Blue Sky/Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts

Blue Sky/Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts Blue Sky is a nonprofit photography gallery located in Portland's Pearl District. Admission is free. See blueskygallery.org for current hours.

Founded as the Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts by a group of five young photographers in 1975, Blue Sky became an established venue for local photography. Over the course of three decades, the organization expanded its offerings to include national and international artists, many of whom exhibited at Blue Sky early in their careers. Blue Sky’s special mission continues to be the exhibition

of emerging and established artists that exemplify the finest in photographic vision and innovation. As such, Blue Sky has earned the accolade as having “the best record of discovering new photographers of any artists’ space in the country.”

Today, from a 3,700-square-foot facility in Portland’s historic DeSoto Building, Blue Sky presents between 20 and 30 exhibitions annually and offers regular artist talks and programs, all free to the public.

For those who weren't able to join in person, the recording of Mark Maio’s artist talk is available to watch on our YouT...
09/01/2026

For those who weren't able to join in person, the recording of Mark Maio’s artist talk is available to watch on our YouTube and website. Visit www.blueskygallery.org and scroll down to the bottom to watch it.

Slide 1Dawn Surratt𝘛𝘩𝘦 3 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 202516” x 8.5” x 3”Mixed MediaSlide2Mark Maio𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘐𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘉𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘰, 𝘕𝘠, 19992...
08/28/2026

Slide 1
Dawn Surratt
𝘛𝘩𝘦 3 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 2025
16” x 8.5” x 3”
Mixed Media

Slide2
Mark Maio
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘐𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘉𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘰, 𝘕𝘠, 1999
24” x 20”
Archival inkjet print

Last two days to catch Mark Maio’s 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 and Dawn Surratt’s 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦. Visit us today and tomorrow from 12 - 5 PM to spend time with their work before the shows come down.

Blue Sky is pleased to announce September 2026 exhibitions and programsSep 3 - 26 | First Thursday Opening: Sep 3, 5 - 9...
08/27/2026

Blue Sky is pleased to announce September 2026 exhibitions and programs
Sep 3 - 26 | First Thursday Opening: Sep 3, 5 - 9 PM

𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗼: 𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙡
𝗜𝗻-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸: 𝗦𝗮𝘁, 𝗦𝗲𝗽 𝟱 𝗮𝘁 𝟮 𝗣𝗠
riel Sturchio’s 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘭 explores metaphysical ritual as a source of refuge and resistance for LGBTQ+ people and women. Through photographs of more than forty practitioners across the United States and Mexico, the project documents rituals shaped by grief, gender expression, and spiritual connection. Sturchio’s work also reveals practices that cultivate hope and challenge oppressive systems.

𝗥𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗿.: "𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡"
𝗜𝗻-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸: 𝗦𝗮𝘁, 𝗦𝗲𝗽 𝟱 𝗮𝘁 𝟯:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠
Raymond Thompson Jr.'s project “𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭” uses personal photographs, archival fragments, and historic ephemera to recover stories of enslaved people, maroons, and runaways. Tracing stories and techniques, the project explores Black relationships to ancestors, memories, and the American landscape.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳
Featured image by Anna Larina

This week is your last chance to catch our August exhibitions:Mark Maio: 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 | Dawn Surratt: 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘵 ...
08/26/2026

This week is your last chance to catch our August exhibitions:
Mark Maio: 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 | Dawn Surratt: 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦

Our gallery is open this week from Wednesday to Saturday from 12 - 5 PM, visit us before the shows come down after Aug 29.

Mark Maio will deliver an artist talk followed by book signing. We look forward to seeing you in the gallery!

2026 Pacific Northwest Drawers FeatureTodd Forsgren: 𝘈𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘢, 2019“The United States Navy's U.S. South Seas E...
08/25/2026

2026 Pacific Northwest Drawers Feature
Todd Forsgren: 𝘈𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘢, 2019

“The United States Navy's U.S. South Seas Exploring Expedition (called the Ex. Ex. for short) was an ambitious four-year trip around the world from 1838-1842. It included six ships and amidst the crew were a team of nine scientists and artists. The thousands of articles collected (from ethnographic artifacts to biological specimens) became the foundation of the Smithsonian Institution's collections.
Right around this time, in Great Britain, botanist and photographer Anna Atkins was experimenting with a new photographic technology called cyanotype. This technique uses ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide to create blue images. Atkins laid algal specimens directly onto paper coated with these chemicals and then exposed them to sunlight. The resulting images were used to make the first photographic book: ‘Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions’ (1843).
Among the specimens gathered during the Ex. Ex. were numerous stony corals, many of which were the first of their species to be described by science. Due to the technological constraints of the time, it would've been difficult to make meaningful cyanotypes of these corals, as the process is most successful with relatively flat and somewhat translucent objects (neither of which applies to most stony corals). Fortunately, with today's technology, this is no longer the case. I had the opportunity to photograph particularly charismatic specimens of coral in the Smithsonian's Invertebrate Zoology Collection (from the Ex. Ex. as well as later expeditions) and used these images to make this series of cyanotypes.”

Check out Todd Forsgren’s available prints in the gallery or on our website

https://www.blueskygallery.org/2026-pacific-northwest-drawers/todd-forsgren

2026 Pacific Northwest Drawers FeatureEmily Fitzgerald: 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦, 2025“‘It’s Temporary’ examines how caretaking interse...
08/25/2026

2026 Pacific Northwest Drawers Feature
Emily Fitzgerald: 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦, 2025

“‘It’s Temporary’ examines how caretaking intersects with identity, family, and labor. The images explore the shifting architecture of family as I navigate single parenthood, full-time work, and the court system. Through this work, I challenge the conventions that define normative parenting and gender expression. These photographs represent moments of community and continuity within the nontraditional structures, relationships, and rituals that have sustained us.”

Check out Emily Fitzgerald’s available prints in the gallery or on our website

https://www.blueskygallery.org/2026-pacific-northwest-drawers/emily-fitzgerald

Join us in the gallery for an afternoon with our August artist Mark Maio on Saturday, August 29. Maio will deliver an ar...
08/21/2026

Join us in the gallery for an afternoon with our August artist Mark Maio on Saturday, August 29. Maio will deliver an artist talk at 2 PM, followed by a book signing at 3 PM. Come hang out with us and meet Maio on the last day of his exhibition, 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯.

Mark Maio𝘓𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘋𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘔𝘕, 200020” x 24”Archival inkjet printMark Maio’s current exhibition, 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢...
08/20/2026

Mark Maio
𝘓𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘋𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘔𝘕, 2000
20” x 24”
Archival inkjet print

Mark Maio’s current exhibition, 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯, is on view at Blue Sky through Sat, Aug 29. Visit us Wednesday through Saturday from 12 - 5 PM to spend time with his work.

Learn more about the exhibition:
https://www.blueskygallery.org/gallery-exhibitions/2026/mark-maio

Dawn Surratt𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦, 20238” x 4”Mixed MediaDawn Surratt’s current exhibition, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦, is on view...
08/19/2026

Dawn Surratt
𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦, 2023
8” x 4”
Mixed Media

Dawn Surratt’s current exhibition, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦, is on view at Blue Sky through Sat, Aug 29. Visit us Wednesday through Saturday from 12 - 5 PM to spend time with her work.

Learn more about the exhibition:
https://www.blueskygallery.org/gallery-exhibitions/2026/dawn-surratt

Our final Blue Sky 50th anniversary retrospective exhibition may be behind us, but many of you have told us you’re still...
08/18/2026

Our final Blue Sky 50th anniversary retrospective exhibition may be behind us, but many of you have told us you’re still hoping to collect work by artists who have exhibited at the gallery over the past decade.

So, for a limited time, we’re extending online sales of prints from 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘺 2015 - 2025: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦. This is your last chance to bring home a piece of Blue Sky’s history and work by some of your favorite artists before the sale ends on Wed, Sep 2. Head to the link below to explore the collection and claim prints of your favorite.

All prints are $200 each (except where noted). Every purchase directly supports Blue Sky’s programming and helps sustain the gallery for the next generation of artists and audiences.
Don’t miss your chance!

https://www.blueskygallery.org/gallery-exhibitions/2026/7/1/blue-sky-2015-2025-the-fifth-decade

Featured work:
Eli Durst, 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 (𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴), 2015, from 2023 Blue Sky exhibition 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺

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122 NW 8th Avenue
Portland, OR
97209

Opening Hours

Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm

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+15032250210

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