Portland Open Studios

Congratulations to Kyra Watkins, one of this year’s Molly Cliff Hilts Scholarships recipients! 🎉

Here's how Kyra describes her work:

🗣 My work is a reminder that it is our responsibility as good stewards to cultivate an environment that is not only feasible for the now but future generations to come. This is why the constant representation of children in my work is so important. We have a social contract embedded in our DNA to advance or at the very least sustain the livelihood of those to come. This advancement is a slow and layered process much like the process that happens in creating the work I create. I work primarily in two mediums: ball point pen and acrylic paint. Both mediums can be very slow depending on the ex*****on of the process. For me I approach both mediums the same way. I focus on value over color. I execute my acrylic painting using a grisaille like method, and slowly build depth and form with thin layers. When drawing in pen, I stay consistent with the pressure of my pen throughout the entire piece allowing the changes in layering to dictate how dark or light the values can be. I find the process in both of my mediums to be a metaphor in the mission of my work. The key idea is to create a strong fundamental base, while slowly building toward the future outcome you want.

👉 Follow Kyra’s work:

🚶‍➡️Visit her SE studio during Portland Open Studios, October 10–11 & 17–18, 10 am – 4 pm, and join us in celebrating her work and voice.

📣 Follow to stay updated and be the first to see all studio locations when they’re released.

Congratulations to Amy Nieto-Cruz, one of this year’s Molly Cliff Hilts Scholarships recipients! 🎉

Here's how Amy describes her work:

🗣 My work is about converting resilience into joy. Essentially, I cry a lot in my flower garden and then I make vibrant art. I tend to paint in intuitive maximalism where my real challenge is knowing when a flower has enough character. I am inspired by sunlight shining through petals in the summer light and the different shapes a flower takes as it moves in the wind. I ground these chaotic florals by applying formal color theory practices. My paintings begin with body movement, journaling, reviewing sketchbooks, and setting intention, finished by a written exit reflection. I use various media to tap into different wells of intuition: water-based (watercolor and gouache), oil pastel, color pencil, and acrylics.

👉 Follow Amy’s work:

🚶‍➡️Visit her SE studio during Portland Open Studios, October 10–11 & 17–18, 10 am – 4 pm, and join us in celebrating her work and voice.

📣 Follow to stay updated and be the first to see all studio locations when they’re released.

Portland Open Studios is proud to award three Molly Cliff Hilts Scholarships to historically marginalized artists. This scholarship aims to foster inclusivity and provide equal opportunities for artists from diverse backgrounds.

Molly Cliff Hilts was a visual artist known for her allegorical landscape paintings exploring the relationship between the natural world and human impact, often combining atmospheric oil painting with layered wax and lithographic imagery.

In 2018, she began mentoring her daughter-in-law, Dulce Montalvo, as her assistant and collaborator. Deeply aware of the barriers many artists face, Molly was committed to expanding access to mentorship, tools, and opportunities to share their work.

Stay tuned as we introduce this year's three scholarship recipients! Save the dates for Portland Open Studios: October 10–11 & 17–18, 10 am – 4 pm, and join us in celebrating their work and voices.

Congratulations to Camilla Watson, one of this year’s Kimberly Gales Scholarship recipients! 🎉

Here's how Camilla describes her work:

🗣 My work is rooted in a belief that illustration gains meaning when it is interacted with by real people. Art comes to life in the pages of a book or an intricately decorated object. As an illustrator, I work across print media, surface and product design. My goal is to create whimsical and functional art that brings a bit of color and joy into people's lives and homes. Working in acrylic gouache on wood panels digitally on Procreate, I capture quiet magical moments in time. Through vivid color, texture and patterns I draw viewers into an environment that feels otherworldly, yet familiar. A nostalgic world inhabited by vibrant characters, lush nature and everyday objects. A world that bridges the fantastical and the mundane. My art is greatly informed by folklore and mythology. I weave traditional fantastical elements into my illustrations, while also developing my own worlds–connecting them with recurring themes, motifs and visual language. I am inspired by medieval art, particularly by illuminated manuscripts, as well as by the Arts and Crafts movement. I am interested in the way these practices use symbolism, ornamentation and pattern to create complex illustrative narratives in functional art.

👉 Follow Camilla’s work:

🚶‍➡️Visit Camilla during Portland Open Studios at

📣 Save the dates for Portland Open Studios: October 10–11 & 17–18, 10 am – 4 pm, and join us in supporting this emerging artist.

Congratulations to Sam Schrott, one of this year’s Kimberly Gales Scholarship recipients! 🎉

Here's how Sam describes his work:
🗣 Nature has always felt impossible to fully harness or replicate, especially the way its beauty shapes our emotions. This fascination inspires my making process. Rather than replicating what I see, I use nature as a point of intrigue-a starting place for creation. Working this way allows for discovery, letting form and surface emerge through the act of making and leaving room for influential moments to guide the work. My process begins with materials. I use locally sourced or reclaimed clays and apply techniques, forms, and finishes that reflect their characteristics and origins. I believe the objects we interact with affect our state of mind, and those subtle, constant interactions continue to fascinate me. My work explores the qualities and limitations of ceramic materials, techniques, firing methods, and sculptural form, seeking a sense of place and remembrance aligned with the experience of nature.

👉 Follow Sam's work:

🚶‍➡️Visit Sam during Portland Open Studios at

📣 Save the dates for Portland Open Studios: October 10–11 & 17–18, 10 am – 4 pm, and join us in supporting this emerging artist.

Portland Open Studios is proud to award two Kimberly Gales Scholarships to emerging artists participating in the tour for the first time.

As one of the founding board members who helped establish Portland Open Studios and its annual tour in 1998, Kimberly Gales played an important role in shaping our organization. Today, her legacy lives on through this scholarship, which supports artists at the beginning of their creative careers.

Stay tuned as we introduce this year's two scholarship recipients! Save the dates for Portland Open Studios: October 10–11 & 17–18, 10 am – 4 pm, and join us in supporting these emerging artists.

Participating artists—this one’s for you! 👋 Tune in tonight, Thursday 5/21 at 6pm for our free Zoom Artist Info session.

Presented by the PDXOS board, we will discuss the role of Community Leaders, invite participants to share their Open Studios triumphs and challenges and have plenty of time for Q&A.

🔗 Zoom link in bio, below, and website (under "For Artists" > "Key Dates"). See you there!

https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/87404592040

Meeting ID: 874 0459 2040

Passcode: 079461

We’re excited to announce the 2026 Portland Open Studios artists! 🎉✨

Explore the full lineup via the link in bio 🔗

Artists—download your graphics, share the news 📣, and invite your community along for the journey!

This year’s artists reflect the depth, diversity, and creativity of our community 🎨 We can’t wait to share their work, their spaces, and a glimpse into their process with you.

Introducing something new for 2026… ✨

We’re thrilled to announce the Artist Kick-Off, hosted by Portland Open Studios & — an exclusive event for participating artists.

🗓 April 25 | 6–8 PM
🤝 Meet your Open Studio neighbors
💬 Connect, collaborate, and celebrate the season ahead!

Because community starts before the doors open.