Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Stephen.
Hi Chelsea, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
They say that around 27 you have your Saturn return or something of that nature, and whether it was planetary, an epiphany, or a quarter-life crisis, I decided to leave a pretty steady career path in marine resource management and go to art school at 28.
After getting my master’s in Collaborative Design at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), and with no real business plan at all, I got a job as an assistant to the director of Illustration at said alma mater and was later promoted to program coordinator for the illustration and graphic design department. Over the next 10 years, I slowly built a little career at PNCA.
I loved my job and the community at the art school, but I had always dreamed of opening my own shop or studio. Sometime in 2021, I learned that an old mixed-use building in my neighborhood was likely going up for sale. I had no real knowledge of real estate or development, but I had this strong pull to reach out to the owners and see if I could purchase it privately before it went to market.
Long story short… and it’s a long story… I bought the building in 2022, quit my job shortly after, and opened a pop-up gallery in one of the retail spaces while I worked with a team to renovate the building from top to bottom.
That was the beginning of The Purple Door, which is now nested inside this old building with three other retail spaces and four residential units above. In September 2023, we closed the gallery doors for the final stages of renovation and reopened in June 2024, newly remodeled as you see it today.
Today the gallery is still in the same location but looks very different from its early days. The original door, which is purple, is now inside the gallery and is the connecting point to the annex and dreamer gallery.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oof. So many struggles. I had to learn how to run two businesses simultaneously – property management and running a gallery. I had a crash course in real estate law and definitely learned from some avoidable mistakes. Also, I’m a pretty private person and buying an old building in your neighborhood kinda exposes you to a lot of curiosity and scrutiny. I had to get comfortable very quickly with talking about what I was doing, and being honest that I had no real idea how to do it.
And, of course, I had never worked for myself outside of some freelance work. I was terrified I wouldn’t know how to run a gallery “the right way”. I still struggle with imposter syndrome. I also struggle with time management and tend to bite off more than I can chew, so burnout never feels far away.
But if i’ve learned anything its that the risks are frequently worth it and that the questions are worth asking: ask for the advice, ask for the help, ask for the dream artist to show at your gallery, ask for the phone number of the person you need to call to make the deal. Just ask the question.
As you know, we’re big fans of THE PURPLE DOOR GALLERY. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Purple Door is really my answer to some of the obstacles I see in art culture, not just in Portland but more broadly. I think art should be accessible to everyone, but sometimes the art world and galleries can feel pretty intimidating to the average person. I would hear people say things like they feel uncomfortable at art openings, or that they’re “not artsy,” so they felt like they didn’t belong there. That always felt a bit off to me.
I’m not interested in tearing down existing models, per say, I just wanted to add to the landscape, to create a art gallery that felt inclusive, community-oriented, and open to everyone, with a range of art that can appeal to serious art buyers and still feel welcome to people who are just there to look and learn and feel something. I want the gallery to be taken seriously, but I don’t want it to feel… serious.
More than anything, I want the artist to feel like the gallery itself is their canvas. I want to give them room to experiment, to have a little fun with the space, and to feel like they’re part of creating the experience rather than simply putting work on a wall.
We also have recently expanded with an Annex, next to the gallery, which is an art market space of sorts. I invite local artists to set up pop-up markets there, and it gives us a way to bring in more artists and more kinds of work from prints, cards, and gifts to small originals. It also has an old piano from Piano Push Play, and our guests are welcome to sit and tickle the ivories.
What are your plans for the future?
So many plans, I’m always thinking about ways to adapt and grow. Just stay tuned cause things are bound to evolve 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thepurpledoorpdx.com
- Instagram: @thepurpledoorpdx
