Well Well

𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙉𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙢
Kelda Van Patten
May 2-31

Join us for the Opening Reception on May 2 from 5-8PM! This month features new work by Kelda Van Patten - pop by on Saturdays or Sundays from 12-5PM.

𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙉𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙢:
Biomorphic watercolor shapes restlessly loop and collapse across sheets of roughly cut paper, while gestural black lines race through, suggesting mouths, limbs, and faces without ever settling into them. Fragments of identity surface, provoke, and dissolve. Outdated magazine pages are cut, torn, and reassembled. Irreverent still lifes and performative self-portraits punctuate the exhibition: an obscured face dissolving into purple light, a worn tube of concealer, an estrogen patch, a gold heart necklace, a duct tape figure with unblinking googly eyes, and the gaze multiplied and made absurd. Kelda Van Patten finds strength in the precarious and imperfect: tape seams catch the light, folds of soft pink fabric conceal and expose, and a red pipe cleaner quietly resists a smile.

Kelda Van Patten is a Portland, Oregon–based artist who creates disorienting pictorial spaces through still life, collage, drawing, animation, and photography, blurring reality and artifice. She holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, an MFA from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and an MAT from Lewis & Clark College. She has received grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Council and completed residencies at Kala Institute, Jentel, and the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology; her work is held in the collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation and in multiple private collections.

Most Nearly Perfect Ham is funded in part by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

✨OPEN CALL FOR NEW MEMBERS✨

Well Well is currently accepting applications for 3 new members.

Priority will be given to applicants who are ready to have a solo show, group show, or curate an exhibition in our gallery during Fall 2026.

DEADLINE: April 26

We are excited to invite applications for new members to join Well Well Projects, an artist-member collective gallery located in Portland, Oregon.

We review applications on a rolling basis and are always on the lookout for artists who bring fresh perspectives, positive energy, and a collaborative spirit.

Our upcoming exhibition cycle renews in July 2026 and runs through December 2027.

We are seeking artists who are:
- Enthusiastic about being part of a collective and contributing to a vibrant artistic community.

- Able to share their skills and collaborate with other artists, offering good energy and a helping hand.

- Unique in their creative approach, as we strive to avoid overlapping aesthetics within our membership.

- Ideally located in or around Portland, but we are open to other areas if the fit is right.

We accept artists working in all mediums and genres. Collaborative artist groups are encouraged to apply and may split a membership.

Interested in learning more? Check out the link in our profile! You can also learn more about current members and benefits on our website 💫