Podcasts by OPBs State of Wonder

Elliott Smith's 'Either/Or' At 20 | Slim Moon | Larry Crane from 2019-12-27T19:49:55

This week’s show is a rebroadcast from April 2017. Twenty-two years ago Elliott Smith opened a door into a hypnotic new world. The album, “Either/Or,” released on Kill Rock Stars, marks a turning p...

Scotland's Mobile Libraries | Tales from the Fisher Poets | East Portland’s Arte Soleil from 2019-12-20T22:09:45

Sometimes good stories take a while. This week, long-awaited gems from Astoria’s Fisher Poets and an arts outpost in East Portland. Also, a photographer goes the extra 4,000 miles for the literary ...

REBROADCAST | John Doe On LA’s Punk Scene | Team Dresch | Chachalu’s Loan From The British Museum from 2019-12-13T20:13:37

This episode originally aired on June 8th, 2019. It’s a weird world that obliges you to negotiate for decades to borrow things your great-grandparents made. And where are we if we can’t recover and...

REBROADCAST | Kiese Laymon | Ted Chiang | Rosanne Parry from 2019-12-06T20:34:47

State of Wonder is bringing back some of our best episodes, and today’s was an easy yes. Some years, you get some good books. And then there are years that deliver great ones. We hope you’ve got ro...

REBROADCAST | Satirist Andy Borowitz | 'Teenage Dick' At Artists Rep | keyon gaskin And Nadia Buyse from 2019-11-29T17:35:08

This episode originally aired on Jan. 12, 2018. Embarrassing situations don’t always result in great inspiration — but we wonder if some artists actually benefit from their fiascos. Doesn’t a debac...

REBROADCAST | The Native Perspective Missing from Design | Design Week Portland | Adia Victoria from 2019-11-22T19:05:44

This episode originally aired on April 13, 2018. We’re playing some of our favorite episodes this fall, looking back on all the things we made over six years of State of Wonder. Today’s is somethin...

Nicole Georges' Rumspringa from 2019-11-16T01:53:26

Writer, illustrator, podcaster and storyteller Nicole Georges relocated to Los Angeles to upscale her prolific career. We’ve loved her work for years, from her zine, “Invincible Summer” to her band...

REBROADCAST | Abigail DeVille | Leni Zumas | Typhoon | Omar El Akkad from 2019-11-15T18:51:54

This episode originally aired on Nov. 3, 2018. If you’ve been feeling like the lines are blurring between the America you imagined and the America we all live with, take a listen. We found some in...

REBROADCAST | Aja Gabel + Oregon Symphony | Classical’s #MeToo Reckoning | The Met Opera Aria Code from 2019-11-08T23:15:33

Wash some dishes to Brahms, and for one brief shining moment, you’ll feel like your life is being directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. This week, three stories from the orchestra pit, the rehearsal ha...

Nicole Georges | Malia Jensen | Anne Ellegood | Guns and Design from 2019-11-01T21:25:55

It’s April’s last show before heading off to Michigan … sigh. There WILL be more State of Wonder faves in the weeks to come, but right now we’re delivering some final thoughts on what it means to l...

REBROADCAST | Tommy Orange | Trevino Brings Plenty from 2019-10-25T20:56:58

This week we are re-visiting a conversation we had in 2018 with author, Tommy Orange. His breakthrough debut novel, titled, “There, There,” unites the stories of twelve Native people, brought toget...

Caitlin Weierhauser | Looking Back at OCAC Closure | Preserving Creative Space from 2019-10-19T00:06:12

As we head toward the end of the year - and a big transition for State of Wonder - we’ve sorted a few key stories about where we’ve been and what we’ve done.

Helado Negro | Saloli | Malheur Refuge Symphony from 2019-10-04T23:55:33

This episode originally aired in April 2019. Who doesn’t love music? You’re not going to believe this, but we actually found someone. JoAnna Wendel experiences musical anhedonia, a condition in whi...

Indie Film Producer Christine Vachon_Karen Russell_Mitchell Jackson_Christopher Marley from 2019-09-27T21:07:17

The producer who brought so many classics of queer cinema to life is coming to BendFilm Festival this fall. We talk with Christine Vachon about working with Todd Haynes and other breakout '90s aute...

Margaret Atwood&Ursula K. Le Guin | Nilufer Yanya | OK Theater’s 100th Anniversary from 2019-09-21T03:05:50

What gets us through those uncertain moments? The speculative story? The daring album concept? The strenuous film shoot? The risky venture? RESOLVE. This week: square-jawed stories from tenacious c...

Ken Burns’ Country Music | Women Who Skate | Wellness Warrior Camp | Pass The Mic from 2019-09-14T00:15:36

This episode is as American as it gets. We got country music, women skateboarding, indigenous youth reconnecting with their land, immigrant and refugee children learning to play music. All we're mi...

Ruth E. Carter | THING Music Festival | ASL in the Arts from 2019-09-07T01:40:50

Innovators and icons tend to have something in common, they do things differently. This week we hear stories from a few people changing the game one costume, festival, or ASL gesture at a time.

From The Archives: Kelly Sue DeConnick&Matt Fraction from 2019-08-29T22:51:11

This week we're going back to a favorite guest curated episode from 2014. Husband and wife Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction have each racked up top awards for their comic books. DeConnick has ...

Emilly Prado | Michelle Ruiz Keil | Tehlor Kay Mejia from 2019-08-24T01:41:50

As much as we may try, we can never leave our younger selves in the dust. This week, three writers mine from their own childhoods to create some powerful storytelling.

Molly Gloss | Holland Andrews | Behind The Bullet from 2019-08-16T22:54:23

Yearning for voices to steer you through the darkness this week? We’ve found stories from places of devastation and salvation: from an artist whose voice harnesses a wild range of human emotion, to...

W.E.B. Du Bois’ Data Visualization | Maria Semple | Open Signal | Head Cleaner | The Nude Party from 2019-08-10T01:43:41

This week we lost two giants in the arts community, Pulitzer- and Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and poet and musician David Berman. We remember their impact and explore other hard truths...

Dom Flemons | Bundyville | Roger Guenveur Smith | Low Bar Chorale | Las Chunta from 2019-08-02T22:36:40

This week we visit people doing difficult and dangerous work. We talk about threats to domestic security, people fighting for their voices and stories to be told, and an act some may find the most ...

Artist Garrick Imatani | Mdou Moctar | Hop Along | Lucy’s Punk Rock Show for Kids | Roll Hardy from 2019-07-27T02:35:59

Happy Moon Week! If you didn’t make it to OMSI or the High Desert Museum to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first crewed space mission to the moon, you can still celebrate our shared celestia...

Guest Curator Fabi Reyna of SHE SHREDS | Noche Libre | Amenta&Intisar Abioto | Osa Atoe | DJ Anjali | Esperanza Spalding | Ear Trumpet La from 2019-07-19T03:13:16

This week we’re handing over the keys for "State of Wonder" to musician and publisher, Fabi Reyna. She's the creator of the guitar magazine She Shreds.

Sun Ra Arkestra | Y La Bamba | Piano. Push. Play from 2019-07-12T23:33:17

We’re taking a look back at some of our favorite music stories and interviews. We blast out of this galaxy with Afrofuturistic music, come back down to earth to follow one musician’s odyssey, and e...

Summer Reads: Kiese Laymon | Ted Chiang | Rosanne Parry from 2019-07-05T20:49:35

Bump up your beach reads with three spectacular writers, each grappling with human connection: Kiese Laymon's Southern coming-of-age, science-fiction spectacle from Ted Chiang, and New York Times b...

KayelaJ | Summer Playlist 2019 | The Numberz from 2019-06-29T18:44:55

This week, we’re kicking off our summer playlists. We called in some experts: The people in town actually making the music, writing about it and putting on the shows. Artist and rapper, KayelaJ, is...

REBROADCAST: The Panoramic Imagination Of Somaiya Daud | Susan Fletcher | Tin House REBROADCAST: The Panoramic Imagination Of Somaiya Daud from 2019-06-20T22:45:48

The continuing search for awesome summer reads led us back to one of our favorite interviews from Portland Book Fest 2018 — and quite possibly one of our favorite book interviews ever! Somaiya Daud...

Scotland's Mobile Libraries | Tales from the Fisher Poets | East Portland’s Arte Soleil Scotland | Tales from the Fisher Poets | East Portl from 2019-06-15T00:25:10

Sometimes good stories take a while. This week, long-awaited gems from Astoria’s Fisher Poets and an arts outpost in East Portland. Also, a photographer goes the extra 4,000 miles for the literary ...

John Doe On LA’s Punk Scene | Team Dresch | Chachalu’s Loan From The British Museum from 2019-06-08T03:11:30

It’s a weird world that obliges you to negotiate for decades to borrow things your great-grandparents made. And where are we if we can’t recover and know our history? This week, classic stories fro...

Jesmyn Ward&Mitchell Jackson | Arts Hub On The Move | Portland Parks Art Budget Cuts from 2019-06-01T00:02:05

Home can be a place you love and a palace of mixed feelings. But at its best, home is the place where you can be seen and feel understood.

As we kick back in the folding chair with a fro...

Karen Russell | Angela Garbes | Bill Oakley | bed. from 2019-05-25T00:03:29

As a parent, you’ve buried your ambitions, your social life and your dignity. You’ve put your own health and well-being on the back burner. But hey, once a year you might get brunch. Parent-child r...

Marcus Fischer | A Brief History of Craft | Goodbye To OCAC | Amy Dotson Coming To NW Film from 2019-05-18T01:59:06

Lest you thought the Blazers were the only action in town, we’ve got some updates. Oregon claims the only Northwest artist selected for this year’s Whitney Biennial. A much-beloved film center make...

Tales Of The Side Hustle | Amy Miller | Jodi Darby | Alicia Jo Rabins | Ro Tam | Ben Tyler from 2019-05-09T19:53:33

We're revisiting one of our favorite shows from last year. The jobs that make art possible, and the ones threatening to take over everything. We’re talking with artists about the work they do for ...

Marisa Anderson | Mohanad Elshieky | Bhi Bhiman from 2019-05-03T21:43:50

It's almost impossible not to view everything around us — whether it’s music, books, movies, or films — in the context of the political turmoil washing over the U.S. right now. Some artists get pus...

Helado Negro | Saloli | Malheur Refuge Symphony | Pendleton’s String Education Program from 2019-04-27T18:31:22

Who doesn’t love music? You’re not going to believe this, but we actually found someone. Still, music remains — for most of us — one of the most intuitive tools to work out our feelings. This epis...

Soul’d Out Festival | Shy Girls | Jacqueline Woodson | Raven Chacon | The 1491’s from 2019-04-19T21:01:03

Maybe things in our lives haven’t actually changed, but we can see them differently. This week, artists hitting the reset buttons for us through their work: composer Raven Chacon, sketch comedians ...

The Native Perspective Missing from Design | Caroline Blechert | Louie Gong | Whitney Minthorne | Neebin Southall |Adia Victoria from 2019-04-12T22:40:16

As often as Native and Native-influenced imagery turns up in apparel, graphic design, product design, and elsewhere, there’s a chronic dearth of Native designers or influencers involved in the crea...

Colson Whitehead | Black Life Experimental Research Group | Mary Kathryn Nagle | Alex Chiu from 2019-04-05T23:23:34

Don’t trust your textbooks. This week — artists and writers whose work is illuminating the histories that have been pushed to the margins. We might not always get it right, but it’s important we try.

Mohsin Hamid | Terese Marie Mailhot | Mitchell S. Jackson from 2019-03-29T23:48:39

People say, there’s no place like home. But what if “home” is more than one place, or it doesn’t exist anymore, or it hurts to revisit? This week, three incredible writers share how the concept of ...

Lindy West And 'Shrill' | Dick Dale | Morgan Parker | Tommy Pico | Kathleen Collins and 'Losing Ground' from 2019-03-23T01:40:40

This week, we’re trading in the familiar narratives for some new, previously-unheard ones: a plus-sized coming-of-age story, a pair of young poets of color and a lost classic of black female film m...

Brian Michael Bendis | David F. Walker | Nilüfer Yanya | Mousai Remix from 2019-03-15T23:47:35

Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like we’re lacking in heroes. This week, we’ve got a collection of tales to prove valor is anything but dead. Meet the comic book writers investing in the tenacity of t...

Kelly Sue DeConnick and Captain Marvel | The Numberz | Helado Negro | What’s Happening to Portland’s Creative Spaces? from 2019-03-09T03:23:54

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that art can be a powerful, trailblazing force. Art is so much more than an oil painting hung on a gallery wall. We use art as a tool for imagining ne...

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast | Tender Table | Demian DinéYazhi´ | The Manila Sound from 2019-02-23T01:35:28

In the age of ephemera, fleeting tastes and snapshots can leave the most indelible experiences. Artists reflect on what endures and what satisfies.

Y La Bamba | Roman Mars | Kill Rock Stars’ Portia Sabin | Jesse Thorn from 2019-02-16T07:47:12

Luz Mendoza of the band Y La Bamba shares the inspiration for her new album, “Mujeres.” Portia Sabin talks to us about the KRS produced Bratmobile podcast series, "Girl Germs." Plus, some of the ma...

Walidah Imarisha | Oregon’s Black Pioneers | Pontypool | Arthur Bradford&Matt Sheehy | Art Policy Shift In Portland from 2019-02-09T01:49:32

It’s all about perspective. Does anything ever really change, or do we — the observers — merely shift our thinking? On this week’s show, we examine how Oregon’s artists, historians and public emplo...

FisherPoets Best Of 2018 | Kelli Schaefer | Anders Nilsen from 2019-02-01T23:06

Ever found yourself in a room full of people, feeling totally and overwhelmingly alone? Don’t worry — there’s art for that. This week, we take a look at how local artists are exploring the meaning ...

Mary Oliver | Claudia Rankine | The Mayo House | Mia Zara and ‘No Candy’ | Julia Oldham from 2019-01-26T00:23:50

When the going gets tough (and we mean really, really tough) what pulls you back from the edge? For some folks, it’s revisiting a favorite poem; for others, it’s about finding something -- anything...

Sun Ra | DUG | The Space Lady | Pepper Pepper | Cherdonna Shinatra | from 2019-01-19T01:52

It may seem like the art world depends on gatekeeping: deciding what art goes in museums, which songs will get played, who gets the grants. But sometimes, the gates swing in ways we might not have ...

Satirist Andy Borowitz | “Teenage Dick” Onstage At Artists Rep | keyon gaskin And Nadia Buyse from 2019-01-12T00:04:18

Don’t turn away. Sometimes even the most awkward situation can be spun into something wonderful. This week: cringe-worthy national events make for brilliant satire, a new play mines liberal guilt s...

Author Aja Gabel + Musicians of the Oregon Symphony | Classical’s #MeToo Reckoning | The Met Opera Aria Code from 2019-01-05T00:09:28

A soap opera in the string quartet. The #MeToo moment at the conservatory. And opera appreciation for the rest of us. This week, three tales both classical and modern.

Readers’ Delight | Super-Librarian Nancy Pearl | Books For Trails, Towers, And Trawlers from 2018-12-28T20:47:39

We’re drilling down with the pros to find reads that challenge, reads that work in far-flung places, and reads that will stay in your head years after you put down the book.

The Long Journey | Abbi Jacobson | Tara Westover | Shayla Lawson from 2018-12-21T20:41:03

As you contemplate the road ahead for 2019, listen to three amazing artists talk about their transformational journeys: some road trip medicine for heartbreak, a daughter emerging from a tightly-wo...

The Panoramic Imagination Of Somaiya Daud | Susan Fletcher | Tin House from 2018-12-14T23:40:07

Interstellar intrigue on a Moroccan-inspired world? Strong female hero of color? Yes, please. We talk with one of the YA breakout stars of 2018 at the Portland Book Festival, Somaiya Daud. Also we ...

Best of 2018 | DJ Anjali | Caitlin Weierhauser | Staff Picks from KMHD and opbmusic from 2018-12-07T23:05:03

The year that was in jazz music, homegrown indie rock, comedy, and more. However 2018 has been treating you, we’ve got picks to help you celebrate the good things of the year.

Tales Of The Side Hustle | Jodi Darby | Ben Tyler | Alicia Jo Rabins | Amy Miller | Ro Tam from 2018-12-01T01:08:52

The jobs that pay money. The jobs that pay out in other ways. The jobs that make art possible: Artist Jodi Darby talks about driving a big rig, comedian Amy Miller pierces the thin façade of succes...

Portland Book Festival | Tommy Orange | Trevino Brings Plenty from 2018-11-21T20:28:30

Tommy Orange’s breakthrough debut novel, titled, “There, There,” unites the stories of twelve Native people, brought together on one momentous day in Oakland. We meet Orange, and along with poet, T...

Portland Book Festival: Daniel H. Wilson | Angela Garbes | Elizabeth Rush from 2018-11-18T20:38

This week’s show takes us to Portland Book Festival, for conversations with three fascinating authors pondering birth, imminent environmental devastation, and...robots.

Creative Families | Esperanza Spalding | Kim Kovel and Jeff Kovel | Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer from 2018-11-10T00:09:58

When we imagine artists at home over the holidays, it’s a pretty rosy picture: imagine musical clans like the Nevilles and the Wilsons singing around the table. (Why can’t our families be that awe...

American Fantasies: Abigail DeVille | Leni Zumas | Typhoon | Omar El Akkad from 2018-11-02T23:08:10

If you’ve been feeling like the lines are blurring between the America you imagined and the America we all live with, take a listen. We found some incredible artists and writer addressing the magic...

Guest Curator Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker (Previously aired: Oct. 18, 2014) from 2018-10-26T20:58:23

This week, we’re diving into the "State of Wonder" archives for one of our favorite guest curators. Corin Tucker spent 12 years in the iconic Northwest band Sleater-Kinney. We asked Corin to look ...

Fabi Reyna | Women Of Color In Music | Esperanza Spalding | Ear Trumpet Labs | Catalinbread from 2018-10-20T03:59:55

This week we’re handing over the keys for State of Wonder to local musician and small business owner Fabi Reyna. She's the creator of the guitar magazine "She Shreds."

Design For Space, Parking, Fly Fishing And The World (Originally aired: Jan. 23, 2016) from 2018-10-11T20:53:54

In this week's rebroadcast, we welcome user experience (UX) designer Elena Moon as our guest curator. She has this fantastic way of explaining what works and why. She’s going to lead us through her...

I Did It My Way: Prentice Onayemi | S1 | Debra Granik And Anne Rosellini | Chanti Darling from 2018-10-06T01:09:51

Every person who makes something, anything, it doesn’t even have to be particularly artsy, there comes this moment of like, all right, you got this idea, but you have to get it done

Virtually Unlimited | Kristen Lucas | SERA Architects | Darcelle XV | Crystal Rutland from 2018-09-29T01:05:05

Virtual reality may not quite be the tech that all the kids are doing these day, but there are entire communities interacting as we speak in VR worlds. This week, we hear about an 87 year old drag ...

Life, Death And Punk With Jessica Hopper | Comics Artist Anders Nilsen from 2018-09-22T00:36:30

The firebrand music critic has a new memoir, chronicling the formative time she spent in a gentrifying Chicago in the mid 2000's.

Future Tense: Julia Oldham | Daniel Wilson | Ursula K. Le Guin | Lidia Yuknavitch from 2018-09-14T21:53:24

What is it with humanity, anyway? Seems like, since the beginning of time, we have just been waiting for it to all fall apart. (seriously, how many sci-fi books have you read set in a time of globa...

Madame Gandhi | John Cameron Mitchell | Black Belt Eagle Scout | Gabriel Kahane from 2018-09-12T16:57:55

This week, artists whose work — and sometimes even their mere existence— have caused a kind of social friction. In an awesome way. You’ll hear from prolific drummer and polymath Madame Gandhi, acto...

Sept. 1: Rebecca Gates Guest Curator from 2018-08-31T22:23:32

Not so easy keeping up with this week’s guest curator, Rebecca Gates. But fun? You bet.
First, there’s her recording career, both in the Spinanes and as a solo artist. (if you haven’t checked ...

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast | Last Artful Dodgr | Demian DinéYazhi´ | Tender Table from 2018-08-25T17:25:31

We’re exploring those connections between art, food, culture, ancestral lands and how it all fuses and fits and makes up who we are. Michelle Zauner of the band Japanese Breakfast talks about her p...

The Manila Sound | Comedian Caitlin Weierhauser | Papi Fimbres' Homiefest | the Cult of Orpheus from 2018-08-18T02:18:22

What exactly is art supposed to do about the state of the world in 2018? Carry a political flag? Make us forget about bad things? This week we’ve got a pile of stories for you about some of the thi...

Created Spaces | Anne Hamilton | Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas | Richard Swift | KSMOCA from 2018-08-11T16:21:34

Come explore — this week, Centennial Mills, the 107-year old site of an old flour mill, gets the treatment from conceptual artist Anne Hamilton, social practice originator Harrell Fletcher and frie...

Wonder Extra! Why Two of Oregon's Creative Colleges are Closing from 2018-08-03T22:39:06

It has been a devastating summer for students and staff at two Oregon that helped thousands of creative Oregonians to find their calling. The Art Institute of Portland and Marylhurst University are...

Haley Heyndrickx | Grammy-Nominated Pianist Randy Porter | Blossom and Ripley Snell | Cartographer Dave Imus | Hunter Noack from 2018-08-03T22:28:09

Fill up the cooler and buckle up! We are getting you all set up for your weekend summer road trip — lots of great music to keep you moving, including pillow talk with the R&B singer Blossom and MC ...

Podcast Roundup | Outside Magazine | Jay and Miles Xplain the Xmen | Roam Schooled from 2018-07-27T20:46:14

This time we live in is a feast of audio storytelling. You can find a podcast for any interest — from Harry Potter to stories of death-defying survival — and it turns out Oregon is a hotbed of home...

Buildings Full of Women | State of Wonder at Design Week Portland 2018 from 2018-07-21T16:47:31

We gathered some of Portland’s brightest minds at the creative event space the Nightwood to ask: What would buildings designed by and for women look like? Developer Anyeleh Hallová of project^ and ...

Lasting Grace - A Memorial for Writer Brian Doyle from 2018-07-13T22:03:08

This week on “State of Wonder,” some of the Northwest’s most prominent writers come together to share stories and memories of the man the “New Yorker” called “the Portland sage,” Brian Doyle, who d...

Victor Maldonado | Sean Patrick Carney | Crow's Shadow from 2018-07-07T18:20:27

This week's show is guest curated by Victor Maldonado.. An interdisciplinary artist who works in paint, as well as more ephemeral mediums, he also teaches at PNCA in Portland. We talk with Victor ...

Elliott Smith 'Either/Or' At 20 | Slim Moon | Larry Crane | Sean Croghan | Luz Elena Mendoza | Matt Drenik | The Secret Sea | Catherine Fee from 2018-06-22T17:06:53

Twenty years ago, Elliott Smith opened a door into a hypnotic new world. The album, “Either/Or” marks a turning point in Smith’s transition from Portland rock journeyman to international star. We s...

Ursula K. Le Guin | Readers of Color React to Her Work | Filmmaker Arwen Curry Prepares to Release UKL Biopic | Music and Poetry of the Kes from 2018-06-09T01:29:11

On the eve of a grand literary celebration, we remember the life, writing, and transformative thinking of an Oregon literary titan.

Playwright Tanya Barfield's Homecoming Season from 2018-06-01T22:41:34

Tanya Barfield grew up in Portland and first caught the theater bug from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. But even though her plays have been performed around the country and got her nominated for ...

Viet Thanh Nguyen | Back Country Book Club | L.A. Salami from 2018-05-25T22:05:17

Pulitzer Prize winning writer Viet Thanh Nguyen on refugee families and walking in his mom and dad’s shoes. We’ve also got reading recommendations from people whose professional lives let them spen...

Typhoon | Alex Gino's KidLit Trans Hero | Arthur And Katherine Bradford from 2018-05-19T01:19:46

This week we turn our face toward the void with one of Oregon's great painters, the band Typhoon, a mother and son who share a unique creative language, and a new play that explores a new dimension...

Johnny Cash's Folsom At 50, Paul Simon, Chuck Klosterman, Aaron Scott's Greatest Hits from 2018-05-12T16:38:39

Do we sound a little verklempt this week? Our show is full of fond farewells, from Paul Simon's goodbye tour to our own producer Aaron Scott's departure for green Field Guide pastures. But it's not...

May 5: Mark Rothko, Sera Cahoone, Women in Tech, Chris Coleman from 2018-05-04T23:36:48

Had enough of the status quo? This week’s wonders are shaking it up: the greatest modern artist who ever called Portland home, a director who set the bar higher, two friends turning fan-favorite so...

Apr. 28: Oregon Book Awards: Laini Taylor, Omar El Akkad, Anis Mojgani, Samiya Bashir, Nicole Georges from 2018-04-28T17:35:03

Today on "State of Wonder," we talk finalists for the Oregon Book Awards in fiction, poetry, graphic literature, and more.

"Strange the Dreamer" with Laini Taylor — 1:42

Laini...

Apr. 21: Design Week Portland with Swift Agency, Bora Architecture, project, and more from 2018-04-21T05:26:08

We went live this week for Design Week Portland at the hottest new event space in Northeast Portland: the Nightwood. And we invited some exciting people in architecture and development to talk abou...

Apr. 14: Soul'd Out Vs. Coachella, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Shayla Lawson&Frank Ocean, and more from 2018-04-14T04:10:53

This week on "State of Wonder," Soul'd Out sues Cochella, three native playwrights soar at Oregon's biggest theaters, poet Shayla Lawson's love letter to Frank Ocean, and the quiet heartache of Bla...

Apr. 7: Mohsin Hamid, Chris Smither, Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Manahatta from 2018-04-07T00:14:25

Stories often emerge from scribblings in notebooks. But we also find them tumbling out of pantries, rolled amid rumpled shirts in suitcases and spewing forth from text messages with friends. This w...

Leni Zumas’s Dystopian Vision | Artist Rep’s Big Gift | Remembering Bend’s Arts Champion from 2018-03-31T16:41:27

We’ve got one hot read for you imagining an alternative future for American women, plus news from Portland and Central Oregon. Shuck off those gardening gloves and sit a spell!

Hamilton In Portland | Laura Veirs | Willy Vlautin | Portland Tropical Garden from 2018-03-24T04:46:02

Just in time for the last excruciatingly gray days of March, we’ve found a slew of artists making wonderfully reflective work, directing our energy toward each other. Dive in for restorative thinki...

Mar. 17: Helio Sequence, Holly Andres, Kelli Schaefer, The Art of Prosthetics from 2018-03-16T21:55:18

This week on "State of Wonder," we get live music from Helio Sequence and Kelli Schaefer, travel the country with photographer Holly Andres, look at the design of prosthetic limbs, and harness the ...

Mar. 10: Walking Dead Creator Robert Kirkman, Haley Heynderickx, Celeste Noche from 2018-03-10T00:05:57

This week on "State of Wonder," we’re going to dive deep with "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman into the worlds of zombies and caped crusaders; immerse ourselves in the music of Portland's ...

Netflix's 'Everything Sucks' | Allison Janney on 'I, Tonya' | Therese Marie Mailhot from 2018-03-03T02:03:05

This week on "State of Wonder," we talk to the creators of "Everything Sucks" and Allison Janney about her Oscar-nominated turn in "I, Tonya," and meet Portland's new creative laureate.

Live Show in Astoria | Fisher Poets | Photographer Corey Arnold | Moe Bowstern | from 2018-02-24T21:54:08

A spectacular live show from the 21st annual Fisher Poets Gathering in Astoria, where a unique way of life gives rise to truly unique poems, songs, and stories. One writer describes Fisher Poets as...

Feb. 17: How Can Portland Save Space For Artists? from 2018-02-17T19:39:56

The squeeze on Portland's real estate market has sent artists scampering for affordable space. On Feb. 28, Portland city leaders will bring a year's worth of research to bear with two dozen recomme...

The Shins, Joe Morton, Keith Rosson, plus Magellanica at Artists Rep from 2018-02-02T20:42:45

Our valentine to you, dear members, this week includes musical inversions with The Shins' James Mercer, who remixed one great Shins album to make another. We also hear from veteran actor Joe Morton...

Jan. 27 Ursula Le Guin Remembered, Portugal The Man, Decemberists&Offa Rex, Randy Porter&Nancy King from 2018-01-27T01:56:32

This week on "State of Wonder," we remember the life and legacy of the ground-breaking writer Ursula K. Le Guin, and then we talk with Oregon's three Grammy nominees: Portugal. The Man, The Decembe...

Jan. 20: Final Portlandia, Mimicking Birds, MK Guth, MoviePass, and More from 2018-01-20T19:09:05

This week on "State of Wonder," there are birds everywhere. We say goodbye to "Portlandia" as it enters its final season, hear new music from the Portland band Mimicking Birds, meet the Michelangel...

Jan. 13: Typhoon, Josh Ritter, Laura Veirs, Portland Youth Philharmonic from 2018-01-13T01:17:50

This week on "State of Wonder," exclusive sessions with singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and the epic band Typhoon, new ideas to preserve Portland's arts spaces, musician Laura Veirs branches into pod...

Typhoon Talks About Offerings at opbmusi from 2018-01-11T07:19:37

Kyle Morton and his band join us for an opbmusic studio session in front of a live audience. The new record, "Offerings" is the tale of a disturbing personal journey , tracking personal and cultura...

Jan. 6: Lemony Snicket, Maria Bamford, Robert Frank, Artists Repertory Theatre from 2018-01-06T01:17:09

This week on "State of Wonder," the comedian Maria Bamford on her hit Netflix series, author Daniel Handler on his best-selling "Series of Unfortunate Events" books, and the man who pretty much inv...

Dec. 30: Author Tom Perrotta Considers Online Porn Culture |Remembering Fred Cole from 2017-12-29T21:02:12

Best-selling novelist Tom Perrotta has a flair for finding humanity in talks about thinking through the social and spiritual dimensions of inetrnet porn for his bittersweet satire, "Mrs. Fletcher"....

Dec. 23: Ghost of Portland Past: Remembering Elliott Smith from 2017-12-21T21:57:49

Twenty years ago, Elliott Smith opened a door into a hypnotic new world. The album “Either/Or,” released on Kill Rock Stars, marks a turning point in Smith’s transition from Portland rock journeyma...

Dec. 16: Remembering Vera Katz, Best Music Of 2017, Minor White, Explode Into Colors from 2017-12-16T00:24:59

This week on "State of Wonder," we discuss the legacy of former mayor and arts booster Vera Katz, the best music of 2017, and get a glimpse into Portland's past through the photos of Minor White. Listen

Dec. 9: Todd Haynes on Wonderstruck | Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah | Phoebe Bridgers from 2017-12-09T01:07:13

This week on "State of Wonder," we talk to Todd Haynes about his newest film, "Wonderstruck," and the fall of Harvey Weinstein; we explore Christian Scott aTunde Adjua's groundbreaking contemporary...

Dec. 2: Five Oregon Podcasts You Have to Hear from 2017-12-02T00:48

This time we live in is a feast of audio storytelling. You can find a podcast for any interest, from Harry Potter to stories of death-defying survival, and it turns out Oregon is a hotbed of homema...

Nov. 25: Celebrating Brian Doyle's Big, Bold Oregon Legacy from 2017-11-21T20:44

This week on "State of Wonder," some of the Northwest's most prominent writers come together to share stories and memories of the man the "New Yorker" called "the Portland sage."

It’s ha...

Nov. 18: Wordstock: Chuck Klosterman, Hannah Tinti, Katie Kitamura from 2017-11-18T00:35:36

This week on 'State of Wonder,' we bring you the second show we recorded live at Wordstock, this time with the culture writer Chuck Klosterman, who pulls back the curtain on his celebrity profiles,...

Nov. 11: Live at Wordstock with 'Welcome to Night Vale' Creators and Poets Morgan Parker and Tommy Pico from 2017-11-12T02:33:49

Wordstock — Portland's book festival — is that most wonderful of days, when Oregonians’ book lust reaches a fever pitch, culminating in increased secret police presence at book signings, reader mob...

Nov. 4 - Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne | Comics and Book Publishing | Taneka Stotts | Samiya Bashir | Medea in LA from 2017-11-03T19:35

Crawl inside this week and prepare to be dazzled: we visited an installation made by the team behind some of rock’s most amazing live shows, science powers up spellbinding poems by Samiya Bashir, a...

Oct. 28: George Saunders, Scary Movies, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Polybius Conspiracy and More from 2017-10-26T17:43:06

Gather round all you ghoulies and goblins. "State of Wonder" is going to channel up some ferocious wonders on this week’s episode. We’ve got picks for some of the best scary films, an interview wit...

Finding Grace in Disgrace - Artist Antonio Martorel from 2017-10-25T18:54

Eminent Puerto Rican artist discusses his show at Linfield College. Themes of rain and deluge took on a horrific resonance after Hurricane Maria hit, weeks before opening.

Oct. 21: Eastern Oregon Film Festival, Where Big Movies Meet Small Town from 2017-10-21T20:51

A Man, A Woman, And A Talking Robot Head Walk Into A Desert ...

The opening night film is a sumptuous sci-fi fable about a guy, a girl and a robot head hiking across a desert looking for...

Oct. 14: Michael Chabon, Hollywood Theatre To Buy Movie Madness, Wild Ones, Holiday Friends, Bend Design&More from 2017-10-13T23:56:15

Oct. 7: Carrie Brownstein, Bend Film Fest, Jackpot Records, Art of Science from 2017-10-06T19:50

This week on “State of Wonder,” we talk Sleater-Kinney and “Portlandia” with Carrie Brownstein, get a preview of the Bend Film Fest, paint some eyeballs with ocularist Fred Harwin and more.

Sept. 30: Tony Kushner, Fun Home at PCS, Joan Shelley, Arvie Smith from 2017-09-30T00:46:47

This week on 'State of Wonder,' the writer behind 'Angels in America' and the movies 'Lincoln' and 'Munich' on writing for today, the head of Portland Center Stage on the hit musical 'Fun Home' and...

Sept. 23: Arts Tax Spared, Filthy Friends, Sidewalk Chalk, Artists Rep and More from 2017-09-22T20:06

Live sessions with Sidewalk Chalk and the star-studded Filthy Friends, plus Rene Denfeld on how her work as a private investigator inspired her book, Artist Rep shakes up the theater season and more.

Sept. 16: Sneaker Week, Bobbito Garcia, Deer Tick, Marie Watt, New Arts Centers, Crow's Shadow&More from 2017-09-16T01:02:17

Ready for new fall things? Out with last year's school shoes, in with fun new kicks like Sneaker Week, the Stackstock Music Festival, and more.

Sneaker Week Takes Flight - 1:30

Listen

Sept. 9: George Takei, PICA TBA Festival, Stew and The Negro Problem, End of a Costumed Era and More from 2017-09-09T17:04

This week on 'State of Wonder,' we talk Twitter and Copland with George Takei, hear about the must-see shows at the Time-Based Art Festival, celebrate James Baldwin with Stew and the Negro Problem....

Sept. 2: Comic Con Preview: Wonder Woman, Luke Cage, Autumnlands, Shutter, Iron Circus and More from 2017-08-31T20:39

Almost time for Rose City Comic Con! We talk with Wonder Woman's Greg Rucka, David F. Walker on Luke Cage, Kurt Busiek and Ben Dewey discuss their fantasy adventure Autumnlands. Plus C. Spike Trotm...

Aug. 26: case/lang/viers_Tin_House Flash Fiction from 2017-08-24T22:28:39

It’s that rare bird, a truly super supergroup: alt-country firebrand Neko Case, world-class indie lyricist Laura Veirs and songstress supreme k.d. lang released a lush, soulful record last summer. ...

Aug. 19: Total Eclipse of the Art: State of Wonder Travels the Path of Totality from 2017-08-19T18:22

This week our show traveled across the solar eclipse path of totality, from Newport to the Ochoco National Forest and many places in between for a once-in-a-lifetime artistic and cosmic journey. Th...

Total Eclipse of the Art: Day 5, Suttle Lodge from 2017-08-18T21:27

This week, OPB’s State of Wonder will be driving across Oregon ahead of the eclipse, checking out the preparations towns in the path of the totality are making. Today they’re at Suttle Lodge, north...

Total Eclipse of the Art: Day 4, Oregon Eclipse Festival from 2017-08-17T20:37

This week, OPB’s State of Wonder is driving across Oregon ahead of the eclipse, checking out the preparations towns in the path of the totality are making. Today they’re in the middle of the Ochoco...

Total Eclipse of the Art: Day 3, Madras from 2017-08-17T13:54

This week, OPB’s State of Wonder will be driving across Oregon ahead of the eclipse, checking out the preparations towns in the path of the totality are making. Today they’re in Madras.

Total Eclipse Of The Art: Day 2 - Corvallis from 2017-08-15T22:54

This week, OPB’s State of Wonder is driving across Oregon ahead of the eclipse, checking out the preparations towns in the path of the totality are making. Today they’re in Corvallis checking out a...

'State Of Wonder's' Great Eclipse Road Trip: Newport, Oregon from 2017-08-14T21:10

"State of Wonder" is traveling across the solar eclipse's path of totality, from Newport to the Ochoco National Forest and many places in-between.

Aug. 12: Oregon Eclipse Festival, Eastern Oregon's Music Scene, Robert Michael Pyle, John Yeon at the Art Museum&More from 2017-08-12T05:16:31

Oregon's Most Audacious Eclipse Festival Comes Covered in Glitter - 2:42

We visit the Big Summit Prairie in the Ochoco Mountains, where a temporary city is being built to host some 30,00...

Aug. 5: Kent Nerburn's "Neither Wolf Nor Dog," Yukiyo Kawano And Meshi Chavez, PSU Chamber Choir, Peter Sears&More from 2017-08-05T00:59:11

The Search Is on for a New Director at Portland’s Regional Arts and Culture Council

During outgoing director Eloise Damrosch’s 30-year tenure, the Regional Arts and Culture Council has g...

July 29: Pickathon Preview: Drive-By Truckers, Charles Bradley, Last Artful Dodgr, Jay Som, Tank&the Bangas and Big Thief from 2017-07-28T22:53:58

Drive-By Truckers Explore Duality And Dirt - 1:20

With their double-barreled live sets and searing lyrical craft, the Drive-By Truckers are an easy add to top-ten list of best American r...

Tips On Photographing Eclipse 2017 from 2017-07-22T00:54:04

Portland-based astro-photographer Jake Breed gives us a demonstration of best practices for getting a perfect shot during the two minutes of daytime darkness. Plus, helpful hints from an art educat...

Portugal. The Man Takes Us To Woodstock from 2017-07-22T00:52:07

For the Portland band, Portugal. the Man, creating “Woodstock,” the band’s newest album, took a long time. They couldn’t stop writing, and pumped out about 40 songs, collaborating with the likes of...

Daniel Wilson's Steampunk Robot Romp Through History from 2017-07-22T00:47:57

Our favorite futurist has gone all anachronistic. Daniel Wilson, a New York Times best-selling novelist, robotics engineer, and Cherokee citizen, gave us forward-thinking science fiction page-turne...

Bag and Baggage Theatre recasts Shakespeare With Ancient Persian Classic from 2017-07-22T00:46:43

Bag&Baggage Productions in Hillsboro is about to premier an adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” that opens new doors on a story that is even older than Shakespeare. A thousand years before Romeo and J...

Author Nancy Coffelt Gets Kids Ready For The Big Eclipse from 2017-07-22T00:26:30

Baker City writer and illustrator Nancy Coffelt teamed up with publisher Elaine Cuyler to create her new book, “The Big Eclipse,” which uses charming animal characters and goofy jokes to help kids ...

July 22: Portugal. The Man, Eclipse Preview, Daniel Wilson, Romeo&Juliet Redux and More from 2017-07-21T23:11:03

A New Book Aimed at Elementary Astronomers

The Baker City writer and illustrator Nancy Coffelt teamed up with publisher Elaine Cuyler to create her new book, “The Big Eclipse,” which use...

July 15: The Decemberists as Offa Rex, Tracy K. Smith, Da Vinci Days, Bend Arts Center from 2017-07-14T23:15:03

A New Collaboration for The Decemberists: Offa Rex

The Decemberists may have finally met their match. The band has been collaborating with British singer Olivia Chaney to reinterpret tra...

DaVinci Days Is Back In Corvallis from 2017-07-14T21:11:02

This weekend Corvallis celebrates the return DaVinci Days: the festival where art and science mix. It started 29 years ago in the spirit of Leonardo DaVinci — a man as much about math as Mona Lisa....

Colin Meloy And Olivia Chaney in New Folk Collaboration - Offa Rex from 2017-07-14T20:14:49

The Decemberists may have finally met their match. The band has been working with British singer Olivia Chaney under the name Offa Rex — a reference to an Anglo-Saxon king. Their album, released on...

Artist Mixes Nature And Business from 2017-07-09T16:09

It’s not often you find an artist whose work incorporates nature, meditation and a business plan.
Erika Bartlett is such an artist.

Vancouver's Ghost Town Poetry Hasn’t Missed A Beat Since 2004 from 2017-07-09T14:19

Hurray for the Riff Raff | Ghost Town Poetry | Teva Harrison | Ural Thomas | Bend Art Center from 2017-07-08T08:09:26

Devil-may-care side trips to imaginary cities, soul-searching conversation with graphic novelist Teva Harrison, and moments of wonder with Portland's premier soul interpreter.

July 1: Authors Maria Semple, Rabih Alameddine and Alexander Chee at Wordstock from 2017-06-30T00:54:07

Maria Semple on "Today Will Be Different" - 1:23

The world of Maria Semple's imagination is a glowing place. Her characters rocket off on madcap adventures; they collide at high speed; t...

June 24: Beth Ditto, The Slants, Thara Memory, Omar El Akkad, and More from 2017-06-24T01:12:31

This week on "State of Wonder," singer Beth Ditto breaks out from her band Gossip, the Slants gets their big day at the Supreme Court, and we look back on Thara Memory's complicated legacy.
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June 17: PDX's New Jazz Club, Ghost Ship Fire, Lee Kelly, Kurt Busiek from 2017-06-17T00:13:05

This week on “State of Wonder,” shake off your June gloom with the magical animals of "Autumnlands," the music of Animal Eyes, the monumental sculptures of Lee Kelly, the drag art of Kaj-Anne Peppe...

Jun. 10: Grisha Bruskin | Lidia Yuknavitch | Robin Bacior | Blind Pilot | Schnitzer Museums at More NW Universities from 2017-06-09T22:11:03

Into the Mystic: this week, artist Grisha Bruskin and writer Lidia Yuknavitch lead us along their paths for spiritual truth. Bruskin - fresh off the Venice Biennale, makes huge tapestries are the c...

June 3: Remembering Brian Doyle, Poet&Hero Micah Fletcher, Loch Lomon, Women in Horror&Blake Nelson from 2017-06-02T21:33:19

To say it was a tough week… doesn’t really seem to cover it. Portland is still reeling from the stabbing that badly shook up the city’s sense of relative safety and tolerance. Book lovers said a p...

May 27: Wonder Woman, Edward Albee and the Casting Dilemma, Tank and the Bangas, Teaching With Holograms from 2017-05-27T00:52:59

Grab your passport and sunglasses because we are going on an intercontinental adventure.

We will journey to the amazon to discover the secret history of Wonder Woman, hop over to New Orl...

May 20: Paul Simon Bio by Peter Ames Carlin, Lindy West, Rivka Galchen from 2017-05-20T01:54:50

In anticipation for Wordstock 2017, which announced its return on Nov. 11, we take a step into the time machine and revisit last year's wordsmiths. The big news is that the subject of one of their ...

May 13: Prince's Unreleased Album, Puppet Master Michael Curry&The Oregon Symphony, Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Immigrant Medea from 2017-05-12T23:25:06

We're digging deep this week into all of your burning questions.

What does it take to craft gigantic puppets for Broadway? Does art history as we know it need a drastic makeover? And how...

May 6: Colson Whitehead&Yaa Gyasi, Solar Eclipse, New Horror Fest At Timberline Lodge, Flintstones Revamped&More from 2017-05-04T21:24:51

Want to be transported to another place? A place where the sun hides behind the moon, where horror and history collide in a famous old hotel on top of a mountain, where The Underground Railroad is ...

Apr. 30: Design Week Special: Redesigning Portland With Quin Candy, Maya Lin&More from 2017-04-28T21:40:41

It’s Design Week in Portland! The week when all of the makers, the tallest and the smallest, get together to talk about the looks they love, the technology they’re using, and the newest concepts an...

April 22nd: Oregon Book Awards Nominees from 2017-04-21T21:10

We meet the contenders for the general nonfiction category: Tracy Daugherty, Andi Zeisler, Kathleen Dean Moore, Bill Lascher, and Sue Armitage.

Apr. 15: Solange&Soul'd Out Music Fest, Chuck Close in Pendleton, Wild Ones, Portland Art Museum, Diana Abu Jaber, North Bank Closes from 2017-04-14T23:31

Chuck Close Portraits Heat Up The Pendleton Art Scene

It's not every day that a small town arts center gets to pick works from a blue chip artist like it's checking out library books, bu...

Apr. 8: Elliott Smith 'Either/Or' at 20 Live Event from 2017-04-07T21:59:15

Twenty years ago, Elliott Smith opened a door into a hypnotic new world. The album, “Either/Or”, released on Kill Rock Stars records, marks a turning point in Smith’s transition from Portland rock ...

Laini Taylor Extended Interview on "Strange the Dreamer" and the Power of Fantasy from 2017-04-01T19:15:34

As a girl, Laini Taylor wanted to be a writer. She would dream up magical worlds filled with witches and monsters. But once she got into high school and college, she started reading literature — al...

Apr. 1: Conor Oberst, SXSW, PDX Japanese Garden, Laini Taylor, Sunshine Girl, Blitzen Trapper&More from 2017-04-01T03:48:42

Spring Break is upon us, and we are embarking on an adventure. We will be slaying beasts in the fantastical world of novelist Laini Taylor (that have surprising real world parallels), exploring the...

Kenji Bunch and Eugene Ballet Adapt New Production of The Snow Queen from 2017-04-01T00:28:31

Jack Perrin Teaches Science with Unconventional Flare from 2017-03-26T19:09:05

Jack Perrin is not your typical science teacher.

“I really love hands on stuff,” he told me last month when I visited him in White Salmon, Washington. “If kids can use their hands, learn...

See Art, Win Money, Make A Difference With Two New Portland Programs from 2017-03-25T00:13:48

Ever passed a gallery and seen something that looked interesting through the window, but found yourself thinking "I could never afford it" or "I probably wouldn't get it?"

Well, you're n...

Mar. 25: Lyle Ritz RIP, Classical Music Feud, Wendy Red Star, Women on Wikipedia&More from 2017-03-24T22:52:01

This week we are all about change. From feminist art wikipedia editing parties to a young composer calling for a revitalization of classical music, Portland artists and musicians challenge the cano...

Online Clash Lays Path For Classical Crossroad from 2017-03-24T21:32:50

Greg Ewer of 45th Parallel and Tristan Bliss talk about digging deep to resolve an online spat and forge a deeper conversation about welcoming new audiences for classical music.

Rasika Dance Faces Visa Hurdles from 2017-03-24T21:29:38

Jayanthi Raman has been staging Internationally renown shows in Portland for nearly 30 years. This one had a small hiccup.

Huge Ceramics Conferene Coming to Portland from 2017-03-18T17:48:55

We talk with Eutectic Gallery's Brett Binford about the onset of NCECA in Portland this week.

March Sadness Mixdown 1- Brackets For the Saddest Songs from 2017-03-18T16:56:33

Rack up the brackets: we are in the midst of a tournament to find the most sorrowful of songs! Elliott Smith or Franz Schubert? Billie Holiday or the Pogues? Dive in and simmer in the sad.

Mar. 18: Grimm Sells Its Monsters, NEA Funding Cuts, Temples, March Sadness, VR and More from 2017-03-18T00:32:55

Questions? We've got questions: What if you could look inside a building before it is even built? How is it that sad songs actually make you happy? If you could own a haunted armoire, would you sta...

NW Dance Projects Combines Passion With Humor In New Adaptation Of ‘Carmen’ from 2017-03-13T23:33:06

During a rehearsal in Northwest Dance Project’s light-filled Portland studio for a new adaptation of “Carmen,” set in part in ‘50’s-era beauty salons, the company is trying to observe one of childh...

Mar. 11 2017: Lee Kelly, Thao&the Get Down Stay Down, NW Dance Project's 'Carmen,' Chicano Batman from 2017-03-11T09:13:29

This week, a transformational garden yields find treasures, a dance company whips a classic into an ebullient, glamorous new form, and we sway with two bands that double-dog-dare you to peg their e...

Photographers Lauren Semivan and Tara Sellios from 2017-03-04T17:54:22

Two artists on impermanence, their process, and the joys of the 8 x 10 view camera.

Mar. 4: Colum McCann, Thara Memory, Modernizing Shakespeare, Surfer Blood&More from 2017-03-03T19:55:24

Ever find yourself lost in Shakespeare's flowery prose? A new project helps translate his writing into modern English. We also delve into a devastating scandal in the jazz community and take a tri...

Indictment Of Thara Memory Shakes Music Community from 2017-03-02T10:12:41

The bandleader who drove students to top-level performances is served an indictment for sex abuse charges.

Comics Artists Leila Del Duca&Kit Seaton on "Afar", "Shutter"&more from 2017-02-25T18:17:28

Artist Leila Del Duca is wrapping up her amazing series with Joe Keatinge, "Shutter". We talk to her about her new YA graphic novel with Georgian Kit Seaton, "Afar".

Feb. 25: Virtual Reality Art, Last Artful Dodgr, National Museum of African American History from 2017-02-25T18:05:08

The crocuses are popping up, and this week's show blossoms with new music, new technology, dazzling comics, and so much more!

Artists Will Transform Your World with Virtual Reality - 1:2...

With VR, Artists Will Transform Your World from 2017-02-24T20:25:43

Imagine a gallery where you can step into a painting, fly through the ceiling to the heaven’s above, or learn a dance from a virtual flamingo. It’s not a world far off. Virtual and augmented realit...

Interview with The Last Artful, Dodgr&Neill Von Tally from 2017-02-23T19:51:12

Making Public Access TV Cool For A New Generation from 2017-02-21T05:27:03

From “Wayne’s World” to “UHF,” public access television often seems to serve more as a satirical punching bag than a respected media form. But that’s about to change.

Portland Community ...

Feb. 18: Damien Lillard's Rap Career, RAC's Grammy Win, 1939 Ensemble&More from 2017-02-18T00:49:17

This week on "State of Wonder," the Blazer talks about his side-gig as a rapper, Portland's indie remix pioneer brings home the win, Portland Community Media gets an update and more.

Eug...

From Controversy To Icon, Portland's Aerial Tram Turns 10 from 2017-02-12T20:18:02

Ten years ago, two silvery orbs began floating 3,000 feet between Marquam Hill and South Waterfront over the roofs and backyards of one of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods. Millions of rides later, ...

David F. Walker On The New Marvel "Luke Cage" Series And More from 2017-02-11T19:33:36

The man who re-imagined John Shaft, Night Hawk, and Power Man talks to us about the new Luke Cage standalone series he's writing, starting in May, what he thought of the Netflix series, and why Bla...

Feb. 11: Marvel's Luke Cage, Shy Girls, Eugene Opera, Liz Vice, Portland's Aerial Tram&More from 2017-02-11T01:21:41

Grab your rain coat and take a ride on the aerial tram, head out to the International Film Festival, support your art-loving neighborhood watering hole, or stay in and listen to Shy Girl's bedroom ...

Hollywood Theatre Opens At The Portland Airport from 2017-02-04T19:06:32

Portlanders love to love their airport. There’s the Stumptown coffee, the Powell’s bookstore, the local restaurants, and perhaps the most photographed carpet in the world. So what else could PDX pu...

Feb. 4: Hollywood Theatre Opens at PDX Airport, Black Film Fest, Arvo Pärt Fest&Immigrant Artists from 2017-02-04T01:34:10

This week on State of Wonder, immerse yourself in a sonic wonderland of Arvo Pärt's music, catch a short film at the airport and hear from local artists about their experience as refugees.
Listen

Director Elizabeth Huffman On The Refugee Crisis And A Theatrical Response from 2017-02-04T00:30:23

Director Elizabeth Huffman talks to us about the play she's directing this weekend by Turkish playwrite Sedef Ecer, and her a one-woman show juxtaposing a wealthy Syrian refugee with Marie Antoinet...

PDX Black Film Fest Picks With David F. Walker from 2017-02-03T23:16:04

While America spent last winter wondering why the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was taking so long to reflect the face of America, some amazing features were in the works, fe...

Portland Holds First Arvo Pärt Festival in North America from 2017-02-02T00:03:22

Portland-based vocal ensemble Cappella Romana creates otherworldly mystic sounds with layers of harmony, plumbing that space where eastern and western sacred music meet. While most of their reperto...

Jan. 28: Chloe Eudaly, Portland Winter Lights Festival, Tony Furtado, Sallie Tisdale from 2017-01-27T20:02:34

Mid-winter blues got you down? We've got the remedy for that. Whether its getting outside in the darkest time of year for a European-style light festival, hearing music from one of Portland's premi...

Chloe Eudaly Moves To City Hall from 2017-01-26T22:37:42

Goodbye Reading Frenzy, hello SW 4th Ave. We sit down with Portland's new City Commissioner, Chloe Eudaly. Her meteoric rise from indie bookseller to Council parallels the city's growing unease wit...

From 'South Park' to Hong Kong, The Many Voices of Eliza Jane Schneider—Extended Interview from 2017-01-20T22:49:51

For five years, Eliza Jane Schneider played most of the female characters on South Park: Wendy, Shelly, Mrs. Cartman, the Mayor — they’re all her. She’s created characters for everything from the a...

Jan. 21: Roxane Gay, Artists in Protest, South Park's Eliza Jane Schneider&More from 2017-01-20T20:56:22

There’s been a huge transition on the national stage. The curtain has closed on one act and opened on another. There’s a whole new cast of players, and no one’s sure where this plotline is headed. ...

Making Traditional Dance Modern from 2017-01-15T04:52:04

Subashini Ganesan and Oluyinka Akinjiola stop in to talk about their upcoming performance of new work, IGNITE. They’re from radically different traditions, but each embraces a marriage of tradition...

Bend Home Meets Living Building Challenge from 2017-01-14T18:05:31

A visit to Desert Rain, the Bend home of Tom Elliott and Barbara Scott that is the first single-family home in the world to earn certification under the Living Building Challenge.

PDX Choreographer Revels In the Forbidden from 2017-01-13T22:51:46

When it comes to women, there are two things American culture doesn’t look so kindly on: age and weight. Tahni Holt’s newest show revels in both.

By the time the audience walks into the ...

Jan. 14: David Byrne, Typhoon's Kyle Morton, Pander Brothers, Dance Across Cultures&More from 2017-01-13T21:53:15

State of Wonder will melt your winter blahs down to marshmallowy molten goodness with provocative dance projects, hot new fiction, and music for transformative times (with twirling rifles!).
<...

Oregon Jewish Museum Has A New Home And Big Dreams from 2017-01-12T03:48:51

By 2015, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education had a problem — the good kind of problem: It couldn’t accommodate the crowds that wanted to get into its exhibits and events. So...

A Fragile Year - Portland Art Glass Maker Uroboros Founder On Selling His Business from 2017-01-07T21:02:09

Amid regulatory crackdown on Northwest glass makers, Eric Lovell transfers the business to California-based Oceanside GlassTile.

Design, Planning, And Portland's New Mayor Ted Wheeler from 2017-01-07T18:53:52

We listen back to what Ted Wheeler said as a candidate about his arts agenda for Portland, and talk with three bright guys in design, architecture, and planning about what challenges lie ahead for ...

Jan. 7: Year In Review: Can Artists Afford Portland, Art Glass Apocalypse, New Mayor&More from 2017-01-07T01:41:37

2016 was packed — packed! — with big arts stories, both locally and nationally (we're still mourning you, Bowie and Prince, Cohen and Jones, and all the other dynamos). We decided to spend our firs...

Dec. 31: Richard Russo, Nikki McClure, Jonathan Lethem&Karen Russell at Wordstock from 2016-12-28T00:07:03

We love talking to authors about their books, but do you know what’s almost more fun? Talking to them about other people's books. This year, at the book festival Wordstock, we rounded up some amazi...

Dec. 24: What Does It Mean To Support The Arts? Going Beyond Year End Giving from 2016-12-22T23:51:50

Because our mailboxes are flooding with requests for year-end giving, we're listening back to an episode we did last year with philanthropist, instigator, and friend to the arts, Dorie Vollum, who ...

NE Portland American Legion Post Gets Lit from 2016-12-19T18:53:13

[image: 20161217_arts_post-134_2,left,300x390,5852f415280b1e0339fc7fb2]

Ever been in an American Legion hall?

They’re not fancy, but for a certain generation they’re as famili...

Son of Mark Rothko on His Father's Connection to Portland at the Art Museum from 2016-12-19T18:45:32

Mark Rothko is one of the 20th century’s most famous painters, and his formative years were spent in Portland: He immigrated here at age 10 from Latvia and took classes at the Museum School at the ...

Dec. 17: Mark Rothko at PDX Art Museum, Nu Shooz, A Stripper's Opera, Imago's 'La Belle' from 2016-12-17T02:31:36

This week we take you on a sleigh ride from operatic strippers to poetry by veterans.

What Do You Get When You Mix Opera And Stripping?

This month a subversive group of class...

The Strippers Tale - Viva's Holiday Is Back Onstage from 2016-12-13T05:37:08

The Cult of Orpheus is reviving last year's popular original, one-act opera, "Viva's Holiday", based on the memoirs of the celebrated Portland exotic dancer, Viva Las Vegas. Think your family holid...

KMHD Best Of 2016 from 2016-12-09T23:30:13

Warm your hands on these picks from KMHD program director Matt Fleeger, and OPB digital producer David Stuckey. We talk about a few selections from KMHD's top ten albums of 2016, plus a few live sh...

Dec. 10: Tin House Fiction Contest Winners, Best Jazz of 2016, Brian Doyle and Sabina Haque from 2016-12-09T21:59:18

Stories of reptile love, seeing your neighbors darkest secrets, a bizarre visit to the dentist — these are just some of the stories from the Plotto flash fiction contest we did with the publisher, ...

Tin House 'Plotto' Flash Fiction Contest Winners from 2016-12-09T20:40:38

If you’ve been tuning into State of Wonder this fall, you know that we’ve been full bore on a flash fiction contest being run by the Portland/Brooklyn publisher Tin House. It’s called Plotto, after...

Grand Prize: "Hey Neighbor" by John Lawton from 2016-12-09T20:40:36

If you’ve been tuning into State of Wonder this fall, you know that we’ve been full bore on a flash fiction contest being run by the Portland/Brooklyn publisher Tin House. It’s called Plotto, after...

Week 2: “Rust" by Annesha Sengupta from 2016-12-09T20:40:35

If you’ve been tuning into State of Wonder this fall, you know that we’ve been full bore on a flash fiction contest being run by the Portland/Brooklyn publisher Tin House. It’s called Plotto, after...

Week 3: "Thanksgiving" by Carolyn Oliver from 2016-12-09T20:40:34

If you’ve been tuning into State of Wonder this fall, you know that we’ve been full bore on a flash fiction contest being run by the Portland/Brooklyn publisher Tin House. It’s called Plotto, after...

Week 4: "Laws" by Zana Previti from 2016-12-09T20:40:32

If you’ve been tuning into State of Wonder this fall, you know that we’ve been full bore on a flash fiction contest being run by the Portland/Brooklyn publisher Tin House. It’s called Plotto, after...

Week 5: "Saint Burma" by Nikki HoSang from 2016-12-09T20:40:30

If you’ve been tuning into State of Wonder this fall, you know that we’ve been full bore on a flash fiction contest being run by the Portland/Brooklyn publisher Tin House. It’s called Plotto, after...

Dec. 3: Fair-Haired Dumbbell, Explode Into Colors, Oregon Symphony Goes Animated&More from 2016-12-03T18:55:12

What we noticed this week: people throwing off convention to remake a city, reinterpret symphonic music, inspire a new wave of activism, or just bang out a new beat. Take a break from holiday hurly...

Oregon's First Crowd-Funded Building, The Fair-Haired Dumbbell from 2016-12-02T20:56:47

Do you ever drive by one of the dozens of buildings going up in Portland and think, man, I wish I owned a slice of that masonry pie? Well, now you can.

In the middle of one of Portland’s...

The Day Maya Angelou Told Keefe To Put Down The Camera from 2016-11-25T18:20:57

The Day Union Avenue Became MLK Jr. Boulevard from 2016-11-25T18:20:21

The Beauty And Heartbreak of NE Portland Thru The Skanner Photos Of Julie Keefe from 2016-11-25T18:18:39

Few Portland artists can claim deeper ties to the city than Julie Keefe. She’s shot for everyone from the Oregonian to the New York Times; she’s done major community engagement projects like Hello,...

Big Plans To Transform Portland's Waterfront from 2016-11-25T18:17:08

The creative firm behind such famous spaces as the Alexandria Library and the new San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has its eyes on Portland's waterfront, and there's good news and bad.

Listen

Novelist Roger Hobbs Dead At 28 from 2016-11-25T02:22:40

A brilliant stylist of crime lit, Hobbs is remembered by editor Gary Fisketjon and Professor Robert Knapp of Reed College.

(photo cred. Leah Nash)

Nov. 26: Hari Kondabolu, Disjecta's Director Ousted, Roger Hobbs RIP, Julie Keefe&More from 2016-11-24T19:10:27

What a week! Disjecta's founder gets shown the door, we remember the precocious writer Roger Hobbs, Hari Kondabolu returns to Portland to put some funny back in politics, and we hear about the imp...

Prof. Robert Knapp Remembers Roger Hobbs from 2016-11-24T07:48:54

Best-selling author Hobbs wrote his New York Times bestseller,
"Ghostman" during his senior year at Reed College. At the same time he was working on his thesis with Robert Knapp, a professor ...

Nov. 19: Maria Semple, Alexander Chee, Rabih Alameddine, Artists Respond to Trump from 2016-11-19T01:24:56

This week, we bring you the second of two shows we'd recorded live at Wordstock, Portland's book festival. It's sparkling hour with three witty truth-tellers. But first, we wanted to check in: how'...

Nov. 12: Wordstock with Lindy West, Paul Simon Bio, Rivka Galchen and Luz Elena Mendoza from 2016-11-11T17:46:23

The toast of the literary season is Portland’s book festival, Wordstock. This week we bring you the first of several shows we taped: a bang-up time with three exceptional authors, and one song that...

Explode Into Colors Studio Session with opbmusic from 2016-11-09T01:55:35

Such a treat. The legendary dance-funk-art-rock band tells the story of their all-too-brief fall reunion, and what they love about playing together.

Nov. 5: Live at Eugene's Indie Game Con from 2016-11-04T19:08:11

Eugene is a surprising hotbed of video games. "Tribes," "Godzilla: Destroy All Monster's Melee," and "Red Baron" are just a few games to be developed in its local studios.

While larger ...

Physical Education at PNCA from 2016-10-29T19:47:45

A collection of performance all-stars embark on a year-lond residenct with PNCA's Center for Contemporary Art and Culture. The first workshop session honed in on Takaihor Yamamoto's work-in-progres...

Oct. 29: Joe Sacco, August Wilson, Okkervil River, Bri Pruett, Slenderman&More from 2016-10-29T00:09:30

War Cartoonist Joe Sacco on How Portland's Housing Crisis Is Like a Refugee Crisis

You might find and unusual comic stuffed in your mailbox or slipped under the door in the coming weeks....

Can A Stranger Designate Your House As Historic? In Oregon, They Can from 2016-10-22T17:57:27

Is your house historic—officially, as in listed on the National Register of Historic Places?

In Oregon, nominating a house to the register is solely up to the owner, unless one person—an...

From 'Hamilton' To 'Hedwig,' Portland Producer Brisa Trinchero Makes It Big On Broadway Musicals from 2016-10-22T00:05:37

What do the hit Broadway shows "Hamilton," "Matilda," "Hedwig and the Angry Itch," and "Pippin" have in common? Lake Oswego native-turned-Broadway producer Brisa Trinchero.

Trinchero gre...

Beirut Wedding: Make The Change You Want from 2016-10-21T23:26:40

A new theater company has cropped up in Portland to tell the stories of people of color, and women. The first production for Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project goes onstage at the end of the mont...

Colin Currie On Percussion Power And Bringing New Sounds To Life from 2016-10-21T23:25:33

The dynamic percussionist Colin Currie is back onstage this weekend with the Oregon Symphony. Midway through his artist’s residency, he’s performed with the Symphony as well as in non-traditional s...

Oct. 22: PDX Broadway Producer On 'Hamilton,' Ta-Nehisi Coates, Percussionist Colin Currie&More from 2016-10-21T22:52:43

Star Percussionist Colin Currie Plays Our Studio —

The Oregon Symphony welcomes Colin Currie back to the stage Oct. 22–24. We talk with Curry about how he’s pushing the boundaries of con...

Love Burns Bright At Profile Theatre from 2016-10-15T18:53:02

“Bright Half Life,” the sweeping story of lesbian soul mates, spans 45 years in little more than 60 minutes, which is a lot to keep track of if you’re an actor. So the company put up a timeline on ...

Oct. 15: Playwright Tanya Barfield's Homecoming Season from 2016-10-15T17:09:08

Tanya Barfield grew up in Portland and first caught the theater bug from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. But even though her plays have been performed around the country and got her nominated for ...

QA - Extended Conversation with Emily Glassberg Sands from 2016-10-15T16:20:38

Here's our extended interview with Emily Glassberg Sands, Ph.D, who teamed up with playwright Julia Jordan for three studies exposing gender bias in how theater decision-makers view incoming scripts.

Page To Stage: Women Playwrights Face Bias from 2016-10-15T15:40:55

Playwright Tanya Barfield turns us onto research that puts the problem into painful detail.

State Of Wonder To Amplify Tin House's 'Plotto' Flash Fiction Contest from 2016-10-08T00:02:47

Malia Jensen "Ground Effects" from 2016-10-07T23:05:55

One of Portland's top contemporary artists talks to us about new work on view at Elizabeth Leach Gallery in Portland and Marion Goodman Gallery in London, and her move back from New York.

Oct. 8: Drive-By Truckers Live, Art Museum Expansion, Tin House Fiction Contest, Malia Jensen&More from 2016-10-07T22:54:37

Doing the hard work never sounded so good. We turn to some veteran creatives this week for the antidotes to antic times.

Drive-By Truckers' "American Band" Takes On A Mad World - 1:48 Listen

Uroboros To Close Operations In Early 2017 from 2016-10-01T06:04:05

Portland art glass manufacturer Uroboros just announced that the company plans to close the plant that it has operated on North Kerby Ave. in Portland for over 43 years.

Oct. 1 - Ursula K. Le Guin | Pete Krebs | U.S. PTO v. The Slants | Portlandia v. Bookstore from 2016-09-30T23:37:50

This week’s show: curveballs and home runs. New developments are on deck in the saga of Oregon’s art glass makers, and for one act trying to get recognition for its entirely ironic band name. Plus ...

Pete Krebs' Autumn Trifecta from 2016-09-28T18:40:26

Pete Kreb’s career can be read as an index marker for Portland’s musical identity. He came up a scruffy kid when the city was a dark, dank proving ground for punk. He got his musical passport stamp...

Kahlief Adams On Gaming For Change from 2016-09-24T08:01:44

Podcaster extraordinaire Kahlief Adams of "Spawn On Me" gives us a preview of his upcoming talk at AffectConf — while playing, of course. He and his co-hosts hosted a Twitch session in January 2014...

Maria Bamford Blows Up With Lady Dynamite from 2016-09-24T07:48:31

Maria Bamford delivers the deets on her hit Netflix series, "Lady Dynamite", rebooting after a breakdown, and her magnificent range of voicings. Bamford headlines the All Jane Comedy Festival Oct 5-9.

Maria Bamford WEB EXTRA - Extended interview from 2016-09-24T07:37:50

The All Jane Comedy Festival scored big this year, landing Maria Bamford as headliner for the final night of the festival next month.

Bamford has carved out a space as one of the most i...

Alternative Justice In Portland Music Communities from 2016-09-24T06:37:40

The gut-wrenching conversation over safety and sexual assault continued this week in Portland’s music community. As police investigate claims against a local musician, deep dissatisfaction with the...

Sept. 24 | Maria Bamford | Loch Lomond | Kahlief Adams | Carla Rossi | Alternative Justice + more from 2016-09-24T00:47:18

When life gives you mental breakdowns and dysfunctional justice, use them to make something new. Settle in; we’re spinning tales of artists digging into the toolkit to delve identity and community...

Drag Queens&Indians: Or What Cher&Peter Pan Have In Common from 2016-09-21T23:51:14

The multimedia artist Anthony Hudson is best known around Portland for his drag queen persona, Carla Rossi — a white-faced clown of a queen who bills herself as the "ghost of white privilege."
Listen

Loch Lomond on Its New Album, 'Pens from Spain' from 2016-09-21T21:54:52

One thing we love about the Portland band Loch Lomond is that, ever since Ritchie Young started it 13 years ago, it has operated as a revolving collective of musicians, depending on who’s available...

Will Future Skyscrapers Be Built of Wood? from 2016-09-18T20:25:58

Among all the buildings going up in the biggest boom in Portland history, only one of them can be called the first of its kind in the nation.

It’s a simple four-story building called Al...

Sept. 17: Where Art and Science Collide, High-Rises Made of Wood, The Minders and Sharita Towne from 2016-09-16T23:39:18

Will Future High-Rises be Made of Wood?

Among all the buildings going up in the biggest boom in Portland history, only one of them can be called the first of its kind in the nation. Inst...

Sharita Towne Sees Our City In Stereo from 2016-09-15T21:05:32

Sharita Towne’s photo exhibition on view this month at Newspace Center for Photography is designed to help people to see the gentrification of Portland in a new way. “Our City in Stereo” evolved th...

Oregon Playwright Shoots True With 'The Gun Show' from 2016-09-10T17:56:44

E.M. Lewis tells five stories from her life that capture every side of the debate, from growing up with guns to being held at gunpoint.

Read the full story: Listen

Safer Altogether | Women In Portland Music Scene Confront Sexual Assault from 2016-09-10T00:20:40

Last weekend, a Portland musician who plays in several bands made a shocking admission on his Facebook page. Joel Magid described in graphic terms how he’d tried to rape a woman, until, he says, a ...

Sarah Clarke from 2016-09-10T00:15:45

This is one of a collection of interviews this week reacting to the very public revelation of a sexual assault by Portland musician Joel Magid. Listen to this week's show for more.

Sarah...

Elizabeth Elder from 2016-09-10T00:13:41

This is one of a collection of interviews this week reacting to the very public revelation of a sexual assault by Portland musician Joel Magid. Listen to this week's show for more.

Liz E...

Ali Clarys from 2016-09-10T00:11:44

This is one of a collection of interviews this week reacting to the very public revelation of a sexual assault by Portland musician Joel Magid. Listen to this week's show for more.

Ali C...

Jeni Wren Stottrup from 2016-09-10T00:08:28

This is one of a collection of interviews this week reacting to the very public revelation of a sexual assault by Portland musician Joel Magid. Listen to this week's show for more.

Jeni...

Sept. 10: The Gun Show, Remembering Bob Ross&Rick Bartow, Rock'n'Roll and Sexual Violence&More from 2016-09-09T23:17:19

Oregon Playwright Shoots True With 'The Gun Show' - 1:15

“The Gun Show” tells five stories about guns drawn from the life of the award-winning playwright E.M. Lewis. She grew up in rural...

PMOMA Becomes Houseguest At The Square from 2016-09-09T17:29:47

This weekend, Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square transforms into a weekend-long art party.
Libby Werbel of the Portland Museum of Modern Art (PMOMA) will take over the Square through a cool...

Sept. 3: Image Moves to PDX, Rose City Comic Con Preview, Kelly Sue DeConnick on Bitch Planet&More from 2016-09-02T21:49:33

Gather ‘round, True Believers. We’re getting all geeked up for the Rose City Comic Con, Sept 10–11. It’s always a hot ticket, given the critical mass of comics creators making their home around the...

Image Comics to Move to Portland from 2016-09-02T17:15:35

For a week, rumors have been circulating that Image Comics, the nation's third largest comic book publisher, is moving to Portland. OPB can now officially confirm the rumor.

Image plans ...

Bandette Steals Hearts, Jewels, Eisners from 2016-09-02T07:14:31

The husband and wife creative team of Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover are getting ready to publish “The House of the Green Mask”, the third volume of their effervescent creation, that Audrey Hepburn ...

PICA Kicks Off TBA Festival With Horn Extraordinaire Kelly Pratt And A Sea Of Horn Players from 2016-08-27T00:22:51

Imagine hundreds of horn players — trumpets, trombones, tubas, French horns — surrounding you in a warehouse, their notes surging, diverging, and sloshing from side to side, wall to wall, like whis...

Can Ages and Ages Make Songs About Earthquakes and the End of Civilization Fun? Yes, They Can. from 2016-08-26T21:31:50

Can Ages and Ages make songs about earthquakes and the end of civilization fun? Yes, yes they can.

No one can deny that the band Ages and Ages is infectious. All those hand claps and gro...

Aug. 27: LAIKA's Kubo, End of XOXO Festival, PICA TBA Preview, Ages and Ages&More from 2016-08-26T21:19:41

XOXO's Pulls Plug on the Festival, But Plugs in a New Workspace - 1:15

Over the last four years, the XOXO Festival has become a premier destination for the intersection of creativity and...

XOXO Fest Shifts Gears from 2016-08-26T05:55:01

In about two weeks, Andy McMillan and Andy Baio will welcome several hundred makers what may be the last XOXO Festival.

The Fest is a mere four years old, but during that short run it be...

Oregon Film Looks At Life As A Black Woman Carpenter from 2016-08-20T00:16:27

Classical Music Meets Silent Disco At Iconic Oregon Sites from 2016-08-20T00:01:27

Aug. 20: New Music from Blind PIlot&Joseph, Classical Music Meets Silent Disco&More from 2016-08-19T23:39:26

It’s set to be a blistering weekend, so we’re going to do our best to cool things down this hour with classical music in the woods, golden harmonies soaring over the Willamette, and a brilliant, ne...

Buster Keaton's Oregon-Filmed 'The General' Tours State With A New Score from 2016-08-05T19:29:23

Filmed in Cottage Grove, Buster Keaton’s 1926 silent film, “The General,” is considered one of the greatest movies of all time. Telling the story of a blundering train conductor who inadvertently s...

Aug. 6: The Building Portlanders Love to Hate, Buster Keaton's 'The General' Gets a New Score&More from 2016-08-05T18:48:20

This week, on State of Wonder: a multi-city birthday party for Oregon’s milestone in silent film history, Buster Keaton’s "The General," with a brand new live score; moments of reckoning as the Ore...

Skylab Builds Portland A Brand New Yard from 2016-08-05T17:37:49

Not since Big Pink or the Interstate Bank tower has Portland produced a highrise that so many people have opinions about. We’re talking about Yard, the chocolate-brown, 21-story apartment tower rec...

Aug. 13: Jesse Eisenberg, Wendell Pierce and Alicia Jo Rabins at Wordstock from 2016-08-04T23:35:39

This week on State of Wonder, we take a break from our summer reading to look back at last year's Wordstock book festival. We'll hear from three authors with fascinating backstories lay out the sin...

Ceramics Meets Rock’n’Roll At The LH Project In The Wallowas from 2016-07-30T17:26:23

There are a lot of reasons to visit Joseph, Oregon, beginning with the spectacular Wallowa Mountains. But for ceramic artists, there’s one very specific reason: a residency program that some have c...

Michelle Grabner On The Disjecta Biennial from 2016-07-29T21:39:01

It's the art road trip of the summer! Work on view in 13 Oregon cities. Milwaukee-based artist, academic, and curator Michelle Grabner curates this year's Disjecta Portland2016 biennial - we follow...

July 30: Art Road Trip With Disjecta Biennial, the Rock'n Roll Shangri-La of Ceramics and More from 2016-07-29T21:02:20

This week, the vacation comes to you! We've got excellent road trips to some of the most beautiful and inspiring parts of Oregon and the creators who work there. Pack up, grab a bag of sunflower se...

Portland Skyline Aims Higher from 2016-07-29T20:53:17

State of Wonder's Columnist-in-Residence, Randy Gragg, talks to designers of three new icons in the Portland Skyline: Park Avenue West, The Cosmopolitan, and Indigo @ twelve | west. To see some gor...

The Color Of Memory from 2016-07-29T20:47:26

A show at Jeffrey Thomas Gallery addresses issues of memory through the work of 16 West Coast artists who emphasize or deny color in their work.

On View: Arvie Smith at Portland Art Museum from 2016-07-29T19:56:17

Visual artist Arvie Smith talks to us about his decades of work interpreting and subverting mainstream images of black life. His work is on view at the Portland Art Museum's APEX Gallery July 30th-...

July 23: The Funniest Thing In Portland, With Shelley McLendon from 2016-07-22T04:07:56

Portland’s comedy scene is incendiary, and one of the prime movers we have to thank for it is Shelley McLendon. She’s the mastermind behind Bad Reputation Productions, which has staged hilarious ad...

Portland Writer Melanie Alldritt Doesn't Want To Be Beautiful from 2016-07-18T21:12:44

In a world where we think we’ve seen everything, the videos of the shootings of Alton Sterling and, especially, Philando Castile were shocking because of the intimacy they offered. Anyone who watch...

July 16: Art And Race—Mic Capes&Rasheed Jamal, August Wilson Red Door Project, Arvie Smith&More from 2016-07-16T00:30:09

This week on State of Wonder, we’re going to spend the hour exploring how the region’s artists are using their work to process the hurricane of emotions that erupted after last week’s deadly shooti...

Response Through Resistance: Rasheed Jamal And Mic Capes from 2016-07-15T23:59:32

We sat down with Rasheed Jamal and Mic Capes to talk about their writing, and next steps after Minneapolis, Baton Rouge, and Dallas.

Summer Fishtrap: Timothy Egan, Bobbie Conner, Sherwin Bitsui&Erika Wurth, + more! from 2016-07-07T00:19:06

Every summer, writers from all over the country head to the base of the towering Wallowa Mountains for Summer Fishtrap, a conference about writing and the West. This year, the festival runs July 10...

The Museum's NW Curator Looks Back At 46 Years Of Regional Art from 2016-07-02T20:24:02

When Bonnie Laing Malcolmson started as a 17-year-old student at the Museum Art School at the Portland Art Museum in 1970, there wasn’t much of a Northwest art collection.

Malcolmson gra...

Peeling Back Layers On Lower Burnside Lofts from 2016-07-02T17:35:54

All those new apartment buildings going up all over Portland? They're not all created equal. What exactly are developers paying for when they engage architects to design a building? Our columnist-i...

July 2: Sherman Alexie, PDX's Oldest Art Co-Op Displaced, Science of Music&More from 2016-07-02T00:04:01

Dozens Of Artists Displaced After Sale of Troy Laundry Building

For nearly 40 years, dozens of artists have worked out of the historic Troy Laundry Building. It's the oldest cooperative ...

Sale Of Oldest Portland Studio Co-Op Displaces Dozens Of Artists from 2016-06-26T18:00:37

For nearly 40 years, dozens of artists have worked out of the historic Troy Laundry Building in Portland’s Central East Side. It's the oldest cooperative art studio in the city. But now the buildin...

June 25: kd lang/Neko Case/Laura Veirs, M Ward, Blind Pilot, Joseph And More from 2016-06-24T22:22

Hey people! It’s summer! Time to hit some shows. And to help you get your calendar arranged, this week we're cranking up the volume on some of the best bands we met in studio sessions this year who...

Allegro Stockpiled Inventory In Advance Of Liquidation from 2016-06-17T21:26:50

More on what's happening to hundreds of independent record labels left in the lurch by Allegro Media Group's liquidation.

June 18: Peter Sagal, Mary Roach, Darcelle, Lindy West, Big Thief&More from 2016-06-17T19:45:19

Portland Pride Stands Up For Orlando

After the shooting at the Pulse night club in Orlando, leaders of Portland Pride and community members have organized several candlelight vigils, and...

Political Buttons Changed My Life: Delia Paine's Election Year Odyssey from 2016-06-11T06:09:21

In 2008, Bend-based Delia Paine found herself swept up in a moment that fused art, message, and community. She told us this story when we visited her to discuss her part in an installation at the H...

High Desert Museum Commissions New Work for "Art For A Nation" from 2016-06-10T23:43:34

Contemporary Artist Allan McCollum and Bend button czar Delia Paine, talk about their collaboration for an installation on view through October 2.

Books With Pictures from 2016-06-10T23:39:23

Katie Proctor's vision for a more inclusive experience in a brick and mortar comic book store. Her shop, Books With Pictures, is the latest iteration of a national discussion about women as readers...

June 11: Women-Led Comics Shops, Summer Cannibals, , Allan McCollum, Brad Cloepfil Pt 2 + More from 2016-06-10T18:50:25

It's been one of those weeks when we almost got lost in the sheer enjoyment of the prep.

1:10 Books With Pictures - Portland has a new comic book shop, officially open for business. Bo...

Teens Take A Step Back In Time To Create Silent Films from 2016-06-04T16:58:15

The International Youth Silent Film Festival challenges people 20 and younger to take a step back in time. Using one of ten original organ soundtracks and whatever equipment they have access to, wh...

Architect Brad Cloepfil—Extended Interview At The Portland Art Museum from 2016-06-04T00:02:53

Before architects make buildings, they make tiny buildings.

You’ve probably seen architectural models: they’re made of wood, are generally nice looking, and offer an idea of what’s under...

June 4: Architect Brad Cloepfil&Artist Vanessa Renwick At PDX Art Museum, Youth Silent Film + More from 2016-06-03T22:06:54

This week, State of Wonder's all about the journey: we travel the world with starchitect Brad Cloepfil, meditate on environmental disaster with installation artist Vanessa Renwick, tromp through th...

Tsunamis, Demolitions And Dog Poop: Vanessa Renwick Takes It To The Next Level from 2016-06-03T17:30:12

Visual artist Vanessa Renwick has created a new installation that speaks to the “hodgepodge of horrible” we meet in modern life — a multi-screen installation featuring everything from tsunamis to ...

May 28: City Cracks Down On Pot Parties, Comedian Curtis Cook, Secret Lives of Tour Managers&More from 2016-05-27T23:07:40

This week on State of Wonder, the city's plans to enforce pot policy puts many marijuana-related events on hold, the comedian Curtis Cook on what it takes to be brave, writer Andi Zeisler on the co...

WeWork Comedy Showcase Builds a Bridge from 2016-05-27T23:01:22

In hanging around with Curtis Cook, we stumbled across a pretty interesting event he’s involved with. The Do What You Love comedy showcase at We Work. Check it out - next edition is June 16th. Watc...

Curtis Cook Throws Curveballs from 2016-05-27T22:59:15

Comedian Curtis Cook excels at a kind of curveball - unassuming riffs that steer you right where he wants you.
Cook has been on fire lately, telling tales on his own post-feminist angst, call...

Portland Just Says No To Many Marijuana-Related Summer Events from 2016-05-27T20:38:46

Since the legalization of recreational marijuana in Oregon last year, there’s been an explosion or pot-related events: from big celebrations like Weed the People and the Cultivation Classic, to yog...

Can Bonsai Be High Art? UPDATED STORY from 2016-05-21T17:14:35

When most Americans think of bonsai — the craft of pruning and shaping small trees — they probably think of an ancient gardening craft practiced by lovers of Japanese culture.

Ryan Neil ...

DEQ Responds On Bullseye Lead Tests from 2016-05-21T08:53:46

DEQ's Jennifer Flynt responds to concerns raised by Bullseye Glass regarding recent enforcement actions.

(photo cred. Oregon DEQ)

Bullseye Glass Responds On Lead Levels from 2016-05-21T08:37:07

Our full conversation with Jim Jones, a Vice President at Bullseye Glass.

May 21: Art Glass Apocalypse, Scott Pemberton, Bonsai Murai, Katie Chase from 2016-05-21T00:38:18

Bask in the glorious variety of Portland's spring musical offerings, then head to the hills with a book and a yen for natural beauty. Be here now, this week on State of Wonder.

1:00 GLAS...

Friends Of Noise AIms For A Non-Profit All-Ages Venue from 2016-05-19T23:10:35

This weekend a concert series kicks off in North Portland. Organizers say the shows are stepping stones toward a new non-profit all-ages music venue. Full show info here: Listen

From Jazz Hippies To Hit Makers: The Return Of Nu Shooz from 2016-05-19T22:37:26

If you've stepped onto a dance floor in the last few decades, then you've likely heard "I Can't Wait." It's the song that held sway over the pop charts for a good chunk of 1986 and inspired a gener...

What Is Timber Rock? Ask Scott Pemberton. from 2016-05-19T21:48:06

Through the lens of some of Portland’s most influential music scenes—think Satyricon, X-Ray Cafe, and Jimmy Mak’s—Scott Pemberton has channelled a ray of sunlight he calls “timber rock.”

Listen

Sue Stahl - Candidate For Council Pos. 4 from 2016-05-12T22:19:17

Sue Stahl is a long-time civil rights activist best known in Portland for her advocacy work for people with disabilities. She is the vice-chair of the Portland Commission on Disability and chair of...

May 14: Summer Reads: Katherine Dunn RIP, Phil Knight, Monica Drake, Mo Daviau&Victoria Jamieson from 2016-05-12T21:30:39

Summer came early this year, and it has us already dreaming of weekends at the beach or up in the mountains, kicking back in a hammock with a book between our hands. So we put together a show to hi...

Mo Daviau's Spirited Novel Explores Love And Music With A Time-Traveling Twist from 2016-05-12T18:57:42

Portland writer Mo Daviau’s new novel, “Every Anxious Wave,” grew out of her cocktail-party ice-breaker: "If you could go back in time and see any rock show, what would you choose?"

That...

Monica Drake Haunts Portland With Her New Short Story Collection from 2016-05-12T18:43:24

Monica Drake is one of Portland’s better known contemporary bards. Her 2007 novel "Clown Girl" followed a young woman navigating a scene not unlike Northeast Portland’s famous Alberta St. Clown Hou...

Victoria Jamieson Clobbers YA Tropes In "Roller Girl" from 2016-05-12T18:38:41

Victoria Jamieson has written books for kids and teaches children’s literature at Pacific Northwerst College of Art, but in her spare time, she skates with the Rose City Rollers Wreckers team under...

Ann Sanderson, candidate for Portland Council Pos. 1 from 2016-05-12T15:21

Sanderson is well-known as an advocate against a proposed Portland street tax. She's a small business owner, proprietor of Odango! Hair Salon on Woodstock.

00:18On checking out art as sh...

Katie Chase's Superbly Off-Kilter Take On Coming-Of-Age Stories from 2016-05-11T22:28:39

It’s a cliche that children are full of questions, but certain types of questioning — far from the innocent realms of “why is the sky blue?” — mark the end of childhood. Katie Chase, whose new book...

May 7: Charles Bradley, Mohsin Hamid, QDoc Film Fest, Peter Pan Prequel And More from 2016-05-06T21:34:06

In honor of Mothers everywhere, we have several stories about new projects being brought into the world this week: a film project that's all about learning from the past, the Eugene Symphony's thre...

'Peter Pan' Prequel Sparkles At Portland Playhouse from 2016-05-04T18:53:19

Ever wondered how Peter Pan came to be the boy who never grew up? Or how he and Captain Hook came to be arch nemeses?

We might never know the real reason (at least according to author J....

What Are You Looking At?: Holly Andres - The Fallen Fawn from 2016-04-30T17:51:40

Holly Andres is not just one of the best working photographers in Portland — she’s also one of the busiest. Her work has appeared in Vanity Fair, the New York Times, Elle Magazine, and has shown he...

Apr. 30: Maurice Sendak At Portland Opera, Radiation City, Holly Andres, Snohetta, Portland Ballet from 2016-04-29T18:56:20

This week on State of Wonder, Maurice Sendak goes to the opera, retro-tinged indie pop with Radiation City, darkness and light with photographer Holly Andres, and Snohetta's big plans for Portland'...

An International Architecture Firm Wants To Reshape Portland from 2016-04-28T22:34:12

While the architectural firm Snøhetta might not be a household name in Portland, it has become one of the biggest players in architecture internationally. Its designers are the process of remaking ...

Portland Funk Remembers Prince from 2016-04-25T21:46:54

Too soon! Too soon! What are we doing here again, eulogizing one of our musical icons? And yet, there it was: Thursday’s news about the death of Prince.

This man meant so much to dancers...

Apr. 23: Prince RIP, PICA's New Digs, PNCA Protests, PDX Jazz Town And More from 2016-04-23T17:11:44

This week on State of Wonder we have stories of love, loss, law and looking back.

Full story: Listen

Two NW Drag Queens Boldly Go Where No Queens Have Gone Before from 2016-04-23T00:29:03

Is it possible for there to be too much glitter? We think not, but it will surely be put to the test next weekend. Two of the Northwest’s most ambitious drag queens are presenting full length shows...

Meet The Bradfords from 2016-04-23T00:23:13

Painter Katherine Bradford and her son Arthur (a Portland writer and filmmaker) are having entirely too much fun talking about each other's work.
See "Katherine Bradford: Divers and Dreamers"...

Funk Flows Forward: Remembering Prince from 2016-04-23T00:16:38

Too soon! Too soon! What are we doing here again, eulogizing one of our musical icons? And yet, there it was: Thursday’s news about the death of Prince. Even Portland's Morrison Bridge (left) went ...

PICA Finds A Permanent Home After Years Of Roaming from 2016-04-22T01:53:07

The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art announced Thursday that a patron has bought a 16,000-square-foot compound at 15 NE Hancock St. and offered it to PICA rent-free for 10 years, with an opt...

Apr 16: From Space Ships to Hobbit Houses, UX Design With Guest Curator Elena Moon from 2016-04-14T23:38:40

To prep for Design Week Portland, we're listening back to our guest curator show with user experience (UX) designer Elena Moon. She has this fantastic way of explaining what works and why, and she’...

Sarah Iannarone - Candidate For Portland Mayor from 2016-04-09T18:32:33

As the 2016 mayoral race picks up speed, we continue to bring candidates in to the studio to talk about the future of arts and culture in Portland.

First-time candidate Sarah Iannarone ...

Shannon Estabrook - Candidate For Council Pos. 4 from 2016-04-09T18:29:40

Our candidate interview series continues this week with Shannon Estabrook, a retired Portland Community College instructor and seasoned political campaigner who has volunteered with Democratic Part...

David Schor - Candidate For Portland Mayor from 2016-04-09T18:15:44

The latest mayoral candidate to hit the State of Wonder hot seat is David Schor, an assistant attorney general at the Oregon Department of Justice. For a lawyer, Schor is surprisingly artsy: he hol...

Apr. 9: Rick Bartow RIP, Seinabo Sey, OBT's Beautiful Decay, AU's Choir Collaboration&More from 2016-04-08T23:31:32

This week's show is filled with joy and sorrow, because there're always two sides to every coin.

The Passing of an Oregon Giant - 1:03
Last week the beloved artist Rick Bartow passe...

Seinabo Sey Sings 'Pretend' from 2016-04-07T20:23:43

Seinabo Sey Sings 'You' from 2016-04-07T20:23:24

Swedish Pop Sensation Seinabo Sey In Studio from 2016-04-07T20:18:41

Almost since the release of her first single, "Younger," at the ripe age of 23 in 2013, Gambian-Swedish singer Seinabo Sey has been hailed as a pop sensation. She went on to win the Swedish Grammy ...

Swedish Singer Seinabo Sey: Extended Interview from 2016-04-07T19:51:34

Almost since the release of her first single, "Younger," at the ripe age of 23 in 2013, Gambian-Swedish singer Seinabo Sey has been hailed as a pop sensation. She went on to win the Swedish Grammy ...

Rick Bartow, Stunning NW Artist, Dies At Age 69 from 2016-04-05T21:34:57

Rick Bartow, one of the region’s most striking and accomplished artists, died on Apr. 2 at the age of 69 from complications arising from congestive heart failure.

Bartow's sculptures, pa...

Gil Kelley on Parallel Planning Worlds: Portland and San Francisco from 2016-04-02T00:18:57

Our columnist in residence, Randy Gragg, directs the John Yeon Center for Architecture and the Landscape. This week he suggested we talk with Gil Kelley about Portland and San Francisco's parallel ...

BodyVox Invites Famous Non-Dancers To Make Dance from 2016-04-01T23:26

What happens when a conductor, a chanteuse, and a visual artist walk into a dance studio?

To start out, you get words and descriptions like “floorography” and “it’s jazz crabs versus hot...

Apr. 2: The Thermals, Dandy Warhols, Beverly Cleary, BodyVox&More from 2016-04-01T20:51:08

Hear the Dandy Warhol's new record early at a dive bar near you; get moved by BodyVox's big collaboration with A-list non-dancers; tune in to an opbmusic session with the Thermals; meet Oregon's ne...

The Crisis Facing Portland Theaters - Extended from 2016-03-28T21:42:11

Shelley McLendon struggled for years to find affordable theaters to stage her sell-out adaptations of movies like “Road House” and “The Lost Boys,” as well as sketch and improv comedy shows.
Listen

Leviathan: Where Storytelling Meets Improv from 2016-03-26T17:26:51

Leviathan bills itself as the monster of all improv shows, and a canny beast it is. It works like this: a guest storyteller tells a series of stories based on suggestions from the audience, and the...

Mar. 26: What's Funny About Portland With Shelley McLendon from 2016-03-26T00:29:14

One of the prime movers we have to thank for Portland’s incendiary comedy scene is Shelley McLendon. She’s the mastermind behind Bad Reputation Productions, which has staged hilarious adaptations o...

Shelley McLendon&Wendi McLendon-Covey: Sisters Of Comedy from 2016-03-25T21:52:37

Sisters Wendi McLendon-Covey ('Bridesmaids,' 'The Goldbergs,' 'Reno 911') and Portland performer Shelley McLendon on growing up Baptist, how their mom inspired Wendi's character Beverly Goldberg, k...

Pochas Radicales: The Radical Act of Conversation from 2016-03-19T02:31:48

We catch up with Precipice Fund grantees Pochas Radicales - you can hear their podcast, echo/hecho right here on Soundcloud. https://...

Mar. 19: Esperanza Spalding, Thao Nguyen, Sharon Olds, Artists Rep's Explosive Play&More from 2016-03-19T02:06:38

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down on opbmusic
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down's latest release, A Man Alive, is a striking alliance with tUnE-yArDs' electropop virtuoso Merril Garbus, where the band...

Artists Rep's Explosive, Hilarious Play About Race 'We Are Proud to Present..." from 2016-03-19T00:24:04

Artists Repertory Theatre production of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s "We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South West Africa, From the German Sudwestafri...

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down: Breaking Down Walls for "A Man Alive" from 2016-03-17T19:45:42

Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down teamed up with Merrill Garbus of tUnE yArDs for the new record. Here's music and conversation from this week's show. Catch the full opbmusic session over here...

Jim Lee - Candidate For Portland Council Pos. 4 from 2016-03-15T22:46:16

Jim Lee is a regular visitor to city council meetings, frequently encouraging leaders to improve the quality of the city's publicly-owned venues.

00:28 Jim talks about art that's affect...

Bim Ditson - Candidate For Mayor from 2016-03-12T16:47:42

Bim annotation

Bim Ditson's a well-known guy in rock circles, as the drummer for And And And, also for his work on Red Bull's Sound Select series of showcases. He talked to State of Wond...

'Stupid F**king Bird' Twists Checkhov to Hilarious Effect from 2016-03-12T06:57:52

[image: 20160310_stupidbird_pw,right,300x390,56e209465487d8005522ce05]

Portland is no stranger to the works of Eugene-born playwright Aaron Posner. Portland Center Stage and Artist Reper...

Mar. 12: Women In Tech, Stupid F--king Bird, Cristina Henriquez, Dirty Revival&More from 2016-03-12T06:43:03

We have binders full of stuff for you today. As it turns out, many are full of women.

Qcut And The Quest For Jeans That Fit -
A new Oregon start-up is hoping to provide relief from ...

Painfully Honest Job Descriptions For PDX Women In Tech from 2016-03-11T20:45:07

What would job descriptions sound look like if they really reflected what goes down for women in tech workplaces? April chats it up with Megan Bigelow, Kasey Tonsfelt, and Amanda Brooks of PDX Wome...

Bullseye Subject Of Class Action Suit And Complaints from 2016-03-05T16:16:49

In depth on the complaints about glassmakers that led two top officials to resign at DEQ. Also, we talk to one of the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Bullseye Glass.

Mar. 3: Robin Coste Lewis, M Ward, Sandra Cisneros, Robert Rauschenberg&More from 2016-03-05T02:09:26

We’re laughing on the outside and crying on the inside this week.

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Brings Copyright Law Into the 21st Century - 00:59
The Robert Rauschenberg Found...

Crack Comedians Amy Miller And Sean Jordan Say Goodbye To Portland from 2016-03-04T21:29:31

If Portland's stand-up scene can seem a crowded one, it's about to get a bit smaller. Amy Miller and Sean Jordan have been working their comedic magic for years in Portland, but the two are moving ...

Sean Davis, Candidate for Portland Mayor from 2016-02-28T16:42:28

Mayoral candidate Sean Davis teaches writing at Mt. Hood and Clackamah Community Colleges. His memoir, "The Wax Bullet War", was published in 2014 on Ooligan Press. He’s also a U.S. military vetera...

The Global Reach of Bullseye Glass from 2016-02-27T01:59:19

The Portland glassmaker's emission problem sends ripples through global art glass community.

Feb. 27: Stela Comics, Harrow County, Rucka&Le Guin On Harper Lee, Deep Sea Diver, Bullseye Glass from 2016-02-27T01:27:14

We are up to our eyeballs this week in Interesting.

00:58 St?la Comics
Digital comics are big business. Sales in 2014 topped $100 million dollars — and that was before Amazon acquir...

Bright Lights: Portland's Mayoral Candidates Talk Urban Design from 2016-02-26T20:55:54

Mayoral candidates Jules Bailey and Ted Wheeler talk about architecture, urban planning, and design with Randy Gragg at the Bright Lights conversation series at Jimmy Mak's.

Gragg took ...

'Harrow County' Makes Horror Comics Beautiful (And Frightening) from 2016-02-26T19:02:10

Can a horror comic be beautiful? In the hands of Portland comic book artist Tyler Crook and author Cullen Bunn it can.

The two have created a Gothic fairy tale called that follows a girl...

A Mayoral Candidate's Walking Tour of Portland from 2016-02-26T18:20:27

This week our resident architecture critic, Randy Gragg, joined mayoral candidates Jules Bailey and Ted Wheeler on walkabout. Gragg took the candidates through their paces, pushing them to get spec...

Stela Comics Wants To Remake Your Comics Experience from 2016-02-26T16:07:50

Digital startup St?la Comics leverages Portland's talent pool to make made-for-mobile publisher/reader app.

Feb. 20: Black Violin, OBT Choreographers James Canfield&Nico Fonte, Irene Taylor Brodsky&More from 2016-02-19T23:03:33

The arts news is coming in size XL this week.

Glass Houses
In Southeast Portland, residents continue to reel from news that they've been exposed to unhealthy levels of heavy metals ...

Sex, Love, Death: James Canfield and Nicolo Fonte's Choreography from 2016-02-19T18:34:59

The bloom of youth and the stillness of maturity hit the stage at Oregon Ballet Theatre this season with James Canfield’s take on "Romeo and Juliet," opening Feb. 27, and Nicolo Fonte’s "Beautiful ...

Filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky On Her Newest Films: 'Open Your Eyes' And 'Beware The Slenderman' from 2016-02-19T00:18:04

Irene Taylor Brodsky has made a number of award-winning documentaries, ranging from "Hear and Now," which followed her deaf parents as they heard for the first time after cochlear implants, to "Sav...

Portland Indie Remix Pioneer, RAC, On His Grammy-Nominated Work from 2016-02-13T05:49:37

Portlander Andre Allen Anjos is up for a Grammy on Monday for best remixed recording. He works under the name RAC, and he’s become the go-to guy for remixing indie bands, from The Arcade Fire to Fo...

Feb. 13: Pussy Riot, Diana Nyad&Cheryl Strayed, RAC's Grammy-Nominated Remix&More from 2016-02-13T05:06:07

We are all feeling positively giddy because of everyone sending their nickles and dimes during pledge week. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.

Portland's Brittle Glass House
One of th...

Latest On Bullseye&Uroboros Emissions from 2016-02-12T19:57:45

Eugene Symphony Marks 50th with Three Commissions from 2016-02-12T19:07:15

The Eugene Symphony pushes itself to a new level for its 50th anniversary season with three new commissions.

Chloe Eudaly, Candidate for Pos. 4 from 2016-02-09T22:15:18

This spring we're sharing a series of candidate interviews regarding Portland's future and the arts.

City council candidate Chloe Eudaly has seen a lot change in the arts community since...

Starchitect Kengo Kuma's Ambitious Plans For The Portland Japanese Garden from 2016-02-05T23:25:54

State of Wonder is starting a new series focused on architecture, design, and the changing face of the city with columnist-in-residence Randy Gragg. Gragg is the executive director of the John Yeon...

Feb. 6: Director Todd Haynes on 'Carol' and Bowie, Craft Museum To Close, Portland Biennial&More from 2016-02-05T19:26:32

It's pledge week, people! Of course we're putting out the good china: one of the season's most sumptuous films, a new way to look at a Portland icon, and the unveiling of the Portland 2016 Biennial...

PNCA To Close The Portland Museum Of Contemporary Craft and Sell Its Location from 2016-02-04T21:06:46

The Museum of Contemporary Craft is no stranger to changes in name and location. It was originally founded in 1937 as the Oregon Ceramics Studio on SW Corbett Avenue. It went through several titles...

Fred Stewart, candidate for Portland Pos. 4 from 2016-02-02T20:44:05

One of a series of candidate interviews regarding Portland's future and the arts.

Fred Stewart is an impatient Portlander. That’s why, he told us this week, he’s running for Portland ci...

The Santa Photos Never Picked Up from 2016-02-01T19:06:17

Getting a photo taken while sitting on Santa's lap can be awkward in the best of circumstances, but these misfit shots are another level of Christmas weird. John Strieder reports for us.

Jan. 30: Candidates Forum On Arts And Culture from 2016-01-29T23:01:59

This week we moderated a candidates' forum hosted by the Regional Arts and Culture Council and the Creative Advocacy Coalition. The purpose was to talk with candidates for mayor and council about h...

The Unexamined River Isn't Worth Fishing from 2016-01-22T22:52:31

Do designers have a shelf life? That's the question State of Wonder guest curator, the user experience designer Elena Moon, asked that set us in search of a craft that only improves with age.
Listen

Tiny House, Meet Roving Caravan - Olympia's Zyl Vardos from 2016-01-22T22:41:03

Ten years ago, the quintessential tiny house was a re-purposed shipping container, industrial-modern and proud of it. That was fitting for a movement whose rising appeal was tethered to the global ...

Jan. 23: From Space Ships to Parking Meters, UX Design With Guest Curator Elena Moon from 2016-01-22T22:01:40

This week we welcome user experience (UX) designer Elena Moon as our guest curator. She has this fantastic way of explaining what works and why, and she’s going to lead us through her own work and ...

Dandy Warhols On Playing With David Bowie from 2016-01-16T19:21:09

The Dandy Warhols first met Bowie because he was singing along. It was Glastonbury in 2000, and the band looked to the side of the stage during their set to see Bowie and his band, in their black s...

Half-Blind Enterprise Artist Paints In Vivid Colors from 2016-01-16T17:17:03

While we were in Joseph for a show about art in rural communities last summer, we heard about a painter you might not expect to find in cowboy country, where most of the art leans towards landscape...

Good Guys Win: Comics Artist Ibrahim Moustafa from 2016-01-16T16:47:07

After a big 2015 finale to his mountaineering thriller, "High Crimes", Moustafa is back with a special issue of DC's "Doctor Fate".

Jan. 16: PDX Musicians Remember David Bowie, Beat Connection, Ibrahim Moustafa&More from 2016-01-15T22:57:47

This week on State of Wonder: Oregonians mourn the death of a legend (including some who shared his stage), a Portland artist helps reboot DC Comics’ Dr. Fate, and a blind but colorful painter in W...

Kelly Sue DeConnick And Taki Soma - Extended Interview from 2016-01-09T16:18:36

Here's the supercut of our talk with Kelly and Taki. They're pals, but had never worked together before Issue 6 of Kelly's Image Comics series, Bitch Planet. It tells the backstory for Meiko Maki, ...

Jan. 9 2016: Bitch Planet, Lily Tomlin, Oregon Story Board, Revolution Hall from 2016-01-08T22:38:50

Uppity Women and Then Some...

This week's show features trailblazers, plus a couple of lookbacks at stories from last year, with updates on what happened after the tape stopped rolling. ...

Dec. 26: Quentin Tarantino&Hollywood Theatre, The Go-Go's, Allen Toussaint, Miranda July&More from 2015-12-23T22:57:36

Shows, records, openings, performances, books, festivals — we've enjoyed an unusual amount of beauty in 2015. So we thought we’d take a look back at some of our favorite moments.

The H...

Jan 2 2016 - Arts/Rural Love Stories from 2015-12-23T00:32:55

What happens when small towns try to jump-start their economies with arts centers and cultural offerings? We find out with road trips to Joseph, Burns, and Mighty Tieton, Washington.

What's Next After Trust Hiatus from 2015-12-19T06:57:48

We talk with Meyer Memorial Trust CEO Doug Stamm about why the foundation has taken a hiatus from accepting new grant applications. Our guest curator, Dorie Vollum, has thoughts, too...

Dec. 19: Philanthropy, Japanese Garden, PICA&Guest Curator Dorie Vollum from 2015-12-18T23:35:32

Philanthropist. Instigator. Friend to the arts. Dorie Vollum is all of these, and also, this week’s guest curator on “State of Wonder.”

We’re talking about giving and philanthropy, and...

Oregon Artist Finds Eye-Popping Beauty In Dead Insects, Snakes&Birds from 2015-12-12T01:59:59

The Salem-artist Christopher Marley transforms dead things into art. We’re not talking butterfly boxes or your favorite hipster bar taxidermy here. Marley preserves exotic birds, insects, snakes, a...

Oregon Grammy Nominees: Lori Henriques + More from 2015-12-11T21:44:44

Grammy nominations are out! We review who's who, what's what, and chat with Lori Henriques, the amazing composer whose witty, brisk songs for kids are up for an award in the Best Children's Record ...

Clatsop Faculty Pays Tribute To Royal Nebeker from 2015-12-11T21:41:06

Clatsop Community College has renamed its gallery after the dynamic painter and educator Royal Nebeker, who died in 2014. A faculty show now on view also looks back at Nebeker's contributions, thro...

Tom Manley On Leaving PNCA - Extended QA from 2015-12-11T21:16:08

Pacific Northwest College of Art's President Tom Manley is ending a 12-year run steering Oregon's biggest art school. We talk about the transformational changes he brought about, his response to st...

Dec. 12: PDX Grammy Nods, Jaw-Dropping Bug Art, The Heartless Bastards, Rejected Santa Photos&More from 2015-12-11T20:11:13

Vibrant Masterpieces From The Bodies Of Exotic Animals
The model-turned-Salem artist Christopher Marley transforms dead things into art. We’re not talking butterfly boxes or taxidermy here. ...

Powells Most Expensive Book from 2015-12-05T00:14:56

Visitors to Portland's famous bookstore may never know there's one very rare and VERY expensive volume hidden away beyond the stacks. John Rosman investigates.

Dec. 5 - John Malkovich, "Carol" Review, Sneaker Culture, Powells Most Expensive Book&More from 2015-12-04T20:52:02

John Malkovich make a record, a Southern rocker relocates to Portland, kids confront gentrification and sneakers become high fashion. Change is afoot in this week’s State of Wonder.

Malk...

Elton Cray Reads Favorite Popebars from 2015-12-04T19:50:43

We just could not resist. A dip into the week's best Twitter meme, with a little help from Portland MC Elton Cray.

Darren Orange: Further Along the Slipstream from 2015-12-04T18:39:51

We catch up with Darren Orange, one of Astoria's most dynamic artists. He's got a show on view through the end of December, "Cascadian Slipstream".

John Malkovich, Plato, And The Vampire Life from 2015-11-28T04:50:07

The actor, his longtime collaborator Sandro, and the composer Eric Alexandrakis talk about working on their new vinyl-only drop, "Like A Puppet Show", released at Portland's Music Millenium for Rec...

Alicia Jo Rabins' Divinity School from 2015-11-26T01:54:27

Poet, performer, & scholar talks about her first book of poems.

(photo courtesy of Alicia Jo Rabins)

Q&A: Actor Jesse Eisenberg Gives Us Hiccups Of Laughter from 2015-11-25T00:10:46

Jesse Eisenberg is best known for starring in movies like “The Social Network,” “Zombieland” and next year's "Batman v. Superman." But he’s quickly gaining attention for his writing as well, in the...

Nov. 28: Wordstock with Jesse Eisenberg, Alicia Jo Rabins,&Wendell Pierce from 2015-11-24T22:38:16

Three authors with fascinating and atypical histories talk about works they published in 2015:

Actor and activist Wendell Pierce put an indelible mark on the TV landscape with his role a...

Nov 21: Wordstock with Colin&Maile Meloy, Chelsea Cain, Carson Ellis And More from 2015-11-20T00:41:18

For our second show recorded live at Wordstock, we sit down with two amazing groups of writers:

Portland's Most Infamous Writing Group
We begin the hour with a veritable Justice Le...

Nov. 14: George Takei&Marc Acito, Darrell Grant, Paige Powell, Liminal&More from 2015-11-14T01:37:42

Today on the show: creativity and geography.

Salem Chamber Orchestra Files For Bankruptcy
Last month, the Salem Chamber Orchestra board announced the season would be cancelled beca...

Marc Acito Pledges 'Allegiance' - A New Broadway production from 2015-11-13T23:27:16

Playwright Marc Acito - a longtime Portlander - talks to us about collaborating with a team that included George Takei on the new musical, "Allegiance".
(Photo credit: Matthew Murphy)

Darrell Grant Explores Further 'Territory' from 2015-11-13T23:03:29

CD release show scheduled for Grant's love letter to Oregon. KMHD's Matt Fleeger talked to Darrell about the latest incarnation.

Salem Chamber Orchestra In Bankruptcy from 2015-11-13T20:45:06

The ensemble ends 31 years of concerts, insolvent. We talk with musicians and former staff.
(photo credit: Salem Chamber Orchestra)

Paige Powell’s Magnificent Ride Through New York City In The 1980s from 2015-11-13T20:24

When Portland-native Paige Powell worked at “Interview Magazine” in New York City in the 1980s, she traveled in rarified circles. There were lunches with Bianca Jagger, dinners with David Bowie, an...

Nov. 7: Wordstock - Ursula Le Guin, Patterson Hood, Willie Vlautin&Patrick DeWitt from 2015-11-07T22:53:50

We're broadcasting live today from the Portland Art Museum for the city's biggest book extravaganza, Wordstock. We're going to be talking with a couple of our literary superheroes.

Ursul...

Oct. 31 - Wordstock Preview With Sunshine Girl, Ben Percy, Carson Ellis, Lidia Yuknavith&More from 2015-10-30T22:51:44

For the past two years, Portland's biggest literary festival has been on a bit of a hiatus. But next Saturday, another Portland nonprofit for word nerds is resurrecting Wordstock from the grave. Listen

Oct. 24: Eugene Indie Game Con from 2015-10-23T22:54:24

Eugene is a surprising hotbed of video games. "Tribes," "Godzilla: Destroy All Monster's Melee," and "Red Baron" are just a few games to be developed in its local studios.

While larger ...

Book Of Scores At Disjecta from 2015-10-17T01:12:53

Curator-In-Residence Chiara Giovando walks us through her first full group show at Disjecta.

Mixed Feelings At Portland Hip Hop Day from 2015-10-17T00:57:46

Mayor Hales declared a day to recognize hip hop artists. Is it more than lip service?

Portland Building Renovation on Council Agenda This Week from 2015-10-17T00:39:48

Portland City Council is about to consider renovations at one of the city's most iconic buildings. We talk with Randy Gragg of the U of O's Yeon Center for Architecture and the Landscape about what...

Oct. 17: Alela Diane&Ryan Francesconi, Portland Building, Disjecta, Greg Robinson&More from 2015-10-16T19:55:53

This week we tackle the big subjects: the future of the Portland Building, the humor (or lack thereof) of rape jokes, the history of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival & more. Join us!

The ...

Oct. 10, 2015: Blitzen Trapper, Edward Curtis, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Laura Heit from 2015-10-09T23:47:19

Spoiler alert: This week's State of Wonder includes shocking revelation, ticklish truth, and true-to-life stories of art on the make.

Blitzen Trapper Live
Last week, Blitzen Trapper...

The Confessions of Jessica Jackson Hutchins from 2015-10-03T08:45:33

"I like accident. I like impulse to be reflected in the final product."

Are two shows enough to contain all Hutchins' ideas about intimacy, domestic life, and control? Probably not. But ...

Showing Edward Curtis from 2015-10-03T01:38:17

We talk with Atelier 6000’s executive director, Dawn Boone, and Portland Art Museum's curator of Native American Art Deana Dartt and also and PAM's curator of photography, Julia Dolan about the cha...

Skeleton Piano Strikes Whimsical Chord With Dance Troupe from 2015-10-03T01:26:49

Oct 3, 2015: Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Toni Morrison, Vinnie DeWayne, + more from 2015-10-03T01:01:29

Spoiler alert: this week's State of Wonder includes shocking revelation, ticklish truth, and true-to-life stories of art on the make.

Shaking Up Shakespeare - 01:44
Oregon Shakespea...

Third Angle Merges Sound With Architecture In 'Frozen Music' from 2015-09-30T00:21:37

Inspired by Goethe’s quote, “music is liquid architecture, and architecture is frozen music,” the Portland new music ensemble Third Angle will team up with the choir group Cappella Romana to transf...

Oregon Shakespeare Festival To Modernize Shakespeare’s Entire Canon from 2015-09-29T06:43:54

No one debates that Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers in the English language. What is debatable is just how much today’s audiences actually understand that language.

“I'll be ...

State of Wonder Podcast 092615 from 2015-09-26T00:31:23

Where the Wonderful talk about doing what they do!

00:45-02:58Blitzen Trapper's about to drop a new record! Here's a preview, with Eric Earley telling us about remaining an old logging ...

State of Wonder: Sept 26th 2015 - Tiempo Libre, Elizabeth Gilbert, Wild Ones, + more from 2015-09-26T00:18:34

Where the Wonderful talk about doing what they do!




Where the Wonderful talk about doing what they do!


01:18-03:31Blitzen Trapper's about to drop a n...

Is Portland The Epienter Of A Cool New American Bonsai Movement? from 2015-09-18T21:53:21

When most Americans think of bonsai — the craft of pruning and shaping small trees — they probably think of an ancient gardening craft practiced by lovers of Japanese culture.

Ryan Neil ...

Sept 19, 2015: Artists Displaced, Natasha Kmeto, Twilight, High Design Bonsai, Edward Curtis&More from 2015-09-18T21:28:41

This week: artists get kicked out of Towne Storage, Natasha Kmeto gets vocal, bonsai gets a high design update, vampires get all touristy and so much more.

Hundreds Of Artists Lose Their...

Q&A - Commissioner Nick Fish On Affordable Artist Space from 2015-09-18T16:52:50

Fish talks about the city's toolbox for dealing with a scarcity of maker space.

Towne Storage Closes, Leaving Hundreds Of Artists Looking For New Studios from 2015-09-18T16:49:42

We meet a few of the artists in the midst of the Towne Storage exodus, and hear about the forces driving the change.

What Are You Looking At: Wendy Red Star Reviews Edward Curtis: Shadow Catcher from 2015-09-18T16:49:18

A collection of Edward Curtis' portraits of Native people are on view through October 31st at Bend's Atelier 6000. We tagged along with visual artist Wendy Red Star to see the show.

State of Wonder: Sept. 12 2015 - Patrick DeWitt, C. Spike Trotman, Hector Tobar, Bed,&more! from 2015-09-12T01:01:08

00:52 How a white guy from Indiana tricked his way past northwest poet Sheman Alexie, to get published in Best American Poetry 2015.

04:05 XOXO Fest welcomes C. Spike Trotman to town thi...

Patrick DeWitt's "Undermajordomo Minor" from 2015-09-12T00:49:17

DeWitt talks about his newest novel, a propulsive, playful fable for grown-ups. We also get an update on the film treatment of his 2011 runaway hit, "The Sisters Brothers".

One-Woman Publisher C. Spike Trotman Gives Voice To Underrepresented Characters In Comics from 2015-09-11T20:45:16

C. Spike Trotman got her start in comics with the web series “Templar, Arizona,” about a slightly irregular town filled with junkies, millionaires, strange subcultures, and weird religions.
...

New Performance Venue In Old Town from 2015-09-09T07:35:06

We chat up Shelley McClendon about the new performance venue she is preparing for a mid-October opening - The Siren Theater.

Planet-Eating Space Whales And Sartorial Talking Chickens Fill Craig Thompson’s 'Space Dumplins' from 2015-09-05T16:12:44

n the galaxy of graphic novels, Craig Thompson is a singular talent. His books don’t just tell different stories: they take place in entirely different universes.

He burst onto the scene...

Sept. 5 - cartoonist Craig Thompson, musician Craig Finn, Astoria Music Festival, Fiddle Camp&More from 2015-09-04T23:43:05

This week: we travel from the front lines of forest fires to the trailer parks of outer space. It's all in a day's work for the Labor Day weekend.

Graphic Novelist Craig Thompson
We...

Wallowa Fiddle Camp Attracts Pickers, Fiddlers From All Over from 2015-09-04T17:18:53

One day in July we were driving through the small town of Wallowa in the far Northeast corner of Oregon on our way to Joseph to record a show from the Fishtrap writers’ retreat. As we drove past th...

A Trace History - A Painter's Take On Change In China from 2015-09-01T22:28:28

Watercolorist Rachel Davis' graceful meditations on changes in China's built environment.

(credit: "Balance", Rachel Davis, 2015. Courtesy of Charles A. Hartmann Fine Art)

You Can Judge Publisher Tin House By Its Covers from 2015-08-30T01:32:05

The old adage may say, “Don’t judge a book by a cover,” but don’t tell that to the designers at the Tin House.

The Portland publisher release about a dozen books a year, and it has start...

State of Wonder: Aug. 29, 2015 - "Latino" Vs. "Hispanic", Business&The Arts, Tin House&More from 2015-08-28T21:49:10

Our "How To" episode: how to design a book cover, how to correctly use the terms “Latino” and “Hispanic,” and how to revive your relationship with the arts.

1:06 - This week, members...

Time for a Re-Set? Arts-Business Interface in Portland from 2015-08-28T21:18:24

With a long-time advocacy group winding down operations, what's going to bridge the gap between metro Portland's business and creative communities?

Photo credit: Third Rail Repertory The...

Nate Fasold Hunts Down Famous Guitars from 2015-08-28T20:26:18

As a vintage guitar collector and owner of Black Book Guitars, Nate Fasold is a master excavator. He's dogged, detail-oriented and knows how to stay the course. In fact, treasure hunting runs in th...

Portland Comics Artist Spells It Out On Latino vs Hispanic from 2015-08-27T10:34:34

Periscope Studios' Terry Blas got 170,000 shares on a comic in which he breaks down his bi-cultural identity. Every used "Latino" and "Hispanic" interchangeably? So did Terry. Listen up.

PHAME Partners With Laura Gibson For World Premiere Musical from 2015-08-21T23:23:14

For over thirty years, PHAME has provided opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to pursue their passion in the arts, sharing the stage with acts such as Pink Martini and putting ...

State Of Wonder: Aug. 22, 2015 - Frank McCourt, PHAME, Divers, Papi Fimbres, Ellen Urbani&More from 2015-08-21T23:08:53

Today on the show: lots of goodbyes. A writer says goodbye to the New Orleans she used to know. A musical phenom gives Portland a big farewell smooch, as he takes off for the continent. And a dance...

New Book Tells The Story Of The Aftermath Of Huricane Katrina from 2015-08-19T01:28:23

Portland author Ellen Urbani lived through the final years of Guatemala’s horrific civil war — an experience she wrote about in her first book, "When I Was Elena." She then spent 13 years as an art...

Aug. 15: Small Towns&The Arts, A Love Story: Joseph, Burns&Tieton from 2015-08-14T18:33:21

What happens when small towns try to jump-start their economies with arts centers and cultural offerings? We find out with a road trip to Joseph, Burns, and Mighty Tieton, Washington.

Fi...

Could An Arts Center Be Harney County's Salvation? from 2015-08-14T18:22:20

In the 1970s, Burns was one of the wealthiest counties in the state by per capita. Now, it’s near the bottom. They’ve tried everything to turn things around: secondary wood products, agricultural p...

Joseph, Oregon: From Poster Child For Economic Depression To Arts Powerhouse from 2015-08-14T16:23:36

What can you say about Joseph? It’s a picture perfect town at the base of the picture perfect Wallowa Mountains.

But it wasn’t always that way.

“It was the poster child for ec...

How Tiny Tieton Transformed Into Central Washington's Mighty Arts Titan from 2015-08-14T15:59:30

We ran across lots of interesting case studies of rural towns leveraging arts and culture. But Tieton, Washington, might be unique. This story came to us from producers Phoebe Flanigan and Julie Sa...

Remade For Residency - Jennings Hotel Under Construction from 2015-08-12T00:53:04

Greg Hennes talks about his new project renovating the Jennings Hotel on Joseph's Main Street. He's converting it for short stays and maker space.

Greek-Sailor-Turned-International Artist Paints Astoria Blue from 2015-08-08T05:43:46

The life of Astoria painter Christos Koutsouras sounds like it was ripped from a classic adventure novel. Born in 1957 on the island of Samos, the birthplace of people like Epicurus and Pythagoros ...

State Of Wonder: Aug. 8 - Pickathon, Jason Isbell, Kamasi Washington, Video Games&More from 2015-08-08T00:16:19

We got mixed up with some seriously talented people this week:

Visual artist Christos Koutsouras talks about his compulsion to paint, and new work on view at Imogen Gallery.
...

Game Developers At Jumpdrive Studios Talk About Their New Title XO from 2015-08-06T07:06:53

Developers at Portland's Jumpdrive Studios give us the skinny on the radical crowd-sourcing that's shaping their first title, XO. It'll be available on STEAM next year.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival Sweats Amercia's De-Industrialization With A New Play from 2015-07-31T01:02:47

A half dozen actors run through a scene in one of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s rehearsal rooms. The setting is a bar in Reading, Pennsylvania, after the financial crises. A group of steelworke...

State Of Wonder: Aug. 1, 2015 - Seattle Art Fair And Portland Jazz With KMHD's Matt Fleeger from 2015-07-30T23:42:39

This week, a tasty sound sandwich consisting of two ingredients:

1) We've got advance coverage of the Seattle Art Fair with a Think Out Loud discussion on the Pacific Northwest's foray i...

State Of Wonder: July 25, 2015 - Calexico, Helio Sequence, Lost Lander, Y La Bamba, Joseph&More from 2015-07-24T22:01:37

This is it, folks: we’re in the peak heat of the summer music season. PDX Pop Now is this weekend. Pickathon plucks through Happy Valley next weekend. Then there’s MusicFestNW, the Britt Festival, ...

Celebrating Portland Musician Dave Camp from 2015-07-21T19:50:08

Last week, Portland lost someone who breathed glittering joy into the local music scene. Dave Camp passed on July 15 after a months-long, profoundly public struggle with stomach cancer that rallied...

State Of Wonder: July 18, 2015 - Live From Summer Fishtrap Writers Gathering at Wallowa Lake from 2015-07-17T20:55:33

Every summer, writers from all over the country head to the base of the towering Wallowa Mountains for Summer Fishtrap, a conference about writing and the West. This year, they celebrated the 100th...

Timothy Egan On Stories Hiding In Plain Sight from 2015-07-15T18:45:59

Seattle native Timothy Egan talks about his work digging for hidden narratives in American history. He delivered the keynote at this year's Summer Fishtrap. For more writers at the conference, chec...

Bobbie Conner At Summer Fishtrap from 2015-07-14T19:33:59

The ED of Tamástlikt Cultural Institute talks about stories hidden from history.

State Of Wonder: July 11, 2015 - Artists Repertory Theatre's ArtsHub from 2015-07-10T19:56:13

This week, we take you behind-the-scenes at one of the city's most dynamic theaters, Artists Repertory Theatre, with a show recorded in front of a live audience on the Alder Stage.

The l...

Portlander Dave Depper On Touring With Death Cab For Cutie from 2015-07-03T20:21:17

There are musicians in Portland who seem like they’ve played with everyone. And then there’s Dave Depper. His resume is a who’s who of local acts: Menomena, Loch Lomond, Fruit Bats, Laura Gibson, a...

State Of Wonder: July 4, 2015 - Death Cab For Cutie, PAM's New Modern Art Curator&More from 2015-07-03T20:08:24

We've got a picnic of music and news for you this week. So grab a plate; we're going to pile it high.

Rumors flying about superstar mandolinist and Portland transplant Chris Thile's...

Quintana Galleries Closing Down from 2015-07-03T19:30:50

Portland's much beloved Rose and Cecil Quintana are closing their eponymously-named gallery after 42 years representing Native American artists. Phoebe Flanigan has the story.

Portland Art Museum Hires New Mod/Contempo Curator from 2015-07-03T19:25:47

Sara Krajewski is coming back to the Northwest, to steer PAM's Modern and Contemporary Collection. Get the whole scoop, and click over here to read a longer interview with Krajewski. Listen

Lidia Yuknavitch Explores a Scorching New World from 2015-07-03T19:16:46

We talk to one of Portland's most evocative and fearless writers about her new novel, The Small Backs of Children. Visit our show page for info on her July 8th reading.

State Of Wonder: June 27, 2015-Allen Toussaint, Shakespeare Meets The Go-Go's&New Record Press from 2015-06-27T00:26:49

Who says the past is behind us? This week, creators are bringing new life to traditional forms.

1:19 - We meet the dream team behind Cascade Record Pressing, Oregon's new vinyl record pl...

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Mashes-Up The Go-Go's With The Elizabethan Story 'Old Arcadia' from 2015-06-26T22:07:16

Tony-winning playwright Jeff Whitty combines the the music of The Go-Gos with Sir Richard Sidney's 'Old Arcadia' for a deliciously over-the-top glam musical.

(photo credit: Oregon Shak...

New Orleans Legend Allen Toussaint Takes Center Stage from 2015-06-26T22:00:21

The ever-elegant, deeply influential Crescent City songwriter and composer talks to us about his life and music. Watch our website for the full story and show info.

(photo credit: Tina ...

Cascade Record Pressing Finds Its Groove from 2015-06-22T13:28:58

A powerhouse Portland start-up secures six coveted presses to begin operations. More pics here Listen

State Of Wonder June 20, 2015 - Astoria Show With Blind Pilot, The Astoria Music Festival&More from 2015-06-19T01:42:40

Over the past decade, Astoria quietly became a hotbed for creatives looking for inspiration, community, space, and affordability. Now that economic times are on the rebound, how can Astoria keep it...

Astoria Music Festival Surrounds Town With Sound from 2015-06-19T00:37:50

How did a festival this wide-ranging take root in a town under ten-thousand? We talk with AMF artistic director Keith Clark, Cary Lewis, pianist and AMF director of Chamber Music. Also, music from ...

Where We Make: Astoria's Creative Culture from 2015-06-19T00:33:14

Sarah Nebeker, Jack Harris, and Darren Orange talk with us about how Astoria built its creative community, and the pressures the city is dealing with to maintain critical mass.

Blind Pilot's Israel Nebeker And Ryan Dobrowski On Making Music In Astoria from 2015-06-19T00:18:05

Taking its name from the pilot boats that guide freighters through the treacherous mouth of the Columbia River, the band Blind Pilot sprang from Astoria’s swirling nexus of tides and mountains.
Listen

State Of Wonder: June 13, 2015 - Third Angle New Music&New Yorker Music Critic Alex Ross from 2015-06-12T23:49:34

This spring, Third Angle New Music knocked our socks off with its unique partnership with "New Yorker" music critic Alex Ross.

In his history of 20th century music, "The Rest is Noise," ...

Goonies 30th Draws Fans, Some Eye-Rolls in Astoria from 2015-06-08T17:40:24

Phoebe Flanigan mixes with Goonies fans at the film's 30th anniversary celebration. This film's locations still draw thousands of tourists. At the same time, its popularity can feel like a mixed bl...

Zach Dundas Explores The Immortal Life Of Sherlock Holmes from 2015-06-05T23:59:05

Perhaps no fictional character has stood the test of time like Sherlock Holmes. From his creation by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, he has deduced his way, pipe in hand, through countless radio pl...

State Of Wonder: June 6, 2015 - Sherlock Holmes, Karen Karbo, Tango At Reed&Indigenous Art Fest from 2015-06-05T23:30

We are stoked, stoked, and stoked about summer — too much good stuff happening. Here's what's coming up on this week's show to help you kick down the door on your weekend.

1:33 - A quick...

Karan Karbo's Rail Odyssey from 2015-06-05T00:53:16

Writer Karen Karbo talks about spending two weeks train-bound: what she wrote, what she saw.

Suite Sandy Boulevard from 2015-06-05T00:48:38

Lou Watson's new experimental work, created and conceived on her block.

One Flaming Arrow: Year One from 2015-06-05T00:44:11

Festival of Native contemporary artists breaks through goals to launch.

Sci-Fi&Social Justice: Octavia's Brood from 2015-05-29T20:31:48

Walidah Imarisha and adrienne maree brown talk about editing the new anthology of speculative fiction with a social justice lens.

Cascade Record Pressing Open for Business from 2015-05-29T20:16:43

What Are You Looking At?: Ai WeiWei at PAM from 2015-05-29T20:14:26

We're launching a new series of reviews. Curator Namita Wiggers looks at Ai Weiwei's "Circle of Animals: Zodiac Heads" at Portland Art Museum.

State Of Wonder: May 30, 2015 - Ai Wei Wei At PAM, OBT's New Home, Mark Doty, Gabe Fernandez&More from 2015-05-29T00:06:52

This week's crop of wonders finds the fantastic in familiar things, and the inspiration in the extraordinary:

1:00 - Karen Karbo is railbound! She's one of 24 writers out of 16,000 t...

Women Missing From Summer Fests from 2015-05-22T18:16:45

opbmusic's Jerad Walker runs the numbers on women's representation at summer music festivals. Also, Bitch Magazine' Sarah Mirk has thoughts on the big disparities in bookings.

(photo cr...

Shy Girls' New Mixtape&More from 2015-05-22T18:13:30

Dan Vidmar of Shy Girls talks about his recent 13-song drop, how a tough year affected his music, and his synthesis of old-school R&B sounds with a modern sensibility. He's onstage at the Wonder Ba...

PDX Makers Mad May from 2015-05-22T18:09:07

Kelley Roy of ADX Portland and Joshua Lifton of Crowd Supply talk about the joys of locally made goods, and what was said at this month's White House Roundtable.

State Of Wonder: May 23, 2015 - Philip Glass, Shy Girls, Helio Sequence, Maker Movement&More from 2015-05-22T17:39:21

We kick off the Memorial Day Weekend (and dare we say summer) with a show about music and makers.

1:25 - Dan Vidmar of Shy Girls talks about his new mixtape release and the challeng...

Likewise: An Art Bar That Mixes Cocktails And Creativity from 2015-05-15T23:02:33

What do you get when two artists walk into a bar?

Likewise.

The floor-to-ceiling curtains conceal one of the city's most outlandish business establishments by day. But by nigh...

Portland Playhouse Takes On 'The Simpsons' -- And The Apocalypse from 2015-05-15T20:54:17

What has four fingers, a yellow face, and is totally evil?

Montgomery Burns, of course.

But after twenty-six excellent years as America’s most laughably despicable super villa...

State Of Wonder: May 16, 2015 - 'Grimm' Actors At PCS, 1939 Ensemble&'The Simpsons' Get Theatrical from 2015-05-15T00:25:43

Ready for some new? Here comes an hour of creative horsepower.

1:17 - "Grimm" stars Sasha Roiz and Silas Weir Mitchell on their stage turn with PCS's "Three Days of Rain."

7:2...

Pacific Crest Jazz Orchstra Takes Ellington Prize from 2015-05-14T23:53:21

Youth orchestra dazzles New York audience; Thara Memory talks to KMHD about the big night.

Grimm Stars Take On Three Days Of Rain from 2015-05-14T22:18

Silas Weir Mitchell and Sasha Roiz chat with April about their roles in "Three Days of Rain" at Portland Center Stage. Production info over here: Listen

Q&A With 1939 Ensemble from 2015-05-12T21:35:53

April chats up Jose Medelles and David Coniglio. With John Thomas, they are 1939 Ensemble. Their style? Jazz goes to a party with avant-garde, raises a glass with funk and Latin. The new record is ...

Los Porteños: Poetry From The Interior from 2015-05-10T06:44:43

Los Porteños - a Latino writers' collective from metro Portland - is about to present works in response to two guiding stars of the poetry world - Spanish poet Miguel Hernandez and Oregon's William...

The Haunting Of Sunshine Girl, Oregon's Surprising YouTube Star from 2015-05-09T18:37:39

In 2010, a series of videos started appearing on YouTube called "The Haunting of Sunshine Girl." They were DIY, Blair Witch-style episodes following a charismatic 16-year-old who wanted to prove th...

State Of Wonder: May 9, 2015 - PICA's DaDa Ball, Other Lives, Haunting Of Sunshine Girl&Bend Arts from 2015-05-09T16:31:50

1:25 - Paige McKenzie, perhaps the Pacific Northwest's biggest homegrown YouTube star, talks about creating the runaway-hit series The Haunting of Sunshine Girl from her house outside Portland. She...

Portland's Most Legendary Art Party: PICA's DaDa Ball from 2015-05-09T16:11

In the 1990s, Portland’s Dada Ball was the stuff of legends. An unorthodox gala thrown each year by the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA), the ball was as debaucherous as it was provoca...

Awards Granted For Bend Cultural Tourism Fund from 2015-05-08T22:19:47

$125,000 in grants to help market arts and culture events. The endgame? Getting heads in beds during Bend's shoulder season.

PIGSquad Challenges Gamers To Make A New Game In 48 Hours from 2015-05-05T01:06:29

We're up late with game developers large and small for Ludum Dare, a global 48-hour challenge. This year, Portland Indie Game Squad hosted a Ludum Dare event at Urban Airship. Take a listen.

Triangle Productions Revisits Portland's Anything-Goes Theater Heyday from 2015-05-02T00:23:47

Triangle Productions is closing its 25th anniversary season with a tribute to another long-running Portland theater institution: Storefront Theatre.

During its twenty year run, Storefro...

State Of Wonder: May 2, 2015 - PDX Gamers, Katherine Boo, Guster&Willie Nelson...In Vancouver? from 2015-05-01T22:55:21

This week we're mashing up past and present.

2:07 - A Triangle Productions world premiere, "Storefront Revue: The Babes Are Back," tells the story of the anything-goes creative maelstrom...

Changing Of The Guard - Nancy Ives&Portland Cello Project from 2015-04-24T23:22:26

Nancy Ives, our Cellist-in-Residence, introduces us to the outgoing and incoming artistic directors of Portland Cello Project. We talk about transitions, and favorite moments from the group's reper...

Nancy Ives On The Music Of Louis Andriessen from 2015-04-24T23:19:35

Preparing for a performance with Fear No Music, our Cellist-In-Residence introduces us to an influential but little-known European composer.

Nancy Ives On Music To Get You Through Winter from 2015-04-24T23:12:44

We talk with Nancy about what kind of sounds sustain us through the long dark nights, and the joys of finding new and challenging music. This broadcast first aired January 31st 2015.

Portland Cello Project Plays Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" - Exclusive Listen from 2015-04-24T22:44:42

Our cellist-in-residence, Nancy Ives, invited in outgoing Portland Cello Project artistic director Doug Jenkins and incoming director Skip vonKuske to discuss the passing of the baton (bow?). While...

Nancy Ives: On Composition from 2015-04-24T16:17

In this segment (initially broadcast December 20th 2014), our cellist-in-residence talks about composing for the Portland Cello Project's new record, "to e.s." She also shares thoughts from colleag...

State Of Wonder: Apr. 25, 2015 - Grimm, Etsy, Portland Cello Project, Jackson Pollock&More from 2015-04-24T00:07:02

Today's show feels a bit rough around the edges — in a good way, like rugged-smelling aftershave or good-quality field-dressed jerky. OK, maybe it's not quite so chewy as all that, but every bit as...

Nancy&Friends - Innovation And Classicism from 2015-04-24T00:02:50

Nancy Ives brings Oregon Symphony pals Greg Ewer and Joe Berger along for a conversation about innovation and classicism in music. This segment originally aired in November 2014

(Photo c...

Nancy Ives On Auditions + More from 2015-04-23T23:48:52

Nancy Ives, Principal Cello for the Oregon Symphony and State of Wonder's Cellist-in-Residence, regales us with scary stories of Symphony auditions, parity in musical hires, and takes your question...

Chin-Sun Lee Reads From The Ravine from 2015-04-21T18:20:38

Here's a longer excerpt from Chin-Sun Lee's chilling, evocative short story, inspired by the landscape at Summer Lake. She wrote this on her first residency at PLAYA. You can learn more here: Listen

Ben Percy On State Of Wonder from 2015-04-21T17:56:01

Must be heard to be believed: a great Oregon-born writer and definitely one of our favorite voices. Ben Percy's new book is The Dead Lands. He'll read at this event Wednesday night. April 22nd: Listen

Get ready for Ben Percy on State of Wonder from 2015-04-20T22:29:33

A Visit To PLAYA At Summer Lake from 2015-04-19T01:03:17

This place blew us away - the scenery, the creative vibe, the conversations between resident artists and scientists. Take a listen.

The New Revolution Hall Finds Its Niche — In A Glorious Historic Building from 2015-04-18T17:18:32

There’s a shining new music venue opening this weekend. Or shall we say, shining old venue.

Revolution Hall is in the original auditorium at the heart of Washington High School, has stoo...

State of Wonder Apr. 18 2015: PLAYA Summer Lake, Rick Bartow, Revolution Hall from 2015-04-17T23:23:56

00:40 A Wonderful tour through PLAYA - Summer Lake. it's a residency program for artists and scientists, the kind of place where time stops and ideas hit the ground running.
34:00 Revolut...

Essential Van Sant On State Of Wonder from 2015-04-11T04:51:19

Mario Falsetto is the author of the recently-published, "Conversations with Gus Van Sant". He's teaching a new class at the Northwest Film Center focusing on Van Sant's features and influences. We ...

Sleater - Kinney In The OPB Studio from 2015-04-11T04:40:06

Nothing but awesome here, as Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, and Janet Weiss breeze in to talk about powering up for their reunion, and recording the new record, "No Cities to Love".

Joined Voices Brings Together The Camas High School Choir With Indie Acts Sama Dams and Adam Singley from 2015-04-10T21:17:25

It’s 7:05 a.m. on a Friday morning, but the students getting ready for choir practice inside the Camas High School theater building are wide awake.

Maybe it’s because instead of practici...

State Of Wonder: Apr. 11, 2015 – Sleater-Kinney, Essential Gus Van Sant, Samantha Wall, OBT&More! from 2015-04-10T20:20:18

This is the show you've been waiting for! And we, at least, can't wait any longer:

1:15 - Sleater-Kinney joins us in the studio. All three members. Swoon.

19:35 - The NW Film ...

Third Rail Highlights Two Of Portland's Most Collaborative Actors from 2015-04-04T00:43:21

Third Rail Repertory Theatre's production of “Belleville” is a complex, Hitchockian-style psychological thriller by hotshot playwright Amy Herzog. But what caught our eyes was its pairing of actors...

Fact+Fiction - Two Perspectives On Photography from 2015-04-03T23:46:20

Photographers David Hilliard and Colleen Plumb talk about their respective shows at Elizabeth Leach Gallery and Blue Sky Gallery this month. (The image to the side is merely one section of a David ...

Trial Date Set For Forgery Case from 2015-04-03T23:32:06

An update on the art forgery case that popped up in Portland last month.

State Of Wonder: Apr 4, 2015 - Damien Rice, Portland Photo Month, Third Rail Rep, Lost Lander&More from 2015-04-03T22:01:04

Wonderous sounds this week! And feasts for the eyes, too.

1:30 - Damien Rice talks about finding his way back to music with "My Favorite Faded Fantasy," a much-anticipated record — and h...

Damien Rice On State Of Wonder from 2015-04-02T23:37:30

New sounds from Rice - his first record in eight years. We talk with him about getting back int he studio and working with Rick Rubin. He'll be in Portland April 20th. Info's over here! Listen

Cari Luna Reading From "The Revolution of Everyday" from 2015-03-28T17:29:30

Novelist Cari Luna reads an excerpt from her debut "The Revolution of Everyday." You can hear our full conversation with Luna here: Listen

Cari Luna on "The Revolution of Everyday" from 2015-03-28T17:24:11

Cari Luna originally started writing her debut novel, “The Revolution of Everyday,” as a Dear John Letter to New York City. She was born there and lived there on and off until 2007, when she just c...

State Of Wonder: Mar 28, 2015—The Fiction Episode, Willy Vlautin, Smith Henderson, Cari Luna&More from 2015-03-27T15:58:45

We’ve got a special show for you this week: it’s the Wonder homage to fiction. With the Oregon Book Awards coming up on April 13, we spend the hour with the five finalists for the Ken Kesey Award f...

Radio Documentary: A Day In The Life Of Artists Rep's ArtsHub from 2015-03-21T17:46:17

Shared workspace is all the rage with start-ups, artisans, and freelancers these days, but does it work for arts nonprofits? Artists Repertory Theatre is finding out. It has invited eight other the...

Catching Up With Andrea Stolowitz from 2015-03-21T00:15:19

A few minutes with one of Oregon's best-known playwrights, Andrea Stolowitz.
(photo credit: Sabine Samiee)

Giving Props: Natalie Heikkinen of Artists Repertory Theatre from 2015-03-20T23:03:19

Touring around Artist Rep's ArtsHub, one of our favorite moments was hanging out with prop master Natalie Heikkinen

March 21: Guest Curator Damaso Rodriguez Live At Artists Repertory Theatre from 2015-03-20T22:43:24

This week, we take you behind-the-scenes at one of the city's most dynamic theaters, Artists Repertory Theatre, with a show recorded in front of a live audience on the Alder Stage.

The l...

A Tenuous Business - frank talk about actors, money, and systems of support from 2015-03-20T21:20:18

Three actors talk about facing down financial difficulty. Also, our guest curator Dámaso Rodriguez discusses the system of support Artists Rep is creating with its Resident Artists company.

State Of Wonder Blues from 2015-03-20T16:22:59

Last night's taping at Artists Rep Theatre was a blast. And the icing on the cake? The musical stylings of Bourbon Jockey. The band includes Matthew Jones, managing director of Profile Theatre, and...

Meet The Guest Curator: Damaso Rodriguez from 2015-03-17T00:46:10

The artistic director of Artists Repertory Theatre has big ideas about the role theater can play in the community. He's also developed vanguard new ways for creating community within his theater. ...

State Of Wonder: Mar. 14, 2015 - Hollywood Theater, Nicholas Payton, Ural Thomas&More from 2015-03-13T21:48:35

Everything looks different this week somehow — bigger, brighter, more vivid. Is it us? A new projector? A bird? A plane? Or is it the Wonder? Come hear what we have for you:

1:13 - O...

Hollywood Theatre Resurrects 70mm Film with "2001: A Space Odyssey" from 2015-03-13T18:24:11

Whether you’ve seen Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic “2001: A Space Odyssey” or not, you know its cultural traces. There’s the opening music (actually a work by Richard Strauss). There’s the monotone,...

Motoya Nakamura's Sakura Sakura from 2015-03-13T16:34:47

Photographer Motoya Nakamura's new show is Sakura Sakura. Here's a link if you'd like to see them in person. http://www.ore...

Big Bridges Span Gulf Between Portland And Tokyo from 2015-03-07T03:28:04

Geronimo Johnson Welcomes You To Braggsville from 2015-03-07T03:17:16

Novelist Geronimo Johnson has been teaching for years - at Iowa, OSU Cascades, and elsewhere. His new satirical novel sends up academia, racial politics, and more.

State of Wonder: Mar 7, 2015 - Kim Gordon, Ursula Le Guin, Geronimo Johnson, Edna Vazquez + More from 2015-03-07T00:14:59

The flowers are abloom, and so are the arts. Get out, get out, while the sun's still shining, and turn up the volume with these stories:
1:09 - Sonic Youth bassist, vocalist and co-founder...

Temperature Check from 2015-02-27T21:43:37

New Governor? Legislative session in progress? A few quick hits on what's happening with arts and culture policy in Salem.

Blond Poison&The Wyden Family Story from 2015-02-27T21:37:33

Verona Studio's new production, and its connection with Oregon Senator Ron Wyden's late father.

Checking In With Brian Rogers from 2015-02-27T21:09:29

A few minutes with the executive director of the Oregon Arts Commission.

State of Wonder: Feb. 28 2015 - Blond Poison, Billy Childs, Roman Mars + MORE from 2015-02-27T20:08:37

00:41 Governor Kate Brown on arts?
03:12 "Blond Poison"
08:30 Edwidge Danticat from Portland Arts and Lectures
16:24 Requiem for a Carpet: Rendered + 99% Invisible
29:37 opbmus...

Carson Ellis - A Vision Of Home from 2015-02-25T14:02:02

The celebrated artist behind the Wildwood books and The Decemberists’s album covers releases her first children’s book.

Perspectives On PAM Search from 2015-02-21T15:27

Curator/artist Kristan Kennedy, gallerist Elizabeth Leach, and collector Sarah Miller Meigs share perspectives on Portland Art Museum's search for a new curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. Also...

State of Wonder: Feb. 21 2015 - PAM curator search, Bibi McGill, Carson Ellis, Hailey Niswanger from 2015-02-20T02:08:36

Oscar previews
Melissa Lowery's new doc"Black Girl In Suburbia"
Oregon Art Beat tracks down Bibi McGill.
Survey:attitudes toward arts and culture.
Illustrator Carson Ellis
...

Tucker Martine On State Of Wonder from 2015-02-15T15:18:53

In talking with this week's guest curator, Matt Fleeger, we got to thinking about the pervasive influence of jazz on other genres. Sometimes it manifests in unexpected ways. Matt suggested we get i...

Matt Fleeger: Confessions Of The Reluctant Jazz Guy from 2015-02-14T21:22

When Matt Fleeger agreed to be our guest curator this week, we knew we'd struck gold.

He's one of our favorite guys around the building. As program director of our sister station, KMHD J...

Past And Future Tense: A Jazz Roundtable from 2015-02-14T21:04:49

This week, our guest curator, Matt Fleeger got us thinking about the tensions between jazz's glorious history and its relentless drive toward the great new sounds.

Tension is good, in a ...

Feb 14, 2015: Guest Curator Matt Fleeger of KMHD on Jazz from 2015-02-14T19:40:12

This week: it's Confessions of the Reluctant Jazz Guy.

Our pal Matt Fleeger of KMHD Jazz Radio turns us on to some new artists and talks about how jazz as a meta-genre — a way to better ...

Madonna Comix Explores The Ephemeral from 2015-02-06T23:50:44

An arresting new show opened at Augen Gallery this week.

Artist Dianne Kronberg's "The Madonna Comix" is a series of prints inspired by 11 poems with titles like "Madonna of the Cigarett...

Feb 7, 2015: Pander Bros, Nicky Finney, Portland Opera To Go, Madonna Comix, Opbmusic From Tennis from 2015-02-06T19:40:18

This week, works in translation, from printmakers to Rossini. Things get flipped on their head with surprising results....

1:04 - The Pander Brothers talk to Oregon Art Beat about their ...

Portland Opera To Go's Bilingual Barber from 2015-02-06T00:57:40

Portland Opera is re-imagining Rossini’s famous comedy “The Barber of Seville” as a bi-lingual play for the company’s Opera To Go program, which performs dozens of shows around Oregon and Southwest...

Bend Cultural Tourism Fund Seeking Applicants from 2015-01-30T22:57:31

A new stream of revenue is opening up in Central Oregon. Arts and culture groups are being encouraged to apply if they have projects that will draw overnight visitors. The Bend Cultural Tourism Fun...

PNCA Moves To 511 Broadway from 2015-01-30T22:15:10

PNCA's new building, restored, renovated, and re-imagined by Brad Cloepfil and Allied Works. We get a tour and talk with Cloepfil and Tom Manley about what the rebirth of this historic building mea...

Jan. 31, 2015: Rainn Wilson and Backstrom, PNCA, Nick Jaina, Thara Memory, Nancy Ives from 2015-01-30T19:17:44

1:18 - We tour PNCA’s new home in the old federal post office building downtown and sit down with President Tom Manley to discuss the college’s modern metamorphosis. These digs will make you want t...

Jan. 24, 2015: Miranda July, Richard Blanco, Christopher Hitchens, Intel's futurist, p:ear from 2015-01-23T23:22:33

1:21: Poet Richard Blanco talks about writing a poem for Presidential Obama's second inauguration, and how sexual identity and heritage inform his writing process.
10:00: Jessica Hernandez and...

Richard Blanco Reflects On Poetry, Identity, And Cuba from 2015-01-23T22:47:04

Richard Blanco talks about his path coming to terms with his cultural identity and his sexual identity.

Richard Blanco Reads "Queer Theory According To My Grandmother" from 2015-01-23T22:44:41

Richard Blanco reads "Queer Theory According To My Grandmother" from his collection "Looking for The Gulf Motel."

Miranda July's Relentless Creativity from 2015-01-23T22:40:17

Filmmaker, writer and artist Miranda July has just published her first novel.

She’s been well known in conceptual art circles for a long time, in part because of projects in the emergin...

Jan. 17, 2015: Michael Chabon, Sleater-Kinney, Decemberists, My Own Private Idaho, Frank McCourt from 2015-01-16T21:49:33

0:00: Intro
1:15: We preview releases by two of Portland’s biggest bands: Sleater-Kinney and theDecemberists.
9:20: Hand2Mouth Theater workshops their follow-up to Gus Van Sant’s “My Own ...

John Simpkins from 2015-01-09T21:56:03

Jan. 10, 2015: Digital Storytelling, Amy Miller, Jewel Heist, Elizabeth Strout, Art In Isolation from 2015-01-09T18:32:37

0:00: Intro
1:20: Oregon Story Board strives to grow the field of digital storytellers.
9:30: Comedian Amy Miller explains why pursues her stand-up career in Portland.
15:50: John Si...

Oregon Story Board from 2015-01-09T17:17

Novelist Richard Ford Reflects On Old Age, Writing, And Frank Bascombe from 2015-01-02T23:12:38

Last year, Richard Ford published a book called "Let Me Be Frank With You." It’s the fourth book he’s written about his most famous protagonist, the New Jersey-dwelling former sportswriter, Frank B...

MAYDAY Deep Space from 2015-01-02T22:51:39

Jan 3, 2015: Richard Ford on writing, Daniel H. Wilson and Nick Lambert's new game from 2015-01-02T22:44:06

0:00: Intro
2:00: Author Daniel H. Wilson, who brought us “Robopocalypse,” talks about the launch of his new mobile game, “Mayday! Deep Space!” with collaborator of Nick Lambert from Mountain ...

Dec. 27 2014 - From the Archives: Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction from 2014-12-29T21:00:39

Quality time with two people who've rocked the comics world in 2014. They curated our show, suggesting topics and talking about the trends shaping the industry.

Dec. 20, 2014: Portland Hip-Hop, Dear White People, Nancy Ives, Hector Hernandez, Gary Ferguson from 2014-12-19T19:43:44

0:00: Intro
1:10: Mac Smiff of We Out Here debriefs on the year in Portland’s hip hop scene.
12:40: Portland’s Independent Police Review reports on hip-hop and police relations.
19:1...

Dec. 13, 2014: Cheryl Strayed, 'Wild,' De Niro's Life, African Hip Hop, Frogz, Sallie Ford, from 2014-12-12T21:56:11

•0:00: Intro
•1:10: Wild gets its Portland premier! We were there on the red carpet, and we’ll hear from Cheryl Strayed on what’s next for her.
•18:00: Imago Theatre tells us how holida...

Dec 2014: Mic Crenshaw's Afrikan Hip Hop Caravan from 2014-12-12T20:47:31

Portland MC Mic Crenshaw just returned from his second trip for the Afrikan Hip Hop Caravan - a series of summit meetings he helps facilitate to talk about the evolution of the form. This year's tr...

Cheryl Strayed On Making a Movie out of 'Wild' from 2014-12-12T18:51:26

Cheryl Strayed talks about the process of turning her book 'Wild' into a movie.

Photographer Richard Mosse Portrays Conflict In Surreal Light from 2014-12-05T18:17:14

"The Enclave" looks at the lives of those affected by violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dec. 6, 2014: Richard Ford, Elliott Smith Tribute, Saul Bellow, Surreal War Photos, Living with HIV from 2014-12-05T18:06:29

0:00: Intro
1:25: Portland Cello Project’s new album adapts the songs of Elliott Smith.
12:00: Photographer Richard Mosse and cinematographer Trevor Tweeten bring their surreal war photo...

Portland Cello Project Revisits Elliott Smith from 2014-12-04T22:39:03

PCP Artistic Director Douglas Jenkins and Larry Crane (Jackpot Recording Studios/Tape Op Magazine) talk to us about the new record they co-produced. "to e.s." includes both covers of and original ...

John Waters: 'I've Made Bad Taste A Little More Respectable' from 2014-11-26T17:29:22

Beloved cult filmmaker John Waters is coming to Portland to perform his Christmas live show. We'll talk to him about the holidays, and hear about his legacy as he approaches 70.

Nov. 29, 2014: John Waters, Abraham Verghese, Calligraphy from 2014-11-26T17:24:07

0:00: Intro
1:20: John Waters talks about his schlocky — and acclaimed — career and tells us what to expect from A John Waters Christmas, which he's bringing to Portland's Aladdin Theater on D...

Slim Moon's Leap Of Faith from 2014-11-21T21:33:25

Kill Rock Stars Records' co-founder Slim Moon has a new career in the ministry. He talks to us about finding his calling, and what skills translate from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

Nov. 22, 2014: Ursula Le Guin, Margaret Atwood, Horse Feathers, Charles Mingus, Las Cafeteras from 2014-11-21T19:08:04

-0:00: Intro
-1:30: Slim Moon talks about his career transition from punk rock godfather to Unitarian minister.
-9:15: Horse Feathers break out with an energetic new record.
-20:45: ...

Tradition And Innovation On Display at Native X from 2014-11-14T23:47:39

Last week, prominent Native American artists from around the country gathered at Union/Pine — a gallery in southeast Portland. They were here for a gallery showing of contemporary design curated by...

Nov. 15, 2014: Changes at Portland Opera, Marjane Satrapi, Laura Gibson Heads East, Native X from 2014-11-14T20:21:50

0:00: Intro
1:00: Revolution Hall will open in February
1:40: Portland Opera becomes a summer festival with smaller shows.
6:30: Cellist-in-residence Nancy Ives brings Oregon Symphon...

Vin Shambry Remembers Ben Buckley from 2014-11-07T21:46:03

Portland Actor Ben Buckley took his own life in early September. Vin Shambry, who'd known Ben since high school, delivered a version of this story at a Backfence PDX event for Day of the Dead. Spec...

The Decemberists' Conlee On Cancer — 'Things Are Better...Kind Of' from 2014-11-07T20:27:34

Jenny Conlee, the accordionist, pianist, and keyboard player for the Decemberists and Black Prairie talks about her experience going through treatment and coming out the other side.

Nov. 8, 2014: New Decemberists, Art Post-Cancer, Remembering Ben Buckley, Art From Short Stories from 2014-11-07T20:07:35

1:05: New Decemberists music. Plus the band's keyboardist Jenny Conlee talks about her struggle with cancer, and an effort to help others who are diagnosed young.

11:00: Chimamanda Ngozi...

Nov. 1, 2014: State of Wonder Turns 1! from 2014-10-31T23:55:26

State of Wonder is turning one year old. We're going to revisit some of our favorite moments from our first 52 weeks of broadcasting.

Image credit: "Binocular" by Bill Hoppe

0...

Monica Drake on Teaching Artists How To Write from 2014-10-31T18:49:58

DIY "Homebrew" Games: Extra Lives For Vintage Systems from 2014-10-24T23:25:29

Last weekend's Portland Retro Gaming Expo showcased Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, of course. But it also featured new "homebrewed" games for decades-old systems.

Oct 25, 2014: Retro Gaming, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Symphony Auditions, Wallace Stegner,&More from 2014-10-24T21:36:31

1:30: New “homebrew” games for old video game systems
7:40: Author James McBride on identity and success
18:40: Part 2 of our conversation with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck
23:50: Wallace St...

Peter Buck On State Of Wonder from 2014-10-24T00:07:24

With platinum-selling R.E.M. records in the rear-view mirror and some gloriously weird vinyl records out on the Mississippi Records imprint, Buck talks about his evolving sound, and working with ou...

What The Heck Is A Remaster? from 2014-10-21T17:45:58

The remastered boxset. It’s a rite of passage for nearly every great band. But what exactly is remastering?

Image credit: Nacho Torres / Creative Commons

SOW 101814: Guest Curator Corin Tucker from 2014-10-18T01:44:17

Guest Curator Corin Tucker looks back on the Sleater-Kinney catalog, and helps us get at what's changed for musicians in Portland from the mid-90s and today.

Daniel Peabody On Bruce Guenther.WAV from 2014-10-11T18:53:39

Daniel Peabody of Elizabeth Leach Gallery talks about the Portland Art Museum's outgoing Chief Curator.

Roger Hart Remembers Paul Revere Dick from 2014-10-11T18:29:25

Roger Hart remembers his friend Paul Revere Dick, founder of Paul Revere and the Raiders.

Louis And Tracy Pain Remember Linda Hornbuckle from 2014-10-11T16:55:01

Fast friends for years, Tracy and Louis Pain talked to us about their good friend Linda Hornbuckle. Louis and Linda played together in various line-ups for years. They first met in Paul DeLay's ban...

Linda Hornbuckle Remembered from 2014-10-11T16:53:23

Bend Film Festival Expands To Warm Springs Under New Director from 2014-10-10T18:20:42

The Bend Film Festival is taking place this weekend. The festival has a new executive director at the helm. And for the first time, festival goers will be able to see films on the Warm Springs rese...

Oct. 14: Bruce Guenther Farewell, Linda Hornbuck and Paul Revere Pass, Bend Film Fest, Ohman from 2014-10-10T17:16:22

0:00-6:10: Paul Revere Dick and Linda Hornbuckle Pass Away
6:10-11:20 Central Oregon Arts Summit And Bend Lodging Tax
11:20-17:25: Bruce Guenther Leaves Portland Art Museum
17:25-20:...

David Mitchell Full Interview from 2014-10-03T20:04:53

An extended conversation with David Mitchell, who sat down with us to discuss his new work, his writing influences, parenting a child who has autism, growing up with a stammer, and the spiritual th...

Oct. 4, 2014: David Mitchell, Design Week, Project Pabst, Furniture Porn from 2014-10-03T19:49:23

00:00 EDJ
03:15 Design Week
14:05 Project Pabst
16:50 David Mitchell
27:50 Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial
32:40 Furniture Porn

Mark Takiguchi's Furniture Porn At Worksound from 2014-10-03T18:23:28

Mark Takiguchi dishes about his new show at Worksound International, the manufactured world of home decor catalogues, and why it took him three years to find the perfect couch. His paintings will b...

Writers On Design from 2014-10-02T23:07:46

Carl Alviani of Ziba Design, John Vieira of Nemo Design, and Sarah Mirk of Bitch Media talk about design that works in Portland, and the interplay between urban design and public dialogue.
Me...

Sept. 27 2014 - State of Wonder FULL SHOW from 2014-09-26T23:55:59

-Museum curators battle to choose a new work for Portland Art Museum’s collection.
-Joshua Wolf Shenk takes on the myth of the solitary genus and the true power of creative pairs.
-Hari K...

Anatomy Of A Fight Scene: Wait Until Dark from 2014-09-26T19:40:46

Northwest Classical Theatre Company is in the midst of the show, Wait Until Dark, which includes a rather involved fight scene.
We spoke with Clara Hillier and Sam Dinkowitz about staging this...

Hari Kondabolu On State Of Wonder from 2014-09-26T19:33:28

Our sit-down with Brooklyn's Hari Kondabolu. We can categorically say he's the only comedian we've ever talked to with a masters in human rights from the London School of Economics. And he's aweso...

Juliet's Nurse On State Of Wonder from 2014-09-26T19:15:35

Author Lois Leveen talks about re-imagining the most famous play in English. Her new novel, Juliet's Nurse, views Shakespeare's play through the perspective of a character typically plays for laugh...

Wordstock Acquired By Literary Arts from 2014-09-22T18:08:38

The low-down on Literary Arts' acquisition of Portland's festival of books.

Do The Right Thing Revisited from 2014-09-20T17:54:11

David Walker, Sean Jordan, and Jason Lamb talk about where they were when Spike Lee's epic 1989 film came out, and it's come to mean to them over the years.

What Ancient Ruins Teach Us About Our Brains And Art from 2014-09-19T21:45:38

Francisco Fernandez de Miguel is using pre-Columbian art to study the neuroscience of how we perceive art.

Seg 3: Seniors and Sexuality, Salsa on the Rise, and Legal Representation for Freelancers from 2014-09-19T21:33:48

Salsa music and dance is becomming more popular in the U.S. and Portland, "All the Sex I've Ever Had" brings seniors on stage to talk about sexuality, and Katie Lane has legal advice for freelancer...

Seg 2: Science of Seeing Art, Teaching Artists to Write, and Run-On Sentence from 2014-09-19T21:14:14

Monica Drake teaches artists how to write in common English, Run-On Sentence captures the West in song, and a neurobiologist uses ancient murals to find out how our brain sees art

Seg 1: Do the Right Thing, Bruce Guenther Retires, Dreamscape from 2014-09-19T21:08:49

Bruce Guenther, chief curator at the Portland Art Museum, retires. Hollywood Theater shows Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing," and hosts a race discussion. And "Dreamscape" brings the topic of office...

Mike Doughty On State Of Wonder from 2014-09-13T00:17:25

Talking with this week's guest curators, Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction, about how creators are finding new paths to their audience, they suggested we check our Mike Doughty's method. Dought...

Jen Van Meter On Dr. Mirage, Hopeless Savages, And Women In Comics from 2014-09-13T00:03:17

Taki Soma And Michael Oeming's Collaborative Comics from 2014-09-13T00:02:25

091314 Seg 3: Matt and Kelly Sue with Mike Doughty and Jen Van Meter from 2014-09-12T23:30:54

Matt Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick guest curate.

Jen Van Meter discusses the role of women in the comics industry and introduces us to Dr. Mirage and the Hopeless Savages. Mike Dought...

091314 Seg 2: Matt and Kelly Sue with Mike and Laura Allred&Taki Soma and Mike Oeming from 2014-09-12T23:20:04

Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction introduce us to a few of Oregon's other comics couples: Eugene's Mike and Laura Allred, and Portland's Taki Soma and Mike Oeming.

091314 Seg 1: Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction from 2014-09-12T23:04:32

We meet comics husband-wife duo Matt Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick. Fraction introduces us to his Eisner Award-winning series "Sex Criminals," and DeConnick shares her Eisner-nominated "Pretty D...

Mike And Laura Allred on State of Wonder from 2014-09-12T22:36:38

These two. Not to mention world famous for their vibrant, eye-popping, classic work. They're also certifiably adorable. We made them tell the story of how they met, and also discussed their process...

SOW Cellist - In - Residence Nancy Ives from 2014-09-05T21:58:57

Look, Mom! We've got our very own cellist! Nancy Ives, principal cello for the Oregon Symphony, kicks off an occasional series of conversations about music and musicians' lives. Give her a big welc...

James Lavadour Chosen For Crystal Bridges Museum Of American Art Exhibit from 2014-09-05T21:53:25

The museum's State of the Art exhibit focuses on over 100 cutting-edge contemporary American artists.

Aaron Draplin On State Of Wonder from 2014-09-05T20:57:55

One design mag called Aaron Draplin "the hardest working designer in America". We just think his stuff looks awesome. The man behind Field Notes, and the iconic logos of Patagonia and Sasquatch sho...

090614 Seg 3: James Lavadour at Crystal Bridges, Chanticleer Trü and Stephanie Snyder on TBA from 2014-09-05T18:01:11

Stephanie Snyder talks about revisiting Tracy + the Plastics at TBA Fest, James Lavadour explains the pieces showing at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and Chanticleer Trü brings Evelyn "Ch...

090614 Seg 2: Cellist in Residence Nancy Ives, Mobile Photography, Tahni Holt at TBA from 2014-09-05T17:55:43

Tahni Holt tells us what she's got planned for TBA, The Arts Center in Corvallis showcases mobile photography, and we hear what Oregon Symphony musicians were up to over the summer with our new cel...

090614 Seg 1: Sleater-Kinney Box Set, Dropping Gems at TBA, Aaron Draplin's Design World from 2014-09-05T17:45:21

Aaron Meola from the Dropping Gems record label talks TBA Fest, Corin Tucker gives us the skinny on the Sleater-Kinney remastered box set, and Aaron Draplin lets us into his design world.

Canticle Explores Veterans' Experiences Through Opera from 2014-08-29T17:29:34

A new contemporary opera, The Canticle of the Black Madonna, takes the stage in Portland this weekend.

Unedited - Monica Drake's Bedtime Story.WAV from 2014-08-29T17:24:41

Editor's note: This audio contains strongly suggestive language that was edited from the radio broadcast.

083014 Seg 3: Farewell Dolorean, Iraq War Opera, and Refugee Memories from 2014-08-29T16:41:42

The opera The Canticle of the Black Madonna explores the life of an Iraq War vet returning home. Jim Lommasson photographs the objects Iraqi refugees took with them to the U.S. And Portland band Do...

083014 Seg 2: Monica Drake and Ron Funches from 2014-08-29T16:32:08

Monica Drake reads a surreal and creepy bedtime story for adults, and we revist a conversation with Ron Funches when he was just beginning his comedic career.

083014 Seg 1: Vinyl Heaven, and the Gospel of Liz Vice from 2014-08-29T16:25:26

We stop by the Discogs record swap and hear how the company provides crucial tools for vinyl lovers. Plus Liz Vice sings some of her gorgeous gospel.

Sleater Kinney Box Set Coming In October from 2014-08-28T22:28:34

We sat down with S-K

The Galiels On Crafting JUX from 2014-08-23T19:23:02

David and Leana Galiel are the father-daughter team behind Elbowfish. Their game studio is developing both online and board games. They're one of the companies incubating within Oregon Story Board....

Percussionist Derek Rieth Dies from 2014-08-23T18:57:35

Derek Rieth, who toured for years with Pink Martini, has died. He was well-known in Portland music circles for his intense dedication to Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music, and tireless devotion to sha...

Aug 23 2014 Segment 3: Everybody Reads Mitchell S. Jackson, Springfield's Simpsons Mural from 2014-08-22T18:20:25

Mitchell S. Jackson's novel, "The Residue Years," will be Multnomah County Library's 2015 Everybody Reads book. We revist a couple of past conversations with him. Plus, Springfield's getting a Simp...

Aug 23 2014 Segment 2: Physics Works For You, Swan Sovereign, A Father-Daughter Game Design Team from 2014-08-22T18:00:34

Christine McKinley explains how the laws of the universe help us understand the laws of human behavior. Then we hear what her band, Swan Sovereign, has been up to. Plus David and Leana Galiel, a fa...

Aug 23 2014 Segment 1: Black Prairie, Eastern Oregon Arts Showcase, Wheatstock Music Festival from 2014-08-22T17:30:29

Black Prairie kicks out the jams on their new album, the ArtsEast Biennial 2014 highlights some amazing art from the 541 area code, and Wheatstock brings country and alt folk to Helix, Oregon.
Listen

062114 State Of Wonder From Bend from 2014-08-19T22:04:04

053114 State Of Wonder music+tech Segment from 2014-08-19T18:17:08

We get into the weeds of the relationship between musicians and developers with Simon Tam of The Slants, and Ryan Nikolaidis of Cloneless Media.

Walidah Imarisha On State Of Wonder from 2014-08-16T00:52:06

Walidah Imarisha reads from her new collection, Scars/Stars, and talks about the intersection of poetry and politics.

Courtenay Hameister Reflects On The Passing Of Robin Williams from 2014-08-15T19:46

The Portland writer Courtenay Hameister reflects on the passing of Robin Williams.

Stumptown Improv Festival And Robin Williams from 2014-08-15T19:45

The first Stumptown Improv Festival is taking place in Portland this weekend, and it’s a big deal for the city. Portland’s had a comedy explosion over the past few years — particularly in its stand...

Aug 16 2014 Segment 3: Portraying LBJ, Sidnee Snell from 2014-08-15T18:37:42

Playwright Robert Schenkkan and actor Jack Willis talk about bringing Lyndon Johnson to the stage for "All the Way" and "The Great Society" at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Sidnee Snell walks us...

Aug 16 2014 Segment 2: Walidah Imarisha, Art from Internment Camps from 2014-08-15T18:17:21

Walidah Imarisha examines social issues and racial tension through poetry, and "Art Behind Barbed Wire" features arts and crafts made in WWII internment camps.

Aug 16 2014 Segment 1: Stumptown Improv, Remembering Robin Williams, "Working" Kirk Reeves Mural from 2014-08-15T18:14:59

We check out Portland's inagural Stumptown Improv Festival with PDX's The Liberators. Plus: comedians remember Robin Williams, and muralist Gwenn Seemel memorializes "Working" Kirk Reeves

Jan 25 2014 State of Wonder skim from 2014-08-13T17:50:45

Jazz trumpeter Farnell Newton guest curates the show.

Bill Hoppe - The State Of Wonder Interview from 2014-08-09T18:56:27

A self-described optic mechanic, Bill Hoppe has lived and painted in Bend for 14 years. He's got some huge, beautiful works on view this month at Laura Russo Gallery, as part of Non Finito, curated...

Lucinda Parker Curates Non Finito from 2014-08-08T20:31:47

When Lucinda Parker was asked to curate a show this month at Laura Russo Gallery, she chose to feature artists she describes as having great focus. Ranging in age from their 40s through their 70s, ...

Aug. 9 2014 Segment 3 - Art Of The Wild, Pickathon from 2014-08-08T19:36:25

We recap this year's Pickathon action, and meet one of the artists at a show in the Gorge, marking the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act: all it's meant to Oregon's wild places and artists ins...

Aug. 9 2014 Segment 2 - Non Finito, TisDass from 2014-08-08T19:17:59

Lucinda Parker shows us around Non Finito, a show she's curated featuring four artists she loves.
Also, we listen to a bit of an opbmusic session with Niger's TisDass.

Aug. 9 2014 Segment 1 - David Shafer, Trygve Faste from 2014-08-08T19:11:10

We sit down with David Shafer to talk about his breakout debut novel, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Also, Trygve Faste talks about the intersection of studio art and design.

David Shafer: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot from 2014-08-08T16:28

Portland writer and journalist David Shafer's new novel finds three people adrift. Their lives converge as they're drawn into a vast corporate conspiracy. The New York Times called the book a "clat...

David Shafer reads on State of Wonder from 2014-08-05T21:10:30

David Shafer's new novel, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, is both a tech thriller and a meditation on three people becoming unmoored. Listen on this week's show (Saturday Aug 9th, noon Pacific) for our ful...

Sean Joseph Patrick Carney On SOW from 2014-08-01T23:12:20

Given the amped-up energy of his performance works and the inspired lunacy of his video practice, you might think talking with Sean Joseph Patrick Carney would be like a free trial of street drugs....

Crow's Shadow Gets A New Executive Director from 2014-08-01T18:03:18

Karl Davis starts at Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts the week of Aug 3rd.

Aug 2 2014 Full Show: Guest Curator Victor Maldonado from 2014-08-01T17:59:10

Portland conceptual artist Victor Maldonado is our guest curator this week. He walks us through some of what he's been working on, and some artists he's paying attention to.

Aug 2 2014 Segment 4: Elizabeth Leon from 2014-08-01T17:51:52

How one recent art school grad found her place in a setting that wasn't instantly welcoming.

Aug 2 2014 Segment 3: Sean Joseph Patrick Carney from 2014-08-01T17:48:22

Sean Joseph Patrick Carney talks talk pop songs, parodies, and his conflicted relationship with social practice art.

Aug 2 2014 Segment 2: The Invisible College from 2014-08-01T17:09:58

Victor Maldonado and a few other Portland artists explain the idea of an invisible college that exists in the creative community.

Aug 2 2014 Segment 1: Victor Maldonado, Crow's Shadow, Lucha from 2014-08-01T17:05:57

Guest curator Victor Maldonado explores stereotypes and the ideas of belonging and borders with his art. He fills us in on his latest work.

July 26 Segment 3: Cheryl Strayed, Laura Gibson from 2014-07-28T16:33:22

July 26 Segment 3: Cheryl Strayed, Laura Gibson by OPB's State of Wonder

July 26 Segment 2: Courtenay Hameister, Swan Sovereign from 2014-07-28T16:30:58

July 26 Segment 2: Courtenay Hameister, Swan Sovereign by OPB's State of Wonder

July 26 Segment 1: Matt Sheehy, Arthur Bradford from 2014-07-28T16:29:02

July 26 Segment 1: Matt Sheehy, Arthur Bradford by OPB's State of Wonder

July 19 Segment 2: Sahel Sounds, Cash Music, Farnell Newton from 2014-07-21T16:18:10

July 19 Segment 2: Sahel Sounds, Cash Music, Farnell Newton by OPB's State of Wonder

July 19 Segment 3: Jitney, Farnell Newton from 2014-07-21T16:18:10

July 19 Segment 3: Jitney, Farnell Newton by OPB's State of Wonder

July 19 Segment 1: Farnell Newton, Liv Warfield from 2014-07-21T16:13:22

July 19 Segment 1: Farnell Newton, Liv Warfield by OPB's State of Wonder

July 12 2014 - Segment 3: Wes Anderson's Influences, DEAN!, The Portland Mavericks from 2014-07-11T18:30:06

0:15: Luke And Rachel Price perform as DEAN!
2:45: The Portland Mavericks baseball team
3:45: The Movies that made Wes Anderson

July 12 2014 - Segment 1: Kill Rock Stars Goes Funny, Competitive Gifs, and the Art of Trash from 2014-07-10T23:44:12

1:35: Art at the waste transfer station.
4:45: YIX and the art of the competitive gif
12:30: Kill Rock Stars Records adds comedians to roster

July 12 2014 - Segment 2: Photographing America's Tribes and Music from Star Anna&Run On Sentence from 2014-07-10T23:44:11

0:15: Run On Suntence's new music
1:15: Star Anna's broken heart on "Go To Hell"
7:00: Matika Wilbur's project to photograph every Indian tribe

Chelsea Cain: How To Survive A Summer Thriller from 2014-07-04T20:35:15

Chelsea Cain, author (and survivor) of the Archie Sheridan series, schools us on how not to get clubbed, flayed, eviscerated or mauled this summer.
Her new series launches with the novel, One...

July 5 2014 - StOW Segment 3: PDA, Modern Kin, Sara Swink from 2014-07-04T20:21:17

00:00 PDA: A work of social practice re-interpreting family
04:45 Modern Kin at opbmusic's Stagepass series
10:45 Sara Swink on Oregon Art Beat

July 5 2014 - StOW Segment 2: Kwame Dawes, Whitelandia, Porch Music from 2014-07-04T19:58:14

00:00 Quality time with poet and Professor Kwame Dawes.
06:05 A check-in on the documentary project Whitelandia
11:03 We catch some Porch Music with Third Angle Ensemble

July 5 2014 - StOW Segment 1: Chelsea Cain, Smith Henderson from 2014-07-04T19:52:51

Hope you don't mind us crashing your summer reading list, but we've got two hot ones for you. Chelsea Cain, who's publishing a new novel, One Kick, in August, schools us on surviving summer thrille...

Whitelandia at a Crossroads? from 2014-07-04T19:31:01

We check in with OPB Arts and Life Producer Ifanyi Bell on a story he's been following: the growing chorus of comment on two white filmmakers' project examining historic discrimination against blac...

Porch Music! Third Angle Brings the Bucolic from 2014-07-04T18:39:23

We love Third Angle Ensemble's brilliant idea for previewing next season's works: a series of bite-sized, informal concerts on porches across Portland's Irvington neighborhood.

Kwame Dawes: Form&Structure from 2014-07-04T18:18:05

Here's the segment from this week's show with poet and professor Kwame Dawes. He's on faculty at Pacific University's MFA Writing program, and makes regular visits to Forest Grove. We caught with h...

Kwame Dawes Reads for State of Wonder from 2014-07-04T18:11:03

The Jamaican poet Kwame Dawes is a consistent favorite at Pacific University's Low-Residency MFA program. While he may be best known for his critical writing on the works of Bob Marley, he's writte...

June 28 2014 - StOW Segment 3 from 2014-06-28T19:27:21

Gorgeous sounds from the Delines, a new project from Richmond Fontaine frontman Willy Vlautin. The band also includes RF drummer Sean Oldham, Jenny Conlee on keyboards, bass player Freddy Trujillo,...

June 28, 2014 - StOW Segment 2 from 2014-06-28T19:21:03

Tom Spanbauer's latest book, I Loved You More, is an unsparing story of entwining relationships between three lovers. Spanbuaer talked to OPB's Dave Miller about digging in to difficult, autobiogra...

June 28 2014 State of Wonder Segment 1 from 2014-06-28T19:10:37

Remember Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer, the totally charming twin sisters and fabric artists who came to our show in Bend? Turns out, there's a lot more to their story than we were able to get to last ...

Lubbesmeyers design new work for Jubelale label from 2014-06-20T23:09:49

The utterly charming Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer dropped in with a surprise for our taping audience: their recently completed fiber work, commissioned by Deschutes Brewery. The image will grace tens ...

Looking At Bend: Andrew Wachs and Doug La Placa from 2014-06-20T23:04:10

Donald Yatomi on StOW from 2014-06-20T22:58:05

Bend: Bouncing Back from 2014-06-20T22:56:18

Emily Carr, Pamela Hulse Andrews, and Pat Clark share three views on the post-recession creative economy.

062114 Sow Kiarra Saito Beckman from 2014-06-20T22:20:20

Young Violinist from Bend, Oregon Kiarra Saito Beckman played throughout the show during breaks and transitions and also did a solo rendition of Paganini's Caprice no.5. April discussed her Sun Riv...