North Pole Studio

THE NORTH POLE STUDIO SUPPORTS CAREERS IN THE ARTS, AND EXISTS TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS WITH AUTISM AND INTELLECTUAL / DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO THRIVE AS ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY. WE FOSTER SELF-DETERMINATION AND FACILITATE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS THROUGH TOTAL ENGAGEMENT IN THE ARTS.

PROFESSIONAL STUDIO PROGRAMOUR PROFESSIONAL STUDIO PROGRAM PROVIDES ARTISTS WITH A SAFE, SUPPORTED SPACE TO PURSUE A SELF-DETERMINED ART PRACTICE. IN THIS PROGRAM, ARTISTS HAVE UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO A WIDE VARIETY OF HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS-- A NECESSARY RESOURCE FOR LOW-INCOME ARTISTS. ARTISTS ACCESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH AN ARTIST MENTORSHIP PROGRAM AND WORKSHOPS WHICH ARE DEVELOPED BASED ON ARTIST REQUEST. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OADDITIONALLY, ARTISTS ARE PROFESSIONALLY REPRESENTED THROUGH NORTH POLE STUDIO'S WEBSITE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHERE WE PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO MARKET AND SELL ARTWORK. ARTISTS ARE SUPPORTED IN DOCUMENTING A STRONG PORTFOLIO OF WORK, AND APPLYING TO OPPORTUNITIES TO EXHIBIT BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. THROUGHOUT 2021, WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE PROVIDED A SAFE STUDIO ENVIRONMENT FOR ARTISTS TO DEVELOP AND EXPAND THEIR CREATIVE PRACTICES. THE STUDIO WAS OPEN 7 DAYS PER WEEK, OFFERING FULL-TIME SERVICES TO OUR ARTIST COMMUNITY. WE ADHERED TO A STRICT COVID-19 SAFETY POLICY, AND IMPLEMENTED A STAGGERED SCHEDULE TO MAINTAIN A SOCIALLY DISTANCED SPACE. THROUGH AN APPLICATION AND INTERVIEW PROCESS, WE ADMITTED 15 ARTISTS TO THE PROGRAM. WE ADMITTED AN ADDITIONAL 2 ARTISTS TO OUR EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM, THE "EXHIBITING ARTIST PROGRAM", INCLUDING ONE ARTIST FROM OUT OF STATE. THE POPULATION OF THESE PROGRAMS IS RACIALLY AND SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE, AND SERVES A WIDE RANGE OF AGES AND DIVERSE DIAGNOSES AND ABILITIES. IN 2021, 100% OF OUR ARTISTS WITH COLLECTIONS SOLD ORIGINAL ARTWORK, TOTALLING OVER $16,000 IN INDIVIDUAL ART SALES, AND 100% OF THESE ARTISTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXHIBIT EITHER LOCALLY OR NATIONALLYPROFESSIONAL STUDIO PROGRAMOUR PROFESSIONAL STUDIO PROGRAM PROVIDES ARTISTS WITH A SAFE, SUPPORTED SPACE TO PURSUE A SELF-DETERMINED ART PRACTICE. IN THIS PROGRAM, ARTISTS HAVE UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO A WIDE VARIETY OF HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS-- A NECESSARY RESOURCE FOR LOW-INCOME ARTISTS. ARTISTS ACCESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH AN ARTIST MENTORSHIP PROGRAM AND WORKSHOPS WHICH ARE DEVELOPED BASED ON ARTIST REQUEST. ADDITIONALLY, ARTISTS ARE PROFESSIONALLY REPRESENTED THROUGH NORTH POLE STUDIO'S WEBSITE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHERE WE PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO MARKET AND SELL ARTWORK. ARTISTS ARE SUPPORTED IN DOCUMENTING A STRONG PORTFOLIO OF WORK, AND APPLYING TO OPPORTUNITIES TO EXHIBIT BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. THROUGHOUT 2021, WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE PROVIDED A SAFE STUDIO ENVIRONMENT FOR ARTISTS TO DEVELOP AND EXPAND THEIR CREATIVE PRACTICES. THE STUDIO WAS OPEN 7 DAYS PER WEEK, OFFERING FULL-TIME SERVICES TO OUR ARTIST COMMUNITY. WE ADHERED TO A STRICT COVID-19 SAFETY POLICY, AND IMPLEMENTED A STAGGERED SCHEDULE TO MAINTAIN A SOCIALLY DISTANCED SPACE. THROUGH AN APPLICATION AND INTERVIEW PROCESS, WE ADMITTED 15 ARTISTS TO THE PROGRAM. WE ADMITTED AN ADDITIONAL 2 ARTISTS TO OUR EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM, THE "EXHIBITING ARTIST PROGRAM", INCLUDING ONE ARTIST FROM OUT OF STATE. THE POPULATION OF THESE PROGRAMS IS RACIALLY AND SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE, AND SERVES A WIDE RANGE OF AGES AND DIVERSE DIAGNOSES AND ABILITIES. IN 2021, 100% OF OUR ARTISTS WITH COLLECTIONS SOLD ORIGINAL ARTWORK, TOTALLING OVER $16,000 IN INDIVIDUAL ART SALES, AND 100% OF THESE ARTISTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXHIBIT EITHER LOCALLY OR NATIONALLY

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & PARTNERSHIPSOUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING PROMOTES THE INCLUSION OF ARTISTS WITH AUTISM AND INTELLECTUAL / DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN THE COMMUNITY, AND SEEKS TO INCREASE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THIS POPULATION'S EXPERIENCES. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED IN-PART THROUGH OUR STUDIO STUDIO SPACE, WHICH IS STRATEGICALLY LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY AT NW MARINE ARTWORKS. NW MARINE ARTWORKS IS PORTLAND'S LARGEST COLLABORATIVE OF PROFESSIONAL ARTIST STUDIOS-- IN THIS LOCATION, WE FACILITATE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN ARTISTS WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OTHROUGHOUT 2021, WE HAVE DEEPENED THIS PARTNERSHIP THROUGH CONSISTENT PARTICIPATION IN OPEN STUDIO EVENTS, HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIRS, AND ARTIST COLLABORATIONS. IN 2021, WE HOSTED OVER 15 IN-PERSON EXHIBITIONS BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY-- ARTISTS EXHIBITED WORK FROM MINNESOTA TO TEXAS. ADDITIONALLY, WE HOSTED ONLINE EXHIBITIONS EVERY OTHER MONTH SHOWING DIVERSE WORK CREATED BY ARTISTS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE BROADER COMMUNITY. MOST NOTABLY, WE SUPPORTED A LOW-INCOME ARTIST WITH SECURING THE FUNDING TO APPLY TO THE PRESTIGOUS OUTSIDER ART FAIR IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE HIS WORK WILL BE SHOWN IN SPRING OF 2022. IN DECEMBER, WE CURATED AND HOSTED OUR FIRST LARGE-SCALE GROUP EXHIBITION IN PUBLIC EXHIBITION SPACE, BUILDING 5. THIS EXHIBITION AND ART SALE RESULTED IN OVER $5,000 IN INDIVIDUAL ART SALES AND WAS WIDELY ATTENDED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE CULTIVATED LASTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH NUMEROUS LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS PHAME, DOGTOPIA, WACOM, AND MOONSTRUCK CHOCOLATE, CO.. THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS, ARTISTS LED WORKSHOPS, CO-LED DEI TRAININGS, WERE INTERVIEWED FOR NEWS ARTICLES, WERE COMMISSIONED FOR PUBLIC-FACING WORK, AND PARTICIPATED IN COMMUNITY ARTS EVENTS. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH MOONSTRUCK CHOCOLATE, AN EMERGING ARTIST RECIEVED A LIFE-TIME CONTRACT FOR THE LICENSURE OF HIS WORK ON CHOCOLATE BAR PACKAGING.

ART CLASSES & WORKSHOPS WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRANSITION-AGED YOUNG ADULTS WITH AUTISM AND I/DD. THIS POPULATION IS ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE DUE TO THE ABRUPT TERMINATION OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT THAT OCCURS DURING THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL INTO ADULTHOOD. OUR WEEKLY CLASSES AND ONGOING WORKSHOPS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS 16 AND OLDER TO ACCESS ARTS PROGRAMMING. IN 2021, WE PROVIDED BOTH DIGITAL AND IN-PERSON ART CLASSES WHICH COVERED A WIDE RANGE OF MATERIALS AND METHODS SUCH AS LIFE-DRAWING, SCULPTURE, COLLAGE, PRINTMAKING, AND OTHERS.CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OIN THE FALL, WE PILOTED A TEACHING ARTIST PROGRAM WHICH ENGAGES PORTLAND ARTISTS AS VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTORS. THESE CLASSES WERE OFFERED DURING EACH TERM (SPRING, FALL, WINTER, SPRING) WITH A CAPACITY OF 8 STUDENTS PER CLASS DUE TO THE COVID-SAFETY POLICY. CLASSES WERE CONSISTENTLY WAITLISTED, AND WERE ATTENDED BY LOCAL AND OUT-OF-STATE ARTISTS. WORKSHOPS AND POP-UP EVENTS ARE CREATED BASED ON ARTIST-REQUEST. THROUGHOUT 2021, WE HOSTED A FREE, FRIDAY ART SALON; DIGITAL ARTIST MEET-UP AT WACOM; VIRTUAL READINGS AND ART SHARES, AND A DRAWING CLUB. THIS INTERMITTENT PROGRAMMING WAS OFFERED AT ZERO COST, WITH THE INTENTION OF PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE PROGRAMMING FOR INDIVIDUALS FROM DIVERSE SOCIO-ECONMIC CIRCUMSTANCES.