(“My Little Runaway” by Bayley Lay, courtesy of OSU Extension)

The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) and Oregon State University’s Division of Extension and Engagement will feature 132 artworks by Oregon artists from every region of the state in the inaugural PRAx Open, a juried art exhibition featuring traditional, emerging and new media works.

“Contemporary art should not be a distant concept—something only encountered in Paris or Prague, Los Angeles or New York. Incredible artists reside in Oregon and the Tribal nations and communities of the state,” says Patricia Valian Reser Executive Director Peter Betjemann.

The exhibition emphasizes original art that speaks to the places where the artists live—be they rural, urban or suburban — engaging in particular with the landscapes, histories, cultures, economies or region-specific topics of such places to represent the breadth of the state and sovereign Tribal nations in Oregon.

The exhibition includes artists from over half of all thirty-six counties and from every region: Portland Metro, Willamette Valley, Central Oregon, Southern Oregon, Oregon Coast, Eastern Oregon, and Mt. Hood & Columbia River Gorge. There are Indigenous artists from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians; Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians; the Kō-Kwel/Coquille Indian Tribe; as well as, caləłali, spuyaləpabš, Yakama; and, Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

The PRAx Open aims to celebrate artists’ work, whether “cutting-edge and experimental or traditional and rooted in historical practice” that speaks to place and to the importance of community, connection and collaboration.

“From mountains to oceans, forests to deserts, cities to ranchlands, Oregon’s natural diversity is one of its greatest assets,” says Betjemann. “And different issues concern different communities, from water rights and timberland to housing, urban growth, industry, ecosystem protection and many more.”

This exhibition also aims to support the Oregon arts economy, with artists retaining 100% of their sales. While pieces are not required to be offered for sale, the exhibition will be curated with the intent that a significant majority of the works may be purchased via direct correspondence with the artist.

“By presenting work that is for sale, direct from the artists, we aim to support the arts economy of the state at large and to create opportunities for you to bring one of the amazing pieces into your own home,” Betjemann says.

The exhibition will be presented in the 3,000-square-foot Kate and John Stirek Gallery at PRAx in Corvallis on the OSU campus. The exhibition’s opening reception will be on November 19, 2026, with artwork on display until December 19, 2026, in time for gifts for the holiday.