Each month, Literary Arts staff will round up news, events, and more happening in Portland, and beyond. Let us know in the form below the blog if you have any events or news to share.
EVENTS
Arts Access Fund: Student Art Installation at Goat Blocks (City of Portland)
March 12-April 30, 2025 | Goat Blocks, courtyard storefront, 975 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
As you stroll through Goat Blocks in the Portland’s Central Eastside neighborhood, look out for a storefront student art exhibit comprised of collaborative circle paintings. Created by students at Rieke Elementary, first through fifth graders worked together in small groups to create these seven impressive, larger-scale works.
Arts Access Fund: Student art exhibit at The Portland Building Opening Celebration (City of Portland)
March 13, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. | The Portland Building, gallery space (floor 2), 420 SW Main St, Portland, OR 97204
Works from three schools will be represented at the exhibit, including sculptures by students at Scott Elementary, textile works by students at Le Monde French Immersion Charter School, and drawings and paper-based art created by middle school students at Sunnyside. Join the Arts & Culture team, teachers, and students at the opening celebration for this exhibit on March 13, or stop by The Portland Building anytime through April 30.
A Conversation with Author Nic Stone (Third Eye Books)
Thursday, March 13, from 7:00 pm | 16126 SE Stark Street, Portland | FREE (Register here)
DEAR MANNY focuses on college junior Jared Peter Christensen (first introduced in Dear Martin), who is running for class president on a platform of increased equity and inclusion. Leading the polls, Jared seems likely to win until another candidate enters the race—a transfer student who calls Jared out on some of the unearned advantages he’d prefer to ignore . . . and who also might just be the most beautiful being Jared has ever seen. To make sense of his confusion, Jared begins to write letters to his deceased friend Manny. Can this correspondence help him understand how the world around him really works?
Short Doc Showcase, Meet Up, and Zine Fair with NW Documentary, Oregon Media Lab, and Secret Room (PAM CUT)
Thursday, March 13, from 7:00–9:00 pm | Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., Portland, OR | $15
Local documentary meet up with NW Documentary and Oregon Media Lab! Come meet other locally based documentary filmmakers and producers and learn more about available resources, classes, and workshops, as well as ways to get that story you’ve been tracking onto the big screen. Come early for a non-fiction zine fair with Secret Room Press.
An Evening with Cheryl Strayed (University of Portland)
Thursday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m | Buckley Center Auditorium, 5000 N Willamette Blvd, Portland, OR 97203 | FREE
Join the University of Portland’s spring Schoenfeldt Distinguished Writer Cheryl Strayed, whose memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is the campus’s ReadUP selection. All are welcome to this free event; book signing to follow.
Frankenstein’s Comicbook Swap (Frankenstein’s Comicbook Swap)
Saturday, March 15 from 11:00 am–6:00 pm | Lloyd Center Mall, 2201 Lloyd Center, Portland, OR 97232 | $0–$5
Frankenstein’s Comicbook Swap is a bi-annual comic book and local artist show, held in the old H&M location, upper and lower levels, southwest of the ice rink. Across from All American Magic Shop, Hot Topic and Zoomies.
Book Reading: One Moment, One Chance, Always: Finding Hope in Despair (Shop Halo, Halo)
Sunday, March 16 from 12:30–1:30 pm | Shop Halo, Halo, 4891 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR 97206 | FREE
Envision the possibility that the human spirit is an unparalleled treasure. Imagine that we, the regular people, are the hope we seek in our despair. Celebrate the release of Kristen Mägis’ newest book, One Moment, One Chance, Always: Finding Hope in Despair with refreshments and a book reading from the author and friends!
Arts Access Fund: Student Art Exhibit Opening Reception (Literary Arts)
Sunday, March 16 at 4:00 p.m. | Literary Arts Bookstore, 716 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR
Based on the work of Philadelphia-based Nigerian American abstract artist Odili Donald Odita, students from northeast Portland’s Reynolds School District created a body of work emphasizing abstract triangles. Family and friends are welcome for light refreshments and artist appreciation. The exhibit will be up from March 11–31.
Smallpresspalooza #14 (Powell’s Books)
Sunday, March 16 from 4:00–8:00 pm | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209 | FREE
To celebrate Small Press Month, we’re proud to host the fourteenth annual marathon reading of small press authors, Smallpresspalooza, hosted by Powell’s small press champion, Kevin Sampsell. This year’s lineup features readings by Alex Behr, Frances Badalamenti, Colin Keating, Aditi Machado, Roberto F. Santiago, Kurt Baumeister, Rin Stone, Jason Arias, Raki Kopernik, Amanda E.K., Joshua Escobar, Joshua Pollock, and Rachel Lee-Carman.
Scaachi Koul in Conversation with Lydia Kiesling (Powell’s Books)
Wednesday, March 19, 7:00 pm | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209 | FREE
Sucker Punch (St. Martin’s) is about what happens when the life you thought you’d be living radically changes course, everything you thought you knew about the world and yourself has tilted on its axis, and you have to start forging a new path forward.
Author Event with Cebo Campbell (Third Eye Books)
Monday, March 24 at 7:00 p.m. | online via Zoom | Tickets from $10
You are cordially invited to the Zoom Event w/ Author Cebo Campbell Join Third Eye Books owners Charles Hannah & Michelle Lewis online on Monday Mar 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM PST for an exciting evening with author Cebo Campbell as we discuss his latest book, Sky Full of Elephants. Get ready to dive into a world of adventure, mystery, and wonder as Cebo shares insights into his writing process and the inspiration behind his captivating story. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with the author and fellow book lovers from the comfort of your own home.
The Circle is Expanding, Still: The Gift of Climate Grief with Daniela Naomi Molnar (Oregon Humanities)
Monday, April 5 from 12:00-12:30 p.m. | Leaven Community Center, 5431 NE 20th Ave, Portland, OR 97211 | Tickets $0-25 (Sliding scale)
Climate grief is a psychological response to ecological loss driven by our unfolding climate crisis. In this workshop, you’ll hear from Daniela Naomi Molnar, an artist, poet, and pigment-maker, who will discuss climate grief as a sustained creative force in her art.
Bard Bingo (Wonderwood Springs)
Tuesdays, 7:00–9:00 p.m. | Wonderwood Springs, 8811 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203 | FREE
Bard Bingo at Portland Artist Mike Bennett’s Wonderwood Springs is a lively bingo event hosted by a traveling bard’s musical musings. Held every Tuesday night, this event features four exciting rounds with cards priced at $5 each. It’s cash-only, offering chances to win various prizes such as original artwork, stickers, gift cards, lawn signs, and the coveted jackpot.
2025 HeART of Portland student arts showcase Opening Celebration (Portland Art Museum)
April 16, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. | Portland Art Museum Mark Building, 1119 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR
A love letter to Portlanders for supporting the Arts Tax, the HeART of Portland is an annual visual arts exhibition representing K-12 student artworks from across the city. This year’s exhibition will feature 100+ student works highlighting the diversity of arts offerings across Portland Public Schools. As part of the exhibition’s opening and closing celebrations, students will participate in dance, music, and theater performances.
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
Paper Flower Workshop: Crafting Beauty Inspired by Japanese Prints (Portland Art Museum)
Thursday, March 6, from 11:00 am–5:30 pm | Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97201 | FREE
Paper Flower Workshop: Craft Beauty Inspired by Waterlilies (11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.)
Imagining the stillness of Monet’s gardens in France, flower farmer Beth Crowley invites you to tap into the calm, to slow down, and to create a water lily out of paper. She hopes the positive force that comes from creativity will help bring energy and peace. Washi Paper Flowers: Experience the
Elegance of Japanese Aesthetics through Paper Artistry (2:30–5:30 p.m.)
Create washi paper collages inspired by the beauty of Japanese prints! Using washi, a beautiful and time-honored Japanese paper, layer textured pieces to create unique compositions. This hands-on craft highlights the elegance of Japanese aesthetics through paper artistry. With Teaching Artist Kanani Miyamoto.
Resonate: A BIPOC Writing Circle (Write Around Portland)
2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month | 4:00–5:30 p.m. | Online via Zoom
Led by a Write Around Portland facilitator of color, Resonate consists of writing, sharing, and giving strengths-based feedback to each other. No preparation or experience in writing is required! Resonate is a great way to unlock your creativity, build or maintain a writing practice, and get some writing done! REGISTER HERE.
Freewrite: People on the Page | Creative Writing Class (Write Around Portland)
Thursday, March 6, from 6:00–7:30 pm | Online via Zoom | Register here
How do you capture a personality in writing? What if you want to invent a fictional character from scratch? In this 90-minute creative writing class, you’ll interact with characters real and imagined through generative prompts and exercises chosen to bring characters to life on the page. Facilitated by Quinn Wilson.
Poetry Workshop and Reading with Ellen Waterston (Oregon Humanities)
Friday, March 7, workshop from 3:00–5:00 pm; reading 6:30 pm | Dallas Public Library, 950 Main St, Dallas OR 97338 | FREE
Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston will lead a poetry workshop for adults and teens from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Space is limited; preregister at the library. A poetry reading will follow at 6:30 p.m. in the Grace Scatterday room.
Memoir Bootcamp w/ Erica Berry (Attic Institute)
Saturday–Sunday, March 8–9, from 10:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. | Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill St, Suite 405 | $249
Whether you’re already knee-deep in a memoiristic writing project or intrigued by the prospect of beginning to write with a first-person voice, this two-day intensive will provide a supportive, nourishing environment for you to develop your craft. Through a mix of short writing exercises, readings, discussion, craft talks, and optional opportunities for feedback, students will gain tools to think more deeply about time and structure in memoir, narrative voice, the balance of scene and exposition, and more general advice on the challenges and joys of writing in this genre. No experience required, only curiosity and a willingness to experiment. Open to all writers.
Story Medicine: A Storytelling Workshop (The Reser)
Various dates | The LAB at The Reser, 12625 SW Crescent St, Beaverton, OR 97005 | $25
In this workshop participants will be led through a variety of storytelling exercises and activities to bring a short (5-7 minutes) personal or traditional story to life. We will explore ways to integrate storytelling and story listening as a practice in daily life. Following the workshop, we will invite friends and family to share our stories for those who wish to do so. The class is limited to 20 participants. No previous experience in storytelling or performance necessary.
Evening for Educators: Monet’s Floating Worlds at Giverny (Portland Art Museum)
Wednesday, March 12, from 5:15–7:30 pm | Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97201 | FREE
Join the PAM for an exploration of Monet’s beloved painting alongside the Japanese woodblock prints that so influenced Monet and his French and American contemporaries. Visit the exhibition and join art-making workshops led by Teacher Advisory Council members followed by presentation and discussion with Mary Weaver Chapin, Ph.D., Curator of Prints and Drawings and Lloyd DeWitt, Ph.D., The Richard and Janet Geary Curator of European & American Art Pre-1930.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
MVICW Poet & Author Fellowships (Martha’s Institute of Creative Writing)
Deadline: May 1 | Application Fee: $20
The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing is able to provide a number of need and merit-based fellowships (25-40% of registration) to attend our Summer Writers’ Conference. Special consideration is given to applicants demonstrating economic need.
FOR KIDS / TEENS
Pete the Cat: A Live Rock Musical (NW Children’s Theater)
March 15 through April 13 | The Judy, 1000 SW Broadway T-100, Portland, OR 97205 | $25-$35
Pete the Cat and company rock out in this fast-paced, globe-trotting musical adventure based on the smash hit book series. Tickets to all shows at The Judy are General Admission.
BOLD Children’s Storytime (University of Portland)
Saturdays, at 10:00 a.m. | Bold Coffee and Books, 1755 SW Jefferson St. Portland, OR 97201 | FREE
Join Bold Coffee and Books every Saturday morning for children’s storytime! Whether an author is here to read their book or on of their staff members is reading a favorite, they will feature stories that spread compassion, awareness, and positivity. Children will get a coloring page or sticker to take home too!
Bookworm Baby Playgroup (Literacy Kid Lounge)
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. | Literacy Kid Lounge, 2200 SE Oak Grove Blvd
Oak Grove, OR 97267 | $10
Connect with other fantastic families and build lasting friendships in this Literacy Baby Playgroup! There is also a lot of crawling over each other and interactive play with toys and books.
Kids’ Story & Art Class at Awake Coffee & Art!
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10:00 a.m. | In person at Awake Coffee & Art | $8
Bring your little ones Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m. for a storybook reading and art session! They’ll have a hands-on art project after the reading. It could be watercolor painting, making and playing with play dough, or another creative project to engage the young artists’ talents! All materials included!
IN THE NEWS
A conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones on Black history and ‘The 1619 Project (Oregon ArtsWatch)
Author Q&A: Leslie Barnard Booth on picture books, the natural world, and a pair of Oregon Book Award nominations | (Oregon ArtsWatch)
Final PubWest Conference Focuses on Finance, Fostering Best Practices | (Publisher’s Weekly)
Shelf Awareness for Friday, February 14, 2025 | (Shelf Awareness)
RECOMMENDED READING
25 Women to Read Before You Die (Powell’s)
Staff Picks (The Bookstore at Literary Arts)
Oregon Book Award Finalists 2025 (Literary Arts Bookstore)
Everybody Reads 2025 (Multnomah County Library)
Community News Submissions
Let us know if you have any events, news to share, or opportunities for writers for the In the Community blog and we will consider adding it to the next blog post!
