-based poet Derrick C. Brown in a recent interview with PDX Magazine. “And then you begin to notice scorpions, and massive spiders, snakes, vultures and striped hornets.” The prolific poet relocated from his adopted city of Austin to the small country town of Elgin, Texas to write his most recent book, Our Poison Horse, a collection of poetry. His work oscillates from inspiringly personal to unexpectedly humorous. “It is all horror at first,” continues Brown about the critters in his new pastoral setting, “and then you change and you begin to love watching them move. All that slither and nasty becomes fascinating. The book managed to find a lot of humor in it.” Our Poison Horse, Brown’s fifth book, is widely considered to be a compilation of more intimate and autobiographical poems than his previously published collections. Such revelations were spurred by Brown’s retreat into the countryside, which allowed for singular focus from which subtle details emerged, and unlikely connections were forged. “Every morning, I would quiet down, stare out into the field where we were watching our neighbor’s horse, a horse that was poisoned with…

Events October 7, 2014

Mix tapes, Mad Men, and urban design: Oct. 7 highlights of Design Week Portland

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Design is founded on more than just functionality. At its very core, design is rhetoric. From its beginnings as the artful speeches of ancient Greeks, rhetoric has evolved into the ability to express ideas through multiple mediums of design. Tonight, Design Week Portland hosts several events around town that use various forms of design to communicate with the Rose City. See how artist Kate Bingaman-Burt forgoes the high-fidelity romance of mix tapes to use the medium to communicate her thoughts on money, objects, and emotions. The open house exhibit, More More More, at Liquid Space (910 NW Hoyt) in the Pearl District, is a free event that lasts from 4 to 7 p.m. The show gives attendees a chance to speak with Bingaman-Burt and purchase prints of her work. Each purchase comes with a mix tape curated by the artist. Later in the evening, take a more intimate look at the work—rather than the sex lives—of Portland’s real-life Don Drapers in Portland Designers in the Mad Men Era. Browse displays featuring old sketchbooks, pamphlets, illustrations, and comics of Mad Men-era Portland designers in advertising. The collection provides an intimate look at the local men who transformed the field of ad and graphic…