Neighborhood Center of the Arts

 

10

15

Ryan G.

Portland, OR

10/30/2006

The Neighborhood Center of the Arts is housed in what I'm guessing is an old hospital. Or a sanitarium. It looks old and crazy, stale and, to use the parlance of fast food, melty. If it had teeth then they'd be about to drop off onto your head.

The center has a wing on the far end (I don't know what other parts of the building are used for, but I've heard there's a glass studio). It's upstairs, and you can either take the stairs or the elevator. At the base of the stairs you'll see a series of totemic ceramics. Art lies ahead.

The center is an expansive working art studio, as well as an open art gallery. The aim is to provide resources and art classes for adults with developmental disabilities. They work in many different mediums, including paint, photography, ceramics, weaving, computers, and pen and ink. Further information can be found on their website.

They have a new exhibit every few months. Hours are 10am to 4pm. Until about 2pm the studio is active, with artists working, milling about, and attending classes. But visitors are free to step in and check out what's going on.

Basically, this is my favorite gallery in the world. It's such a positive place, free of pretentions, and the work is great and presented well. The staff is very friendly, and the artists are nice and available to speak about their work. I (and my family) have a whole collection of art from here. Some of my favorite pieces that I own are from here.

Once you walk inside, there are a few rooms walling the latest exhibition. Past that you get into the studio areas, where there is also more art to look at. Basically, every room has art on the walls. One time I was browsing some abstract religious icon paintings, and one of the artists came up to me and asked, "Hey, do you want to know what happened yesterday?" I said, "Yes." And he handed me the newspaper. Then walked off. Then I bought a piece of art  -- a woodblock with an all-text Volvo advertisement printed on it, and sprawling on top of the text, in various mediums, are words and nonsense.

My family and I recently invested in a huge painting, a collaborate effort by a few of the artists. It looks somewhat like a Basquiat.

I highly recommend visiting the Neighborhood Center of the Arts. The artists produce amazing work, and it's very accessible, engaging, and enjoyable. The center does a wonderful job at cultivating their talents. A lot of care and hard work goes into the place, and their efforts are rightfully deserving of praise.

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