Events

Vinnie Kinsella by Jayna Milan
Events December 9, 2014

Storytelling on display: Dark Night of the Soul

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Hear tragic tales and stories of bold resolve at Dark Night of the Soul III. The storytelling session, presented by experimental performance group Home Theatre Systems, gathers at Floyd Old Town Coffee (118 NW Couch St.) this Thursday. The story-sharing group thrives on the idea that transcendence and community can be achieved by sharing moments of hardship. The third installation of Dark Night of Soul features several members of the PDX Late Bloomers Club, whose members will share their distinct experiences as gay men who remained closeted for 30 to 50-plus years. The event is the first opportunity to hear stories of the like that will be featured in the anthology Fashionably Late, a collection of stories that articulate similar experiences. Fashionably Late, which has an expected release date of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, 2015, is the inaugural publication of Eldredge Books, a Portland-based small press started by local publisher Vinnie Kinsella. Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is $6. — Rachael Lesley Vinnie Kinsella shot for PDX Magazine by Jayna Milan.

Arts, Events December 5, 2014

Photography At Large: My Tour With The Wild Ones

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“On the count of three, jump back and lean to your right—actually, put that crown on your head first. Mateus, can you help her?” I directed from behind my camera. As Mateus placed a flower crown on top of Bella’s head, I wrapped my arms around myself and hugged tightly. It was a chilly day in New York City’s Central Park and the sun was quickly disappearing behind the city skyline. I had only met Bella and Mateus minutes earlier, but was already comfortable creating art with them—as was everyone else. On the other side of the park, Kory had climbed daringly high into a tree while Sandra, sprawled out on the grass below, quickly snapped photos. Nearby, Wendy was carefully arranging butterflies on Alyssa’s back while Alyssa emoted over her shoulder. Mere hours before, we were all strangers, but had gathered together that day to create conceptual photographs for The Wild Ones tour. We quickly became friends. Combine three best-friend photographers, a van overflowing with camera equipment, and a strong desire to give back to the photographic community and you get The Wild Ones tour. The annual traveling summer workshops are where aspiring photographers befriend and create photographs with…

Arts, Events November 14, 2014

Discussing Finances Through Art: Umpqua Bank Launches Exhibit: Growth

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A 40-foot geodesic dome appeared in Portland’s Director Park this week. It, and several sculptures by local and national artists that surround the dome, comprise Exhibit: Growth, an experiential art installation commissioned by Umpqua Bank. The exhibit aims to demonstrate the power and beauty of a collective experience by taking visitors on a journey of personal discovery. “This project began with a simple question: what does it take to have a conversation about money?” says Eve Callahan, a senior vice president at the bank who heads Umpqua’s Corporate Communications department. Callahan explains that since the mid-1990s, when Umpqua began to introduce its bank branches as community hubs, the company has tried to surmount the taboo of talking openly about finances in people’s daily lives. “Like it or not, money is an essential part of life. It guides decisions about where we live, what car we drive, where we educate our kids, travel, eat…in short, just about everything. Yet people don’t want to talk about it,” Callahan adds. Umpqua is again challenging people to think about the topic of money, this time in an unconventional way—through art. It commissioned the talent of digital art agencies Fake Love from Brooklyn and The Mill whose Los Angeles team…

Fight or Flight by Corey Arnold
Arts, Events November 5, 2014

Three must-see picks for November’s First Thursday

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This week, reward the brain with some unstructured playtime courtesy of another installment of First Thursday. The Pearl District’s monthly gallery walk grants access to local, national, and international artists in a setting ripe for socialization. Head over to Charles A. Hartman Fine Art Gallery (134 NW 8th Ave.) with friends to discuss the work of Portland-based artist Corey Arnold. His series, Wildlife, rediscovers the meaning of “awesome.” Used during Romanticism to describe nature, awesome defines a thing that simultaneously evokes admiration and fear—Arnold’s work delivers both. Expect to be drawn in by the rich colors and held captive by the creatures before you, and feel free to share your experience with Arnold. The artist will be present for the opening reception, which runs from 5 to 8 p.m. At Annie Meyer Artwork Gallery (120 NW 9th Ave.), local artist Shawn Demarest exhibits Snow Day, a series of vignettes prompted by a rare heavy snowfall that descended on Portland back in February 2014. Demarest uses oil paints to depict outdoor scenes, often initially rendered on site in a technique called en plein air. Her paintings then evolve in her studio where time degrades the details of the scene causing her…

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…

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…