We got an email message the other day from Josh Berger, the Portland artist who suffered a brain injury in a bicycle crash last May and is still on the mend. It's a long road back, but he's reached the stage of writing thank you notes, which is one in a series of encouraging signs.

His friends at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art are putting on a benefit party for him on Sunday afternoon at 3. Berger himself will be on hand, at least for some of the time. There will be beer from Fort George Brewery, food from Tastebud, and music by some people whom we are too unhip to know: Sam Coomes (Quasi, Heatmiser), Ray Raposa a.k.a. Raymond Byron (Castanets, White Freighter), Tuvan throat singer Enrique Ugalde (Soriah), Grey Anne, WC Beck, and e*rock (the last of whom is a DJ, we think). Tickets are $10 to $20.

The event is called 100 x 100, in that the work of 100 artists will be available for an "art dash." Those willing to pay 100 bucks instead of 10 to 20 are guaranteed a work of art to take home. They'll call out your number and you'll take your pick of what's still available. Among those whose art attendees will have a crack at are Christopher Rauschenberg, Arnold Pander, Gary Wiseman, Kristy Edmunds, Stephanie Snyder, Storm Tharp, Ed Fella, Cynthia Lahti, Milton Glaser, Harrell Fletcher, Susan Seubert, and Kristy Edmunds. They'll send a proxy in to grab some art for you if you can't be there.

A lot of cool people have pitched in to help Berger and his young family through an unthinkably difficult nine months -- including several readers of this blog. We suspect that some of them will be at the party. It should be an impressive gathering of Portlanders with heart and soul.