Opening night of 2012 exhibit “Facture: Artists at the Forefront of Painterly Glass” that featured works by WGS artist Michael Janis.
Three years after a toxic air scare resulted in unprecedented legal and civil actions against Bullseye Glass Company, the 45-year-old colored art glass factory is closing its downtown gallery, educational, and projects space in a move to cut costs while maintaining a firm commitment to its worldwide arts community. The sole surviving Pacific Northwest art glass factory plans on closing their flagship arts space as costs related to regulatory, legal, and civil actions exceed $4M.
Financial losses related to State demands and strategically orchestrated negative publicity, paired with the resultant billion-dollar class action lawsuit, cut deep into income that had previously supported Bullseye’s arts program.
“For twenty years our space in [Portland’s] Pearl District showcased remarkable works in kilnformed glass created by artists from around the world who use the glass handmade in our southeast Portland factory,” said Lani McGregor, Bullseye co-owner and director of the exhibition and activities space known as Bullseye Projects.
Bullseye Projects is scheduled to close its doors on June 1st, though some of its activities organizing touring exhibits and doing educational programming will continue as will key staff members who will be transferred to the Bullseye facility in southeast Portland.
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