Portland’s finest cultural attraction, set across two-and-a-half city blocks, houses a fantastic collection as well as a film centre and family library.
Portland Art Museum is one of the most renowned cultural institutions in the Northwestern United States and with over 42,000 works in its permanent collection ranging from European sculptures and paintings to Japanese screen prints and impressive modern and contemporary art, it’s not hard to see why.The museum is particularly renowned for its Native American art collection which includes over 5,000 prehistoric and historic artefacts, held in the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Centre for Native American Art which covers two floors of the main Belluschi Building.From here, you can take the underground tunnel to reach the Mark Building which houses the museum’s modern and contemporary artworks from luminaries such as Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol, which are exhibited on a rotating basis. Artists from the Pacific Northwest are also well represented, with over two floors dedicated to the region’s art of the late 19th century to the modern day. The impressionist C.S. Price and prolific Amanda Snyder are two of the most notable artists in this section.Also on the museum campus is the Northwest Film Centre which holds the Portland International Film Festival each February and showcases regional film makers every November at the Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival. The permanent exhibits include classic, foreign and experimental films. The Crumpacker Family Library packs in over a hundred years worth of artist files, exhibition catalogues and archives and is the place to go to learn about the history of the artworks on display. You’ll also find wireless Internet and public computers here.When it’s time for some fresh air, stroll around the sculpture court and if you’re feeling peckish, grab a bite to eat from the coffee shop on the Belluschi Building’s first floor.Portland Art Museum is open every day except Mondays, New Years Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are free guided tours covering different collections and admission is free on the fourth Friday of the month.
