Drawn
Manya Shapiro's body of mixed media work fuses elements of sculpture and line drawing to alter the atmosphere of the gallery. Mary Oslund's dance company will perform a collaborative dance piece in the gallery at the opening night, Tuesday, 5 pm, and again Sunday afternoon at 1 pm. Oregon College of Art and Craft, 8245 SW Barnes Rd, 297-5544, Through Feb. 27
* Group Show
PDX is one of the few galleries whose group shows we get excited for. Jane Beebe's personal and organic-leaning tastes reveal themselves with groupings of artists such as Bean Finneran, D.E. May, Joe Macca, Kevin Burrus, and Molly Vidor. PDX, 604 NW 12th Ave, 222-0063, Through Jan. 22
Life's Daily Tasks
The prolific photographer Lindsey White presents a series of "slapstick self-portraits" that use school play props and vaudeville to "challenge cultural norms, such as the Protestant work ethic, professionalism, and gender roles." Reading Frenzy, 921 SW Oak, 274-1449, Opening party Thurs 6 pm, through Jan 30
* The ANIMAL Show
The team of Tara Jane O'neil, Rita O'Brien and Chris Bennett curated this multimedia show about the animal kingdom. Work in all media will appear by artists such as Zak Margolis, Matt McCormick, and Ann Ploeger. Newspace, 1632 SE 10th, 963-1935, Through Jan. 30
* This Is Our World
"Our World" in this case means constructed, cinematic realities devised by photographers with a flair for the macabre and dramatic. Craig Doty's work examines some of the violent Freudian subtexts of youth in America, while the photographs of Jeanine Oleson and Ellen Lesperance explore themes of escapism and pre-modern fantasy. Savage Art Resources, 1430 SE Third Ave, 230-0265, Opens Friday 6-9 pm. Through Jan. 29
Walking thru Jell-O
Claire Lieberman's video project is pretty straightforward, showing bare feet squishing red Jell-O blobs. The curious part is why the artist used "thru" rather than "through" in the title. Is it further degradation of the English language, or artful affect? Discuss. PDX Window Project, 612 NW 12th, Through Feb. 3
