Our Approach

Converge 45 operates as a lean, fully remote team. By keeping our administrative footprint small, we are able to direct the vast majority of our funding and resources right back into Portland's creative ecosystem.

For us, maximizing our budget means maximizing our impact—ensuring that our financial support goes directly to fair compensation for artists, robust community partnerships, and keeping our exhibitions free and open to everyone.

Staff

Board

Juliet Ashby Hillman, Chair | Philanthropist

Charlie Dobson, Treasurer | CFP,  Dobson Asset Management

Jason Smith, Secretary | LEED Green Associate, Architect

Golnaz Armin | VP, Nike Color, Materials, Trend & Sustainable Design

Lindsey Bastani | Executive VP, General Manager WE Communications

Malia Jensen | Artist

Ashley Futrell | Director of Major Collections and Clients at Artech,

Philip A. Robinson Jr. | Artist & Educator

History

Converge 45 was founded in 2016 by Elizabeth Leach and a coalition of arts professionals and business leaders committed to supporting the Pacific Northwest’s creative community by creating new opportunities for increased engagement with critical issues in contemporary art. Operating on a three-year cycle, the first artistic director and curator, Kristy Edmonds, held an artists’ congress in the organization’s initial year, four days of public programs featuring twenty-six artists its second year, and a multi-venue exhibition series in its third that featured artists Melody Owens, Jenny Holzer, and Ann Hamilton, which was augmented by a concentration of public programs focused on discussing critical issues of aesthetic, societal, and global significance.