Finals are slowly but surely approaching, and many of us are spending countless hours hitting the books. If you are looking for a way to escape campus, get out of your study slump, support local artists or get some holiday shopping done, look no further than the Portland Indigenous Winter Pop-Up Market. The market is open Wednesday through Sunday until Dec. 31, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
It is, admittedly, a bit of a trek to get there. I opted to take the Pio Express for the true student experience. The market is about a mile walk through downtown from the PSU Pio stop, located at 720 SW Washington Street Suite 740.
After a trudge through the downpour, it was a welcome comfort to step inside the warm and fragrant building. In a small room, around ten sellers were displaying their work and greeting customers with smiling faces. There was a range of different artwork displayed, including jewelry, print artwork and beadwork.
I discovered that the Portland Indigenous Marketplace facilitates this wintertime pop-up. They offer several events throughout the year in the Portland area.
“The unique Portland Indigenous Marketplace supports Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs by providing barrier-free, culturally respectful spaces that encourage resilience and economic sustainability by promoting public education through cultural arts,” their website reads.
I spoke with a few of the sellers about their art, backgrounds and how they got involved with the Indigenous Marketplace itself. One artist in particular struck my eye; LaDonna Dempsey, originally from the Navajo Nation in Arizona, was selling beaded PopSockets, earrings and medallions.
“(Artwork) is very therapeutic to me. Healing is very important to my culture, and it helps me process emotions and feelings (to) make something beautiful,” Dempsey said.
Dempsey expressed gratitude towards the Portland Indigenous Marketplace for ardently supporting its vendors.
“I’ve been with Indigenous Marketplace for seven years now, and they were the ones who provide a space that’s very specific to people, and you don’t have to pay a vending fee,” Dempsey said.
I also spoke with Heather Johnson, who sells ledger art on antique maps. She is originally from Alaska and is a part of the Alutiiq tribe. Johnson often travels in the Oregon area and the broader Western region to participate in various pop-up events similar to this one.
“We have different cultures all over. And it’s not just specific to the Pacific Northwest, which is really amazing,” Johnson said. “Everybody brings a different artistic perspective to the Indigenous marketplace and it really makes us like one giant family.”
Johnson’s booth was next to Dempsey’s, who was teaching her to bead PopSockets. Johnson stressed the value of these events facilitating shared learning of different cultural and artistic experiences.
The winter market is a wonderful opportunity to support the creation of designated spaces that showcase the artwork of Indigenous voices. If you do not have the ability to physically attend, the Portland Indigenous Marketplace website displays the profiles of a number of the artists who work hard to participate in these events. Most of these artists sell their work online — a diverse range of art that would make for a great holiday gift. You can also check the site for various pop-ups and other events in the future displaying Indigenous and Black art.
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