Christine Clark

Christine Clark’s metal-and-concrete sculptures are indescribably intriguing: Their materials are both solid and soft; the curved shapes seem somewhat familiar yet are unrecognizable; a small blip of color catches your eye. And that’s exactly what the Portland sculptor intended.

Chris Held

To Portland woodworker Chris Held, furniture is a way to connect with a past that’s disappeared from much of America. “I work with old materials and weathered finishes to infuse my furniture with nostalgia,” says Held. “I grew up in the sprawling suburbs of Atlanta where everything old was torn down to make room for the new. My furniture represents a yearning for the old, for something that doesn’t smell of fresh asphalt.”

Jerry Baron

For Jerry Baron, painting is about finding the subject and expressing it through color. “Painting, for me, is like a discovery process,” he says. “I need to maintain a spontaneous attitude about my painting. I’m a colorist. I think in terms of color rather than content.”

Donald Carlson

In glass-blowing, red is the most difficult color to make. If the glass gets too hot as the color is added, it can turn brownish-yellow. Red, however, is the color at which glass artist Donald Carlson excels. “Most of the colors, you can make easily, but with red, there are a million variables such as time, temperature and how you work the glass,” says the 62-year-old. “I’ve devoted my whole career to making simple, elegant shapes in red.”