Thought Forms: Open Studio

Thought Forms: Open Studio
Curated by Jamison Edgar

November 7th, 2026 - February 6th, 2027

Workshops to be held on First Saturdays November 7th and December 5th, and Second Saturday January 9th. Open Studio Hours to be held during regular gallery hours.

Organized by 2026–27 Curator in Residence Jamison Edgar, Thought Forms: Open Studio reconfigures Oregon Contemporary’s Gallery 2 into an open studio—inviting visitors to create handmade paper banners, protest signs, and declarations expressing what they believe sanctuary should protect, resist, or make possible in Portland. Alongside the open studio, monthly artist-led workshops held during Oregon Contemporary’s First Saturdays’ events invite the public to work together to create multiple large-scale fabric banners, building on the ideas and declarations that emerge within the exhibition. 

Thought Forms draws inspiration from two seemingly disparate sources: an esoteric book by Annie Besant and C. W. Leadbeater, titled Thought-Forms (1901), that illustrates thoughts and emotions as materialized shapes and colors, and the banners hung outside Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ, in 1982, declaring sanctuary for Central American refugees. Together, these sources inspire a process in which collective declarations can take form, shape, and action. 

Guiding prompts and materials will be available during regular gallery hours, allowing visitors to work independently. Finished works will become part of a growing collection displayed throughout the gallery, inviting others to read, reflect, and respond. The completed banners will return to Oregon Contemporary in April 2027 as part of Sanctuary Cycle. Sanctuary Cycle examines sanctuary as a political, ecological, and spiritual practice.

About the curator

Jamison Edgar is a community organizer sowing roots in Southern California. A historical triangulator and avid student of the dancefloor, Edgar sculpts archival fragments into exuberant gatherings of joy and resistance. Their exhibitions, essays, and public programs emphasize the indispensable role that queer, trans, Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists play in shaping revolutionary spirit.

In Los Angeles and beyond, Edgar collaborates with a range of art organizations, from community nonprofits and universities to commercial galleries and legacy art foundations. They studied queer art history and political ecology at Carnegie Mellon University (MFA) and Southern folklore at the University of Georgia (BFA).  Their exhibitions have been featured in Artforum, Frieze, Forbes, Hyperallergic, Art Papers, ArtReview, The Los Angeles Times, and on the airwaves of National Public Radio.

Our Sitka partnership

Oregon Contemporary is pleased to announce an expansion of its Curator in Residence (CIR) program through a new partnership with the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. Since its founding in 2011, the CIR program has been a vital catalyst for curatorial innovation, supporting mid-career voices in the field in developing ambitious projects that culminate in major exhibitions at Oregon Contemporary. With the addition of Sitka’s residency component, curators will engage in dedicated research, writing, and reflection within an unparalleled interdisciplinary setting in Otis, OR. This immersive period will allow curators to develop deeper connections to place while expanding the intellectual scope of their projects.

The enhanced initiative underscores Oregon Contemporary’s commitment to supporting bold, experimental curatorial work. Together, this partnership increases artistic and community engagement statewide and ensures that the program continues to serve as a nationally recognized model for advancing contemporary curatorial practice and elevating Oregon’s role within the global arts community.

About Oregon Contemporary

Oregon Contemporary is a space dedicated to art, community, and the exponential possibilities of contemporary art. We produce powerful, visionary art programs for the communities of Oregon. We believe artists provide unique, forward-thinking ways of connecting people to the nuanced issues that define modern life. We regularly promote voices and points of view—regional to international—that have been historically underrepresented in the arts, and engage these populations to impact and intervene in the contemporary arts dialogue. By showcasing any and all forms of art in our exhibitions and events, Oregon Contemporary supports and empowers artists, curators, and performers, presenting singular experiences for the public every month. Through individual and business donations, as well as grant support,Oregon Contemporary is able to pay arts producers fairly for their work, while offering the majority of our programs to audiences free of charge.