Portland’s ground-breaking Geezer Gallery has expanded its reach to the Portland Center for Performing Arts (PCPA), where a special showing of works by elder artists opens Thursday, Feb. 7, and is on display through March.
The visiting display will be in the gallery at Antoinette Hatfield Hall, and feature works from some of the 200 local artists - all over the age of 60 - represented by Geezer Gallery. The show will include works of Saadi Al-Kaabi, an internationally acclaimed painter, who opens a solo exhibit in February at Geezer Gallery’s new permanent home in the Pearl District at 600 NW Naito Parkway, Suite E.
“It’s a blessing and a wonderful opportunity for everyone,” said Amy Henderson, who founded Geezer Gallery in 2006. “We have four walls, but we need more to display all these wonderful artists. What has been really wonderful is expanding those walls.”
Having shows in non-gallery spaces helps raise awareness of the gallery, which in turn helps fund its art therapy programs for at-risk elders. Proceeds from the gallery also provide art classes for seniors.
"The response has been extraordinary," Henderson said of the outside shows. "These places are distinguished, and it gives us a higher profile."
Metro, which operates and manages the PCPA through the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission, joins other businesses and agencies offering support for non-profit arts. PCPA actively supports Portland's vibrant visual arts community through its community-based gallery in the Antoinette Hatfield Hall, which showcases the work of a wide variety of local artists.
"We feel that Amy Henderson and the Geezer Gallery are doing really important work," said Robyn Williams, PCPA executive director. "These artists are doing really amazing things in the art world. It is important to us at PCPA to make sure that artists of all ages have a voice in our local arts community."
About Geezer Gallery
Founded in 2006 by gerontologist Amy Henderson, Geezer Gallery recently moved from Multnomah Village to its new home at 600 NW Naito Parkway, Suite E. Henderson founded the gallery to break down the barriers of ageism by showcasing the diverse and exceptional work by elderly artists. The gallery's name is intended to provoke discussion about redefining how we view aging and raise awareness of the contributions of older artists.
About Portland Center for the Performing Arts
The Portland Center for the Performing Arts oversees the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Keller Auditorium and Antoinette Hatfield Hall, which includes the Brunish, Newmark and Winningstad theatres. It is the fifth largest performing arts center in the United States and generates an average of $60 million in regional spending through its operations.
PCPA is operated by Metro and managed through the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission (MERC
Metro, the regional government, crosses city limits and county lines to build a resilient economy, keep nature close by and respond to a changing climate. Representing a diverse population of 1.5 million people in 25 cities and three counties, Metro’s directly elected council gives voters a voice in decision about how the region grows and communities prosper.
