Not necessarily by chimps, for chimps, but a fascinating experiment in self image.  Eat your heart out James Cameron.

Image: Noah Sheldon

Nope, not a sequel to the Pauly Shore epic, but a great photo essay on BLDGBLOG by Geoff Manaugh with photos submitted by Noah Sheldon.  In this article, Mr. Manaugh gives a pretty good background on the project, its scientific goals, and even a bit on its place in the national psyche.  Always a topic for middle school science classes, the Biosphere 2 project was seemingly everywhere in the news in the early 90’s, but as the decade wore on and the sheer complexity of the building systems and maybe a bit of over ambition lead to the original scientific research aspirations to be abandoned.  That said, in recent years it has become a living, active research facility run by the University of Arizona at Tuscon and is even open to the public for tours.

Be sure to check out the original article, and even give a run through the comments for some other first hand accounts of this earthbound spaceship.

Marin Aleman: Her Lucid Skin...

 
Please join us to celebrate First Thursday at the Ardea.  Begin the evening in the two-story penthouse, where you will enjoy live music and a tasting of several fine Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines.  Be sure to try a selection from  the fine cheeses chosen specifically to accompany the individual wines.
 
This month the penthouse will again feature a selection of works from the Heidi McBride Gallery & Art Consultancy, www.heidimcbridegallery.com. Among the work featured this month will be a selection by Julio Marin Aleman.
 
Also on display will be works by Portland artist Pam Flanders. Pam paints in oil, and many of her works are landscape plein air paintings. The combination of the movement of the brush over the canvas, and the juiciness of the paint, become a total exhilarating experience for the viewer.
 
Art will be the topic of the evening with maps to First Thursday gallery openings on hand as well as a list of the top exhibits showing in downtown and the Pearl District.  You can hop the Portland Streetcar, just out the front door to begin your tour.

 Photo Courtesy of Heidi McBride Gallery & Art Consultancy

First Thursday, October 1, Festivities begin at 5PM

Please join us to celebrate First Thursday at the Ardea, apartment homes that combine dramatic design with waterfront living in Portland’s South Waterfront neighborhood. Views of the city, river and mountains, combine with pedestrian plazas and greenways, where life is close to the city and even closer to nature.

Begin the evening in the two story penthouse, where Stoller Vineyardswill be hosting a tasting featuring the 2006 SV Pinot Noir (named among the year’s best Pinot Noir in the April issue of Wine & Spirits, and has received 3 stars, Excellent, from the San Francisco Chronicle) and the 2007 SV Chardonnay. The wines will be paired with a selection of fine cheeses

An installation from the Elizabeth Leach Gallerywill be installed in the penthouse for this special First Thursday event. Established in 1981, the Elizabeth Leach Gallery offers Portland’s most comprehensive selection of contemporary fine art. The Gallery is located in the Pearl District at 417 NW 9th.

Also on display will be pieces from the Heidi McBride Gallery & Art Consultancy. This blend of a traditional gallery and a design consultancy hand selects the strongest pieces of artwork by emerging and established artists and makes them available in a gallery setting.

Art will be the topic of the evening with maps to First Thursday gallery openings on hand as well as a list of the top exhibits showing in downtown and the Pearl District. You can hop the Portland Streetcar, just out the front door to begin your tour.

Live music will add to the ambiance of the event and for added fun the roadies from KINK will be on hand to entertain you. Conveniently located, with ample free parking available, the Ardea is the perfect location to relax, celebrate fine wine and superior art and begin your downtown and Pearl District gallery visits.

Photo by Justin Doty

It’s the beginning of the month once more, and that means another fun get together in the lobby and field trip to the many galleries and festivities downtown for ‘First Thursday’.

Please join us for a glass of wine and a bite of food.  Take the streetcar to gallery hop downtown and the Pearl, or just relax and stroll along the river.

Show up and we’ll do the rest.

5PM

Picture courtesy of www.southwaterfront.com

Join in for Riverfest 2009 at the South Waterfront on Saturday, August 22, 2009. This  free, family friendly festival provides for a great opportunity to celebrate life and living on the river. Live music, food, beverages, fun activities, and attractions are sure to provide for a good time. Join your neighbors for Riverfest 2009 on the South Waterfront. Additional events will also take place throughout various areas along the river Thursday, August 20, 2009 through Sunday, August 23, 2009.

Riverfest 2009 at the South Waterfront is proudly a South Waterfront Community Relations Collaboration.

Come celebrate First Thursday and take a ride on the streetcar!

August 6, 2009

First Thursday is just around the corner and there are plenty of opportunities and activities to look forward to. Here at The Ardea, we welcome you to take the streetcar and join us for wine and hors d’oeuvres at 5PM. Later, we encourage those to join along as we hop on the streetcar to check out First Thursday in the Pearl District.

We will then join  in on the celebration of the name revealing at our 12th and Washington location featured in the picture above.

The Ardea

First Thursday

August 6, 2009

Wine and Hors d’oeuvres: 5PM

Streetcars to downtown and the Pearl District: every 13 minutes

 There is no better place to begin and end your First Thursday gallery hopping than right here at The Ardea.  First of all, there’s plenty of parking and it’s free! Or, you can walk in, bike in, kayak in and streetcar in.  No more hassle driving around hunting for a spot and missing valuable moments of checking out the exhibitions and of getting your share of the hors d’oeuvres.

 Speaking of wine and hors d’oeuvres, after you park, your first sip of fine wine and a bite of delicious food awaits you in the beautiful courtyard of the Ardea under cool breezes from the river flowing just a few steps away.

 Once you’re relaxed, step on to the streetcar and head into downtown and the Pearl District, getting on and off whenever the spirit moves you.

 When you’re all done, step aboard the streetcar and return to the Ardea. Take a stroll along the river as the sunsets, the water a perfect drop back for reminiscing about the art, the food, and the city.

 If you want to take a tour of the apartments, we’ll be happy to show you around. It’s breathtaking riverfront apartment living with unparalleled concierge service, you’re close to the city, and closer to nature.  When you live at the Ardea you can keep your dog, your kayak, your fine pinot and your must see film list.  Life is short. When you show up here, we’re ready to make sure that you do the living and we do the work. Just show up. We’ll take care of the rest.

Hey everyone,
Lots to tell you about this weekend so lets get started.
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Looking to get inspired?
Want to be a part of a revolution in building design?
Do the terms ‘bioreactor’, ’swale’, ‘grey water’, and ‘net zero energy’ get your fires burning?

Well then head on down to the Shattuck Hall Annex at PSU on Thursday from 5-7:30 for an open house detailing the latest designs for the groundbreaking Oregon Sustainability Center!

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