Last night I attended the Final Friday event at the Pendleton with some friends. What an experience. I didn't know anything about the event or the location before I went. The Pendleton is an eight story building that houses hundreds of artist studios. The studios are private, but the last Friday of every month, they open their doors and let the public poke around.
It was pretty exciting to see artists in their own studios, displaying their work. It was a little awkward at first; we came earlier in the evening than most of the crowd. Walking into the studios felt like entering someone's home (which, in a way, it was). Everyone had wine, cheese, and crackers set out. I could have gotten quite drunk, if I'd been in the mood. Many of the artists greeted us as we came in. The first few floors of studios felt real and lived-in. You could see piles of canvases and book stacked in the corners and desks with supplies in the back, often behind a curtain. As we progressed up the building, however, with a few exceptions, the studios become more and more business-like. Some had counters, like you'd see in a small store, for checking out. They were cleaner, neater, almost cold. Many artists higher up didn't say anything unless spoken to and didn't make themselves known. It was intimidating.
There wasn't a large variety of media among the artists. Most people were painters. There were a few photographers, a jewelry artist, and a print-maker. Many of the painters painted realistic natural landscapes, although there were also several portrait painters. One man had a whole wall of self portraits he'd done throughout his life. (He probably had the most work displayed; it was inside his studio and on all the walls outside as well! He was very nice, too.) It was interesting talking to the artists. I had a list of questions for a short interview, and I tried to talk to different kinds of artists. I expected them to answer mostly the same. "How do you support your artwork?" "Um... by selling my artwork." But several of them had second jobs they did on the side. One even said he was a substitute teacher, which took up the majority of his day.
I would like to go back to the Pendleton, perhaps on a Second Look Saturday instead of another Final Friday. The crowds got to me, and the halls and studios were almost too small to fit everyone. My visit really inspired me to work hard so I can get a studio of my own one day.
