Poster design by Rodeo Studio at Portland State University
A Moment Outside: Sadé Duboise with Ms. Tran’s Second Grade Class
April 1, 2024 - May 20, 2024
Sadé DuBoise was KSMoCA’s winter 2024 artist-in-residence. DuBoise is an acrylic painter, visual storyteller, and orator of Black experience(s) in the Pacific Northwest. Growing up in Oregon—specifically Northeast Portland—she developed a deep appreciation for nature at a young age, which has greatly influenced her painting practice. DuBoise’s work explores the experiences of multi-racial people, predominantly Black folks and their connectedness to the great outdoors. She considers her work sociopolitical, and seeks to dispel the notion that Black folks prefer urban settings because they fear nature. She does this by painting portraits of Black people, namely Black women, in various outdoor settings that she has personally visited while hiking and backpacking. Her latest series, A Moment Outside, which she created specifically for this residency, consists of 14 small portraits of women in natural settings that capture brief, yet significant moments of being in nature.
Sadé DuBoise is a painter who considers her practice as a sacred place to reflect on her identity, existence, and life experiences. She received a BFA in painting from Willamette University/Pacific Northwest College of Art. Keeping close to her birthplace and roots of North Portland, DuBoise resides in Tigard, Oregon, where she tends to her growing family and studio practice. Her paintings have been exhibited at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and were included in the Black Artists of Oregon exhibition at the Portland Art Museum.
Portraits in Nature Workshops with Sadé DuBoise
At KSMoCA, DuBoise led two workshops with Ms. Tran’s second grade class, where she helped students create their own portraits in nature. During the first workshop, Ms. Tran photographed each student in their favorite outdoor location on the school grounds, which they later transferred onto watercolor paper. They were then instructed to select prompts that encouraged them to think creatively about their experiences in nature. During the second workshop students were encouraged to reinterpret their photos however they saw fit as DuBoise led them through the process of painting their portraits. The workshops were designed to not just teach painting techniques but to also connect the students with nature and their own creative expressions. It was a joy to see their individual perspectives and connections to the outdoors come to life through their artwork,” said DuBoise.
exhibited portraits by students
a Moment outside portrait series by Sadé DuBoise
Artist Talk with Sadé DuBoise and Exhibition Opening of A Moment Outside
During her artist talk in the school library, DuBoise spoke to students about her path to becoming an artist. She answered questions from students about who did her hair, her facial markings and their connection to her heritages, nature, and how to become a Black artist. Every attendee received a small magazine about DuBoise that was created and published by Portland State University students. Afterwards, everyone was invited to the exhibition opening in the Cafetorium hallway. Students in Ms. Tran’s second grade class led group or individual tours of their work in the exhibition. Families, classmates, school staff, and members of the public were all invited to attend and celebrate. The exhibition remained on view at the school for the entire academic term. Student work was exhibited alongside DuBoise’s original painting from the A Moment Outside series.
