2026 Jury Panel
Each year, our organization invites a distinguished group of professional creatives to serve as jurors for our participating artists. The jury reviews and evaluates all applications through a blind process—artist names and identifying information are removed—ensuring a fair and thoughtful review.
Jurors assess work based on established criteria, including the quality of the artwork, professional presentation, and a consistent artistic voice. This process supports equity and allows the work itself to be the primary focus.
2026 Juror
mai ide is a Japanese-American artist from Tokyo, now based in Portland, OR. Their multidisciplinary approach investigates their own cultural intersectionality and deep ambivalence of race and gender as an immigrant, mother, and woman. As a non-native speaker of English, ide’s practice is expressing discomfort of being classified or perceived by society as an “other” or “forever foreigner” in the U.S. ide's use of salvaged fabric and Sashiko stitches conveys their simultaneous vulnerability, fragility, and ferocity under a constrained, violent, and volatile society. ide holds a BFA in Art Practice from Portland State University (OR) and an MFA in Visual Studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, as well as degrees in sewing, pattern making, and textile design in Japan, where she worked for twelve years as a material designer. Their previous exhibitions and performances include the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Kyoto in Japan, and Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Oregon.
2026 Juror
Blake Kahan is a graphic designer and art director based in Portland, specializing in tailored visual solutions for brands of all sizes, from local makers to growing media companies. As the Founder and Creative Director of Willow Ship, a sustainable homewares brand, Blake collaborates with independent boutiques nationwide. A proud graduate of the Applied Art & Design department at Cal Poly SLO, she has lived in SE Portland with her family since 2017, finding joy in gardening and hiking. This year, Blake is honored to serve as a juror for Open Studios, supporting the vibrant local creative community.
2026 Juror
Daria Loi is a mixed-media artist and participatory designer with a track record in arts-based research and interactive art. In 2023 Daria founded Imperfecta, a gallery focused on women artists and underrepresented creatives. Besides showcasing her work globally, Dr. Loi published 80+ articles, co-edited Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Participatory Design, holds 10+ patents and is columnist for ACM Interactions. She mentors emerging artists and innovators, is Oregon City’s Arts Commissioner and is on the Board and Executive Council for a number of non-profits. In 2018 she was recognized as one of Italy's 50 most inspiring women in tech & received Intel’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Award.
2026 Juror
Jennifer Stady is an educator, designer, and artist based in Portland, Oregon. She holds a BA from Portland State University and an MA in Studio Art from New York University. Since 2015, she has served as an adjunct professor in the Graphic Design department at Portland State University, where she cultivates a learning environment that encourages experimentation while grounding students in strong design thinking and craft.
She is the founder and creative lead of Laundry Studio, a well-established commercial design studio specializing in print and pattern design, illustration, and graphic design. The studio’s professional practice is bold, experimental, and contemporary, with clients including Nike, Hoka, CB2, and Keen, among others. Jennifer also runs an internship program that has hosted more than 40 students from the Portland area, providing hands-on experience in the curiosity, creative, technical, and business skills needed to work as a pattern designer and studio owner. In addition, she regularly hosts hands-on workshops for local businesses in her studio, as well as a monthly, community-based “Art Night” for local creatives.
Her personal art practice centers on meditative, abstract, and repetitive mark-making that grows organically and reflects her passion for the hidden and often overlooked details of the natural and man-made world.
