"We're stuff people," sculptor Kimberly Gronquist explains as she guides visitors through her Southwest Portland home, where floor-to-ceiling shelves showcase an extraordinary collection that tells the story of a family of artists and collectors. The shelves reveal a fascinating array of items: countless books ranging from fantasy novels and encyclopedias to historical texts mixed with pop fiction, art books by Kiki Man Ray and "Book of Earth" displayed face-forward, alongside vintage Barbie dolls, a pink curved alligator, a maneki cat, wicker baskets filled with masks, and even a toy banana.
The impressive shelves represent just a small glimpse into the creative world contained within the walls of this 1908 home. Spanning four floors, the house is a testament to eclectic warmth and artistic spontaneity. From the multicolored disco-lit basement featuring a half-pipe, to walls adorned with wild, unfurling ceramics, dried eucalyptus wreaths draped across door frames, and an airy atrium overlooking an English-style garden, every corner reflects the family's artistic sensibilities. "It's totally not thoughtful," Gronquist admits with characteristic honesty, though there's clearly an intuitive feel and playfulness that runs throughout the home's history and ethos.
The house carries deep personal significance for the Gronquist family. Kimberly's husband, Peter Warren Gronquist, 46, grew up in this very home, raised by two artists including his father, filmmaker Don Gronquist. Kimberly, also 46, first encountered Peter during their time at West Sylvan Middle School. Unlike Kimberly's own childhood home, which lacked warmth, Peter's house became a sanctuary where she spent her teenage years. "This had been my safe place to begin with, and coming back was cathartic," Kimberly reflects on their return to the family home.
After marrying, the couple spent time living in California before returning to Portland in 2011 when the house was passed down to them. Now they share the space with their three children: Dove, 16, Wolfie, 12, and Cozy, 10. Peter works as a multidisciplinary artist while Kimberly focuses on sculpture, both contributing to the home's creative atmosphere. The house has undergone some renovations over the years, including gutted bathrooms and a more industrial-chic kitchen with wide white tiles, but it retains its century-plus-old charm with original wide windows and three fireplaces scattered throughout the floors.
The home is clearly designed for fun and creativity. A jukebox sits in the second living room (though it's broken, there's an Alexa cleverly tucked inside), fuzzy Star Wars stormtrooper helmets serve as wallpaper in the bathroom, and a game room for the kids features a purple-lit play nook. Pop culture references spill from every corner, but Kimberly has learned the delicate art of keeping the vibrancy buoyant without letting it become overwhelming. "Trying to balance motherhood and actively trying to work on sculpture, I get buried in the things," she explains. "They're all collectors," she says, referring to her family. "It's hard to keep up with all the things they're bringing home. I make sure not to become buried in that or I'll feel heavy."
Kimberly's artistic journey took a different path than her husband's. While Peter was destined to be an artist from a young age (one of his earliest childhood declarations about his future career hangs on the wall in their office), Kimberly's artistic desires were initially repressed. Instead of pursuing art, she became a nurse. However, after taking time to raise her children, she slowly began gravitating back to her creative urges, drawn particularly to ceramic shapes that exist somewhere between feminine and oceanic forms.
"I like to call it primal feminism," Kimberly explains from her studio, a elevated space located in the garage behind the main house. "I was pounding out trauma from my body; it wasn't always comfortable, but it was a necessity. It felt frantic." This raw, emotional connection to her work represents a therapeutic and transformative process that goes beyond traditional artistic expression.
After showcasing her work at Spartan Shop, Kimberly's artistic career continued to evolve and gain momentum. She maintains her primary focus on ceramics, but beyond that foundation, there are no rigid rules or predetermined endpoints guiding her work. For Kimberly, both her art and her home represent ever-evolving entities, spaces designed to remain curious and playful, places where letting go becomes possible. "You can continue the work," she concludes. "It doesn't have to stop in the kiln." This philosophy perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the Gronquist household, where creativity flows seamlessly between art studio and living space, between individual expression and family life.
