Letter from the Editor: Goodbye for now, Lumber Room
Earlier this month, the lumber room announced that it will sunset its regular exhibition schedule and instead reimagine its future as an art space. A pause, a moment, a new chapter. Thank you to the lumber room, to Sarah, Libby, and all the staff and artists for many years of incredible programming, for sharing the collection, and for putting on some of the most memorable openings and events—readings, performances—in one of the most beautiful spaces in the city.
I have many lumber room memories. The first show I saw there was With a Clear Mind, You Can Move With the Truth in 2015. It might’ve been the first time I saw heavy hitters like Agnes Martin and Sol Lewitt presented outside a museum and alongside more contemporary artists. I always appreciated how the works on view (often, and mostly, pulled from Sarah Miller Meigs’ collection) introduced me to new artists—regional, national, and international. Discovering artists in that space felt natural and effortless.
And everyone who worked there, especially Libby Werbel, always had a wealth of information, tidbits, or fun facts if you asked a question, often connecting so much in the exhibition with culture, and other happenings related to an artist. Not to mention the gorgeous library full of art books to get lost in. I’m thankful I always made it a point to see their exhibitions and events— art spaces and organizations can give off a sense of “everlasting,” and you might think, Oh, I’ll make it to the next opening, the next show. The truth is, you might not. The beauty of being part of a community is showing up.
It’s hard to name a favorite exhibition at the lumber room—and no one is asking for this—but I think it’s worth mentioning a few to honor everything they’ve shared with Portland. Reflection and pause are crucial.
Women to the Front (May–Dec 2017). This show rotated three times during its run and is a great example of the feminist-focused collection they cultivated. It also introduced me to Kiki Kogelnik and Erika Verzutti’s work (!).
Michelle Segre, Transmitters & Receivers (2021/2022). This show opened just as Portland’s art scene was coming back to life post‑pandemic, and it was desperately needed. The expansiveness of Segre’s work—especially installed in the lumber room—felt magical, promising, hopeful. (Fun fact: I wrote a little about this show when it happened. And Segre’s work was featured in Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up, along with Portland-based Cynthia Lahti.)
Diedrick Brackens & D’Angelo Lovell Williams, The Quick, curated by Ashley Stull Meyers (2022). Intimate photography and textile-based work coalesced in this exhibition, which brought in guest curator Ashley Stull Meyers. There was a tenderness across all the works that lingered.
The Rose, curated by Justine Kurland (2023). Of course, Kurland would curate a photography-forward exhibition with humor, relevance, and forty artists celebrating collage. The opening was packed, and I went back several times just to absorb everything.
Nona Faustine, She Was a Culmination of All Things in Heaven and Earth (2023/2024). Faustine’s Mitochondria series—photographs of her daughter, mother, sister, and herself—was featured extensively. The exhibition emphasized record‑keeping and a visual diary of Black women. Faustine passed away in March of last year.
Isabelle Albuquerque & Louise Bourgeois, The Wandering Womb (2025/2026). This ended up being the final exhibition in the space, and it was not one to miss—especially the opening, which had a line down the block and a couple of low‑key celebrity sightings (Jon Raymond and Miranda July—very Portland). LA‑based Albuquerque and Bourgeois’ works complemented each other beautifully, championing both a contemporary artist and a beloved icon. And we didn’t even know it was the last one.
Goodbye for now, lumber room. XOXO, Ashley Gifford, Art & About
