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c3Category — Arts & Culture
Posted inNews

One of Portland’s Few Black-Owned Music Venues is Facing Eviction

The Heights owner claims predatory lease terms left him in default. His landlord says payments were missed even after a rent reduction. 
Avatar photoAvatar photo Nolan Parker and Courtney Vaughn

One of Portland’s few Black-owned music venues is facing eviction from its location in Southeast Portland.  The Heights lounge and event space was founded in 2024 by local musician Jermaine Malone. Since then, it’s operated out of a 3,800-square-foot space on SE Foster Road. The lounge features a rotating calendar of events from comedy nights, […]

Posted inDo This, Do That

The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for December 29-January 4

Nothing says “2026” like a cowboy prom and a very ’80s vampire flick.
Avatar photoAvatar photo Lindsay Costello and Mercury Staff

It’s the last week of 2025, and all those other Do This, Do That events are so last year. Here’s a fresh roundup to round out your week, including events featuring complicated comedians, hot vampires, and honky tonk opportunities. Plus, New Year’s matcha and a journaling session set you up for self-actualized success in 2026—but […]

Posted inThe Trash Report

The Trash Report: Clip Show!

Take a trip down garbage memory lane with the best gossip from 2025!
Avatar photo Elinor Jones

Happy holidays, Trash Pandas! ‘Tis I, Elinor Jones, coming to you live from the weird vortex between Christmas and New Year’s Day. In the spirit of this being the laziest, dirt-baggiest week of the year, this week’s column is a compilation of my favorite morsels of trash from throughout the year. That’s right friends: it’s […]

Posted inCalendar

Happy New Year’s Eve! What to Do on December 31

Do This, Do That and Mercury Music Picks join forces, guiding you into 2026.
Avatar photoAvatar photoAvatar photo Nolan Parker, Lindsay Costello, and Mercury Staff

As 2025 comes to a close, let us reflect on what a wild year it has been. 2025 blew the doors off all of our expectations clocking in at 525,600 minutes, 365 calendar days, and 12 distinct months. Can you even believe it? It’ll be hard for 2026 to keep up, but hopes are high […]

Posted inVisual Art

The Mercury’s Favorite Visual Art Shows of 2025: Calligraphy, a Lettuce Lamp, and a Salmon Cannon

New artists and art spaces made Portland feel like its old self.
Avatar photo Lindsay Costello

The most memorable exhibitions this year made a mess, rejecting pristine gallery walls in favor of fish skin, plastic bags, and lived-in spaces like a mall corridor and a home garage. Artists viewed art itself as inhabitable—Ginny Sims turned walls into spaces for dimensional scenes, and Lydia Rosenberg’s experimental lamps gave Society a chaotic, yet […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Trump’s War on Renewable Energy, ICE Ruins a Toddler’s Life, and Oregon Ski Season is Back!

Avatar photoAvatar photo Taylor Griggs and Courtney Vaughn

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland! This is the final morning news roundup before the […]

Posted inMovies & TV

The Mercury’s 10 Favorite Movies of 2025

The best movies of 2025 are at war with the machine, data centers, and helplessness. What a relief.
Avatar photo Dom Sinacola

Of the many exceptional movies I saw in 2025—10 of which I have listed below—the majority of them were available to catch in a Portland theater. The thriving ecosystem of independently-owned cinemas spread across our city is near inimitable, especially given our glut of centenarian show houses. While monster studios continue to eat each other, […]

Posted inDo This, Do That

The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for December 22-28

There’s more to do this week than open presents.
Avatar photoAvatar photo Lindsay Costello and Mercury Staff

Whatever holiday(s) you celebrate, this week likely presents some interesting challenges—there’s lots to “do,” but also some unfilled hours during which your family will be antsy and all your typical haunts will be closed and/or packed. We’ve got you covered with out-of-the-house ideas to fill the next seven days with more than balled-up wrapping paper—the […]

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