Tea Party at Launch Pad- This Sunday, 5/18
May 14, 2008
High Tea at the Launch Pad Gallery
Hosted by artist Molly Jochem
Sunday, May 18th at 4:30pm
Please come sip delectable tea out of delicate china and discuss the delightful dichotomy of art and life. Brent will be there and available to talk about all sorts of things away from the cacophony of the opening…
Please note: it’s going to be HOT out and Brent is concerned that you will all stay away because of it, so we are going to entice you with COOL: please come sip some refreshing ICED TEA as well as the usual fare
Free! All are welcome, especially artists…
Paintings by JAIK FAULK at Launch Pad: Opening Friday, April 4th, 6pm-12am
March 31, 2008
Free! All Ages!! Open to the public!!!
LIVE MUSIC AT 9:30PM…. Be there to support the artist and check out his band: the Black Globes
Who say this about their music:
“Hard driving drums, wicked bass hooks and out of control angular guitar. The black globes play experimental garage rock that Thurston Moore would find despicable. Sometimes furious at other times echo-y and drifting, they may well be a fire hazard in any space going vessel.”
MEET THE ARTIST: David Stein closing reception/TRUNK SALE: Sunday March 30, 11am-3pm
March 21, 2008Feed your inner art patron/hedonist with a Post-Easter shopping extravaganza! Celebrate the end of Winter by looking at cool art, meeting people, and buying awesome handmade stuff at the Egg… bring a friend and an open heart, you will not be disappointed.
Launch Pad Gallery (in the Egg)
TRUNK SALE/CLOSING EVENT
SUNDAY March 30th
11am-3pm
534 SE Oak st
ALL AGES! Free Coffee!!
Fashions by
Faith Jennings Designs
Piper Ewan
Art by
Brent Wear
(Stay Tuned for a much anticipated solo show at Launch Pad this May)
Meet artist David Stein between 2 - 3pm and have a last look at Lord Have Mercy
Remember, the art lives on, but the Murals are only temporary…
Launch Pad Gallery featured in the Oregonian… Woo HOO!
March 4, 2008Hey!
We were featured on the front page of the Living section of the Oregonian today, along with the 100th Monkey Studios and Working Artists LLC, and I been getting calls all day as a result; exposure, yeah!!
Read the article here: “Making art, creating community” by Rachel Neugarten
If you read the article and you are intrigued, please come on down for our openings- you are truly welcome here!
For whatever reason, they only listed our address and phone number, so if you are looking for either of the other fine organizations listed in the article, here’s their data:
100th Monkey Studios
110 SE 16th Ave
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 232-3457
Working Artists LLC
2211 NW Front Avenue, Suite 102
Portland OR 97209
503.445.1268
(Thanks, Rachel!)
P.S.
a few details that need clarification:
- Ben Pink lives and has lived in NE Portland for the past 8 years, in the so-called Alberta Arts district, not in SE Portland- the GALLERY is in SE Portland. Gotta be true to my neighborhood, you know?
- Launch Pad’s main focus is on presenting solo shows 8 months out the year.While we are very proud of and well-known for our over-the-top open-call group shows, we only do two of them a year, with two invitational group shows usually co-curated with another artist or group.
4th annual Love show: Call for artists, curators, organizers, volunteers!
February 26, 2008Still wiped from the opening last night- wow!!!!
But love waits for no one, so onto next years Love show, bigger, badder, love-er-er, and… NOT AT LAUNCH PAD!!!
If that got your attention, please visit the following link, sign up, and start telling all of the movers and shakers in your life to join you in getting involved.
You can email loveshow4@launchpadgallery.org
if you have questions about how you can get involved.
http://launchpadgallery.org/loveshow4
Please repost!
~ben pink
David Stein’s “Lord Have Mercy” Featured on Juxtapoz site
February 19, 2008Check this out!
Artist David Stein featured prominently on the ever-popular Juxtapoz.com- visit for a sneak peak of work in the show- scroll most of the way down the page and you’ll see it.
Read more about the show HERE
“Lord Have Mercy” at Launch Pad, March 7, 6pm-12am
featuring DJ B.HILL
Be there or live a life of deep regret!
The 3rd Annual Love Show Opening!!! Dear God, was that insane!
February 19, 2008Oh. My. God.
What can I say? Thank you doesn’t even come close.
Congratulations to everyone who performed and showed work in this years Love show, especially all of you first-time exhibitors! You did it! Make sure that you come back during open hours this month so that you can actually see the art without having to weave your way through 300 people…
We’re open Tuesday-Friday, 3-6 & Sunday 12-3pm
There are so many great pieces in the Love show with this year, and with the momentum present at the opening last night, I know that it’s only going to get better and better. For those of you who came to the opening, you witnessed the work of so many hands, and along with giving thanks to everyone who volunteered, I want to extend the invitation to everyone out there who loved the opening to just take the plunge and get involved the next time you have the opportunity to contribute to some big crazy, art event- as an organizer, I can honestly tell you that even the smallest contribution of time makes all the difference in the world.
For more information on the show (and pictures as they become available- please send us a link if you got any good ones!)
click here
Also, we always need more help, learn about volunteering at Launch Pad here, it’s a great way to connect with other artists and contribute something to your community.
Big Thanks in no particular order:
Jaik Falk, Martha Wallulis, Chris Herring, Colleen Siviter, Clint Kaster and the Smart Tech crew, Anna Todaro, Yi, Virginia Driscoll, David, Catherine Diaz, Michael Hensley, Kathleen Simpson, Quinn Beckett, Nicole Welch, David Stein, Dori Mondon, Trevis Hutsell, Autumn VanEsso, Benno Lyon, Julia Laxer, Ca-leb Lambides and family, Rua Oshanna, Kurt Ruckus, Sara McCormick, John Graeter, Rose and Yosha Kness, Elena Cronin, Brent Wear, Yvonne O’Gara, Tito, Brigitte Frigalle, Brian Overall, Stephanie, Molly Jochem, Michael Fields, Maria Grina, Mehran Heard, Marlena Hatchell, Tony LeTigre, Amy, Jennifer Mercede, Anne, Dengue at Bridgeport, Sara, Jonas Nash, Nikki Kress, Matt McCuen, Sheridan Horning, Andrew Pinkowitz, Leah Goldman, Kenneth Wright, Jennifer Gleach, Mark Woolley, Faith Jennings, Portland Fire Marshals office, OLCC special events office, City of Portland office of Neighborhood Involvement…
…and all Eggshells, artists & performers in the show, Launch Pad volunteers past and present, friends, family and guests for making the 3rd Annual Love show successful beyond my wildest dreams.
And there are still many accessible awesome pieces available, so come back and see the show and buy some art for your sweetie!
Yours in love and art,
~ben pink
gallery director
Love show artists! Important Love Show dates!
January 26, 2008Whoa. The opening was insane. I have NEVER seen so many people in the gallery before.
In case you misplaced the email, here are the important dates associated with the love show:
Last Weekend Day of the Show
This Sunday, Feb. 24th, open 12pm-4:30pm- extended hours! drag out the friends and family, hopefully we’ll get another sunny day.
Work pickup from the gallery: March 1 & 2
Saturday, March 1: 10-2pm, 4-6pm (please don’t come between 2 and 4, there is a Trapeze class in session and you will endanger all parties involved)
Sunday, March 2: 12pm-7pm
Gallery staff will be on hand to help you check your work out during these two days-
Please attempt to pick up your work on these days- we won’t have to box it up and keep track of it and it will be easier for everyone.
The day your work stops being yours if you don’t pick it up: March 16th, 2008
Please, please, please don’t leave your work to this unhappy fate; you loved it enough to put it in the show, love it enough to take it home. Thank you. (obviously, if you are shipping your work from outside of Portland, this doesn’t apply to you)
Thanks! Keep up the good work! Keep telling people about the show, as we are open for the rest of the month, and come see the show when the gallery isn’t swarmed with people and you can actually take it in.
open hours
tuesday-friday, 3-6pm
sunday, 12-3pm
and by appointment
See you there!
(Closed) CALL FOR ARTISTS: Cascade AIDS Project Annual Art Auction
January 11, 2008Hey all,
Amidst the preparations for the Love Show, I almost forgot to mention this important opportunity to do good with your art, advance your career and go to a fun, fully catered party!
Launch Pad will be umbrella-ing art submissions to the CAP Auction this year, meaning that you can bring work over to the gallery and we will act as your liason, and if we have 5 pieces or more, all work submitted through Launch Pad will be together: good for Launch Pad, and good for you.
This is a great cause and a great opportunity to get your work in front a large audience of mature collectors, as well as a very nice catered party with an open bar and lots of artists and arts professionals to hob nob with. If your piece is accepted, you get two tickets to the auction, and if it sells, you get a tax deductible receept. It is juried selection process, and will look nice on your resume if you get in (last year, Jennifer Gately, modern art curator at the Portland Art Museum was the Juror).
I have participated in 4 CAP auctions thus far and always felt that it was a worthy event coming from the right place, and it allowed me to make a difference for something that I care about even though I don’t have extra income. Please consider donating a piece to this worthy cause, and keep in mind that your work should reflect how talented you really are, so make it a good one.
You can read about CAP and the art auction here.
For more information or to participate via Launch Pad, please email me. I have submission forms available for you if you would like to participate on your own (ie not thorugh Launch Pad).
Art needs to be dropped off at Launch Pad
no later that Tuesday, 1/22 between 3 and 6pm!!
Thanks for reading!
~ben pink
gallery directing guy
New Launch Pad Mailing List
December 1, 2007I don’t know if this qualifies as news but…
You can now sign-up to recieve information from Launch Pad via our website!
Click here to add your name to our list and recieve ONE monthly email about the current show and gallery goings on.
In the interest of sending people shorter emails, I am making two sublists for artists!
Sign up to receive Calls for Artists at Launch Pad and eslewhere and Arts grants/public art project opportunities.
If you join our list, we will NOT share your email with anyone and you can unsubscribe yourself at anytime. We will continue adding people from the paper list at the gallery, but you can get on the list immediately by signing up via the website.
Happy Fall and thanks for reading!
Another Pretty Girl Holiday Sale comes to an end
November 2, 2007Thanks to all the vendors who came and offered their creations at the holiday sale and brought so many new people to see the artwork!
Especially huge credit and thanks to Kirsten Moore of Piper Ewan; Kirsten is an active member of the Egg and a powerful ally of Launch Pad. Every time you come to a First Friday, Kirsten is up in her space at the top of the stairs, making the upstairs inviting and helping to sell the work of other Egg members. She makes so many different things, from brightly colored crocheted octopii, to specially designed form-fitting corsets, to delicate beaded silk flowers; next time you are in the Gallery, take a minute to look and consider buying one of her one-of-a-kind handmade creations, either for yourself or as a gift for someone special.
If you missed the sale or wanted to contact one of the vendors who participated, you can still find them on the Myspace page HERE
SECRETS SHOW ARTISTS—Please Read!!
October 8, 2007Hello Artists (and curious members of the public)
UPDATE:
Still a lot of work to be picked up at the gallery….
WHAT AN AWESOME OPENING!!
Thanks so much for your work, all the delicious food you brought, and all of the people that you invited… wow! An awesome achievement, and a beautiful show.
Which brings me to the next thing…….
I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s time to PICK UP YOUR ART.
The times for art pickup can be found at the following link:
Secrets 2007 @ launch pad: A guide for the perplexed
Remember- you have TWO WEEKS to come get your work, at which point it becomes my problem, so even if you can’t get it during the times mentioned, please be in communication!
The Saga continues… Stolen Painting Returned!!!
October 2, 2007Hello concerned and intrigued members of the public (as well a curious onlookers),
Jennifer Mercede’s Painting, “Sleeping with Santiago” was returned to Launch Pad via the U.S. Postal Service. The painting, which was stolen at the opening of the “Secrets” show on September 7th (read the whole story here) was postmarked September 24th, but wasn’t opened until the very last day of the show at the Artist meet’n'greet coffee and donuts extravaganza, at which point, all present were shocked, very glad, and creeped out all at once. The painting was returned undamaged and accompanied by an anonymous type-written note, the contents of which I won’t glorify by posting here.
Thank you to everyone who personally supported me and stood by the gallery during a really trying and upsetting time, and to everyone who forwarded on the alert via Craigslist, Myspace, Tribe, the t.v. news and the newspapers; I don’t know if it made a difference regarding the return of the work, but having your support sure made a difference to the gallery and to me.
I am not sure what to say other than I’m glad that the work was returned and that I hope that no one steals from Launch Pad ever again for any reason. If you know anything about the theft of the work, please tell the person that their actions took a lot of the fun out of running Launch Pad, caused a lot of worry and unhappiness, and made me seriously question whether to continue having art shows. That the work was safely returned is certainly better that the alternative, but in no way erases the feelings of violation, discouragement and broken trust. Next time, please think of different way to participate.
Many thanks to all of the fabulous artists and volunteers who helped make the show a success!
Sincerely,
ben pink
PAINTING STOLEN @ SECRETS OPENING!! PLEASE HELP!! REWARD
September 9, 2007
This painting by Jennifer Mercede was taken from Launch Pad at the opening of the Secrets show (Sept. 7th) between 10:45 pm and 11:00 pm at the opening of the Secrets show. One minute it was there, the next minute it was gone.
We are shocked that someone would steal from a Launch Pad show, There is no magical source of funds to reimburse the artist for her work, and it’s a REALLY CREEPY thing to do, regardless.
KNOW THAT IF YOU TOOK THIS PIECE, YOU ARE HURTING BOTH THE ARTIST & LAUNCH PAD DIRECTLY, not some anonymous insurance company!
If you like her work so much, why didn’t you make an offer for it? The price said negotiable!!
This is the first instance that anything has been taken from the gallery, and we really, really need your help to recover the work if large group shows like the Secrets show are to continue at Launch Pad.
If you know anything about the paintings’ whereabouts or saw anything suspicious, please please please get in contact with the gallery immediately by clicking here
PLEASE NOTE:
If you or your friend took Jennifer’s painting and meant it as some sort of joke or performance or reaction to the secrets theme, or you were too drunk or high and didn’t think it through, everyone makes bad choices sometimes–
it is not too late to redeem yourself by returning the artwork to the gallery.
We just want the artwork back, not to get you in trouble.Please spread the word! We implore you help return this piece to the gallery and the artist.
Special thanks to KGW News channel 8 for taking interest in this- see their news item on the theft here (wonky, upturned collar and all)
Super Duper New Website!! Woo HOO!!!
July 9, 2007Hey folks, welcome to the new Launch Pad website, generously constructed by Michael Fields, artist, curator, editor and creator of Black Market Culture (now ArtPDX) among other things.
We will be adding our past year and a half’s worth of images and information over the next few months and posting interesting things and links and opportunities and the like as we learn the software and find the time, so check back often.
Be sure to check out “About the Gallery” to find out about our submission guidelines and various FAQ’s about the space, and don’t forget to stop in and visit, as our volunteers get real lonely on these hot summer afternoons and your company makes it all seem worthwhile.