Be Portlandia
Ever wanted to be Portlandia, the abominable bronze statue gracing PDX's claim to architectural fame? Me neither, but since Amos Latteier is spearheading the movement, chances are it will be interesting. Stop by the Portland Building before June 13th and pose as Portlandia (pitchfork and all) in front of a cardboard cutout of the Graves building. Everybody's picture goes up on the wall for the duration of the show, but you get to keep your photograph once the run is over (which comes just in time for an impromptu Father's Day card). Portland Building Lobby, 1120 SW 5th, RACC contact: 823-5426, Through June 13
Proof of Mermaids
Smelling like linseed oil and paint-encrusted palette knives, Molly Vidor's still-wet canvases at PDX are triumphs of abstract painting. Indebted to a generation of Post-Minimalist painters that include Pat Steir and Robert Mangold, Vidor re-ups the ante with shimmering surfaces, metallic colors, and bold, seductive expanses of negative space. PDX, 604 NW 12th Ave, 222-0063, Through June 7
The Best Coast
Love him or hate him, local art writer/curator/artist Jeff Jahn is usually willing to put his money where his mouth is, which is considerable, as his mouth is bigger than William Bennett's gambling debt. Jahn's latest vehicle is The Best Coast, a warehouse exhibit featuring nearly 30 Westerners. Local faves like Harrell Fletcher and Chandra Bocci are included, as well as Seattle's Robert Yoder and Dave Hickey, and the Las Vegas-based wunderkindTim Bavington. If Jahn can refrain from condescending to his audience, and let the art do the talking, The Best Coast could be a smash hit. 1001 SE Water Ave., Through May 23, 6:30-9:30 pm; May 24 noon-10 pm, $3
Viva Lucha
At Superbrawl 99, pint-sized luchadore Rey Mysterio Jr. was forced to lose his wrestling mask after being pinned by Kevin Nash--the greatest humiliation a lucha wrestler can suffer. After losing his ultra-cool mask, Mysterio's popularity tanked, so after a two-year absence, Mysterio shocked the world by returning to wrestling with his mask! This is a blasphemous heresy which Americans can barely comprehend, and is a serious enough no-no that the once beloved Mysterio will probably never be able to wrestle in Mexico again. Unfortunately, Viva Lucha, Gallery Bink's group show, doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the luchadore mythology, but instead treats it as an exotic cartoony fashion. How dare they treat a grave topic so lightly! Gallery Bink, 1416 E. Burnside, 233-8866, Through May
