Portland Art Museum
Major exhibitions complement the museum’s strong Native American and Northwest collections.
Know Before You Go
Due to construction, the Portland Art Museum’s permanent collection galleries are closed; however, smaller, specialized exhibits are on view. Find more information on current exhibitions and ticket prices.
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 art collection.
Tips for Visiting the Portland Art Museum
How do I get to the Portland Art Museum?
The Tri-Met bus and Portland Streetcar travel directly past the Museum, and the MAX light rail has a stop only four blocks away.
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?
- $25 for adults (18 and over)
- $22 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.
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.
On the lower level sits the Whitsell Auditorium, a part of the Museum’s history for the past fifty years. Formally Northwest Film Center, now PAM CUT (Center for an Untold Tomorrow), the theater screens art films and has programming that supports local and international storytelling in all immersive formats.
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. 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 include 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, partly 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. Still, 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).
Explore the Arts
Within the Portland Art Museum and beyond, to local institues supporting living artist.
Oregon Contemporary
In North Portland find visual art installations and performance art to collaborations with bands, chefs and mixologists, with international curators and partnerships with Oregon art makers, Oregon Contemporary is the cutting edge of visual arts.
Time-Based Art (TBA) Festival
Portland’s Time-Based Art Festival (TBA) returns every September with 10 days of boundary-pushing performances, visual art and projects that defy categorization.
Visual Art Events
Bloom Tour
The Bloom Tour is part walking tour and part floral show focusing on supporting some of Portland’s unique shops, restaurants and hotels. Participating retailers are also hosting a wide range of Bloom Tour Specials, so follow the tour map and explore them all. Each of these businesses have been paired with a local floralist and…
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…
West End Wednesdays
West End Wednesday exists to ignite new energy and define a common vision for downtown SW Portland. Building relationships with neighbors and business partners is not just organizing a once-a-month event… it is actively creating, together, a neighborhood everyone can love to live, work and play in. West End Wednesdays is the West End's signature celebration…
Multnomah County Fair
The Multnomah County Fair will take place at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon. The fair features three full days of family fun, including competitive exhibits, musical and stage performances, a car show, a pioneer village, and small animal activities. In addition, to all the fair activities, visitors can also enjoy the awesome amusement rides…
Rose Festival Art Show
Please join the 41st annual Rose Festival gallery Art Show and reception at OSA. The OSA Rose Festival Show is an artistic celebration of the City of Portland and its traditions surrounding its iconic flower, the rose. The official Portland Rose Festival theme is “Dream Forward” this year. OSA is honored to participate in the…
First Thursday in the Pearl District
Starting in 1986, First Thursday in the Pearl is a district-wide celebration 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, including art enthusiasts, wine aficionados, and scenesters looking to see and be seen. Art galleries in…
Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade
A cherished highlight of the Portland Rose Festival, this popular procession is more than just a spectacular floral-filled parade — it’s a beloved annual tradition. For more than 115 years, Portland families, visitors and community groups have been making memories at the Grand Floral Parade. A colorful reflection of local, regional and international communities, the…
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).
Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts
For more than 50 years, the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts has proudly presented unique art exhibits including more than 600 local, national, and international artists. Visitors can also experience live music on two stages, performances, kids' activities, artist demos, and a variety of food. It’s free to the public (donations encouraged) and attracts…
Last Thursday
Last Thursday is a community-grown event, free for all artists and art vendors, musicians, performers and visitors. Alberta Street is closed to traffic for the Last Thursdays in June, July and August. On Last Thursday, galleries hold opening parties, and performance venues and bars often host live music and performances. If the weather is nice…
Latino Cultural Festival
Get ready to immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of Latin culture at the 17th Annual Washington County Chamber — Unitus Community Credit Union Latino Cultural Festiva. This culturally rich event provides a platform for sharing information, connecting with the community, and promoting local businesses and non-profits to more than 10,000 attendees. The festivities will…
Mississippi Street Fair
Bustling North Mississippi Avenue closes down for a day of food, vendors, music and fun at Portland's largest street fair, Mississippi Street Fair. This year the fair will have the following: Three Music Stages, Kids Zone, Grandfathers Rib-Off Competition, Hundreds Of Vendors, Shopping and Dining,
St. Johns Art Walk
This neighborhood-wide event celebrates St. John's community, small businesses, local artists, food carts, and more. The art walk unites the artists living in the St. Johns area and showcases all the creative makers and fine artists in this unique community. The St. Johns Art Walk is an indoor and outdoor event in the St. Johns…
Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology
Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation and Technology will screen over 110 films and animations from 23 countries. The event will include parties, panel presentations, and Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers. Taking place in-person at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The festival embraces cutting-edge technology and its role in modern filmmaking.
Art In The Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival
Portland’s Art In The Pearl Fine Arts and Craft Festival celebrates 27 years of bringing art to the community. The distinctly artist-run event has long been a favorite in Portland, and it’s the perfect Labor Day destination to gather and celebrate the end of summer. Art In The Pearl is Portland’s largest outdoor art fair,…
Rose City Comic Con
Portland’s premier pop culture event, Rose City Comic Con, is produced locally with a weird and wonderful vibe unique to the Pacific Northwest. Now in its twelfth year, the ultimate goal remains the same — to deliver the most rewarding, memorable, laughter-inducing weekend ever. While comic books and their mega-talented creators remain the cornerstone of…
Terry Toedtemeier
PDX CONTEMPORARY ART is pleased to present Arches (and apertures), an exhibition of photographs by Terry Toedtemeier. Toedtemeier was an accomplished photographer whose work was deeply informed by his study of the geology of the Northwest.
Water Media Juried Show
The Gallery at OSA is pleased to announce the Spring Water Media Juried Show. This exhibition invites submissions in all types of water-soluble media, such as watercolor, gouache, acrylic, chalk pastel, etc. Whether your watercolors drip and flow or you dry brush acrylic paint, this is work created in water-based media. Open to any and…
Alberta Street Gallery: The Paper Invitational
Paper Takes Center Stage: Annual Paper Invitational at Alberta Street Gallery. Immerse yourself in the world of paper art at the Alberta Street Gallery's Annual Paper Invitational. Curated by resident paper artists David Friedman and Kim Nickens, this exhibition showcases the incredible versatility of a familiar material. David Friedman, a founding member of Portland Open…
Froelick Gallery: Japanese Artists Exhibition
Froelick Gallery is proud to welcome back Seiichi Hiroshima with a solo exhibition. Seiichi Hiroshima is a master printmaker, Moon & Dog Press co-owner, and print artist living and working in Tokyo, Japan. Hiroshima primarily uses the color mezzotint process, an extremely difficult technique he has perfected. He scratches plates with a rocker and then burnishes…
Froelick Gallery: V. Maldonado "ojo de aguila"
Froelick Gallery is pleased to present V. Maldonado’s recent body of work titled ojo de aguila (eagle's eye). Their unique aerial perspective and commitment to creative healing are at the core of V. Maldonado’s studio practice. The artist has journeyed through deep reflections and past experiences, often looking back in order to run toward the future. What…
Throughlines: Connections in the Collection
Throughlines embraces wonder and curiosity, bringing together artworks from across the Museum’s collections to explore the range of artistic innovation. From diverse geographies, cultures, and time periods, artists have consistently created images, objects, and experiences that ask us to consider ourselves and the world from different perspectives. Visitors will encounter playful groupings that reveal how artists…
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is a groundbreaking new exhibition that features nearly 60 futuristic footwear designs pushing the boundaries of what art can be. Featuring an incredible mix of fashion, design, gaming, new media, architecture, and material arts as well as sustainable and collaborative practices, the exhibition features work by designers as diverse…
Celebrating Mothers May Exhibit
Grey Raven Gallery celebrates mothers for May with a special exhibit featuring jewelry and watercolors. Enjoy a wide selection of jewelry and beautiful watercolor works, all created by local NW artists. The Gallery hosts a free First Friday reception from 5–9 p.m. on May 3.
Oregon Jews, A to Z
The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education provides a home for a bountiful collection of archival materials and artifacts. Our collection includes thousands of photographs, documents, films, oral histories, three-dimensional objects, and artworks — the physical objects that represent the Jews of Oregon. Oregon Jews, A to Z highlights the most significant, poignant,…
The Burned Piano Project
Over several weeks in spring 2022, as lilacs bloomed in Portland, a mosque, a Black-owned restaurant and two synagogues were vandalized. Around that time, a family's home, which also was a Jewish organization's mailing address, was destroyed by arson in the middle of the night. The family will not be named for their protection. A…
Pints & Palettes
Learn foundational watercolor techniques and take home your own creation in this all-level workshop. Local artist Amy Wike will teach insider tips and tricks of the watercolor medium, introduce essential materials and techniques, and provide Portland and beer-themed templates for you to fill in (or create your masterpiece from a blank canvas). Enjoy brews while…
Bong Wai Chen: Reframing Tradition
The Portland Chinatown Museum presents BONG WAI CHEN: Reframing Tradition, a retrospective on the art and life of Portland Chinatown artist Bong Wai Chen (1911-1968), who influenced generations of Oregon artists and the practice of calligraphy in the U.S. This exhibition is the third of a series of retrospectives organized by Portland Chinatown Museum and…
J.A.W. Cooper: Carapace
J.A.W. Cooper was born in England, grew up in Kenya, Sweden, Ireland, and Southern California, and currently lives in Portland, OR. Raised by two freshwater ecologists, it is no surprise that an interest in the natural world is central to their work. Cooper works commercially as an illustrator and art director for TV and movie…
Policing Justice
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) presents Policing Justice, an exhibition and related programming with local, national, and international artists. Guest curated by Nina Amstutz, Associate Professor of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of Oregon, and Cleo Davis, local social construct artist, designer, educator, historian, and community leader, this exhibition examines policing practices…
SH/FT: Experimental Fashion Show
Arts for Learning NW is thrilled to announce the fourth annual experimental fashion show, "SH/FT," showcasing local teens and their creative collaborations with professional design mentors. This innovative event will see teams of teenagers dreaming up and fabricating garments crafted from found and recycled materials, culminating in a spectacular runway showcase hosted by the incomparable…
Damascus Open Studios
Meet local artists as you tour working art studios around beautiful Damascus, Oregon. Learn about their inspiration and process in a variety of mediums including clay, wood, paint, glass, jewelry, metal and more. Many studios have guest artists and demos all weekend long. Art will be on display for people to admire and purchase.
Oregon Contemporary Artists’ Biennial
The Artists’ Biennial is a survey of works by visual and performing artists who are defining and advancing Oregon’s contemporary art landscape. Jackie Im and Anuradha Vikram are the curators of the 2024 Biennial, which is focused on themes of networks, community, care, and support. Rather than a hierarchical approach to artists' works, the curators' goal is to…
David Le & Kane Kokaris
David Le & Kane Kokaris: 2-Person Show at the Nucleus House Gallery David Le (Australia) Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, David Le Goon is a tattooist at Anderson St. Tattoo. While Australia is largely known for being a multicultural society, David has always felt the disconnect between himself and the world he was raised in. Being…
Community Healing Through Art
Through six public performances of the play, Alabaster, combined with a large-scale community painting party for all ages and two expressive art therapy workshops, learn the practice of healing through art-making.
Shane Mauss
Journey into the mind of a psychedelic astronaut with a consciousness-expanding comedy experience. At the intersection of science, humor, and psychedelics comes "A Better Trip," the latest work from Shane Mauss. Originally a residency at AREA15 in Las Vegas — this hilariously heady event highlights Shane’s personal psychedelic experiences and examines the history, science, and culture…
Long Story Short: BFA/MFA Showcase
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University presents Long Story Short: 2024 BFA/MFA Showcase, an exhibition of work by the 2024 graduates of the Master of Fine Arts in Contemporary Art Practices programs (Studio Practice and Art + Social Practice) and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Practice in the Schnitzer…
The Art Happening
The Art Happening is a crafting and social hour. To inspire and be inspired. Some craft supplies will be provided. All crafts are welcome. Drawing, stitching, knitting, collage, jewelry making, show and tell. Let your creativity shine brighter that the sun.
Exhibition and Reception for Designing Women
The two-person exhibition featuring new works by Melanie Flood and Matt Morris will be on view. ILY2 works with a multi-generational group of emerging, mid-career, and underrepresented artists in a program with a feminist focus.
With Love and a Major Organ + Heart-Shaped Arts & Crafts
Step into an alternate reality where emotional pain is personified: human hearts are held outside of the body. Take home your own anatomically correct or artistically inspired heart, with a painting craft session before the film.
Screen Printing Workshop and Artist Social
The embroidery hoop and Mod Podge method of screen making, but in a more social environment. This method is perfect for beginners or those who want to try screen printing without investing in expensive equipment. Students can create unique and personalized prints with just a few materials and meet other local artists simultaneously. Masks are…
Alberta Street Gallery Exhibits: Full Spectrum and Making Paradise
Immerse yourself in a vibrant rainbow of color and light at the Full Spectrum art show. Maquette Reeverts, a master of light and color, presents captivating abstract paintings from her "Surface" collection. Prepare to be mesmerized by her unique visual creations that dance with light and ignite the imagination. June Martin, a renowned mosaic jewelry artist, plays with color and…
French Moderns: Monet to Matisse
From the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned European art collection, French Moderns: Monet to Matisse showcases approximately 60 works of art considered to be modernist masterpieces. Focusing on France as the artistic center of international modernism from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries, the paintings, drawings, and sculptures on display range widely in scale, subject matter, and style. Impressionism, symbolism, fauvism,…
NW Marine Art Works Open Studios
NW Marine Art Works (NWMAW) is opening its studios for its annual Summer Open Studios. This one-of-a-kind event provides the opportunity to visit the studios where art is created and shop directly from makers. With more than 50 local artists and artisans participating, visitors are sure to find something special. From jewelry and apparel to…
Salut! 9 Coaster Show
In conjunction with the Drink and Draw Society, the annual group show, Salut, will feature 1000+ artworks in the drink coaster format. This is a rare opportunity to affordably own original work by incredible artists. The artwork will be available to purchase In person during the opening reception at Nucleus Portland on June 2 from 3 p.m.-6…
Sound Art Installation: Home:Lost
Through the power of sound and environment, Home:Lost confronts the stark realities of displacement in various forms. These might include environmental degradation, wartime destruction, the plight of immigrants and refugees, and the experiences of those who live on the streets. Amidst the themes of loss and longing, Home:Lost will also offer glimpses of shared hope,…
Blend
Immerse yourself in a captivating celebration of the community's vibrant diversity. Blend, a groundbreaking art exhibition and cultural event, showcases the works of talented BIPOC artists and designers from the Pacific Northwest. Join a multi-day experience filled with thought-provoking art, live music, and delectable cuisine, all united by the theme of cultural juxtaposition. Prepare to be…
Love Letter to Portland
Sidestreet Arts a member owned and operated artist collective representing over 40 artists. Love Letters to Portland Brad Earl, Elizabeth Wocasek and Scot Cameron-Bell Spotlight Artist: Beth Kerschen
Second Saturdays at The Erin Hanson Gallery
You are invited to a unique and lovely afternoon at The Erin Hanson Gallery. Celebrate the advent of spring with vibrant art, delicious wine, and local cheeses. Enjoy Erin Hanson's impressionist paintings while sipping delicious wine. Bring friends and family to see Erin’s artwork in person. 4/13 Winetasting by Chris James Cellars featuring merlot, sparkling rosé,…
Berthe Morisot, Angel of the Unfinished
Today, few people are familiar with the name and work of Berthe Morisot, one of the founding members of the artists collective known as the Impressionists. Yet Morisot not only exhibited in more Impressionist shows than such famous friends as Monet, Renoir, and Degas, but was lauded by many critics in her time as…
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