Co-Founder

Maija Kellner-Rode is a queer artist, dancer and mentor who fiercely believes creativity has the power to heal and transform individual lives and communities. Cultivating space for young people to feel seen, heard and cared for is vital to the well-being of our collective futures.

Maija is the owner and designer behind Maija Rebecca Hand Drawn, a paper goods and design company and is a fine art painter, based in Bend, Oregon. She was a 2023 Patricia Clark Artist in Residence at Scalehouse Gallery. Maija’s current studio is located inside Gathered Wares at the Old Iron Works Art District.

Since 2011, Maija has been creatively mentoring underserved youth within the Salem School District, at Grande Ronde Reservation, at P:ear Mentor, in Portland and was an art therapy intern at 100th Monkey Studio. Most recently, Maija has assisted at Pilot Butte Middle School with the Caldera Arts Program in Bend, Oregon and offers 1 on 1 teen mentoring. She also has experience coaching middle school basketball in 2023 and 2024 through Bend Parks and Recreation.

Maija received her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and art from Western Oregon University in 2013. She recently graduated from the Expressive Arts and Somatic Therapy teacher training program through Tamalpa Institute in October, 2024 and will be a registered somatic therapist through ISMETA, the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association, in 2025. Through Tamalpa Institute, Maija has received a cultural humility and trauma informed training.

To better understand The Tamalpa Life/Art Process :

The Life/Art Process utilizes expressive arts through the exploration of movement, drawing, writing, performance, group sharing and reflection as tools to better understand one’s mental, emotional, and physical states. It is rooted in the (somatic) understanding that the body holds intrinsic wisdom that can be more deeply understood when in relationship to one’s anatomy through movement, dance and the imagination.

• John Phillips, P:ear Programs Director (2019) - Mentoring houseless youth in Portland, Oregon

“During her time at p:ear, Maija met our youth each day with compassion and understanding and would give youth the time and space to process and be heard. She also worked closely with youth to create art and assisted the art program director in facilitating larger projects and prep work for art focused events in our space… Maija’s three years at p:ear, I saw her willingness to jump in and assist with any of the needs of our youth and of our space. Her greatest value to our space was her innate sense of when to engage a youth in need of connection. Maija understands the trauma and struggle our youth experience on a daily basis and was phenomenal at making them feel heard, embraced and safe enough to begin to explore their creativity. She did so while maintaining professional boundaries and collaborating with staff and volunteers amidst a chaotic space that averaged 65 young people a day.”

• Natalie and Owen Murphy, Bend Parents - Creatively mentoring their daughter

“We were thrilled that our daughter was able to connect with Maija for a four-day art intensive this past summer. Maija is a passionate artist, a compassionate mentor, and a wonderful role model. She provided technical guidance about various modes of art, but also encouraged lots of self-exploration and expression. Our daughter came home each night excited to show us what she'd created. She shared more than once that she felt like she could “be herself” in Maija’s studio, and how inspiring it was to work with a professional artist. Our daughter learned new skills, developed new self-confidence, and strengthened her desire to pursue art as a career path.”