We visited this since it was featured as a reciprocal destination with our Oregon Zoo membership…read more We have since recommended it to several people. It isn't big but it does a good job at giving a snippet of Portland's history through it's architecture.

I finally experienced this little gem. It's a beautiful space staffed by a very knowledgeable…read morestaff. To my slight dismay it has more of a museum than a history feel. That is, if your wanting to learn about Portland history, see Archives, etc. this is a good starting point, but you will need to continue your search. Nevertheless, they provide resources as where to find what I'm seeking.

What a lovely gallery that showcases artists from the Portland area. Lots of famous landmarks -…read morebridges, buildings, wildlife, landscapes, abstract - in various mediums spring to life in watercolor, oil paintings, acrylic, mixed media and monotype prints. What I particularly appreciated was the variety of color palettes. Some galleries only have bold & bright colors, which are spectacular but don't always fit in everyone's decor. My house has a serene palette and I found several wildlife paintings and watercolors in muted shades that would work perfectly. In addition to the larger pieces, there is a rack of greeting cards that are absolutely gorgeous. Anyone receiving them would be delighted. I'm considering buying a few to frame! After passing this gallery literally hundreds of times on my daily walk, I finally ventured in and encountered a gem! A gallery dedicated to supporting the diverse community of local artists and providing those who live here or visit, an opportunity to have gorgeous, affordable art that represents the beauty around us. Located on SW 1st Ave, a block from the new Courthouse, adjacent to the back of the Marriott near the waterfront, wander in and be delighted!

This is a really solid space. Great windows and light with a lovely view of the quad on the PSU…read morecampus. Simple and clean to work with and a good office off to the east. I was fortunate enough to get to see "IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS" by local artist Demian DineYazhi' and other co-artists for the show. They could use a better facebook or web presence to let you know what's going on in the space currently but the space itself is modern and lovely.

Two contemporary art exhibition spaces on Portland State University campus. Littman's windows have…read morea lovely view of the South Park Blocks.

Tilt almost always has something exciting going on. They pride themselves on showcasing upcoming…read moreand under-represented artists and focus on showcasing "hard to display" work, usually installations. Sometimes the work fails, and sometimes it's really exciting, either way, it's always worth a look.

I really like zeitgeist. It may or may not be your cup of tea, but I've bought more art there than…read moreat any other gallery. They exhibit a lot of street art; stuff by Vinyl Killers, Keith Rosson, Rachael Allen, etc.. so there's always something fresh going on there, and it's Everett Station Loft location makes it a breeze to swing by on your next 1st Thursday romp.

So, when you're trying to figure out which art galleries in Portland are likely worth your time, I…read morestrongly suggest adding Nationale to your list. It will be a short list, but Portland is a small city, really. If you're like me, you're looking for a gallery with aesthetic vision, that won't just show whatever they think will sell. You're looking for art that will surprise you, puzzle you, cause your brain to activate. Art from artists you've probably never heard of but are happy you saw their work. Nationale is that kind of gallery, and May, the owner, is as passionate as any gallerist you'll meet. She chooses her artists carefully but there's a wide variety to the kind of work she shows. It's worth the trip to East Burnside to see what she's showing. (Especially watch for any show by Pace Taylor, who has a sense of line and color that reminds me of RB Kitaj--in a good and original way.) Oh, and she has a rich and interesting selection of books for sale, too.

Fascinating shop with a unique collection of art and books, but the owner was needlessly rude.read more

I stopped in on a recent trip to Portland, and I am so glad I did! There are a lot of stairs here…read more None to get in the building, but a few to get into the gallery and then to go down to the bottom floor. The people working were informative. On the small side, but it is free admission. There is some interesting artwork here. Kind of thought provoking.

This is a new two level gallery in a newly remodeled building. The building was Neuberger Hall,…read morehome to registration. Compared to many museums it is not large. But it has free admission going for it. There is an upper gallery off the main building entrance with its coffee bar. Internal stairs lead to a similarly sized lower gallery and a good size classroom-multipurpose room. On the lower level is a room easily curtained for video work which usually travels in multiples. The opening show is perfectly suited to PSU. It has established names in the contemporary art museum world along with artists from other countries and subcultures, all in dialog. A university is home to students exploring and debating identity, and PSU has a large international student population. They hosted a very active family day program with children drawing and crafting, which happened to coincide with a beautiful Fall farmer market. The elder Schnitzers collected at a time when there were more originals circulating, and they were also patrons of Portland artists. Since then, prices for originals have rocketed. Modern contemporary art pieces are routinely considered investment vehicles today, and many are locked in vaults in free ports. This is the project of son Jordan. His philosophy is to collect multiples, prints, where 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, etc. copies are made. It's slightly more democratic to viewers throughout the world, and they are more easily shared between museums mounting shows. There are several Jordan Schnitzer museums so far: at UO in Eugene, at Washington State in Pullman, and now in Portland. Visiting Portland, or living in Portland in search of an art break, this is a good one to consider for contemporary work. It's free!

The Contrast Gallery is upstairs from the Downbeat Bar. The building is a business incubator office…read morespace focused on Black business. For their art shows, they are doing open call for now. Their openings are lively and social, with DJs, drinks, and a crowd. They are open call for now to unrepresented artists, so artists, talk to them! They had photography, paintings, and drawings on my visit. Portland loves what their opening events offer. The entrance is on Glisan under the sign Enterprise Building. We appreciate what they are doing and they are a great social magnet in events.