Gossip should have no friends

[June 18th, 2008]

• COLD-FEET COMMISH: Around 1,500 chilly cyclists descended on downtown for the third annual Naked Bike Ride late Saturday night. But who was missing from the clothes-free crowd? None other than Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen, who had gathered at the start with a group of friends with every intention of letting his freak flag fly . At the last minute, better judgment grabbed hold of the elected official and he weenied out. A red-faced Cogen explained: “I just couldn’t do it.”

• EVEN FURTHUR: In one of its first appearances since Ken Kesey’s death in 2001, the Furthur 2 bus (the second of Oregon author’s famous hippie buses) will chug its way up from Eugene to Portland for festivities surrounding the much-ballyhooed conference of the Glass Art Society , which is being held in PDX for the first time in its 38-year history. At 7 pm Thursday June 19, Furthur 2 will dock at Magpie Glass Studio (2119 N Kerby Ave.) with Ken Babbs and several of the Merry Pranksters in tow , to support a group show and glass-blowing demo. Groovy.

• FOUR’S COMPANY: Artists Repertory Theatre announced last Friday the creation of a “resident acting company” of four performers—Michael Mendelson , Amaya Villazan , Todd Van Voris and Artists Rep founder Vana O’Brien —who will each appear in three or four productions in the 2008-2009 season. With any luck, the promise of recurring familiar (and, in the cases of Van Voris and Villazan, young) faces will reinvigorate the somewhat tired company. And guarantee that at least four actors in this city will make a living from their art.

• RAKED OVER: After three years in business, Rake Art Gallery (325 NW 6th Ave.) will probably close its doors after its July show comes down. Gallery director Jeremy Tucker says it will be “a miracle” if Rake can continue in the face of high costs and low sales. “People come out for First Thursday, but...the people who have the money to buy art don’t come to our [Everett Street Gallery] location.” Tucker wouldn’t disclose what the gallery pays in rent, but his overall monthly expenses total $2,500. Its closure would sound more alarm bells for PDX’s visual arts scene, which has already seen the closure of Portland Art Center and the dissolution of the Affair @ the Jupiter Hotel art fair this year. “I’m tired of being broke, working so hard, and getting nowhere,” says Tucker.

• FINDER IS BACK: New to town? Confused by our five quadrants? Can’t find your local watering hole? Fear not, WW’s massive info-packed guide to Portland, Finder, hits the streets Wednesday, June 18. Pick up your copy, filled with PDX essentials from restaurants and shops to maps, politics primers and bike etiquette, at Powell’s Books and New Seasons markets or visit wweek.com/finder to locate a magazine rack near you.