Today we’d like to introduce you to Sidestreet Arts Gallery.
Hi Sidestreet Arts, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Reta Larson retired from Pratt and Larson Tile and started a shop named Sidestreet Gallery and Gift at our SE 28th location selling local and international arts and crafts for thirteen years.
Early in 2017, Reta and Michael Pratt sold their ceramic tile business, Pratt and Larson Tile, and with Michael retiring from that, Reta decided it was time to try retirement again. She approached a group of artists, and Sidestreet Arts–an artist collective gallery–was born.
Sidestreet currently has eight volunteer members who run the gallery: ceramicist Dawn Panttaja, book carver Melody Bush, painter and ceramicist Amelia Opie, ceramicist Ha Austin, painter Anna Magruder, stained glass artist Tamara Goldsmith, and ceramicist Andi Pavone.
Michael Pratt and daughter Bethany Pratt, both artists, remain as members of Sidestreet Arts. The gallery hosts member artists, represented artists, and monthly featured shows showcasing Portland and Northwest artists.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Economical ups & downs do affect us financially, but we are 100% volunteer-run by our members and are fortunate that the building owners are committed patrons of the arts and generous benefactors.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Sidestreet Arts Gallery?
We are a neighborhood art gallery striving to extend our reach to find an audience for our artists. As a collective of like-minded artists with diverse aesthetics who collaborate on curation, the members have changed over time, but the mission has remained the same.
Our mission is to operate a visual arts venue that promotes, encourages, and supports the work of its members and guest artists. We are proud to represent local artists, and create a community for them. In this community emerges a voice of our collective experiences which can inspire and connect.
How do you think about luck?
We don’t see our success as luck. We are all working artists and work very hard on our art while also volunteering our time to the gallery because we are committed to the success of the collective.
Pricing:
- We strive to be accessible and affordable. When you buy from us – whether it’s a card or artwork you are supporting local artists.
- We provide a variety of price points – we have greeting cards ($4-6) and you can find many items under $100 as well as higher-priced artworks up to and over $500.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sidestreetarts.com/
- Instagram: @sidestreetartspdx
