Open House Spotlight: Outlet (Thursday, 4/27)
Outlet is open for business! Part illustration studio, part public design & zine library, part education space, part installation space, part retail space—Outlet is like walking through illustrator Kate Bingaman-Burt's brain (enter at your own risk). Upstairs is where Kate draws for herself and for her clients and projects in-between. Downstairs is where Kate experiments in public with concepts surrounding retail, education and community programming.
We reached out to Kate Bingaman-Burt to find out more about her new space, and her plans for the future of the space. We hope you enjoy this interview, and that you will join her for the Outlet debut on Thursday night from 4:00–7:00pm!
DWP: What prompted the move to this bigger space? Is this something you've been wanting to do for a long time?
Kate: Kevin Cavenaugh approached me over a year ago telling me about a weird little space in his new building that was screaming KATE. Kevin was my first landlord when we moved to Portland in 2008 and I love living and working in his buildings. We originally lived in his Box and One building from 2008–2014 and my husband worked in the Rocket Building for a few years. We are Kevin fans. When Kevin approached me, I was neck deep in teaching and illustration projects and was totally happy with my shared studio in the Ford Building (big shouts to Taryn, Jason, Jeff and Jeremy). However, the idea of creating more of a workshop, event, experimental retail, community library space has been something that I've wanted to do for years. The time or the space just had never presented itself to me. I promptly applied for sabbatical at Portland State after I decided that I was going to go for it and now I have the space and the time to work on making this REAL.
DWP: What has been the most challenging part of building this space? The most rewarding?
Kate: Risk and money are always challenging. The guilt around money. Using it wisely. Getting it. Making it. If this is something that I should be spending money on. If the risk is going to be worth it. Aside from GUILT AND RISK, I was getting comfortable with my routine. So not being comfortable again is oddly rewarding? I THINK?
DWP: What kind of engagement do you expect to have with the community at Outlet?
Kate: Ideally, I want to have an entire year of programming (2017–2018) scheduled out before I go back to school this fall. The space is small, so the workshops won't be any bigger than 8–10 people. But I want to offer a menu of topics from writing to business to drawing to presenting your work to zines to printmaking to poetry. And I want to draw from a wide range of instructors! It's important for me to work with people who are seasoned workshop givers as well as working with people who may have never given a workshop before, but have something to say/share.
Also, the space will be open to the public two days a week in order for access to the zine & design library, as well as our programmed pop up exhibitions and shops.
I will also be offering workshops on the Risograph and once people have completed the workshop, they can come in and print during the public hours.
After Design Week, I am looking forward to diving into the infrastructure of Outlet (schedule, mailing list, website, shop) as well as figuring out the best organization for the physical space. Love this stuff!
DWP: Out of all the rad colors in the rainbow, how did you choose yellow?
Kate: A few things. ONE: my favorite astrobright paper is SOLAR YELLOW. TWO: When I was in London this past summer with our PSUGD crew of students I purchased a nail polish that was the perfect shade of yellow and I wore it for the entire summer. It was a great trip and that yellow is forever associated with that nail polish. THREE: I had an installation in early fall at Mule Gallery in San Francisco and I color matched the wall paint to my nail polish (so dumb but so great all at the same time). I really enjoyed how yellow worked in the installation. I knew I was going to be opening a new space while I was working on that installation and I used that install week to test out ideas for Outlet. And this shade of yellow worked really well in the install. FOUR: Yellow makes me really happy. Sidenote: the specific shade I am using in the space is called POWER WOW (thanks for the excellent name, Benjamin Moore).
DWP: Could you tell us a little bit about the community that is growing at New New Crusher Court?
Kate: Yes! My neighbors are Katie Reardon and Ben Sellon from Half Court Studio. They were actually my across the hall neighbors in Box and One, so it's great to be next to them again. It's also so nice to be able to compare notes about building a space out since this is our first time doing this together. My other neighbor is Kevin Cavenaugh and his office Guerrilla Development. Also, New New Crusher Court holds Studio Mega, The Beauty Shop, Pickathon as well as the store fronts Project/Object, Leeward Surf, Dream Cakes, Dava Bead and Urban Nest Realty. I've only been in this space for a bit over a week and already it feels like a little neighborhood.
Open House Details
Where: 2500 NE Sandy, Suite C When: Thursday, April 27, 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Organizer: Outlet Cost: Free
Visit the open house listing to register, or check out the full listing of N/NE open houses to plan your perfect open house crawl!
Other DWP open houses at New New Crusher Court:
Brett Schulz Architect and Guerrilla Development Company
Half Court Studio
Pickathon
The Beauty Shop
Studio Mega