If your taste in art leans toward robots, aliens and giant octopuses, then the Benjamin Benjamin Gallery in NW Portland is a place you'll want to check out.

Co-owners Myah and Scott Bailey take a lighthearted approach to curating their thematic group shows, focusing on pop and digital art and "anything that is awesome." They've declared 2011 "The Year of Action," with monthly shows with themes and titles drawn from favorite action movies.

March's collection, "Short Circuit," features nationally published robot artists Eric Joyner and Paul Guinan along with robot-themed pieces from several local artists. "We've been big fans of Eric and Paul's work," says Scott, who curated the collection, "so the idea of them being in the same show was exciting."

Painter Eric Joyner's series "Robots and Donuts" is a fanciful mix of vibrant, colorful robots battling advancing donuts, riding motercycles and gazing longingly at giant cupcakes. Portland artist Paul Guinan's work "Boilerplate, Mechanical Marvel of the 19th Century" chronicles the mysterious history and adventures of the "world's first robot soldier."

Upcoming shows during "The Year of Action" will bring artists together around the themes to create original work. In May, "Face Off" (based on the 1997 John Travolta/Nicholas Cage flick) will pair artists from different genres to create portraits of each other. For "Phone Booth," the Baileys are asking artists from each of the country's 269 area codes to create an original work about what makes their area code unique.

"We like to take people outside of their comfort zone, to put on some constraints and get people to create something new," says Scott. "We think that's the best way for artists to grow and that's how we get the most exciting work."