Molly Woodstock
Molly Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More
Center for Native American Art
Discover creative works by proud Pacific Northwest artists at the Portland Art Museum.
Molly Woodstock
Molly Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More
The Portland Art Museum safeguards treasures of all kinds, from impressionist paintings to Chinese ceramics dating back two millennia. But one collection runs especially deep: The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Center for Native American Art houses 3,500 artifacts from tribes across what is now the United States, making it one of the most comprehensive assemblages of historic Native culture in the country.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Center for Native American Art is one of the most comprehensive assemblages of historic Native culture in the country.
Native art isn’t a thing of the past, however. In October 2015, the Portland Art Museum launched the Center for Contemporary Native Art, dedicated to presenting perspectives from modern-day Native cultures. With more than 5 million Native Americans alive today, there’s a diverse well of talent to draw from. (Portland alone boasts the ninth-largest Native American population in the country, and took root on land that belonged to tribes like the Multnomah, Clackamas and Chinook.) The innovative gallery will host two exhibitions each year, along with a range of related talks and activities co-created by the artists.
Indigenous Arts
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.
Creations for Continuity Jewelry Blends Inuit Design with Modern Style
Portland artist Caroline Blechert leads a collective of Indigenous jewelry makers.
Meet Queer Indigenous Musician, Black Belt Eagle Scout
Portland artist Katherine Paul draws inspiration from the riot grrrl movement, Nirvana and her Swinomish roots.