Portland, Ore. - Explore Portland�s arts, food, and culture in a refreshing way with the second installment of the Portland Center for the Advancement of Culture�s (PCAC) monthly cultural tour series called "Know Portland" on Saturday, Feb. 22nd.

This event series gives people the opportunity to explore the food, thought and people that make Portland one of the most livable and energetic cities in the country. Each tour will begin with dinner at a unique restaurant and culminate with a visual and performing arts experience at one of the cities flourishing independent art centers. All proceeds will help establish the PCAC as a healthy, locally focused arts organization.

The southeast tour starts at 7:30 p.m. with cuisine at Restaurant Russia (6433 SE Foster Rd.) known for its authentic approach and attention to detail. Then the group walks around the corner to Performance Works NorthWest (PWNW) at 9 p.m. for a cornucopia of visual and aural performance hosted by artistic director Linda Austin who will begin the show with a sneak peek at her dance-work-in-progress called big real. The visual arts component features the work of Ry Basko, Brigitte Dortmund, Sarah Cline, Dina Noto and Jeff Fontaigne.

The evening will also include a special "Know Portland" cabaret show performed by the Boris & Natasha Dancers; a musical performance by Super Unity who will play one gigantic instrument - the PWNW building itself; a film entitled "The Summer of Twenty �02" written and directed by Crispin Rosenkranz, and a performance by filmmaker Andrew Dickson.

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) 224-0252 or info@portlandart.org.

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About the Portland Center for the Advancement of Culture (PCAC):
PCAC was established in September 2002 as a non-profit art organization dedicated to supporting local artists and sustaining the cultural economy. PCAC aims to provide regional artists with a permanent neutral space in which they can showcase their work. It will also provide artists with a much-needed resource center to help educate and facilitate the research and creation of art across all disciplines. PCAC founders Bryan Suereth and Gavin Shettler are both established art curators.

About Restaurant Russia:
Restaurant Russia�s owner Sergei Pereverzina came to the United States from Russia eleven years ago, first settling in New York City, and then moving to Portland five years ago to open the restaurant. In review of Restaurant Russia, The Oregonian wrote, "The tastes at this culinary outpost in Portland�s emerging Little Russia are sharp, decisive, northerly."

About Performance Works NorthWest (PWNW):
Performance Works North West is a performing arts non-profit and the parent organization of Linda Austin & Dancers. Its mission is to advance the contemporary performing arts in the Pacific Northwest. To achieve this, PWNW works to present the work of artists and provide the community with an inexpensive space for rehearsal, workshops and events.