KICK-OFF PARTY: July 23rd, PDX Bridge Festival

First let me say that I have decided to post about our vacation over at Mama and Me from PDX--you can get there from the link in My Other Blogs. Today is all about Milton, the Cajun Fryer, and loads of fried delights!


My miniature art car, "Icons on Parade," is in the art show! Read all about the evening below. It ought to be quite a night! The entire PDX Bridge Festival runs through August 8--find out all about it at PDX Bridge Festival dot org.




Fireworks from the 4th of July seem fitting in celebration of the Hawthorne Bridge's 100th birthday--that's what got the PDX Bridge Festival going.

PDX Bridge Festival organizers will combine three of their favorite things in one kick-off event at Olympic Mills Commerce Center: ART + MUSIC + PERFORMANCE! Join PDX Bridge Festival and curatorial art partner Portland City Art, as they begin two weeks of art, music, culture, and fun celebrating the bridges that connect us all. In keeping with the theme of bridging cultures, the opening event, Curated by our partners-in-art, Portland City Art, “Nuts, Bolts, and Slabs of Steel” showcases the 2-D and 3-D art works of over 50 Portlanders. PDX Bridge Festival’s opening event will also feature performance by a number of established and newcomer troupes, and involve our elected officials in sanctioning the fun and freaky side of our creative city! From massive sculpture to individual performance, this event—co-produced with Portland City Art—sets the tone for the weeks to come. Don’t miss it!

Free/All Ages

Olympic Mills Commerce Center, 107 SE Washington Street

July 23rd, 6 – 11 pm

At 7pm, Mayor Sam Adams will officially open the festival with brief remarks about the importance of art and culture in our city. Outlining his plan for arts and culture in the coming years and how an event such as PDX Bridge Festival fits into that vision, Mayor Adams will also speak about his role in the festival from its inception to its launch.

Music and Performance:
Following the mayor’s remarks, the event will feature a performance by the AMAZIN’ JERKS — an up and coming teen dance troupe from Northeast Portland with a very unique street dancing style. You can see their work here: www.vimeo.com/9354335. DANNY CORN will be spinning music all night long on Scion’s customized xB DJ Booth Car, which converts from a road-ready city cruiser into a mobile sound stage. Later in the evening, from 9-11pm, the event presents additional performances by:

DEVIANT DANCE COMPANY, a bellydance fusion troupe devoted to storytelling and the deep spirit of dance.
WANDERLUST CIRCUS, the proudest circus family in Free Cascadia, will preview some of their bits from their special PDX Bridge Festival production, “Battle for the Bridge”
BRIDGETOWN REVUE TRIO will close out the night with acts of acrobalance and vaudeville from their repertoire.
Roving performers will roam the gallery and entertain guests as they peruse the art and enjoy the space and music.

About the Art:
Ever wondered how many nuts, bolts, shims, slabs of steel, cables, contractors and pounds of concrete are poured into a bridge like our very own Fremont? And is it a Howe Truss, and X-Truss, Burer Arche, Town Lattice, Partridge Truss, Whippel Trapeziodal or just a plain Suspension design? If these questions leave you confounded, clouded or curious, the answer might be standing, laying, hanging and swinging from the walls, floors and scores of seams of Olympic Mills Beam Bridge Gallery. 7′ bronze sculptures and 10′ steel renditions of the St. Johns Bridge Cathedral Spires—surrounded by 75+ paintings, collages, photographs, prints and posters from stellar Portland artists—fill the Beam Bridge Gallery at Olympic Mills.

Beer will be provided by PDXBF sponsor Lagunitas Brewing Company, and delcious wine graciously donated by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly. Come on down to the Beam Bridge gallery and see what a celebration and homage the artists are cooking up for PDX Bridge Festival!