HOLIDAY ART WORKSHOPS – Artist Laura Bender leads workshops making Batik cloth hangings with colorful fabric dyes and star patterns from folded colored papers to hang in the window. Both banners and stars are beautiful gifts for the holiday. The workshop is Saturday Dec 6 or Dec 13, 10 am – 3 pm. $60 registration includes all craft materials. Bring a sack lunch. In a new studio in SE Portland. To register: contact Bender at laura@sitepainters.net or call 503.788.2064.
TWELVE ARTISTS AT 12X16 GALLERY, (8235 SE 13th Ave. No. 5) are kicking up their heels with a celebration of painting, collage, photography and sculpture from a dozen artists, December 4 – 21. First Friday reception is December 5, at 6 pm. Closing reception is Sunday December 21, 2 pm. Gallery hours are Thurs. – Sun. noon-5 pm. 503.432.3513 /www.12x16gallery.com.
THE SING ALONG MESSIAH at Reedwood Friends Church, 2901 SE Steele St. is Sunday, December 7 at 6:30 pm. Scores are available and the event is free. Contributions to the Food Barrel are welcome. Reedwood also hosts Fiesta Navideña, Sunday, December 21 courtesy of Latino Friends, 12:30 pm. 503.234.5017.
VOODOO CATBOX POSTER SCRATCH AND DENT SALE at Music Millennium, 3158 E Burnside St. December 13 and 14, 10 am – 6 pm. Artist Gary Houston, under the psuedonym Voodoo Catbox, is known for silkscreen concert posters, traditionally-made, hand-drawn and hand-cut then hand-pulled. Each is a limited edition print, numbered and signed by the artist. voodoocatbox.com. Call Millennium at 503.231.8926. Also instore just added at Millennium: UK group Glass Animals, and new CD ZABA, Sat., Dec. 6, 1 pm.
THE 10TH ANNUAL DA VINCI ARTS FAIR is December 6 and 7 at da Vinci Arts Middle School, 2508 NE Everett St. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday. Admission is free. Boutique arts and crafts by more than 70 juried local artists and an intriguing array of ceramics, clothing, sculptures, paintings, pottery, photos, soaps and wearable art. Live music, hands-on art activities, student artwork for sale too. The school was founded in 1996 on the belief that arts are essential to human development. Contact Chris at 503.314.7583.
PHOTOGRAPHER AWARDED The Spider Black and White 2014 Awards are an important event for black and white photography and this year, it honored SE resident Don Jacobson, one of the founders of the Mt. Tabor Art Walk, for his “My Day For Dishes”, pictured here. Jacobson was presented with an Honorable Mention in the category of Still Life and had six more of his photographs nominated for awards out of 8000 entries from 73 countries. See more of Jacobson’s photo work at www.donjacobsonphoto.com.
MACHETE ORDER is guitarist and composer Dan Duval’s new ensemble. The group appears live at Starday Tavern, a new bar in the Foster/Powell neighborhood at 6517 SE Foster Ave., Thursday, December 4 at 9 pm. $5 gets you in the door and it’s for 21 and over. This group of accomplished jazz musicians plays heavier music more closely related to Black Sabbath or Mad Professor than to Miles Davis or John Coltrane. The lineup includes Lee Elderton (soprano), tenor Willie Matheis, Andrew Jones (upright and electric bass), drummers Stephen Pancerev and Ken Ollis and special guest tenor player Nicole Glover. The Starday Tavern is in SE Portland.
TROY LAUNDRY OPEN STUDIO SALE Artists open their studios to let you explore where art is made in the historic Troy Laundry Building at 221 SE 11th St. Friday – Sunday, December 5, 6, 7. Twenty + artists invite you to admire art, mingle, eat, drink and find the perfect gift for friends and family. Friday hours 5 -9 pm. Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 pm.