International Waters Festival
Valentine's Hosts an Evening of Culture
Unsurprisingly, Portland has no shortag 2000 e of young creatives. So many can one might argue that a majority of these creative spirits can become lost in our calm, however frigid Northwest waters. If only there were some sort of “Meta-Festival”, a gathering of like minds that would provide these spirits a platform by which they could rise from the watery depths of anonymity to the more conspicuous surface of generalized appreciation. Last night a confluence of creative communities set their sails for The International Waters Festival for just this.
Valentine's had the distinct honor of hosting this event. Its intimate ambiance and friendly staff provided both presenters and guests alike an unforgettable and unique experience. However, these events don’t just organize themselves. So who catalyzed these communities?
Well put your spyglass away and look no further than the industrious folks at The Research Club. These are the people that we must all thank for what’s to come, for by their efforts and initiative this team of organizers and facilitators alike has put together what they are calling The Passport Project. It’s no secret, as one only needs to visit their website to discover that “The Portland Passport Project is a system to make it easier to find new communities that matter to you and to gain new, enthusiastic members for your own community.” What does this mean? Well, only by attending one of the many upcoming events can you fully understand this commendable objective. Prices will vary by event, but there is sure to be something for everyone.
Exemplifying this mission statement were the performers, speakers, and people who attended Valentine's last night. It didn’t take long for that amiable venue to transform into a veritably melting pot of community sharing and appreciation. Quite honestly, there was something for everyone! From Robby Crafts intricate origami folding presentation to Hand2Mouth’s beautiful performance that left the late night crowd both blissfully smiling, while at times noticeably curious.
While most of the later performances were either music or drama, earlier attractions were in the form of informative presentations. For instance, Marc Moscato from The Dill Pickle Club showed up to further promote Portland’s eccentric and extremely talented cast of characters. Much like The Research Club, The Dill Pickle club has taken it upon itself to “organizes educational projects that help us understand the place in which we live.”
As the tall ceilings became obscured by deep shadows in the waning hours of the day, Mykle Hansen and his rather well-dressed assistant took the floor, where they conducted themselves with an air of comedic absurdity. Calling their performance Chad Chats, the pair put on one of the more radical presentations of that night’s proceedings. Behind them sat a projector screen in which intermittently showed a series of disparate images that extenuated Hansen’s humorist, scientific “infotanment.” Chad Chats 2: The Future of Soon will take place at The Jack London Bar on May 17th, so don’t miss it!
As mentioned, most of the musical performances took place earlier in the night. To start, Ciara Carruthers swooned the crowd with her soft, lilting voice and further serenaded our ears with her melodic ukulele. Next, we heard Weird Fiction produce a curious avant-garde performance in which the listener could not help but be transported to a cinematic landscape from some David Lynch film… Music performances from that point took on a theme of experimental jazz/rock/art brut sensibility; where in the ever-present accompaniment of non-sequitur psychedelic visual stimuli hypnotized, and tranquilized the rapturous onlookers.
International Waters Fest never failed in capturing the attention and appreciation of the night’s attendees. Many thanks to Nim Wunnan who took the reins in organizing and curating this event. If you see this man on the street shake his hand and be sure to ask him about what else is happening in this town, for surely he’s privy to what’s what in Portland. Also, be sure to visit portlandpassport.org/events for new events as they are announced.
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