Portland’s First Thursday Gallery Openings for December
Dec 7th, 2007 by Brad
Many of Portland’s art bloggers this week are at the Miami Art Fair. PORT is covering the fair and the various Portland artists there.
A couple of the Portland galleries were closed as the gallerists are at Miami, but there is some great shows to see this month.
It was a nice evening to walk around. Below are some images from Portland’s 1st Thursday openings, but as always I really encourage people to spend some time this month in the galleries and really take in the art.
I just saw this quote again and decided to share…
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. – Edgar Degas
Debra Beers has a show at the Mark Woolley Gallery (817 SW 2nd Ave, Portland OR). I’ve enjoyed Debra’s work at other shows and I’ll admit that this summer I was very tempted to buy one at the Woolley summer show.
Debra’s previous subjects were very urban. The works in this show take a turn to the natural world. This is her first solo exhibition that consists entirely of drawings. Each of these new works is very powerful and have an emotional impact. The image below is called “Asparagus #4.” A wonderful balance of static and dynamic.
In her artist statement she writes, “…nature has been of great personal solace and an instiller of needed perspective. And for all of us, do we not seek out the natural world when feeling that life is unbearable and/or out-of-balance? How will we function as individuals and as a collective, when the natural world is no longer beside us to guide, comfort, instruct and respectfully just “be”?”
Debra Beers teaches part time in the art department at Lewis & Clark College.
Mark Woolley mentioned to me that this show will continue to February 2, 2008, so you will have a chance to see if your holiday plans keep you too busy to stop by this month.
Next door at Augen Gallery (817 SW 2nd, Portland OR) is Eva Lake’s show “Richter Scale” which shows her recent Paintings. I recommend both really staring at them as well as looking at them as you dynamically walk by them. Both of these methods enhance the experience to me. Eva writes, “My goal in painting is to create an experience you feel as opposed to a composition you read. I treasure an infinite space. With this new body of work, I left behind the grid and embraced an ongoing line, not dissimilar to Brancusi’s Endless column.” Below is an image of Eva standing in front of her work.
Michael Schultheis paintings are showing at Froelick Gallery (714 NW Davis, Portland OR). The image below is called “Villaceau Series 01, 02, 03”
I first saw Michael Schultheis work at Margo Jacobsen Gallery in 2003. I instantly got them. I guess my brain is wired that way. I think in those 4 years these works have really developed to a wonderful place.
Michael Schultheis writes, “As humans, we have a fascinating capacity to visualize mathematics. Our analytical concepts can be visualized, written down in notation, and then shared as a logical and visual language for others. These creative issues from our minds are analytical expressions, and the visual process of rendering them is analytical expressionism. This is the world I explore while painting.”
This month the Portland Art Center (32 NW 5th, Portland OR) in Old Town is in a month-long fundraiser to try to get this struggling arts non-profit out of the red. The center is selling 300 artwork panels created by local artists each are priced at $300. Please go and buy one you like.
The Portland Art Center gets an added bonus as Portland philanthropist Henry Hillman, Jr. is offering a matching grant of up to $20,000 based on the sales this month.
Today in the Oregonian I read that Portland Art Center just recieved a $5000 commitment from Arlene Schnitzer, a major patron of the arts. This joins other donations.
As you can see, lots of people were at the show. I saw a good start at red dots on the works. If you want to see more shows at the Portland Art Center please stop by, check out the show, and then buy the art you love.
The final image today is from the group show at Blackfish Gallery (420 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR). I don’t know much about Kentree Spiers, but I really like the image “Interrupted.”
Kids & insects… what is not to love!
