future so bright

Matt McCormick, future so bright: kingman, 2007, C-Print

We’re looking forward to seeing Matt McCormick’s future so bright (video installation and photographs that look at the American West) at Elizabeth Leach Gallery. It’s great to see an artist who finds a remarkable balance between making good work and supporting his community of artists. McCormick, you’ll recall, founded Peripheral Produce, which distributes experimental film and video and produces the Portland Documentary and eXperimental Film Festival. And in the same decade since Peripheral was launched, McCormick’s work has been embraced not only by one of Portland’s top galleries, but has also been shown or exhibited in London, Reykjavik, Oslo, and is currently on view in USA: American Video Art at the Beginning of the 3rd Millenium, at the Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (March 1 – April 1, 2007). See future so bright First Thursday, March 1 6-9 PM and through the end of the month.

Matt McCormick, future so bright: motor hotel, 2007 Photography – 2 channel video, 18 minutes

Remind: Meet the Press at OFFICE

Quick reminder that OFFICE (2204 NE Alberta) is hosting a Meet the Press event tonight. How do you get your design/art/culture product or story covered? Well in our case, you email ultra@ultrapdx.com, but OFFICE’s Kelly Coller has been good enough to put together a panel of writers and editors who write or assign these stories so that you can hear how and what to pitch to whom.

Who will be there? More than we can list, but notably WW’s arts and culture editor, Kelly Clarke, Stephanie Basalyga, who edits the DJC’s design supplement, PDX Magazine’s Liz Hummer, UrbanHonking’s Mike Merrill (yeah!), Karen Vitt who does Lucky’s local notes, and interestingly, Amery Calvelli who will be speaking from a PR perspective. See you there.

Call for Entries: AIGA dMob B Sides

Designers: what about all of your great ideas that the client didn’t buy? Here’s your chance to let them see the light of day…at least among a select group of your peers. dMob wants your B-sides for their Pop Art-sponsored B-Side celebration of “IDEAS (that were shot down).” As they put it, “They picked not your anthem to white space, but the graphical version of a boy band: tolerated by all, but loved by none.” See the event notice and submit your B-Sides by March 9.

Merkled at MoMA

Kari Merkl’s beautiful resin cube lights are featured on the front page of MoMA’s online shop! The PDX-based designer has been handcrafting the subtle lamps (they can sit on a surface or be wall-mounted) for the past several years. Her website (www.merkled.com) features the full color range from grey to blue to amber.

Tonight: Trish Grantham Opening at OFFICE

Quick note that OFFICE (2204 NE Alberta Street) opens an exhibition of new work by Portland-based artist Trish Grantham tonight from 7-9 PM. The show runs through March.