BY Todd Anthony

Whether you’re an artist or just an admirer of art, there’s no better way to get an appreciation for what artists do than to see them at work in their own studios.
That’s the intention of Portland Open Studios (POS), founded in 2004, as a way to showcase artists in their natural environment.

This year the self-guided tour features 98 artists in their studios throughout the Portland Metro Area, seven of which call North Portland home. Artists involved in the tour utilize a variety of art forms including paintings, prints, sculptures, textiles, glass, ceramics, and photography.

In 2005 Portland Open Studios instituted a scholarship program which grants its winners admission to the program by waiving the participant fee. This year’s winners of the Kimberly Gales Emerging Artists Scholarships are Jennifer Mercede and St. Johns resident, Ben Heiken, best known for his black and white pencil drawings on canvas and for being POS’s 2006 “Go By Bike” raffle recipient. 

Heiken, who studied under Chicago-area painter Thomas Metcalf (whose use of light and shadow evokes comparisons to Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio), describes his work as that of everyday people in their daily lives. “These moments that at first seem insignificant are real and poignant.  They encompass our reality and everything that we long to feel.  The peak of our existence is frozen in the moments that are often forgotten or viewed as insignificant,” explains Heiken.

Participating artist and publicity and website coordinator for Portland Open Studios, Bonnie Meltzer says of Heiken’s work, “He draws like a renaissance master and he has incredible skill and he loves every line.”

Painter, quilter and self-confessed “doodler” Miriam Badyrka is another participating North Portland artist who was chosen by Heiken, as part of his prize, to paint the winning “Go By Bike” bicycle. Currently the bike, which features Badyrka’s signature use of color and geometry, resides in the window of Weir’s Cyclery but will be moved to Badyrka’s studio for the event.

Mark Birdsall, who graduated from Southern Illinois University, will be sharing his North Portland studio this year for the first time with Open Studios art goers. Birdsall, who has been an artist since he was a teenager, primarily utilizes woodcarving, pastels and watercolors. When asked to describe his art, Birdsall jokes, “I try not to,” but goes on to say that it is figurative and that it depicts “little, imaginative narratives between two or three people.”
Other North Portland artists participating in POS include Briana Linden, Shelley Hershberger and Amy Konsterlie. “Open Studios is an excellent way to understand how other artists work, and it is also great in building a community that supports and develops the arts throughout Portland,” says Heiken.

For those interested in previewing a sample of what POS has to offer, a selection of artists’ work will be exhibited on October 4, 6-9 pm at Art of Change Gallery, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette (619 SW 11th Ave).

$15 tour book (includes two tickets, map and bonus calendar) available at:
Weir’s Cyclery, Art Media, New Seasons Market and Powell’s Books 
Studios East of the Willamette- October 13 & 14, 10:00 to 5:00
Studios West of the Willamette- October 20 & 21, 10:00 to 5:00

Link to the POS website at www.stjohnssentinel.com.