One of a kind experience
End of Summer is a cross-cultural art program based in Portland, Oregon. It is comprised of an annual summer residency for artists from Japan, as well as a lecture series. Outside of this core summer program, symposiums, exhibitions and other related projects are also organized in Japan, and internationally.
End of Summer exists to build a dialogue between the U.S., specifically the region of the Pacific Northwest, and Japan through contemporary art. Through this entry point, the program aims to engage in a larger exploration of Japanese art in the era of global artistic practice, as well as the continual reconsideration of notions of East and West, center and periphery.
Each year, 6 to 8 Japanese artists are selected through an open call and invited to participate in the program. The residency utilizes the setting of Portland, with its cultural ties to Japan, community oriented ethos, and dynamic arts activity, as a site for creative exploration that nurtures an international connectivity.
End of Summer emphasizes an exploratory and research based experience, without demands for artistic production. Upon arrival in Portland, resident artists are provided with studio space to act as their home base, from which they can research, experiment and work. The crux of the program however is centered on a series of activities and events organized to allow residents the opportunity to interact with Portland’s art community directly, including exhibition and studio visits.
Each week the program hosts a guest lecture—public events organized specifically for the residency. Participating lecturers are notable in diverse fields of study, selected for the program to encourage a perspective that is international and critically engaged. Lecture subjects directly investigate modern and contemporary Japanese art history, or cultural and philosophical studies from Asia, crucially framing the residency in points of view outside of its western setting.
From 2016 to 2019, End of Summer was based out of Yale Union contemporary art center. These first four years of the program spent in collaboration with Yale Union were foundational to the program.
Beginning in 2025, End of Summer studios and office will move to the campus of the new Japan Institute. Exhibitions will also be shown at the Art J Foundation in Northwest Portland.
End of Summer at the Japan Institute
The innovative End of Summer Artist Residency connecting the Pacific Northwest and Japan through contemporary art enters a new chapter as it becomes one of the focal points of the Japan Institute and Portland Japanese Garden. This new campus dedicated to cultural exchange and the pursuit of peace brings new purpose and dedication to the role of creativity.
The Matt Jay
End of Summer Studios
New studio spaces will welcome 6 to 8 emerging artists of Japan. Unlike traditional residencies, the artists will be immersed into the culture of the Pacific Northwest. They will enjoy diverse creative communities, bringing art, food and nature together to build new relationships for the future.
The Matt Jay
End of Summer Curator of Emerging Artists.
This new position will help to guide the residency’s evolution as it enters a new era. The discovery, selection and nurturing of each year’s artists while following the principles of founder, Matt Jay.