Courtesy of Rose City Book Pub
Rose City Book Pub is a charming bar, cafe and bookstore located in Northeast Portland. It is a cozy and unique spot filled with eclectic decorations, social seating with large tables and private nooks to sit and read. The owner of Rose City Pub, Elise Schumock, does her best to create a space that brings people together by keeping the pub bustling with events and social gatherings like trivia nights and open mics nearly every day.
Community Art Day is a prime example of one of these events, started by a Portland resident Tasha Sketo. At the event, anyone and everyone is invited to sit down and create art for free.
“I began Community Art Day to give people across boundaries and ages the chance to connect and create community,” Sketo said.
On the second Sunday of every month, Sketo brings her art supplies to the pub to share with anyone wanting to engage. You can sit with Sketo at a large table or take your supplies to a more secluded area of the pub. Any form or way you like to use to create art is welcome and encouraged, with no steep price tags or other barriers to entry. There are many potential projects and mediums to choose from — acrylic paint on canvas, paint pens on a flower pot and watercolor on recycled paper, to name just a few. During my visit, I chose to make an acrylic painting of Shrek on a canvas.
While I mixed my paints and carefully traced my favorite ogre, I enjoyed a delicious chai latte and chatted with a friendly mix of other Portland locals. I had the chance to hear about a stranger’s journey into environmental work and share my career aspirations. How often do we have the privilege of speaking to a stranger over a shared activity? The opportunity to meet and connect with others is what distinguishes someone who is truly living in a city — engaging with the people around them, getting to know those who live nearby, and fostering genuine relationships. It is these connections that build a true sense of community.
The event began four years ago, first hosted at a combination bar and bookstore called The Rocking Frog. Initially, Tasha bought all her supplies with funding from the Portland chapter of The Awesome Foundation, an organization purely dedicated to making Portland more awesome by providing small grants for community projects. However, when the Rocking Frog closed down due to COVID, Sketo was forced to find a new home for her club. Fortunately, she connected with an old high school friend who happened to know the owner of Rose City Pub, Schumock. As Sketo recalls, her friend suggested, “Elise is such a community-oriented person — I bet she’d give you a free space,” making it the new and current host of Community Art Day.
Community Art Day currently receives no consistent funding.
“While there is no cost for anyone to participate, the supplies are paid for by sporadic donations,” Sketo said.
Sketo used to be a journalist but now works as a professional mentor for at-risk youth.
“Even in my work, art plays an important role as an activity that children can use to express themselves, especially when they are struggling to use words,” Sketo said.
Though almost nothing in life is free, attending Community Art Day, especially as an art lover and a broke college student, is an excellent way to enjoy a Sunday and engage with the city you live in.
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