| Hi, In both art and the holiday season there is a sometimes seemingly contradictory intersection between the sacred and the profane. For an artist, a jealous muse rarely tolerates compromise, and yet ones ability to professionally produce art is chiefly dependent on a commercial palatability that is often only tangentially related. This conflict is so embedded in our culture, that achtypes such as the starving artist and posthumous artistic success have become unfortunate tropes. The holiday season is frequently bemoaned for a similar struggle between consumerism and religious holidays. A generous tradition of altruism is easily forgotten in a deluge of cheap products, themselves all too often the products of Al ave labor and environmental degradation. In these two parallel themes however there is a mutual solution. By supporting local artists, we can both give the unique and beautiful, and help build a world where creativity and artistic expression thrive in place of homogenous plastic waste. This First Friday we are excited to highlight shows that illustrate this duality, as well as provide the opportunity for us to rise above them in the spirit of the season. Happy Holidays! Noah Alexander Isaac Stein First Friday PDX President |
| DECEMBER ART EVENTS |
 CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COSMOS | ADX PORLTAND New work by Cydney French and Rachael Allen “Conversations with the Cosmos” is a body of work exploring the connectivity between this human existence and the divine. French and Allen use paint on canvas to convey these conversations. Bold compositions and lustrous colors create compelling places to enter the conversations. 4 PM – 10 PM @ 417 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR |
 ANARCHY: THE ART SHOW | THE 4TH WALL PDX Local artists use paint, sculpture, found objects and video projects to explore chaos and anarchy through personal sovereignty 6 PM – 10 PM @ 1445 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR |
 VERY MERRY CASH AND CARRY | SIDESTREET ARTS Join us and meet the artists who brought in unique cards, ornaments, and lots of ART! We will have nibbles and wine, too. 5 PM – 7 PM @ 140 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR |
 HOLI-CLAY MARKET | RADIUS ART STUDIO Radius and The Clay Compound are joining forces again this year for the Radius Holi-clay Market! Sunday, December 4th! Featuring artist vendors from both studios. 12 PM – 6 PM @ 2324 SE Belmont St. Portland OR 97214 |
 EMRIE VEGAS | EAST CREATIVE COLLECTIVE We are excited to welcome new artist Emrie Vegas to the East Creative building, and will be show casing their work for the holiday season.“Emrie is an emerging middle-aged artist who began painting with oils only one-year ago after a lifetime working and playing with traditional arts and crafts. Emrie also “taught art” to preschoolers for many years which taught her to let go of perfection and expectation and enjoy the process of creatinine in a deep and profound way. She considers herself a folk artist, as she is self-taught and much of her inspiration has been found in the work of folk artists.”The event will feature open studios by acclaimed local artists, live karaoke by Community Jams, the International Mural by Mail project, fire dancing, and more! 6 PM – 9 PM @ 211 SE Madison St., Portland, OR |
 FACING NORTHWEST: JJ GONSON | PUSHDOT STUDIOBoston based photographer Gonson has been “Obsessed with music from the time I was a small girl. In the mid 80’s I discovered that it was possible to get access to musicians and bands by signing on to shoot live and posed photos for magazines and newspapers. For the last half of that decade I shot hardcore and punk bands multiple times a week in clubs around the Boston area. In 1990 I went west, to Portland Oregon. While much of my work is of live music, portraits have dominated my body of work over the span of decades; from the early 80’s to present day. The result of my experiences is a collection of intimate portraits of musicians, friends and fans, both live on stage and candid. My archive includes little seen pictures of Kurt Cobain, Elliott Smith, Jane’s Addiction, Black Flag and hundreds of other punk and independent bands. My work has been published in books including Torment Saint: a Biography of Elliott Smith, Cobain Unseen and Cobain on Cobain as well as in fanzines such as xXx and Suburban Voice and many magazines, including Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q and Spin.” This show focuses on some of her NW bands collection. 6 PM – 8 PM @ 2505 SE 11th Avenue, Suite 104, Portland, OR (In the Ford Building, enter on Division Street) |
 THINGS SEEN ALONG THE WAY: JARED SOUNEY | RANSOM SIX MFG. Showing some photographs and paintings along with the reprint of the book “Things Seen Along the Way” at my studio in Portland’s Historic Flavel Arts District, just West of the dynamic Avenue of Roses. Music courtesy of a bluetooth speaker in the corner. Here are some flyers and such. Pop in. 7 PM – 10 PM @ 8101 SE Flavel St., Portland, OR |
 TRANSMUTATION | EARTH SPACE PDX The invasion has begun. We are here for peace. We are here for the uprising. We are here to raise the vibration of humanity. We are here to align the planet to the light. Do you feel the awakening? This body of work represents the themes of DNA activation, shedding of old skin, ego death, and aligning to higher self. The dark night of soul breeds new beginnings. As we rise to the occasion of connecting fully to the divine, we release old programs and attachments. We cocoon and metamorphosize anew. We honor the old and thank it for what it has taught us. We release and celebrate the soul we are becoming. Momo Carter is an intuitive living in Portland, where they love to be in nature, assist others in their healing journey, and cuddle with their husband and cat. The exhibit will be accompanied by a curated light and sound experience.Tarot readings by @the.love.cult aka @psytherial 6 PM – 10 PM @ 4135 SE Gladstone St., Portland, OR 97202 |
 MERRY SMASHMAS | AFRU GALLERY The Last Show at the SE Oak Street space!!!! Let’s make this one count!!!! 7 PM – Close @ 534 SE Oak St., Portland, OR 97214 |
| Contact UsWe love to promote art events involving our participating galleries and artists, please be sure to send your news and any feedback to: press@firstfridaypdx.org Or use our online event submission form! General inquires: info@firstfridaypdx.org |