Malia Jensen
Nature Studies, Jensen's first exhibition at Elizabeth Leach, finds the artist continuing to use the animal kingdom as surrogates in her exploration of the human drama, as well as throwing in bits of visual mischief to keep viewers on their toes. Her Haystack series appears at a glance to be a suite of boring images of Cannon Beach's signature rock at sunset; further inspection reveals the haystack to actually be the back of someone's hoodie standing in front of the camera. Not only is it a nice little visual jab, but the almost-pure black of the triangular form turns the monolithic foreground into deep negative space, creating a figure-ground play reminiscent of Jeff Elrod's best paintings. Elizabeth Leach Gallery, 417 NW 9th, 224-0521, through Sat May 27

Video Library Grand Opening
For the past several months, small A projects has been building a library of artist's videos; tonight the library opens with screenings of works by Dave McKenzie, Rachell Sumpter, and more. small A projects, 1430 SE 3rd, 230-0265, Thurs May 25, 7-9 pm