First Friday in Portland turns up a number of what look to be strong shows that focus on drawing (a national show curated by MK Guth Worksound) and painting (Liston’s residency at NAAU and galleryHOMELAND) rounded out by Nationale’s group photography show inspired by lines from "The Waste Land."

Take That and Stand By For Trouble
Gabriel Liston
New American Art Union
922 SE Ankeny
First Friday April 2, 6-9PM

Gabriel Liston moves his painting studio from his greenhouse to the gallery for six weeks painting a “scrum, plus chuck norris on a canvas too large for my greenhouse” and several portraits.

“Jim,” he whispered, “take that, and stand by for trouble.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

100% ORGANIC
Michael Brophy, Brian Borello, Grant Hottle, and Joseph Spangler
galleryHOMELAND
Opening 6–9 PM

"Through observational painting, drawing, and printmaking processes, these artists project the tranquility and beauty of the every day landscape…"

Drawing the Slight Uneasy
Worksound
820 SE Alder
Opening 7 PM, music at 9:30 PM with Soft Paws

Curated by artist MK Guth, this drawing show features work by Bill Adams (NY), Nicolaii Dornstauder (PDX), Tania Cross (NY), Patrick Kelly (PDX), Michael Lee (PDX), Frank Parga (NY), Nicole Eriko Smith (NY), Lynn Yarn (PDX).

April is the Cruellest Month
group photography show
Nationale
811 E Burnside #122 (in back)
Opening 6-9 PM

May Juliette Barruell curates a show of photography suggested by lines from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, "APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding/ Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/ Memory and desire, stirring/ Dull roots with spring rain."

With work by Jake Arcularius, Olivia Bolles, Mimi Dutra, Ty Ennis, Nialls Fallon, Liz Haley, William Skip Haswell, Tamar Monhait, Zachary Reno, Norm Sajovie, Anna Shelton, John Voves, Kersti Werdal, and her father, Jacques Barruel.