Welcome to Blue Sky

Founded as the Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts by a group of five young photographers in 1975, Blue Sky quickly established itself as an important venue for local photography. 

In a short period of time, 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 mission is to inspire and build community between contemporary photographic artists and our audiences through exhibitions, publications, and dialogue. 

Today, from our 3,700-square-foot facility in Portland’s historic DeSoto Building, Blue Sky presents 20 - 25 exhibitions annually.

Blue Sky’s special endeavor continues to be the exhibition of emerging and established artists that exemplify the finest in photographic vision and innovation.

We host 17 - 20 exhibition related artist talks, conversations, and panel discussion to create conversations between our artists and audience.

Community Exhibition Wall features exhibitions from local communities and schools. It also highlights curations and library picks by staff, interns and volunteers.

Blue Sky established the Pacific Northwest Drawers program in 2007 to expand the visibility of regional contemporary photographic artists. Each year Blue Sky invites artists based in Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington to apply to the juried call.

Gallery visitors are encouraged to explore and open the drawers to discover the rich photographic work being made today in the Pacific Northwest.

It is a perfect opportunity to discover emerging artists and give the gift of photography.

We host various events for Pacific Northwest Drawers artists including gallery print walks.