It’s nearly a given here in Portland that if you are not an artist yourself, you know a handful. And while we all support our«starving artist» friends(or careers) in any and all ways that we can,(mostly with«supplies» such as food and booze,) Working Artists Gallery takes it a giant leap further by providing an actual support network of strategic partners, a creative workspace, and a beautiful gallery to grow and showcase the artists in the community. It is a learning, working, living gallery and completely alive with art of every kind. After about an hour inside this working gallery, I begin to feel a little creative myself(ok…it could have been the fumes…) and I drew at least 4 or 5 smileys on my hand.(It was when they started singing Beatles songs that I knew we needed to open a door). While I’m joking about my psychedelic flashback, I did truly enjoy the fact that while I was there, art was being created all around me. A belly dancing studio was tucked away in a corner, artists were coming in and out with«new junkyard finds,» and the artists’ spaces were left in various states of the creative process… it wasn’t polished and tidy, it was real and organic. What I loved most about this working gallery was that it was completely designed to support artists by an artist who is simply passionate about how vital the art community is to any city, especially here in Portland. Way to go Adrienne — thank you for helping our artist-friends make a successful living!