Robert Rauschenberg

Blue Sky Gallery will be honoring Robert Rauschenberg this month with an exhibition of some of his recent photographs. The prints originate from a trip to China in 1985 as part of the Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Exchange. Many of the images had remained unused until 2008, when he collaborated with Bill Goldston to create this series of 12 prints. It is a rare opportunity to see some of the work that was in process when this great artist died earlier this year.

Opening reception • 5-8pm • July 3
Blue Sky Gallery • 122 NW 8th AVE • 503.225.0210



Melody Owen

Melody Owen burst onto the NW art scene as a shining star in the 2001 Oregon Biennial. Mysteriously quiet around here since then, she's back this month at Elizabeth Leach with her first major solo show in seven years. Alexandria, I'm waiting features collage, wood sculpture, video, and photography from her recent travels to Iceland, Quebec, and Paris. It's happening in conjunction with her Caseworks exhibition, useless, incorruptible, secret, in the Reed College Library.


Also, you'll have a tough time missing Jaq Charteir's Full Spectrum on view in the front gallery.

Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 3
Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th AVE • 503.224.0521



Brian Borrello installation view

It's like a July Portland theme: Another artist who hit the scene running in the 2001 Biennial is showing this month at Pulliam Deffenbaugh. Brian Borrello has devoted much of his career to the creative engagement of social issues, from gun control to environmental sustainability. Since 2004, Borello has been working with the EPA and US Army Corps to "to envision, render and implement sustainable solutions." His work explores "growth patterns, principles of biological organization and natural phenomena," in a sinuous, lyrical elegance.

Opening reception • 5:30-8pm • July 3
Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery • 929 NW Flanders St. • 503.228.6665



Emi Anrakuji, from "IPY"

Japanese artist Emi Anrakuji suffered from a cerebral tumor just after completing her degree in painting in the 1980s. Although the tumor prevented her from painting, Anrakuji began to rediscover her voice and herself in photography during her gradual recovery. Her work conveys the tension and yearning of being trapped inside a mortal body. This exhibition, IPY, explores the artist's "erotic self portraits documenting [her] obsessive daydreams."

Opening reception + book signing • 5:30-8:30pm • July 3
Charles A. Hartman Fine Art • 134 NW 8th AVE • 503.287.3886



Richard Wilson, "Y.B.G. (for Nancy Wilson)"

Portland is undeniably a food town, and in that spirit, PDX Contemporary presents a delicious group show, Kinda Like a Buffet. Artists include Brad Adkins, Joe Macca, Richard Wilson, Cynthia Lahti, and many more. Each piece explores regional food culture in a "feast for the eyes."

Opening reception • 6-8pm • July 3
PDX Contemporary • 925 NW Flanders • 503.222.0063



Nicole Dextras, "View"

If you're still feeling spirited after the west side art walk, head across the river to check out the opening of Canadian artist Nicole Dextras' Palimpsest at 23 Sandy. The photographs document a series of outdoor ice sculpture installations Dextras created over the course of three chilly Canadian winters. The title of the exhibition refers to the ephemeral nature of ice, and the layers that are revealed through the transformation of time.

Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 3
23 Sandy Gallery • 623 NE 23rd AVE • 503.927.4409