Board & Staff

Kirista Trask is an Abstract Artist and Creative Game changer with 20 years of experience in small business development and non profit development. She is the owner of Cambium Gallery, an Astoria contemporary art gallery that specializes on regional artists with a focus on historically marginalized artists. She has been with Portland Open Studios for six years now, first as a participating artist, then serving on the board for three years before becoming the first Executive Director.

Leah Kohlenberg is an artist who moved to Portland, Oregon in 2011. After being rejected by Portland Open Studios on her first attempt (in 2014), she tried again and was accepted for the first time in 2015. "Once I walked in the room of the first artist meeting, I knew I was home," she said. Kohlenberg knew that Portland Open Studio's inclusivity and community building, riding alongside with an expectation of excellence in art-making, represented her core beliefs about making and marketing art. She joined the board as Vice President in 2016, and became president in 2017. She's served on the board in various capacities since that time, and in 2022 assumed the role of board president once again.