Portland, Ore., – Dark and damp. These iconic qualities make the Pacific Northwest a perfect home for a teeming wealth of fungi and a rich community of mushroom experts. Both often exist just out of sight, despite contributing to our region’s liveliness, culture and economy. Oregon Mushroom Stories, a project of Ecotrust and Edible Portland, brings the surreal, fantastical beauty of mushrooms, and the knowledge held by their many fans, out of the dark to a broad audience. Join Oregon Mushroom Stories and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) for a weekend of mycological happenings at the crossroads of nature and culture, science and art, food and fungi.
HOW MUSHROOMS GROW, AN INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION
When: On view December 2, 12–10pm; December 3, 12–8pm
Where: The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel Portland, 403 SW 10th Ave,
Portland, OR 97205
Online: http://oregonmushroomstories.org/2012/10/30/the-mush-fair/
FREE, All Ages
Artist collective Belly & Bones (Stef Choi & Tony Candelaria) is creating an interactive zoetrope sculpture that presents a fungi life cycle, from mycelia to mushroom. This larger-than-life zoetrope (six feet in diameter!) presents a sequence of sculptures that sprout into mushrooms right before your eyes.
MUSHROOM FAIR
When: December 2, 2–6pm
Where: The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel Portland, 403 SW 10th Ave,
Portland, OR 97205
Online: http://oregonmushroomstories.org/2012/10/30/the-mush-fair/
FREE, All Ages
Alongside the mycelium zoetrope, we’ll host an afternoon fair where you can view the sculpture; shop for mushroom growing kits, wild and cultivated mushrooms, and gifts; view video portraits of regional mushroom foragers and farmers; make spore prints; and even taste a few mushroom, mold, and yeast treats. Come down and learn all about our region’s fungi.
Featuring:
McMigas Family Farm
Oregon Mycological Society
Springwater Farm & The Farmer’s Feast
makelike
Organic Valley
Ken’s Artisan Bread
Salt & Straw
And more!
MUSHROOM, MOLD & YEAST FEAST
When: November 29, 2012, 7:30pm
Where: PICA, 415 SW 10th Ave, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97205
Online: http://oregonmushroomstories.org/2012/10/30/nov-29-mushroom-mold-yeast-feast/
Tickets: $84, includes wine pairings, 21+ only
SOLD OUT
Mushrooms are a gateway to a whole family of culinary fungi, from molds to yeasts. These remarkable organisms are among the most powerful flavor creators at the backbone of ancient cuisines. In an intimate dinner prepared by Naoko Tamura of Chef Naoko Bento Café, you’ll explore and savor wild and cultivated mushrooms prepared with traditional Japanese ingredients that gain their flavors through processes using molds, including miso, sake, shoyu, katsuo-bushi, salt koji, and more. This dinner is a unique opportunity to learn from mushroom foragers and farmers, fermenters, and wine makers. Featuring wine pairings from R. Stuart & Co. Winery and a special candy cap mushroom ice cream from Salt & Straw.
Press Photos: http://www.pica.org/himages/PRESS/2012/08_OregonMushroomStories/
Related: http://www.oregonmushroomstories.org
OREGON MUSHROOM STORIES is a project of Ecotrust, Edible Portland, G. Kennedy Creative, and Belly & Bones, and is supported in part by the Regional Arts & Culture Council, The Celebration Foundation, Organic Valley, Ace Hotel Portland, and Portland Institute for Contemporary Art.
# # #
About Ecotrust
Ecotrust’s mission is to foster a natural model of development that creates more resilient communities, economies, and ecosystems here and around the world. Over more than 20 years, Ecotrust has converted $80 million in grants into more than $500 million in capital for local people, businesses, and organizations from Alaska to California. Learn more atwww.ecotrust.org.
About Edible Portland
Edible Portland is published four times a year by Ecotrust. The free publication, available at local farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants, cooking schools and other locations throughout the region, addresses food and farming issues, and shares untold tales from the local food community. Advertising and subscription information is available at www.edibleportland.com.
About Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA)
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art acknowledges and advances new developments in contemporary art, fostering the explorations of artists and audiences. Since 1995, PICA has championed the practice of contemporary artists from around the world, driving vital conversations about the art and issues of today. PICA presents artists from visual and performance backgrounds and embraces those individuals who exist at the borders of genres and ideas. Through artist residencies and exhibitions, lectures and workshops, and the annual Time-Based Art Festival, PICA constructs a broad platform for contemporary art. Learn more atwww.pica.org.