"In August, Performance Works Northwest marked its 25th anniversary with 25 hours of programming, a fitting tribute to the interdisciplinary spirit that defines the Foster-Powell arts space. The marathon weekend bounced from a dance aerobics workshop to a poets' cabaret and a late-night karaoke party, underscoring Performance Works' blend of artistic rigor and play. Back in 2000, dance artist Linda Austin and lighting director Jeff Forbes transformed a former church on a residential street into an experimentation hub."
"LINDA AUSTIN: Well, I didn't grow up dancing. I fell into it in the '80s, after I moved to New York City. But I had physical training as an actor. I was a theater major at Lewis & Clark College. I first met [Performance Works co-founder] Jeff Forbes there, on the lighting crew. We didn't date until we were in our 40s-I ran into Jeff at an Imago Theatre performance."
Performance Works Northwest operates an interdisciplinary arts space in Foster-Powell and celebrated its 25th anniversary with 25 hours of diverse programming, from dance aerobics to poets' cabaret and late-night karaoke. Linda Austin and Jeff Forbes converted a former Romanian Orthodox church into an experimentation hub around 2000. The venue appears unassuming from the sidewalk yet incubates some of the city's gutsiest art. Austin emphasizes grounded, warm, community-minded operations, exemplified by backyard renovations including an ADA bathroom and a sunlit catio. Austin's background spans theater training, late entry into dance, and a partnership with Forbes that enabled securing a Portland studio.
Read at Portland Mercury
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