Speedwell Projects on Forest Avenue in Portland photographed in March 2020. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Speedwell, a nonprofit gallery in Portland that promotes the creative work of women and queer artists, will close its Forest Avenue space next month and go virtual.
Founders Jocelyn Lee and Brian Urquhart said in a letter to the community that they plan to launch pop-up exhibitions nationwide and produce documentaries and book projects.
“We have concluded that if our goal is to increase the attention our artists receive, they will be better served by focusing our resources in a new way, beyond the walls of a single physical space,” they say . said.
Lee, a photographer, founded Speedwell in 2015 to create exhibition opportunities for mid- to late-career women and gender-fluid artists. Since then, the gallery has launched more than 30 solo and group exhibitions featuring the work of more than 50 artists. It also offered residencies to artists to give them time and space to delve deeper into their work.
“Please understand that this was not an easy decision. We enjoyed our time on Forest Avenue and know there is no substitute for the intimacy of an exhibition,” Lee and Urquhart wrote. “It has been one of our greatest honors to see so many exceptional artists transform the SPEEDWELL gallery time and time again with their work. The exhibitions produced for SPEEDWELL will never be forgotten and will live on in the archives in the form of catalogs and documentaries.”
Their announcement includes a tribute video highlighting the artists and exhibitions Speedwell has launched over the past nine years.
A closing reception and discussion panel with the artists of Life Forms will take place on January 11 at 1 p.m.
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