Store for a Month Opens June 3 in Hosford-Abernethy

John Brodie had a slice of marionberry pie for breakfast this morning.

On June 3, Brodie opens his Store for a Month at 1216 SE Division St—and, yes, he will have pie there too. Store for a Month is an art project loosely based on Claes Oldenburg's The Store. Brodie explains:

Like Oldenburg's original Store, the focus is more on 3D-based art: objects and sculpture, but some 2D work is included. Mediums are whatever the artist chose and I personally have been making work with all the odds and ends I have collected. I am a saver—I save everthing, and it can be fascinating to make art out of the library of objects one gathers throughout the years. Price ranges are generally $20-$100 although there is some work in the $200-$400 range. There is also a studio on site and participating artists can make work at the studio to sell in the Store.

Proprieter Brodie will feature art and products—made specifically for Store for a Month—by 60 local artists. "I allowed the artists to make whatever they wanted," explains Brodie, "but encouraged them to work outside their regular mediums, experiment, make something absurd, or art they might not usually make."

Although he's looking forward to his time at the store, Brodie has already enjoyed meeting many new artists through the project:

Even though Portland is a relatively small town, and the art scene even smaller, I am still surprised how many artists don't yet know each other. It has been exciting to bring the 65 artists together and make some introductions. It has also been interesting to see the various interpretations by the artists and I think they have enjoyed the looseness of the project and creating work for a "store."

To make Store for a Month just a little more neighborly, Brodie has engaged the assistance of pie artist Anne Greenwood. "Pie will be served as often as possible," he explains, "but most likely not everyday." 

Pie alerts and events will be broadcast on Twitter (@storeforamonth) and on the Store for a Month web site.