http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/01/curious_gallery_wonder_cabinet.html

Curiosity Gallery and Wonder Cabinet is a yearly art fair that definitely contributes to “Keeping Portland Weird!” It’s a show of art and science, mainly the science of anatomy and necropsy. There were lectures on taxidermy and the rules of road kill. If you pick up road kill either for the BBQ or a skull collection, be sure you don’t get charged with “poaching.” It’s illegal to take a deer, for example, but okay to scrape up a possum for stew or an interesting dissection.

I haven’t done a dissection in years, so it was fascinating to slice into the sheep’s eye. And my skills are still sharp enough (haha) to separate all the delicate eye muscles and name them for the Oregonian reporter (above).

I purchased a carnivorous Sun Dew plant (Drosera capensis) from one of the art fair vendors. There were beautiful skulls and mounted insects for sale, as well as anatomical art, such as taxidermied mice in little outfits or a bird skeleton wearing a wedding dress. I find Memento Mori art somewhat interesting. But my main interests were the purely scientific specimens, and about half the attendees shared my point of view. It is more about admiration for the beautiful elegance of bones and anatomy and less about a fascination with death and Victorian Steam-Punk Goth art. (I went through my Goth phase in the late 70s.)

The event lasts 2 days and is held every January in Portland, so check their website: www.curiositygallery.com

Meanwhile, you can always visit http://paxtongate.com/paxton to see similar art and specimens on N. Mississippi Ave.