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Portland Mercury

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David Hockney's Restless Eye Is Revealed

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

The Portland Art Museum's new exhibition shows the artist’s evolving style across 60 years and 200 artworks. by Lindsay Costello “David sees the world backward,” says Doug Roberts, a Los Angeles art dealer and longtime friend of David Hockney. Roberts was appearing on a panel about the artist, as part of Portland Art Museum’s (PAM) new exhibition tracing 60 years of Hockney’s work. He meant it as

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Jessie Rose Vala Channels Ecological Grief Into The...

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

“They are kind of moth-like and plant-like. But they also have neon coming out of their eyes.” by Melissa Locker When you walk into Jessie Rose Vala’s show at Chefas Projects, you’ll quickly realize: These aren’t your average ceramics. Instead of raku fired pots or pastel hand-thrown vases, Vala’s work transforms clay into mission statements about the state of the world. Combining sculptural ceramics

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Reading the Room at Cooley Gallery’s IF

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

The new exhibition unites three artists, including a former nun. by Lindsay Costello What does it mean to write in space? At Reed College’s Cooley Gallery, new director and curator Derek Franklin thinks about it, bringing together three eloquent artists who take language into form. IF pairs serigraphs by Sister Corita Kent, a Roman Catholic nun who eventually left the order to devote herself fully to anti-war,

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The Makers of Untitled Goose Game Hit a Different,...

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

House House’s new friend hang video game is beautiful, even if it made me dizzy. by Suzette Smith Big Walk made me motion sick, but I want to play it again. The new video game invites players into an open world setting where they can talk to their friends, solve puzzles, explore, or—dare we say—kiki? We got a chance to demo the game at the Panic office in downtown Portland, and soon so can you. Starting March

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Find Your Passion for Graphic Design at Volumes

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

Volumes isn’t a library where you have to be quiet. by Taylor Griggs Michael Ellsworth wants to make the often-opaque world of graphic design accessible and collaborative. The co-founder and creative director of Seattle-born studio Civilization, Ellsworth has spent his career working to bring design to the masses. His next project, the Volumes Design Library, is a culmination of that work—and it opens in

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Kevin Sampsell's New Novel Looks at the World Through...

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

When we find stuff to hate it means we’re becoming more like grown-ups. by Jeremiah Hayden Tony Ventura, the main character of Kevin Sampsell’s surreal novel Baby in the Night, doesn’t have the words or the context to understand his surroundings; he’s only two years old after all. “It was like my brain really wanted to but my mouth didn’t know how yet or maybe just didn’t try hard enough,” Tony says of

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Spring 2026 Movies To Put on Your Calendar

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

ceaseless banter machine Ryan Gosling must remember his past to save humanity’s future by Dom Sinacola March Project Hail Mary: Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller serve up fresh sci-fi sap for the first day of Spring. Trapped on a spaceship headed for a distant star, no idea how he got there, a “science teacher” somehow named “Ryland Grace,” played by ceaseless banter machine Ryan Gosling, must

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Portland Center Stage and Portland Playhouse Team up...

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a Black and queer spin on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. by Joe Streckert Hamlet can be a lot of things: A sad boy who can’t make up his mind. A philosopher plumbing the mysteries of the human condition. A guy with some really weird feelings about his mom. Simba from The Lion King. In Fat Ham, playwright James Ijames reimagined the prince of Denmark as Juicy, a queer Black southern

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Queer Joy in the House of Danger

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

Pro wrestling is already heavily queer-coded. by Courtney Vaughn On the top floor of the Swan Dive in Southeast Portland, wrestlers are grappling, slapping, and slamming each other around in a dimly lit room. From a modest stage, comedians crack commentary. The crowd chants together and waves homemade signs. The only thing missing is the overt hetero-performative energy that typically punctuates a wrestling

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Meet the 2026 Mercury Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy!

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

Ten of Portland’s shiniest stand-up talents, with special guest Matt Braunger—coming March 27! by Wm. Steven Humphrey It’s no secret that Portland is a veritable hotbed of comedic talent. Thanks to local audiences who support comedy in all forms, the city’s stand-up scene has become one of the best in the nation. So not only are we blessed with a solid base of long-standing talent, comedy newcomers also

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Philip Glass Spreads His Wings on the First Complete...

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

Portland’s Third Angle played the piece under an airplane in McMinnville, the subsequent recording is pure science-fiction. by Nolan Parker The power of place and context are not lost on Third Angle New Music. Founded in 1985, the Portland nonprofit curates site-specific experiences featuring music by young composers and venerated 20th century legends, often commissioning brand new pieces for their

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This Portland Bookstore Has Really Good Breakfast

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

There are few things in this life that motivate me as much as a good breakfast sandwich. by Suzette Smith There are few things in this life that motivate me as much as a good breakfast sandwich. In my 20s, it was the only way to get me anywhere before noon. Ever since Portland’s best breakfast sandwich—Random Order’s B-list: a perfect combination of caramelized onion, egg, cheddar, and chipotle aioli securely

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The Faults in Our Stars

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

The only horoscope column in the universe. by Anthony Hudson “Like sands through the hourglass, these are the stars of our lives…”—Nostradamus Ours is an unprecedented time in astrological studies. Astrologers are setting themselves on fire in the streets. Conjunction-junctions are appearing with functions unseen since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Civil War, French Revolution, and the (First) American

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Do This, Do That: Spring Arts 2026

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

Take heed! Your spring arts and culture plans have arrived. by Bri Brey Seven Films by Kelly Reichardt THROUGH MARCH 22 (FILM) Clinton Street’s monthlong series for March centers the Pacific Northwest’s director supreme Kelly Reichardt, working near through her entire filmography. Novelist and Reichardt’s frequent artistic collaborator Jon Raymond will attend three screenings (Wendy and Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, Showing

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Mystic crystal revelation

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/12

by Anonymous Hey Anonymites, Friendly reminder that next week is Sunshine Week, so file public records request, question government officials, support independent journalism, and click on some fucking ads.

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Everything Free!

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/11

by Anonymous I'm gonna stop paying to go to concerts. The artists can sell their merch at the show on top of what they make for the booking, so screw that. I don't care who else the artist employs. The venue makes so much money on overpriced food and drinks too. I'm not gonna pay no cover charge to a local show either. Do I get a free drink from my cover charge? Why should I support the artist when they already get paid by the venue, get

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A Comedy of Turnovers Ends in Blazers Heartbreak

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/11

Cameron Crowell by Cameron Crowell Despite a promising nine point halftime lead, poor shooting and costly turnovers plagued the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half as the hometown team lost to the Charlotte Hornets for the second time in two weeks. This game was U-G-L-Y, and neither team really had an alibi. Charlotte shot 39 percent from the field, to Portland’s 42 percent—well below the NBA league average

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Mercury Music Picks: Big Stone Fruit Energy This Week...

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/11

Nolan Parker by Nolan Parker Not a lot to say by way of an intro this week. Everything is so heavy. Lean into yourself and your communities. Seek joy. Contribute to liberation in all the ways you're able. Music, live music especially, is one of the few places real community and joy can be found, so go find it. Thursday, March 12 Lo Steele For fans of Nubya Garcia, Yazmin Lacey, Toni Braxton Portland soul

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THE BLACK BYLINE: Your Guide to “Portland Nice”—And...

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/11

by Donovan Scribes (fka Donovan Smith) Port•land: a seaport in NW Oregon, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers Nice: pleasant; agreeable; satisfactory. •••• In case y’all missed it: Last week during a public meeting, Metro Councilor Juan Carlos González was discussing his concerns surrounding housing policy in the region, when fellow councilor Mary Nolan—who is White—asked González to repeat himself… but this time "in

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Good Morning, News: Dame's New Cocktail Lounge, Trump...

Portland Mercury ·

2026/03/11

by Courtney Vaughn If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is

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