Dave Knows Portland

September 15, 1939: Portland Art Museum Hirsch Wing Opens

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Photo of Ella Hirsch in The Oregonian, 15 September 1939Six years after the opening of the Pietro Belluschi designed Portland Art Museum building, construction began on the Hirsch wing, which when opened on September 15, 1939, doubled the exhibit space.

The opening celebration was well attended by Portland dignitaries, and the new space was well received (The Oregonian 16 September 1939)

The new wing, designed by Pietro Belluschi, Portland architect, drew much interested comment for its economical use of allotted space and its excellent lighting. The wing is two stories high and adds six galleries and two long corridors, which also may be used for display space.

A simple carving in a column of the upper corridor announced the dedication of the new wing to Solomon and Josephine Hirsch, mother and father of the donor, and for many years associated with the cultural and social live of Portland and Oregon.

The Hoffman wing, party designed by Belluschi, was added in 1969, and in 2000 the adjacent Masonic Temple was absorbed into the museum as the Mark Building.

Labor Day Weekend 2011 – Portland-Area Amusements

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The end of summer may be nigh, but the summery events aren’t over yet. This Portland weekend has something for everyone: the Pirate Festival, the State Fair, Movies in the Park, a big ol’ union picnic, and much more!

Ongoing

Oregon State FairOregon State Fair 2011

The 2011 Oregon State Fair runs from Friday, August 26 through September 5, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem. Heather and I had a blast at last year’s fair.

Competitions this year include 4-H of course, along with categories such as fine art, farm and garden, photography, floral, creative living, and grill offs. And of course there will be horse shows, and exhibits of livestock and the best part: small animals. [more]

Movies in ParksMovies in the Park

Movies in the park this weekend:

Thursday: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 @ Columbia Park
Friday: Roman Holiday @ Director Park
Saturday: Gulliver’s Travels @ Wallace Park [more]

Swift WatchChapman Vaux’s Swift Watch 2011

So here’s the deal. Every September thousands of Vaux’s Swifts come to Portland. They spend their days eating lots of bugs. In the late afternoon the Swifts begin flying in a giant undulating swirl in the sky about the school. Around sunset they swirl more tightly, like a ground pepper tornado, and begin disappearing, measure by measure, down the chimney. On the lawn below, hundreds of Portlanders gather on lawn chairs and blankets to stare at the sky, mesmerized. Boos erupt when opportunistic Peregrine falcons occasionally get lucky. The crowd cheers, however, when the predators are thwarted. Meanwhile unruly oblivious children scream and roll down the grassy hill. [more]

Portland Timbers NASL era logoSoccer City USA: The Portland Timbers and the NASL Years, 1975-1982

The Oregon Historical Society‘s newest exhibit, Soccer City USA: The Portland Timbers and the NASL Years, 1975-1982, kicked off the day after the Timber’s home opener, and runs through Sunday, September 4, 2011.

The exhibit curators have assembled an exhibit which focuses on the years the Timbers played in the original North American Soccer League, and is the largest collection of Timbers artifacts in one place at one time. [more]

Friday-Sunday

Art In The Pearl

Our 15th annual festival will be held this coming September 3th to September 5th, 2011 and hopes to be one of our best ever. Our festival fills the Northwest Portland Park blocks with art, theater, music, and hands-on activities for people of all ages …

Art In The Pearl® is a wonderful community event. Over one hundred artists show and sell work ranging from fine wooden furniture to beautiful paintings to photography, glass, clay, metal, jewelry, and much more! Art In The Pearl is ranked in the TOP 25 Fine Art events nationwide by the Art Fair Sourcebook. [more]

Reptiles and Amphibian ShowOMSI Reptile and Amphibian Show

Crawl, creep, and slither your way to one of the largest gatherings of reptiles and amphibians in the Pacific Northwest when OMSI presents the Reptile and Amphibian Show, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-5, 2011. Over 100 exotic animals will be on display at this popular event, including a large variety of captive-bred snakes, lizards, turtles, alligators, and more. [more]

Friday

Who Framed Roger RabbitCort and Fatboy’s Midnight Movie: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

This is the original 35mm film, filling the Bagdad’s screen with Bob Zemeckis’ genius, Bob Hoskins’ grumpiness, Roger’s ridiculousness and Jessica’s allure, with Bugs, Mickey, Donald, Daffy, Betty Boop, Droopy Dog and about a hundred other classic cartoons sharing the screen for the first and likely only time together. [more]

Saturday-Sunday

Portland Pirate FestivalPortland Pirate Festival

The sixth annual Portland Pirate Festival invades Historic St. Helens, Oregon this Saturday and Sunday, September 3 and 4, 2011.

I have never made it to this event (for one thing I have no swashbuckling outfit), so all I can vouch for is what they say on the website – looks like fun! The fest features pirate-themed and non-pirate-themed music, dance and performance, historical reenactments (with cannons!), stuff for kids, and of course there grub and grog! [more]

Monday

Union YesLabor Day Picnic at Oaks Park

Oregon was the first state to officially recognize the Labor Day holiday in 1887, so it’s only fitting that to this day we throw huge Labor Day picnics throughout the state.

The largest local union picnic, which an estimated 20,000 people attended last year, is the Northwest Oregon Labor Council‘s Labor Day Picnic held Monday, September 5 at Oaks Amusement Park from 10am until 5pm. [more]

And for even more weekend events and activities, check out the Dave Knows Calendar, and visit Blogging Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.

OMSI After Dark: We’ve Got Game (31-August-2011)

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OMSI After DarkOMSI After Dark presents We’ve Got Game, featuring Game On 2.0 this Wednesday, August 31, 2011.

Treat yourself to childfree, brain-building science fun at OMSI After Dark! Check out live demos, new featured exhibitions, and old favorites. Sample tasty snacks and sweets along with beer and wine, and talk to regional food and beverage artisans about the science behind them. The OMSI Cafe will be open with a special dinner menu and cash bars will be available for those who want more than just a taste! It’s geeks gone wild!

Visit the OMSI Cafe for special menu items, and bring cash (only!) for the beer and wine at the bars set up throughout the museum.

Featured science demonstrations and activities include Aggravated Avians in Real Life, PB&J Programming, and Portland Retro Gaming Expo. Polaris Dance Theater will be performing, and attendees will get to meet Indie Game Developers and play Dungeons and Dragons.

Hours are 7pm to 11pm. Admission is $12 for nonmembers and $6 for OMSI members. You can buy tickets online, or at the door (no reservations necessary, but recommended). Bike parking by Bike Racker. 21 and over only!

Timbersports Demo at the World Forestry Center (24-August-2011)

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STIHL Timbersports SeriesThe perfect opportunity to gear up for the Wednesday night Timbers match takes place in the afternoon at the World Forestry Center: the Stihl Timbersports Demo, from 1-2pm.

Experience a one-time only Oregon State Fair preview of the wood-chopping action of the STIHLTIMBERSPORTS Series . . . Those on-site will have the chance to get up close and personal as local professional lumberjack competitors David Green from Sisters, Ore., David Moses from Snoqualmie, Wash. and Branden Sirguy from Port Angeles, Wash. square off in underhand chop and hot saw showdowns. Attendees will also have the chance to meet and mingle with the athletes at this special preview event presented by the World Forestry Center.

Entrance to the demo is free, and attendees will get discounts to the Oregon State Fair, which runs from August 26 through September 5 at the fair grounds in Salem (which you should also attend – we had a blast last year!).

OMSI After Dark: Jocks and Geniuses (27-July-2011)

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OMSI After DarkOMSI After Dark presents Jocks and Geniuses: The Science of Sports this Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Treat yourself to childfree, brain-building science fun at OMSI After Dark! Check out live demos, new featured exhibitions, and old favorites. Sample tasty snacks and sweets along with beer and wine, and talk to regional food and beverage artisans about the science behind them. The OMSI Cafe will be open with a special dinner menu and cash bars will be available for those who want more than just a taste! It’s geeks gone wild!

Visit the OMSI Cafe for special menu items, and bring cash (only!) for the beer and wine at the bars set up throughout the museum.

Featured science demonstrations and activities include Nintendo Olympics, Thirsty Sports Drinks, and Last Gasp – What’s your lunch capacity? The Wanderlust Circus will be on hand presenting Kazum – an act which cleverly combines acrobalance and cheerleading stunts to create high-flying, jaw-dropping spectacles, and Blake Hicks will be performing bicycle tricks.

Hours are 7pm to 11pm. Admission is $12 for nonmembers (free for members). You can buy tickets online, or at the door (no reservations necessary). 21 and over only!