The 3D Center of Art and Photography is an American nonprofit

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 educational institution in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

 that opened in 2003. It is the first museum in the United States dedicated to stereoscopy

Stereoscopy

Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...

. The Center is currently located in a leased storefront on NW Lovejoy Street on the Portland Streetcar

Portland Streetcar

The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...

 line. The Center is currently engaged in a fundraising campaign to move to a larger location due to the inability to accommodate large groups of visitors.

Programs

The 3D Center presents displays of historic and contemporary stereoscopic

Stereoscopy

Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...

 imagery and equipment. The Center presents daily 3D slide shows, interactive displays, varying featured artists, display cabinets of antique 3D equipment and paraphernalia, and a gift shop full of 3D items. A 3-D viewing screen in the museum's collection was featured in the fifth season of the PBS

Public Broadcasting Service

The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

 television program History Detectives

History Detectives

History Detectives is a documentary television series on PBS. A group of researchers help people to seek answers to various historical questions they have, usually centering around a family heirloom, an old house or other historic object or structure...

. The Center is "committed to presenting the best new work by contemporary artists working in 3D imagery, both nationally and internationally." It offers classes and workshops in stereoscopic techniques.

History

The 3D Center was founded by members of Cascade Stereoscopic Club (CSC). In 2001, the CSC Board announced the intention to create a national 3D museum and learning center in Portland. It was conceived as a museum and gallery to house 3D equipment and imagery, a public place to teach classes, do workshops, have exhibitions, and a place to preserve historic stereoscopic images and equipment. The museum opened to the public in February 2004, housing an extensive collection of stereoscopic artifacts, including antique stereo cards, cameras and viewers. The museum was staffed entirely by volunteers for its first year of operations. Beginning in 2005, the museum hired a paid director. The current director is Stacy Webb.

External links

• http://www.3dcenter.us/ 3D Center of Art and Photography (official website)