Last Thursday on Alberta
Portland’s Last Thursday events are the area’s largest art celebration, spanning the length of Alberta Street between 15th and 30th avenues. Alberta Street is known as a local creative and artistic community within Portland, made evident in the multiple galleries and businesses along its sidewalks that showcase local art.
The events are held year-round, but summer is the most popular time to attend. Groups strolling through the monthly festival have the opportunity to watch artists create, sample products from local artisans and listen to live music. The art featured spans a wide spectrum of traditional and unusual mediums such as handmade jewelry, paper crafts, paintings, drawings, fabrics and clothing, taxidermy and glasswork.
Alberta Street also hosts the annual Alberta Street Fair in August. Visitors will enjoy plenty of opportunities to shop for arts, crafts and artisan products, or attend a concert or show at the Alberta Rose Theatre.
Tamastslikt Culture Institute
Located on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in the Blue Mountain foothills just east of Pendleton, the Tamastslikt Culture Institute focuses on sharing Native culture and art though unique exhibits and storytelling. The center showcases the cultures of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes, who have inhabited the area for thousands of years.
Permanent exhibits feature the history, modern culture and aspirations of the local Native community. The institute features photography and video as well as artifacts, some of which are more than 150 years old. The museum also displays the work of artisans from local tribes.
Visiting groups can watch crafters working at the Living Cultural Village. Regular demonstrations of traditional activities such as basket weaving, hide tanning and smoking, and clothes-making take place at the Village, as do dancing, drumming and storytelling.
Josephy Center for Arts & Culture
After local artists and community members came together with a dream to create an arts center for the people of eastern Oregon, with the cooperation and support of the community, the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture was created in 2010. The gallery features multiple exhibits throughout the year, including the annual Women’s Month exhibits each March.
Now on display is “The Wild Landscape of Eastern Oregon,” which grew out of the Seven Wonders of Oregon tourism campaign that highlights the natural beauty and diversity of the landscape found across the eastern portion of the state. The center features art workshops and classes that vary in length from a few hours to a weekend workshop for groups interested in hands-on experiences.
The center is also home to a collection of work by Alvin Josephy, the center’s namesake, who is a Western author and Native American cultural activist as well as a notable former editor of Time magazine.
