Arts & Media❯Ceramics

In Smith Claudel's third solo exhibition with Carnation Contemporary, the yard is both a symbol and a physical source material, juxtaposing the enclosure of nature and its display with the control of the body. In this exhibition, temporary sculptures of raw clay, harvested from the artist’s yard, will soon return to the earth. A series of botanical drawings was made with the artist's menstrual blood. And a site-specific installation displays a collection of yard work specimens: a small patch of grass unnaturally maintained, nail enamel coating unfired pinch pots, and plant clippings caught in resin.

Yard Work examines the absurdity and care of maintaining one's landscape, and the tension between being kept and being desired.

Kim Smith Claudel is an artist and visual designer based in Portland, Oregon. Working across painting, sculpture, and installation, Smith Claudel creates work that exists in deliberate flux. Her process-driven approach embraces the ephemeral, the decaying, and the mundane, building visual systems that resist completion. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including a recent solo exhibition (End Cycle) at The Vestibule in Seattle. Other recent solo exhibitions include The Arts Center (Corvallis, OR), The Painting Center (NYC), Mt. Hood Community College (OR), and KyotoBA (Japan). Recent residencies include Building 5 in Portland and the Boston Center for the Arts. She holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts. She received an MS in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Lab, where she was a Learning Innovation Fellow. She is a member of Carnation Contemporary Gallery and the WAVE artist collective.

Opening Saturday, October 03, 5–8 p.m.

Tuesday, July 21st: Both Tasting Room locations will be closing at 3pm. Gather at the pFriem Milwaukie Tasting Room for an evening of hand building mugs and beverages. Each attendee will build a mug from scratch and apply glaze, guided by Alison. The ticket price includes one drink, but stick around for dinner from pFriem's delicious kitchen. This is great for a date night or larger group. Cost includes all materials and firing. Mugs ready to be picked up 3 weeks later at Makerspace Sellwood. We use cookies on our site to give you the best experience. To continue using our site, please accept cookies.

A companion to The Art of Mark Rothko, this exhibition showcases the vitality of abstract painting in American art from Rothko’s time to the present. Rothko created abstract paintings with rich colors that filled the canvas from edge to edge. His example inspired other painters to focus exclusively on color, form, and surface in their works and avoid any representational depictions. Artists like Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, and Jules Olitski found a great variety of expression in this process of underscoring the foundational elements of their paintings. This approach wasn’t limited to painting. Artists like Aaron Siskind in photography and Gertrud and Otto Natzlers in ceramics concentrated on the unique qualities of their materials to further explore the possibilities of abstraction in different artistic disciplines.

Yet by the 1970s, some artists, including feminist artists Valerie Jaudon and Arlene Slavin, considered this strict attention to form too limiting. They began to challenge this orthodoxy by connecting their artworks to everyday patterns and decorations. Over recent decades, a diverse group of artists, including Kikuo Saito, Reginald Sylvester II, and Kay WalkingStick, all featured here, have employed abstraction to convey the world and their experiences beyond the frame of the canvas, further expanding the possibilities for abstract art to connect with meaning and self-narrative.

Sharon Gan, founder of Heart Strings Mandarin, will lead children and their parents as they sing, move, play instruments, and tell stories in Mandarin, English and American Sign Language. All levels of Mandarin fluency from absolute beginners to native Mandarin speakers are welcome.

Program presented in partnership with Friends of the Tigard Library.

Kick off the holiday season by discovering unique handmade crafts, tasty treats, and festive treasures from over 30 local artisans.

It is that time of year again. The 11th Annual OBT Holiday Craft Fair is just around the corner. There will be a variety of skilled artists participating again this year, some returning and some joining for the very first time. Handmade clothing, intricately beaded and silver inlay jewelry, miso products, felted and 3D ornaments, paintings, ceramics, hand-woven baskets, unique greeting cards, and fun stocking stuffers are just some of the amazing creations you will find at the fair. There will be something for everyone—and all budgets. Bring the kids and plan to shop the day away.

The first 30 people through the door will receive a discount coupon from the kitchen, where tasty dishes will be served all day long. There will also be a bake sale booth, run by the Dharma School. Please come out and support these wonderful artists. All are welcome.

Free ESL classes. All levels welcome. No registration required. For more information, call 503.577.9984.

Presented by volunteers from Torus

Browse more English learning classes.

Join Repair PDX for a hands-on workshop where you will learn to repair your ceramics with a modern take on an ancient art form. Limited seats!

The inaugural exhibition in the heart of the Rothko Pavilion speaks to the strong sense of place experienced through one's connection to the natural environment. Drawn from the Asian, Native American, Northwest, and Modern and Contemporary Art collections, Forming Nature, Nature Formed features artworks in glass, clay, metal, neon, and wood that speak to the ways artists from many cultural backgrounds interpret encounters with the natural world in sculptural form. Some works reflect close observation and representation of leaves, insects, hives, and other surrounding elements. Others become abstract expressions of energy inspired by the dynamic forces around and within us. A poetic neon text by Marie Watt serves to ground us in contemplation of the kinship with the environment of the Pacific Northwest and the creatures who inhabit this space alongside them.

Spanish Language & Culture in Northern Spain

What can Asturias teach us about Spain’s history, culture, and identity?

Join us for an immersive summer program in Oviedo, Spain, exploring the rich history, art, literature, and contemporary culture of Asturias. Through cultural experiences, course discussions, and exploration of northern Spain, you’ll examine how Spanish identity has evolved from pre-Roman times to today.

Along the way, you’ll strengthen your Spanish language skills, building fluency, vocabulary, writing, and confidence while engaging with authentic Spanish-language materials and everyday life in Spain.

Designed for students ready to go beyond the typical study abroad experience, this program is ideal for students interested in Spanish language, literature, history, art, culture, and international studies.

Program Dates: June 27–July 30, 2027
Course: SPAN 301, 302, 303 (12 credits)
Prerequisite: SPAN 203 or equivalent proficiency

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