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Category Archives: Arts & Culture

Concordia Art Works – You can help renew splashes of public art

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

The bench in front of Just Bob’s on Alberta Street at 24th Avenue receives an artistic, colorful renewal by artist Chelsea Rose. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

In 1997, the Alberta Streetscape plan was hatched as an attempt to rejuvenate Alberta Street. The main street had lost its luster and the city finally invested in the district via the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

Aligned with the community, the plan included a focus on the aesthetics of the strip. Curbs were extended, trees planted, the iconic kinetic street lighting added and eight bus benches installed.

The idea was to make the street more functional and aesthetically pleasing for both pedestrians and cars.

By 2016, those bus benches had been forgotten. They were covered in tags and were in utter disrepair. Alberta Art Works negotiated an Adopt a Landscape agreement to do something about the eyesores that ranged from 7th to 24th avenues.

By creating a sponsorship program, businesses or individuals pay local artists to paint benches. The benches are repainted every two years. The artists thank the sponsor(s) on the backs of the benches, and they sign the fronts.

This spring several benches will be repainted and – with all the changes in the landscape of Alberta Street – it will be a welcome splash of public art in our shared space in time for summer.

Want to sponsor a local artist and contribute to our Alberta arts legacy? See AlbertaArtWorks.org to find out more.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette , holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org.

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

Concordia Art Works – Don’t confine art to just galleries, museums

Posted on December 5, 2020 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

Take the power of art and add community. Art in public spaces creates culture by building character and improves the quality of life.

This artist recommends anyone and everyone can create community art to help get the community through a long winter. Photos by Maquette Reeverts

Art doesn’t have to be a luxury or something in a gallery or museum. Art can happen in your yard. You have an opportunity to improve the quality of place while engaging your brain in something creative.

It is going to be a long winter, so why not use that extra indoor time creating something for everyone to enjoy? Think yard art, little libraries and other ways to enhance your lawn for the good of all.

Engage your neighbors with something that makes them smile, a little surprise along their evening stroll.

Not a painter? Stencils are a great way to enliven a garden wall or concrete steps. Make a stencil using thin cardboard or buy one from a craft store. Hire an artist, or paint a mural yourself on that tired wood fence.

How about a street mural? Start planning this winter by visiting PortlandOregon.gov/transportation/67083, then putting it into action come spring.

Interactive art could be a chalkboard, little libraries or shelves for free piles. Assemblages are works of art that use found objects. Look in your attic, garage and bike shed to find interesting parts to make a yard sculpture.

Those born with green thumbs could start a “kids cut-your-own flower bed” or how about inviting a fairy or gnome into your garden by building them a house or an entry at the base of a tree?

Do it for yourself and do it for your neighbors. Create a smile for everyone to enjoy. By simply participating in a creative way, you can help bring a little humanity to our everyday and improve our community’s well-being.

Editor’s note: After you’ve created and placed your community art, send a photo and its location to CNews for Concordia Curiosities. Or post it on Facebook.com/ groups/ConcordiaPDX.

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette, holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org

Concerts are out, so band takes music online

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Tamara Anne Fowler | CNA Media Team

(Left to right) Ditte Kuijpers, Alex Whitcher, Ian Kelley, Peter Harrington and Chris Boitz arrived here from different parts of the globe. Once in Portland, they found each other and now write and perform music about their new home. Photo courtesy of Driving for Peaches

The drive for peaches has been a long one. Even spanning oceans.

In 2017, Driving for Peaches (DFP) band members Pete Harrington, guitar, came from the UK and Alex Whitcher, guitar, arrived from New Zealand.

Ditte Kuipers, vocals, had hit the Portland soil a few years prior. Ian Kelley, drummer, is originally from California and works at Extracto. Chris Boitz, bass, grew up in Oregon and has spent most of his life in Portland.

“DFP’s music is inspired largely by escape, road trips and relationships and the freedom of driving wherever you want… the journey. The peach is the often unattainable thing you are striving to reach at the end, whether it is the perfect destination or something connected to a loved one or relationship,” Pete said.

DFP has written and rehearsed all of the group’s first songs during COVID-19 lockdown.

“The Pacific Northwest is relatively new to most of us in the band, so we are inspired a lot by the energy, landscape and people of this place. Our music is steeped in the vibes of this beautiful part of the world,” Alex revealed.

“Our first releases channel the energy of different parts of the state – salt: Oregon coast, head straight: Willamette National Forest, blisters: high desert,” he added.

Most of the writing has taken place at Pete’s home, where they also recorded their first three tracks. It’s the only option during lockdown.

“We now practice with the full band at Cerimon House, where they have been amazing. Based on the COVID-19 restrictions and the fact they aren’t able to hold formal events, they were willing to let us use the space for our practices,” Alex explained.

It’s anybody’s guess when playing regular shows will be a reality. As such, DFP members are focused on what they can control – writing and recording music and creating a steady cadence of releases that people can get behind.

Internet presence and building DFP’s following without being able to play live much is important to the band members.

They invite people to follow them on:

  • Spotify at bit.ly/SP-DFP
  • SoundCloud at bit.ly/SC-DFP 
  • Instagram at bit.ly/IN-DFP 
  • Facebook.com/drivingforpeaches

Tamara Anne Fowler is Edit Kitten, a writer with 20-plus years of experience offering a sof ter, gentler approach to editing and coaching. Her personal editors – Armani, Max Factor and Spicey’D – are also her cats. Visit her at EditKitten.com or contact her at Tamara@EditKitten.com.

Concordia Art Works – Artists create new means to reach audiences

Posted on October 17, 2020 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

One creative tactic artists employ to reach their audiences during the pandemic is Converge 45’s #ACTFORART. Twelve artists were  commissioned to create posters you can find while wandering the streets of Portland. Proceeds go to the Nat Turner Biopic Relief Program.

“Portland has built its ‘brand’ on the backs of our arts community, a multi-million-dollar industry that provides thousands of jobs, is a major tourism attraction and drives business to hotels, restaurants and retailers across the city,” said Chloe Eudaly, Portland arts commissioner.

According to America for the Arts in 2015, the nonprofit arts and culture industry nationally reported $166.3 billion of economic activity, supported 4.6 million jobs and generated $27.5 billion in revenue.

When COVID-19 attacked, the arts were hit hard. Performers and venues depend on large groups to earn money. Most freelance artists have been left out of relief projects, and galleries can no longer invite the public to opening night events.

Needless to say, artists are creative and have found ways to reach their audiences. Converge 45 commissioned 12 artists, created posters of their work and have posted those on the streets of Portland. Posters are available for $25 and the proceeds go to the Nat Turner Biopic Artist Relief Program.

Alberta Street galleries are selling art pieces online via websites and social media, and they offer pick-up and drop-off services. Openings have given way to monthlong art shows that allow for staggered viewing. Galleries report sales haven’t waned too much, maybe because people became bored of tired walls while in lockdown.

Last Thursday, now in its 23rd year, went virtual this summer. Alberta Main Street and Alberta Art Works (AAW) used Portland Bureau of Transportation’s summer budget for the event to pay artists to create short promotional videos and classes that were aired on social media.

AAW hired artists of color to perform at various Alberta Street galleries and livestreamed to Facebook and YouTube. Visit LastThursdayPortland. org for free movement and art classes, to discover local artists and to find the street concerts by artists like Arietta Ward, Onry, Rejoice: Diaspora Dance Theater, and Ekone.

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette, holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org.

Concordia Art Works – Pablo Brings Mexican Art to Alberta Street

Posted on September 27, 2020 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

Pablo Gonzalez
Pablo Gonzalez moved to Portland to pursue his art. In 19 years, he’s left his mark – and continues to – on many walls on Alberta Street. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

Born in Zongolica – meaning crafty hair – in Veracruz, Mexico, Pablo Gonzalez came to Portland in 2001 to pursue his art. He loved the beautiful trees and worked at Al Forno’s Pizza, where he did his first murals on Alberta Street.

Influenced by the Mexican tradition of murals, he carried a portfolio of his work to show store owners in his search of walls to paint. He now has quite a body of work on Alberta.

La Sirenita hosts his mermaid, her scales made of CDs reflecting the afternoon sun. On the alley wall, he collaborated with Consuela del Moral to paint Fertiledad del la Tierra – Fertile Earth – depicting various Mexican symbols, animals and designs.

On the once-vacant building on 23rd Avenue and Alberta, Pablo and friends painted a whale, elephant and large roses atop a stenciled background on the façade.

On Dar Salam’s front patio, find his trompe l’oeil. It’s an art technique that uses realistic imagery and perspective to create the optical illusion you are sitting on a Middle Eastern village street as you dine.

His latest mural at southeast 136th Avenue and Powell Street honors Black Lives Matter. Larger-than-life portraits of George Floyd and Quincey Hanes contrast a local incident with the more nationally known tragedy.

He received some negative feedback – being a Mexican artist – and pushback from the building owner, but he knew the importance of the message and continued his work.

Now Pablo’s portfolio is full of examples of interior and exterior murals, food carts and works on canvas. Visit PablosMurals.com to see his body of work.

Pablo invites fellow artists to an outdoor show in his yard for Last Thursdays. Find his sign on 19th Avenue and Alberta directing you to his house behind the Alberta Street Gallery. Listen for the DJ playing on the front porch.

“Times are tough,” Pablo said. “But I just keep going forward with positivity.”

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette , holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org.

Concordia Art Work – Bad tags Part 2: how can you avoid them?

Posted on August 28, 2020 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

This mural by Carla Bartow on a wall of the Black United Fund of Oregon illustrates the history of the area. In 2015, it was the first outdoor mural for the artist and is despoiled by taggers. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

So what can you do to help curb tagging? Plant thorny trees or bushes, remove ways to climb, light the area well, install a “living” mural or pay an artist to create a mural.

Portland’s Graffiti Task Force endorses murals as one of the best strategies available to reduce unwanted tagging. Murals demand attention and are far more respected than a glaring blank space.

They can educate, unify, beautify and create an experience that gets spread far and wide via social media. Murals can also be protected using an anti-graffiti coating making any future graffiti clean ups easier.

Interested in a mural? Use the $1,000 you might otherwise pay in fines, and pay an artist. A local one earns brownie points.

Alberta Art Works can help put you in contact with an artist and facilitate the somewhat complex mural permitting process. Or look into the Regional Art and Culture Council’s (RACC’s) Public Art Mural Program, which can provide matching funds up to $5,000 – or $2,500 if the artist is a college art student.

Under this program, RACC will own the completed artwork and have the artists waive their Visual Artist Rights Act (VARA) benefits. Those protect the artist’s image as the artist intended, regardless of the ownership of the final mural. This ensures the artist’s image remains as the artist intended, and it cannot be altered and nothing added to the creation.

Murals on private property are also a solution for those fences, garage doors or concrete walls that are unsightly or targets for tagging. Murals contrast the negative mental health effects of concrete and asphalt.

Through the visual aesthetic, murals promote a sense of identity, belonging, attachment, welcoming and openness, and they strengthens our community identification.

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette , holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@ AlbertaArtWorks.org.

Concordia Art Works – Bad tags, bad… here’s what to do with them

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

This mural by Carla Bartow on a wall of the Black United Fund of Oregon illustrates the history of the area. In 2015, it was the first outdoor mural for the artist and is despoiled by taggers. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

Illegal graffiti and tagging costs property owners time and money. Add a pandemic with a “stay at home” order, and tagging creates an added burden, especially on small businesses.

“The amount of money the Black United Fund of Oregon (BUFOR) spends each year on graffiti abatement amounts to a lost scholarship for a teen from our underserved communities,” pled Curtrina Huff, BUFOR executive office and operations manager.

Portland City Code Chapter 14B.80.040 requires business owners to clean all graffiti within 10 days or be subject to fines. The owner could expect to be charged for the removal of the graffiti, an overhead charge of 25% for “program administration” plus a $250 fine.

Removal would be by one of two services the city contracts. One estimate for buffing a 150-square-foot brick wall is $600-$700, and could become a property lien.

Any gang-related tags or hate speech, however, are removed free by the city. Cover it and call the Office of Community and Civic Life at 503.823.4824. Add it iona l ly, DI Y graffiti removal kits are available at Fire Station 14 at 1905 N.E. Killingsworth St.

A tag is the most basic handstyle writing of an artist’s name. A graffiti writer’s tag is a personalized, quickly written signature. Tagging amounts to 80-85% of all graffiti in Portland, with taggers’ median age being 20. Most will travel in a “crew,” resulting in the phenomenon of waking up and discovering swaths that popped up overnight of grouped scrawlings.

Buffing is the knee-jerk response. That’s the act of trying to erase the marks by painting over or cleaning. Variations in tints and sporadic coverage, however, create eyesores of painted fields and lightened brick. The wall becomes a blank canvas that beckons the next tagger, leading to the next buffing, leading to tagging…

Visit this spot next month for options that can abate tagging on your property. Here’s a hint about one: murals.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette , holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@ AlbertaArtWorks.org

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

The story of Floyd N. Booker Sr. is now visual

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

Artist Campo preserves the spirit and contributions of Floyd N. Booker Sr. on Alberta Street’s newest mural. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

Hard work, dedication, perseverance and integrity. The story of Floyd N. Booker Sr. is now in visual form on the northeast corner of 17th Avenue and Alberta Street.

After being discharged from the U.S. Army, Floyd came to Portland in 1943. He worked for Union Pacific Railroad for 18 years and became union shop steward before starting his own business.

Floyd came to own the building on 17th and Alberta that houses his business. Courtesy Janitorial Services is one of the oldest African American owned businesses in Portland.

Campo is an artist who has lived in the neighborhood for over four years. “The side wall on 17th Avenue was getting hit with graffiti regularly so last September I introduced myself to Ron [Booker, Floyd’s son and Courtesy Janitorial owner] and Marnella [Mosley, office manager] and offered them some relief with a mural,” he reported.

Originally from Ohio, Campo runs the small business Hand Brand Book Company, specializing in marbled notebooks and wallets, among other goods.

Provided with a couple of black and white photos, Campo used his favorite medium, spray paint, to create the portrait of Booker with an image of a photo of him with three other men in Vanport.

Symbolism tells the rest of Floyd’s story. A lantern shining through the night highlights his commitment to keeping the light on at home for his six children, represented by six beads below.

A lighted candle burns to signify Floyd’s work ethic of toiling into the night. A scale shows the balance he kept between his work and family commitments, especially as his family grew.

Campo is now turning his attention to another of Alberta Street’s walls. The northeast corner of 18th Avenue will soon have a new mural to cover the consistent tagging on the old Solae’s brick wall.

As a nod to the bar, the subject will be a jazz trumpeter amid a swirling background resonate of the artist’s marbling work.

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette , holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org.

Concordia community events calendar for January

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Gordon Riggs Posted in Arts & Culture, Events

Tuesday, Dec. 31-Wednesday, Jan. 1, noon-5pm

CREATIVE PATH WALK: Turning of the Year–Hopes & Resolutions for 2020

Location: Cerimon House, 5131 NE 23rd

The monthly indoor community contemplative walk is on the historic Chartres pattern. Traversing the design offers the opportunity to focus & still the mind. Donations accepted, reservations encouraged. Wear comfortable socks.

Details: creativepathwalk.org

Fridays, Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31, 10:30am-noon

FEAST COMMUNITY CHOIR

Location: Subud Portland, 3185 NE Regents

Forget Everything & Sing Together (FEAST) is a community acapella choir with the goal to build community. New singers welcome.

Details/fee: feastcommunitychoir.com

Monday, Jan. 6-Friday, March 20, library open hours

Heather Goodwind Exhibit

Location: Concordia University Library

Helen Goodwind deploys paint, ink & graphite to create a personal anthology of the archetypal images she presents as a permanent record of her experience. Her current projects include large scale works on canvas, & self-data collection to track & optimize her creative process. The exhibit shows through the Concordia University Library Multicultural Arts & Events Program. A reception for the artist is Thursday, Jan. 30, 5:30-8:30pm.

Details/library open hours: cu-portland.edu/academics/libraries/library-calendar

Tuesdays, Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28, 4-8pm

TIME TOGETHER: TUESDAYS

Location: Cerimon House, 5131 NE 23rd

Gather, knit, craft, fold, chat, be. This open house connects friends. Most Tuesdays include a 22-foot Chartres pattern labyrinth for a contemplative walk.

Details: cerimonhouse.org

Saturday, Jan. 11, 3-5pm

Home Energy Score Workshop

Location: Community Energy Project, 2900 SE Stark

Portland homes now require home energy scores to be listed for sale. This class is for home sellers/buyers & real estate brokers. Class covers interpreting home energy score reports & effective energy efficiency upgrades.

Details/registration: communityenergyproject.org

Sunday, Jan. 12, 3-5:30pm

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

Location: Cerimon House, 5131 NE 23rd

Join community members to talk about neighborhood change in the premiere of the film “Diary of a Street. ” Learn about early neighborhood history from CNews historian Doug Decker. Explore diverse perspectives on neighborhood change with a panel from the housing field & community. Enjoy light refreshments & participate in the raffle for prizes from local businesses. Funded partially by the Regional Arts & Culture Council, the event is hosted by Jordana Leeb, featured in CNews (Page 9 of the November 2019 issue at concordiapdx.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/cna-201911-web.pdf).

Details/RSVP: tinyurl.com/ConcordiaConversations

Monday, Jan. 13, 7pm

Paranormal Pub: Ghosts of McMenamins

Location: McMenamins Kennedy School

Presenter Rocky Smith, historian & paranormal investigator reports the legends of ghostly apparitions guests have encountered at McMenamins properties, especially Kennedy School, White Eagle & Edgefield. In fact, those properties are featured regularly on lists of Oregon’s haunted hotspots. The in-depth presentation not only offers some of the most chilling entries from the famous McMenamins ghost logs–it also explores the mystery & history surrounding the buildings. Minors welcome with parents or guardians. Doors open 6pm.

Details: mcmenamins.com/events/213278-paranormal-pub-ghosts-of-mcmenamins

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 7pm

Race Talks: The Color of Fear–Walking Each Other Home

Location: McMenamins Kennedy School

This session ends the 4-part discussion of “The Color of Fear,” an insightful, groundbreaking film about the state of race relations in America. It gives an in-depth look into the state of race in America. In the era of Black Lives Matter, gay pride & chants of “send them back”–with the urgency for racial reconciliation heightened–the film’s commentary is just as poignant today as it was 25 years ago. Doors open 6pm.

Details: mcmenamins.com/events/213267-the-color-of-fear-part-ii-walking-each-other-home

Thursday, Jan. 16, 6-8pm

FREE CRAFT NIGHT

Location: Atlas Pizza, 710 N Killingsworth

collage & Atlas Pizza collaborate the third Thursday of each month to sponsor this event. Supplies & instructors provided, no registration necessary.

Details: collagepdx.com

Saturday, Jan. 25, 8:45am-1pm

Groundwater 101

Location: McKinstry Company, 16790 NE Mason

Join the Portland Water Bureau & the Columbia Slough Watershed Council for this workshop geared toward adults & adolescents as young as 17. You’ll learn groundwater basics including local geology & hydrology, the role groundwater plays in the local drinking water system & what you can do to protect this resource that lies beneath the cities of Portland, Gresham & Fairview. The workshop is presented with a mix of hands-on & classroom-style teaching, Light refreshments provided.

Details/registration: columbiaslough.org/events/event/71

Saturday Jan. 25, 10am-1pm

Stewardship Saturday: Columbia Park Nature Patch

Location: 7701 N Chautauqua

Help plant native trees & shrubs to create habitat for pollinators & birds at this north Portland park. Not only do they require less watering & chemicals to thrive & create healthy wildlife habitat for pollinators, native plants discourage invasive species, & they help manage stormwater naturally to improve the health of the rivers & streams. Instruction, gloves, tools, snacks, & warm drinks provided for this family-friendly event. Cosponsors are the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, Friends of Columbia Park & Portland Parks & Recreation.

Details/registration: rachel.walsh@columbiaslough.org, 503.281.1132

Sunday, Jan. 26, 10am-5pm

Sacred Geometry & Mandala Art: Drawing the Universe

Location: Cerimon House, 5131 NE 23rd

The morning segment of this playshop focuses on sacred geometry & learning to draw 2 basic patterns. The afternoon explores the contemplative process of the mandala. Short, guided meditations align with the significance of 11/11 & will be offered throughout the day. The day is presented by the Liminal Space Society, no experience is necessary & supplies & beverages provided. Bring your own lunch. A similar gathering was highlighted in CNews (Page 9 of the November 2018 issue at concordiapdx.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/cna-201811.1-web.pdf).

Details/fee: cerimonhouse.org/calendar/2018/mandala-geometry

Monday, Jan. 27, 7pm

History Pub: About the Making of “The General”

Location: McMenamins Kennedy School

Presenter Oregon Encyclopedia author & former state librarian of Oregon Jim Scheppke introduces Buster Keaton’s masterpiece silent movie that was filmed in 1926 in Cottage Grove, Oregon. He’ll describe the filmmaking process, including the famous train wreck scene that was most expensive scene in the history of silent film. Following a screening of the movie, Jim will answer questions. Doors open 6pm.

Details: mcmenamins.com/events/213230-the-making-of-the-general-buster-keatons-masterpiece

Community calendar items Admission to events is free unless otherwise noted. Priority is afforded to local events sponsored by–or which benefit–local nonprofit organizations. Submit information to CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org by the 10th of the month preceding the event.

He assembles items to represent his worldview

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Web Manager Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Joel Dippold | CNA Media Team

Dan Pillers, Concordian and celebrated artist, uses artifacts and curiosities as the building blocks of his work. Photo by Ryan-Michael Riel
Dan Pillers, Concordian and celebrated artist, uses artifacts and curiosities as the building blocks of his work. Photo by Ryan-Michael Riel.

A thought slowly comes over you as you stand in a room full of Dan Pillers’ exquisite works of art: “The inside of this guy’s studio must be pretty amazing.”

Dan practices bricolage, assembling found objects into elaborate representations of his worldview, and his identity. His perspective is one of a gay man born in the Eisenhower administration who survived the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco and has lived a quiet life in Concordia for the past dozen years.

The basement studio of his Ainsworth bungalow is crammed with cabinets full of artifacts and curiosities, the building blocks of his art. The artifacts and woodwork come from thrift shops, yard sale free boxes and sometimes gifts left on his porch by mysterious benefactors.

His art is a mix of memoir, history, politics and popular culture. His pieces often take the shape of a glass case with elaborate woodwork – sometimes Victorian, sometimes mid-century modern. Etched onto the glass are ornamental designs or provocative bits of text.

And in the center of this space, often suspended in midair, is a central object of contemplation – some small thing of singular beauty, of wonderment, evocative of lost time or an emotion you can’t quite pin down.

Dan’s training as an artist includes a bachelor of fine arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute, residencies in France, and gallery shows up and down the West Coast.

But, as he excitedly shows a visitor some of the truly singular artifacts he’s collected, he repeatedly mentions his residency with a Metro program called “Glean.” Each year it gives a handful of local artists unlimited access to the local dump.

Next up for Dan is a joint show in June at the Guardino Gallery, 2939 N.E. Alberta St. There, you can see nearly a dozen of his pieces. In addition to the show through June 25, he is booked for an opening reception Thursday, May 30, 6-9 p.m., and an artist talk Saturday, June 15, 2 p.m.

Before you go, visit DanPillers.com or watch a three-minute video portrait at Vimeo.com/51840518.

Joel Dippold is a freelance writer and editor who has lived in Concordia since 2000.

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