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Portland Art Museum
Major exhibitions complement the museum’s strong Native American and Northwest collections.
Know Before You Go
The museum is open with timed-entry tickets available online or in-person. For more information, please visit the Portland Art Museum website.
The Portland Art Museum is the largest art museum in Oregon and one of the oldest in the country. Located in two historic buildings on Portland’s South Park Blocks, the museum is central to the city’s cultural district and houses a large and wide-ranging collection of art.
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Portland Art Museum Campus and History
First organized in 1892, the museum’s first exhibition was a set of magnificent plaster casts of Greek and Roman sculpture, now displayed in the upper hall of the city’s library. In 1932, the museum moved into the primary building, designed by Pietro Belluschi: a gracious contemporary update of the Georgian style, sleek-lined and advanced in its ideas. The museum’s renovation of the Masonic temple to its immediate north added more exhibition and office space to the campus in 2005.
Belluschi’s original design was ahead of its time. It was airy and admitted natural light into the museum’s galleries, especially the court beyond the entryway, and the visitor today experiences that grand space as a sort of surprise, given the museum’s relative scale. More wings were added, first to house the Pacific Northwest College of Art then known as the Museum Art School and ultimately separated into its own institution) and then a warren of smaller galleries. The old Masonic temple has become the Jubitz Center of Modern and Contemporary Art, though its old, ornate meeting rooms have been retained.
Northwest art is a primary attraction, cataloging the developments in Western art traditions in Oregon and Washington since the 19th century.
Portland Art Museum Collections
The museum has strong collections of prints and drawings, photography, Asian art, Native American (especially Pacific Coast) art, and Northwest art, and its European and American collections contain some extraordinary individual pieces, especially from the 19th and 20th centuries. The huge prints and drawings collection was built largely by the late Gordon Gilkey and includes Old Masters printmakers (Dürer, Rembrandt) and the most recent examples of the art forms. And under chief curator Bruce Guenther, the museum’s modern art holdings have increased dramatically, in part because of the addition of the collection of the great modernist critic Clement Greenberg, which gives the museum a unique window into the development of advanced art in the mid-20th century.
Native American Art
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Center was sourced from two primary collectors: the Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast art, with its fabulous masks and whaling canoes, and the encyclopedic collection of Elizabeth Cole, which brings the exquisite work of Southwest, Plains, Plateau and Woodlands tribes into focus. The collection is dedicated to all the Native American tribes of Oregon.
Northwest Art
Northwest art is a primary attraction, cataloging the developments in Western art traditions in Oregon and Washington since the 19th century. The museum’s curators have wisely spread this work throughout the galleries, placing the best work of Northwest abstractionists alongside their more celebrated New York peers, for example, but a gallery specifically dedicated to Northwest art supplies a good introduction to the fine artists who have worked here (C.S. Price, Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Hilda and Carl Morris, Sally Haley and Michele Russo).
Tips for Visiting the Portland Art Museum
How do I get to the Portland Art Museum?
Is there parking available?
The closest private lot is Central City Parking at SW 10th and Main.
Do I need to reserve tickets in advance?
How much does the Portland Art Museum cost?
– $20 for adults (18 and over)
– $17 for seniors 62+ and college students
– Free for children 17 and under
Special exhibition and program fees may apply.
Details are subject to change; please check the Portland Art Museum website for current information.
Visual Art Events
Last Thursday Art Walk on Alberta
This boisterous street fair attracts independent artists, performers, local bands, troupes of acrobats, buskers, makers and more to celebrate their art on Northeast Alberta Street. Held year-round, the event is biggest from June through August, when the street is closed to traffic during the festivities from 15th Avenue to 30th Avenue.
First Thursday in the Pearl District
Started in 1986, First Thursday in the Pearl is a district-wide celebration that occurs on the first Thursday of each month. Originally a gathering of art collectors and dealers, the celebration has grown to a monthly event of over ten thousand people that includes art enthusiasts, wine aficionados, and scenesters looking to see and be…
Art In The Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival
The Art in the Pearl annual Fine Arts & Crafts Festival occurs every year on Labor Day weekend in the Pearl District’s North Park Blocks. The Festival is free and requires no tickets for entry. Art In The Pearl has been named one of the top 10 Arts and Crafts Festivals in the country and…
Rose City Comic Con
Portland’s premier pop-culture event, Rose City Comic Con is produced locally with a focus on creating a fun and friendly event for everyone. While its primary focus is that of comics, comic creators and the creative process, Rose City Comic Con also provides its attendees with access to gaming, sci-fi, cosplay, anime, fantasy and everything…
Northwest Quilting Expo
Portland’s original sewing and quilting festival returns every fall, providing attendees with creative inspiration and all the tools and classes to expand your quilting skills. There are hundreds of juried quilts to see, and thousands of dollars in award prizes.
GeekCraft Expo
GeekCraft Expo is a curated craft market specializing in handmade, “geek”-themed crafts of all kinds; clothing, accessories, toys, home decoration, furniture, art . . . if it’s geeky and made by hand, it can be found at a GeekCraft Expo. Cosplay is highly encouraged and admission is free (you just need to pre-register).
Portland Open Studios: Artists At Work
For two weekends every October, Portland Open Studios invites visitors to explore the houses and offices of artists across the city.
A Pittock Mansion Christmas
Pittock Mansion Christmas celebrates the wonderful world of animals with this year’s Critters Make Merry exhibit. From reindeer and polar bears to lions and mice and a few in between, volunteer decorators transform the Mansion’s rooms into enchanting animal havens. Tickets for this year’s event are limited due to capacity restrictions. All tickets must be…
Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival
At the Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival, you will find a wide variety of sewing, quilting, needle-art and craft supply exhibits from many quality companies, along with make ‘n’ takes, free demos, daily door prize drawings and more.
Crafty Wonderland Holiday Art + Craft Market
Portland’s biannual art and craft fair boasts unique handmade wares from 225+ local vendors.
Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism
Internationally beloved artists Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) and Diego Rivera (1886–1957) played a crucial role in defining and establishing the Avant-Garde cultural movement in Mexico in the early 20th century. Their famously stormy marriage reflected their diverging artistic styles: While Rivera’s art projected itself outward, often in vast murals and concerned itself with the construction of…
Mt. Tabor Art Walk
The Mt. Tabor Art Walk is a Portland tradition. This juried show and sale is a great opportunity to see quality visual art and meet artists in their studios and homes. Diverse media are represented including photography, painting, ceramics, sculpture, prints, metal arts, photography, glass, jewelry, book arts and mosaics. The Mt. Tabor Art Walk…
Michelle Ramin, 2021 Artist Fellowship Recipient
Portland, OR. July 23 – October 14 — Stumptown Coffee Roasters is excited to present Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea by Michelle Ramin, our newest Portland Fellow. Starting July 23rd, visitors at our downtown cafe will be able to view this series. Her work will be on display until October 14th, 2021. Hailing from the mountains…
Walking Presented by PDX Contemporary Art
PDX CONTEMPORARY ART presents Walking, a group exhibition bringing together 32 artists to create a visual representation and documentation of journeys taken afoot.
Last Thursday Event – "Mountain Madness"
Featuring mixed media and watercolor artist, Michelle Purvis and reclaimed wood artist, Heather Kolbo Artists’ Reception 7/29/21. 5 to 8pm Mountains, mountains, mountains. So much mountain art it’s madness. Don’t miss the epic show depicting beautiful mountains by mixed media and watercolor artist Michelle Purvis and reclaimed wood artist, Heather Kolbo.
Last Thursday Event: "Glittering Flight"
Featuring Ceramics by Veronica Arquilevich Guzman and Jewelry by Leslie McMillan Artists’ Reception 7/29/21. 5 to 8pm Leslie transforms silver, copper and brass into wearable art that has a subtle simplicity. Verónica creates unique ceramic pieces using a wheel first and then forming them into whimsical animals or nature-inspired pieces.
A Letter from Souls of The Dead by Aki Onda
After decades of a twinned music/visual-art practice, A Letter from Souls of The Dead is the first major solo exhibition in the United States by Aki Onda. Commissioned by PICA and curated by Kristan Kennedy, Artistic Director and Curator of Visual Art, this exhibition will feature collections of found objects such as bells, surplus electronics,…
Resound: Angélica Maria Millán Lozano + Frankie Krupa Vahdani
Resound Angélica Maria Millán Lozano + Frankie Krupa Vahdani (Portland, OR) Fuller Rosen Gallery is thrilled to announce Resound, a two-person exhibition of new and recent work by Angélica Maria Millán Lozano and Frankie Krupa Vahdani. Resound features drawings, paintings, mixed-media work, and fabric pieces infused by the unique cultural hybridity of each artists’ heritage…
Sakha Aesthesis: A Solo Exhibition by Yulia Pinkusevich
Sakha Aesthesis At MinEastry of Postcollapse Art and Culture Opening reception: Friday, July 23, 2021 at 5pm-8pm MinEastry of Postcollapse Art and Culture is pleased to present Sakha Aesthesis, a solo exhibition by Yulia Pinkusevich. Oakland-based artist, Yulia Pinkusevich’s research-based and deeply personal presentation of the Sakha Earth, Mother, and Air spirit worlds pays homage…
Time Being Presented by Oregon Contemporary
Time Being: a group exhibition featuring local artists Bean Gilsdorf, Lisa Jarrett, Jaleesa Johnston, Elizabeth Malaska, Maya Vivas, and Samantha Wall. This exhibition explores the figure and the body in different ways unique to each of the featured artists.
Phoenix Fridays
Following a fantastic First Thursday Street Gallery comes an exciting new inaugural event from the Urban Art Network. Pheonix Fridays, art walks on NW 13th Ave on all Fridays in summer, designed to bring Art, Food, Music and Local Businesses together. They will be every Friday evening beginning on July 9th on NW 13th from…
Smash it – Taste it – Touch it – Feel it – Eat it
Pop-up Photo Gallery and Exhibition Award-winning photographer Isabella Cassini presents selected works of her fine art and food photography. Opening night Friday, August 6 2021 at 7pm. Runs through the month of August with special events and food offerings every Friday night. This pop-up gallery is constructed inside a repurposed warehouse set for demolition in…
Rosemaling For Beginners
Rosemaling is Norway’s traditional decorative folk painting that was used to decorate wooden items commonly used in daily life, such as ale bowls, stools, and chairs. Using stylized techniques made up of fantasy flowers, scrollwork and fine line work, and flowing patterns give rosemaling its unique feel. In this beginner-level class, you will learn about…
Unique Markets Portland Summer 2021 Pop-Up
Don’t miss this fab summertime event featuring 85 of Portland’s best-emerging brands & makers. Support small businesses, discover independent designers & artists and find one-of-a-kind goods at the Unique Markets Portland Summer 2021 Pop-Up. Tickets include these fun perks: – A free limited edition cotton tote – Fabulous Photo Booths – DIY Jewelry – Free…
Portland Fashion Week
Portland Fashion Week, the Sundance™ of Fashion Weeks, is the 3rd oldest fashion week series in the United States, TIME ™ Magazine’s “BEST Indie Fashion Week in the USA since 2012, and the only carbon-negative fashion week in the world as outlined by The Huffington Post. From top-of-the-line eco-chic fashion experiences to our support for…
Street Bazaar at the Electric Blocks
The producers behind Portland Flea, Roux Portland, and Portland Bazaar are now bringing a new summer series to the city. Street Bazaar brings the bold flavors, bright colors, and vibrant energy of Portland’s food, drink, art, and music scene together for a series of festive Friday nights in the Central Eastside. See some of the…
Willamette FLEA
Shop the Willamette FLEA for a delightful adventure supporting local micro-businesses. Discover a mix of vintage, collectibles, makers, and artists. Have a cup of coffee from Barista Brews and get some amazing Missionary Chocolate vegan truffles. The Willamette FLEA is a small indoor market held in NE Portland dedicated to creating an interesting market for…
Improv on Canvas
Unique Improvisational Artwork Created By Ten Visual Artists. Painting is considered an individual art form. Improv is performance art generated in the moment by multiple artists building, interpreting, adding details and ‘stepping off’ from one another’s work. In the middle of the pandemic artist, Laurie Thomas built a collaborative artist network for improv. With great…
Portland Tattoo Arts Convention
The World’s largest tattoo convention tour is coming to Portland, Oregon. Get Tattooed by some of the best local, national, or international tattoo artists. Also Tattoo TV Celebrities. Vendors with every supply a tattoo professional could need. As well vendors geared toward the tattoo enthusiast, with everything from jewelry, clothing and artwork, See great sideshow…
Local 14 Art Show & Sale
LOCAL 14 Art Show & Sale is a premier juried art show and sale that has been held in the Pacific Northwest for 54 years. In the 1970s, LOCAL14 was created by a group of women artists who recognized a need for a venue that allowed women artists to promote their work. Today LOCAL 14…
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