By Jessie Hethcoat
For a while now, Alberta Street in Northeast Portland has been synonymous with art and entertainment â?" music, good food and artwork. Thereâ?TMs First Thursday, which appropriately takes place the first Thursday of each month. And thereâ?TMs Last Thursday, a similar celebration of music and artwork that happens, as might be expected, the final Thursday of each month.â?©Since its beginning in 1997, Last Thursday has brought a variety of artistic expression to Alberta Street â?" bands making music on stage and artists displaying their work in a variety of locations, galleries, store fronts, restaurants and even on the street.â?©With an eclectic, alternative appeal, Last Thursday draws in a plethora of different kinds of people. While the art and music attract the indie/alternative young people of Portland, Last Thursday is also a popular event for families and appreciators of art, at any age. â?©Ã¢?oeItâ?TMs a great way to experience the diversity of Portland,â?? said Adam Lund, a 2008 UP graduate. â?oeLast Thursday is a great way to find out about new local bands, different forms of local art and various types of really good food.â??â?©Last Thursday is far different from First Thursday, which is headed by the Downtown Art Gallery Association.â?©UP senior Tyler Cox, a self-acclaimed Last Thursday attendee prefers the end of the month festival because it allows a wider variety of artists to show their work. â?©Ã¢?oeThe people who started Last Thursday wanted to do something along the same vein, but with a different feel to it,â?? said Cox. â?oeThey felt that anyone and everyone should be able to share their work and they wanted to do it in a way that included the whole community and neighborhood.â??â?©Last Thursdayâ?TMs relaxed atmosphere, however, resulted in some problems, including a reputation of more of a street party than a gathering based on the arts. â?©Ã¢?oeBefore this year, Last Thursday meant that there would be a lot of litter outside the store afterwards,â?? said Nate Horne, who manages Videorama Alberta. â?©Recent efforts to remedy the problems include blocking off Alberta Street and stationing police and firefighters throughout the festival. â?©Elise Scolnick from the Last Thursday Preservation Society described the changes as attempts to â?oepreserve cultural and artistic focus and expression,â?? rather than letting the â?oestreet partyâ?? the event had become each month, get out of hand.â?©Peggy Pfenniger, Vice President of Art on Alberta, said, â?oeThe city and other groups have joined forces to try to make Last Thursday a better and safer event for the residents of the Alberta neighborhood and those who visit the festival.â?? â?©Dana Caldwell, 2008 alumna, sees the good and bad in the change: â?oeThey finally started closing off the streets on Alberta for people to wander around without fear of getting hit by a car. This is mostly good, but it comes with an increased number of cops hunting for people to hassle.â??â?©The general consensus of operators of restaurants, coffee shops, and retailers on Alberta is that the changes to Last Thursday, especially pertaining to security, are a positive development. â?©Ã¢?oeItâ?TMs a lot more family friendly,â?? said Craig Seppa, owner of Concordia Coffee on Alberta. Horne, the Videorama Alberta manager, said the fair doesnâ?TMt bring many new faces into the store. But he said he still has â?oenothing but positive things to say about it.â??â?©Organizers say while there remains plenty for the younger and college-aged crowd, students should not expect a street party any more at Last Thursday.â?©Last Thursday kicks off tonight, beginning at 5 p.m. and concluding at 9:30, on Alberta Street between 12th and 31st avenues.â?©
