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The Helen Gordon Child Development Center at Portland State University and Portland-based Gallery 114 (1100 NW Glisan) hosted an art exhibit, "Light Studies." The exhibit was an interactive installation documenting the collaborative process between the children and teachers at the Helen Gordon Center and the artists from the Gallery, and displayed the children's theory-building process around the subject of light and shadows.

Inspired by Gallery 114's location below street level and the curiosity shown by the kindergarten class towards light and shadows, the Helen Gordon Center teachers and Gallery 114 artists set up light environments in which children could explore materials and test their theories surrounding light and shadows. The process was then documented through film, photography, recorded dialogue, and the children's artwork.

"Through this project we hope to convey the tremendous value we feel children offer to their community," said Jessie Martin, kindergarten teacher at the Helen Gordon Center.

The exhibit opened to the public on January 6, 2005 at Gallery 114.

The Helen Gordon Child Development Center plays a dual role within PSU -- it serves the student, faculty, and staff parents by providing high-quality, on-campus child care for children aged six months to six years, and also serves as an academic laboratory for the University faculty and students in the fields of early childhood education, child and family studies, psychology, and related fields.

The Helen Gordon Center was one of the first buildings in America designed specifically as a day-care facility and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center recently completed a renovation of its structure and has added 15,000 square feet of classroom space. For more information about the Center visit www.hgcdc.pdx.edu.

Photo credit: Aaron Hewitt.