Opb's State Of Wonder

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 Hollywood Theatre Redefines the Modern Movie PalaceYou haven’t seen “2001: A Space Odyssey” unless you've seen it the way it was supposed to be seen: on ultrawide, deliciously detailed 70-millimeter celluloid. Local Kubrick buffs were lucky enough to enjoy that experience in March thanks to the Hollywood Theatre, which revived the storied 70 mm format after a cinematic treasure hunt.Now, the theater is one of only 100 on the continent to screen the 70mm extended edition of Quentin Tarantino’s newest, “The Hateful Eight.” The Hollywood is on its way to becoming one of the most dynamic movie houses in the country, and the guys who run the venue gave us a sneak preview of what's planned for 2016, including its unlikely expansion to the C Concourse at the Portland Airport. (Movies while we wait for our flights? Count us in!)The Ethe

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 Dorie is what we’d consider an expert. She’s been instrumental in the growth of the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and the Portland Japanese Garden, leading a capital campaign for the Garden’s current expansion. Her husband, Larry, has been on the board of the Oregon Symphony for six years, plus several others. And his parents, Howard and Jean Vollum, were leading philanthropists for half a decade. Dorie helps us explore what giving means — not just to the individual giving, but for the arts organizations on the receiving end, and how those relationships work. We look at her family’s deep history in the Portland economy. We get personal with the people and institutions the Vollums have benefacted.Grist For The Mill: PICA's OriginsThe firebrand founder of the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Kristy Edmunds, was

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. Marley preserves exotic birds, insects, snakes, and even octopi using state-of-the-art techniques and then composes them in frames. They’re so exquisite, they’ve ended up on the walls of museums, high-end galleries, fancy furniture stores. And Beyonce herself has one! Marley's new book, "Biophilia," is available in stores.The Santa Photos Nobody WantedEvery year this time, families bundle up their children and take them to meet Santa and have a picture taken. The shoots are always memorable, for better or worse - either they’re adorable, or the child is crying, or the person sitting in poor Santa’s lap is no child. Now, a batch of vintage Santa photos too awkward to be taken home is the focus of installation at Newspace Center for Photography. Don't miss this slide show of the photos.Outgoing PNCA President Reflects on Hi

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.Malkovich On VinylActor and director John Malkovich has powerhouse interpretive skills and a knack for transformation that has carried iconic performances in films such as “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Of Mice and Men,” “In the Line of Fire” and, of course, as a fictional actor-turned-puppeteer in "Being John Malkovich." His greatest asset might be his voice, which is front and center in a new avant-garde record, “Like a Puppet Show.” We talked with him during the album's national release at Music Millennium.Portland filmmaker Todd Haynes’ "Carol"One of Portland’s most famous directors, Todd Haynes, captured our attention with experimental classics “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story” and “Poison” and held it with "Far From Heaven” and the HBO miniseries “Mildred Pierce.” His latest film, "Carol," about the love that dare not speak its

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 as William “Bunk” Moreland on the iconic television series, “The Wire.” He has produced and acted in movies, TV, and theater. This year, he made his debut in the literary world, with his book, "The Wind in the Reeds." It’s a meditation on his return to his hometown of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, where he performed in a staging of the play “Waiting for Godot” in the Lower Ninth Ward. At Wordstock this year, Wendell Pierce spoke with Think Out Loud’s Dave Miller.Alicia Jo Rabins: Mystic Ideas and a Modern SensibilityPortland’s Alicia Jo Rabins is a renaissance woman - she writes mystical poetry, she’s a gifted storyteller, she composes and performs beautiful song cycles about Biblical women for her rock band project, called Girls in Trouble, and she’s a Jewish scholar. At Wordstock this year, Rabins talked with OPB’s

For our second show recorded live at Wordstock, we sit down with two amazing groups of writers: Portland's Most Infamous Writing GroupWe begin the hour with a veritable Justice League of Portland writers: Chelsea Cain, Suzy Vitello and Lidia Yuknavitch. Together with other aces like Chuck Palahniuk and Monica Drake, they make up perhaps Portland's most infamous writers’ group. We talk about why poisonous octopi wouldn't cut it in the Willamette, the literary virtues of dolmas and red wine, the role of tension, and how they stoke each other's creativity.The Meloy Family HourFor the second half of the show, we turn to a family that packs more talent into a single generation than most of us can manage in an entire family tree: brother and sister Colin and Maile Meloy and Colin's wife, Carson Ellis. They discuss their creative histories, why Colin used to steal Maile's Depeche Mode tapes, what they're working on next (hint: pickpockets in Marseilles!), whether LAIKA is going to make a "Wildwood" animated movie, a

Today on the show: creativity and geography. Salem Chamber Orchestra Files For BankruptcyLast month, the Salem Chamber Orchestra board announced the season would be cancelled because of financial difficulties. Now it has informed its musicians it will also file for bankruptcy.Frank Almond’s Famous StradivariusViolinist and concertmaster Frank Almond, the man behind the best-selling CD “A Violin’s Life,” will perform on Tuesday in Corvallis at Oregon State University and on Friday in Bend as part of the High Desert Chamber Music’s Spotlight Series.The real star of the show, though, is Almond’s famous, 300-year-old Lipinski Stradivarius. That Almond is playing it at all is a small miracle: a couple of winters ago, thieves tased him and ran off with the instrument, which is valued at $5 million to $6 million.Paige Powell’s Magnificent Ride Through New York CityWhen Portland native Paige Powell worked at “Interview” magazine in New York City in the 80s, she traveled in rarified circles. There were lunches with Bi

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.Ursula K. Le GuinThink about the pleasure you felt when a favorite teacher showed you something new. That feeling takes on an entirely new dimension in this year’s revival of Ursula K. Le Guin’s "Steering the Craft." Le Guin, one of Oregon’s most decorated living writers, gave us epic novels that set the template for so much in science fiction and fantasy, plus poetry and nonfiction that changed the way we think. We’ll hear about how she pulls off her best literary tricks, along with her reflections after almost a half century in the industry.Patrick DeWitt and Michael HurleyPatrick DeWitt has a gift for laying out a very complete situation with very few well-chosen words. The Booker Prize Foundation, when awarding him a prize for his 2011 western, "The Sisters Brothers," called DeWitt’s writing “stark, unsettling and with a keen ey

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.On this episode of State of Wonder, we dip into the archives to revisit interviews with some of our favorite Wordstock authors, a surprising number of which are more than fitting for Halloween. Sunshine GirlIn 2010, a series of videos appeared on YouTube called "The Haunting of Sunshine Girl." They were DIY, Blair Witch-style episodes that followed a charismatic 16-year-old who wanted to prove the existence of ghosts to her mom. With over 180 million views, it became one of the most successful YouTube series in the Northwest. This year, the actor behind it all, Paige McKenzie, released a young adult book and inked a TV deal with the Weinstein Company. Benjamin PercyAuthor Benjamin Percy's writing has racked up a stack of awards — two Pushcart Prizes, an NEA fellowship. Percy has written for GQ, The Paris Review, Tin Ho

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 studios like Pipeworks tend to employee the most people, there's also an active indie scene that is nowhere more apparent than at the second annual Indie Game Con. Hundreds of people filled Lane Community College in early October to play new titles, from space shooters like "XO" and "Star Mazer" to fantasy games like "Villagers & Heroes" to the more unusual, like a game of dueling narwhales called "Fail Whale" and a game of dueling tongues called "Smooth Operator."On today's show we talk to developers about making games and getting game face on for taking their creations out into the world. Press "play" to begin!

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 Future Of Portland's Most Loved/Hated BuildingThis week the Portland City Council will consider legislation to start renovating one of the city’s most recognizable works of architecture: The Portland Building. It's both Portland's most famous building (it's the text book case for postmodern architect) and perhaps its most reviled. First up, we take a look at what's wrong with the building. Hint: the problems run deeper than a color scheme that feels drawn from your grandma's kitchen.Then we listen to an excerpt of the building's architect, Michael Graves, before hearing the case for remodeling the building smartly from Randy Gragg, the director of the University of Oregon's John Yeon Center for Architecture and the Landscape.Adrienne Truscott's "Asking For It"There’s been a lot of talk in the comedy world over the last seve

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 LiveLast week, Blitzen Trapper unleashed its eighth studio album, All Across This Land. After some fascinating swings across genres, the band has delivered ten songs grounded in the warm, sun-drenched folk-rock that’s always underpinned their sound.The Confessions of Jessica Jackson Hutchins - 8:21The Portland visual artist talks about works on view in "Confessions," a show spanning Reed College's Cooley Gallery & The Lumber Room. Hutchins' constructions are full of deliciously subtle ideas about the elasticity of domestic relations, femininity, and the ways life leaves a mark.Laura Heit on Oregon Art Beat's Season Premiere - 12:19A preview: multi-disciplinary artist Laura Heit. Watch for her on the season premiere of Oregon Art Beat. Each work may have the feel of an amuse bouche, but tensions lie just below the surface of her frank, humorous images.Taking

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 - 01:44Oregon Shakespeare Festival commissions modern-English rewrites of all the plays. Log Love - 05:54Actor Catherine Coulson, beloved of OSF audiences & Twin Peaks fans, died this week at 71. 
The Confessions of Jessica Jackson Hutchins - 07:27The Portland visual artist talks about works on view in "Confessions", an unprecedented show spanning Reed College's Cooley Gallery & The Lumber Room. Obscure Terrain - 17:02Pianist Jennifer Wright has teamed up with the Agnieska Laska Dancers for performances of "Obscure Terrain" this weekend.Laura Heit on OAB Season Premiere - 23:33
A preview: multi-disciplinary artist Laura Heit. Watch for her on the season premiere of Oregon Art Beat. 
Taking Notes with the St John's Scholar - 24:35With a Gates Millenial Scholarship and a business degree under his belt, the St. Johns Scholar is firing up a series of l

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 town for one of the songs, "Cadillac Road". 02:59-12:07Denny Swofford, the co-founder of Cavity Search Records, talks with Matt Drenik (Battleme, Lions) about the label's early days. Their conversation is being released as an opbmusic podcast this week. 12:08-20:20Elizabeth Gilbert talks about coming back from a creative slump, and kicking her creativity in the gear. Her new book is called "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear". Check her out in Portland October 4th. 21:25-27:44Oregon Art Beat's Robe Imbriano gives us the lowdown on an ambitious new musical from Artists Repertory Theatre, "Cuba Libre" — a collaboration with playwright Carlos Lacamara, and Grammy--Nominated Afro-Carribean band Tiempo Libre. 27:45-36:10An opbmusic session with Wild Ones, who are showing some ferocious on "Heatwave"37:13-45:11What do buildings s

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 Studios At Towne Storage - 5:08Towne Storage has occupied a special place in the Central Eastside arts scene, housing hundreds of artists. But now, Towne Storage’s managers have informed everyone they need to be out by November; the building has been sold. Q&A: Commission Nick Fish On Artists' Space - 5:25Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish told us he definitely has some concerns about how development in the Central Eastside is playing out.The New American Bonsai + The Artisan's Cup - 10:54When most Americans think of bonsai — the art of pruning and shaping small trees — they probably think of an ancient gardening craft practiced by lovers of Japanese culture. Ryan Neil thinks it’s anything but. With a story ripped from the movie “The Karate Kid,” he has created Bonsai Mirai, a leading international school in the hills ou

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 ThompsonWe start with the singular Craig Thompson. His incredible, 600-page autobiography “Blankets,” about growing up in a fundamentalist Christian family in Wisconsin, was a game-changer, sweeping the awards and redefining the literary depths a graphic novel memoir could reach. Then Thompson completely changed gears with “Habibi,” an epic set in a modern Arabian Nights fantasia. Now Thompson has released “Space Dumplins.” It’s the zany adventure of a girl who has to save her family from giant planet-eating whales whose excrement has replaced oil as the universe’s fuel. Did we mention there are sartorial, talking chickens?How Do Bands Decide?As you check out the fall concert calendar — you probably noticed we have some big acts coming to town, like Madonna’s first visit in years — have you ever wondered how bands decide where to book stops on

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 of the nonprofit Business for Culture and the Arts closed up shop. The group’s members worked for nearly 30 years to build bridges between the arts and business communities. But the board and members voted Thursday to dissolve operations, handing over some of its programs to the Regional Arts and Culture Council, RACC. We look at what a healthy business/arts relationship might look like. 9:52 - Portland comics artist and illustrator Terry Blas's dad was born in the U.S. and his mom in Mexico. He used to use the terms “Latino” and “Hispanic” interchangeably, but he doesn’t any more. This summer, he published a comic on Vox-dot-com about how he explains his heritage. And, as of this week, it’s been shared over 170-thousand times. 14:43 - The son of a professional treasure hunter, Nate Fasold hunts down famous guitars play

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 dancer bids farewell to a measure of safety, during a nearly disastrous public rehearsal.But there're also some hellos! A world premiere, a best new band. Plus, sandwiches. 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 on plays like "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Grease." But their new production, “Up The Fall,” is unlike anything they’ve done before: PHAME commissioned an original, full-length musical from local playwright Debbie Lamedman and singer-songwriter Laura Gibson. It runs Aug. 22–29 at Artists Repertory Theatre. 9:10 - 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

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.First Stop: Burns, Oregon In the 1970s, Burns was one of the wealthiest counties in the state per capita. Now, it's near the bottom.They’ve tried everything to turn things around: secondary wood products, agricultural products, restarting the lumber industry.Now a dedicated group of artists, arts educators and arts supporters think they should try something new: a Performing Arts and Education Center. The group, spearheaded by the Harney County Arts in Education Foundation, organized a symposium in May around the center potential to drive economic development.14:20 - Next Up: Tieton, Washington.You can get your whole community together to talk about the arts and spend years getting buy-in from partners at all levels. Or you can just have one person come in, open the wallet, and re-set the playing field.That's what happened in Tie

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. A quick preview of Jason Isbell's upcoming show in Portland. opbmusic's Dave Christensen and Jerad Walker share some faves from Pickathon. KHMD's Derek Smith chats up saxophonist Kamasi Washington, who's having an "Epic" year. Artists we met at Pickathon tell us what songs are turning them on this summer. Jumpdrive Studios opens up the crowd-sourced development process that hatched its new game. Rinker Buck re-traces the pioneers' Oregon Trail experience in a covered wagon for OPB's Think Out Loud. A new play premiers at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival: SWEAT by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage.