i

Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol at TBA 2012

Time-Based Art (TBA) Festival

The Time-Based Art Festival shatters barriers between artist and audience.

Editor's Pick

1 min read

Eric Gold

Editor's Pick

This is a recurring event and we’re showing the details from its most recent past occurrence. We’ll update this page with future event info as soon as we get it. Please check back!

When

Sept. 8–18, 2022

Where

Various locations

Called “the best contemporary summer festival in the country” by The New York Times, Portland’s Time-Based Art Festival (TBA) returns every September with 10 days of boundary-pushing performances, visual art and projects that defy categorization. Expect an eclectic array of artists from across the globe, including from far-flung locales like Morocco, Singapore and France.

Modeled after international contemporary arts festivals in cities like Edinburgh and Adelaide, TBA is orchestrated by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA). Installations and performances take over Portland’s theaters, galleries, warehouses and public spaces, while workshops and talks keep the arts going almost nonstop. Together, these works effectively obliterate the barriers between artists and their audiences.

Every night of TBA’s 10-day run, PICA hosts “The Works” at its box office in Northeast Portland. At these nightly events, artists and attendees can grab a drink and check out rock shows, drag balls, installations, sonic experiments and more.

The Avant-Garde Scene

Local performing arts, nightlife, queer events and more

More arts & culture

Niche Live Music Venues in Portland

These hidden gems are havens for jazz, punk, bluegrass, funk and more.

Fertile Ground Festival

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

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.

LGBTQ+ Performing Arts & Drag

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

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.

Dance in Portland

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