More ‘Portraits Of Community’ Workshops Planned For Downtown Roseburg Storefront Installation

ROSEBURG, Ore. — A community art project that has already brought new life to empty windows in Oakland is now preparing for its next Roseburg installation, and organizers are inviting more people to help make the artwork.

Vacant to Vibrant will host two free “Portraits of Community” workshops this summer, giving residents a chance to create whimsical self-portraits using mystery bags filled with found objects. The finished pieces will be displayed in the former Payless storefront at 464 SE Jackson Street in downtown Roseburg.

The project is part of a larger effort to turn vacant storefronts into temporary public art spaces. Earlier this year, Vacant to Vibrant launched with workshops in Roseburg and Oakland, followed by an installation in the former Tolly’s building in downtown Oakland. That display included portraits made by community members and Oakland students, filling the historic storefront windows with color, faces and handmade detail.

Now, the Roseburg side of the project is moving forward.

The upcoming workshops are open to the public and no art experience is required. Organizers say the idea is simple: come in, make a portrait, have fun with the materials and be part of something that will later be seen downtown.

The free workshops are scheduled for:

• Thursday, June 12
  4 to 6 p.m.
  Central Art Supply
  611 SE Jackson Street, Roseburg
• Monday, July 7
  5 to 7 p.m.
  Bohemian Rhapsody Boutique
  549 SE Jackson Street, Roseburg

The “Portraits of Community” project uses individual self-portraits to create a larger shared picture of the area. Each piece is different, but together, the portraits are meant to reflect the people who live, work, shop and gather in the community.

Vacant to Vibrant is sponsored by Thrive Umpqua and The Longest Table, with support from Umpqua Valley Arts. The project’s broader goal is to bring attention to vacant spaces while showing what is possible when artists, residents and local businesses work together.

The Roseburg installation will hang in the old Payless storefront on SE Jackson Street, giving the empty windows a temporary new purpose while the building awaits its next chapter.

For more information, community members can follow Vacant to Vibrant on Facebook or contact Julie Bailey at juliebaileyemail@gmail.com.