Host an artist & join the community
The 12th Annual festival is February 5-13, 2027.
The Portland Winter Light Festival invites community venues to participate in a citywide celebration of light, creativity and connection. As a Community Partner, you help transform Portland with light-based art and immersive experiences while attracting festivalgoers to explore your space, whether you’re a venue, business, nonprofit, or arts organization.
This call is for Community Partner Sites – local businesses, retail locations, organizations, art collectives, maker spaces, and more – with a location or venue to host an artist or venues with confirmed artists. There is one installation per application, and multiple applications are okay. One designated contact per application.
Installations can be light-based art installations or sculptures in windows, colorful and creative outdoor lighting, installations in your own yard or neighborhood, video projections, and more.
We encourage artists to find their own venue to show their installations. Light up your buildings, exteriors, houses, and yards. Find a local business that would like to showcase your work. Ask your neighbors to be involved and create a light community around your PDXWLF exhibition.
PDXWLF makes every effort to match artists with suitable venues, but we cannot guarantee placement. Not all venues will receive an artist.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
VENUES + Partners WITH ART
Are you a venue or community partner that already has an art piece you would like to feature?
Installations can include light-based art installations or window sculptures, colorful and creative outdoor lighting, installations in your own yard or neighborhood, video projections, and more.
Application deadline:
5 PM August 28th, 2026
FEEs
Your partnership fee helps cover the costs of placing an artist at your site (if applicable), as well as coordination and promotional benefits such as inclusion on the website, festival maps and directories. Because the Festival coordinates hundreds of partners, installations and public-facing listings, these fees help offset the production and coordination required to support each partner.
The minimum participation fee is $300 for our business partners and venues wishing to participate in the Festival. We do not wish to exclude enthusiastic participants for financial reasons. If you would like to request a fee waiver for Festival participation, please email [email protected] with the subject line “requesting fee waiver” and explain why you are requesting the waiver. We will review the requests on a case-by-case basis.
Luminary Community Partner $1,500+ (Cash-Only Level)
(For venues, businesses, nonprofits, organizations)
- Option to present your own light-based art or priority consideration for Festival artist pairing. (Artists funded by Light Festival, subject to availability).
- Lead website recognition on the PDXWLF Community Partner webpage with your logo and link.
- Inclusion on Festival maps and directories if presenting artwork—driving foot traffic to your location.
- Group social media feature as an official Light Festival Luminary Community Partner.
- Two tickets to FESTIVAL PREVIEW PARTY.
Community Exhibition Partner $750+
(For venues, businesses, nonprofits, organizations)
- Option to present your own light-based art or be paired with a Festival artist. (Artists funded by Light Festival, subject to availability).
- Name recognition on the PDXWLF Community Partner webpage.
- Inclusion on Festival maps and directories if presenting artwork–driving foot traffic to your location.
- Group social media mention as a Community Partner.
Community Partner $300+
(For businesses, nonprofits, organizations, and art collectives)
- Option to present your own light-based art or building lighting.
- Name recognition on the PDXWLF Community Partner webpage.
- Inclusion on Festival maps and directories if presenting artwork–driving foot traffic to your location.
Artist pairing notes: Artist placements are limited and based on availability, site suitability, technical needs, Festival curatorial priorities and other factors. Artist pairings are not guaranteed. If you are interested in being paired with an artist, contact [email protected]
Have a bigger idea for how your organization can be part of the Light Festival? Reach out to explore sponsorship or partnership opportunities that support light-based public art and advance creativity and connection in Portland.
Note: Opportunities are available on our sponsorship page for businesses.
Go here to learn more!