Our Story
A Full-Spectrum experiment in co-creation.
The Haven is a multidimensional, ever-changing project meant to prioritize the creative mind, the soul of wellness, and the strength of community. When we nurture these things in an environment ripe for curiosity-building and collaboration, art just can't help but happen as a byproduct.
It's hard to put what we are into just a few words, as there are simply so many disciplines that have found their home with us. We're painters, musicians, tech wizards, educators, healers, cooks, dancers, therapists, tea alchemists, solution-focused activists, time travelers, space captains, forest elves... you get the idea.
Since May 2025, all of us have found ourselves together in a former soda distribution warehouse just off of 25th and Sandy in Portland, Oregon; for some, transforming it into a creative paradise is too daunting to even think about. For those of us who answered the call and picked up the keys, it's the biggest and best playground we could have asked for. We now have over 40+ private art studios, a massive gallery situated in an open 10,000 sqft space, Portland's first non-alcoholic bar & café, multiple intimate spaces for workshops, community workspaces, and much more situated under our roof.
We're here on this planet to kill the idea of the starving artist once and for all, by carving out a space where artistry isn't relegated to a select few. We make that happen by offering affordable studios, sharing resources, seeking opportunities as a group, and forging partnerships with other businesses and organizations.
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We invite folks to visit our space, support the artists that made it happen, enjoy a refreshing drink or a cozy beverage, soak up some creative energy, attend your first sound bath, or just come say hi. Whatever you're craving- whether it's inspiration, healing, connection, or all of the above- The Haven is happily here to oblige.
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Painting (left) - Won't You Be? - by Danny Stephens
Heading artwork by Kate Alperin
Our Beginnings
The Haven was founded in 2020 in an old kettlebell gym in Milwaukie by a group of full-time traveling festival artists seeking ways to keep food on the table in the pandemic, when suddenly their main sources of income had to be put on pause. The original mission was to take the best parts of contemporary transformational festival culture- community, collaboration, and endless inspiration- and bring it to our local spaces in sustainable ways.
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We have only snowballed from there, adding new faces, taking on new ventures, and diversifying our perspectives and collective resumé as we go. We've traveled across the country together for festivals, sold each others' work, held space for each other in darker moments, and built a crew of dedicated, heart-driven people who strive for a better world through creative expression of innovative ideas.
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Right: a photo of the very first Haven location.
How we Operate
Our mission here on this planet to kill the idea of the starving artist once and for all, by carving out a space where artistry isn't relegated to a select few. We make that happen by offering affordable studios, sharing resources, seeking opportunities as a group, and forging partnerships with other businesses and organizations.
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The Haven is structured primarily as a co-op to foster ownership of the project to all who choose to join forces in this creative vision. All members contribute to making this project a success, regardless of levels of participation. We are building a business and a non-profit in order to help sustain the further growth of the entire community.
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Our leadership runs off of a blend of decentralized systems and operational systems that combine the best of both for lasting sustainability. Our team is diverse in background and has their own specialization: finances, organizational development, outreach, public relations, et cetera. This project has grown far beyond the art collective it was six years ago.
We are a movement for equitable access to the soul of creativity, remaining dynamic and progressive in the face of a changing world and redefining how we move in community spaces and business. Our passion for artisanship as a community and gratitude for the thousands of people who have resonated with the mission, has allowed us to continue growing into the collective we currently have!