SOU’WESTER EVENTS!

Sama Dams: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Few bands command the unexpectedly fine line that divides tension and release like Sama Dams does. And it’s no wonder: songwriters Sam and Lisa Adams have been playing music together for over a decade – as long as they have been married – developing a creative forthrightness that sometimes feels voyeuristic. Taking cues from jazz, R&B, new wave, indie-rock, and classical art song, the alt-rock trio weaves a sensuous musical fabric that is distinctly theirs.

 

Much like the Dirty Projectors or Thom Yorke, Sama Dams’s high art sensibilities are wrapped around a subversive knotty core of uncompromised radicalism – like if Leonard Bernstein was signed to K Records. In that way, the DIY ethos of the Pacific Northwest has shaped much of the band’s path forward since graduating music school in 2008 and relocating to Portland in 2012.

 

Sama Dams’s fourth and most recent full-length album, ‘Say It’, surprises you with its gritty yet precise instrumentation, striking a keen balance between reserve and power, from wiley “Neil-Young-riding-a-rocket-sled” electric guitar riffs and mutant waves of organ to distorted ukulele and cut-up-on-the-spot breakbeats. The Portland Mercury said “‘Say It’ is an endlessly fascinating sonic concoction, and a confident step forward for Sama Dams.” What should be a series of stylistic contradictions results in each song firmly standing its ground as an interwoven compositional masterpiece, bending and twisting with eclectic abandon.

 

The band’s sprawling sonic footprint is held together by their dynamic vocal power – an alternate-reality vocal pairing of Kate Bush and Jeff Buckley. Sam and Lisa’s combined proficiencies and unique approaches to songwriting merge with the brilliant percussive work of drummer Micah Hummel, creating a matchless sound in live settings as well as in the studio.

 

Sama Dams can regularly be found gracing stages, music festivals, and living rooms across the United States and Central Europe, their music finding a place in the hearts of both music enthusiasts and general audiences alike with their intelligent arrangements, catchy melodies, and playful musicality.

 

The band’s support of their latest release Not Gonna Lie EP in February of 2020 was interrupted But they are happy to be back on stage, and preparing to record a full length record.

 

Faith & Majesty: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Faith & Majesty are an indie folk/alt sister duo/band from Gainesville, Florida. Their contemplative writing melded with hard-hitting harmonies make their music feel like a heartbreaking lullaby. Having started making music together in 2016, the duo are excited to release their first EP in 2023 following their string of single releases. 

Ever wondered about the beautiful Japanese prints you find all over the world?  This course is designed to show you the basics of Moku Hanga (Japanese woodblock). Though a more complicated printing technique, this class will take you through a quick crash course covering all the major points, and allow you to pull a few prints yourself. Charles Spitzack (American, Pacific Northwest) was born in 1987 in Minnesota and raised in the Twin Cities. He received a BFA with a focus in Print Arts and Drawing from Cornish College of the Arts and has participated in residencies at Rockland Woods and Mokuhanga Project space. As a Pacific Northwest-based artist, he teaches woodblock printmaking at  Pratt Fine Arts Center and also works as a carpenter, a process that reflects his interest in the physicality of woodblock prints and his ability to find inspiration anywhere. His work has been shown extensively in the Pacific Northwest and internationally. Spitzack is known for his bold, energetic, Mokuhanga-inspired woodblock prints of the human figure, animals, landscapes, urban scenes, and more. His work commonly addresses the plight of the working class, hopelessness in the face of destruction, and humanistic experiences.  Register

Oh, Rose: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

The Olympia, WA based Oh, Rose has solidified their place in the PNW music scene through powerful, upbeat performances showcasing the emotive and unfiltered voice of frontperson Olivia Rose. Their catalog is both intimate and explosive; since forming in 2014, the band has released two albums and an EP, amassing a catalog that ranges from soft, synth-tinted love songs to full-on, painfully screamed ballads. Their latest release, While My Father Sleeps via Park the Van Records, tells the complex story of family, adversity, love, and friendship, while also serving as an homage to Rose’s mother, who passed away in January of 2017. Rose will be performing an intimate, stripped down version of previously released and new material at Sou’wester on February 25th, 2023.

Learn about how to use a mixture of concrete to make lightweight and durable jewelry. Students will learn how to make a one part mold and pour the concrete as a casting technique. Afterwards students will sand their concrete and seal them. Students will leave with one finished piece of jewelry!

Arielle Brackett is a metalsmith and educator based in Portland, Oregon. She received her BFA in metals at the Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2017. She has shown nationally and internationally, including Canada, Romania and Russia. Brackett was awarded best in metals at the Colorado Gallery of the Arts and the Art Center of Estes Park and Juror’s Choice Award in Jewelry from CraftForms 2021. She received two scholarships to paint in Le Barroux, France and Grand Junction, Colorado. In May 2016, Brackett was granted a full ride scholarship to attend a two-week glass workshop at the Penland School of Craft. Brackett is published in Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), Jams 2018 and How Art Heals, by Andra Stanton. In 2019, she had a piece in a runway show, Shift in Portland, Oregon. Brackett showed work in SNAG’s Exhibition in Motion in 2019 and 2021.

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Twin Bridges: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Twin Bridges is the solo work of Zach Gerzon, a Portland, Oregon based cellist. Twin Bridges is a blend of singer songwriter, cello driven songs, and live looped instrumentals.

 

Matthew Zeltzer: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Matthew Zeltzer is a Portland based songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is best known for his work with MAITA (guitar, production), and has toured the US and Europe both as a solo artist and sideman. His work has been featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered, Spin, and KEXP. 

 

 

The Fourth Wall: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

The Fourth Wall was formed in 2011 on the island of Oahu. After releasing their first record (Motion & Rest), they quickly gained local notoriety, opening for visiting national acts like Andrew Bird, The Shins, and Menomena. In 2012, The band relocated to Portland, Oregon. Since their move, they’ve released two highly acclaimed records through Portland label, Bug Hunt. The Portland Mercury called their 2015 album (Lovely Violence) “something of a wonder: an engrossing, fully realized and vitalized record with no easy musical touchstone.” The band went on a few tours following the release of Lovely Violence and landed an opening spot with Band of Horses.

4th Annual ARTS WEEK!

During Arts Week The Sou’wester hosts 30-35 artists and art collectives for a week of residency work culminating in a weekend (Friday and Saturday) of music, studio tours, performances and installations.

Over the past 9 years we have held an event around this time of year to highlight the creative process and the experiential nature of the Sou’wester Residency Program. Each year this event brings amazing artists to this neck of the woods and shines creative light into the darkest heart of winter.

The focus of Arts Week 2023 is SHIFTING CYCLES:

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On the weekend, Friday and Saturday March 17th and 18th, 2023 the public will be invited, free and open to all, to tour the grounds and surrounding areas for a weekend full of installations, music, performances and open studios.

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(The Sou’wester has regular residencies offered year-round in addition to residency events such as the annual ARTS WEEK. Applications for the Sou’wester Standard Residency are separate from ARTS WEEK and accepted on a rolling basis.)

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Thank you to our Arts Week 2023 Sponsors!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Workshop includes relief printmaking demo (linocut), time for sketching and discussion during interactive presentation that situates us on the timeline of activist printmaking from Martin Luther 16th Century to Mexico 20th century to the present. Building upon a 30 year history as stage performer and rock singer, Karim Shuquem creates installations, sculptures, and prints that have relationship with staging, temporality, and process. Shuquem has recently completed the Otis College MFA program and works as an art teacher. Register