Art+Culture

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Knights of the Portland Chess Club

The Portland Chess Club in 1914, above the Circle Theater, with spitoons. Twenty-five years ago, lawyer and chess expert, Michael Morris, tried to mediate the eviction of the Portland Chess Club (PCC) for keeping late hours at its headquarters in Southeast Portland. He lost the case, but since that time has been instrumental in housing and maintaining a cultural institution which dates back to 1861 when another legal mind, federal judge Matthew Deady, was the first president of the PCC. Deady was interested in bringing Eastern culture to the Wild West and is also credited with being the founder the Multnomah County Library. In 1913, another lawyer, G.T. Woodlaw, secured PCC’s first “permanent” quarters above the Circle Theater on SW 4th next to the Dekum Building. After several decades, the stability provided by Colonel Woodlaw eventually spawned a champion who was sent out to conquer the world. The link between…

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Best Band

Winner: Pink Martini Pink Martini may be Oregon’s own homegrown band but its music, lyrics and fans are global. Thomas Lauderdale, a classically trained pianist, founded the group in 1994. Shortly thereafter, he teamed up with Harvard classmate and vocalist, China Forbes, to write songs. It was a fortuitous pairing as their first song, “Sympathique,” became an overnight sensation in France, where it was nominated for song of the year. Since then, the ten- to twelve-member petite orchestra has recorded six studio albums in thirteen languages on its own label, Heinz Records (named for Lauderdale’s dog). Its worldwide sales have topped two million. “A Retrospective,” released in 2011, is a mélange of old favorites and unreleased tracks. The band recently completed a tour of Japan with singer Saori Yuki and is currently performing throughout the United States and Europe, including at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. In April…

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Power & the Poster

Portland artist Joe Wirtheim mixes art with health advocacy.

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King Arthur

The life of Oregon’s amazing chess grandmaster, Arthur Dake.

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An Original Take on Holiday Music: Acoustic Guitar Summit

The Acoustic Guitar Summit is comprised of Mark Hanson, Terry Robb and Doug Smith, three virtuosic players who just released their new album “O Christmas Three” for the holidays. They’ll be playing a number of concerts around Oregon over the next few weeks in support of the record, including appearances in Portland, Wilsonville and The Dalles. Get more specifics on Acoustic Guitar Summit shows below and on the group’s website.