Apply to Portland Open Studios

2010 application is now closed.

We make every effort to send out the notifications during the first week of April. Due to the large number of applicants, we can not respond to individual inquiries about the status of your application.

To receive a reminder as the next application deadline approaches, please join the Call to Artist Mailing List from our Home page. 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.

Application (all parts) and fees are always due on March 15 of the year; this is not a postmark date.

Portland Open Studios offers artists opportunities to showcase their work, engage a curious public, and network with other artists, all within a supportive environment.

Other benefits include:

• Your artwork and contact information published in our full color Tour Guide and on the website, both are accessible to media, curators and art buyers all year long
• Participation can lead to invitation to exhibit, teach, sell work and other opportunities and media attention
• Gallery owners and designers receive complementary copies of the Tour Guide and many take the tour
• Use our blog and social media to feature your artwork, other exhibits and events for a full year
• Receive 5 complementary Tour Guides, studio signs and postcards; learn marketing and demonstration techniques

For example, in 2009 Portland city staffers selected two of our artists' work as gifts for a Goodwill Trade Tour of Japan and BCA (Business for Culture and the Arts) commissioned awards for their Breakfast of Champions from two other artists.

2010 Tour Dates

October 9-10 and 16-17, all artist studios are open both weekends, 10am-5pm each day.

Jury Fee is due on March 15 of the year, Participation Fee due on April 9.

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2010 Jurors

Jef Gunn, Horatio Law, and Laura Russell

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Please note the following changes:

• All artist studios must be open both weekends.
• Jury Fees are $25 for those who apply early, before 11pm March 8 and $35 from March 9 through 15.
• Artists pay their Participation Fee and optional Opt-out Fee by April 9, after they are selected.
• Your entire application may be submitted online, including fees.

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Eligibility

Your studio must be in Portland, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Gladstone, Happy Valley, Tigard, Tualatin, Beaverton, Aloha, Lake Oswego, or West Linn. Studios are limited to these areas to best serve our visitors and participating artists. The studio you apply with must be where you create your artwork.

You must have an active email address.

Application is by individual artist only and not by studio, agent, dealer or other representatives. 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 person may not apply under multiple names.

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Mentorship Opportunities

For artists interested in education and in mentoring high school art students, please read about our Student Mentor Program in the Education page.

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Emerging Artist Scholarships

Open to artists between 20 and 30 years old.

The scholarship waives the Jury and Participation Fees and the winner is awarded an additional $100 stipend. The recipient is also given recognition in the Tour Guide and on the website as the scholarship winner. All scholarship applicants must pay the Jury Fee. Award winners will have that fee returned. Scholarship applicants submit 6 images for jury, see Application Process below and also Image Preparation page for details.

Scholarship artists must be available for publicity opportunities.

Please read the complete Scholarship Eligibility, Obligations, and Application Process page.

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Participation Requirements

Beading; used with permission from Teresa Sullivan

As a member artist in Portland Open Studios, you will be asked fulfill some requirements.

After you are accepted:

• There is a Participation Fee of $140 that will need to be paid by April 9.
• An option to opt-out of volunteer services for an additional fee of $155 is also due by April 9.
• Those who do not pay the Participation Fee by this date will forfeit their spot in the 2010 Studio Tour.

See the Participation Fee page for the details on what these fees cover.

In addition:

• Be ready to demonstrate how you go about making some aspect of your art, and be willing to answer questions about your process and materials during the Tour.
• Volunteer at least 8 hours of time. We are a volunteer organization and depend on the expertise of the participating member artists. If you are unable to provide volunteer hours, you may pay the Opt-out Fee of $155. You must fulfill your volunteer hours or pay the Opt-out Fee if you expect to participate in any future Portland Open Studios events. Volunteer tasks are an opportunity to contribute and learn new skills. Check out the options on the Volunteer Job Descriptions page.
• We take no commission on sales of your work.
• You must be open both tour weekends, the second and third weekends in October.
• Attendance at both Training Workshops is essential:
  1. At the First Workshop, on May 25, you will proof-read all information about you in the Tour Guide and Map. This is your one and only chance to do so! Also, you will receive information and promotional materials that are critical to the year's event.
  2. At the Second Workshop, on July 27, you will receive your street signs, complimentary Tour Guides and additional promotional materials. In addition, you will receive training on demonstrating, selling Tour Guides and other tips on how to have the most successful event possible. If you have to miss one of these events for a very legitimate reason, make arrangements with another member artist to cover for you and pick up materials.

Failure to meet these requirements will jeopardize future participation in Portland Open Studios.

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Application Process

Jury Fee is due on March 15 of the year, Participation Fee due on April 9.

New in 2010: your entire application may be submitted online, including fees.

Please review the following Application Checklist, your application is not complete until you have completed all of these steps:

1. Complete online Application Form, including a 50 word artist statement.
2. Read and accept the Liability/Safety Form online.
3. Upload 3 images of a consistent body of work made within the last 2 years (scholarship applicants upload 6 images). One high resolution image is used for the Tour Guide, all images will be used by the jury. See Image Preparation page for details.
4. Pay a non-refundable Jury Fee online or by check. $25 for those who apply early, before 11pm March 8 and $35 from March 9 through 15.

After you have filled out and submitted the Application Form, you will receive an email to verify receipt. In that email, you will be assigned an artist number, password and username that will enable you to go to your application page, edit your information and upload your images. You will be able to go back to this page anytime before March 15 to add, update or delete images.

Application and Jury Fee are always due on March 15 of the year; this and other dates above are not postmark dates. If your Jury Fee and complete application are not received by Monday, March 15, images will not be viewed by the jury.

Note: It is strongly advised that all working artists carry liability insurance for their studio space as part of their own business practice. The Portland Open Studios Liability/Safety Form that is a part of your application process serves to release and protect Portland Open Studios, its Board and employees, and the other participating artists from anything that happens in your studio; it does not protect you from personal and/or business liability in any way for what happens in your studio. That is your responsibility to address with your own insurance agent.

See a list of agents who can help you acquire liability insurance for your studio.

If you choose to pay by check:

• Checks must be received by the appropriate dates posted above (these are not postmark dates, please plan accordingly).
• Make checks out to Portland Open Studios.
• Please put your name in the memo section of your check. This is important if the name on your check is different from the name on the application.

Mail your checks to:
Portland Open Studios
PO Box 15022
Portland, Oregon 97293

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2010 application is now closed.

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Uploading Images

You will submit images after you have completed the Application Form and read and accepted the Liability/Saffety Form online. You will be able to add or change image files anytime until March 15.

See Image Preparation page on how to choose and submit images for your application.

If you need help photographing your work, Dale Leix of Today's Photo has been recommended by several Portland Open Studios artists who have used his Artwork Portfolio Services. He photographs both 2D and 3D work and offers reasonable rates base on size and number of pieces. Please see Today's Photo for more information.

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Need Help?

You can make an appointment for someone to help you with the following:

• Formatting art images to the correct file size and/or uploading images
• Filling out the Application Form

Email Application Help Desk for an appointment. Please include your phone number and address so we can match you with a helper. Please make an appointment by March 1.

The fee for this service is $15 payable at time of appointment. Make checks payable to Portland Open Studios.

Please come with your images on a CD that works with both Mac and PC. Slides can be scanned at any photography store.

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