A collaborative project with Grass Hut and Islands Fold artists:

Spencer Hibert+Marco Zamora, Johnathan R. Storm + Dawn Riddle, Luke Ramsey + Jill Bliss, Zeesy Powers + Scrappers, Ben Jacques + Le Merde, Irana Douer + Betsy Walton, Bwana Spoons + Theo Ellsworth, Charlotte Walton + Fawn Gehweiler, Oliver Hibert + Owen Plummer, Maseman + Arbito, Shawn Wolfe + Kinoko, Howie Tsui + Apak

Opening Friday October 3rd, Grass Hut, Portland, OR

A story about what artistic collaborating means to me:

By Luke Ramsey

There’s an infinite ocean with many islands. Some islands are big and some islands are small. On each island lives an artist. Some artists are big and some are small, but they are all tapped in to an infinite source of creativity. Each artist spends their days decorating, beautifying, manipulating, arranging, contemplating and finding purpose with their environment. When an artist feels contentment, happiness and pride with their island, the artist sails off in a boat to search for other artists. The artist explores other islands looking for inspiration and admiration. Even if the artist finds these things, it is not guaranteed that the exploring artist will be welcomed by other artists. Some artists don’t like visitors, because they are not proud of their island. Some artists perceive visitors as trespassers and become very protective and territorial about their island. Although, it is understood that if an artist doesn’t want a visitor, then their privacy will be respected and the visitor will move on.

When an exploring artist does find inspiration and admiration on an island, and is welcomed and embraced by the artist of that island, the visitor will invite the artist back to their own island. If the invitation is accepted, and the invited artist also feels inspiration and admiration for the host’s island, then the host will propose that the guest build a hut using materials only found on that island. Upon completion, the guest will live in the hut for a while, make art and become friends with the host. The guest will then invite the host to build a hut on their island. Every so often, hurricanes and storms will mess up all the huts and islands. Every so often, artists will leave their islands and boat back to the mainland to live with non-artists. The islands are always there for artists to return to, they just don’t always look the same when they return

(((((((((BONUS SHOW))))))))

Original Black and White drawings by Luke Ramsey!!!!