Blog Archives - Page 14 of 29 - Village Frame and Gallery

April 7, 2017March 20, 2018

It’s First Friday, Come to the Gallery to Meet Shirona Lurie

Artist Reception Starts at 6 pm Tonight at Village Frame & Gallery

Subconscious Revelations: The Art of Spontaneous Collage by Shirona Lurie opened Tuesday. Tonight, meet Shirona and learn more about the intriguing images she creates in collage.

Your Sneak Peek of the Exhibit

All of Shirona’s work is collage, constructed from cut or torn paper, and she has developed two very different, yet complementary series. “Color Meditations” and “Origins.”

Take a look — you can enlarge these images by clicking on them.

Collage of mountain landscape — Seeing Landscape by Shirona Lurie

Collage of mystical woman — Queen of Hearts by Shirona Lurie

Collage of colorful squares — Desert Dawn by Shirona Lurie

Collage of squares — Color Meditations by Shirona Lurie

More in the Village

As always, our neighborhood shops are open late. Come eat, browse, shop, and meet up with friends in Multnomah Village.

April 4, 2017March 20, 2018

Opening Today: Subconscious Revelations: The Art of Spontaneous Collage by Shirona Lurie

Exhibit Dates: Tuesday, April 4th through Saturday, April 29th

Subconscious Revelations: The Art of Spontaneous Collage is open to the public at Village Frame & Gallery, 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm. No charge.

Artist Reception: Friday, April 7th, 6:00-7:30 pm

Come meet Shirona and see her intriguing collage work in person on First Friday. (Click images below to enlarge.)

Collage of colorful, stylized birds. — Birds by Shirona Lurie

Abstract collage of colorful squares — Ancestral Healing by Shirona Lurie

About the Artist: Shirona Lurie

What strikes one immediately upon looking at Shirona’s art is its stunning beauty. This is a rare thing. We are bombarded with images that are intended to be ironic, cynical, or that even celebrate ugliness, and so we have lost much of the power of beauty. But for thousands of years, the primary purpose of art was to elevate the human heart and spirit by showing us images of transcendent beauty. Through the contemplation of these images we glimpse a reality that is higher and truer than the mundane existence to which we can all too easily succumb. Beauty deeply moves us because it is ego-less; it is a servant that seeks only to discover and transmit. In this way, the experience of beauty is a spiritual encounter. This is exactly what one feels when looking at Shirona’s art.

All of Shirona’s work is collage, constructed from cut or torn paper, and she has developed two very different, yet complementary series. Her “Color Mediations” series are composed of carefully arranged squares of subtle and saturated colors. The rigor of the format focuses attention on the subtle relationship where edge meets edge, and reveals the beautiful sensuality of color itself. These glow with an inner light that seems to shine through the paper, sometimes pulsating, sometimes gently shimmering, and then dissolving back into the deep. Like Buddhist mandalas, these are images of contemplation and revelation.

Her “Origins” series, though also collages, break free from any formal constraints. They are made from dense layers of torn or cut paper, and at times use recognizable images: bodies, faces, flowers, rocks, and water. These works seem both mythic and monumental, as through we are witnessing primordial acts from hidden realms. The imagery in these is not literal or cerebral, but is intuitive and sensual. In one we sense a feminine sexuality bursting forth in an orgasmic flow of creation. In another we come through an opening, as though from one state of consciousness to the next. And in another we see what may be the formation of essential energies that seem to come from the beginning of time.

In both series, Shirona’s art is informed by a sense of reverence and seriousness in her craft. And all, unfailingly, come through Shirona’s ever-present eye for beauty.

March 29, 2017March 20, 2018

No Joke, Spring Fever Fine Art Sale ends Saturday, April 1st! Next: Shirona Lurie

Save 20% to 70% on artwork right now at Village Frame & Gallery

There are still some great buys to be had on classic fine art, but get in here before the month — and the sale –end!

April Featured Artist: Shirona Lurie

Exhibit opens Tuesday, April 4th and runs through Saturday, April 29th. Watch your email for more info about Shirona and her artwork.

Abstract collage — Fruition 1 by Shirona Lurie

Books: In the Mist and Life Beyond My Body

We still have copies of In the Mist: Giving Voice to Silence and Life Beyond My Body: A Transgender Journey to Manhood in China for sale in the gallery.

In the Mist — a Book of “Painterly” Photography Illuminated by Poetry

An ode to the ethereal wonder of mist, this spectacular collaboration is comprised of exquisite images from photographer Russell J. Young accompanied by nuanced poems from seven esteemed Oregon poets. With soft, pale breath, the mist casts an undeniable veil of silence wherever it reaches — from the glassy face of a pond to the concrete underbelly of a bridge to the towering shoulders of a pine forest. These mist-clad Oregon landscapes and urban moments, along with their poetic responses, evoke the whisper of stillness. This book binds together poetry and photography in a relationship in which one is not excluded from the other, but rather both are met and bound and emerge as a new wholeness — a wholeness seeking that which is hidden in the mist and that which is revealed: silence, memory, breath.

In the Mist Photographer: Russell J. Young

In the Mist Poets: Margaret Chula, Cindy Williams Gutiérrez, Diane Holland, Andrea Hollander, Paulann Petersen (Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita), Donna Prinzmetal, Penelope Scambly Schott

Click here read the introduction of In the Mist.

Life Beyond My Body — the First Memoir by a Trans Man from China

Born in a rural Chinese village and identified as a girl at birth, Lei Ming, is barely cared for during his childhood. Often lonely, terrified and abused, he learns early to fend for himself and look within for answers, but there he discovers a paradox that threatens to undo him. Although he does not yet know the word “transsexual,” at 16, Ming sets out on a secret mission to find relief. Life Beyond My Body tells the true story of his quest to find answers in a society that is closed-mouthed about men like Ming.

Along the way, Ming finds solace and judgement in the Christian church, loves and loses a woman, begins his physical transition using black market testosterone, is jailed over his identity, and arranges for top surgery without blowing his cover. But ultimately, understanding the true meaning of being a man will require reckoning with God.

Life Beyond My Body Authors: Lei Ming and Lura Frazey

Read the Foreword by Lambda Literary Award-winning author Willy Wilkinson at LifeBeyondMyBody.com. “Chapter 1: Who Can Give a Man His Name?” is available at Transfaith.org.

Come See Us Today

Village Frame & Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm, or by appointment, at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219 — right in the heart of Multnomah Village.

March 2, 2017March 20, 2018

Spring Fever Art Sale – Save 20% to 70% Starting First Friday March 3rd!

Big Artwork Inventory Sale

Been looking at your walls all winter? Time for an art refresh? This month at Village Frame and Gallery we have beautifully framed fine art pieces at stock up prices! Stop in this month and get your spring on! Be here on First Friday for the biggest selection and best sale prices. Village Frame & Gallery will be open late and we’re looking forward to seeing you. Here’s a small sample of the deals available this month:

Image of Richard Hall's painting Horizon II — Horizon II by Richard Hall

Close up of heron in watercolor with gold matte and frame — Original watercolor by Beki Killorin

Painting of table with tea pot, candle, and strawberries on it. — Still life by Dan Mitra

We the People Posters are Selling Fast, Get Yours Before They’re Gone!

We are happy to report our We the People posters fundraiser and Amarinda Alpern trunk show raised over $320 in February for the ACLU. We still have some of the posters and 100% of poster profits will be donated to the ACLU, so if you want a set of your own, don’t wait — quantities are limited.

See you tomorrow for First Friday — because community is everything!

Village Frame & Gallery is located at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219, right in the heart of Multnomah Village.

February 16, 2017March 20, 2018

Get We the People Posters Plus Savings on Framing in February

Want Your Own Set of “We the People” Posters? Come to Village Frame & Gallery!

Three red, white, and blue art posters, one depicting a Latina that says "We the people defend dignity," one depicting a Muslim woman that says "We the people are greater than fear," and one depicting an African American woman that says, "We the people protect each other." — by Shepard Fairey

“It’s really about making sure that people remember that ‘we the people’ means everyone, it means all the people. I think the campaigns were very divisive, more from one side than the other. But (it’s) just reminding people to find their common humanity, and look beyond maybe one narrow definition of what it means to be American.”

— Shepard Fairey

Have you seen Shepard Fairey’s artwork for the inauguration? Were you touched by it? We were too — and I had to get a set. So, I got several 9×12 sets, which will be framed and available for sale in the Gallery starting tomorrow. I have limited quantities so get here before they’re gone! 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the ACLU.

Need Custom Framing? Save 15% in February!

Have something of your own you want framed? Now is the time to do it. Bring in this coupon (or just pull up this blog post on your phone) and we’ll give you 15% off your next framing order. And yes, we still have a few designer mirrors on clearance.

See You Soon!

As always, we’re open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm, at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219.

February 1, 2017March 20, 2018

Featured Artist Amarinda Alpern Kicks Off Fabulous February on the 3rd

February is an exciting month at Village Frame and Gallery!

Amarinda Alpern Trunk Show — First Friday, February 3rd Only

Find that perfect gift for someone you love. This First Friday only, from 6 pm – 9 pm, we have a Trunk Show of fine jewelry by Amerinda Alpern, with new pieces sure to quicken someone’s heart! Check these out (click to enlarge):

Gold earrings in the shape of a leaf. — By Amarinda Alpern

Gold earrings in a triangle shape with open circles across them — By Amarinda Alpern

Gold earrings that look like a stylized plant seedling — By Amarinda Alpern

Silver earrings that look like a leaf — By Amarinda Alpern

Light, Shadow & Form by Amarinda Alpern Throughout February

In this series of glass sculpture there are endless visual metaphors at play. The works on glass and paper are interactive with both electric light and natural sunlight, during the course of a day and during the seasons of a year. Symbolically the shapes of structure, home or temple mirror the light and shadow that we both live in and the light that lives within us. Ten percent of all sales from Amerinda’s show will be donated to the ACLU (click to enlarge):

Glass sculpture on paper inside dark frame — By Amarinda Alpern

About Amarinda Alpern

Inspired by the beauty of the northwest, my jewelry collection features my interpretations of plants I found growing in Portland Oregon coupled with nature’s geometry and reduced to classic mid-century shapes and designs. I am fascinated with how nature grows, whether it’s the slight difference between leaves on a tree or the subtle variations in the human form. Geometry continues to hold my visual and emotional attention.

Also in the Gallery this Month

Hand Thrown Fine Ceramics by Carson Culp

Carson Culp is a self-taught ceramic artist who shared a double duty at the Multnomah Arts Center for three years as a Ceramic Technician and Youth Clay Instructor. During his time in Portland he was employed at Mudshark Studios and an apprentice at Kelly Pottery. Carson is influenced by traditional Japanese ceramics expressing that with his wood fired and high-fired celadon work. He is drawn to making functional forms that show balance and quality with a fluid and inorganic style. Carson has been accepted to a one year apprenticeship at the Leach Pottery in Cornwall, UK where he will work alongside the production team and focus on his craft. His
goal is to start a wood fire pottery/gallery and pass on his life experiences to other emerging ceramic artists.

Life Beyond My Body: A Transgender Journey to Manhood by Lei Ming and Lura Frazey

The First Memoir Published by a Trans Man from China

Buy your copy at Village Frame & Gallery today!

See You in February

We are at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219. Our regular business hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm.

January 17, 2017March 20, 2018

Book Reading and Signing January 19th

Meet Author Lei Ming — on Tour in the US for a Limited Time — at Village Frame & Gallery

Book signing and reading flyer — Click to enlarge and print

About the Book

Life Beyond My Body: A transgender journey to manhood in China is the first memoir published by a trans man from China. Learn more at LifeBeyondMyBody.com.

About Lei Ming (Ray)

Ray lives in stealth in China, but is currently in the U.S. to speak about his life and experiences. Life Beyond My Body is his first book. When he is not writing, he uses his language skills to keep the lights on and finance his reading habit through tutoring and translating jobs. A self-described “typical introvert,” Ray spends a lot of time alone, drawing or playing guitar.

Join Us to Meet Ray Thursday Jan 19

Ray will be reading from Life Beyond My Body: A transgender journey to manhood in China

Thursday, January 19th
at
6:30 p.m.
at
Village Frame & Gallery
7808 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR 97219

This event is open to the public and there is no charge to attend. We hope to see you there!

November 15, 2016May 14, 2018

Remembering The Coming of the White Man

This year, Village Frame & Gallery is looking at the wider body of work that comprises the Pacific Northwest art legacy. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook as we explore art and artists from across the region.

The Coming of the White Man by Hermon Atkins MacNeil

Sculpture of two native american men looking into the distance — *The Coming of the White Man* by Herman Atkins MacNeil

A gift to Portland in 1904 from the family of former Portland mayor David Thompson, The Coming of the White Man is a turn-of-the-century style 8’8” x 6’ x 6’3” bronze sculpture. It depicts two Native Americans, presumably watching Lewis and Clark breach the Columbia River Gap. The older figure is often said to be Chief Multnomah.

It was this time of year, in 1805, when Lewis and Clark were traveling through this area on their way to the Pacific. They reached the junction of the Snake and Columbia rivers on October 16th. On October 25th they were at The Dalles and on November 3rd, they camped just west of where Camas is today. They reached the Pacific on November 15th.

Local tribes had been trading with the occasional whites who traveled through the Pacific Northwest since the 1790s, but as we know now, the information Lewis and Clark took home from their expedition would have a great influence on the western fur trade and immigration into the area. After Lewis and Clark, the number of whites coming into the area rose rapidly, with devastating consequences to the native people.

About Hermon Atkins MacNeil (1866-1947)

Photo of the artist, seated — Herman Atkins MacNeil circa 1907

MacNeil was an American sculptor from Massachusetts. He is known for his works depicting Native Americans, for designing the Standing Liberty quarter, for the Pony Express statue in St. Joseph, Missouri, and for sculpting Justice, the Guardian of Liberty on the east pediment of the United States Supreme Court building.

See The Coming of the White Man

It’s a bit of a hunt, but you will find it in Washington Park on SW Washington Way, not far from the Oregon Holocaust Museum.

Can’t get enough art? You’ll love Village Frame & Gallery!

Exhibits are open to the public, at no charge, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm, at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219.

This month, we’re featuring the work of the seven talented Bridge City Artists.

November 10, 2016March 20, 2018

Authentic Tribal Afghan Bags and Textiles, Trunk Show Friday and Saturday

This Friday and Saturday, Village Frame & Gallery is hosting a trunk show of authentic tribal Afghan bags and textiles from the collection of Don Bauer. Don will be here, happy to tell you more about the origins of this beautiful collection.

Trunk Show – Authentic Afghan Bags and Textiles

Friday, Nov 11th, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Saturday, Nov 12th, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

About the Collection

Don Bauer writes, “I first traveled to Kashmir in 1979, just before Russia invaded Afghanistan. The goal of my trip – purchase collectible authentic rugs for my business. While in Kashmir I met the Noori family. I spent time with the Noori’s over ten years, observing the items they collected and found valuable. I acquired many tribal bags and rare textiles from the Noori’s. This trunk show is just a part of my collection.”

November 8, 2016March 20, 2018

Looking for a Unique Holiday Gift? Turn Your Favorite Tradition into Art

Cookie recipe, cookie cutters, and snapshot of grandmother and granddaughter making cookies in professional picture framing

Everyone has a favorite holiday memory they would love to preserve.

Maybe it’s a shared ritual, a beloved heirloom, or a particular time that was extra special. Whatever it is, this year, give yourself or a loved one the gift of enjoying that memory forever.

What memory do you want to preserve and give?

Gather the tangible pieces and symbols of it and bring them to Village Frame & Gallery. We will help you create a one-of-a-kind gift that expresses the joy that memory has brought you and the love you feel for the recipient.

Not sure how to get started? Call us at 503-245-8001.

Consultations are free and we have plenty of ideas to help you get started turning your favorite memories into art.

Don’t wait, the holidays are just around the corner!

To avoid rush fees, bring us your gifts needing framing by December 10th. Village Frame & Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm, at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219.

Village Frame & Gallery is an owner-operated, full service, custom framing shop, proudly offering the industry’s only Conservation Grade Glass — True Vue — to ensure your framable memories will last and last.

To learn more, check out How to Choose Picture Glass Like a Pro.