Fall Arts 2026
Welcome to the Mercury’s Fall Arts Issue
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The Mercury’s 2026 Fall Arts Issue: Why Is the Theme Clowns?
Reality is chaos.
The theme is clowns.
Anthony Hudson Puts Down the Clown
He retired Portland’s premier drag clown, Carla Rossi, but she’s all over his debut book.
Clowns, CoHo, and the Legacy of Philip Cuomo
The Cuomo Theatre Fund builds on his legacy to create stability for local theaters.
Wildwood’s Portland Roots
Laika’s most ambitious stop-motion film includes 136 locations, many of which you’ll recognize.
Twelve Movies To Put on Your Calendar for Fall 2026
This season Robert Pattinson gets to do a weird little voice, and a bloated cast of comedians, martial artists, and models remakes Street Fighter.
ADX Fest Wants Portland to “Create and Play Together”
ADX will put Portland’s indie art scene on display in a month-long festival.
Shaking the Tree Celebrates Spooky Season With Four Short Plays
Caryl Churchill’s surreal, strange work is a perfect fit for the Portland theater.
Portland’s Fall Gallery Shows Get an A+
Many of the season’s most exciting exhibitions are going up at colleges, universities, and libraries around town.
Faking Food
Prop maker Olivia Vavroch can teach you to make everything
from medieval appetizers to creepy charcuterie.
In Search of Portland Reveals an Evolving, Ever-Changing City
A new book by journalist and architecture writer Brian Libby offers walking tours of Portland’s west side.
How To Talk About Art
When you know literally nothing about it.
Do This, Do That: September-November 2026
A selection of the city’s coolest fall arts events.
Time-Based Art as a Wild Weekend
PICA’s 2026 TBA festival makes Portland a destination for weird art.
A New Elliott Smith Biography To Break Your Heart and Make You Smile
Jamie Fisher draws on over 140 interviews to explore the beloved singer-songwriter with new depth.