First Friday PDX

All events listed occur on the first Friday of the month and are free and open to all visitors unless otherwise specified.

Upper Floor Gallery | What’s New Furniture

Featuring Oregon Artists
Black Diamond Society / Artists Collective
Bobby Fouther / curator
Chris Mcmurry
Aimee Mattila
Jess Curran
Roy Ettinger

3 PM – 6 PM @ 439 SE Grand Ave., Portland, OR

Summer Idyll Art Opening | Sidestreet Arts

Immerse yourself in the captivating beauty of the Oregon coast at our upcoming art opening, where the power and serenity of the ocean come to life through extraordinary works of art. Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the unique charm and natural wonders of this breathtaking region. Dive into a collection of mesmerizing paintings by Jude Welter and Anna Figueira that capture the serene and dramatic landscape of the Oregon coast. Explore the earthenware sculptures of Denise Krueger showcasing the intricate beauty found along the shoreline

5 PM – 7 PM @ 140 SE 28th Ave., Portland, OR

CHRIS JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHS | GAGALLERY

Join us for an opening reception featuring Chris Johnsen’s stunning black and white photographs.  Chris has been a past member of Photozone Gallery, featured in the Portland Art Museum’s Rental Gallery, and exhibited regionally. Join us to honor this award winning photographer.  Light refreshments will be served.

5 PM – 8 PM @ 2035 SE Belmont St., Portland, OR

Ruth Meijer | Clinton Street Coffeehouse

Join us for live music from the Hadley Parrish–Cotton. 

5 PM – 7 PM @ 2706 SE 26th Ave., Portland, OR

First Friday: To The Moon | Bridge Rat Studios

Bridge Rat Studios is hosting a Moon Themed Art Show on July 5, 6-9pm. Come by and check out some moon themed art, enjoy a beverage or a snack, and/or make your own moon. We love giving people the opportunity to make their own art, so this will be a moon-making collage party too. We will have plenty of art supplies on hand but feel free to bring your own.

6 PM – 9 PM @ 322 SE Morrison St., Portland, OR

Artists’ open studios | east creative collective

First Friday Artists’ Open Studios are happening July 5, 2024 from 6pm-9pm!

Light up the Summer night at our artist collective here at: East Creative Collective

211 SE Madison St in Portland Oregon.

New work, new artists, a new Summer!

We’re creating something different.

6 PM – 9 PM @ 211 SE Madison St., Portland, OR

Somewhere in the Middle | The Lobby at the Ellen Browning Building

Artists habitually want the viewer to decipher what the artwork means to them, often rebuffing any attempt at an explanation. 

Jasper Johns, the celebrated American artist, is famously elusive. He once joked that, of the dozens of books that have been 

written about his art, his favorite one was written in Japanese. What he liked is that he could not understand it. (New Yorker 

Feb 7, 2018, “Jasper Johns Still Doesn’t Want to Explain His Art” )  The art works included in the exhibition, Somewhere in the Middle, 

allow just that. Instead of a simple explanation, the viewer is thrust into narratives, be it abstraction or representation, without 

explanation, placing them squarely in the midst of a story that is currently unfolding. Works in the show include artworks 

by: Hayley Barker, Mark Flood, John Houck, Julia Isídrez, Claude Lalanne, Chris Ofili, Erin Shirreff, Didier William, 

Myrtle Williams, Jack Whitten

6 PM – 9 PM @ 2871 SE Division Street, Portland, OR

First Friday | Manifestation

6 PM – 9 PM @ 2020 SE Bush St., 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.

Events listed occur throughout the month are free and open to all visitors unless otherwise specified.

07.19.24

SLIPSTREAM | Carnation Contemporary

Creation is a continuous process both internal and shared.
It exists as a series of instances, exchanges, and perceptions. 
Sometimes it exists in private, 
but it’s often uncovered in the place where we meet each other.

This month Brittney Connelly presents her latest exhibition, Slipstream, a blend of immersive art and experiential happenings. The opening night will be held on July 13th from 5 to 8 PM, and the exhibition will continue as a series of Friday night dinners and viewings open to the public throughout the month.
(Please RSVP via Carnation Contemporary’s site to reserve a seat as dinner accommodations are limited)

Slipstream is more than just an exhibition; it’s an invitation to connect with the ephemeral beauty of our collective journey. Throughout July, the exterior world will merge with the interior of Carnation Contemporary, as a 62-foot curtain of rain will be installed and cascading within the gallery. Utilizing light, sound, and water, Connelly works to create space for introspection on memory and shared experiences.

This work poses the question: Why do some places linger in our memories while others fade away with time? Slipstream seeks to uncover these hidden connections, folding the subconscious and the unrelated into our reality. It’s an exploration of the everyday and the unnoticed beauty within. Throughout this work, Connelly attempts to capture the transient moments that define our existence.
Slipstream invites you to pause and appreciate the fleeting beauty of our shared moments. It’s an opportunity to uncover the intricate threads of memory and connection that are universal.

Experiential Dinners
Join us for an unforgettable evening of art and dining at Carnation Contemporary. Each dinner explores different themes—curiosity, the unknown, and the uncanny—creating a space for  visitors to reflect. Through this theatrical setting you are encouraged to immerse yourself in good company and the food we share.
We are delighted to invite you to experience Slipstream, an immersive exhibition by Brittney Connelly, accompanied by a dinner prepared by the talented chef Ellie Quackenbush.

5 PM – 8 PM @ 8371 N Interstate Ave #3, Portland, OR

07.19.24

GRio | L’Atelier Gallery

In celebration of Juneteenth, our upcoming summer exhibition presents a meaningful opportunity for our community to engage with and experience the history and impact of Black Hair culture, honoring the emancipation of ancestors in many ways.

Recognizing the oral traditions that have shaped the Black experience, “Grio” explores the relationship between natural hair practitioners and the historical context of activation as archiving, inspired by the legacy of West African Griots. These sages weave the threads of knowledge, ensuring that wisdom resides within individuals yet finds its true voice in the embrace of community.

Layers of shared existence reside within the memories of Black Hair Culture. The exchange of wisdom from one hairstyle to another, and from generation to the next, continues to be a powerful force for archiving oral traditions and visual culture within the Black experience. Historically, Beauty Salons and Barbershops have served as sovereign spaces for the activation of these practices.

Honored in the exhibition are Champions Barbering Institute, Maxey’s Parlor Barbershop, Deans Beauty Salon and Barbershop, and Natural Hair and Extensions Salon among many others. Along with photography from Malique Pye, work from Paola De La Cruz, Marco Saint-Juste, film by Kiara Walls and installation in collaboration with Tyler Buswell. 

Grio will be on view from June 19, 2024, through September 6, 2024, with an opening reception on June 19th, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

https://www.atelieryaffe.com/grio for tickets and more information.

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM @ 111 NE Blvd.,7 Portland, OR

Monthly art openings and participating galleries