Pearl District art gallery to close due to financial struggles
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Northwest Portland art gallery will shut down this summer, with its executive director citing a lack of financial support as the reason behind the closure.
As first reported by Willamette Week, the Parallax Art Center will have its last day on Northwest 14th Avenue on June 30.
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Executive Director Chandra Glaeseman explained that the Pearl District art gallery is a nonprofit, and therefore dependent on fundraising to continue operations.
The executive director — who specified her views are her own and not necessarily those of the Parallax’s board of directors — told KOIN 6 the state’s arts funding is allocated to “anchor” organizations primarily found in the Portland metro area. She said those organizations have historically served a “more elite and paying audience.”
A few organizations that received funding in the latest legislative session include the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Ballet Theater and the Oregon Symphony.
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“Parallax made a point to lead with anti-racist principals while centering our artists and our employees and ensuring that everyone who worked with us was paid a living wage and fairly compensated for their contributions,” Glaeseman said. “I can’t help but think that the lack of funding is reflective of Portland’s values.”
She also mentioned Danish artist Thomas Danbo’s massive troll sculpture featured at Nordic Northwest. While the artist hasn’t disclosed how much the piece costs, the contract for a similar sculpture in Austin required that the price didn’t exceed $350,000.
Even with the funding that state and local officials and agencies have doled out to organizations, the National Assembly of State Arts Agency has ranked Oregon as the 41st state for its arts funding per capita — with $0.51 set aside for each resident.
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And according to Glaeseman, Parallax Art Center’s financial struggles have been exacerbated by theft and vandalism in the Pearl District.
The art gallery will say goodbye with a pop-up show from its staff later in June.
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