Sidestreet Arts’ March exhibit, Behind Closed Doors II, is a collaboration with Hipbone Art Studio, which has been serving Portland area artists for more than 36 years. The Studio is located on inner E Burnside St. and offers multiple weekly, affordable figure drawing sessions open to everyone. The work produced during these sessions can be quite amazing, but most artists view it primarily as practice. This is the reason most people come into the studio and it is the collective experience of creative individuals, laser-focused on practicing in supportive art space is what makes it so unique.
Hipbone founder Jeff Burke, a professional model from New York, “encouraged the view of the model as a sensitive, thinking, expressive being—a subject, rather than an object.” This set a tone of professionalism, generosity and collaboration between artists and models. Over the years, Hipbone has become a vibrant and supportive community reflecting a wide variety of artistic disciplines—from fine artists, professional illustrators, comic book artists and animators to retirees, students and people just wanting to try figure drawing for the first time.
All the artworks in the exhibit were created by Hipbone artists and juried and curated by Sidestreet Arts Gallery members. The community is invited to enjoy the beauty, complexity, variety and mystery of the human form in this wide range of art mediums. Each piece presents an opportunity to reflect on individuals’ perceptions and experience of the form and function of the human body. The exhibit is intended to offer a contemporary window on the long and honored history of figure drawing and painting.
Behind Closed Doors II runs Thursday, March 6-Saturday, March 29 with the artists in attendance for the First Friday Artwalk March 7, 5-7 pm. Sidestreet Arts, 140 SE 28th Ave., is open Thursday-Sunday, 12-5 pm.
Top Photo: In The Studio by Finn Wilson.
