All events listed occur on the first Friday of the month and are free and open to all visitors unless otherwise specified.
FRIDAY 05.01.26
Woodland Enchantment | Sidestreet Arts
Featured artists: Casey Capell, Lara Duren King, Tamara Goldsmith (curator), Nicole Gustafsson, Melissa Kojima, Ken Overman, Marika Paz, Tera Stenzel, Shanna Doolittle
Runs: April 30th – May 30th, 2026
First Friday: May 1st, 5-7 pm, with artists at the opening.
Bringing together some of her favorite local artists, Tamara is proud to present a mystical, magical, wondrous world of forest life as imagined by 9 local artists.
Touching on folklore in storytelling, each artist brings forth visions of its creature inhabitants and their mysterious collaborations, the unstoppable strength of nature, and the poignant narratives they weave together in coexistence.
Celebrating themes like the power of myth, the circle of life from decay, and the reverence for the natural world and its many creatures, we as artists have committed to passing on these ideas and relationships through our art. In handing down concepts of awe and wonder, transformation and metamorphosis, blended with cautionary tales and spiritual practices, we hope to provide a visual guide that future generations can continue to use in honoring and preserving our shared world.
5 PM – 7 PM @ 140 SE 28th Ave., Portland, OR
The Cryptids Show | Splendorporium
Please join us for the opening reception of The Cryptids Show on Friday, May 1st 6-9 PM.
This is our annual end of year Art4Life Show, in which Student and Professional work is displayed side by side throughout both the Main and Children’s Galleries.
We will have:
Live Piano Music by Lee Comet and Ice Cream and Coffee for sale by Sinister Coffee and Creamery
The show runs through May 28th.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 11-5.
Pictured: Should We Check on the Babysitter?, Group Project by Art4Life Students at Abernethy Elementary
6 PM – 9 PM @ 3421 SE 21st Ave, Portland, OR
Featured artist Penina Finger and Shrinky Dinks | Past lives Makerspace
Come visit the gallery and check out our featured artist Penina Finger for First Friday. https://www.instagram.com/peninamakesplaces/
May 1st 6-9pm
We’ll also be making Shrinky Dinks
6 PM – 10 PM @ 2808 SE 9th Ave, Portland, OR
MORIAH IVERSON: LAND QUILTS | ADX Gallery
Land Quilts (2023-2026) is a collection of dreamy, abstract landscapes painted in my favorite corners of the Pacific Northwest – canvases propped up on picnic tables, easels carefully balanced on river rocks, layers of paint mixed with campfire smoke and tree pollen.
Beginning with aerial views of agricultural regions resembling patchwork quilts, Land Quilts started as a love letter to my native Northern California but quickly evolved into colorful interpretations of the PNW’s sweeping blankets of land that have brought me comfort through periods of homesickness. While this corner of the world is known for its lush forests and stunning mountains, I’m drawn to the alien beauty created by the intersection of the natural world and the built environment. Viewers will spot turbines, power lines, hiking trails, and wildfire burns in my paintings; an attempt to include all the various bits and pieces of our world and stitch them together into something sweeter.
Land Quilts explores the softness, femininity and power of these beautiful landscapes in spite of its many scars. These works come from weekends spent circling Mount Hood, swimming in the John Day River, driving along the Columbia River Gorge, always with a backpack full of painting supplies. I’m interested in exploring these places that have often held me through a more feminine lens, almost in opposition to the epic American landscape painters of the mid-19th century. Land Quilts seeks to tell truths about the land instead of selling it and evoke feelings of connectivity and comfort instead of conquering.
My aim is to represent these magical places as I experience them while spending countless hours in their waters, their dirt and their trees. My work draws inspiration from those who master the art of “noticing,” such as Mary Oliver, Georgia O’Keeffe, Dolly Parton. They skillfully craft expansive narratives in poetry, art and music by zooming in on the details—a trait that feels inherently feminine, nurturing something menial into something awe-inspiring. My hope is that viewers enjoy exploring the details and get lost in the world of Land Quilts.
5 PM – 9 PM @ 417 Southeast 11th Ave., Portland, OR
Contact Us
We do our best to make the list as complete as possible, if you have an event or correction you would like to see listed please send show details to Info@FirstFridayPDX.org or use our easy online event submission form.
