Core Sample: Taking a measure of an artistic moment

Art Exhibition-Portland, Oregon October 11-19, 2003-www.coresample.info

Portland, Oregon (PRWEB) September 17, 2003 --- Core Sample, an unprecedented artist-run exhibition of exhibitions" on October 11-19, shows what happens when a citys artistic production far exceeds its institutional capacity. Core Sample exposes the richness of Portland, Oregons current art scene in situ, in venues across the city.

A unique model. Core Sample is a temporary consortium of artists, writers, and volunteers formed to present, document, and disseminate one citys art to both local and national audiences. Through some 30 exhibits, installations, performances and screenings, the idea is to create an institution for a week" to take a core sample" of Portland art in the year 2003. By applying DIY tactics to the citys larger cultural sphere, Core Sample offers a new methodology for presenting regional art outside of the traditional institutional model.

DIY artists. Among Core Samples 100-plus participants will be: film and video artist Matt McCormick, whose Peripheral Produce has put Portland on the international map of experimental film; the Red76 collective presenting Community Jukebox," a citywide show of broadsheets, cell phone artworks, postcards and other media); conceptual/perfor-mance artists Harrell Fletcher and Miranda Julys local version of their global web project, Learning to Love You More"; and Bill Daniel and Vanessa Renwicks germinal Lucky Bum Film tour, setting up camp back home in Portland.

Painting and sculpture. Co-curated by Robert Gamblin, one of the worlds leading paint-makers, Painting Portland" will survey a century of portrayals of the Oregon rural and urban landscape by looking at the history of artists methods, pigments and paints. One of the citys most ambitious curators, Jeff Jahn, will survey work that uses synthetic materials to both embody and critique the regions romantic views of landscape. Writer/artist Jonathan Raymond will curate a survey of artists who use traditional crafts to new conceptual ends.

Baja to Vancouver. Core Sample immediately follows the Seattle Art Museums opening of Baja to Vancouver," the first in depth examination of the West Coast art since the 1960s. Core Sample- a broad, eclectic, artist-initiated survey of one distinct place-will present a contrast to the select, institutionally-driven examination offered by Baja to Vancouver."

Core Samples catalog will be published and distributed nationally by Astoria, Oregons Clear Cut Press. The catalog will be edited by Clear Cut co-founder, writer and literary editor of Nest magazine, Matthew Stadler, and will feature essays by Whitney Museum curator Lawrence Rinder, National Book Critic Circle finalist Lynne Tillman, and award-winning filmmaker Cecilia Dougherty, among others.

Ride the train to Core Sample. A special artist-run" train will leave Seattle Sunday morning October 12 for a day at Core Sample, returning that evening. Amos Latteier, host of Portlands Lecture Series will present a true history of the checkered landscape through which this high-speed train passes, while drinks and regional specialties are served on board. Limited space is available. Go to www.coresample.info to make your reservation.

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