Mission Statement

Portland Open Studios creates a unique opportunity for artists and art lovers to come together to engage, educate, and inspire one another. Through tours and other events, we invite the community to take an intimate look inside the spaces of working artists.

The Board

Kelly Neidig, President, 503.753.1812,
Shu- Ju Wang, Secretary,
Tupper Malone, Treasurer,
Bonnie Meltzer, Public Relations, 503.285.3131,
Debbie Marble, Workshop,
Kindra Crick, Print Design Coordinator,
Jerome Rodgers, Sales & Distribution,

Also, Shelley Hershberger, Board Administrator, a non-voting position,

Join The Board

Become a board member or committee chair; positions are available for both artists and non-artists.

Portland Open Studios celebrates our 10th anniversary in 2009! Join the board now to help us make it a special year for all.

Here's a description of board and chair responsibilities.

And here's the board application.

Studio Locations

Participating artists are in Portland, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Gladstone, Happy Valley, Tigard, Tualatin, Beaverton, Aloha, Lake Oswego, and West Linn.

Submission Policy

Application is due March 15 of the year. This is not a postmark date.

Professional artists of all media, race, and gender are encouraged to apply.

Application is by individual artist and not by studio. Artists who share one studio space must apply separately; artists who always work on the same objects as a team may submit both names on one application. One image and one listing will appear on the website and in the Tour Guide.

To receive a reminder as the next application deadline approaches, please subscribe to the Portland Open Studios Call to Artists list. You will receive only two email messages from this list—one early February when Portland Open Studios is ready to accept applications, and a second one about 10 days before the application deadline. If you are currently on the list but no longer wish to be, please unsubscribe here.

To apply, please see the Apply page for instructions.

Artists Selection Process

Participating artists are selected by a panel of three independent artists and arts administrators. Returning artists will also be selected based on their fulfilling their participation requirements in previous years. Each year we invite a different group of jurors.

Jurors

The 2008 jurors were Evelyn Diamond, Arvy Smith, and Tom Prochaska.

Kimberly Gales Scholarship

Kimberly Gales

Kimberly Gales Scholarship for Emerging Artists

Artists between the ages of 20 and 30 are eligible to apply for the scholarship to participate in Portland Open Studios. Applicants are juried with all other applying artists. A final selection is made from the artists who have been accepted into the tour.

We were able to offer two scholarships to young artists in both 2007 and 2008.

Read about current and past scholarship winners here.

To apply for the Kimberly Gales Scholarship for Emerging Artists, please see the Apply page.

The scholarship was established to honor Kimberly Gales, 1948-2005, an accomplished watercolorist, successful businesswoman, and mother, Portland Open Studios artist and board member. Kim’s broadly creative spirit was evident in all aspects of her life. She brought wisdom, common sense, good humor, and unfailing dedication to her role as a Portland Open Studios board member. We are pleased to be able to establish a scholarship in her name.