1. ABOUTFACE
Portland’s Interview Magazine
Fall 2011
Fall
Fashion
Issue
9 Local Designers
Steve Jones
Cheese Guru
Buzz Siler
Artist & Inventor
David Iler
Alchemist
Dan Straub
Flavor Architect Bibi McGill
Yogi, Musician,
Kevin Carroll Entrepreneur
Daredevil for Social Change
Dr. Druker
Cancer Therapy Revolutionist
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8. ABOUT FACE
P o r t l a n d ’s I n t e r v i e w M a g a z i n e
Publisher David Bentley
Editor in Chief Michael Sant
Managing Editor DC Rahe
Copy Editor Jenn Dawson
Graphic Designers Michael Sant, Gary Menghini
Staff Photographer Tim Sugden
Contributing Photographer Kyle Collins
Account Executives Ann Lucia, Tim Sugden, Kyle Collins,
Lawrence Martin
Bookkeeper Robin Farm
Feature Writers Chris Angelus, Jenn Dawson, Gary Mier,
Jamie Mustard, DC Rahe, Becki Singer,
Chris Young
Ad Models Alyxann Phillips, Jordan Houle, Jessica
Youmans, Annie Angell, Hannah Anderson,
Paul Raglione, Kamyar Jahan
Ad Hair Stylist & Makeup Artists Airial Jefferson, Annie Angell, Jazmine Kradle
Ad Videoographers Behind the Scenes Video by NaturalGrowth
{Chris Buchal + Benjamin Parslow}
ABOUT FACE MAGAZINE
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Welcome to the Fall Fashion Issue…
Most people I talk to mark this time as their favorite season; myself being
a rag top man, I pray for a extended Indian summer. But as I look at our
country and the crazy weather we’ve been having, we should be counting
our blessings. With this Fall Fashion Issue we celebrate nine select Portland
fashion designers with a snapshot of their fall line. Recognized locally,
some even nationally, it’s exciting to see their vision and creative work.
It’s getting harder and harder to decide who goes on the cover because
we feel each celebrity we profile is deserving of that position. This month’s
choice was tough, but what more can we say--Bibi literary ROCKS!!! Not ev-
erybody lives in a city because they choose to, Bibi Mcgill wanted to move
here ever since she discovered our great city. I realize many Portlanders
want to keep this city a secret, but I say let’s welcome as many people like
Bibi as we can.
After you dive into the interviews, you will see that our city is richer be-
cause of these people. So please read, enjoy and be inspired!
David Bentley
ABOUT FACE Magazine and the entire contents of this magazine are copyright
2011 Bentley Patrick Inc., all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any
manner, in whole or part without written permission from Bentley Patrick, Inc.
Published in Portland, Oregon by Bentley Patrick, Inc.
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9. ABOUT TOWN
Mike Newton Classic Golf Tournament
In March 2007 Mike Newton was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer
and died one and one half days later. He was 57 years old and had
never smoked. His three sons Patrick, Chris, Brian, and wife Jo Ellen
created The Michael J. Newton Esophageal Cancer Foundation to
promote education and research for the
prevention, early detection, and cure
of this deadly disease. So far the golf Ron Walker, Ed Hutson, Ed Garrow, Tom Hutson III
tournament has raised over $100,000.
Since 1970, the incidence of
Esophageal Cancer has risen by
350% and its occurrence is rapidly
rising, outpacing all other cancers
and is most common in men over 40.
www.themjnfoundation.com
College football teammates From Chicago, Mike’s sister Cathie Molitor, her
Bill Davis & Bob Ealing husband Butch, and friend Terri Wheeler
Newtons; Chris, Brian, Jo Ellen, and Patrick Brian Newton and Hole in One sponsor, Cain Bailey Registration
9
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10. CONTE NTS SEPTEMBER 2011 // ISSUE THREE
12 ABOUT BUSINESS
For champion cheesemonger Steve Jones, presentation is as
40 ABOUT FASHION
Portland’s penchant for meek minimalism is on hiatus!
important as flavor. Fall fashion 2011 is about making a statement–the bolder
the better.
16 ABOUT CUISINE
Dan Straub describes his passion for taste and texture.
60 ABOUT MUSIC
Bibi McGill talks about balancing life at home, and on the
road as Beyonce’s music director.
22 ABOUT ART
Buzz Siler paints like he lives his life—in a layered, free form and
66 ABOUT HEROES
Doctor Brian Druker strives to take cancer from deadly
On the cover Bibi Mcgill
Photography Tim Sugden
Make-up Madeline Roosevelt
flowing motion. disease to manageable malady.
28 ABOUT SPORT
Kevin Carroll travels the world promoting play to maximize hu-
73 ABOUT PORTLAND
Most people agree that the heart and soul of Portland are
man potential and create social change. the districts. Each district has its own distinct personality and
scene. This issue covers eleven of Portland’s business districts.
34 ABOUT DESIGN
Far more than a jewelry designer, David Iler works with metals at
90 ABOUT DESTINATIONS
Explore two great escapes on the Oregon Coast, Cannon
an atomic level. Beach and Astoria.
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12. 12
steve
Photo Tim Sugden
jones

13. ABOUT BUSINESS
THE CHEESE GUY
THAT BINDS US
by Chris Angelus
Cuisine culture runs deep in Portland, but there cheesemongers from around the US. A cheese-
are few people as connected to it as Steve monger doesn’t make cheese. They choose it,
Jones. His retail operation and kitchen, the pair it, describe it, serve it, and showcase it. And
Cheese Bar, has provided him with the oppor- it’s rather fitting that Steve’s victory wasn’t his
tunity to showcase his theatrical knowledge of alone. He did it the Portland way, with the help
cheese with essential pairings of meat, bread, of his great friend and chocolatier David Briggs
beer and wine. Surely, it’s one of Mt. Tabor’s (of Portland’s own Xocolatl de Davíd), with
signature spots. It’s the go-to place in Port- whom Steve once worked at Park Kitchen. It was
land to buy a hunk, or ten, of whatever satis- the secret accompaniment—David’s caramel
fies your cheese craving. After all, that’s what and bacon popcorn served in a tiny paper cone
many of Portland’s best chefs do. Anyone who sporting the retro Cheese Bar logo—paired with
visits Portland’s best restaurants can’t avoid a Steve’s choice of an extra-aged Bergkase cow
“Steve’s Cheese Plate” on menus or specials cheese from Austria that wowed the judges. I
boards. had the opportunity to enjoy the winning plate
as Steve and I sat down at the Cheese Bar to
I caught up with Steve just days after he was talk about the life and times of the USA’s—and
crowned champion at the 2011 Cheesemonger Portland’s—champion of cheese.
Invitational in New York City, besting 39 other
What were the requirements for the dish you created at the competition? So how are you supposed to eat this? Little bit of this, little bit of that?
I knew I needed one food item that wasn’t cheese, and, of course, cheese. I You know, people ask, “The cheese first or the beer first?” As a cheesemonger
had David’s bacon caramel popcorn set as the other food item. And then you I always go, “Cheese, beer, cheese...”
had to pick the cheese off their buffet of cheeses. I figured they would have
a mountain cheese I would use. But, as I was leaving my house on my way to So what specifically did you pick up there that you brought back, other than
the 5:45am flight to New York, I checked my e-mail for the last time, and they a grand and a Swiss cheese book?
changed the rules. Suddenly, they said, “You may have one non-food item.” But
I had no time—one non-food item? Of course, my competitors would be using There is going to be a whole bunch of East Coast cheese that has never been
one, so I HAD to. out here before—a bunch of little bitty farms. There’s some Portuguese cheese
that I’m really hopeful I can pull off. There were a few new Swiss cheeses that
So then on the plane I came up with this idea—what would be great is this little are really, really funky and weird that we’re working on getting. If everything
circus sleeve. As soon as I got to New York, I bought a six-pack and brought goes right, in about two months about half of the varieties in the Cheese Bar
it over to my buddy’s house in Queens. “Let’s design this thing!” So we ham- should be all brand new cheeses that we’ve never had before. So... yeah, it’s
mered it out. been a while since I’ve had a really good trip like this one.
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14. So do you think those people on the East Coast might be more envious of Do you choose what they serve, or do the chefs choose?
your access to varieties than you might be of the East Coast?
Everyone is different. We strive for a relationship in which eventually they can
Well, they’ve got Vermont. If you took Vermont out of the picture, it would prob- say, “We’re ready for cheese,” and we’re done. A lot of chefs will give you pa-
ably be an equal playing field. And I honestly think that we are going to become rameters: “I only want regional cheese,” “I only want American cheese,” or, “I
a major, major player in artisan cheese within the next ten years. I mean, like don’t care as long as it’s cow-goat-sheep.” Some want a particular theme, so
on the level with Vermont. We have green grass here year round and all these we try to figure out that relationship as quickly as we can, and then our kind of
young creamers. agreement with them is that they will reorder within ten days, because that’s
in most cases, the life of the cheese.
Did you hear a lot of talk about Portland there?
So when did you first decide, cheese? What was the moment?
People love Portland. Vermont’s got the same “do it yourself” attitude and the
whole “hipster” thing like New York. I got an art degree in painting. So, what the hell was I going to do for a living? I
learned how to cook. I was basically line cook. I was never a chef. People always
Do you have a particular trip that you took that sticks out in your mind where wanted to try to put that hat on me, but I was just a cook. I worked in the in-
you thought, “I love being a cheesemonger?” dustry off and on for about 10 years and I got tired of the hours. My wife hated
the hours, and I hated watching people in the industry become bigger and big-
It would be a toss-up between the trip I just took to New York and one to Bra, ger drunks and bigger and bigger assholes. I didn’t want that for my life and
Italy for the cheese festival. The festival is simply called “Cheese,” and the as I approached my 30’s, I wanted something better. But I really love food and
entire village is overtaken by 400 cheese makers from all over Europe and a all I had was an art degree. So I dropped into retail food, and I was managing
handful from North America, too. But it’s just teeny tiny producers and every- a delicatessen and really enjoyed it. There was a small cheese section and a
thing is just unbelievable. And you’ve just got a density of cheese dorks. We’re small cured meat section, so I slowly built that up into something that was kind
just rolling around, drinking beer and eating cheese and having a blast. Not of nice, but it wasn’t spectacular since I was learning on the run.
pretentious and just totally fun. Learned a ton. Got to see the inside of some
great facilities. Just really, really—definitely made me want to keep doing what Then a guy in St. Louis saw my section and said, “Hey, do you want to come over
I’m doing. and help open three shops for me?” He had a small wine chain in St. Louis and
said, “I want you to come over and focus on American cheese.” And it was really
Is there a common thread among cheesemongers—a personality type? cool. He was doing something that was so ahead of its time—15 years ago. We
were doing predominantly American cheese at a time when there wasn’t that
Well, you definitely can’t be timid. Because people—if they’re going to go to the much great American cheese, but the movement had begun. It set me down
effort of going to a cheesemonger—they want the experience. And you are a the road talking to all these small farmers and building these relationships
big part of that experience. You can give them the best tasting piece of cheese and going to American Cheese Society meetings... So, that was the beginning.
in the world, and if you don’t use colorful adjectives and present it well, it could
mean shit. But if you excite these people, and you tell them about the six cows Can you recall your favorite food experiences in Portland?
and the four acres and so on, then that’s the theater of selling cheese.
About 10 years ago, when I was interviewing for the job at Provvista, they took
At this competition, a lot of people had theater backgrounds. They spoke with me to Paley’s. That was my “coming back to Portland” moment. I don’t really
their hands, they spoke loudly and clearly. A cheesemonger is potentially a dy- remember specific aspects of the meal, but I just remember it being pretty
ing breed. Every Fred Meyer and Whole Foods has a decent cheese section amazing. I think one of my first meals at Clarklewis, back in the day, was pretty
now. So, you know, to win somebody over—they drive way up to 61st & Belmont spectacular.
and find parking and walk in and buy eight pieces of cheese—you’ve got to do
something more than just give them a tasty piece of cheese. Cheesemongers As the cheese guy, what’s your favorite pizza in Portland?
are generally opinionated and pretty loud.
Dove Vivi, Apizza Scholls of course. But Sizzle Pie is a new place. For a “slice”
You don’t strike me as a loud guy. place, you can’t beat them. It’s got a little bit of that char, but not too much.
It’s very punk rock.
No, I’m not loud. But I’m definitely opinionated. One of my personal things that
I can’t stand when I go out to eat is when I ask a server, “Of these three items, And your time off—what do you do?
which do you prefer?” and they say, “They’re all really good.” Great! But which
one is the best? Which one should I get? Tell me your opinion. Have an opinion. I get about a half a day off a week. Some of our favorite things to do are we’ll
Help me decide. And that’s a big part of cheesemongering. You get people to run out to the gorge and do a hike, and then head on out to Hood River and
come in, and they look at 250 cheeses, and they say, “How the hell am I ever have pizza and beer at Devil Mountain, because they’re open on Monday and
going to pick?” And you have to be able to say, “I’ll go help you,” and then actu- that’s my day off. We try to tie in food and beer and kid events. We’re raising
ally help them. And then you have to ask them things like, are you sharing this the kids, you know.
with other people? Are you eating this with wine or beer? Are you serving it
today, tomorrow, or next week? ∂ www.cheese-bar.com
I really haven’t worked under a lot of cheesemongers, I’m kind of self-taught,
but my dad is a world-class sales person, and I think he just kind of taught us
all to listen well and to kind of be salesmen—me and my three brothers.
How many Steve’s Cheese Plates are there at restaurants in Portland?
We’ve got probably 30 consistent accounts.
14

15. 15
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16. 16
Photo Tim Sugden

17. ABOUT CUISINE
Dan Straub
Constructing Flavor by DC Rahe
T
aste is everything to Dan Straub, chef and own-
er of the neighborhood restaurant, Soluna Grill,
on NE Fremont in Portland’s Beaumont Village.
Dan’s journey is a long and winding one that began in
his parents’ kitchen and flowed through the teach-
ings of various chefs on a myriad of cuisines. Dan is
one of the most well-rounded and friendly chefs that
you will encounter. He can cook up almost anything
with ease, and you’ll know what Dan craves when you
see it on the menu at Soluna Grill.
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18. As a chef, what is important to you? something to fill your stomach. I like flavor com- ask, “What are you guys having for dinner?” Be-
ponents that can built upon, and as I said, that just cause at their house they would be having maca-
Flavor is the most important thing for me. I don’t kind of dance in your mouth a little bit. That, and I roni or Hamburger Helper for dinner. It was crazy
make dishes just because it’s there. There’s a dif- love spice. at school—everyone wanted to trade with me. My
ference between a radish picked within a day ver- dad made the most incredible sack lunches. I’d
sus a radish picked a week ago, even though it’s What is currently on the menu that dances in the only give up half the sandwich for some junk food
been kept crisp in a fridge. There are these fla- mouth? from my friends.
vor nuisances that most people may not notice.
I strive daily to have fresh ingredients to achieve One of the more popular things is our Kahlua pork. My mom was way ahead of her time. In the 70’s
these nuisances—that makes all the difference in It has a coconut jasmine rice that’s smothered she was making Thai food and sushi before there
taste. with a long braised pork shoulder and then mango were Thai restaurants and sushi bars. So, before
slaw on top with a little bit of sweet soy. Each one the age of ten I had this early exposure to exotic
Is there a classification for your cuisine? of these has good individual flavor, but when you tastes that stays with me. All that was a great
can fit them all in one piece on your fork, it’s a nice foundation for being a chef.
Honestly, I just go for taste. I try to make my food combination.
approachable. For instance, our meatloaf. I never After leaving your parents kitchen, what was
thought I’d ever put meatloaf on a menu. My first One of my favorite soups is the butternut bisque, next? Did you go right into culinary school?
version was a Kobe beef meatloaf. We used to and a lot of people serve butternut squash soup.
serve Kobe steak, and it had a lot of fat trimmings. This one I have, I serve it with a crispy bacon spaet- It was probably my 2nd year in college—I was
This fat provided such good flavor, so, I blended zle and some buchis and sage oil, and all those twenty years old, I was majoring in whatever, and
it with some chuck. The Kobe meatloaf was re- flavors work well together. It’s simple; I’m not try- it hit me… What am I going to do with my life
ally, really good. Since we discontinued the Kobe ing to come up with some weird ingredients. If it (laughs)? It was like, okay, what I’m studying now
steaks, I had to change the meatloaf to three other sounds weird on the menu, then you just have to is not what I do want to do and it was at a point of
meats. Chuck or veal short rib, veal and pork. Even try it to understand it. It’s pretty straightforward. my life where my parents had divorced. It made me
with the change the meatloaf is still a customer think, what makes me happy? And the one thing
favorite. Where does your passion for food come from? that I realized was that if anything, I can stand all
Cuisine
day and cook. I had already been working in a res-
How do you decide what to put on your menu? My mom, and my dad too. They both love to cook. taurant, so I knew what it takes. That’s when I en-
However, they each had their own approach. My rolled in culinary school.
It’s as simple as what I’m craving at the time. That mother always followed the recipes exactly, while
is what ends up on the menu—until I get tired of my father was always trying something new. My During culinary school, were there any instruc-
it. As you see, my attention span is very short. My earliest memories, when I was about four years tors or types of cuisine you favored more than
menus don’t have any true theme, but if you looked old, are of helping my mother in the kitchen. I usu- others?
over three months worth of menus you would see ally stood on a chair, stirring whatever was in the
what I was craving to taste. bowl in front of me. My dad—they just both want I was curious about all cuisine. When I graduat-
to be gourmets—but he was more of the against ed from culinary school, my instructors gave me
Besides taste, what else do you consider when the grain kind of guy. He was always tweaking the some great connections. I bounced around to a lot
menu planning? ingredients. From my mom I got the structure of of restaurants—I was young and single—I could do
how to make something, and then I got the cre- that. Through my network I just put it out there: “I
I like flavors that dance in the mouth, you know, ativity from my dad. just want to work 2-4 weeks at any given place,”
that are playful. To me a dish has to have several and so I spent a year just bouncing to a vegetarian
components. There are textural differences—you We were always entertaining; we were always place, to seafood restaurants, fine dining, a sushi
got the crunch, the fresh and the soft middle. I cooking. My parents did a lot of entertaining. Our bar, and just picking up as much as I could in a
want every bite to be different, not like the same- house was always filled with people. For tea par- quick amount of time.
ness of let’s say, spaghetti with marinara sauce, ties or dinner parties, it was always about the food.
where every bite is the same. It just becomes The neighborhood flocked to us. My pals would
18

19. ABOUT CUISINE
“I had a hard time convincing my wife to drop everything and follow a risky business...”
Besides your parents, do you have any specific My first real influence was Ben Barker at Magnolia And one of my best friends that I grew up with, lived
mentors that have influenced your life? Grill in North Carolina. I had eaten at his restaurant here, told me of this restaurant. I got this phone
when I was twenty while visiting with my parents call, “Hey, this place down the street from me that
Well, I won’t say “mentors” in cooking. I’ve taken who were living in North Carolina. That is when I we used to go to is closing. What do you think?
a little from every person in my life. It hasn’t all first decided I want to be a chef—as a career. I was Come check this out.” And that was a Sunday phone
been chefs. From various chefs I learned cooking, fortunate that he took me on as an intern. I learned call, and I was up here two days later and saw this
I learned technique, I learned the ABCs of what a lot from him. Ben was the guy that went to the place and met the owner here. That was in April. By
it takes to put something on the menu, to lead farms every morning. He was the Alice Waters July, we bought the place.
a kitchen. But honestly, some of my best influ- of the East Coast, so to speak. He does amazing
ences have been my interns that worked for me, things. I was a young punk, and he was an estab- I had a hard time convincing my wife to drop ev-
or line cooks or even servers, or even customers. lished star. He treated me with kindness, he kicked erything and follow a risky business, but this place
The younger people with their attitudes about why me in the butt; he saw something in me and gave had all the elements I was looking for. It had a good
they’re in it, now that refreshes me. When you’re in me a shot. If it wasn’t for the way he reacted to me, feel in a great neighborhood. I think that Beaumont
one place 12 hours a day, five or six days a week, I probably easily could have gotten chewed up in Village is probably Portland’s quintessential neigh-
you have to push yourself to stay interested. These this industry. As a mentor, he was the first, and has borhood. Every couple of blocks that you go to, it’s
young refreshing attitudes come in, reminding me had the greatest influence on me. completely different from the one you just came
of why I do this. And I see a little bit of me in the from and I love it. I was pretty easily sold, and it
intern, wanting to learn, and their eyes are wide How did you know what you wanted when you superseded the weather.
open and they’re just a dry sponge and all you want opened this restaurant?
to do is just spray it down with moisture. And even Where does the name Soluna Grill come from?
the servers; there’s the servers. They might be part I had my own catering company, and I was making
time students or they’re just lifers. They all have sushi at people’s homes while I was looking to open It is a blend. It comes from my business partner.
these wonderful attitudes, they just love people my own place. I intended to open in a breakfast and He and his wife have two twin daughters with the
and love working in restaurants. They’re not return- lunch neighborhood. The location was extremely middle names Sol and Bella Luna. That’s how we
ing to the table frequently just because they’re told important—not a strip mall, not superbly exten- got Soluna.
to, they want to make sure their table is taken care sive—and I wasn’t finding that. I wanted to find a
of. place close to where I live, to my vicinity. I could go Isn’t that Latin for sun and moon? Does having a
far away to find that, but where I lived it was it really Latin name influence the restaurant?
How about chefs that influenced your ideas about hard to find.
cooking?
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20. Not really, since our menu reflects my the open kitchen, people come up and
influence which is from cuisines from say hi while they are going to their ta-
all over the world. Remember, before, I ble. So I am constantly waving, show-
was making sushi... ing off my chicken fingers. Because
we have such loyal customers, we like
Before you moved here what had you to keep them informed of any special
heard of Portland? events or menu changes. So we ask
our customers for their e-mails, so we
Besides the rain? My longtime friend can send them our newsletter.
and now business partner was always
sending me mushrooms and truffles What are your plans? Opening more
from Oregon. He is always talking restaurants?
about Portland and how wonderful it
is here, that it was becoming a food No. I am very happy with what we have
mecca with all these chefs flocking here. But, when you run a restaurant,
here with new restaurants and even it becomes harder and harder to know
food carts. It’s just one of the things what the latest trends are today. Cui-
I’d heard but never paid much atten- sine is always changing, chefs are do-
tion to. But I was intrigued. ing some amazing things. If I could,
I would love to go to all the great
Since Soluna is a neighborhood res- restaurants in Portland and work at
taurant, you must have a lot of regu- least a week there. It would get the
lars? juices flowing to see how other chefs
do things. That’s why I love Portland.
Yeah. Since Beaumont Village is right Chefs have more freedom here to do
in the middle of two major residential what they want to do, whether it’s a
neighborhoods, we have a lot families good concept or not.
and a lot of kids here. People like to
walk to our place. I’m fortunate that ∂ www.solunagrill.com
they’ve supported us so well. We love
engaging with our customers. With
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21. P O R T L A N D 208 NW 13th Avenue
S A N F R A N C I S C O 361 Sutter Street
S A N T A M O N I C A 1343 4th Street
S C O T T S D A L E 7051 E. Fifth Avenue, Suite A
S A N T A F E 110 Don Gaspar
CHICAGO 25 East Huron Street
N E W Y O R K 353 Columbus Avenue
W A S H I N G T O N D C 3307 Cady’s Alley, N.W.
B A B E T T E S F. C O M
21
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22. 22
Photo Tim Sugden

23. ABOUT ART
Buzz Siler
Artist - Inventor - Entertainer - Entrepreneur
by DC Rahe
T
he best word to describe Buzz is energetic.
He’s always moving while maintain-
ing a positive attitude with those bright
whimsical grandfather eyes. Buzz paints for
two reasons. The first is to communicate. The
second is to escape the unbearable,
overwhelming anxiety of being insignificant.
Painting allows him to be young again, and
invulnerable. When Buzz paints there is
battle going on, a destructive fight and roman-
tic dance, at the same time.
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24. Where does all your creativity come from? got over there we bought a Volkswagen Van for our free.” And that sent me on my way to a very big busi-
equipment and us. Rick, his wife, and me, traveling ness. Within a couple years I was selling spa covers
My dad had these wonderful insights into how things and entertaining—it was great fun. At the end of that called Spajamas to every spa dealer in America.
worked, while my mom was very creative and entre- summer, I bought a used Mercedes, and they took
preneurial. While I attended Sunset High School in the Volkswagen to London to meet up with some The next invention was because I was skiing and
Beaverton, they both worked at Tektronix. My mom friends there. I took the Mercedes up through the couldn’t keep my goggles clean. I created a simple
worked in the R&D department, and my dad worked Scandinavian countries and eventually caught up and easy new way to clean the goggles rather than
in mechanical maintenance. I always liked to draw. In with them back in London. I shipped the Mercedes stopping and wiping off my goggles with a cloth.
fact, I got a scholarship to study art at the Carnegie back, sold it a week after I got here for about $4,000 I created the Ski-Gee. It looks like a swim fin for a
Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That more than I paid for it. Cabbage Patch doll. The Ski-Gee goes on your glove
did not last long, because I was having too much fun thumb when you’re skiing. You don’t even have to
being a disk jockey at the college radio station and After your European tour, what was next? stop, you just reach up and squeegee off your gog-
playing music, so I flunked out. gles.
I settled down in Southern California as a single
In college, is that where you got into the music singing act. I had already built a pretty good follow- What happened with the Ski-Gee?
business? ing within the Pomona Valley, which is East of Los
Angeles. I’d entertain at the Holiday Inn nightclub I visited different ski resorts around the US and gave
I certainly spent more time playing guitar and sing- for three months, then take off for a month and go tons of them away. Well, as luck would have it, I was
ing in bands than I did in the classroom. While I was somewhere in the world and just to learn what that in Sun Valley and I gave a whole bunch of them to a
at the University of Oregon I formed the band X-25 was all about. I met my future wife Sandi at the Holi- guy named Curry Harbor, and he was the marketing
with my brother Rick. We were the opening group for day Inn nightclub. We dated five years before getting director for Life-Link. They make those quirky sun-
the Beach Boys and other major acts that were com- married. After three years at the Holiday Inn night- glass straps. We sold them 100,000 Ski-Gees. Ros-
ing to Oregon. The end of my senior year, we had a club, I had my own fan base. That’s when I opened by signol gave away a Ski-Gee with every pair of sport
record on the charts here in the Northwest and we own restaurant/nightclub The Cat & Fiddle. optics goggles they sold.
had some notoriety. Then we got a recording con-
tract with Pat Boon’s label CoogaMooga. So at the It was a good way to transition from being an enter- These two inventions really gave me the bug. Once
end of my senior year, we packed up our four-piece tainer to being a businessman, by hiring other enter- with the spa cover and now with the Ski-Gee goggle
band for California. tainers while I entertained on the side there. Sandi wiper. So in earnest I started to create more new
became my bookkeeper. After two years we got mar- products. I created the Bio-Hoop, a vomit bag which
We found out that we were a very small fish in a very ried and started our family. Now we have four won- is in most ambulances. It’s a plastic bag with a cable
big pool in California, whereas here we were really derful and beautiful daughters. tie along the top edge of it. When somebody throws
hot stuff. So at the end of the summer, two of the up into it, they can cinch up the cable tie and save the
band members went back to Oregon. I mean three How long did you own the nightclub? contents for the doctor to see. Then police depart-
months was all they could take of being humiliated ments started using the Bio-Hoop as an evidence
by every high school band out there, and my brother For about four years, then we sold it and moved bag. The police would go to a crime scene or even an
and I decided we would go on as a duo. So we created back to Portland so our daughters could get to know accident scene, and immediately take the jewelry off
an act kind of similar to the Smothers Brothers, or their grandparents. We fell in love with Portland over of the person who was in the accident or at the crime
we did a lot of ad lib comedy on stage while we mixed again, and fortunately, I started inventing. scene or their wallets and put it my bag, cinch it up
a little bit of music in with it. We were much better and then it became non-contaminated from the site
entertainers then we were musicians. So we played What kind of inventions? where they picked it up to wherever the lab.
in Southern California all over the place.
It all started with a hot tub. We installed one in our These are very diverse inventions. What else?
After about a year we still hadn’t created a record backyard, in a very romantic setting with trees and
at CoogaMooga, so we terminated our contract with things like that over hanging it, and could not keep I invented a special spray called Flavor-Mist that the
them and I went to work for Burt Rosen at Four Star the thing clean. The leaves were falling every day, dentists use on those little cardboard bite things. It
Television. My brother and I wrote music for televi- and that was back in the day when all they had was is also sprayed on almost anything else that goes in
sion specials like the Ann-Margaret Show. When we those little bubble packs that floated on top of the the patient’s mouth—gloves, clay impressions, etc.
weren’t writing, Rick and I worked the nightclubs water. So, I created a cover for the spas and hot tubs, It is available in four flavors: spearmint, chocolate,
singing. and it was made out of a nylon treacle material, kind bubble gum, and berry.
of like a women’s slip material. Very thin nylon. So it
It sounds as though you had some great opportuni- was lightweight. Basically I just cut a gigantic circle Did you market these inventions yourself?
ties. How long were you in LA? and then sewed a hem around the outside and put
a drawstring in it so it could hook over the lip of the No, I usually licensed the invention to a major com-
Just a few years. We went to Palm Springs, I opened spa. Cinch it up, and it would stay there overnight pany and just collected the royalties. That way it
my own gallery the Struggling Artist in Palm Springs. with the floating cover still inside, but all the leaves freed up my time.
I’d work days at the gallery, and nights entertaining that fell on it would stay on top of the cover and then
at nightclubs. After a year or so, I discovered that I you could pull the cover off and shake the leaves off When you were doing all this inventing, did you do
couldn’t make a living as an artist. I was making a ton or throw it in the washing machine, whatever. So it any painting?
of money as an entertainer and I was making next was very, very efficient. So some of my neighbors
to nothing as an artist. So two or three years later I started asking me to make them for them and I did. I had stopped for almost twenty years. My wife Sandi
closed the gallery and gave into being an entertainer And then finally, a light went on and I said, you know, was the painter in the family. She had her own studio
full time. But then my brother who had just gotten this might sell on the market. close to our home. So I was inventing and she was
married, decides he wants to get out of the enter- painting and one day I went up into her art studio
tainment business and move back to Oregon. Fortunately, I met the publisher of Spa and Sauna and I just got the bug to paint again. This is stupid.
magazine. I showed him the product and he said, Why have I given up painting when it is—heads and
So as a last hurrah, we did a European tour. We “Buzz, you have a winner here.” He said, “I’ll invest shoulders above inventing? It’s pure fantasy, its pure
booked ourselves all over Europe at the different US in your product if you want.” I said, “No, I can afford creative freedom. I don’t have to worry about the
Military bases and wherever else we could. When we to do it.” So he said, “I’ll give you a product release— utilitarian nature of something. I can paint and do
24

25. ABOUT ART
whatever I want to do. That was about eight ally started working on that technique to the
years ago. Soon after that, my paintings mi- point that now I discipline myself only to paint
raculously started selling far better than they that style. And secretly, if I decide to paint
ever did when I was in Palm Springs. something else, it never sees the light of day,
I only do it for my own pleasure. But for the
How would describe your painting tech- public consumption, I want to establish this…
nique? this technique that is uniquely mine.
I have developed a very special style using Looking around your studio, many of your
both acrylics and oils and… it was a style I works are of women. It almost appears to
hadn’t seen anybody else use before. Be- be the same model.
cause I paint flat on a table, and so if I laid
down the water based acrylics first on that I get that comment a lot. The inspiration is
canvas and then start painting over the top not any one woman. It is the many beautiful
of the acrylics with the oil based paint, then a women in my life. My beautiful wife, of over
lot of chemically activated events happen in thirty-four years, and I have four beautiful
this mixture of the oils and the acrylics. daughters. So over the years, I got this in-
grained image in my head. It was this sense
I think the wisdom that I finally gained after of beauty—whether it be my wife or my
all those years was if I can stick with a style daughters or friends of ours or people walk-
that is my own—develop it, perfect it—if there ing along the street. Essentially, I think all of
is such a thing as perfecting it, then I could us have some innate thing built within us so
make it recognizable, where somebody could that we recognize a beautiful woman when
look across the room and see a Siler. They we see her—whether it be beautiful eyes or
would know it’s a Siler instead of a Picasso a beautiful nose or beautiful legs or beauti-
or Dali or Monroe or something like that. So ful breasts. I see beauty in all women—their
these things that first started by accident, I beautiful lips, their beautiful eyes—and so
could now recreate at will and… and… and… the woman you see is a combination of all
I began to understand what was happening these images.
between the paints, understand that if I put
a napkin under the canvas, here, I can make When I look at this painting it appears that
the paint go one way or the other. If I splash there are two styles going on. The face is
water against it, it would do one thing, or even very still, while the hair and body are flow-
if I didn’t splash water against it… So I re- ing.
Popup Art Gallery
Hours: Friday and Saturday 12 – 5PM,
or by appointment
Location: 937 NW 10th Ave Portland OR 97209
(corner of NW 10th & Glisan)
Charties: The Regional Arts & Culture Council’s
Public Art Murals Program
Website: PRESENTspace.org
Founder: Nez Hallett
Popup space donated by 937 Condominiums
www.937condominiums.com
25
ABOUTFACEMAG.COM

26. in all sorts of different forms that are not pretty. So gallery on NW Marshall in the Pearl, right across the
essentially, I leave the face area fairly blank. I only street from Tanner Springs.
rough out in the painting when I’m doing the original
part of it. I only rough out where the eyes will be. I So you started back with landscapes. When did you
only rough out where the mouth and nose will be. So start painting women?
that as it dries and I have that very liquidy figure, I
can then go back in with a very small brush and start My daughter Hope did a chalk drawing of a nude lady,
putting the details of their face in there. And for me, and I was so fascinated by it, I decided I’d start paint-
it’s like I’m mixing the abstract with impressionism. ing women and it helped change my career from do-
ing landscapes into doing women. I took a right angle
Not all your paintings are of women. You have this and… it worked out well. It was appealing to a lot of
wonderful painting of a saxophone player. people, the women thing. So because I was selling
so much, I told my wife that I would like to open my
I painted Jazz Man to challenge myself. How do I de- own gallery.
That’s the nature of my style, because I’m really not
scribe Jazz to a deaf person? So if somebody has
a manager of the brush. I’m more a manager of the
sight but they can’t hear, what can I do as an artist Three years ago on the Fourth of July—or it was the
paint itself. And so in the early stages of painting a
to convey to them that multitude of tones and over- first Thursday of July three years ago—we opened
painting, I really start off with this pool of acrylics
tones and phonetic energy that Jazz can bring to the our gallery for the first time. We just celebrated our
laying on that canvas, very wet. And then when I add
ear? I was trying to bring that same energy to the third anniversary here at the gallery and every year it
the blacks, as I described earlier, that reaction starts
eye and so that’s why that particular painting—like gets better. And now the focus this year is to not just
taking place.
my piano painting—has so many colors in it, because have a gallery here in Portland, but also to get rep-
that’s what Jazz does. resentation for my works in New York, London, Paris,
I paint with the purpose of trying not to show a brush
Santa Fe and LA. Maybe even Chicago. So I’m actively
stroke. And so I want to have that very liquid feel, al-
You had a gallery before. What did you do differ- seeking out other galleries to handle my paintings in
most as if the paint laid itself down on the canvas
ently to market yourself as an artist? Did you open places where I can’t be, and trying to get my name
rather than me putting it on the canvas. Everything
your own gallery first? and my art out there to be recognized worldwide, not
I do in splashing the water against it, in making it so
just in the Northwest.
thick it runs all over the place, and letting the dif-
When I first started painting again back in 2004, I
ferent colors blend with each other naturally rather
was painting just landscapes and seascapes. They Besides First Thursdays, do you do any other
than me trying to mix them ahead of time and put
were very horizontal, and peaceful colors. I would events?
them on the canvas—I try to do it on the canvas it-
take my paintings around to the different restau-
self and let those paints mix in a very liquid way. That
rants and nightclubs, corporate offices, basically Well this gallery is our living room, so every Friday
gives me that… free form, flowing motion.
saying I will put these in here for free and I’ll change afternoon we serve a little wine, we invite our friends
them out every month. Key Bank in Lake Oswego was and neighbors. We get to know them and they get to
But when it comes to the faces, the difficulty you have
the first place. The second place was Peemkaew Thai know us. So stop by next Friday!
is if you let the paint flow, you will end up with ter-
restaurant in the North Park blocks in the Pearl. And
rible lips, terrible eyes. I mean, they will be contorted
I have sold many paintings there. Now I have my own ∂ www.silerstudios.com
1
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Slayer, Angel, Eureka, Grimm); writer (Wonder Years, X-Files,
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the Sorcerer’s Stone, Titanic, Apollo 13, Armageddon and others).
filmmaker have in common? 4. bryNN bardaCke: global creative director, Coca-Cola
4 5. PeTer rIChardSoN: Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury
Prize winner for documentary How to Die in Oregon
It’s the creative process.
6. roberT ThomPSoN: architect and design director at TVA
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Architects (Nike campus, Matthew Knight Arena at University of
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robyN TeNeNbaum: producer (OPB’s Live Wire! radio show)
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26

27. ABOUT TOWN
The Allure of the Automobile with Jay Leno
TV personality and avid car collector Jay Leno spent the evening with Portland Art Museum patrons and car enthusiasts touring The Allure of the Automobile. This exhibit investigates
the stylistic development of automobiles. To the delight of the attendees, Jay made comments about almost every one of these masterpieces of automotive design and engineering.
In the Whitsell Auditorium, Ken Gross, automotive historian, former director of the Petersen Automotive Museum, and guest curator, led Jay Leno in a discussion about buying and
restoring cars. At the end of the evening, Museum Director Brian Ferriso received a $10,000 check from Jay Leno, which was added to the grand total raised that evening (over
$70,000) to benefit the Portland Art Museum. (photos provided by Randy Boverman and the Portland Art Museum)
Jay Leno and Museum Jay Leno and guest curator Ken
Director Brian Ferriso Gross discuss past design
admire the classics
Jay Leno and guest Museum Director
curator Ken Gross Brian Ferriso, guest
discuss automobile curator Ken Gross, Jay
collecting and Leno’s Leno, and board chair
collection Gordon Sondland at
cocktail reception at
the Westin Hotel
Photos provided by Randy Boverman of the
Portland Art Museum
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27
ABOUTFACEMAG.COM

28. 28
KE
V
IN
C AR
RO LL
Photo Tim Sugden

29. ABOUT SPORT
Daredevil for Social Change
by Jamie Mustard
A Man Without Fear
Nike invented a job for Kevin Carroll called The Katalyst (the “K” is for Kevin) to serve as an
agent for creative change and to add value to the overall mission of the Nike brand. Kevin has
travelled the world to promote play as a means of maximizing human potential and creat-
ing social change. This might seem a tad idealistic until you see his resume. He speaks 5
languages including Croatian, Czech, Serbian and German. He went from being a high school
athletic trainer, to a college athletic trainer, to the athletic trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers
in just 5 years. His words have appeared on over 17 million Starbucks coffee cups. He has
addressed the United Nations on the importance of play in developing countries. He is the
author of 3 highly successful books published by ESPN Books, Disney Press and McGraw Hill–
most notably the Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.
He was also abandoned by his parents. Kevin Carroll knows something about human potential.
Okay, let’s get to it. What is the significance of What’s the difference between inspiring some- Actually, I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me the
the “Red Rubber Ball,” and how can a ball create body and creating social change? significance of Daredevil. It’s very personal and
social change? emotional when I talk about it out loud. I discov-
The ball is about your chase—your personal pur- ered Daredevil at 10 years old. I remember dis-
The significance of “Red Rubber Ball” for me is suits, your passion and action. How do you mani- covering him rummaging through all the different
a metaphor. It’s also a literal thing for me, as far fest your dreams into reality? When somebody is comic books. I grabbed that one because I saw the
as the ball and sports and what it has meant for actually chasing their passion, they change. When tag line, “The man without fear.” I took a pause, I
me in my chase. It’s a metaphor for my pursuit of you get enough people chasing their passion, their looked at it and I said, “I want to be that.” I wanted
red rubber ball, the society changes. People are to be the man without fear because that’s all I was
possibilities, my human potential and rising above
different when they are doing things in life that are dealing with—a lot of uncertainty, a lot of disap-
my circumstances—finding a way to demonstrate
personal and mean something to them. If the en- pointment, a lot of challenges as a child—and I
to people that circumstances don’t dictate a per- wanted to have courage, I wanted to live a life of
tirety of society pursued their passion, the society
son’s destiny. I truly believe that it didn’t matter courage and be courageous as I faced things.
would be better off in obvious ways. When people
what those social workers were saying about me
have meaning in their lives they are happier and so
and how they had written me off so early in my life, So, I devoured Matthew Murdock (Daredevil’s alter
is the culture.
how people in the neighborhood just looked at my ego) and Daredevil in all things. I’ve always kept
brothers and said, “We know those guys are going I get it. The icon of the red rubber ball is a meta- him at my side as a reminder that I can live a life
to be laborers or whatever.” The “Red Rubber Ball” phor for a purpose. of courage. I can lead that way. I can have abilities
represents my life in two ways: my chase, but also beyond what people can see. It’s not just about
my pursuit of being my personal best on a regu- It’s also as a symbol for community and belonging a superhero who happens to be blind. It was this
lar basis. At Nike I got to travel the world and see, to me. Look at it as a symbol of purpose, a meta- whole other thing about him having presence and
no matter where you go, a ball is always used to phor for your own chase. being more present because he lost his sight. He
bring people together. So, a ball has a meaning lost his sight because he tried to save someone
to people. Anyone can relate to chasing a ball and When I went to your office there were no win- when he was a boy. His willingness to sacrifice
doing it with determination. For me it started with dows. I saw references to the comic book hero, himself—all these things made me realize that I
wanted to have that superheroesque ingredient,
those red rubber balls we all used as kids on the Daredevil, all over. It reminded me of a secret
that DNA, in me. So I did my best to manifest it.
playground. hideout. What role has comic books, but espe-
Daredevil has always meant the world to me. I only
cially Daredevil, played in your life?
get Daredevil comics.
29
ABOUTFACEMAG.COM

30. In a way your windowless office is a secret lair… have to make a lot of big
decisions quickly. “What’s
Absolutely. my path going to be?” You
have to bear all that comes
Your office is filled with collections from your with that because people
travels. Do these sensitize you, and can the aver- will hate on you.
age person, or even a failed person, benefit from
collecting things? You give people a box of
magic in the back of one of
I think it’s important for people to surround them- your books. What is a box
selves with things that move them. When you are of magic?
dealing with a challenge or facing some adversity,
you have something to look to that can be a source A box of magic is about
of inspiration to uplift you. All those things you see your story.
in my office are just those kinds of moments or
recollections or memories that are uplifting. Im- After they create their box
merse yourself in things that feed your creative by artistically rendering
soul, things that feed you on a regular basis so their story on the outside
that you get sustenance for your soul. and putting things that
represent their dreams
What is the most important or significant item in on the inside, they have a
your vast collection? better understanding of
of the day, to go and pursue something that feeds
themselves and an increased ability to commu-
you, pursue something that brings you joy? If you
I have a bottle of magic. I’ve had that bottle of nicate their goals.
do that it will change the way you look at your job
magic for nearly a decade now. It used to travel
and all other aspects of your life. By changing you,
the world with me. It’s been handled by thousands Yes, they have now defined that for themselves
it changes society as it creates a happier, healthier
of people who wanted to pour magic on them- and because of that they will be able to commu-
person in a profound way.
selves—from business people to students, from nicate it effectively to others. We need to be able
civic leaders to individuals—anyone that may feel to share the story of our passion. We need to be
So the “Red Rubber Ball” forces you to narrow
they want some help with a hard time. On it says, able to get people to believe in us if we are going
down the one thing that is that thing for you.
“MAGIC uncork the possibilities.” to expect others to help us.
Even if you don’t build a career around it, just the
fact that you are now pursuing a passion is go-
But it’s not really magic? It’s not just about defining it for yourself. It’s so
ing to improve your life and improve the lives of
that you can communicate yourself and your
people around you.
Or is it? goals to others.
Exactly. You can enhance everything. I think that’s
The question is—and this is what I’ve learned from Absolutely. I think that’s imperative. That’s the
what people tend not to realize. They’d rather rail
children—that bottle represents belief beyond courage moment. So many people keep dreams
on what they don’t have. Tell me what it is that you
something you can see. Children always hold on locked up inside, they are scared to death of say-
would do for free. Tell me what it is that gives you
to something like that. They don’t even question ing them to others. Creating a box of magic makes
passion. What’s giving you the ability to have some
it. Adults always go, “Hmm, I’m not really sure,” it possible to communicate one’s dreams, which is
money, some freedom, some economic freedom,
but once I tell them where the bottle’s been, who the first step. It’s out there now, so it forces one to
to be able to pursue something you love?
it touched… After I explain to them it’s about be- be accountable to their dreams.
lief, it’s about faith, they say, “Give me a little bit of
Okay, should there ever be a distinction be-
that.” Belief and faith, chasing your own personal That’s intense when you think about it. What
tween work and play? What about the surgeon?
red rubber ball, having purpose—it’s transforma- about a person who is stuck in a dead-end job for
Shouldn’t a surgeon be serious?
tive. 20 years and is maybe in a rut, has bills, a mort-
gage and a family to support? How can a person
Oh! So here’s a great story to combat that.
Speaking of children, how has the struggle of that is 55 years old and pursued a life that may-
There’s a surgeon Malcolm Gladwell writes about—
your childhood informed your life? be they aren’t happy with decide to chase their
a genius, Charlie Wilson. Charlie Wilson is a neu-
“Red Rubber Ball?”
rosurgeon in the Boston area, one of the most
Abandonment is something that my childhood re-
renowned in North America, maybe globally. Char-
ally presented to me; finding a way to manage that I absolutely believe that we can all find a source of
lie talks about how his work is play and how he is
and deal with that loss. I was told as a young per- passion, a source of joy in our lives. I’m 52 years
doing the most delicate, intricate of surgeries on
son that children who deal with a lot of adversity old. I’m not some rose-colored, ridiculous dreamer
the brain and how he practiced and practiced on
and challenges and overcome them and rise above kind of person.
cadavers. He practiced on mice, all these things—
them will reap the benefits in their adulthood. This
which to him was a form of play—to get to this lev-
was my pastor who said that at my church. Ms. You look like you’re 25.
el of mastery. So that by the time he would actually
Lane, my childhood best friend’s mom, always re-
go in to do the surgeries, he reveled in the unex-
minded me of that. Embracing that struggle and Thank you. I say this to people: “What’s your pri-
pected—where he had problems to solve, where
how that struggle was framed for me had a huge mal source of joy? What would you be willing to do
he could play. Because he had found a way to play
impact on how I looked at my plight. Had I not had for free?” So we have bills. We have obligations.
toward a level of mastery, he had that confidence.
others framing it as an opportunity, things might We have commitments. Check. That dead-end job
have turned out different. that you’ve had has actually served an amazing
What about the garbage man? How would he
purpose. It has allowed you to meet your commit-
play?
What’s interesting is that most people who grow ments and to do the things that you need to do—
up in those circumstances don’t become Kevin to keep a roof over your head, food on the table
People on the garbage truck—we used to talk about
Carroll. It makes me think that the “Red Rubber and so forth. That job has actually been something
this all the time. The guys in my neighborhood who
Ball” creates social change by reframing one’s wonderful if you actually look at it a little different-
were garbage men, they love the fact that that job
situation in life. ly. Yeah, maybe it hasn’t fulfilled your soul. Maybe
which paid great money—hard demanding work—
it hasn’t, but it actually has reduced some noise.
they then had all this economic freedom to pursue
Absolutely, because there are plenty of other
their joy: their fishing, their love of muscle cars.
choices out there, especially when you don’t have Now, knowing that that job is providing that, how
All these other things. Once again, that dead-end
somebody who is really keeping you in line. You can you then take that, whatever hours are left out
job—no it’s not, if it’s actually availing of you the
30