Sarah Swoffer has creativity in her DNA. In founding Let’s Paint, which offers art instruction to children, parents and everyone in between, Swoffer has been instrumental in helping her students explore their own artistry by nurturing creativity and confidence. Growing as an art teacher during her time with Westside Village Magnet School, she knew painting […]
Jared Rasic
Film critic and author of food, arts and culture stories for the Source Weekly since 2010.
Posted inBend Nest
Best Dance Studio: The Dance Connection Bend
Beyond the Steps
There’s no such thing as a dancer without passion; they do it because they feel it in their bones and soul. Owners of The Dance Connection Bend, Amy Adams, Lauren DuBose and Paige Coduti, feel that emotion and pass it on to every student who enters the doors of their studio. “We believe that dance stretches […]
Posted inBend Nest
Best Learning Specialist/Tutor: Sylvan Learning of Bend
Individualized Education on the Rise
No two students learn the same way and it’s a huge mistake to assume they will. That’s one reason why Sylvan Learning has expanded so widely over the years. Audra-Marie Bohn, the director of Sylvan of Bend, explains: “Sylvan sets up individualized learning plans customized to each and every student, and we use expert teachers […]
Posted inCulture
Explosive Protest Art
"How to Blow Up a Pipeline" is a banger
Oh man, “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” is going to piss people off. Based on the vitriol from Armond White, I initially assumed the extreme right would be the most incensed. Wait, you haven’t heard of Armond White before? I’m sorry for introducing you to this rabbit hole. Armond White is a film critic […]
Posted inCulture
Six Movies, One Weekend
Cage, Mario, not Bob Ross and so much more
I might have overdone it at the theater last weekend. It was one of those weeks where life became a perfect storm of exhaustion, seasonal affective disorder and heartsickness, so I figured I would apply comforting cinematic ointment to my poor, addled brain. So, across three days, I went to six movies in the theater, basking […]
Posted inCulture
Growing Pains
Return to Seoul explores the context of a life
Sometimes it’s impossible to know anyone’s real motivations. No matter how well we think we know someone, people can and will always surprise us with the multitudes they contain. A single human being is capable of astonishing acts of cruelty or kindness, sometimes within the same moment. Cynics say that no one ever really changes, […]
Posted inCulture
May the Source Be With You: April Edition
Cordyceps, catfishing and conspiracies!
This is embarrassing but I think 2023 has been a much better year for shows than movies so far. I know, I know, it’s only April, but there have been so many bad movies and so many good streaming shows that it feels like there’s an imbalance in the force. Even some of the newer […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Shell Games
SEA Crab House prioritizes fun
The first thing you notice about The SEA Crab House upon arriving is that it really does look like a hole-in-the-wall coastal seafood joint you’d stumble across a block from the beach in Astoria or Newport. From the sky-blue paint job down to the font on the sign, The SEA Crab House is primarily concerned […]
Posted inCulture
Keanu Kills Everybody
The Wickarding World continues
There aren’t a lot of truly great action movies. That might be a hot take, but it’s true. I’ve been intermittently working on a book that follows the latter career entries of action stars including Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Scott Adkins, Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham and Gerard Butler that’s focused on the […]
Posted inCulture
Dinosaurs, Ghostfaces and Cocaine Bears, Oh My!
The Source takes on a triple feature
We’re almost a full three months into the year and, correct me if I’m wrong, but we haven’t had a single exceptional film so far. There have been some good ones and bad ones and a million forgettable ones, but nothing great. Isn’t there usually at least one great movie by this point in the […]