Alberta Arts

Enjoy Leslie McMillan’s one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry and painter bd dombrowsky’s visual explorations of the mischievous silver night and the many insights the capricious muse offers.

Painter bd dombrowsky's visual style is derived from an interest in vintage illustrated books — encyclopedias, primers, comics, and stories — all the simple visual devices used as a culture to educate and socialize. Much of their work is informed by myths and folklore, as they retell old stories and weave them into new ones. Drawing on a background in drama, sculpture and printmaking, bd dombrowsky's goal is to craft a resonant space in which these stories can unfold, drawn from a shared mythos but reimagined by the artist and narrated by the viewer.

Jewelry Artist Leslie McMillan

As a jewelry smith, Leslie McMillan is all over the place. To begin with, they have ADHD, so their mind is manic. Leslie roams from fusing gold on steel to traditional silversmithing to bonding Japanese silver leaf. When working with steel and gold, Leslie is drawn to the truth that you cannot control the outcome. When heated high enough to fuse with the steel, the gold takes on a life of its own and travels where it wants to go. When working with sterling silver and natural stones, Leslie follows a more traditional approach. Creating hand-forged settings and sourcing stones from First Nation lapidary artists are fundamental to the work. No matter the process, Leslie relies on inspiration from the great Pacific Northwest and all its natural beauty to influence the final piece.

Last Thursday Opening Reception, Oct. 29, 6–9 p.m.

Feeding the Future is a collaborative group show organized by Alberta Street Gallery members Sasha Wilk and Gabe Wolfe. Both curating artists are parents of young children and have brought together other creatives who are caregivers, educators, or allies of children to showcase work that uplifts and celebrates youth. As citizens invested in hope for a future built on love and care, they know that the next generation requires attention to help them become the compassionate, responsible, and thoughtful humans the next chapter of humanity needs. The works in this show feature images centering play, connection, and collaboration as enriching elements of young people's lives.

The artists: Sasha Wilk, Gabe Wolfe, Kyra Watkins, Elizabeth Goss, Stefania Salles Bruins, Corinne Kenly Barber, Forest Salazar, Danny Stephens and Kristie Winther.

Last Thursday Opening Reception, Oct. 29, 6–9 p.m.

Last Thursday on Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon happens 12 months a year every last Thursday of the month indoors with art gallery opening parties, live music, DJs and other indoor performances at venues, bars and event spaces.

Last Thursday is a community-grown event, free for all artists and art vendors, musicians, performers and visitors.

On Last Thursday, galleries hold opening parties, and performance venues and bars often host live music and performances. If the weather is nice enough, then vendors take to the street.

June, July and August Last Thursday 6-9 p.m. is outdoors and indoors with 15 blocks closed to traffic, hundreds of diverse arts and crafts vendors, art gallery opening parties, street performers and musicians, and other outside events.