Part 1: Member Expectations & Responsibilities
Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of Made in the Gorge, the longest-running artist-owned gallery cooperative in Hood River, Oregon!
As a cooperative, we work closely as a team to support and promote each other’s work while sharing management of all aspects of our business. Because our success relies on mutual trust, active participation, and clear communication, every prospective member should feel confident and comfortable with our expectations, operating guidelines, and member-led processes before applying.
Before applying, please review our operational structure and member commitments:
Financial Obligations:
- Monthly Dues: Membership dues are $200 per month.
- Sales Commission: Members pay a 15% sales commission, or as set by member vote.
- Payouts & Deductions: Monthly sales payouts are remitted by the 5th of each month. Monthly dues ($200) and sales commissions (15%) are automatically deducted from your monthly sales revenue. If your sales revenue in a given month is insufficient to cover your dues, you must pay the balance out-of-pocket by the 10th of the following month.
Staffing & Scheduling Commitments:
- Weekly Shifts: Members staff the retail operation at 108 Oak St. on a regular schedule. You should expect to work one day per week, from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM (depending on the season).
- First Fridays: Members rotate coverage for summer First Friday events, which typically extend store hours until 8:00 PM.
- Coverage Obligations: If you cannot work a scheduled shift, you are responsible for finding a member replacement or arranging a shift trade. Missing shifts or meetings without an acceptable excuse may result in expulsion.
Inventory, Governance & Shared Labor:
- Production Capacity: Our average individual member sales are approximately $2,000 per month (with some earning more and some less), and we have the potential to grow beyond that. Members must produce enough work to keep their assigned gallery displays fully stocked year-round.
- Membership Structure: The gallery maintains 7 memberships total. In some cases, a partnership or two-person team may hold a single joint membership. All new memberships begin with a 3-month trial period to evaluate mutual fit, sales performance, and co-op participation before confirming permanent membership.
- Co-op Operations: Beyond staffing shifts, members participate in monthly meetings, hold administrative roles, perform ongoing store maintenance, host events, and contribute to marketing and community outreach.
Part 2: Applicant Vetting & Approval Process
To ensure fairness and maintain balanced inventory across mediums, our admission process follows these guidelines:
- Unanimous Approval: Admitting a new member requires 100% approval of all active members.
- Physical Product Review: Following an initial application review, applicants may be asked to submit physical samples of their work for jurying and quality review by the membership before a final decision is made.
- 3-Month Trial Period: Approved applicants enter a 3-month trial period to experience store operations, test inventory fit, and ensure co-op responsibilities work well for both parties.
- Medium Protections & Veto Rights: Existing members hold veto authority over any applicant working within their primary artistic medium.
- Geographic Requirement: All products must be made personally by the artist within the Columbia River Gorge region (Corbett to Goldendale).
- Introducing New Mediums: If an admitted member ever wishes to introduce work outside their primary medium later on, a separate 2/3 majority vote and a 1-week backroom display review are required.