8 Seconds

8 Seconds
Center Presents
The Center Theater Gallery
August 3 – 31

August 3 | Opening Reception | 6:00 PM
Artist Storytelling: Finding My Place | 7:00 PM

Ivan McClellan is a professional photographer and the creator of the Eight Seconds Project, a storytelling project with the goal of expanding the cowboy icon to include people of color. Ivan started the project back in 2015, after a series of chance encounters led him to an all-black rodeo in Oklahoma. Over the course of photographing the event, he became enamored with the black cowboy way of life and obsessed with documenting this unique subculture. In the years since, the Eight Seconds Project has garnered the attention of western brands such as Stetson and Wrangler, and Ivan’s work has helped to tell the story of black cowboys to a nationwide, mainstream audience.

A Kansas City native, Ivan grew up in a tough neighborhood where gangs and violence were the norm. Just after high school, he headed east to New York City, where he studied and worked in the arts for many years. A career transition into the advertising business led him to Portland, where he currently lives with his wife and three children. Ivan juggles many commitments”family, a career in advertising, and his photography projects”but through hard work, mindfulness, and obsession, he somehow manages to keep all the balls in the air and continues to evolve as an artist and storyteller.

Join The Center in welcoming Ivan for his gallery show and storytelling event. Ivan was a featured storyteller in the 2022 Moth Mainstage event here at The Center, and will be sharing more of his story with us during his gallery opening and artist talk.