Plus: Deadstock Coffee coming to Beaverton.
 
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64º | 70% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:52 a.m. | Sunset 7:16 p.m.
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🪨 Making magic out of clay

Artist spotlight: Maya Ceramics & Paintings
Portland ceramics artist Veronica Arquilevich Guzman holds one of her alebrijes pieces. On the right there is a top down view of her hands working on the pottery wheel.
Reach out for more information about Guzman’s workshops; she offers classes for groups of four. | Photo courtesy of @veronica.arquilevich_guzman
“I cannot stay put with anything.”

It’s a statement that not only applies to artist Veronica Arquilevich Guzman’s creative expression — she’s practiced printmaking, papier-mâché, ceramics, and painting — but also her life’s world travels.

Born in Mexico City and raised in Guadalajara, Guzman left her native country and its dour economic circumstances to move to the United States with almost nothing. “The only things that were in the car were my easel and supplies,” she said.

PDXtoday_MayaCeramics_Alebrijes.png

“When “Coco” came out, my mom was like you have to go see it, they have your pieces” Guzman said. “And I was like, what are you talking about? Now I can explain very easily to people what alebrijes are.”

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Photos courtesy of @veronica.arquilevich_guzman

It was her ex-husband’s career in the shoe industry that brought them to Portland, and the couple eventually moved to China where he worked in development for Nike. There, similarities between Mexican and Chinese cultures, like street vendors squatting and even some of the cuisine, inspired her large-format paintings of the people around her (some of which still hang in her house today).

But a later move to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, came as a culture shock. “You see people wearing sari, next to Chinese girls wearing super short skirts, and then burqas that cover the whole face. So I’m like, oh my God, now what do I paint?”

It was during this artistic reset that she picked up ceramics again. “The lady at the class eventually told me, you know, you don’t have to come here,” Guzman explained. “You know how to do this. Why don’t you just buy your own wheel and do your own thing?”

She bought a pottery wheel and kiln... and subsequently moved to India, where the random electricity blackouts made it impossible to fire her creations for the requisite hours. “I was totally lost.”

Alternating images show moss, driftwood, and ceramics pieces by Veronica Arquilevich Guzman.

After collecting driftwood at the Oregon Coast + Canada, Guzman cleans and varnishes the pieces.

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Photos courtesy of Maya Ceramics

PDXtoday_MayaCeramics_Alebrijes.png

“When ‘Coco’ came out, my mom was like you have to go see it, they have your pieces” Guzman said. “And I was like, what are you talking about? Now I can explain very easily to people what alebrijes are.”

|

Photos courtesy of @veronica.arquilevich_guzman

Once again a Rose City resident, Guzman is now able to craft colorful alebrijes and mushrooms that honor her famous mycologist father with her hands and the same electric kiln, transported across the sea. Her latest “revelation” draws on her love for nature + “magical realism,” combining ceramics, driftwood, and moss into striking wall installations.
Where to buy her work
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
 
Events
Tuesday, Sept. 17
  • Canstruction PDX | Tuesday, Sept. 17-Sunday, Sept. 22 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Pioneer Place Mall | Free | Marvel at towering works of art created using full cans of food; each of these building blocks is then donated to Oregon Food Bank.
  • Bluegrass Tuesdays featuring Fog Holler with Special Guests! | Tuesday, Sept. 17 | 8 p.m. | The Showdown | $10 | Let your feet get to tapping at this weeknight show.
  • Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail | Tuesday, Sept. 17-Sunday, Oct. 13 | All day | Locations vary | Free | Track down all 31 decorated sculptures of “Cat” inspired by LAIKA’s award-winning film scattered around downtown Portland; download the app to aid your journey.
Wednesday, Sept. 18
  • Hannibal Buress | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 7 p.m. | Aladdin Theater | $45 | Get ready to laugh with this big-name stand-up comedian playing at a small venue.
Thursday, Sept. 19
  • Hawthorne Ghost Tour | Thursday, Sept. 19 | 7 p.m. | Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard + 37th Avenue, Portland | $20+ | As the sun goes down the scary stories come out on this family-friendly, 1.5 mile walk.
Friday, Sept. 20
  • Oaks Park Oktoberfest | Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 22 | Times vary | Oaks Amusement Park | $4+ | Beer will be flowing for those 21+ while all ages are invited to enjoy German food, polka music, dancing, activities, cooking shows, and rides.
More to do this week
Click here to have your event featured.
Habitat for Humanity Portland Region ReStores
 
Travel

✈️ 3 wildly cheap flights out of PDX in 2024
A plane flys over palm trees in a clear sky.
Pro tip: Set custom destination alerts as a Going Premium member. | Photo by Pexels
Great airfare deals do exist — and thanks to flight price tracking services like Going, you can save hundreds on your next trip. Sign up for Going’s two-week free trial of its Premium plan, and you’ll be emailed when international flights leaving our city are seriously discounted.

Here are real flight deals out of PDX the Going team found this year:
  • $399 to Rome
  • $794 to Cook Islands
  • $455 to Tokyo
Try for free + get local flight deals
News Notes
Community
  • Last week, two separate fires broke out in Southwest and Southeast Portland sparked by lithium-ion batteries that had generated too much internal heat. As a result, 11 people are now displaced from their homes. Learn how to safely dispose of batteries at your curbside. (KGW)
Watch
  • As they compete for one lucky bachelorette, the men can’t speak (but their phones are free game) during “Love Isn’t Blind,” the feminist dating show created and hosted by Allison Goldberg. She’s bringing the live, laugh, love to Portland for the first time this Wednesday at Helium Comedy Club.
Drink
  • The space that See See Motor Coffee Co. left in Beaverton won’t be empty much longer. Deadstock Coffee is expanding from Portland’s Old Town with a new location in the suburbs. Details like an opening date are TBD, but follow along on Instagram for updates.
Biz
  • Hoffman Construction Co. built the airport’s new terminal and is the fastest-growing company in the the region. After bringing in $5.6 billion in revenue in 2023, the Portland-headquartered, employee-owned business looks to continue that trend in 2025. (Portland Business Journal)
Try This
  • Aaand action! Have you always wanted to test your acting chops on stage, or perhaps in front of a camera? The Actors Conservatory, a Portland institution for 40 years, has a new program offering evening and weekend classes for the public + theater lovers, as well as a comedy course.
Sports
  • Rose City Futsal is a great place to meet new friends, and who knows, you might just run into Diego Valeri. The Portland Timbers legend has joined the organization’s ownership team, where he will be integral to programming, including community outreach and tournament development.
Outdoors
  • An apple a day is not so far away. There are a bushel of u-pick orchards just outside of Portland where you can harvest the autumnal fruit and enjoy some spectacular scenery, like Bell’s Orchard in Beaverton or Draper Girls Country Farm in Mount Hood. (Portland Monthly)
Listen
  • Building block or trade piece? What is Anfernee Simons for the Trail Blazers? Hear Mike Richman discuss this question and other topics on the Locked On Blazers podcast.
    Festival
    • Celebrate the season on Sauvie Island at Topaz Farm’s annual Fall Harvest Festival, starting Saturday, Sept. 28. Attendees can enjoy sunflowers, mazes, hayrides, u-pick pumpkin fields, and family-friendly activities. Psst… The farm’s ticketed admission for fall weekends means fewer crowds. Book your autumn adventure.*
    Drink
    • Hey wine lovers: Oak Flat Vineyards is hosting a unique wine blending experience this Thursday, Sept 19. From 5-7 p.m., explore how Grenache Syrah Mourvedre are blended together + take home a bottle of Oak Flat Wines that you’ll blend yourself. Snag tix.*
    Pets
    • Vet visits can be scary (for us + our furry children) — but they certainly don’t need to be expensive. Get the coverage your pet actually needs with America’s top-rated insurance.*
    Shop
     
    Today Is

    🗳️ National Voter Registration Day

    Don’t miss Oregon’s voter registration deadline
    A person wearing a red beanie and black puffy coat drops their ballot off at an official Multnomah County Ballot Drop Box. The pavement is wet and it looks like it's raining.
    Make sure you know where your nearest ballot drop box is if you’re not mailing it in. | Photo courtesy of Multnomah County
    It’s an annual, bipartisan holiday that celebrates our country’s democracy and has helped to register 5 million Americans to vote since 2012.

    This year’s general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5 will decide many important positions in Portland, like mayor and city council, with ranked choice voting. Positions for the rest of Oregon will also be elected.

    But to ensure that each vote is counted, Portlanders must register by the Tuesday, Oct. 15 deadline at 11:59 p.m. That is also the cutoff to update any information, such as political party affiliation, or name and address changes.

    To do so, simply visit the secretary of state’s website, where an online portal is also available in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Somali, and Russian. There is an in-person option too — fill out this form and take it to your county elections office.
    The Buy

    The Buy 9.17.24 (Affiliate)
    A soft knit sweater that’s available in six different colors. Bonus: No dry cleaning necessary — it’s machine washable in a handy laundry bag.
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    The Wrap
     
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    Today’s edition by:
    Ben
    From the editor
    Over the weekend, I watched my Ducks get a victory over the Beavers during my first ever visit to Reser Stadium. The weather was perfect, the fans wearing orange and black were mostly nice, and I had a great time (except for the traffic).
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