Oregon Art Beat

Alice Lok Cahana survived the Nazi Holocaust, moved to the US and became a successful painter. Her multi-dimensional work explores the trauma of her time at the camps and offers a glimpse of hope and survival, turning “ashes into rainbows.” Her son, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, is a poet and his daughter Kitra Chana, is an acclaimed photographer. The new show at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education presents work by these three generations of artists, looking at the concept of immortality through art. Survival and Intimations of Immortality runs through May 25th at the OJMCHE in Portland.

Uli Kirchler carves whimsical telescoping castles out of gnarly pieces of burl wood. He says he collaborates with nature, coaxing magic from wood.

April 30, 2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, and for Van Le and Allen Luong, it’s the perfect time to acknowledge an important moment for the Vietnamese community, and also looking forward to a brighter future.

Esther Godoy’s project “Butch is Not a Dirty Word” is the “world’s largest media resource dedicated to Butch identity, visibility and voice.”

Ralph Pugay says his paintings reveal “something catastrophic happening, but I see them as allegories for general questions about consciousness and life."

As the year comes to a close, all of us on Art Beat take a moment to look back on time spent with artists we met in 2024.

Hygge, a Danish concept that captures warmth and coziness, reflects the natural beauty of seasonal change in Hood River. During this holiday season, a monthlong series of art showings are being offered in Hood River, serving up hygge atmospheres.

Each summer in Silverton, Oregon, the local community packs Main Street for a festival to celebrate their favorite son: renowned political cartoonist Homer Davenport.

Eugene artist Liza Mana Burns combines abstract representations of Oregon’s natural landscapes with intricate icons of Oregon’s history. The result is a colorful tapestry that serves as a love letter to the state.

Brendon Burton’s haunting photography celebrates the decay and deterioration of the west. He travels backroads, discovering abandoned farmhouses and desolate scenes, beautifully showcasing the American landscape. And though he’s traveled extensively for his work, most of his images are shot right here in Oregon.