Sidestreet Arts is delighted to have its first nationwide call-out for art, in collaboration with Queer Cat, for a show called:  Emily Pratt & Fired With Pride.  Queer Cat and Sidestreet Arts curated a fantastic collection of ceramic work featuring queer wood-fire artists from the across the nation! In addition, local artist Emily Pratt has returned to grace the gallery with her incredible metal-collage assemblages.

Emily Pratt is an assemblage metal-collage artist who lives in NE Portland. She gathers weathered objects from her local surroundings, as well as collecting other materials that catch her eye. She transforms this assortment of metals into 2-D art. Ms. Pratt hand cuts each of these found materials and “paints” her images by nailing them onto wood with tiny nails. There is a physicality to her work, and a real celebration of the decay of her chosen medium. In her work, one can see the duality of this medium: The humble origins of metals that were possibly run over by traffic, and simultaneously see the narrative of a natural landscape, or man-made environment that the artist has envisioned for us. That Emily Pratt can create such beautiful artworks from found objects is incredible, and Sidestreet Arts encourages all to come in and view the show.

The Fired with Pride exhibition will include 21 ceramic artists including several Queer Cat members. Queer Cat has been a free annual ceramic art program that serves LGBTQIA+ artists in Portland and the surrounding area. Queer cat has continued through exhibitions featuring queer wood-fire artists. Queer Cat supports the inclusion and advancement of queer artists by providing an access point and launchpad for growth in the local wood-fire ceramics community, centering clay education, mentorship, and ceramic art.