The Instigator
Happy New Year! Here’s what’s happening in January in Salem, Oregon.
Thursdays
Each week, the Salem Poetry Project presents a featured reader followed by the “Infamous Open Mic” – 3 poems or five minutes whichever is shortest. The featured reader begins at 7 p.m. and the open mic directly follows. Watch for the announcement of featured speakers in the January online calendar.
When: 7 p.m. Thursdays
Where: Ike Box, 229 Cottage St NE
Cost: Free
Info: facebook.com/SalemPoetryProject
Fridays
Chemeketa Planetarium — Ring World. Saturn is the true “Lord of the Rings.” After a seven-year journey from earth, the two-story Cassini spacecraft began orbiting Saturn in July 2004. This mission of exploration ended in September 2017 following a successful close-up look at the planet and a final descent into it. Join us as we celebrate the many new images captured by Cassini over a 13 years period. See Saturn now in this full-dome presentation. All shows include a brief introduction that explores the night time sky over Salem during this season of the year.
When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Jan. 10 through Mar. 13
Where: Chemeketa Planetarium, Bldg. 2, Rm. 171, 4000 Lancaster Dr. NE
Cost: $5. Children and Chemeketa students are $4.Tickets on sale at the door beginning at 7:10 p.m.; cash only
Info: chemeketa.edu/community-partners/planetarium
January 3-5
Pentacle Theatre presents Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, a contemporary take on a classic tale featuring Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” alongside a hilarious and romantic libretto by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane. Lyrics and Book by Oscar Hammerstein II. Adapted by Tom Briggs. Directed by Karen McCarty. Suitable for all audiences, from young children to young-at-heart centenarians.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3; 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 and Sunday, Jan. 5
Where: Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. SE
Cost: $35 adult; $30 child
Info: 503-400-6582, pentacletheatre.org
January 4
TEDxSalem VII embraces the theme of “Vision” with a full-day of activities, talks, interactive “recess” sessions, swag, entertainment, lunch and snacks, and more.
When: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4
Where: Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE
Cost: $60. $100 patron; $45 student. $5 more on day of event. Get tickets at www.bit.ly/TEDxSalem007
Info: tedxsalem.com
January 5
Saintly Sundays with Saint Syndrome, the lowest bass with the smallest waist and Oregon’s only piano-playing live-singing drag queen.
When: 8 p.m. Sunday, January 5
Where: Taproot Lounge & Cafe, 356 State Street
Info: 503-363-7668, www.facebook.com/events/2305666976365566/
January 9-11, 17-18
SKIT Theatre presents Disney’s Newsies – The Musical. New York City, 1899. Jack Kelly and his rag-tag team of newsboys make a meager living, buying and reselling ‘papes’ on city streets. Greedy editor Joseph Pulitzer is advised to hike the price from five to 10 cents. Newsies decide to seize the day, form a city-wide union and strike to fight against injustice.
When: 7 p.m. Jan. 9-11, 17-18 and 2 p.m. Jan. 18
Where: Salem First Free Methodist Church, 4455 Silverton Road NE
Cost: $10, $8 student/senior, $6 child
Info: 503-689-7588; skittheatre.com
January 10
Ceili of the Valley Society’s Second Friday Ceili is a night of live Irish music and social dancing. No partner or experience necessary as admission includes a lesson at the start and dances are called during the night.
When: 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. Live music and dancing begins at 8 p.m.
Where: VFW Hall, 630 Hood St NE
Cost: $10; $5 student; $30 family.
Info: ceiliofthevalley.org
January 10-12
Mid-Valley Home Show is where you can meet the experts and see hundreds of exhibits showcasing the latest in home products and services to discover what you need to refresh, enhance, remodel and build.
When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 11 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 12
Where: Jackman Long Building at Oregon State Fairgrounds
Info: homebuildersassociation.org
January 11
One-hour Free Guided Meditation Class for beginners and beyond. Learn to access the peace, clarity and joy already inside you in a gentle and all-inclusive atmosphere.
When: 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, January 11
Where: Bellywood Dance Studio, 495 State Street, Basement Suite 101
Cost: Free
Info: Jessica Amos at souldocent@gmail.com or www.staywithyourself.com/classes
January 12
Tour The Elsinore. Join us for a behind-the-scenes peek at the Elsinore including an in-depth history of the theater followed by a demonstration of the Mighty Wurlitzer — the largest theater organ in the Pacific Northwest. Please RSVP by calling 503-375-3574.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12
Where: Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. SE
Cost: $5 cash at the door
Info: 503-375-3574; www.elsinoretheatre.com
January 16
Take in a night of music with pop/rock band Pablo Cruise.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16
Where: Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. SE
Cost: $27 to $46; $5 more on day of show
Info: 503-375-3574; www.elsinoretheatre.com
January 17
Art Reception for Salem Art Association exhibits Veterans Exhibition featuring Matthew Boulay, John Oberdorf: Archeospaces, Katie Gilmour: Something Missing / Missing Something, Cynthia Herron.
When: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Where: Bush Barn Art Center, 600 Mission St. SE
Info: www.salemart.org
January 17-February 8
Pentacle Theatre presents Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for Stage By Ken Ludwig and directed by Isaac Joyce-Shaw. This classic murder mystery takes place in 1934 aboard the Orient Express. Detective Hercule Poirot, on his way to London after solving a murder in Syria, boards the famous train. The train is stopped by a snowdrift, and one of the train’s passengers is found murdered. Poirot is instantly on the case, and all the passengers are suspects. This play keeps you guessing with every new twist and turn, providing plenty of theories to contemplate until the culprit is finally revealed. The Jan. 22 show doubles as a fundraiser for KMUZ Community Radio. All ticket sale proceeds go to KMUZ.
When: 7:30 p.m. January 17-18, 23-25, 29-31 and February 1, 5-8 and 2 p.m. Jan. 19, 26 and Feb. 2
Where: Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Ave. NW.
Tickets: Purchase in advance at Pentacle’s ticket office at 145 Liberty St. NE or by calling 503-485-4300 or online at pentacletheatre.org. Tickets also available at the theater box office 45 minutes before each show.
Info: 503-485-4300
January 18
Tippy Toe Dance Studio Double Feature When the Century Comes & PANJE. When the Century Comes is a featured performance written, directed, and choreographed by Junior Choreographer Willow Shamain. This exciting and energetic performance teaches you that love is timeless as it travels all the back to the 1920’s. Panje, an original ballet written by Rebecca Swisher and directed by Rebecca Swisher and Nicole Tea-Pelley, follows a young girl into the jungle where she encounters an untamed tiger. Enthralled by its ferocity, she quests to keep the animal to herself, but soon learns the consequences of trying to harness its wild soul.
When: 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Where: Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St SE
Cost: $18; $12 child 10 and younger
Info: tippytoedancestudio.com
Delgani II – How We Remember. How do we maintain hope and forgiveness in the face of tragedy? This unique program explores Japanese internment during WWII through Haydn’s Emperor Quartet, Steve Reich’s Different Trains, and a new work by Boston composer Elena Ruehr — a co-commission with Quartet Nouveau and the Arneis Quartet. Concert ticket holders are invited to join us for a pre-concert talk looking at the inspiration behind the January concert, “How We Remember.” Delgani about the impetus for the project, the collaboration that resulted in Elena Ruehr’s new string quartet, the sound world of Steve Reich’s inventive documentary quartet “Different Trains,” and why they programmed these pieces together to reflect on the events of WWII. The presentation will last about an hour, including Q&A, following by a 30-minute break before the concert.
When: 3 p.m. January 18 with pre-concert talk at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Christian Science Church, 935 High St SE
Tickets and info: www.delgani.org
Salem’s Got Talent — Join Boys & Girls Club of Salem, Marion and Polk Counties as they partner with the Epping Family to bring positive change for youth in Northeast Salem with a fun-filled evening of entertainment, local talent, and some light-hearted shenanigans hosted by Tony Starlight and his live band.
When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, January 18
Where: Salem’s Historic Grand, 187 High St. NE
Cost: $50 – $100
Info: Contact Halie at hpeplinski@bgc-salem.org or 503-581-7383 x15
Kroc Health Fair 2020 — Vendors, free health screenings and a free day pass to the Kroc Center for all attendees. FREE Health Screenings Include: Children’s Mobile Dental Unit, Glaucoma, Hearing, Blood Glucose, Visual Acuity, Computerized Nerve Scan, Blood Pressure, BMI, Posture Analysis, Bone Density, Medical Massage, Flu Shots
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, January 18
Where: Kroc Center, 1865 Bill Frey Dr NE
January 17-18, 24-25
McKay’s winter musical, Rock of Ages hits the stage with a cast and crew of 50 students working to bring the audience “nothin’ but a good time” as they relive the glory days of glam rock. It’s the 1980s in Hollywood, and the party has been raging hard. Heavy Metal flows freely at one of the Sunset Strips last legendary venues, where legendary rocker Stacee Jaxx takes the stage. Aspiring rock star Drew longs to take the stage as the next big thing and falls for small-town girl Sherri, fresh off the bus from Kansas with stars in her eyes. But the rock and roll fairy-tale is about to end when developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Strip into another capitalist strip mall. Can Drew, Sherri, and the gang save the strip–and themselves–before it’s too late? Only the music of Poison, Twisted Sister, Styx, Pat Benatar and more hold the answer.
When: 7 p.m. Jan 17-18, 24-25 and 2 p.m. Jan 25
Where: McKay High School, 2440 Lancaster Dr NE
Cost: $7. Tickets: mckayhs.ticketleap.com/rock/
January 21
The Salem Progressive Film Series hosts thought-provoking documentaries aimed at inspiring conversation and action, followed by discussion with a guest speaker.
When: 7 p.m. Jan. 21
Where: Grand Theatre, 191 High St. NE
Cost: $5
Info: salemprogressivefilms.net
January 24
Oregon Symphony in Salem presents Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Quickly carving out a space for himself among today’s leading interpreters of French music, Benjamin Grosvenor returns for Chopin’s astonishing Piano Concerto No. 2. Its combination of lyrical grace and rhapsodic brilliance contrasts perfectly with the restless yearning of Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony. Classical Series Concert.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 24
Where: Smith Auditorium at Willamette University, 900 State St.
Cost: $35 and up
Info: www.orsymphonysalem.org
Arts in our Lives: Ricardo De Mambro Santos with Q&A to follow
When: 6 to 7 p.m. Jan 24
Where: Bush Barn Art Center, 600 Mission St. SE
Info: www.salemart.org
January 24-25
Sip and sample your way across the culinary delights of Oregon at First Taste Oregon. It’s not just about what you eat and drink (although there is definitely an opportunity at this event) but First Taste also features entertainment, including two stages of music; art; vendors; and more.
When: 4 to 10 p.m. Jan. 24 and 12 to 10 p.m. Jan. 25
Where: Columbia Hall at Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St. NE
Cost: $6 to $20 in advance; $8 to $30 day of show
Info: firsttasteoregon.com
Varsity Vocals, the largest international a cappella tournament exclusive to high school and university students, hosts two-nights of a cappella. Friday includes select Oregon high schools and Saturday features college groups.
When: Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25
Where: Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. SE
Cost: TBA
Info: 503-375-3574; www.elsinoretheatre.com
January 25-26
At the award-winning Oregon Wedding Showcase you can meet wedding vendors, see fashion shows, and get ideas.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 25 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 26
Where: Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St. NE
Cost: $10
Info: 503-838-2226, oregonweddingshowcase.com
January 25
Chamber Choir and the Willamette Singers Homecoming Concert
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, January 25
Where: Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center at Willamette University
Info: 503-370-6255
January 26
Camerata Musica presents Famiglia del Arte vocal ensemble, Kevin Helppie and family
When: 3 p.m. Jan. 26
Where: Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5090 Center Street
Salem Symphonic Winds: Tales of Sorcery will feature Crystal Zimmerman in a performance of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor. Other works include The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas, and Winds of Nagual by Michael Colgrass.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26
Where: Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. SE
Cost: $30 reserved, $20 general, $10 student
Info: 503-375-3574; www.elsinoretheatre.com
January 29
Distinguished Artist Series features GRAMMY® nominated jazz singer and new music composer Theo Bleckmann.
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 29 (note time correction)
Where: Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center at Willamette University
Cost: $23, $10 senior, $5 student
Info: 503-370-6255
January 30-31
Dramatic Vocal Arts Opera will perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario) and Antonio Salieri: Prima la musica e poi le parole (First the music and then the words). First heard in 1786, Mozart and Salieri’s competing operas premiered in opposite corners of the Vienna Palace in 1786. Historically, Mozart famously lost the competition to the more famous Salieri.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, January 30 and Friday, January 31
Where: Smith Auditorium at Willamette University
Cost: $10, $5 students/seniors
Info: 503-370-6255
And don’t forget these art happenings…
HALLIE FORD
The Hallie Ford Museum of Art is Oregon’s third-largest art museum. It features works by Pacific Northwest and Native American artists, a diverse collection of traditional European, American and Asian art, as well as artifacts that date from antiquity. Frequently changing exhibitions include lectures, special events, tours, artist demonstrations and educational opportunities for children and adults.
The museum is located at 700 State Street. Cost to explore is $6, $4 for seniors and $3 for students 18 and older. People age 17 and younger are admitted free, and admission is free for everyone on Tuesdays. For more information, visit willamette.edu/arts/hfma, or call 503-370-6855.
NOTE: The museum will be closed through Jan. 5 for Winter Break.
January 7 through April 26
Checkmate! Chess Sets from Maryhill Museum of Art — Over the past 1000 years, the game of chess has spread across the world, crossing cultural and political boundaries. This exhibition looks at the wide range of chess sets made during the past 250 years by diverse cultures from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. While operating within a predetermined structure of the 32 game pieces, artists bring their own creativity and interpretation to each set, resulting in a wide variety of themes and materials. Created with wood, glass, bone, and ivory, the sets include traditional designs, as well as abstract, non-figurative sets and narrative sets depicting mythological characters or historical figures.
January 26 through March 29
John Buck: Prints and Sculpture from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation — John Buck is a nationally recognized Montana artist who has created a large and powerful body of woodblock prints and wood sculptures over the past four decades. Buck is a virtuoso draftsman who has learned to draw with different types of sharp tools, which he uses to explore both local and global issues in sophisticated works that are imbued with complex iconography and often layered with multiple meanings.
SALEM ART ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1919, the Salem Art Association aims to engage the community in the appreciation of the arts through contemporary art exhibitions and events, arts education for youth and adults, and the preservation and interpretation of our shared cultural heritage.
Events and exhibits are located in the Bush Barn Art Center at 600 Mission St. SE. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. There is no charge to visit, but donations are always accepted. For more information, call 503-581‑2228 or visit salemart.org.
January 8 through February 20
Veterans Exhibition featuring Matthew Boulay & Eddie Caine: Yellow Squares Bombed. When former Marine Matthew Boulay returned from the war in Iraq, he created a very personal series of paintings titled Yellow Squares. Years later, at Boulay’s invitation, another former Marine, Eddie Caine, bombed the Yellow Squares. The term “bombing” refers to a contemporary art form that encompasses the basics of graffiti art with the capacity to change the immediate environment. Put another way, when “fine art” is bombed by “graffiti art” a wholly new form of art emerges. The result is an extraordinarily beautiful clash of artistic styles, cultures and stories.
January 18 through February 23
John Oberdorf: Archeospaces presents a survey of oil paintings that subtly play with our perception of reality and alludes to a dream-like existence. Oberdorf is a graduate of Oregon State University with a degree in Art and a minor in Anthropology. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout Arizona, California, and Oregon; is featured in numerous collections from New York to Los Angeles; and was reviewed in publications such as Art News.
Katie Gilmour: Something Missing / Missing Something — “Lately I have been looking at the impact on a subject when it’s been separated from its whole. ‘Something Missing / Missing Something’ is about the body and separation; about being whole, even after loss. About enjoying how something can be simultaneously strange and lovely; complete, yet still missing something. On one hand, this a very personal narrative of loss, but it also speaks to a more collective experience. There is no person unaffected by loss, yet the human psyche can recover; never seeming incomplete for long. We evolve in order to include what is missing as part of this new identity.”
Cynthia Herron — “As an artist, I have looked to landscape for fifty years. I have walked it, contemplated it, sketched it, painted it, photographed it, and written about it. With this series, I explore narrative and story as a participant, not just analyst. What happened in this location before I arrived? How did this object get here, or what if that object was left behind? Does an object have inherent good or bad qualities, beneficial or intrusive to the landscape? These questions remind me of the Japanese aesthetic ‘wabi-sabi,’ the beauty of the imperfect and impermanent.”
Through January 4
TEDxSalem Artist-in-Residence: Danielle Baca — The TEDxSalem AIR program aims to connect with the community through public art. Each year, TEDxSalem provides support for an artist to create a stage installation that will help set the tone for the event, communicate the event theme, and convey an ‘idea worth spreading.’ The artist will present a TEDx talk on stage at the annual event during the year of their exhibit. It is the hope that through this program, we can connect ideas, innovation and community through art. Learn more at www.tedxsalem.com.
Related Events
ARTS IN OUR LIVES: Ricardo De Mambro Santos, 6 to 7 p.m. Jan 24 with Q&A to follow
ART TALK TUESDAY: 10 a.m. Jan. 7
WILLAMETTE HERITAGE CENTER
Preserving and interpreting the history of the Mid-Willamette Valley, the Willamette Heritage Center features 14 historic structures that house permanent and changing exhibits, a research library and archive, textile learning center, and rentable event spaces over a five-acre campus, which also has retail shops, art galleries, cooperative artist studios, and offices. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and located at 1313 Mill St SE. Cost to explore is $8. $7 senior, $5 student and $4 for ages 6 to 17. For more information, call 503-585-7012 or go to willametteheritage.org.
January 24 – April 18
Join the Club! This exhibit will focus on the history of clubs and social organizations in the Mid-Willamette Valley. From fraternal organizations to service groups to kid’s associations — clubs help shape our identity, widen our network and form community. They can provide a place of belonging and shared interests. They can also divide and exclude. This exhibit will look at the great variety of clubs and organizations in our region.
Gallery 444
Located within Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery at 444 Ferry St. SE, Gallery 444 hosts month exhibits highlight artists from in and around Salem. Info: 503-581-4642, elsinoregallery.com
January — Featured Artist Vignette show with new artists Tricia Kittredge and Geronimo Calzada anchoring the exhibit. Reception: 5 to 8 p.m. Jan 8 (unless it snows)
Galleria at the Oregon State Capitol
Racing to Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years Exhibit — This exhibit explores how racist attitudes, policies of exclusion, and the destruction of Black-woned neighborhoods shaped Oregon, as well a the unceasing efforts of the Black community to overcome these obstacles. Courtesy of the Oregon Black Pioneers.
When: January 2-28. Monday through Friday 8 a..m. to 5 p.m.
Oregon Governor’s Office
Since 1975, the Art in the Governor’s Office Program has honored selected artists in Oregon with exhibitions in the reception area of the Governor’s Office in the State Capitol Building. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. An exhibit in the Governor’s Office is considered a lifetime honor. Info: www.oregonartscommission.org
Through January 21
Those Who Step Into the Same Rivers — In this new body of work Astoria artist Darren Orange’s compositions stretch further from literal reference and deeper into abstraction. The artist continues to explore automatism, a practice of intuitive mark-making that engages both play and meditative focus. The resulting built-up paint layers present suggestive imagery that reveal the history of the painting process in line, smudge and replacement. The exhibited works were created in Orange’s studio on the Columbia River.
Prisms Gallery
Prisms Gallery has a mission to encourage people with disabilities to explore and challenge themselves through artistic practices and make meaningful connections within our community. As part of Partnerships in Community Living, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides services to people with intellectual/developmental disabilities throughout Oregon, is a resource to artists of all kinds in the Salem area offering free activities and events. Prisms Gallery, located at 189 Liberty St S, Suite B2, is open 1 to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Info: 503-990-8283, facebook.com/prismsgallery.
