Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kendra Roberts, director of public engagement at Blackfish Gallery. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kendra, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Blackfish Gallery is the longest running, artist owned and operated gallery in Portland, Oregon. Celebrating its 45th anniversary next year, it is one of the pioneering galleries in the Pearl Arts District, home to many of the city’s blue chip galleries as well as up and comers. One year ago, we vacated a space we had occupied for over 36 years, moving into a new, historically significant building that is three times the size and almost three times the price. This move was a huge risk and one we did not take lightly. However, one year later, we are seeing the benefits of making such a dynamic choice. This is the story of how we made the leap.

It was the summer of 2021 when our landlords informed us they were going to sell the building, upending a handshake rental agreement they and we had honored for nearly 40 years. We were in the depths of the COVID pandemic and the houseless crisis in Portland, while not new, was surging. Many businesses were closing or leaving the Pearl, located just north of downtown, and audiences were afraid to visit us. It was a terrible time and we were worried for our longstanding neighbors and ourselves, wondering if we would be able to survive.

Once our 30 artist/owners worked through the stages of grief — shock, anger, acceptance — it was time to face reality and determine where Blackfish would move. Alice Christine Walker, one of our most business- and psychology-savvy members, created several polls that helped us assess our risk-taking readiness and enabled us to dive deep into our core values and mission.

After searching citywide and even out in the suburbs for a suitable space, we reached a clarifying moment: Our location in the Pearl defines us and remaining at the city’s core underscores an important part of our values and mission—to respond in meaningful, impactful ways to current events. Blackfish takes this charge seriously and has mounted shows responding to apartheid in South Africa, the Iraq war, the immigrant crisis and the murder of George Floyd. It was clear to us that by moving out of the urban core, we would sacrifice our ability to participate in the important conversations that define our times. We also felt the tug of loyalty to a district we helped build, and knew we wanted to play a part in restoring it to vibrancy.

Blackfish’s legacy began as our founders hedged their bets to establish a gallery in a derelict warehouse district that, in time, became one of the most popular places in our city. In moving to our new Pearl District home in the architecturally-striking, historical Otis Elevator building, we hedged our bets too, leaning into a belief that the new location would boost our exposure, increase foot traffic, elevate our profile and increase revenues. All this has proven true.

The move has had another positive outcome: In forcing us to create a new, more professional business model, we’ve been freed to shake off old habits and ways of thinking. From bylaws revisions to adopting new strategies to attract and retain current and new artist/owners, to streamlining online sales and amping up our programming, change has bred change. Thanks to our big leap, we feel invigorated and deeply optimistic about our future in a reemerging Pearl Arts District.

Kendra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Blackfish Gallery is one of the most enduring and successful cooperative art galleries in the United States. We have been fully owned and operated by working artists since our beginning, and we are among Portland’s pioneer galleries in what is now the historic Pearl Arts District in Portland, Oregon. Our history can be traced to 1978, when Blackfish was born as a concept among a loose affiliation of Portland art professors. These artists were interested in supporting each other professionally and in exhibiting their work without the usual constraints of a commercial art gallery. They rented an empty storefront and, with their own labor and skills, created an art gallery that opened in May 1979.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

We are celebrating our 45th Anniversary in 2024 and have grown and prospered; the gallery has moved and expanded exhibition space three times during that time. Over 100 prominent Oregon and Washington artists have been represented as members of Blackfish Gallery over the years. Blackfish currently represents 32 artists; four are founding members and continue to contribute to the gallery through their wisdom, guidance, and art work.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Our mission has not changed since our early days. We are dedicated to the highest standards of excellence, both in the selection and presentation of works of art. We have a reputation for exhibiting challenging contemporary work by both our own artists and invited guests. In association with exhibitions, we frequently produce educational programs for the benefit of the community. Since its inception, Blackfish has hosted a wide variety of events, including talks by visiting artists, panel discussions, musical performances, theater productions, site-specific performances and literary readings. We have also frequently presented multimedia collaborative projects, always anchored by a curated art exhibition and often accompanied by related public activities. These projects all have been dedicated toward increasing understanding of visual art and have often demonstrated the value of art as a tool for exploring contemporary issues.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.blackfish.com/
• Instagram: @blackfish_gallery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackfishGallery/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/blackfishgallery