Janice "Jada" Griffin Gallery 2002 - 2012

2002 - 2012 was an exciting time. I was fortunate to own my own art gallery at NW 12th and Overton Streets in the Pearl District, Portland, Oregon’s art neighborhood. Many people remarked that my gallery felt like a New York, SoHo-style gallery, because of its industrial feel. My space was 2,500 square feet with an adjoining 2,500 square foot art studio, accessible through rolling barn-style doors. Because of the spacious studio, I was able to work large-scale, both on wall easels and on especially-constructed modular tables, and on multiple paintings at once. Ceilings were 12’ high and beamed with old-growth timber from the Pacific Northwest. The floor was polished concrete. I participated in First Thursday art openings, when galleries remain open late each month. If you were ever in the Janice “Jada” Griffin gallery on those evenings, you may remember the Orleans Parish punch, served until local permit police, always on horseback, clamped down. It was a uniquely extraordinary venue in a magical city where I met many extraordinary people, many of whom remain my dear friends. I am forever grateful.