In Oregon, a One-Night Art Exhibition Within a Midcentury Home

Curated by Lena Vasilenko and Emma Strgar of Oregon-based experiential agency Ethereal Reflections, “The Open House” marked a one-night, invitation-only exhibition within a private midcentury residence designed and built by modernism pioneer Robert Rummer. Presented by Marisa Swenson of Modern Homes Collective, the group show framed pieces by contemporary artists in dialogue with the architecture to encourage reflection on the way art enhances a domestic space. A sense of discovery defined the organic installation, which incorporated artists Stephanie Ketty (who presented four new paintings), Christopher Belluschi, Ben Latham, Aremy Stewart, Carvers Collective, and many more.

“For ‘The Open House,’ the paintings functioned as emotional markers of arrival,” Ketty tells Surface. “They were made to live inside the house rather than sit on its walls, responding to light, movement, and pause, and to the quiet intimacy of the architecture. After moving to Portland, my palette has softened and warmed, and these works reflect that shift, a sense of belonging taking shape rather than being declared, where color becomes a way of grounding into space.”