Skip to main content

Portland Monthly

Arts & Culture

VISUAL ART

What Makes Everyday Objects Art?

One Portland art show takes a deep dive into the commonplace to explore relationships, memory transference—and goblets!

01/05/2016 By Brandon Staley

MUSIC

January.... A Month of Portland Concerts in 20 Songs

Josh Ritter, JD McPherson, and Jessica Lea Mayfield: The new year is playing host to a plethora of musical acts, from homegrown greats to international superstars—and we have the playlist to prove it.

01/04/2016 By Fiona McCann and Ramona DeNies

DESIGN

Can Mobile Apps Be Art?

One pioneering PCC course thinks so.

12/31/2015 By Marty Patail

POMO PICKS

Top Things to Do This Weekend: Dec 31–Jan 3

Kick out the old, ring in the new—there are plenty of ways to celebrate the dawning of 2016 this weekend. Calexico, comedy king Greg Fitzsimmons, and conga-dancing polar bears—go crazy, PDX!

12/30/2015 By Fiona McCann

NEW YEAR'S EVE

Six Ways to Ring In 2016 in Portland

Rock your socks off, dance your pants off, laugh, lurch, and stuff your face: we've got six different ways for Portland revelers to ring in 2016.

12/30/2015 By Fiona McCann

FEATURES

Our Best Long Reads of 2015

A legendary writer. An iconoclastic artist. The myth of sustainable chicken. The truth about Portland and Californians. Dive deep into Portland Monthly's in-depth coverage of 2015.

12/29/2015 By Zach Dundas

MUSIC

Longtime PDX Rocker Jerry Joseph Talks Old Portland—and Afghanistan

He’s been rocking Portland since the '80s, and now he’s a member of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Jerry Joseph is back for his annual “New Year’s Eve Tour of Portland,” and he’s dishing on PDX music—then and now.

12/28/2015 By Rachel Grozanick

DANCE

What Does It Take to Dance The Nutcracker? This Oregon Writer Can Tell You

Author Lauren Kessler reflects on a year of the ballet in her latest book about dance, dreams, and sheer determination. She tells Portland Monthly what it's like to have your childhood dream come true (after 40 years).

12/22/2015 By Emma Mannheimer

MUSIC

Listen to the New Magic Sword Track Right Here Right Now

The mysterious electro-rockers from Boise have a new limited edition vinyl package coming out next month and a New Year’s Eve show at the Doug Fir. We’ve got their new track here.

12/21/2015 By Fiona McCann

THE ESSENTIALS

January’s Pop Culture Hot List

The concerts, the book, the talk, and the movie you can’t miss this month.

12/21/2015 By Fiona McCann

Popular Content

    Your Quintessential Portland Bucket List: 50 Things to Do in Town

    5 Oregon-Made Comics to Know

    15 Years Ago, Portlandia Told Portland Who It Was

    Things to Do in Portland This Week, January 2026

    The Open Mic That Counts Amateurs and Award-Winning Authors as Regulars

    8 Low-Stakes Craft Classes and Workshops in Portland

A NEW SPIN

Portland Dance Companies Mix Things Up

From game-show formats to clueless choreographers, local dance companies are finding new paths to creativity—and new audiences in the process.

12/21/2015 By Heather Wisner

LONG STORY SHORT

Ruth Wariner’s Harrowing Survival Story

Her mother’s fourth child and her father’s 39th, Ruth Wariner’s incredible life story begins in a polygamist Mormon colony in Chihuahua, Mexico.

12/21/2015 By Fiona McCann

BIG PICTURE

The Art Gallery Inside a Ford Bronco

Why two Portland artists built a mobile gallery in a classic American car.

12/21/2015 By Brandon Staley

Dance

Portland’s White Bird Dance Is Hosting a Prestigious Showcase in NYC

Founders Paul King and Walter Jaffe break down why this is such a big deal.

12/21/2015 By Fiona McCann

MUSIC

Rock of Aged: Alice Cooper and Mötley Crüe Shred Up PDX

Mötley Crüe cements their rock legacy and bad-ass reputation with a high octane Moda Center show—with added, awesome Alice Cooper.

12/17/2015 By Emma Mannheimer

POMO PICKS

Top Things to Do This Weekend: Dec 17–20

Rumi's in the house, y'all! Whirling dervishes, an apocalyptic library, Typhoon turns 10, plus Fernando, Death Cab for Cutie, and one hell of a light show at Disjecta.

12/17/2015 By Ramona DeNies

FILM

Portland Writer Daniel H. Wilson's Sci-Fi Vision Nets Major Movie Deal—Again

First there was Robopocalypse, with DreamWorks snapping up the movie rights and Steven Spielberg signing on to direct. Now local writer Daniel H. Wilson has done it again, with a major deal with Fox for his still-unfinished novel Avtomat.

12/17/2015 By Fiona McCann

MUSIC

Ring in a New Year With the Helio Sequence

Their eponymous sixth album got a critical thumbs up. They’ve been remastering old work and mixing albums for other artists. It's been a big year for the Helio Sequence, and it wraps up this New Year's Eve at Revolution Hall. You can win tickets!

12/17/2015 By Fiona McCann

VISUAL ART

How SE 82nd Avenue Became One Portland Artist's Muse

It's not a Tuscan wheat field nor a lily pond, but SE 82nd still inspired artist Shawn Demarest's latest exhibition, EastSouthEast: Merge, on show until the month's end at PCC's Southeast Student Commons.

12/15/2015 By Fiona McCann

MUSIC

Pink Martini's New Seasonal Spectacular Is Coming to a Radio Near You

Get behind me, Scrooge: Portland’s musical royalty bring a blast of full-throated festivity with a new NPR show for the holiday season.

12/15/2015 By Fiona McCann

Latest Issue

Winter 2025/2026

The 25 Restaurants that Made Portland

Subscribe

329 NE Couch Street, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97232
Phone: 503-222-5144 • Fax: 503-227-8777
© 2026 SagaCity Media