Peruse local artwork at Alberta Street Gallery in Northeast Portland.

Credit: NashCO

Arts

Galleries, public art, events and avant-garde institutions fill Portland’s vibrant arts scene.

Peruse local artwork at Alberta Street Gallery in Northeast Portland.

Credit: NashCO

Art gallery wanderers, theater lovers and those with a curious eye will find something to marvel at in this creative city. Read on to learn more about Portland’s arts offerings, then check out our events calendar to plan your next trip to The Rose City.

Arts

Know Before You Go

To slow the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant, effective Aug. 27, a statewide mask mandate is in place. Oregonians and visitors ages 5 and up are required to wear face coverings in all public indoor settings, as well as crowded outdoor public spaces where physical distancing is not possible, regardless of vaccination status. This rule does not apply to individuals actively eating or drinking.

Additionally, some event organizers and venues may require proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID test, for admission. Other events may be canceled, postponed or held virtually. Please check individual event websites for the most up-to-date information.

a twilight street filled with people browsing tents with items on display

Monthly Art Walks in Portland

Explore Portland's art gallery scene with three regular art walks, held in different creative neighborhoods around town.

A crowd of move goers gather beneath the Cinema 21 marquee at night

Portland Film Festivals

Portland hosts more than 20 film festivals every year. Here's an overview of some of the city's top cinematic events.

a man speaking on stage with a gameshow wheel behind him

Live Storytelling Events in Portland

Hear true stories about love, sex, history, movies and even middle school at six regular live storytelling events in Portland.

three people standing near a food cart carrying books

The Portland Book Festival

Portland Book Festival (formerly “Wordstock”) returns every November with an impressive (and extensive) lineup of local and national authors.

Fertile Ground Festival

See Portland's newest theater and dance works every January at Portland's Fertile Ground Festival.

Portland Open Studios

For two weekends every October, Portland Open Studios invites visitors to explore the houses and offices of artists across the city.

Time-Based Art (TBA) Festival

Portland's Time-Based Art (TBA) Festival, returning Sept. 16–Oct. 3, 2021, unites visual artists, musicians and performers from around the world every year.

The Jim Pepper Native Arts Festival

Portland saxophonist Jim Pepper's "Witchi Tai To" is the only song based upon a Native American chant to break into the Top 40.

a person walks through a light installation containing long strands of lights hanging from a panel overhead

Portland Winter Light Festival

Brighten your February with glowing sculptures and thousands of twinkling lights at the annual Winter Lights Festival.

a person standing in front of a speaker display and a painted wall

Design Week Portland

This annual springtime festival showcases Portland's creative community, with a week full of lectures, design events and open houses.

Portland Jazz Festival

The Portland Jazz Festival returns every February with a stellar series of concerts and events celebrating Black History Month.

Visual Arts in Portland

View paintings, sculptures and other visual art in a wide range of galleries, public spaces and unexpected venues.

Explore more

Portland Art Museum

The largest art museum in Oregon and one of the oldest in the country, the Portland Art Museum is central to the city's cultural district, housing a large and wide-ranging collection of artworks.

a person standing in front of at a large piece of art

Oregon Center for Contemporary Art

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.

A room filled with artwork made by native artists.

Center for Native American Art

The Portland Art Museum's Center for Contemporary Native Art showcases the work of modern-day Native American artists. The innovative gallery hosts annual exhibitions along with a range of related talks and activities co-created by the artists.

Blue Sky Gallery / Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts

Founded as the Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts in 1975, Blue Sky is a venue for local photography. The organization has expanded its offerings over the last 35 years to include national and international artists.
Russo Lee Gallery

Established in 1986, the Russo Lee Gallery exhibits high-quality work by both established and emerging artists. They showcase contemporary Northwest artists working in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, paper and print.
Guardino Gallery

Since 1997, the Guardino Gallery has offered exhibitions that change every month and a gift shop with a fine selection of contemporary crafts.
Ori Gallery

As a gallery, gathering space, and catalyst of community-engaged arts and activism, Ori Gallery is amplifying the voices of Trans and Queer Artists of color. Stop in for rotating exhibitions, classes and workshops.
Nationale

Nationale is an art gallery and specialty shop dedicated to the promotion of the arts through exhibitions, performances and a selection of carefully chosen goods.

more than a dozen ballerinas in white tutus on a stage covered in a white mist

Dance in Portland

Portland dance has an inventive spirit that welcomes collaborations and often spills beyond the generally accepted boundaries of “dance.”

Portland Theater

Portland has a well-established network of venues and theater companies and an increasingly dynamic and diverse small theater scene.

Four large headed scary/funny monsters on stage

Children’s Theater

Portland's children's theater companies introduce kids to live theater and teaches them people in costumes are fun, not scary.

LGBTQ+ Performing Arts & Drag

Portland's drag show options include drag queen brunch and a Guinness World Record holder.

a comedian performs on stage at a comedy club

Comedy in Portland

There's always something funny happening in Portland. From stand-up comedy to improv comedy, comedy classes Portland has any kind of comedy you may be looking for. Portland boasts many stages to bring you fresh, up-and-coming, and touring comedians.

Portland Center Stage at The Armory

The city’s largest theater company, Portland Center Stage puts on full musicals and productions on its main stage, along with stripped-down, avant-garde plays in its intimate basement studio — both inside The Armory, a historic building.
Imago Theatre

Founded in 1979, Imago Theatre features original productions that have toured internationally for decades. Imago’s productions (from classics to excursions into vaudevillian existentialism) have won acclaim around the world and at home in Portland.
Artists Repertory Theatre

Founded in 1982, Artists Repertory Theatre is the longest-running professional theater company in Portland. Artists Rep’s mission is to engage diverse audiences in fresh, thought-provoking and intimate theater.
Third Rail Repertory Theatre

Third Rail Repertory Theatre, a permanent ensemble of highly skilled theatre artists, is dedicated to pushing our audiences and ourselves to the edge of the comfort zone, the zone of the tickle, the chuckle, the gasp, and the ache.
CoHo Theatre

After 21 seasons, this theater boasts over 90 co-productions, including more than 20 world premieres. CoHo’s seasons have represented master playwrights, while also providing a forum for local Portland playwrights.

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