In 2018, when Roux and Maya were searching for a piece of real estate to house our dreams, they found four walls and a roof, a “Lil Box” if you will, next to a low-income housing collective. We’re still in the process of finding out where our Lil Box came from (who built it and when?) but, we do know it belongs to Portland Collective Housing (“PCH”); more specifically, PCH’s Mississippi branch managed it. Sadly, this January there was a fire in the Mississippi house, which displaced all its residents and left the wider collective with some conundrums. As of right now, here are some points we’ve been able to clear up between us.
Perhaps obviously, The house needs repairs as soon as possible. The interim status has been impacting our ability to operate within the gallery.
PCH, no longer has the member count to sustain the Mississippi House or it’s restorations so,
PCH wants to transfer the whole of the property to Ori to help us maintain a role on Mississippi specifically. However,
PCH is working tirelessly to plumb its institutional knowledge and gather details on mortgage, restoration needs and cost, provenance, etc.
All this said, we’re in a holding pattern wherein our imaginings of the shape of Ori’s future operations and resources are changing daily.
While there is great excitement around the potential for Ori to continue its mission with a larger footprint on Mississippi, offering artist residencies, hosting outdoor events and larger art productions, and more; negotiations and legal consultations have been a distraction from our primary goals as an organization.
“But what help can I offer? WIth y’all in Limbo and such” you say. We’re so happy you ask, and we’re beyond honored to have your support.
Show up to Geeta’s show
Donate
Hook us up with help and connects: looking for roofers and remodeling/restorations
Keep a lookout for our next moves and continue showing up with/for us