It’s back to school season, which means it’s back to learning! Whether you are going back to school or your kids are, it always feels like September is the perfect time to learn something new. This month I want to emphasize the theme of learning. What can we learn from art? What can we learn from each other? How does learning affect our world and what can we do with the knowledge we’ve gained? Together, let’s learn from some intriguing exhibits this month! 

Learning doesn’t always take place in a traditional classroom and there are plenty of opportunities to explore diverse sources of knowledge this September! In Portland, learn about Indigenous heritage with Sara Siestreem at Elizabeth Leach Gallery. The work in Gallery 114’s Riparian Reflections trains its focus on ecological observation and the importance of water. The Reser in Beaverton, highlights the creativity and careers of Black artists. Historical education and reflection is at the center of Salem Art Association’s newest exhibition, Black Archive. 

The Art of Mark Bishop
Mark Bishop
August 28- September 22 
Alberta Street Gallery
1829 NE Alberta Street Portland, OR 97211

Founded in 2020, North Pole Studio supports artists with intellectual disabilities and is proud to present a cherished member’s latest show, The Art of Mark Bishop on view at Alberta Street Gallery. This exhibition features a small number of powerful portraits of both recognizable individuals and everyday people. Strong brush strokes, magnification on the subject, and bold unexpected colors reflect the rich lives and stories of Bishop’s subjects and evoke a sense of individual presence, struggle, and resilience. Contemplate Bishops’ rich portraits and North Pole Studio’s deep contributions to the local art ecosystem.

Riparian Reflections 
Nancy Helmsworth, Lisa Conway, Julie Johnson 
September 4- 27
Gallery 114 
1100 NW Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97209

Water is integral to all life and is at the heart of Gallery 114’s newest exhibition, Riparian Reflections. This three-person show explores water in all its forms, from its importance to our existence to the natural states of its being. Nancy Helmsworth creates paintings driven by the human history of the area surrounding “Kulla Kulla Creek” in Forest Park. Her paintings investigate human domination and effects on the natural systems of water. The work of two sculptors, Lisa Conway and Julie Johnson join Helmsworth’s painting. Conway’s ceramic sculptures take inspiration from the connection between humans and water. Enamored particularly with water’s ability to calm the world around, Conway views water as a material that is forever in transition. Johnson gathers plants – wild willows and birch feature prominently – from both urban and natural environments and turns them into unique sculptures. The materials underscore their important ecological role in the Kulla Kulla Creek Watershed. Discover the importance of water in all its forms with Nancy Helmsworth, Lisa Conway, and Julie Johnson.

No Vacancy Window Gallery
Various Artists 
September 4- November 30
elle Gallery
207 SW Pine, Portland, Oregon 97204

Sponsor

A free open-air gallery is opening in Portland’s iconic Old Town-Chinatown neighborhood, called No Vacancy Window Gallery. True to its name, elle Gallery has transformed seventeen boarded up storefronts into spaces for seventeen artists to display their work. Their intention for this project is to prove that culture-driven streetscapes and economic development can create lasting improvements for Portland. The featured art will be viewed from outside, with visitors peering into the windows of previously vacant buildings to see a variety of works ranging from large-scale paintings, photography, site-specific installations, and beautiful ceramics. Uncover new artists and learn about new ways of engaging with art in this exciting and accessible exhibit!

Dance Apron 
Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos)
September 4- October 11
Elizabeth Leach Gallery 
417 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97209

Dance Apron marks Sara Siestreem’s second exhibit with Elizabeth Leach Gallery. Siestreem is a multifaceted artist, practicing sculpture, installation, and painting that is rooted in ecological and social justice. Her main inspiration comes from the land, women’s rights, and her Indigenous heritage. Siestreem’s self described “first language” stems from the Coos weaving tradition and specific color palette which she has incorporated as an important part of her visual language and art practice. In this exhibition, Siestreem displays her new painting that spreads over 40 panels and combines abstraction and xeroxed images of extinct oyster shells by using her unique visual language. This large-scale piece contains layered meanings and tackles the themes of both joy and despair regarding her Indigenous heritage and community and offers the viewer a chance to learn about visual language in a new way.

Commonplace 
Mariel Capanna
September 13- October 25
Adams and Ollman 
418 NW 8th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209

Small paintings covered with thick and colorful paint that take the form of trees, streams, seas, bushes, and meadows are on display at Adams and Ollman. Artist Mariel Capanna learns from strangers. She creates these beautiful impasto paintings based on vintage home movies of family vacations from anonymous creators. She explores the themes of memory, time, and personal experiences by quickly painting what she sees from these strangers’ home movies before the film ends. Glimpses of life outside of car windows, camera lenses, long roads, and various environments create her vibrant compositions. During this back to school season, indulge in some family vacation memories with Capanna’s adventurous paintings!

Storywork: The Prints of Marie Watt 
Marie Watt 
August 26- December 6
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU
1855 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201

The newest exhibition at The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU features Marie Watt, an accomplished artist and printmaker. This wide-ranging exhibition features Watt’s works beginning in 1996 and ending in the present day. This impressive retrospective includes 73 prints, sculptures, textiles, and a “jingle cloud.” Watt’s early prints from her MFA days at Yale (she graduated in 1996) are shown alongside her other work, informing the viewer about her journey as an artist. Perhaps the most eye-catching part of this exhibit is her “jingle cloud” titled, ForestShifts Light (Sequoia, Crest, Canopy). The massive hanging installation made from tin jingle cones is inspired by the jingle dress dance from the Ojibwe tribe which is used in healing practices. Visitors are encouraged to learn about Indigenous art and traditions by walking through the jingle forest and experiencing the delicate jingles as they pass through. Watt draws upon her own personal experiences, Indigenous traditions, and art history to create work that connects the public to Native stories and experiences.

Sponsor

Imaginary Language
John Vitale 
August 22- September 20
Chefas Projects 
134 SE Taylor St Suite 203, Portland, OR 97214

Painting is a deeply spiritual act and is the most primal form of communication according to John Vitale. Imaginary Language marks Vitale’s third exhibition with Chefas Projects. Vitale becomes vulnerable in this show, letting the viewer into his personal visual language that acts as a form of subconscious communication. Vulnerability isn’t typically associated with abstract art but rhythm, gesture, and emotional resonance take the forefront of Vitale’s paintings and contradict this assumption. Discover Vitale’s intentional creation, hidden insights, and subconscious revelation through his layered compositions. Learn how this work was created in response to a self-destructive but powerful and mysterious world.

BLACK MATTER
Various artists
September 5- November 7 
The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts 
12625 SW Crescent St, Beaverton, OR 97005

BLACK MATTER is a traveling exhibition that features seven masterful artists from Oregon that highlight Black voices, experiences, and art. This exhibition focuses on providing a space for honest expression, challenging the notion that Black art must be political or rooted in narratives of trauma. This exhibition celebrates Black humanity, experience, and creativity which expands beyond narratives of trauma. Black humanity, experiences, and creativity is celebrated. Rather than tokenizing the artists as spokespersons, the artists are celebrated individually specifically for their creative accomplishments. Challenge previous notions with this powerful exhibit.

Black Archive 
Nikesha Breeze
July 11- October 30
Salem Art Association
600 Mis­sion St. SE, Salem, OR 97302 

African diaspora and Afro-Futurist perspectives are at the center of international artist Nikesha Breeze’s multidisciplinary work at Salem Art Association this month. Breeze utilizes the mediums of oil painting, sculpture, installation, performance art, and film to create immersive works that dive deep into African diaspora, reclamation, and memory. Learn how otherworldly spaces come to life with Breeze’s exceptional storytelling informed by historical research. Erasure, grief, sanctuary, power, and presence are common themes. These stories are revived and brought back into the world, archiving memories that have long been erased from the global narrative.