Art From the Works Progress Administration
Expand your Cinderella Man fetish with this sample of Roosevelt-era, government-funded work by artists associated with the 1930s incarnation of PNCA. Philip Feldman Gallery, PNCA, 1241 NW Johnson, 226-4391, Closes Saturday

Dig My Grave On the Spot Where it Lands
One of the most exciting artists in Portland works more in the theater biz than in the art world—until now. Gabriel Liston, the visual art director for Liminal Theater's acclaimed The Resurrectory, debuts a solo exhibition of narrative-driven work, incorporating eerily beautiful paintings, wax-sealed copies of Moby Dick, and other hand-crafted props. New American Art Union, 922 SE Ankeny, 231-8294, through August 27

Painted Aluminum Sculpture
Mel Katz, arguably Portland's most exciting elder statesman, returns with another fine show of his painted sculptures, which look to draw their cues from Mickey Mouse, Piet Mondrian, and the sculptures of Roy Lichtenstein. Laura Russo Gallery, 805 NW 21st, 226-2754, Through August 27

Superhero
When the first Spiderman movie premiered shortly after 9/11, writers began postulating about society's need for heroes at that point in history, acting as if the sight of Kirsten Dunst in a wet T—shirt wouldn't have been a box office draw in the summer of 2001. In the ensuing four years, however, superhero art has proliferated greatly in the realms of the visual arts, film, and literature. Compound presents an exhibition of artists from Hong Kong, Japan, and the US, each working within that theme. Compound, 107 NW 5th, Through August 31

The Future Remnants of Dreamvilles
The first in a series of three installations, artists Jessie Rose Vala and Emily Counts have transformed Motel Gallery into a baroque living room, complete with carpeting, hand-painted wallpaper, streamers, and fairytale-inspired drawings. Motel, NW Couch between 5th & 6th, Through August 27

Paul Seawright
Masterful Irish photographer Paul Seawright was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to travel to Afghanistan with the intent of documenting the war. Seawright's strengths lie in his color photographs of spare, unpopulated landscapes, which a bombed-to-shit Afghanistan provided plenty of. Blue Sky Photography Gallery, 1231 NW Hoyt St, 225-0210, Through Aug. 27

Summer Group Exhibition
Say goodbye to the Pearl's best carpeted gallery space as Pulliam Deffenbaugh prepares to move a few blocks east with this show of gallery artists, including Brian Borello, James Boulton, Anna Fidler, Ken Kelly, and Jeffrey Mitchell. Pulliam Deffenbaugh, 522 NW 12th Ave, 228-6665, Through Aug 27