By Arthur Smid

I walk into Fourteen30 Contemporary, and everything fits: the high ceiling, white walls, paintings, braided hair strung from the floor to ceiling. I won't mention how much the braided hair costs, you have to experience the gallery for what it is: a staging ground for emerging artists. “It's intimidating at first,” gallery owner Jeanine Jablonski says, “with contemporary art there's such a long history involved. It's so all over the map, that people do need a little guidance as to who is a good investment.” Jablonski's gallery, Fourteen30 Contemporary, is in SE Portland at 1430 SE 3rd Avenue.

A new show opened Friday January 23rd featuring Portland-based artist Jessie Durost and John Sisley from L.A. “I am really grabbing artists at the early stages in their career so that people are able to buy — whereas ten years from now a lot of these artists will be at a higher price range and won't be as accessible.” Durost's small architectural sculptures — cubes and grids poised in delicate and formal compositions — hang alongside Sisley's high-resolution digital prints fragmented from an archive of photos and recontextualized.

“I think it's really important for people to think about the fact that there is an art market. Unlike your sofa — unless you're looking at a piece of Danish modern furniture — you can look at as an investment, and hopefully over time — depending on what you buy and when you buy, it will increase in value … somebody who's a very avid collector, that's something they absolutely think about.” If you're looking to add more art to your life, Jablonski is a knowledgeable young gallerist eager to define the new market with engaging shows by “people that haven't had that first solo show”. Fourteen30 Contemporary is a launch pad for new generation artists.

Fourteen30
1430 SE 3rd Ave Portland, OR 97214 | 503.236.1430 | info@fourteen30.com
tel. 503.236.1430 | Gallery Hours: Tues through Sun, 10-5pm and by appt.

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Arthur Smid writes about events and people in Portland. If you have a story to tell, or a new business you want people to hear about — even if you just want someone to listen — please contact me: smidarthur (at) gmail.com

"Please make mistakes," Brad Fortier, comedian and educational director at The Brody Theater explains, "they're essential to this art, because a lot of those mistakes can become very brilliant comedy if we utilize rather than minimize the mistakes." Fortier talks casually with students, "Improv training really opens a different way of being — when you eradicate insecurities around mistakes. With improv we're breaking social norms to get to this comedy." People come to the show to be entertained and maybe, with a desire to participate. One of the attractions of the theater is a chance to enroll in classes, overcome your fear of speaking in public, and be spontaneously creative with people.

The Brody Theater has been active in Portland for twelve years and just leased a new home at 16 NW Broadway. It's in the lower part of the Broadway Hotel, between Helen's Market and Ichiban Sushi. The Housing Authority of Portland welcomed the theater to Old Town in hopes of creating a positive alternative to the dive bars and dance clubs in downtown. Check their website for showtimes: www.brodytheater.com

The players start each show with a suggestion from the audience. "In long-form improvisation, a pattern or series of relationships among the characters emerge." Tom Johnson, founder of The Brody Theater explains, "They aren't connected literally but by pattern, theme, and motif. The performers discover and work with the pattern; the theme emerges through the work." Johnson moved to Portland in 1996 and started teaching improv. "Brad was a student. He was in the second session; and Kerry was the first to call and sign up for classes in the Spring of 1996."

"I had done improv in high school," Kerry Leek says, "The English teacher introduced us to the Harold in a really vague sort of way. When I moved to Portland I saw a poster that said, Do you want to do the Harold? And I didn't really know what it was, but I wanted to do it. So I called him almost immediately. I said I didn't have any money — I was 19 — I talked his ear off. I was really excited. He said I could pay in installments."

"Serendipity is what led me to improv," Fortier explains, "I used to ride the number 15 bus, and I saw a guy on the bus reading the same book — we were both reading Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth. I was reading the big picture version and he was reading the regular book. When we got out at the same stop, he stopped at a telephone pole to look at a rock band poster. And I thought, I wonder if I should look? And that's where I saw a flyer for improvisors to join the Brody Theater."

In class, Fortier introduces one of the passwords to improv: follow-the-follower. "In a scene the least you can do is match their energy, match their pace. If someone's giving you a trigger — or what I would call a very good gift — I would let that change you. Even if someone hands you a pencil, I would let that change you." Fortier emotes, "A pencil. I thought I was going to get pen." A basic premise of improv: affirming and adding on to what your partner does.

"Narrative here is a network of relationships over a period of time." Fortier ventures, "The best improvisors are really accomplished at creating funny relationships, not just quippy dialogue. If you create interesting relationships, you will create longer lasting and more meaningful comedy." Fortier says, "In a scene, you let that person affect you and result in a particular emotion." He contrasts this with trying to get them to conform to a preconceived idea and reminds us, "You all have something when you walk up here because we all share social and cultural scripts."

Johnson started out doing stand-up comedy in New York City and moved to Chicago in the mid-80's to study improv. "When I got there I learned about Close — that's why I went to Improv Olympic, because I heard he was there. If you wanted to really learn, he was the man." Del Close taught many of today's most notable comedians. "When I met him he had just turned 50, and he had just stopped drinking. The stories and myths around him are interesting, but what I got from Del Close was his acute awareness of the theatrical value of improv — of what can be accomplished." Johnson emphasizes, "The laugh is a by-product of good improv, it's not the goal. The goal is moments of recognition and connection with the audience and people on stage."

"All ideas are connected," Johnson affirms, "all people are connected one way or another. We're not creating it — it's a fact. We're just finding the connection, tuning into it." Leek's experience with improv has helped her find the patterns in everyday life. "Improv has made me completely flexible," she says, "I think it has made me really analytical about what's going on — how things are going to proceed — but really okay with changing that at a drop of a hat. It's made me tie things together that I wouldn't normally tie together intellectually."

"The best shows are when I feel slightly challenged, slightly nervous. If I'm a little bit nervous, it causes me to be psychologically present." Leek confides, "The best improv is based on reality, based on your everyday experiences. It's much more interesting to watch when it's something you can relate to." Leek creates characters by tapping into her own emotions. "Sometimes it's not how I feel, it's the opposite," she points out, "but it's still something I can relate to — it's from my own experience."

"Improvisors bring their entire life up to that moment onto the stage, because that's where we get the subject matter for the scenes," Johnson confirms. "Some people ask, ‘Where do you get your material?' That's always a strange question for me because the answer is: from our lives. If you come to improv you're seeing a group of people create theater spontaneously as a small community's expression of the world around them. With improv the entire creative process is compressed into one moment."

"We reach the truth in life to get to this humor," Fortier exclaims, "comedy is that: it's truth. It's our job: to be funny, to be profound. That's what improv is — having on the ground, real human interactions. That's how we make something from nothing on the improv stage."

When students get their first really successful scene experience, it's almost like therapy. It's rare that something gives connection of our identities or our lives and all those around us. While taking improv classes at The Brody Theater, one learns about the role of uncertainty, ambiguity, and newness in the ability to be spontaneously creative. "There's two enemies to improv: being sorry and being worried." Brad explains, "Being sorry is focused on the past. Being worried is focused on the future. If you're bouncing between those, you can't be present and focus on the situation at hand."

"A lot of the satisfaction in the audience is to see a clear line of build from their idea," Fortier says, "that leads to their sense of investment, their sense of involvement in this. To see their idea turn into an integral part of the performance, a sense of being ‘completely in on it' emerges." At those moments people can really grasp and experience the magic of improvisation.

"Brody" is a slang term introduced in the early 20th century when a guy named Steve Brody jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, and lived. Johnson explains, "He did it on a dare, and not as a suicide. And so the term ‘to do a brody' became: to do something daring and dangerous, but with a successful outcome — to take a daring leap."

The Brody's Grand Opening Friday and Saturday the 23rd & 24th
Shows start at 8pm. Tickets $10/$7 student with ID
Location: 16 NW Broadway
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Arthur Smid writes about events and people in Portland. If you have a story to tell, or a new business you want people to hear about — even if you just want someone to listen — please contact me: smidarthur (at) gmail.com

*Julian Chadwick edit/shout-out: Oregon Literacy noticed my inabilities and is now contributing *

Neighborhood: North

Map: 2240 N. Interstate Ave, Portland, Or, 97227

Scrabble- It's free and it's every Tuesday at The Gotham Tavern

Oregon Literacy hosts free scrabble games every Tuesday evening at The Gotham Tavern, located at:
2240 N. Interstate ave. from 6-9pm.

Join us for lightly compeitive rounds with a chance to win prizes, meet new people, and enjoy the yummy food and delicious beverages The Gotham Tavern offers. Ten percent of your food/beverage tab goes to supporting Oregon Literacy.

Please feel free to call us, send an email, or visit our website for more information on this and other events, ways to promote literacy, and for volunteer opportunities.

www.oregonliteracy.org
www.myspace.com/oregonliteracy

email: oregonliteracy@gmail.com
phone: 503-244-3898

Well, let's take a peak.

First, would you like to buy a new SUV? Perhaps, a hummer like these people?

Number 2: That last was a little cut off, so here is the ad in it's full SUV-greatness–mid and full/”manly” size…

Number 3: Now, our “fair and balanced” friends from FOX are getting into the act as well…

Number 4: At this point things seem to be painting an interesting picture with the introduction of Newt Gingrich and Ann Coulter to the mix…

So, if you are a

• “My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building” person like Ann (check these quotes),
• her buddies at Fox news or
• just straight pro-terrorism like the countries who give the terrorists money (and those gas-guzzling SUVs help fund)

Metro-Fi might be right (one can use the phrase “literally right” and it would be one of the only correct times to use “literally”) for you.

Apparently, this guy in the picture above is the “target” market for FOX, Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, SUVs, and a pop-of of “Do you like George Bush?–Click here” ad that I wasn't able to grab fast enough before my Firefox killed it (love the fox!).

Yep, this is our tax dollars at work building this “free wireless system of Portland”.

More Metro-Fi/Metrofi information here including “OPB discovers that Metrofi is crap unless you are Kristian Foden-Vencil“

So, if you are emailing me your stuff, continue on, and we do our best to get it up.

However, now you have the option of posting to this place as well if for some reason we miss it over here…

http://community.livejournal.com/portlandstuff (Portland Stuff)

Best, Julian

Portland, indie music capitol of the USA; pay your unemployment taxes even though you didn't employ musicians.

Ok readers (especially in the rest of the world,) I usually try not to get too granular about the Portland music scene unless I'm excited about a band or 2.

Here's an exception – a 1960 OR state law is apparently being invoked in a manner that it wasn't originally written for; it holds that a venue is considered an employee when anyone performs in said venue and that unemployment taxes are therefore due…

Local lawyer Anne Koch has written an email to people who may be able to help….even the Moose. Read on.

Dear MFNW board, NWLA board, attorneys and other interested parties: I apologize for the long email. The Oregon Employment Department (OED), in the course of a random audit of Mississippi Studios, has declared that every musician that has ever performed in this venue is legally considered an employee of the venue.

As a result, Mississippi Studios will now owe unemployment taxes and penalties on all musicians they've ever paid.

OED's determination has been made based on a law that's been in existence since 1960 but has mostly not been enforced. ORS 657.506 provides that "the person or organization engaging the services of a musician shall be considered the employer…except when the services are performed pursuant to a written contract that expressly designates one or more musicians who sign the contract as responsible for the filing of any reports and the payment of any taxes…The musician who signs a written contract designating them as responsible shall…be considered the employer of any musician performing services under the contract who did not sign the contract."

BTW there is an exception to this general rule for "non-profit employing units" but it was literally held in a 2006 case that this does not include 501(c)(3) organizations (?). See Oregon Festival of American Music v. Employment Dept., 204 Or.App. 478 (2006).

So, unless there's a contract in place, the musician is an employee of the venue.

But, under the existing case law that analyzes this statute, the contracts need to specify that the musician is responsible for payment of any and all state and federal taxes, whether income, unemployment, etc. Additionally, any person signing on behalf of the band must agree and represent that he/she is signing on behalf of the band, that he/she covenants & agrees to be responsible for the payment of any and all taxes due, and that he/she indemnifies the venue for any failure to pay same.

I imagine for those of you who do use contracts in this type of scenario that your agreements may not have all the requisite language. From some initial research of the legislative history behind this law, it appears it was initially proposed by restaurants that had weekly or nightly entertainers who performed there on a regular basis. The original intent of the law was to avoid having restaurants get stuck owing unemployment taxes without a clear contract declaring the employee status of the musician.

The 1983 amendments to the law were intended to clarify the language and do away with a seeming difference in the way the law treated solo acts, duos, and groups/bands. But, the OED reads the law as if it were meant to place an irrebutable presumption of employee status on all musicians, regardless of the fact that most of them are clearly independent contractors. In any event, this law was never meant to apply to venues such as Mississippi Studios and the like.

There are obviously a lot of problems with the statute as written. It is unreasonable to expect that a written contract will be signed for every performance that takes place in this state. It is also unreasonable to find that if there is a contract, that the person signing on behalf of the band is considered the employer of the rest of the band.

And, as important, complying with this law would be overly burdensome on a number of levels for venues. From a legal perspective, it is ridiculous to imagine that without a sufficient contract, that state and federal employment laws (regarding pay, leave, unemployment, etc.) apply to the musicians playing at the venues around town. This is just not practical. The law clearly needs to be changed.

I am emailing to make you aware that this is going on (and that this law even exists), and to invite you to spread the word, get involved, or otherwise help in any way you feel inclined.

What you can do: Write a letter to the OED or the Attorney General to express your concerns about the enforcement of this law. You can speak generally about how this affects the industry, without giving any specifics about your own business practices, if you're reluctant to direct any attention to your own business. But, I also urge you to speak with your own attorneys if you have individual concerns about the application of this statute and/or what to do.

Addresses are:

Oregon Employment Department — Tax Section Attn:
Dennis Seibel
875 Union Street NE,
Room 107
Salem, OR 97311-0030

Oregon Department of Justice
Hardy Myers
1162 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301

The bigger picture: Jim and I and some others are forming a task force to address how to change this law.

If you'd like to take part, email Jim Brunberg at jim at mississippistudios dot com.

We are in contact with the Governor's office, will contact the Attorney General, and are further researching the process for amending the statute.

I believe Jim is in contact with The Oregonian and The Tribune about this, and I believe some of you folks at the Willamette Week. Full press coverage would be helpful as well.

Thank you for your time,
Anne Anne E. Koch
Motschenbacher & Blattner LLP
117 SW Taylor Street, Suite 200 Portland, OR
97204-3029
Direct: 503-417-0513;
Fax: 503-417-0501
akoch at portlaw dot com
www.portlaw.com

Welcome to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church(goholytrinity.org–yep)!

Our Vision at Holy Trinity is to manifest in the metropolitan Portland area the Body of Christ, the fellowship of Greek Orthodox believers, by learning and living the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Holy Church. We do this by worshipping, witnessing, serving and socializing together. We do this by caring for family, friends and others, comforting those in need and encouraging one another toward a strong moral and spiritual life. By striving for personal sanctification, to make real the image and likeness of God in our own lives, we seek to make God's Kingdom real in our community.

That graphic is how they show their address…it is NE 31st and Glisan

Details of Fest follow after the jump…and it is a lot!

The Holy Website (goholytrinity.org)

Authentic Greek Dinners

Adults: $12.00
Seniors 65-plus: $10.00
Children under 12: $6.00
Prices apply all hours, all days

Dinner tickets are available at the information booth or at the door. Talents are one dollar each.

Combination Plate on Friday and Saturday, 11am to 8pm
Dolmathes, pastitsio, keflethes, green beans yiahni, salad, bread, beverage, and dessert

Vegetarian Plate (available every day)
Spanakopita, green beans yiahni, salata, bread, beverage and dessert

Kota Riganati on Sunday, noon to 8pm
Half roasted chicken with with lemon, manestra, green beans yiahni, salata, bread, beverage, and dessert

Cooking Demonstrations

Learn to make Greek dishes and desserts from Chrisoula and George Papas, authors of “The Art of Greek Cooking”, Saturday and Sunday only, 1:00. Admission: three talents.

Agora/Monasteraki

Imported crafts and gifts from Greece: Rugs, Décor, Textiles, Ethnic Jewelry, Hand Knit Sweaters, Fisherman Hats and T-shirts.

Fine Gold and Silver Jewelry

Traditional, Byzantine, and more designs imported from Greece.

Deli

Gourment Imports: fine cheeses, olives, olive oil, pastas, herbs and spices, preserves, nuts, and more.

Children's Corner

10:00pm-8:00pm Friday
Noon to 8:00pm Saturday and Sunday.
Activities: face painting, gold “medals”, ivy wreaths, coloring, games, puppet shows, and more! Admission: two talents.

Raffle

$1.00 donation per ticket.
Grand Prize: Choice of 2 round trip tickets to Greece or Hawaii (some restrictions apply)
2nd Prize: 42-inch Plamsa Color TV
3rd Prize: 3 days/2 nights at The Inn at Spanish Head – Oregon Coast, Lincoln City, Oregon
4th Prize: Apple iPod, 60 GB color screen

Ethos Bookstore

Located in the church hall. Books, icons, music.

Greek Folk Dance Schedule

Performances take place on the 31st Avenue dance stage. Performance times noted in bold take place in the dining room.

Tours and Presentations of the Church

Visitors, please observe and respect a strict code of conduct in the sanctuary, our place of worship. No food, drinks, chewing gum, or loud talking.

Thank you.

Guide to Greek Pastries

Baklava

Delicately thin pastry leaves (filo) spread with butter and filled with a walnut/spice mixture and topped with syrup.

Bougatsa

A custard type filling in filo. Topped with honey, cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Diples

A delicate butter and egg pastry deep-fried and dipped in honey. Sprinkled with spices and nuts.

Kadaifi

Kadaifi dough with butter, chopped walnuts, cinnamon and cloves, topped with a honey syrup.

Karithopita

Spiced walnut honey cake.

Koulourakia

An all butter and egg braided cookie. Not overly sweet and good with coffee.

Spiced Orange Koulourakia

A braided cookie make with pure vegetable shortening and spices.

Kourabiethes

An all-butter and egg yolk shortbread-type cookie flavored with brandy and dusted heavily with powdered sugar.

Melomakarona

An orange-flavored cookie spiced with cinnamon. Dipped in honey and sprinkled with nuts.

Pasta Flora

An all-butter cookie with an apricot filling.

Paximadia

Choose one of the five flavors of this Greek biscuit: lemon, orange, amaretto, anise, or chocolate.

Rolla

Rolled filo with walnuts and spice mixture, topped with honey syrup and chocolate.

Tsoureki

Braided sweet bread, make with eggs, milk, sugar, and butter.

Tri-Metiquette #3 is a tricky subject. Obviously, non-verbal communication happens when someone places their bag / stuff / dog (I've seen it!) on the seat next to them. However, what kind of non-verbal communication is going on here? I believe it's different for every individual. Let me explain

Are you placing the bag next to you because no one appears to want to sit down or are you placing it next to you because you don't want anyone to sit next to you? Both of these mentalities exist on the Portland MAX on a daily basis. Who is to say that the old woman with the unweildly bag doesn't just want a place other than the ground to place her belongings? However, what if this old woman is actually a grumpy grandmother who hates sitting next to people?

Here's what I think should happen: TriMetiquette #3 – someone placing their bag on the seat next to him/her doesn't automatically mean that person is a jerk.

Though, I will say if someone approaches the seat, the seated individual should establish some sort of eye contact with the interested rider to see if they have the intent or desire to sit. If so, shuffle that bag over to your lap because your bag doesn't have precedence over a human being. If you see an influx of people getting on the MAX, elect to move your bag over to your lap or show that, yes, you would move your bag if someone was interested in sitting.

No one deserves to have to stand if they wish to sit down in a seat occupied by a bag.

BTA Friends,

You have an opportunity to speak up for bike safety in your neighborhood on Monday.

Commissioner Sam Adams is holding open houses around Portland to ask residents what their traffic priorities are. If you care about the ease, safety and enjoyment of bike riding, please go and say so!

Neighborhood Open House

Monday, Sept 24th, 7:00-9:00 pm

St. Philip Neri Church, Carvlin Hall

2408 SE 16th Ave (north of Division)

For more information about Commissioner Adams's “Safe and Sound Streets” effort to fund and enact transportation improvements in Portland, visit the PDOT website or www.commissionersam.com. The BTA is working to support Safe and Sound Streets, and to ensure that bicycle improvements are part of the program.

Please go – it makes a huge difference!

Michelle

Thank You Michelle!
Click these links below for more Portland information here on the Pipeline:

• bike (9)
• Bike Commute Challenge (2)
• bikes (35)
• biking (35)
• sustainability (50)
• government (13)

]]> http://www.pdxpipeline.com/2007/09/24/sept-24-commissioner-sam-adams-is-holding-open-houses-around-portland-to-ask-residents-what-their-traffic-priorities-are/feed/ 0 http://www.pdxpipeline.com/2007/09/04/sept-6-2007-bicycle-film-festival-kickoff-event-presented-by-vice-magazine-holocene/ http://www.pdxpipeline.com/2007/09/04/sept-6-2007-bicycle-film-festival-kickoff-event-presented-by-vice-magazine-holocene/#comments Tue, 04 Sep 2007 18:24:31 +0000 PDXPIPELINE http://pdxpipeline.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/sept-6-2007-bicycle-film-festival-kickoff-event-presented-by-vice-magazine-holocene/ *Welcome to a new contributor, babylawnmower*

Vice Magazine, home of the scathing Dos and Don'ts feature among other sarcasm-laden cultural commentary tidbits, is hosting (in conjunction with Dewar's) the kickoff event for the 2007 Bicycle Film Festival this Thursday, September 6th at Holocene. The evening will start off with a debate entitled “Bikes or Cars?” followed by music from Flosstradamus and DJ Beyonda. The debate will begin at 8:30, but Dewar's will be pouring complimentary cocktails starting at 7:30.

I attended the Debate Club co-sponsored by the Portland Mercury and the Bus Project last month (topic: Bikes vs. Cars) at rontoms, and, as you might imagine, it was very much a pro-bike affair; considering the fact that the car-friendly camp was 50% represented by Mel Zucker of the Oregon Transportation Institute, an old-guard type armed with arguments based on utterly irrelevant statistics, the panel was hardly balanced.

The Bus Project has not yet announced the topic for September's Debate Club, but the August forum on gentrification was sufficiently lively to compel me to encourage anyone with even a shred of interest in local goings-on to attend future events. The Vice shindig promises “two masters of argumentation,” setting the bar rather high, but hey, even if the discussion is weak and the point-making is flimsy, there's going to be FREE BOOZE.