Something seems to have sparked a trend and suddenly, everything's popping up galleries. Perhaps it's the dense concentration of artists begging for exposure, or the tepid Portland economy that makes it more enticing to create your own job than work for someone else, or maybe it's just something in the water. Whatever the cause, the result is four new galleries (two traditional, two hybrids) opening in two weeks.

Paul Middendorf has defected from Disjecta and, for the moment at least, moved his Manifest Artistry projects to the back burner to team up with artist Paige Saez as co-director of Gallery Homeland. Infiltrating the less commercial Southeast quadrant of the city, Homeland has taken up quarters on the corner of 34th & Belmont, a stone's throw from coffee, cocktails and bourgeois groceries. Exhibiting young local favorites and importing trans-nationals, Homeland aims to "encourage emerging and challenging concepts in visual and performing arts." Their first show opens next Friday (competing with the Affair and the new CMCA wing) with three Portlanders, Zak Margolis, Charles Moss and Amy Steele. There will be live music with the artists and directors in attendance.
Opening Reception • September 29th • 7p
Gallery Homeland • 926 SE 34th Ave • Tel. 503.819.9656

Around the corner from Homeland is the Missing Link, delivering all things Japanese/toy/collectible to the East side of the river. Occupying the former Spoink! space, ML houses art shows in the back quarter and opened to a packed house last week with an exhibition by S.F. yeti-loving graff artist Bigfoot. Shows will rotate bi-monthly, at least in the beginning, with a line-up of skate/graff/design leaning artists. Expect some young fresh fellows to roll through this informal space, with price tags built for the creative class.
Missing Link • 3314 SE Belmont • Tel. 503.235.0032

As we reported last week, Laurel Gitlen is gearing up for the launch of her new space, small A projects and now has a website. She has also added a screening of Heavy Metal Parking Lot to her housewarming on October 7th. Rat your hair, rip off your sleeves and grab a nice cold MGD for a night of all things Rockin'.
Gallery opens September 30th • Reception October 7th
small A projects • 1430 SE Third • Tel. 503.234.7993

Next we traverse Burnside to the other side of the river where we find what may or may not qualify as a gallery. Housed in one of Portland's sexiest buildings, where Wieden + Kennedy and Bluehour rub elbows, B Street Gallery is actually a facade for the showroom of the under-construction Civic condos. The gallery will last two years, until the condos are up and the showroom is closed. According to the website, they will feature work by "local and emerging artists celebrating everything about Burnside"?! Yes, indeed, those are their words. Have these people driven on Burnside recently? I am interested to see what about Burnside these artists will be exalting... the homeless sleeping on the sidewalk, the prostitutes, the crack heads, the traffic, that Volvo dealership, the fact that you can't ever make a left turn? Any old how, there's currently new artwork hanging by some of the Zeitgeist fellas: Paul Fujita, Keith Rosson and Mike McGovern. Hopefully they had some better ideas than I did.
Open to the public October 1st
B Street Gallery • 202 NW 13th Ave • Tel. 503.241.1926