We are once again back in the last month of the year! The sun’s early departure each afternoon reminds me of the cycles of change in our world. Cold weather and the holidays’ approach every year without fail, no matter if we’re ready for them or not. If one thing is for certain, these cycles of change will never stop so this month, I’m focusing on artists that grapple with the cyclical nature of the universe in their work.
In Portland, Christine Bourdette creates vibrant sculptural works from the idea that the earth is an unending cycle of transformation. If nature is your thing, visit the World Forestry Center and learn about the forest’s cycles of change after fire. Since the holidays are just around the corner (again), pick up a handcrafted gift perfect for the whole family with NW Marine Art Works’ Open Studios and Holiday Market in NW Portland!
Abstract Thought
Multiple Artists
December 6- December 28
Chefas Projects
134 SE Taylor St Suite 203, Portland, OR 97214
Six contemporary approaches to abstraction are on view this month at Chefas Projects; mediums range from paint to steel. Bobby Adams professes his deep love for color with his new paintings inspired by the Portland sunsets. Similarly inspired by the urban environment, Jordan Clark uses layering and revealing of paint, recorded imagery, and action to create dynamic compositions. Built by layers and layers of thin paint, Nate Ethington uses accumulation to explore ideas of conversation and relationship. Cody Hudson creates careful compositions using monochromatic color and powder-coated steel sculptures. Using color theory and shade and hue to his advantage, Erik Railton changes the viewers perception in his geometric paintings. John Vitale explores the tangible narratives of time using negative space and texture in his paintings. These six artists offer new ways of thinking about the ever changing cycles of abstraction.
Cumulus
Christine Bourdette
December 11- February 1
Elizabeth Leach Gallery
417 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
This month is the opportunity to see two longtime Elizabeth Leach Gallery artists, Christine Bourdette and Judy Cooke. Christine Bourdette’s first show with Elizabeth Leach was in 1996, and her new show, Cumulus marks Bourdette’s thirteenth exhibition with EL! The works in her new exhibition draw inspiration from geological forms. Bourdette’s practice leans into meticulous constructions. For example, the two sculptural works were created by layering hundreds of hand-cut pieces of vellum. Each piece has been bathed in ink and assembled to create a visual representation of the idea that the earth is an unending cycle of transformation that creates perfectly imperfect objects. First exhibiting her work with Elizabeth Leach Gallery in 1987, Following Form 2024 is Judy Cooke’s seventeenth exhibition with the gallery. Using sculpted wooden panels and vibrant color, this exhibition explores the ideas of what paintings can be.
PushPin Show
Various Artists
December 8- January 5
Newport Visual Arts Center
777 NW Beach Dr, Newport, OR 97365
Sponsor
This December is Newport Visual Arts Center’s 34th anniversary of their community-based PushPin Show. This exhibition recognizes the creative talent of Lincoln County and brings the art community together. In addition to the traditional wall-hung artwork that gives the show its name, the show features small three-dimensional works as well. Artists of all ages, experience levels, and mediums from Lincoln County are encouraged to participate and submit their work to the gallery to be shown! To submit work, deliver the artwork directly to the Runyan Gallery at Newport Visual Arts Center between December 5-7. Support local artists or engage with the local art community this holiday season.
Following Fire, A Resilient Forest/An Uncertain Future
David Paul Bayles & Frederick J. Swanson
November 1- March 30
World Forestry Center, Discovery Museum
4033 SW Canyon Road, Portland, OR 97221
Two months after the September 2020 Holiday Farm fire that burned 173,000 acres along the forested McKenzie River canyon in the Cascade Range of Oregon, photographer David Paul Bayles and ecologist Frederick Swanson began a photography project. Their goal was to document the complex beauty of the forest’s response to fire. Using multiple photographic approaches such as fine art, documentary, chronosequences, and typologies, Bayles and Swanson explores what is removed by fire, what remains after fire, and how the remnants of the pre-fire forest changes over time. Explore the forest’s cycles of change with this art-based research project at the World Forestry Center.
Collecting Forward: New Works By Oregon Jewish Artists
Various Artists
November 6- January 12
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
724 NW Davis St, Portland, OR 97209
The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education introduces works from Oregon Jewish artists, Emily Ginsburg, Roger Kukes, Stu Levy, Dana Lynn Louis, and Daniela Naomi Molnar into their new permanent collection. With this new exhibition, OJMCHE actively supports Oregon Jewish artists and adds new perspectives and voices to their collection. The works in the exhibition have been carefully chosen to reflect a wide range of depth and diversity within the community including different conceptual and material approaches. These pieces reflect the vibrancy and variety of the art practices of contemporary Jewish artists in Oregon.
Ways of Measuring Twilight
Jose Bonell
November 15- December 14
Adams and Ollman
418 NW 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Ways of Measuring Twilight explores the cycles of change through the impossible task of trying to measure the limitless aspects of life such as fleeting sunsets or the transitional phases of life. The meanings behind Jose Bonell’s paintings come into focus before they quickly disappear, coming and going like dreams or apparitions. Bonell depicts a shadowy world between magic and reality, proposing questions, absurdities, secrets, and hinting at moods and narratives. Inspired by the extraordinary and the banal, overheard conversations, or compelling compositions of strangers crossing paths on the street, Bonell populates his paintings with ideas of work and labor, class and taste, gender roles and expectations, comedy and tragedy, and violence and desire.
Sponsor
Northwest Pedagogies
Curated by V Maldonado
November 7- December 21
After/Time
735 SW 9th Ave. #110, Portland, OR 97205
Northwest Pedagogies features the work of seven artists with artistic and pedagogical ties to the Pacific Northwest: Garrick Imatani, Amoqiix-Araceli, Linda Wysong, Horatio Hung-Yan Law, Marie Conner, Mei Love, David J. Torres II. Curator V Maldonado brings each artist’s practices and artwork together to create a conversation around learning and community building. This exhibition is inspired by a longing to engage with emerging contemporary artists and directly support them with exhibition space and community engagement. The exhibition features works in a range of mediums including sculpture, photography, video, installation, and textiles.
Big Little Show
Various Artists
December 4- February 2
Waterstone Gallery
124 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Waterstone Gallery’s annual Big Little Show is back again this December and January! This exhibit only features works that are 12”x12” or smaller, created by the gallery’s members. All works shown will be available to purchase and take home. Visit the gallery for artist demonstrations on December 15 by Andrea Lopez and Erika James and January 19 by Lisa Ellis and Angelita Surmon.
Wigstock
Pierre Dalpé
November 7- December 21
Blue Sky Gallery
122 NW 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
The former drag festival called Wigstock which ran from 1984-2005 in New York City inspired artist Pierre Dalpé to document the festival from 1992-1995. Through photography and video, his work explores the interconnected relationships between the body, identity, disguise, and performance. Dalpé’s work forefronts masking and masquerade, playing with the dual nature of masking to both conceal and reveal. Dalpé uses both documentary-style photography and staged photography in both public and private spaces in environments where queer individuals perform, role play, or act out desires involving masking and masquerade.
Open Studios and Holiday Market
Various Artists
December 7, 8
NW Marine Art Works
2516 NW 29th Ave, Portland 97210
Sponsor
In Portland, NW Marine Art Works’ Open Studios and Holiday Market will happen on December 7 and 8. Catch a glimpse at artists at work, watch engaging demos, and explore the art community in NW Portland. From artwork spanning from printmaking, ceramics, photography, sculpture, accessories, and housewares, visitors will find the perfect holiday gift!
Raylee Heiden (she/they) is a multi-disciplinary artist and creative based in Portland, Oregon. Her art practice focuses on figurative oil painting and printmaking. She is a student at Pacific Northwest College of Art and lover of all things creative. She can be found strolling the various parks around Portland or enjoying a hot cup of tea.