The Arts Scene: Portal Project offers art supplies to teachers, artists

On Saturday, Aug. 5, the 10x10x10xTieton exhibition will open at the Mighty Tieton Warehouse Gallery. Alongside the opening, the Portal Project will be giving away free art supplies to teachers and artists.

Janice LaVerne Baker, founder of the Portal Project, says, “We have a lot of new teachers in our district this year. They are given a minimum of supplies and have to procure the rest. We hope our expanding array of gathered supplies will help fill this need.”

Baker was inspired to start the Portal Project about two years ago because her friend Gayle Scholl had a huge art downsizing sale.

“There was much left unsold,” she says, so “I talked with Maddie Hicks at Collab about doing a giveaway of the materials. The Scholl’s generosity got us started — it was great! We gave away so many art books and frames, and supplies. Other artists chipped in, and the Portal Project was born. We also found homes for many donated items in the then-new creARTe program in Tieton.”

Baker was inspired by MECCA (Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts) in Eugene, Ore., and SCRAP Creative Reuse in Portland. The mission of both nonprofits is to place recycled materials into the hands of artists and keep materials out of the landfill.

The Portal Project has now become part of Tieton Arts and Humanities. Baker worked with Amber Knox and the staff, who gave them space to store the art supplies and help with publicity.

“Since we do not have a storefront, we depend upon making connections in the community,” Baker says, “We recently got a large donation of jewelry and metalsmithing supplies, and they found a great home. “Sometimes it is just knowing artists who know other artists who know teachers.”

When people ask us what they collect, Baker says “anything a child or an adult could use to make art or learn about art.”

During the last giveaway, they outfitted a kindergarten class with donated markers, paper, toilet paper rolls and office supplies.

They have had several “giveaways” at the Mighty Tieton Warehouse, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, they are hoping to reach teachers to offer supplies for use in classrooms.

The Portal Project is grounded in the image of the doorway. Items come to them, and items are given away — “In and out, generosity and giving, not much money involved, just time and lots of creativity.”

• David Lynx is executive director of the Larson Gallery at Yakima Valley College. He writes this weekly column for Explore. Learn more at www.larsongallery.org.

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