IF A FRIEND SAID, "Hey, there's a rad art show happening in St. Johns Friday after work, let's take a $40 Uber and check it out!" I would gladly tell them to go fuck themselves—and yet, that's exactly where I went (and I what I paid) after hearing about Jay Howell's art show in St. Johns at the Also Known As Gallery. Full disclosure, Jay is a friend. I grew up with him in what we called P-Town (no, not THIS P-Town, a different one). My point is I'm not here to review his work. That being said, I do think his art is funny, rad, and if anybody says different I will once again gladly tell them to go fuck themselves. The point is, duh, of course I'm going to blow some cash on an Uber to see his show. But I wasn't sure if anybody else would. Well surprise, Portland! They did.
The crowd was straight-up St. Johns: lots of rad dads and cute kids. Also, because Jay got his start at Consolidated Skateboards, there were also tons of what I call "rippers." (You know... extreme folk.) So I took a lot of pics of guys in Thrasher gear, girls in Vans, dads I'd like to see on Tinder, some super stylish kids, and a few unusual accessories. There were also 400 balloons overhead, which might be obscuring some faces. Quick shout-outs to AKA Gallery for putting on a great show, Gigantic Brewing for the beer supply, and everyone who made the trek north for an all-right guy who makes art.Â
Jay Howell
Also Known As Gallery, 7440 N Lombard, Thurs-Sat noon-6 pm, through May 7, akapdx.com
