Learn how to forge a double-edged sword with Bridgetown Forge using a combination of hand-hammering, striking with a sledgehammer, and pneumatic power hammer work.

“In spite of having been apprenticed to a sword maker in Japan, I have long resisted offering a sword class. However, I confess that as a kid, I really wanted to make one after reading The Hobbit. Yes, I really wanted to have that kind of handy hobbit-sword to swing at dragons, I mean weeds. I’ve consequently have forged a lot of swords, but almost always either for myself, or as a gift.”

Starting with a square bar of steel, we will forge a unique sword that features an integral handle, forged entirely from the one piece of steel with no welding, riveting or welding.
I’ve perfected this design while developing my take on the Caucasus Mountain dagger, and it works great with this type of sword as well.

Class fee is $580, Which includes all materials and supplies.

This is a two-day class: Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

No previous experience necessary.

Location: Bridgetown Forge

Cities that embrace belonging thrive. Everybody belongs, but to grow belonging infrastructure, people need power and decision-making over their own lives and communities through ongoing, intergenerational, arts- and culture-based gatherings, dialogue, and action, with young people leading the effort. Join Dr. Kimberly Nightingale and a team of Portland belonging practitioners from 1–4 p.m. for a real-time exploration on belonging in cities.

The event kicks off with a four-minute Portland-based film from local filmmaker Dawn Jones Redstone, offering a glimpse into what belonging infrastructure can look like on the ground. A short panel follows, bringing together some of the voices behind the film: PSU professors Dr. Lisa K. Bates (Urban Planning, Black Studies) and Dr. Alma Ouanesisouk Trinidad (Social Work), Juntos director Cristian Vargas, and youth panelists Kenlye Willingham and Amy Vu.

The panel is hosted by youth leaders Lorena Mora and Araya Ouanesisouk. From there, the afternoon opens into conversation and belonging activities. Artist April Reissmann will visually render the event as it unfolds. Free snacks and beverages will also be on hand for this afternoon of music, art, creation, and belonging. 

Location: ADX

Learn how to forge a double-edged sword with Bridgetown Forge using a combination of hand-hammering, striking with a sledgehammer, and pneumatic power hammer work.

“In spite of having been apprenticed to a sword maker in Japan, I have long resisted offering a sword class. However, I confess that as a kid, I really wanted to make one after reading The Hobbit. Yes, I really wanted to have that kind of handy hobbit-sword to swing at dragons, I mean weeds. I’ve consequently have forged a lot of swords, but almost always either for myself, or as a gift.”

Starting with a square bar of steel, we will forge a unique sword that features an integral handle, forged entirely from the one piece of steel with no welding, riveting or welding.
I’ve perfected this design while developing my take on the Caucasus Mountain dagger, and it works great with this type of sword as well.

Class fee is $580, Which includes all materials and supplies.

This is a two-day class: Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

No previous experience necessary.

Location: Bridgetown Forge

Gather for an evening of artistic exercise that will not only help keep you on track to complete the Inktober challenge, but also encourage you to create without that pesky perfectionist mindset getting in the way. This is all about vibes! The spooky kind. Hosted by Salem Zuniga - a queer, traditional ink illustrator - who is chomping at the bit to meet other creatives and sharpen our skills in good company.

We'll start with some shorter 2 min poses and work our way up to some longer 20-min ones by the end of the session (we'll take a few breaks as needed). The plan is to use position and props to incorporate each of the prompts from the first 5 days of Inktober. Expect some partial nudity, as well as Halloween subject matter (i.e., clowns, spiders, ya know, scary stuff). There will be an offering of some different art supplies, but it's recommended to bring your own so there's enough to go around. Come in street clothes, come in costume, and if you're feeling brave try striking a pose. More models are desired and encouraged. If you have an idea for one of the Inktober prompts, let me know!

DM me as @artofobsura on Instagram.

Join Volumes Design Library for the opening night of their showcase of Portland Designers. From Here will showcase a display of Oregon designers from the last 100 years.

VOLUMES is a reference library with an extensive collection of books, magazines, posters, and ephemera spanning disciplines, decades, and genres.

All materials are available for in-library use. We encourage visitors to explore, photograph, scan, and engage with the collection.

Location: Volumes Design Library

From the Westside wit Love was founded with a mission to uplift and empower local artists across the West Coast, with a deep commitment to the Portland, Oregon community where it all began.

You may know them from their community-rooted art exhibitions, DJ nights, or from their many coat, food, and school supply drives. FTWSWL stands firmly in its mission to create a space where connection thrives, where community is rooted, artists are supported, and people come together through art and culture to inspire and uplift one another. From The Westside wit Love was founded by a team of local Portland Chicanos. A demographic that was itching to showcase their culture and art with their environment.

Stay tuned for their ADX Fest event coming on October 9th at ADX! Event details coming soon!

Location: ADX

The Collective Mending Sessions is a series of socially engaged workshops led by artist Catherine Reinhart, centered on collectively mending abandoned quilts. This project cultivates care for cloth and community through the meditative process of slow stitching. Since 2018, Reinhart has led over 50 workshops both in-person and online, repairing ten quilts with hundreds of participants from around the world. 

These workshops resemble a quilting bee where participants learn basic mending and textile care, while building community in a warm, inclusive environment. They cultivate care for cloth and community through mending together and discussions centered around the value of repair. The resulting quilts are transformed from unwanted textile objects into contemporary fiber artworks through the work of many hands, moving toward a more egalitarian model of work. Shared alongside the workshop is an extensive library of resources, ranging from instructional texts on mending to textile history to cultural and craft theory.

Workshop duration is three hours. All materials are provided. Participants of all skill levels are welcome. 

Learn more about the project: www.collectivemendingsessions.com & IG: @collectivemendingsessions

Artist Statement – Catherine Reinhart

I am an interdisciplinary artist who makes fiber art and conducts socially engaged projects with abandoned textiles. These works center on the themes of domestic labor, connection and care. Caregiving girds up our society and is based largely on the undervalued labor of women. Tending to one’s family and community is built on consistent, repetitive actions which provide comfort, ease suffering, and connect us with our fellow man.

Mending and stitching by hand parallel these tending actions. By using them, I join the emerging discourse on the unseen contributions of women. Through the reuse of found textiles and ritualistic processes, I communicate the transformative power of caregiving.

Recently, my social practice work relies on the communal actions of mending together. With my work, I contribute to relevant and timely discussions reframing the value of care and connection to our neighbors and our possessions. I give voice and hold space for stories of repair, loss, and kinship.

Custom Pet Portraits with Ryan Berkley of Berkley Illustration

Cost: $50 for one pet / $100 for two pets in one drawing
Sign up to secure your spot in advance! Walk-ins will be accepted if time permits. 

Sign ups will go LIVE on September 9th at Noon at:
https://craftywonderland.com/blogs/news/custom-pet-portraits-with-ryan-berkley

Crafty Wonderland staff artist and renowned animal portraitist, Ryan Berkley will be doing quick 15-20 minute 4x6 animal drawings at the Crafty Wonderland downtown retail shop. 

Ryan Berkley is a self-taught illustrator best known for his detailed drawings of sophisticated animals in addition to his pop culture and comic-book-influenced art. He has also drawn every Crafty Wonderland market show poster since it began in 2006. Fun fact: when he draws, he tends to hold his breath and squint. 

He very rarely does custom portraits, so this is your chance to have him draw your beloved pet!

Location: Crafty Wonderland SW

Did We Sell Out? is a community gathering exploring the tensions many Latino organizers, artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and cultural workers navigate as our communities grow.

Through a moderated panel discussion, facilitated workshops, and opportunities to connect with local organizations, participants will engage questions around institutional relationships, creative labor, accountability, visibility, sustainability, and the pressures that can reshape our values and relationship to community.

Rather than offering easy answers, this event creates space for honest conversation, critical reflection, and collective learning around the contradictions many of us are already navigating in our work.

Whether you're an organizer, artist, entrepreneur, student, or community member, you're invited to join us as we explore what it means to build community with integrity.

Location: PNCA

Bread & Butter, an art and design social hour and gentle, bread-based art performance hosted by KB+BA. Come for bread and stay for a relaxed zine making activity and an opportunity to connect with the design community within the beautiful ADX loading bay!

But yes, there is actually delicious, fresh-baked bread (including gluten-free options~!) and butter (and non-dairy too!) for you to indulge in as you commune and create in a social setting. More bread, please!

Location: ADX

Multnomah Arts Center is opening its doors for an evening celebrating creativity, community, and our shared belief that the arts should be accessible to everyone!

On Friday, October 16th from 6:00–8:00 PM, explore MAC through 15 unique hands-on experiences, demonstrations, performances, and opportunities to meet the artists, educators, guilds, and community partners who make this place so special. Visitors can experience everything from ceramics, printmaking and metalsmithing to dance, music, woodworking and more.

Founded in 1973, Multnomah Arts Center has been part of Portland’s creative community for more than 50 years and is one of the largest comprehensive community arts centers in the nation. MAC serves more than 6,000 students of all ages and abilities each year through affordable visual, performing, and literary arts education, while its community engagement programs extend well beyond the building. Each summer, Arts in the Parks alone brings free arts experiences to thousands of Portland residents across more than 20 parks, from St. Johns to East County.

The Community Open House brings that mission to life through Arts for All, inviting people to participate, create, discover something new, and connect with some of the artists and organizations that make Portland such a vibrant creative community.

Location: Multnomah Arts Center

In this class, work with Bridgetown Forge to create an 8-inch blade cleaver out of a bar of high-carbon steel, stamp it with your initials, harden and temper it to have a tough back and a hard, durable edge, attach a hickory handle to it, and hone it to razor sharpness.

This cleaver will feature a progressive bevel, which allows it to handle both tough jobs like cutting through bones, and yet makes it possible to easily slice ripe tomatoes and chop and dice vegetables. Its weight and size are perfect for almost any task in the kitchen. In fact, a good, properly designed and forged cleaver is a wonderful tool to have in your kitchen — I’m still using the one I’ve inherited from my grandmother!

This class incorporates both hand forging and the use of a power hammer, the latter being an exciting and crucial skill for any modern blacksmith. It is also a necessary procedure in this class, as the cleaver we will be making is quite substantial.

This is a two day workshop: Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 AM- 4:30 PM

The class fees are $580, which includes all materials and safety supplies. The knife, and anything else you might make, are yours to take home with you.

Location: Bridgetown Forge

The 2026 PNW Miniature Show will feature a carefully curated collection of world-class artisans, creators, and dealers, showcasing everything from breathtaking 1:12 scale architectural masterpieces to exquisitely hand-painted micro-miniatures. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to meet some of the most celebrated names in the miniature world, whose artistry has captivated audiences across the country and inspired a new generation of collectors and makers.

“Miniatures are no longer just about childhood dollhouses; they are a sophisticated form of fine art,” says Parrish Bleau, organizer of the PNW Miniature Shows. “Everything that exists in the full-scale world—from mid-century modern furniture to gourmet charcuterie boards—is being meticulously recreated by artists at this show.”

Stay tuned to grab your ticket for this incredible program! Check out the PNW Miniatures webpage and explore their featured artists in the meantime.

Join Franklin Foto for a series of amazing pop-ups throughout the day on October 17th!

Here’s what to look forward to on October 17th:

• Photo walk in historic st. John’s

  • Join the Franklin Foto crew for a photo walk in the beautiful St. Johns neighborhoods through mid-October foliage! Loaner cameras available, or just bring your phone!

• Polaroid transfer workshop

  • In this class we will be removing the photo emulsion from Polaroid film and transferring it to paper. This transfer process allows us to work hands on with our photograph and play with how the image can exist as a physical object.

• Cyanotype or Lumen printing

  • Using the sunshine (or UV rays), you’ll use plant matter or found objects to create unique prints on cyanotype paper.

Franklin Foto was established in Portland, Oregon, to address the growing need for accessible, community-driven spaces within the city's thriving film photography culture. While Portland has long been home to a dedicated community of analog enthusiasts, opportunities for collaboration and access to working darkrooms have remained limited. Franklin Foto seeks to fill this gap by offering a fully equipped, inclusive space where photographers of all skill levels can develop their craft, share knowledge, and connect over their love for film.

Franklin Foto is a membership-based studio and has availability if you’re itching to take some photos!

Watercolor doesn’t have to be boring! It can be ragged and rough, crystalline and speckled, soft and sinewy.

In this playful, hands-on workshop, we’ll experiment with unexpected ways to create texture and pattern with watercolor. You’ll learn how ordinary—and a few not-so-ordinary—materials can change the way watercolor moves, settles, resists, and reacts on the page.

We’ll explore techniques using masking fluid, salt, rubbing alcohol, blotting and stamping, wax resist, and even Halloween webbing! Along the way, you’ll create a collection of textured watercolor experiments you can use for future paintings, illustrations, and creative projects.

No watercolor painting experience needed. Complete beginners welcome!

Location: ADX

In this class, work with Bridgetown Forge to create an 8-inch blade cleaver out of a bar of high-carbon steel, stamp it with your initials, harden and temper it to have a tough back and a hard, durable edge, attach a hickory handle to it, and hone it to razor sharpness.

This cleaver will feature a progressive bevel, which allows it to handle both tough jobs like cutting through bones, and yet makes it possible to easily slice ripe tomatoes and chop and dice vegetables. Its weight and size are perfect for almost any task in the kitchen. In fact, a good, properly designed and forged cleaver is a wonderful tool to have in your kitchen — I’m still using the one I’ve inherited from my grandmother!

This class incorporates both hand forging and the use of a power hammer, the latter being an exciting and crucial skill for any modern blacksmith. It is also a necessary procedure in this class, as the cleaver we will be making is quite substantial.

This is a two day workshop: Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 AM- 4:30 PM

The class fees are $580, which includes all materials and safety supplies. The knife, and anything else you might make, are yours to take home with you.

Location: Bridgetown Forge

The 2026 PNW Miniature Show will feature a carefully curated collection of world-class artisans, creators, and dealers, showcasing everything from breathtaking 1:12 scale architectural masterpieces to exquisitely hand-painted micro-miniatures. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to meet some of the most celebrated names in the miniature world, whose artistry has captivated audiences across the country and inspired a new generation of collectors and makers.

“Miniatures are no longer just about childhood dollhouses; they are a sophisticated form of fine art,” says Parrish Bleau, organizer of the PNW Miniature Shows. “Everything that exists in the full-scale world—from mid-century modern furniture to gourmet charcuterie boards—is being meticulously recreated by artists at this show.”

Stay tuned to grab your ticket for this incredible program! Check out the PNW Miniatures webpage and explore their featured artists in the meantime.

A mixed-media, hands-on workshop where imagination takes charge, + connection flourishes.

This safe and welcoming space features multiple sensory-rich play centers for exploration. Each week we experiment with an enticing buffet of mushy, colorful, sticky, loud, gooey, soft, familiar and unfamiliar ingredients. Together we build, squish, splatter, make sounds, write, and dance however we like.

Hello, my name is Denise, thank you for checking out this offering. Like you, I’m a real live human being bombarded by the news of grim narratives and unimaginative solutions. In spite of the forces proclaiming otherwise, I find most people are naturally imaginative, brave, kind, creative, generous, and often, lots of fun to be with. I also find we humans are at our best when we’re sharing inspiration, new perspectives, and enjoying laughter together. Through guided practices and play we will counter the narratives keeping us stuck, sad, angry, and afraid. We are the medicine needed to restore our own wellbeing and the health of our planet.

Denise is a licensed therapist, trained and certified in Internal Family Systems and mindfulness-based modalities for mental health and addiction recovery.

www.mindfulplace.com to learn more.

Location: ADX

Learn the fundamentals of watercolor painting during this evening of learning, making, fun, and beer.

Get your ticket here!

Learn foundational watercolor techniques and take home your own hop-tastic creation in this all levels workshop. Local artist Amy Wike will teach insider tips and tricks of the watercolor medium, introduce essential materials and techniques, and provide Baerlic beer-themed templates for you to fill in (or create your own masterpiece from a blank canvas)! Enjoy Baerlic brews while you work, and come ready to paint!

All supplies provided; you'll take home a 16-color watercolor paint set, one brush, a coloring book-style design printed on watercolor paper, and any of your own creations made during class.

Learn more about local watercolor artist Amy Wike on instagram @amy_wike or her website at https://www.amywikeillustration.com/

Location: Please note this event takes place at the Baerlic Brewing Alberta location (2223 NE Alberta St).

An evening of play with Makerspace Sellwood!

Sip & Clay is an open studio-style hand-built ceramics evening. Each guest receives 1lb of clay, access to all tools and glazes. Extra clay available for purchase. Staff available for tips and tricks to support your making. All pieces will be fired in our off-site kiln and can be picked up 2-3 weeks after the event.
A variety of beverages is included in the ticket price, including Brew Dr. Kombucha on tap.

Registration link coming soon!

About Makerspace Sellwood:

This southeast Portland creative sanctuary offers a variety of robust classes and workshops created for makers of all skill levels! Specializing in letterpress, ceramics, fiber arts, florals, painting, stained glass, and collage, you can always learn something new with Alison, Mackenzie, and the wonderful instructors at Makerspace Sellwood.

Location: Makerspace Sellwood

Launching into our 23rd season, we continue our mission to MOVE DANCE FORWARD with the creation of NEW WORKS with TWO WORLD PREMIERES and the return of a fan favorite from Artistic Director Sarah Slipper.

The beloved Ihsan Rustem will create a new work for the company alongside a premiere from rising choreographer Akira Uchida whose vibrant creative voice traverses between the concert and commercial dance scenes of Los Angeles and New York.

NW Dance Project has fostered the creation and Portland premiere of nearly 400 original contemporary dance works to date. Our dedication to providing dancers and dance makers the resources and creative room needed to realize new, inspired dance works led Dance International Magazine to proclaim that we are “changing the way dance is created” and that NW Dance Project has become “a laboratory, factory and repository for risk-taking new works from the next generation of choreographers from Europe and North America.”

Sliding scale pricing available starting at $5 for OR and WA SNAP card holders.

Location: Newmark Theatre

Designing a Painting: in conversation with Paula Bullwinkel

Paula Bullwinkel is a narrative and figurative painter immersed in absurdist stories she invents. She has exhibited widely, including NYC, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Oakland, Switzerland and Portland. Born in Northern California, she spent her childhood making miniature clay animals and figures in her mom’s ceramic studio, reading classic fairytales, and playing for hours in the woods with imaginary characters. After earning a B.A. in English literature at UC Berkeley, Bullwinkel spent 18 years in New York City and London as an editorial fashion and portrait photographer. She now paints and lives in Portland, Oregon.

Location: Blackfish Gallery

Launching into our 23rd season, we continue our mission to MOVE DANCE FORWARD with the creation of NEW WORKS with TWO WORLD PREMIERES and the return of a fan favorite from Artistic Director Sarah Slipper.

The beloved Ihsan Rustem will create a new work for the company alongside a premiere from rising choreographer Akira Uchida whose vibrant creative voice traverses between the concert and commercial dance scenes of Los Angeles and New York.

NW Dance Project has fostered the creation and Portland premiere of nearly 400 original contemporary dance works to date. Our dedication to providing dancers and dance makers the resources and creative room needed to realize new, inspired dance works led Dance International Magazine to proclaim that we are “changing the way dance is created” and that NW Dance Project has become “a laboratory, factory and repository for risk-taking new works from the next generation of choreographers from Europe and North America.”

Sliding scale pricing available starting at $5 for OR and WA SNAP card holders

Location: Newmark Theatre

Drawing is a humble and accessible activity that requires you to slow down, use your eyes and hands, and be fully present. Our Sunday Salons happen once a month and offer a unique opportunity to come to the studio and draw! This is for all skill levels, bring your own sketchbook and basic materials (pencils/erasers), sliding scale pricing*. Max 15 people.

These sessions will be made up of a few different stations and will be different each month—a draw from life zone, a conceptual prompt zone, a free draw zone, and contemplation zone that will feature one drawing to look at and think about.

Location: Paisley Studios

Paisley Studios membership program provides a relaxing, focused, and affordable studio home for womxn artists. Since it's founding in 2019, upwards of 60 artists have worked in this shared workspace. Weekly Studio Practice classes offer consistent community and guided instruction in oil, watercolor, acrylic, printmaking, and drawing media and processes. We also host classes with guest teachers and artists, sliding scale drawing salons, and skill-building workshops

Parents/Caregivers: Ask me about bringing along a drawing curious kid!