Itās Wednesday.
Which means itās the perfect day to get a little weird.
Every week we celebrate elements of Portlandās wonderful weirdness in collaboration with the fine folks atĀ Weird Portland UnitedĀ (WPU).
If you havenāt read them yet ā you can find ourĀ February Weird Wednesdays here, where we interviewedĀ The Unipiper, local artistĀ Cedar Lee, andĀ The Portland Sleestak. And if you missed our interview with magician Spencer Sprocket,Ā peep at that here, check outĀ our chat with designer Sundari Franklin, read our skating adventures withĀ Carlos the Rollerblader, and get caught up in technicolor fun with artistĀ Strawberry Pickle at Rainbow City.
Weāre doing something a little different today, folks. We are going back in time to one of Portlandās OG weird art galleries, a coin-operated wonderland where you could get married for $25, hear a sermon from the King of Rock nā Roll, buy a t-shirt you probably didnāt need, and so much more. Thatās right, we are covering the 24-hour Church of Elvis.
What exactly was the 24-hour Church of Elvis?Ā
Well…it was a lot of things. It was an art gallery that changed locations three times (and its official name was actually āWhereās the ART!! A Gallery of Art for the Smartā). It was a sidewalk-facing wall of ā80s era screens and gadgets that āincluded several coin-operated art exhibits that made sounds, moved, and talked in response to pressed buttons,ā according toĀ Atlas Obscura. It was also a place where you could get legally married by owner (and ordained minister)Ā Stephanie G. Pierce, and you could also have a novelty wedding ā coin-operated of course.
How did Elvis Presley fit into all of this? He had a display at the gallery and for a quarter you could hear the King give a sermon and confess your sins to him.
In 1985, the first location of the Church ā which was the brainchild of Pierce, who came to Portland to become an artist after practicing corporate law with AT&T for three years ā sprung up. The church first operated out of a storefront on SW Washington Street, with a single fortune-telling machine and art displays from over 300 Portland artists.
The displays at the Church were often a mishmash of ā70s iconography. (šø:Ā Courtesy of Trout Monroe Flickr)
A year or so later, Pierce moved the display to Ankeny Street where she recreated the window and first introduced theĀ 24-hour Church of ElvisĀ addition at the suggestion of two high school students.
From theĀ Oregon Encyclopedia:
āFor a quarter, visitors could hear a sermon by Elvis, confess their sins, receive the Elvis catechism, or get a photo with the King of Rock and Roll. Pierce also offered Elvis-themed wedding services, including legal weddings for $25, novelty weddings for $5, and coin-operated weddings for $1.ā
These funds helped Pierce pay her rent, and she eventually moved the gallery to its third location (still on Ankeny) where she would give free tours of the displays and beseech attendees to buy her t-shirts. This third spot made it difficult to install a coin-operated display soĀ Pierce supplemented with an Elvis museum.
The tours mostly consisted of artists describing their displays as quickly as possible to the gathered attendees.
According toĀ Atlas Obscura:
āAs part of the tour, those who entered were promptly yelled at for interrupting, or, depending on which part of the tour they interrupted, barked at by others taking the tour. It provided the opportunity to wonder what in the world was going on, and gave those already taking the tour, who had just gone through the same welcome, the chance for a good laugh.ā
Remember the 24-hour Church of Elvis when you think of Portlandās weirdness. (šø: Courtesy of The Unipiper)
Sadly, the Church eventually closed due to lack of funding sometime in 2013. During its heyday it garnered local, national, and international acclaim for its full embrace of offbeat strangeness and art.
If you can find your way to one of the old locations, you can still see a āWhereās the ART??ā sign displayed in the window. The 24-hour Church of Elvis was one of Portlandās truly weird experiences, in some of the most wonderful ways.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to connect with Stephanie for a deeper dive on her experience creating the Church, but we would love to do so in the future.
Do you have any memories, stories, or pictures of the 24-hour Church of Elvis? Email us at [email protected] and send them our way, because we would love to see them.
Thank you to ourĀ Bridgeliner UnabridgedĀ members; your support helps make Bridgeliner, and original features like this, possible.Ā