Are you curious to see what Portland’s blossoming artistic minds are up to? Appreciate a quirky design aesthetic and like kitschy memorabilia? Stop by Pinecone and Chickadee’s Eat More Art 2 and get a taste of local Portland art in the eclectic atmosphere of one of the city’s best boutiques.
The brainchild of Kris Johnsen, Eat More Art follows a trend of “free for all” type art shows that accept and hang anyone’s work. Throughout April Portland residents and visitors could stop by Pinecone and Chickadee to pick out an 8×8 wooden panel they could turn into a work of art. This is the second year for Eat More Art, and almost 50 different local artists submitted panels to the show, which runs through the month of May.
The collaboration results in a delightfully diverse grid of small squares that perch on the wall of the shop directly across from the door. Some sport traditional media such as paint, graphite or ink. Other panels are covered in unconventional material ranging from balloons to lichen. The panels show a mix of illustrative figures and animals from artists like Sara Tarbox and E. A. Cole, aggressively colorful cat paintings from Jess Hovey at agreeable odds with a murky street scene from Rachel McDonald and one piece by Maria Wolf featuring a simple golden heart carved in the center of the wood. Pieces are priced by the artist and range from $20 to $150.
The variety of creative processes that went into the show is a great example of what Portland’s amateur art scene has to offer. Eat More Art 2 is perfectly set amidst polaroid cameras and vintage suitcases, the disjointed variety of the show mirroring the attractive mishmash of the store. Pinecone and Chickadee is the perfect venue for this kind of exhibit, as it already reflects the diverse creativity and unique perspectives our city has to offer.