Each summer, YMA helps kids explore their creative sides and experience a taste of college life. Neal Spinler beams while talking about one of the longest-running youth nonprofits on the West Coast. Founded in 1965 and based in the Pearl District, Young Musicians and Artists (YMA, 220 NW Eighth Ave, 503-946-1056, ymainc.org) has helped three…
Pop-Up Video
Meet Portland’s party projection power couple Looking to create AN Eye-Popping Custom Visual experience for your next event? You’re in luck. Dream big, and Maria and Patrick (PJ) Harvey, co-owners of Really BIG Video (539 NW 10th Ave, 503-446-1000, rbvinc.com), can bring your idea brilliantly to life. Their creative team delivers what they call the…
Cold Comfort
As it celebrates two years in business, popular CryoPDX has unveiled a range of nifty new treatments and therapies. Crofton Diack has good reason to believe in CryoPDX. “I didn’t have to take opiate drugs right after surgery when I broke my shoulder, and I credit cryotherapy,” she says. “It was an instant relief of…
Sherry on Top
A new tapas menu, weekend brunch, and innovative cocktails are keeping Can Font at the forefront of dining in the Pearl. The tender pork collar arrives on a toothpick skewer over a mound of tangy-sweet orange marmalade. A satisfyingly crusty montadito (a miniature open-face sandwich)—topped with warm goat cheese, a balsamic red wine gel, and…
A Fresh Cup
With new treats and a beautiful remodel, a treasured café reopens. The team behind Sisters Coffeehouse (1235 NW Marshall St, 971-279-2957, sisterscoffee.com) surely weren’t thrilled when fire and flooding in an upstairs residence forced them to shut down operations for four months. But sibling owners Jared, Jesse, and Justin Durham made the most of a…
Revolutionary Road
An environmentally conscious approach to auto maintenance Farhad Ghafarzade is out to Fix more than just your car. For this gearhead eco-entrepreneur and founder of Green Drop Garage (50 NW 20th Ave, 503-389-8047, greendropgarage.com), the job isn’t done right until the environment and the community get some TLC, too. “I always wanted to grow what…
The Art of Community
There are more ways than ever to tap into PNCA’s creative energy. Preteens creating costumes during a smARTworks summer youth camp, adults engaged in classes on picture book illustration or etching, acclaimed multimedia artist Wendy Red Star—who grew up on Montana’s Crow Reservation—lecturing on her work. These are just a few of the hundreds of…
Paying it forward
The relationship-oriented philosophy behind one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier payment processing companies When Bill Mitchell founded Merchant Concepts (1314 NW Irving St, Ste 610, 877-281-1460, merchantconcepts.com) in 1997, he wanted to build something more than a payment processing company. He wanted to build lasting relationships. “Our philosophy is that there has to be a…
Leading Role
5 questions with Marissa Wolf, the new artistic director of Portland Center Stage Marissa Wolf has a tough act to follow. Her predecessor at Portland Center Stage at the Armory, Chris Coleman, is widely celebrated for super-charging attendance and transforming the company into one of the country’s most prominent regional theaters. If Wolf—who’s originally from…
Space Engineer
Laurie Mills, of California Closets, solves elaborate puzzles, one closet at a time. “I had worked as a Remodeling Contractor, and I just didn’t want to be dirty anymore,” says Laurie Mills, executive sales and design consultant for California Closets (1235 W Burnside St, 503-885-8211, californiaclosets.com/portland). “I saw an ad on Craigslist for California Closets…
Far Sighted
Etnia Barcelona (above) is one of several stylish eyewear lines and models carried by the Eye Studio. Tina Tsai, founder of the Eye Studio (339 NW 9th Ave, 503-219-0023, the-eyestudio.com), is an optometrist who’s always had very clear vision. Of course, she has her pick of on-trend glasses at her sleek eye clinic, but her…
Dean of the District
Often working behind the scenes, Larry Jackson has made a positive impact on the Pearl. Whether or not you know Larry Jackson personally, if you spend time in the Pearl District—and especially if you live in a condo in the neighborhood—you’ve likely felt his influence on one of the West Coast’s most dynamic and desirable…
Pulp Romance
Oblation Papers & Press celebrates 20 years in the Pearl. If Jennifer and Ron Rich are worried that we’re just a tweet away from hitting the delete key on physical paper, they aren’t letting on. Bucking the paper-free trend, the couple celebrated the 20th anniversary of their beloved shop, Oblation Papers & Press (516 NW 12th Ave,…
One Step Ahead
The fantastic one-of-a-kind designs of footwear visionary, John Fluevog In 1990, Lady Miss Kier Wore John Fluevog’s iconic platform high heels, the Munster, on the cover of Deee-Lite’s debut album World Clique. The following year, in the documentary Truth or Dare, Madonna slinked around in a pair of Munsters. With a silver pilgrim buckle and…