Join Cheri Arthur, an Ambassador for American Wild Horse Conservation. Learn about Velma Johnstone, the first woman advocate for wild horses and burros, and the history of Oregon's wilds horses. You'll hear about the challenges of land management and access, and learn ways to get involved if you are interested.
Join us for our next Forest Pub focused on Mushrooms as the Architect of the Forest: Fungi and their Hidden Ecological Roles, an evening of storytelling, science, and community exploration in partnership with the Oregon Mycological Society. This special edition of Forest Pub dives into the fascinating world of fungi and their essential role in forest ecosystems—from decomposition and soil health to the hidden underground networks that connect trees and support forest resilience.
Guests will hear from local mycology expert, Tim Glassman, to learn how mushrooms shape forest ecology and climate health, and discover how fungi support both natural systems and human understanding of the forest. As always, Forest Pub blends science with storytelling in a relaxed, social setting designed to spark curiosity and conversation over a shared love of forests.
Speaker: Tim Glassman is currently the Chair of the Education Committee of the Oregon Mycological Society (OMS). He has been teaching Beginner’s ID and Toxicology to members and is currently creating a new Fungal Ecology class. Tim grew up in Buffalo, New York where he foraged around town riding his bicycle. Since then, he earned a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from MIT and worked as a Semiconductor Process Engineer at Intel for 21 years. After retiring in 2018 he joined OMS to learn about the diversity of mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest.
A free evening of community and curiosity hosted by the Portland chapter of WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy). Leaders from Avangrid, one of the largest renewable energy operators in the US, share how they are exploring and applying artificial intelligence across renewable energy work - from operations and forecasting to planning and the day-to-day realities of running clean-energy assets. Speakers include Sara Parsons, Eleftheria (Lora) Chante and Silmar Crepaldi of Avangrid. The event is aimed at anyone working in or curious about the intersection of AI, energy and sustainability, with time for networking with the Portland clean-tech community. Held at Montgomery Park in NW Portland. Free; register on Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/powering-the-future-how-avangrid-leaders-are-using-ai-in-renewable-energy-tickets-2003681196396
Why does one artist's drawing of a vase look mesmerizing while another artist's drawing of the same thing looks, well, boring? Composition has a lot to do with it, as does the idea of taking artistic license. In this class, we'll learn about how to use both composition and artistic license to find your own artistic style.
Artist and Church of Art founder, Erika Halperin, will start the workshop by leading the group in a discussion of selected artworks, with a particular focus on composition and artistic license. She will then guide the group through a series of hands-on drawing exercises, working with each student individually to answer questions and provide feedback.
This workshop is for anyone new to drawing or looking to strengthen their drawing skills.
All supplies and materials included. Using graphite and charcoal primarily on a variety of drawing papers.
Includes:
Located in NW Portland, Church of Art is an art-centered community space offering approachable, low-pressure workshops for adults. Come as you are, spend a few hours making art, meet some new people, and enjoy a creative Portland experience—no need to “be an artist.”
You've all heard the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Turns out, nature seems to agree. From the fossil record to the animals living today, evolution has a funny habit of coming up with the same solutions again and again. Different animals can end up looking remarkably alike and sometimes even behaving alike despite evolving completely independently. This fascinating phenomenon is called convergent evolution. In this fun and fascinating pub talk, paleontologist Nico Spadafora will take you on a journey through the weird, wonderful, and oddly repetitive world of convergent evolution. Explore how it happens, why evolution keeps repeating itself, and what these evolutionary “reruns” say about the incredible diversity of life on Earth.
Science Pubs are a casual lecture series located in fun venues across the region, recommended for ages 10 and over.
Nico Spadafora is the founder of The Fossil Team, an education company and traveling museum dedicated to bringing the wonders of natural history to life. He has spent more than two decades studying paleontology, zoology, and the natural sciences, diving headfirst into the scientific literature and developing a deep knowledge of both living and extinct animals. In his teens, Nico earned an internship at the Oregon Zoo, where he studied the anatomy, behavior, and traits of elephants, lions, rhinos, and many other animals. He later took his knowledge into the wild as a professional tracker and wilderness educator with Trackers Earth, following the trails and signs of bears, cougars, elk, and other wild animals. Today, Nico specializes in dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals and loves sharing the strange, spectacular, and sometimes downright bizarre stories hidden in the natural world. When he’s not studying, tracking, or obsessing over animals in the wild, he enjoys movies and games, cuddled up with his house panthers, Puma and Rufus.
Experience Portland's paranormal heritage and investigate several historic ghost lore gathered from elders, books, medical journals, alienists, spiritualists, and 100s of newspaper accounts of hauntings in NW Portland. Ghost tours stop at three locations where the spirits are known to be less than peaceful and locations where the spirits have moved on. Seek out the ghost of Agnes Reid's son, little Ernest Harp's poltergeist playmate, and the Lady Over the Bar. These ghost tours are not for the faint of heart or those under the age of 12.
Give the gift of a healing balm and a soothing tea this holiday season with Saundra Kamman of Bloom and Grow Nutrition! Discuss herbs and their traditional uses and make a balm to heal and soften dry skin. Create a delicious tea to calm frazzled holiday nerves, too! Everyone will go home with gifts and recipes to make more.
Tuesday, November 3 6pm doors, 7pm presentation All ages welcome at Mission Theater
ArtChat at Village Gallery of Art
FREE Community Event
Connect with local creatives at this month’s ArtChat—an open, welcoming gathering for artists and art lovers alike. Join the artists of the Village Gallery of Art for conversation, refreshments, and inspiration as you meet creators working across multiple mediums.
Each ArtChat features both a fine artist and a 3D artist of the month, who will share their creative processes and special techniques. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions, network with fellow artists, and discover new approaches to making art.
🗓November 8
⏰ 3–5 PM
🎟 Free & open to the public
Come curious—leave inspired.
Homeownership can look pretty fly.. when you’re gaaaaaay! Join us at the @qcenter monthly to learn all about how to make your home buying dreams alive and happy. @aneesahthemortgagebroker and @vonderhaus_ will lay out options to make this process feel far less daunting, more attainable, and of course more gay. Bahah! And we love to do it too! See you then!
Join Karen Kitchen (Osage) as she shares traditional stories and songs showcasing the diversity and beauty of Native American tribes and cultures. All are invited and welcomed to sit in the circle of community to listen, laugh, sing and celebrate Native ways of knowing. Stories will be told in English, while songs are sung in Native languages.