The Portland Center for the Advancement of Culture (PCAC), a new non-profit art organization dedicated to supporting local artists and sustaining the cultural economy, hosts a monthly tour series focused on discovering the important art and ethnic enclaves throughout the city. The tour begins with dinner at a unique restaurant and culminates with a visual and performing arts experience at one of the cities flourishing independent art centers.

Nestled among communities outside the downtown corridor, the art venues and restaurants that make up the core cultural component of the tour exhibit dynamic visual and performing arts and offer distinct culinary dishes that will challenge and enlighten any palate. The tour offers Portlanders the opportunity to explore the food, thought and people that make this one of the most livable and energetic cities in the country. By navigating NE, SE, NW and SW Portland, Know Portland makes the metro area more accessible, introduces some of the premier artists of the region and gets to the heart of the city�s cultural activity.

The first tour in the series takes place on January 25, 2003 in NE Portland. Dinner begins at 7:30 at Queen of Sheba Restaurant (2413 NE MLK Jr. Blvd. (503) 287-6302). Queen of Sheba is renowned for its authentic Ethiopian dishes and hospitable environment. At 9 pm the tour continues with a walk around the corner to Disjecta Gallery to view the all palette knife painting show entitled Cuts Like a Knife, featuring emerging artists Chandra Bocci, Levi Hanes, Tracy Timmons and Zefrey Throwell. Music will follow the visual arts segment and start at 9:30 PM as the general public is invited to join the tour for the Jonas Tauber Septet ($7 at the door), composed of ex-Pink Martini bass player Jonas Tauber and his ensemble of six talented jazz musicians in Portland (Gavin Bondy on Trumpet, Philip Toynton on sax, Chad Hensel on bass clarinet, Tom McNally on guitar, Doug Haning on Fender Rhodes and Ken Ollis on drums). The septet plays improvised, original works of jazz narration conducted by Tauber. The group is one of the most dynamic and intelligent jazz forces at work in the Pacific Northwest.

Tickets are $50 and include dinner, the arts component and a chance to win artwork by one of the areas foremost emerging artists. A $25 ticket is available for the arts segment and raffle for those unable to attend the dinner. All proceeds go directly to help establish the PCAC as the areas only locally focused arts organization.

For more information, contact Bryan Suereth or Gavin Shettler at 503.481.7450 or info@portlandart.org.

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Love Portland
It�s called civic pride - the unabashed exaltation of the city in which you live. The PCAC believes in creating a dialogue among citizens that encompasses art and community, culture and diversity, and integrates a balanced cultural consciousness based on education and experience. By bridging the business community, the citizenry and the artistic enterprises of Portland, the PCAC celebrates this city as a paramount model of urban livability. Please join us.