Blue Sky honors Exhibition Committee member Stan Gilula, who passed away in February 2024. You are invited to join a memorial in the gallery to celebrate his life and art practice. His collection of photograph is on view on the Community Wall through Sat, Nov 2.
Image © Stan Gilula
Stan’s life began in Herrin, Illinois in 1947. As one of seven siblings in a competitive and complicated family, Stan was eager to forge his own path. One of the first steps on his voyage of discovery was enrolling at Southern Illinois University to study design under the renowned architect and futurist R. Buckminster Fuller. A highlight of these college years was the opportunity to assist his teacher in the construction of a geodesic dome, a type of structure popularized by Fuller that became very influential in the 1960s and early 70s. After completing his studies at Southern Illinois University, Stan went on to earn an MA in graphic design and a MFA in painting and photography from UCLA in 1972.
After graduating from UCLA Stan moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, with the goal of eventually living in New York City. He accomplished this in 1977, and there he supported himself in the construction industry. He eventually established his own firm that provided project management and construction renovation services for high-end retail, commercial, office, and restaurant projects. Notable clients included: Prada,Bergdorf Goodman, actor Bill Murry, Ralph Lauren, and Danny Meyer’s Restaurants.
As chance would have it, while in New York, Stan found himself renovating the home of the well known photographer and filmmaker Robert Frank. This meeting turned into a lifelong friendship and a source of inspiration. Stan also became close with Robert Frank’s wife, the painter June Leaf, who made several portraits of him.
When Stan retired in 2016 he made his way to Portland, where he took up residence in the Honeyman Hardware Lofts, just a few blocks away from the Blue Sky Gallery.
Before he left New York, Robert Frank suggested he visit The Blue Sky Gallery, and this association opened another chapter in his life. Stan became a devoted and grateful member of the Exhibition Committee where he found community, friendship, and meaning in the Portland art scene. We miss him.