City: Portland, OR

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (503) 226-2811

Address: 1219 Southwest Park Ave.

Insider Pick:

Description: The Portland Art Museum is architecturally and artistically our city’s pride and joy even if we quarrel about what exhibits are inside. The second oldest fine arts museum in the Pacific Northwest, it was established in 1892 when business and cultural leaders created the Portland Art Association and ponied up dough to collect a group of 100 plaster casts of Greek and Roman sculpture. It was a start. In 1905 the museum found a physical location at Southwest 5th Avenue and Taylor Street, and in the 1930s it ended up in its current building designed by the noted architect, Pietro Belluschi. In fall 2000 the museum reopened after an extensive renovation in the Hoffman Wing: three floors devoted to Native American art and new exhibit space for European, regional, contemporary, and graphic art. There is also a gift shop, outside sculpture garden, and the Whitsell Auditorium used for ceremonies and films. Now one of the 25 largest museums in the United States, the Portland Art Museum has a collection of more than 32,000 works of art from American Indian artifacts to Monet’s Waterlilies to an impressive assembly of Asian art. To display the large collection of Asian paintings, ceramics, prints, and sculptures, three permanent Asian art galleries have been added to the museum’s exhibit space. After strolling past a changing gallery that reflects the flavor of the permanent displays, visitors can view art in the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean galleries. In the fall of 2005, the museum opened its new gallery in the beautifully renovated Mark Building, an old Masonic temple immediately adjacent to the museum. This renovated space provides 141,000 square feet for the new Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art, as well as two ballrooms, a library, and offices.The museum frequently stages extravagant touring exhibits featuring art from the ancient to the modern. These have included important collections of artifacts from China and Egypt, as well as the late paintings of Monet and other French masters. The museum also embraces edgy modern art and has an ideal space to show it in the Jubitz Center.The Portland Art Museum also sponsors numerous events and classes, many of which are family-friendly. The museum is open Tues, Wed, and Sat from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thurs and Fri from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sun from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free to museum members; nonmember prices are $10 for adults. For information on shows and programs, call (503) 226-2811.