We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Syd Spencer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Syd below.

Syd, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Our founder, Kelley Roy, started ADX with intention and a strong sense of purpose to create a space for everyone that values creativity, connection and belonging. We are not funded by investors or driven by profit. We are scrappy, resourceful, genuine and open to all forms of creative expression. We are flexible, adaptable and willing to change our minds and our direction if that is what is called for. Creativity and community thrives at the intersections of Xchange. ADX is an intentional and safe space that empowers artist of all backgrounds to come together to create, connect, and collaborate.

Xchange it Together
We are a community built on kindness, respect, and compassion. ADX supports creative and innovative ideas, collaboration, human connection, creative problem solving, autonomy, and healing.
We are all connected by our love of creative expression. Creating together is vital to emotional joy and wellbeing.

Xchange it Forward
​​We place a high value on driving progress and social justice. We value human diversity and people coming together from all walks of life to uplift each other. We strive to bring equal access and opportunities for people who might otherwise be excluded, including but not limited to houseless artists, marginalized artists, and formerly incarcerated artists.

Xchange it Fearlessly
​​We aren’t afraid of change or the unknown. We aren’t afraid to be wrong, to change our minds, or to start over. And we aren’t afraid to ask for help from the people we surround ourselves with. At ADX, we invite our community to show up to support each other, and we are ready to fearlessly support our community in the journey of healing that is needed to overcome social oppression. We know that creative expression is an act of bravery, and we encourage it in any form.

ADX stands out from the industry standard of workspaces by prioritizing community in our daily function. We have a full time Community Manager who makes sure our members and clients have what they need to get the most out of their experience at ADX. We have a model that invites conversation and collaboration between the members of ADX. We have several private spaces within our building, but the majority of studios are open format allowing for easy-flowing conversation to spark between members. Additionally, we host regular community nights, field trips, and events that draw in the broader Portland community. We call this creative Xchange and it is central to everything that we do.

Xchange is the networking, swapping and sharing of all things creative. It is creation, collaboration, and connection between creative people to build community. From tools, materials, and resources to ideas, knowledge and skills, to space, time, and yes, vibes, ADX is here to empower creative Xchange for everyone who wants to participate.

We welcome everyone, and members at our makerspace include graphic designers, CNC operators, screen printers, woodworkers, photographers, sculptors, poets, painters, musicians, writers, soap makers, jewelry makers, furniture makers, welders, product designers and more.

Our broad network of creative people within our space sets us apart from your standard solitary workspace. We are social creatives and thrive off of each other’s energy. Cultivating a forum for creative Xchange is crucial to the success of ADX.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Woman owned and operated, we have been powered by a community-centric team since we opened in 2011. We are a socially minded company with a strong commitment to our community. ADX was opened by Kelley Roy on June 3rd, 2011, and quickly grew into an indispensable resource for the city’s independent design community. The main idea? Give designers, artists, makers and innovators from different backgrounds, a mix of mediums and skill levels a common place to hone their skills, work alongside each other and collaborate. The crux of our mission is about holding space for in-person, hands-on creative expression. We support humans who desire lives filled with purpose, community, connection and belonging, and we work hard to provide the support people need to get to that place during their time at ADX in hopes that they will take that out into the world and spread the love.

We are a community built on kindness, respect, and compassion. ADX supports creative and innovative ideas, collaboration, human connection, creative problem-solving, autonomy, and healing.
We are all connected by our love of creative expression. Creating together is vital to emotional joy and wellbeing.

We place a high value on driving progress and social justice. We value human diversity and people coming together from all walks of life to uplift each other. We aren’t afraid of change or the unknown. We aren’t afraid to be wrong, to change our minds, or to start over. And we aren’t afraid to ask for help from the people we surround ourselves with. At ADX, we invite our community to show up to support each other, and we are ready to fearlessly support our community in the journey of healing that is needed to overcome social oppression. We know that creative expression is an act of bravery, and we encourage it in any form.

For the past 13 years, Art Design Xchange (ADX) has been a hub for Portland’s creative community. Our flexible and dynamic industrial warehouse space features art studios, office space, event rental space, a member run wood shop co-op, an art gallery (Gallery X), and shared community spaces for jam sesh’s, collaborations and spontaneous hangs.

We offer a variety of memberships, host free public events, rent space for private events and classes and have regular tours so you can check out our latest offerings and meet the community. In the past 13 years, over 100,000 people from every continent except Antarctica, have been through our space to work, play, explore, learn, collaborate, and feel the magic of ADX. Kelley has consulted with people throughout Oregon and the US as well as in Australia, France, India, and Colombia who are interested in building ADX like spaces in their communities.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing our clientele is word of mouth. ADX is all about authentic, in-person experiences and we make sure that everyone that walks through our door feels welcome, safe and supported.

Over the past 13 years, ADX has been a laboratory, launch pad, pivot point and grow light for many individual artists, makers, innovators and builders. Many of these individuals have created and launched businesses from ADX and are now employing many other creatives to help them sustain and grow their businesses. These humans operate some of the coolest businesses in town and we feel lucky to have been part of their origin story. And we love it when past members, students, and clients refer people to us for membership, events and team building experiences.

Reciprocity and mutual support go a long way towards creating a culture that is collaborative, connected and purposeful. In this sense, we have created a world wide web of creative connections that keep us strong and thriving. We have even launched other makerspaces that provide access to tools that we do not offer. Some may view this as creating our competition, but we see it as building a stronger web of support that allows more creative humans in our city to thrive.

It is this collaborative spirit and our ability to adjust and adapt to the changing cultural landscape that keeps ADX at the heart of Portland’s creative community. Everyone is different and needs to find a place where they feel connected. If ADX is not your vibe then we can point you to other places that may have what you are looking for.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and a creative person within ADX is the ability to help uplift others by creative means! This is represented during gallery shows when I get the opportunity to curate the submissions in a creative way, or when I get to collaborate with creative folks for a music show. I get to paint murals on any blank wall and am encouraged to squeeze as much art into the space as possible. Being around so much creative energy has been incredibly rewarding. I love seeing the artists in the space flourish and grow here.

The most rewarding part of being an artist/creative is the freedom to express myself, my values, opinions, and philosophies. Art and creative expression allow me to explore different feelings and emotions, from confusion and anger, to optimism and to be acknowledged and worked through in a way that feels productive, and being around other artists helps to create that unspoken dialogue about
Some people like to work in the quiet isolation of a studio, but we prefer the buzz of creativity at work at ADX. From the sounds and smells coming from the woodshop, to the conversations happening at the kitchen, ADX is always teeming with creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artdesignxchange.com
• Instagram: @adxportland
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtDesignPDX
• Other: Join our mailing list: https://artdesignxchange.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=24752bc6253f4e69c14b132c5&id=108cca1748

Image Credits
Henry Cromett