Welcome to Art Snack. This round-up is a continuation of a newsletter I wrote during the pandemic, which started out focused on remote art before softly transitioning to short updates on local arts and culture scene happenings. The idea was: Would you like a short, digestible culture news snack?
Portland's arts and culture scene has so many moving parts that it can be a little hard to get everything in one place. If the thing you want to read about isn't in this week's Art Snack, check back next week. And it never hurts to put it on my radar. Anyhoo, let's snack!
Portland Frog Brigade debuts a dance and an LLC
On Saturday, January 10, approximately 10-15 protesters wearing inflated frog costumes performed a not-very-synchronized dance beneath the bright lights of the South Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Heralded on a flyer as the "Original Frog Dance" the loose choreography—set to "We’re the Frogs,” an AI-created ballad by local lyricist Delanae Elle Eanaled—lasted just over three minutes. An organizer with the Frog Brigade, Will—also known as "Ribbit Wrangler"—told the Mercury that the costumed dancers had practiced only that day and for “not very long.” The performance consisted of “moves someone could make in a frog costume.” Portland Frog Brigade formed an LLC in December, and the group now has an extremely green website with tips and guidelines for those trying to build out their own surreal brigade infrastructure. A portion of the site titled How to Frog: The Inflatable Resistance Handbook contains advice on deescalation and practicality issues associated with wearing a giant inflated costume. (e.g. "Practice walking, crouching, and sitting beforehand.") On January 19, which was Martin Luther King Day, Urban League of Portland made the group an honorary member due to the frogs' commitment to nonviolent protest. "We acknowledge there are different ways of protesting," the group wrote. "Everyone needs to find the way that works for them. Ours will always be creative peaceful dissent."
View this post on Instagram
Whitsell Auditorium reopens
Two months after Portland Art Museum unveiled its finished Rothko Pavillon, the Whitsell Auditorium began offering screenings again, exclusively on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm. Now called PAM CUT at the Whitsell, the subterranean theater reopened with ★ by Johann Lurf and continued with programing that includes Fantasia (1940), All That Jazz (1979), The Substance (2024), The Holy Mountain (1973), and Mulholland Drive (2001). It's not the most head-turning line-up of repertory films, but at least Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) feel a little off the beaten cult classic path. PAM CUT invited an assortment of personalities to help program this initial series, called Maximalist Dreamscapes. Among those who picked out films are documentarian and music video director Lance Bangs, TV writer and content creator Remy Solomon, and an Instagram account devoted to Hollywood fits called Looks on Screen.
Northwest Library reopens on NW PettygroveThat was fast! Multnomah County Library's little, corner spot on NW Thurman closed to the public on Nov 25, 2025, and just over a month later opened a newly revamped 11,000 square feet space at 2030 NW Pettygrove. While the move felt swift, it was part of a series of ongoing upgrades—partly funded by a 2020 county bond measure voters approved to expand, modernize, and build new library facilities. That money came with a time limit, which is why the library system has seen a flurry of construction over the past few years. The new space is over twice the size of the old location, which was a leased space. The system purchased the Pettygrove building in 2021 and renovated it before moving the popular location, which is part of why this transition happened so quickly.
View this post on Instagram
Portland paczki promises
Hollywood doughnut shop Doe Donuts intends to make Polish paczki and New Orleans-style beignets for Fat Tuesday, on February 17. And as a person from Hamtramck, Michigan, I am intrigued by this, even as I am also of the mind that paczki is just a glazed jelly doughnut with powdered sugar on top. Doe Donuts will sell vanilla and chocolate cream filled paczki and beignets with vanilla, raspberry, and banana pecan fillings. It's worth noting that—while they don't shout it from the rooftops—Doe Donuts has an 100 percent vegan kitchen.
BBQ pop-up below KannFrom January 30 through April, Gregory Gourdet's acclaimed Haitian restaurant Kann will host a residency in its chic downstairs lounge titled Pitmaster Bryan Furman BBQ. The eponymous Furman is a two-time James Beard Award nominee and was also the first pitmaster ever named in Food & Wine's best new chefs. "Furman is known for his Peach Mustard BBQ sauce, a nod to his South Carolina and Georgia roots," read an announcement about the residency. The path leading Furman to Portland is marinated in acclaim, but he's had some bad restaurant luck, potentially explaining why he's popping up and checking out Portland. Furman's Savannah restaurant B's Cracklin' Barbecue was lauded as a "bucket list" barbecue destination before it suffered a restaurant fire in 2015 and had to be subsequently rebuilt. An outpost of B's Cracklin' in Atlanta was also highly praised and also suffered fire in 2019. A press release notes that Pitmaster Bryan Furman BBQ will offer brisket, pork ribs, chicken, and pulled pork along with sides and desserts like mac and cheese, collards, Brunswick stew, and banana pudding. This place is bound to be packed from the jump, but starting January 30 they're open for dine-in and takeout from noon to 8 pm from Friday through Sunday.
