OPB State of Wonder

12/27/2020

TFW your kid designs a custom head for the kick drum for you and the spouse gets it made for Xmas. 💜🖤💜🖤

06/08/2020

"When individuals become catalysts for Black Lives Matter and catalysts for social change, there is a level of complex personhood that is stripped away from them." - Artist Ameya Marie Okamoto

Okamoto talks with us about the power of the memorial portrait. Her thoughts on how they could be reducing people to a hashtag and focusing more on their death rather than their life is worth the listen alone.

Memorial portraits have taken a central role in the iconography of protests and social justice movements across the country in recent years. We talk with artist Ameya Marie Okamoto about her work and why putting a face to a name can be more powerful than a hashtag.

05/22/2020

With Oregon's stay-at-home order nearing 3 months, many who have been quarantined alone are close to forgetting what hugging feels like. Writer Jordan Hernandez sent us this beautiful postcard from her closet. It's the closest thing to an audio hug we can share.

With Oregon's stay-at-home order nearing 3 months, many who have been quarantined alone are close to forgetting what hugging feels like. Portland writer Jord...

05/08/2020

Alex Chiu is known for painting sprawling murals depicting Portland’s communities of color. But the pandemic put much of his commissions on hold. Now, like a lot of parents, Alex is at home trying to entertain and educate his two daughters, fostering their creativity through visual art. Get ready to 'aww' out loud a whole lot.

Alex Chiu is known for painting sprawling murals depicting Portland’s communities of color. But the pandemic put much of his commissions on hold. Now, Alex s...

05/03/2020

A warm and lovely video postcard from Warm Spring's master weaver, Kelli Palmer, telling us how she and her family are holding up.

Kelli Palmer is a master weaver in Warm Springs, Oregon. She sent OPB some great photos to show what she’s been up to during this stay at home time. OPB repo...

04/28/2020

We're starting to get some transmissions in from artists letting us know what they're up to while stuck at home. Here is animator/sculptor, Gesine Krätzner, showing us how she's sharing hugs at a time when you can't touch anyone. Made by Oregon Art Beat producer, Jule Gilfillan.

Portland animation designer and sculptor Gesine Krätzner has devised “Hugs By Mail”—cute creatures that deliver hugs to those you can’t hug in person. OPB re...

04/09/2020

Some great Zoom ingenuity in this new Thao & the Get Down Stay Down video for your afternoon Facebookin'. And a pretty great song too!

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - "Phenom", from the new album ’Temple' out May 15, 2020. Pre-order: http://smarturl.it/TempleAlbum Subscribe to Thao & The Get...

04/01/2020

Please share with your friends that you think might be in need

A collection of emergency funds and resources for working artists and freelance creatives who can't rely on severance packages, unemployment or extended sick leave.

03/30/2020

What can you do with a closed-for-business warehouse full of flowers during a pandemic? A group of Portland floral designers decided to give their city a little bit of spring in the middle of a lot of gloom. If you want to see some beautiful designs, head to Instagram and type in on the search bar for a virtual tour.

That followed Gov. Kate Brown's recent stay-at-home order due to the spread of COVID-19 that forced many of Oregon's local flower shops to temporarily close.

03/28/2020

Some Saturday morning vibes. KMHD Jazz Radio is making videos now and we're all here for it.

In February 2020, backpack jazz producer Kassa Overall brought his mobile studio to Portland for the PDX Jazz Festival and the release of his second, and mos...

03/23/2020

For those of you doing your part and staying at home, here's Yale's most popular class, free, and online. And it's all about being happier in your daily life. Stay home and grow your mind (and maybe some garden starters)!

Learn The Science of Well-Being from Yale University. In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos ...

03/21/2020

It's important to remember that without the arts, life post-COVID-19 will be even bleaker. There are many arts organizations taking donations if you have the means. Take care of each other!

Two weeks ago, the Portland Center Stage 2020 season was in full swing, with productions of

03/20/2020

Today is the perfect day to support your favorite musicians on Bandcamp. They're not taking a cut of anything sold until midnight. Remember, it's not just digital music they're selling, there are shirts, limited vinyl, tape only releases, tour merch...go see what your fave band has to offer!

Support artists directly today on Bandcamp.

03/17/2020

Check-in on your local weeklies, they might be hurting. And once we get past all this, and we will, we'll want to make sure local journalism is still alive.

How are the alternative weekly papers weathering the pandemic?

03/06/2020

Every year, Northwest Film Center puts on one of the best film festivals in the NW. And PIFF (Portland International Film Festival) starts today! This Sunday, SoW producer Claudia Meza will be moderating a panel talk on problematic narratives with Raj Roy, the chief curator of film from the Museum of Modern Art and Micah Vanderhoof, programmer at the NW Film Center. It should be a lively discussion!

Full fest schedule here: https://cinemaunbound.org/

Sunday, March 8

02/18/2020

Motorcycles as art? Why, yes! If you want to brush up on what a "hooligan race" is and see all the factions of misconceived biker culture check out this digital piece. And of course, there's a playlist 🏍🎸

The One Motorcycle Show in Portland started as an outsider's motorcycle show designed by people who appreciated bikes as art. It's grown into a world-class motorcycle celebration.

01/31/2020

Christopher Marley creates visually arresting designs out of bugs, snakes, birds, pretty much any critter that catches his eye. But it's not what you think, Marley doesn't hunt or kill for his art. He reclaims and preserves. And his elaborate finished pieces become more than their taxidermied parts. Steven Tonthat (State of Wonder alumni) has produced a wonderful video about Marley's process from freezer to gallery for Oregon Art Beat. And if you want to check it out for yourself, Marley's latest exhibition at OMSI is still up for view: https://omsi.edu/exquisite-creatures

Designs from the natural world in the form of colorful, sculptural insects and more are the building blocks for the unique work of Oregon-based artist Christopher Marley.

01/18/2020

"I'm not afraid of dissonance. And I wanted that song to have drone because grief is a low hum." We made a video of guitarist and composer Marisa Anderson with the good people at opbmusic.org. Watch it in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwEcrwCkeQ

01/07/2020

Tattoo artist, Bob Jones () is not the kind of person one would imagine participating in a high-stakes, drama-filled, reality TV show. He’s low-key and reserved. He’s thoughtful and the proud father of a corgi named Maverick. He grew up in Beaverton. It seems unfathomable he could look dead-eyed into a camera with a straight face and utter, “I didn’t come here to make friends.” But tonight, Jones will be representing Oregon in the Season 13 premiere of “Ink Master: Turf War.” Wish him luck!

You can hear our audio story and check out the art that got him in the competition using the link below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

But on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Bob Jones will be one in a team of five, representing the West Side in the world premiere of Paramount Networks, “Ink Master: Turf War.

12/28/2019

The last State of Wonder of the year (and the foreseeable future). April was really proud of this one. She and then producer Aaron Scott teamed up with opbmusic and put out an excellent live radio broadcast. Listen to some great stories about Elliott Smith from those who knew him best. There are also sweet covers by some of this town's best musicians. Either/Or is a great Portland winter record, and if you need a reminder: https://open.spotify.com/album/1Od4S26RB37khls09dsUxL

Friends and colleagues of Elliott Smith look back at seminal songs that continue to inspire fans around the world.

12/22/2019

This week we're re-airing a confession, some stories we worked on needed more than a week to find their footing. If we're being honest, maybe even more than a couple months. So we decided to share our two hardest to produce stories, which in our opinion, made them some of the most rewarding pieces. And we also brought in photographer, Celeste Noche, to tell us about the time she went out in the middle of nowhere Scotland to pass out books from a mobile library. As always, our show airs Sat at noon, Sun at 10am, anytime on the podcast, and you can always find a link to the audio in the show page ↓↓↓

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 story she believes in.

12/19/2019

Cancel your plan this evening (or tomorrow evening) and please go to this. An Austin production lovingly made by its weirdo art scene is getting its Portland premiere this week and it stars OUR weirdo art scene. Don't miss out!!

Austin, Portland and Gotham, three weird sister cities that are all connected by the surprising amount of people who like to wear costumes in public. And now we also share a musical.

12/19/2019

We almost missed this one! Oregon's own, comedian Caitlin Weierhauser made their late-night debut last week!!! We're so proud of them!!!

If you want to hear them talk about being raised by wolves, like literally, in rural Oregon, and how they got to the place where they chose comedy over despair, check out the first segment in the episode linked below. ↓↓↓↓

https://www.opb.org/radio/programs/stateofwonder/segment/caitlin-weierhauser-oregon-college-art-craft-portland-creative-space/

Comedian Caitlin Weierhauser is the first girl born to their family in five generations. Watch Stephen Colbert's audience roll with laughter during Caitlin's...

12/14/2019

This one is for the punks. And for all the haters of the enduring grip of colonialism. A real crowd-pleaser. Honestly, these were some of the most entertaining conversations we've had the pleasure of recording. We spoke with punk icon John Doe of the band X and local q***rcore, rock legends Team Dresch, about the various fertile music scenes that made them.

And we get to hear how a tribe here in Oregon took max advantage of a loan (of their own artifacts!!!) from a British museum. This episode made the "you must listen to this one again" list because it reminds us that knowing your history and the knowledge it holds can be way more valuable than all the things we made or collected along the way.

Know your history: Stories from the L.A. punk scene, q***r punk in the ‘90s Portland music scene, and a Native museum gets quality time with tribal artifacts.

12/07/2019

If you miss April Baer as much as we do, you're in luck because this week is an all Baer rebroadcast where she is doing what she does best - nerding out on books. Hear her unpack food and body issues (not to mention complicated family relationships) with Kiese Laymon. Listen to stories about a famous wandering Oregon wolf (that's totally a thing check it out (Journey) Lone Wolf ) via Rosanne Parry. And lastly, you can experience April trying her best to keep her cool around master science-fiction writer, Ted Chiang (that movie "Arrival" was based on one of his short stories!). A fabulous show by a fabulous woman. Thank you, Baer!

Bump up your holiday reads with three spectacular writers, each grappling with human connection.

12/06/2019

Ok, grab your tissues first, then check out this ad made in the Philippines. The payoff is worth it, promise. And its message of inclusivity is something a lot of art and music venues still need to think about. If you want to hear more about how some local music lovers are trying to make it so EVERYONE can take part of the scene, check out this segment around the 35:06 mark from a SOW show we aired back in September!
https://www.opb.org/radio/programs/stateofwonder/segment/ruth-e-carter-thing-music-festival-american-sign-language/

Watch these kids join forces to work on a wonderful surprise. Star Wars: in cinemas December 20. The galaxy is yours when you visit https...

12/06/2019

If you missed it yesterday, I was able to go on All Things Considered and speak with the always lovely John Notarianni to play some of Lauren K. Newman's music on air. Some was unreleased material, thanks to her very generous bandmates (Thanks again, Conan Neutron!!). We also compiled some stories and memories by her community that have been pouring in online through all the socials. Thanks again to everyone who helped put this article and audio story together. If you have any stories about LKN you'd like to share, let us know, I'll add it to the page.

Portland musician and recording engineer Lauren K. Newman passed away this week at the age of 41 after many years of health struggles.

12/05/2019

Portland musician and recording engineer, Lauren K Newman passed away yesterday at the age of 41 after many years of battling with worsening health.

The saying is you can't catch lightning in a bottle, but Newman was just that, pure energy incarnate. A remarkable multi-instrumentalist, she played everything she touched with a jaw-dropping level of mastery. And she made it look easy, thrashing behind a veil of long, black hair made airborne by head-bangs and spontaneous flying kicks.

Newman's bands were many, but she was most well known for her solo project LKN and her psychedelic improv group, Palo Verde. Younger generations learned how to properly shred on the drums and guitar through her classes at Rock'n'Roll Camp for Girls. All this to say that her loss is significant, and will be much felt in the Portland art and music community.

If you google Lauren K Newman, you'll find a great deal of footage of her playing around the country, and maybe even a short documentary or two. But my favorite footage will always be this blown-out clip someone took of her playing guitar from possibly the first phone that could record video up in Olympia, WA at the notorious bar and music venue, Le Vo**ur. An aside, Le Vo**ur is where many touring NW musicians happily misspent their youth in a haze of french fry grease, seemingly lacquered to the walls. Her spirit shines through the grainy pixels and blown out audio, and I'm pretty sure that's Donna Dresch of Team Dresch on bass, which makes this performance even more legendary.

The lightning has been released, RIP Lauren K Newman.

This is "Lauren K Newman band (LKN) performing in Olympia, WA 2005" by Post-Consumer on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

11/30/2019

We hope you had a great time with friends and family eating yourselves silly! Just in case things got a little awkward, please enjoy a few stories that might make you feel a whole lot better about your situation. The very first one, about a college production of Beowulf that loses its star mid-show, should help bring any of last night’s cringe-worthy moments into perspective. Here’s to the next gathering and surviving the holidays!

Don’t turn away. 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 surrounding disability, and the story of the most bizarre art festival ever.

11/23/2019

This weekend as we get closer to the holiday shopping season, we're re-airing one of our most favorite artist conversations from earlier this year. If you haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about how Native style gets used — and often misused in graphic design, fashion, and other disciplines — I guarantee you won’t be able to unsee it after today’s conversation.

So much Native imagery. Where are all the Native designers?

11/20/2019

If you missed out on our interview with graphic novelist Nicole J. Georges a couple of weeks ago, the full audio piece is now up on the site. It's a highly recommended listen.

Writer, illustrator, podcaster and storyteller Nicole Georges relocated to Los Angeles from Portland to upscale her prolific career. She shows us around in her new city.

11/17/2019

American fantasies: This subject has only picked up more resonance since we first brought you these interviews in fall 2018. What we want to be and who we really are as a nation tend to be two very different stories. Revisit these interviews with us at 10am this morning or whenever on our podcast feed.

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 magical thinking, fantasies, and illusions that shaped our world.

11/09/2019

This week, three stories from the orchestra pit, the rehearsal hall and the studio. We continue to take another listen to some of our favorite episodes, and we chose this one because, frankly, it’s still such an important and timely subject. And it illustrates how deep-rooted the problems of incidents are in arts institutions. But this show also some stuff that’s straight-up musical fun. Podcast up now, listen on the radio Saturday at noon or Sunday at 10am on OPB

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

11/01/2019

Catch Jonathan Levinson's recent story for OPB about the design of the AR-15? How does thinking shape the we buy? And how do those design principles, in turn, shape the gun policy debate? Jonathan joins us on the show this weekend. Hope you will, too. https://www.opb.org/news/article/gun-design-form-function-ar-15-comparison-mini-14/

10/31/2019

Nicole J. Georges' Los Angeles - this week the long-time Portlander talks to us about moving south to pursue her work.She talks to us about turning her award-winning graphic novel, Fetch: How A Bad Dog Brought Me Home, into a TV series. http://bit.ly/2JD2FNS