#cole-birdow

#cole-birdow

The project emphasizes the reactivation of spatial value within existing community structures, transforming building stock into community assets of public significance.

Officer Scott was sort of born by accident. He was a character in a sketch I wrote, written for a male actor, but I always would direct to give more Chris Farley energy to the character. Unfortunately, the actor that was supposed to play Officer Scott became sick the day before the show, but as showrunner and writer of the sketch, I figured I'd buy a costume and perform Scott myself.

In frightening times, it makes a huge difference not to feel alone. Creating art with others in community enhances agency and strengthens self. Creativity requires an open heart; love enhances hope and diminishes fear.

Upon entry, Kent's "IF" (1965) lures the eye upward. The serigraph-a silkscreen print in fine art parlance-hangs high on the wall with a subtle vulnerability. Two orange letters hover toward the composition's top edge, as if pushing to transcend the picture plane. A feeling of possibility emerges through the conjunction and its visual form.

People all saw that there is something new is being attempted here that you've just got to see. I think that is its own reward. In an era where New York's storied Met Opera has faced layoffs, pay cuts, postponed productions, and a controversial financial agreement with Saudi Arabia, forward-thinking artistic direction becomes essential for survival.

A circular concrete ring forms a defined boundary, incorporating a landing and three steps that lead into a contained field of refined sand. At the center of this ring rises a tall cone clad in polished mirrored steel. The composition establishes a clear geometric contrast between the horizontal plane of sand and the vertical reflective surface.

With Portland sextet Abronia, you sort of have to listen past the spectacle. Forget about the overtly Jodorowsky-Morricone vibes, the tenor sax and the pedal steel guitar, the contralto vocals, the gigantic bass drum, the legend of co-founder Eric Crespo's desert vision. What's really going on here?

Unlike most popular sports, the origin of basketball has a precise year and creator: it was invented in 1891 in the United States by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith as an indoor sport for athletes at Springfield College during the winter, after the end of the football season. The sport quickly expanded beyond U.S. borders, being included in the Olympic Games in 1936 and achieving international popularity after the Second World War.

Portland officials released a Market Feasibility Study on Friday, Jan. 23, that declared the region cannot support two venues capable of hosting popular touring Broadway shows. That upends the proposal approved by the City Council in late 2024 calling for a new Broadway-capable performing arts center to be built at Portland State University before the Keller Auditorium is closed and remodeled to continue hosting such large show.

Andrew Bird has penned a new song for the HBO series The Pitt. The aptly titled "Need Someone," which Bird wrote with the medical drama's composer, Gavin Brivik, appears in the show's next episode, set to air tonight (February 12) at 9 PM EST. Give it a listen below. The new song is not Bird's first creation for the small screen. He's written music for FX's Baskets and the 2021 PBS documentary series Storm Lake, and made appearances on FX's Fargo and Disney's The Muppets.

With most of us, 90 minutes of reminiscing wouldn't make for scintillating theater. Gert Boyle, as played by Wendy Westerwelle, is the exception to that rule. The late Gert came to fame when she took the reins of Columbia Sportswear after her husband's death in 1970 and also became the "One Tough Mother," with gray hair and glasses, of its comedic '80s and '90s ad campaigns. In one, she put her son, Tim, through a carwash to test the durability of a coat.

On January 17 Jennifer Wright gave a stellar performance of her compositions for her self-crafted instruments. This performance marked the conclusion of a month-long exhibition of her instruments and sound sculptures in the galleria of PLACE in Northwest Portland. This is the performance where she said she "finally had a chance to let all the parts of me out to play."

Our new line of Colossal merchandise is finally hitting the (digital) shelves in the Colossal Shop. We're big fans of repping publications that inspire us, and we're excited to finally offer our own goods to this special community of readers. Hats and mugs are now available, and all proceeds directly support our ongoing commitment to make art accessible to everyone. You can also receive a mug by joining us with an annual Patron of the Arts membership.

Tiger Style! - Profile Theater's first full production in a two-year dive into the work of playwright Mike Lew - is a canny choice, well-designed to whet audience members' appetite for Lew's work and keep them watching for the next offerings in a planned cycle. The play's quick comic timing deftly navigates themes that might otherwise encounter resistance, leaving those who are willing with lots to chew on.

Spalding Gray used to perform a show called Interviewing the Audience. The celebrated monologist would invite a stranger he had met in the lobby to join him on stage. Through a sequence of innocuous questions, he would get them to open up about their lives. At one performance, a guest broke the audience's hearts by talking about her daughter's murder. At benefit nights, people living with HIV shared their tales. Other times, the anecdotes would be eccentric or amusing.