The Multnomah Arts Center has operated a regional gallery since 1982. With support from the community, the original space underwent significant renovations in 2013. In 2024, the Center created an additional exhibition space in the main lobby of the building. Now known as the Front & Center Galleries at MAC, these exhibition spaces serve as an educational venue for the community and a supportive environment for artists to share their work. Artists who show here are residents of Oregon and southwest Washington. Exhibiting artists are selected via an annual Call for Art. The resulting shows reflect the artistic dynamism of the region:  a wide spectrum of media is shown, diverse subject matter is explored, and unique perspectives are shared.

Some of the guiding principles of MAC’s exhibition program include:

• • We work with artists across differences in age, gender, ethnicity, race, language, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, ability, and socio-economic status.
  • Artists are selected to exhibit based on the merit of their work. They may be just starting out, or may have been exhibiting professionally for years. Should they wish to sell their work as part of the exhibition, they retain 65% of any sales they make. The remaining 35% is used by MACA, our volunteer-run nonprofit organization, to support arts access.
  • Calls for Art are free. No application fee is charged to participate. Other barriers to participation are addressed wherever possible. 
  • The community shapes the exhibition calendar and related programming. Each year, two community artists/curators are invited to collaborate with the MAC gallerist in reviewing applications from that year’s Call and creating the exhibition calendar. They are also offered the opportunity to curate a group exhibition with the theme of their choosing, with operational support and installation services provided by the MAC Gallerist. These two community members are chosen based on their commitment to the arts and connection to their communities. MAC also prioritizes working with people who have lived experiences that are historically under and/or misrepresented in mainstream art spaces.
  • Thanks to the support of MACA, our sister non-profit organization, artists like the curators mentioned above are paid for their work.