Nucleus is a very cool space housing both an art shop and an art gallery. This spot is located on Alberta St where street parking will be your best bet. Once you get inside, you can choose which section of their space you want to start browsing first. In their shop section, there is definitely a lot of cool artwork you can buy to support local artists and add some character to your own space. Their exhibits usually rotate to highlight new local artists and their work so be on the lookout via their social media for updates. read more

See all

Such a cool art shop! Had a lot of artists that I recognized! I feel like the selection was great and I got good vibes throughout my visit.

Hi!! This is a classic portland mommy daddy money business. Closed 3 days a week kinda thing. Cool stuff, but I have seen it busy only ONCE for black Friday. It's too cool for school read more

Nucleus has made a surprisingly large gallery and multispace for live drawing events in the Jarra Building. They have a large selection of accessible illustration art prints. They also have a like selection of greeting cards. The space is clean and modern with large street-facing windows. That section of Hawthorne is treacherous to cross with cross walks and signals two long blocks away on 12th and 16th. So avoid having to cross Hawthorne on foot to get there. read more

I've been drawing and painting since I was 10 years old, I went to school for it and even worked in the art field for for many years as a graphic designer. But with things moving faster to the computers, there was a time that I felt my skills were diminishing. I started teaching myself hand lettering and have done that for a few years now and when I get the urge, I break out the oil paints. I'm no illustrator, but I like what I'm capable of doing. When I started doing more of the hand lettering, I found out about a group called Letter PDX (Portland Letter Collective) and went to their events, but the group shut down prior to last summer. I recently found that Drink & Draw (Meetup group) meets fairly close to where I work, and so three weeks ago, I started showing up to just draw. One can draw, or paint or work on a tablet or write. There's no restrictions as far as I can see, although oil painting might be out of the realm of possibility. Nucleus is not a huge space and the group meets from 5-10pm, I tend to get there early so I can get a seat because it does fill up. But they have art to purchase or pins, or shirts and occasionally have artwork to look over. Plus they have a few beer and wine options for the event every week. It's a cool little spot. Enjoy. read more

Ok, so I am very hit or miss on this place but as I write this I am coming to more of the miss side of things. I came here for a friend's birthday party - she did a collage party which is pretty awesome so I had no idea on the space since this was my first visit. I came in which was a bit challenging to get in since I am in a wheelchair and they have multiple mats at the front door which were catching my wheels pretty badly. I was the first person there so I looked through their beautiful prints of artwork that I assume was featured there in the past and such. I found a stunning print which I brought to the counter to buy. I asked if he had a card for the artist for me and he seemed completely confused by the question. When I buy a piece I try to have the artist card with their bio attached to the back as part of the art piece. I even have some pottery which has artist cards tucked into them. He said the artist's name was "Mall". When he said that I thought that was so odd - I was expecting a Japanese name due to the style of painting but ok. Sure enough - the tag on the back says "Artist: Mall Takeshi Nitta and I found Takeshi Nitta on their website with some other beautiful pieces but again, not a peep about him as an artist etc at all. So, if you are the artist - email me a like to your bio since your gallery says nothing about you and I would be interested to go to your next showing. The guy was kind enough though to bring me a glass of water so I did not have to try to balance it and drive my chair and he was super nice - I just don't understand working in an art gallery and knowing zero about the artists you feature. Anyhoo... So, I sat down and boom - party! And it was great fun. The gallery had pile of glue sticks, scissors, paper and pencils but most of us had our own stuff and a clear plan. It is a great little space but the tables do seem almost small for working on artistic endeavors but what do I know. I do love that you can get beer and wine though I cannot drink currently to be able to comment on what they are serving - my water was awesome! :) And then go time...a friend of mine came to pick me up for my next date. She was glancing around and there were two pieces by the same artist which she was eyeballing. One had a red dot which I said I thought/assumed based on my experience with showing is that it was already sold but the other seemed to be still up for grabs. She inquired as to the price since it was not listed...$700. Seriously? I nearly fainted since the print I purchased was $30 which I thought was astoundingly good . I get the whole original versus print concept. I own several art pieces which I have purchased from galleries raw for $60 to $150 and I was lucky that they were not framed into the horrifically cheap framing galleries love to upcharge a few hundred for but $700 for an 8x10 original. Funny thing is I was eyeballing for my husband a piece on the other wall...and walking away. The lady my friend was talking to about the price kept kinda chasing her down saying she could like negotiate the pricing with the artist or something while my friend had to do that really uncomfortable, "no really that is WAAAAY out of my price range". I guess what they say is true - if you have to ask then you can't afford it. read more

See all

I love Nucleus The people there are so accommodating! An artist friend invited me to a collage event at Nucleus. I went without knowing what to expect and had a great time. The people were wonderful. The extra magazines that Nucleus supplemented the ones brought by participants were head and shoulders over my own in quality. (How do they do it?) And, inspired by the presence of so many other wonderful artists, I was able to get out my head and practically finish a piece in one night. Had so much fun decided in the spring to throw a collage party for my birthday. My place wasn't big enough and none of my friends' places worked out. Finally I called Nucleus and threw myself on their mercy. I wanted to throw a party but had no money to pay for a venue. An agreement was ultimately reached were I was allowed to host my party so long as attendees purchased a beverage from their selection of wine, beer (on tap,) soda, cider (on tap) and tea. This ranged in cost from $2-5, so you can't get much fairer than that. And, to my surprise, not once during the party did they interrupt to urge people to have seconds or thirds. Not that people didn't. But because they wanted to, not because they felt pressured to. Note: since this was not a 'true' event the shop was open to anyone who wanted to enter and in fact people were free to join in and collage. One of the things I love about Nucleus is the way it is set up. The owners do so much in a relatively small space. As you enter the front door you see the drinks & sales counter; as well as displays of reasonably priced mass market prints, jewelry etc. Each time I have been in the venue have been able to comfortably review my introvert way through the current items to my heart's content. And spent a considerable time drooling over a Mondrian-style pin, uninterrupted. On the other side of the dividing wall is the gallery and event space. And it truly is set up like a gallery. White walls and plenty of space between each piece to ensure proper display and focus. Yes, these pieces are much more expensive. They are one of a kind and no doubt the prices are set by the artists' expectations for their art in the open market. After all everyone loses if they don't sell at the right price point. There are also many tables that can be set up for multiple types of event configurations. (I hear they are currently holding regular drawing events.) Although the space is relatively small, the light walls and strong use of negative space ensure you never feel crowded. And their bathroom is immaculate ladies. Thank you Nucleus for being so wonderful to visit, to work with and for helping to make this year's birthday special. read more

See all

Me and my husband visited Portland for the first time last week and stopped by Nucleus to check out the artwork and grab a beer. Here goes! 1. I was pleasantly surprised by was how nicely I was greeted at the door. Thank you. 2. The artwork was phenomenal! We loved the attention to detail on some of the pieces. The prices were not bad for originals either. 3. The building was very clean and we loved the minimalism of the room and white walls. It really made the smaller pieces on the walls POP. 4. We get to do our OWN art in an art gallery AND drink beer?! WINNER! Maybe it's because I'm not from Portland, but man, I really wish we had something cool like this in Cali! 5. I had the cider and my hubby had beer. It was sooo good. 6. The two who were working here really gave us a great tour of the work as well. They took the time to explain each artist and answered all of my questions. Thank you! We will definitely be back on our next trip! read more

Love Nucleus Portland. Been there a few times already since they've opened and look forward to more visits to see their new shows and to just hang out and have a beer! Vibe: The environment is chill and non-pretentious which is great for an art-newbie like me. It's really open to all and is a great place to chill with friends over a beer or even color with the family! Space: Great location in Hawthorne - and next to a Poke place :) Also love the design of the place: really clean lines that make it perfect to appreciate the art AND those gold beer taps are dope! If you haven't seen the Brendan Monroe mural, you gotta go see it. Art: Have purchased art and also a bunch of other fun things (PiNS!). The owners, Stella and Charles, are lovely and helped us out with some tips for affordable framing, etc. There's something for everyone and at different price points. Overall: Love this place. We've brought friends visiting PDX here to check out what PDX has to offer - a dope, community-centered space to hang out and enjoy some awesome art. Thanks Nucleus Portland. See you next time! :) read more

This place is awesome! The gallery owners (a lovely couple) have been very welcoming each time I've gone here. They seem to really care about community and harboring an environment where people can appreciate art in its fun and quirkiness. The mural behind the bar is amazing! And I love their simple selection of non-alcoholic bubbly beverages as well as the beer and cider options they have on tap. Go to their Drink & Draw happy hours! read more

EPIC!!!!!!!!!!! This is a gallery and a bar combo with a drink n' draw on Thursdays!!! LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

Sweet space in inner east side right on Hawthorne. I met the owners Charles & Stella and they were awesome. Great layout for the Portland art scene and have had a lot of local artist each time I drop in it is someone new and fresh. They also do art nights and have beer on tap. Such a fun space to take friends to and have a different night, instead of the usual relaxing night. Great place to exercise the mind and explore the Portland art scene. read more

What a great concept... drink and draw! We went Thursday for happy hour and enjoyed a cider and a few hours drawing. They supply colored pencils and paper, or you can bring you own. Everyone seemed super friendly and open to everyone. We'll definitely be back! read more

Unique gallery space with great artistic energy and products. Def worth your time to stop by and i hope it becomes a permanent fixture in the pdx art scene. read more

What can I say, booze art and clean space with colorful people; reminds of the Bay Area and the eclectic vibe of telegraph Ave. definitely will come back for all the great times and even better hosts! read more

Such a great addition to Portland! I randomly came across this gallery in passing and was able to talk to the owners. Really dig what they're doing out here. They're really trying to curate a particular style of artwork, that I haven't seen in Portland before, and make it accessible from original artwork, to prints, to pins. Listening to the owners explain how much time and care these artists labor in their pieces, the original artwork is more than reasonably priced! The level of detail some of these artists put into their work is amazing. They have new show openings once a month, so the artwork is always fresh. The space is really nice, too. They've taken a lot of care to get the details right to make you feel comfortable: great artwork, great light, great music. It's a place you can casually have a beer with friends and they even provide heavy weight coasters & colored pencils to sketch with. What's most important is they're trying to create a positive, community space. They host a variety of events like drink & draw night to really promote community and art. read more

Love this gallery! Grew up going to the sister gallery in Alhambra,CA (LA). This one is smaller than the original Nucleus, but this one has beer (rotating brews on tap)! Love love love supporting local artists (and famous favorites)!!! read more

Had the chance to stop by Nucleus when visiting some friends in Portland. Great spot! Love the energy of the space. Had some amazing work up and affordable prints! read more

The place is a fun concept, but small and limited. If there was twice as much to look at, I wouldn't feel rushed drinking my $6 beer. Are you really expected to color? read more

I love this place. They always have excellent artwork, fun events to bring the art community together and interesting drinks on tap. I've met some great people here. The owners are as nice as they come, very knowledgeable and full of great stories about the artwork that they exhibit. I wish them much success and look forward to seeing what they'll do next. read more

unique atmosphere and content, engaging experience.. a must stop place to appreciate art and grab a great beer. oh and the gallery owners are the best! read more