Creativity, collaboration and belonging.
That is what founders of the new Open Arts Center, Maija Kellner-Rode and Claire Brislin, say is in store for artists who want to pay the center a visit. The development that has been in the works since 2023 will open its doors on June 5 and bring Central Oregonians a Teen Center, art studios and a gallery with local artwork. Kellner-Rode and Brislin say they want the space to function as a third space, giving artists a place where they can connect, express themselves artistically and feel a sense of supportive community.
“It’s a gathering place, sort of like if you were to go to a watering hole,” Kellner-Rode says. “It’s a centralized place for artists who often work in isolation to come and gather and connect and kind of dream of a collective artistic future for Bend.”
At its grand opening event, visitors will be able to tour and meander through the different areas while live music plays. There will be an interactive component to the event where people of all ages will be able to add their own art to a mural and get a sense of the type of provisions the OAC offers.
“I would say that the interactive part is essential because we really want people to experience what it feels like to make art in community,” Kellner-Rode says. “We are looking at the creative arts from a holistic approach and want to be offering the full breadth of what’s possible within the arts.”
Kellner-Rode and Brislin say the passion project has been underway since 2023 and made possible through fundraising and the support of people from other local organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the High Desert Museum.
“When this building showed up on the market last year, it was just the perfect place with the size of it, the different rooms, the accessible location and the public transport to get here,” Brislin told the Source.
The 2000-square-foot space that is the Teen Center will provide young adults with amenities like a lounge area, a plethora of art supplies and clay, a sewing station, musical instruments and a space for people with sensory sensitivities.
“We want this to be a beacon of hope and a space where people can come together,” Kellner-Rode says. “I really want to encourage people to dream with us and know that so much is possible here and that it will really strengthen our community to have spaces like this.”
Open Arts Center Grand Opening Event
June 5, 5-8pm
Open Arts Center
999 NE 2nd St, Bend
theopenartscenter.org/
Free
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