Cliff Notes
Each week, our regional Cliff Notes columnists Christine Miller, Rachel Elizabeth Jones, Sam Hiura, and Nia-Amina Minor pick the most exciting events and exhibitions on the West Coast.
Policing Justice
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
February 23 to May 19, 2024
Entering Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s expansive space and viewing Policing Justice, a large-scale installation revolving around police responses to the 2020 protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, made me feel the gravity of this exhibition and time. As an avid collector of everyday objects such as brass animals, sculptural incense holders, and my favorite strawberry-shaped cookie jar, it especially hit me hard to see protest ephemera—tear gas canisters, grenades, and protest signs—exhibited in a contemporary art context hit me especially hard.
I felt the immense emotional weight of what 2020 felt like here in Portland, the heaviness of the exhibition’s larger significance, and the gravitational pull into each highly detailed work. The commissioned installations, featuring works by Don’t Shoot Portland, Master Artist Michael Bernard Stevenson Jr. in partnership with Blue, and Cleo Davis and Kayin Talton Davis in partnership with Robert Clarke and Kimberly Moreland, scrutinizes policing practices in Portland, Oregon, and make connection to broader local and national histories of oppression.
Engaging with this exhibition necessitates an open heart and mind, as well as endurance, as it warrants multiple visits. What resonated with me the most is the collaborative nature of each installation and its ability to draw from personal experiences, histories, and the shared commitment to activism of police brutality.
Reflection: What does activism mean to you?
Nathan Paul Rice + Ellen Robinette: Modulations
SATOR PROJECTS, Portland, OR
March 16 to May 4, 2024
Stuart Brown describes “play” as “time spent without purpose.” The exhibition Modulations challenges this notion, as it delves into play and experimentation, resulting in purposeful and visually exciting collaborative works.
Modulations is an ode to “hand expression” through painting and drawing—a celebration of colors and textures created in the physical realm in a digital age. Rice’s acrylic paintings explore abstraction, a mix of painted bursts of color and black painted clouds, addressing the intersection of public and private spheres within our bodies and minds. Robinette’s intricate hand-drawn patterns serve as layered reflections of memory and the narrative of time. Scattered throughout the gallery are small-scale, color-blocked sculptures featuring Nathan’s wooden forms adorned with Ellen’s signature pictorial visual language of lines and colors.
Reflection: What is your definition of play?
Singular Visions: Self-Taught Artists from the Permanent Collection
Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, Salem, OR
January 2 to April 20, 2024
I’m currently embarking on a journey to teach myself graphic design and recently had an enlightening conversation with a close friend who took a unique path—from studying law to mastering graphic design and ultimately achieving tremendous success as an art director. Among the many valuable insights shared, two stood out: the importance of studying the subject everyday, even in minor ways, and the necessity of continuous and thorough research. I must say it is not easy.
Singular Visions: Self-Taught Artists from the Permanent Collection is an exhibition featuring the small yet intentional collection at the Hallie Ford Museum showcasing acquisitions accumulated over two decades. This assortment includes pieces by renowned contemporary artists, significant regional talents, and emerging creators, spanning various techniques such as drawings, sculptures, and multimedia works. By spotlighting self-taught artists, this exhibition ignites thoughts around educational accessibility and the appreciation of artistic worth sans institutional co-sign. Most importantly is a reminder that art is a form of communication and a reflection of an artist’s worldview.
Reflection: Have you ever taught yourself anything that you’re proud of?