History and Inspiration for The L. Alan Arts Project
The L. Alan Arts Project is the brainchild of Larry A. Iversen, a long-time curator of grassroots art in the greater Portland, Oregon region. As proprietor of the Arts Integrity art placement service for the past five years, Iversen has worked with numerous local businesses such as restaurants, shops, cafes, and salons and arranged over 80 art shows in such venues, interacting with over 200 local artists, and facilitating innumerable art sales. While successful, Iversen became progressively more aware of the limitations of finding exposure for art that is not compatible with the "family friendly" agenda to which Arts Integrity's clientele is beholden by economic necessity.
Meanwhile, Iversen has been an enthusiastic attendee of events such as the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, Erosfest in Portland, OR, and most recently while on travels east, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in NYC, and NC Fetish Art Festival in Durham, NC. Over time, he has grown ever more cognizant of the disconnect between sex-positive art's passionate audience and the arbitrary limitations suffered by his mainstream Arts Integrity venues. Honored and inspired by being invited to participate in the Blue Light Under the Moonlight one-night group art show in the fall of 2010, Iversen finally resolved to create a project to bridge this gap.