January/February Arts Calendar
January 6th, 2012 by Sylke Neal-Finnegan
The new year begins with a slate of worthy cultural exhibits, live musical performances, spoken word and theater productions. The following are some of the highlights of happenings in Oregon’s Washington County for January and February.
EXHIBITIONS
The Washington County Museum (17677 NW Springville Rd., Portland, on the Portland Community College Rock Creek campus) presents “Snapshots!” (through April 21; $3), a retrospective of Washington County’s history told through photographs ranging from the late 19th century to the Roaring Twenties.
LIVE MUSIC
Traditional Irish music takes center stage at the Winona Grange (8340 SW Seneca St., Tualatin) with upcoming 2nd Saturday Celtic Community Concerts featuring Molly’s Revenge (January 14, 7:30 p.m.; $15) and Laurence Nugent (February 11, 7:30 p.m.; $15).
Up-and-coming jazz band Blue Cranes will be performing at the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center (527 E. Main St., Hillsboro; January 20, 7:30 p.m.; $12 in advance, $14 day of show). The band’s style has been described as “walking a thin line between improvisation and catchiness.”
Enjoy an evening of koto (a traditional Japanese stringed instrument) as East meets West with Mitsuki Dazai & Friends at the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center (527 E. Main St., Hillsboro; February 3, 7:30 p.m.; $15 in advance, $17 day of show).
Pacific University Performing Arts Series presents the Good Lovelies (Pacific University, Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove; February 4, 7:30 p.m.; $22), an all-female trio from Canada performing an upbeat combination of pop, folk and western swing.
LIVE THEATER
The the acclaimed, award-winning Broadway Rose Theatre Company (12850 SW Grant Ave., Tigard) presents a one-night-only performance of an original work, titled “Sing Now or Forever Hold Your Peace,” (January 14, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.; $40), a delightful evening of tales and songs from Broadway Rose’s 20-year history.
Broadway Rose also is presenting a staged reading of the colorful musical, “Oil Change the Musical Comedy” (January 20-21, 7:30 p.m.; January 22, 2 p.m.; $10), a family-friendly musical featuring 18 original songs ranging from rock, county and blues to rap, Latin and love ballads, all accompanied by a live band.
The 2012 Season of Great Escapes officially starts with Broadway Rose’s country music revue, “Pump Boys and Dinettes” (February 2 – March; $20-35), in a tale of friendship, romance and heartbreak.
Professional Theater company Bag&Baggage presents “Love Letters” at the Venetian Theatre (253 E. Main St., Hillsboro; February 13-14, 7:30 p.m.; $25). Back by popular demand, the performance is an exploration of two characters’ lives as they read aloud love letters they’ve written to each other over the course of their lives.

Portland-born artist Mark Rothko is the subject of January's Spoken Word series at the Walters Cultural Arts Center
SPOKEN WORD
The Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center (527 E. Main St., Hillsboro) features a spoken word discussion about Portland-born and internationally acclaimed artist Mark Rothko (January 17, 7 p.m.; $12 in advance, $14 day of show). Caroline Kim, of the Portland Art Museum, will provide a rare behind-the-scenes look at Rothko and his work.
On February 21, local historian Richard Engeman will present an illustrated history of Oregon with 49 illustrations in 49 minutes at the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center (January 20, 7 p.m.; free).
For a complete list of art and culture events and performances in Oregon’s Washington County, including community performing arts groups, visit the Event Calendar.
Tags: art, Bag&Baggage, Blue Cranes, Broadway Rose, celtic concerts, exhibits, history, Irish, koto, live music, live performance, live theater, Mark Rothko, Mitsuki Dazai, Museum, musical theater, photography, spoken word, Walters Cultural Arts Center, Washington County Museum
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