Portlandia...I actually think I have heard of the TV show of the same name before hearing the existence of this statue. But the statue definitely came prior to the show. The trident wielding woman is enormous and is awe inspiring and beautiful and perhaps to a certain kind of man perhaps intimidating but that isn't necessarily a problem there. This statue is on the Portland Building and if you simply wall by or near it's nearly impossible to miss. This is also an attraction where there is no fee to take a look at it as it can literally be seen quite easily from the public sidewalk. Yet another iconic downtown Portland landmark that is not to missed! read more

Portlandia - I used an older camera model for this photo and did some editing to get this picture that has a vintage look to it of Portlandia. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Nice statue. I believe this is the second largest copper statue in the United States after the Statue of Liberty. I'm impressed by the vexillology that is also used here, since there's a flag of Cascadia along with the flag of the city of Portland, OR. read more

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Using imagination Portlandia emerged from the sea - all copper - and crouches vigilant on the Portland building. Watching us! Her captivating eyes draw you to a closer look. With one hand reaches out to us. In a way we are like her as we all emerged from the sea (water) from our mothers womb. She reaches for us to live as one in peace the way John Lemon wrote is his song "Imagine" - "Imagine all the people livin' life in peace." In the one hand Portlandia holds a trident, perhaps symbolizing protection for the city dwellers - for Portlandian's. Portlandia reminds me we are one city! One people! One earth! That's just my spin of this beautiful copper lady. read more

Portlandia - Portlandia 1 city, 1 people! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Visitors to Portland should make a point of checking out Portlandia.  What is it?  An immense copper statue (aka repousse) that sits on top of the entrance to the municipal office building.  It's not easy to see the statue in its fullness from directly below; you'll get the best view from the building across the street (optimally from several floors up in that building). Tip: Portlandia is the world's 2nd largest (after the Statue of Liberty) copper repousse.   It's totally worth the time to at least swing by for a look-see.  You'll find a shopping mall across the street; there's even a Starbucks so you can grab a cup of Java to enjoy while you take in this interesting sight :-) Apparently the average citizen of Portland doesn't even know this statue is here because it was unceremoniously welded to the side of the Portland Building and obscured by trees.  Its sculptor ( Raymond Kaskey) retained full copyright control of the statue, and refuses to allow it to be filmed or photographed for merchandising and/or movies.   The statue, built in 1985, is based on the design of the Portland's city seal. The statue depicts a female figure, Lady Commerce, in classical dress, reaching down with her left hand and holding a trident in her right. The statue is above street level and faces a relatively narrow, tree-lined street. read more

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While I've seen this sculpture countless times, I never knew she was called Portlandia! i had always assumed Portlandia originated with the TV show and was a sarcastic description for Portland, a city and people who used to take pride in being weird and irreverent. Those days are gone...and Portland has different connotations which I will politely not discuss. The hammered copper statue is beautiful, the unique color really capturing your attention, perched up high on the municipal office building. Modeled after Portland's city seal, this 37 foot tall sculpture is the city's largest, and the country's 2nd largest hammered copper statue, the Statue of Liberty being the biggest. Based on the Lady of Commerce who appears on the city of Portland's seal, it represents pride and grace, hopefully qualities that Portland will demonstrate once again. read more

While visiting Portland I visited the Portlandia. It is a sculpture that sits above the Portland Building in downtown. The copper repousse statue is the second largest in the United States after the Statue of Liberty. The Statue is beautiful in person and definitely worth a visit. read more

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Absolutely Beautiful Landmark Sculpture SITREP I was passing through Portland and I would be remiss if I didn't do at LEAST ONE THING in this fair city, as I was shooting down I-5 for a hot date in Ashland. THE SETUP Portlandia is a gorgeous sculpture that was commissioned to Raymond Kaskey. As you can see from my pictures, it is located directly above the entrance of the Portland Building. Portlandia happens to also be the second-largest copper statue in the United States, right after the Statue of Liberty. Portlandia is designed after the image on the city seal, and depicts the muse in Greco-Roman attire, holding her trident - the weapon of Poseidon - in her left hand, while reaching down to us with a spirit of earnest desire. [In tone & vibe, she is the female counterpart to Prometheus, the Titan who helped man discover "fire", thereby lifting us up from the Stone Age.] ENTERTAINING ASIDES Portlandia‍‍ '​‍s relatively low profile results from sculptor Kaskey's close guarding of his intellectual property, and unlike the Statue of Liberty, no image of Portlandia may used for any commercial purpose without permission from Kaskey. So the statue does in fact appear in wildely popular TV series "Portlandia", but as a result that required the statue not be used "in a disparaging way." ACCESS It's not easy to get too! Located in Downtown Portland, in order to reach Portlandia, you have to reach Portlandia at her home on the Portland Building right near the intersection of 5th Avenue & Salmon. But man oh man! What a headache if you are driving in and just trying to find a quick spot to park so you can chat & snap some pictures. With one way streets, police-controlled construction zones, nearby parks with NO metered parking spaces, etc. etc., it took a bit of patience for me to finally find a metered spot just 4 blocks away. [Yes, there are public parking garages, but I wasn't in the mood to pay a $10 minimum.] THE LOWDOWN Absolutely beautiful sculpture to visit and admire. read more

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Did you know the copyright for Portlandia remains with the artist, Raymond Kaskey? I didn't until I did some background reading for this review. The artist (and the Portland's Metropolitan Arts Commission) decided permission had to be granted to those who wished to do so to guard against "tacky" use of it a la the Statue of Liberty tourist items (speaking of which, Portlandia is the second-largest hammered copper statue to the Statue of Liberty being the largest). A local brewery tried using a hand-drawn image on a beer label and ended up in an out-of-court settlement with Mr. Kaskey. I think it's a good idea and let's the statue stand on its own merits and maintain some dignity in the public mind. When the statue arrived in Portland to be placed in her niche in 1985, Portlandia was brought upriver on a barge, and it was kind of an unofficial parade. As one would guess, there was a lot of hoopla, and that underlines why the artist keeping the copyright is a very good idea. The author, Tom Wolfe (Bonfire of The Vanities and The Electric Acid Kool Aid Test), wrote this article for Newsweek about the proceedings: http://www.newsweek.com/copper-goddess-207012 When she was placed in her niche, she was placed on what was considered a masterpiece of a building, The Portland Building by Michael Graves, at the time. It was a spectacular sight, the still shiny copper statue on this new building. It seemed like a new civic era had begun for Portland, especially with Bud Clark, Portland Mayor, who was really a cheerleader for all things Portland (his battle cry, "woot, woot" heard everywhere). Unfortunately, today the Portland Building has become a battle-scarred ruin of a building, but Portlandia still lives on as something important to see. If you are native or a traveler to Portland, be sure to seek her out. She is an important part of our recent history, although it will be interesting to find out where she will end up in 100 years or so. I figure there will always be a place of pride for her here in Portland. read more

Portlandia - Portlandia when she first arrived in Portland before the copper had competely weathered. A truly spectacular sight. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I lived in Portland, OR for 13 years and never knew she was here. She being the Portlandia statue. Now, I did not come downtown too often the last couple of years living in Portland, but that is really excuse. I should be ashamed of myself for never looking up! Seriously! This dignified woman, offering her hand to help you up to where she is, and I never saw her! She is above the entrance to the Portland Building, and is based on the design of the city seal. She is the defining encapsulation of strength, poise and grace to me. It does represent the spirit of the city. I do love her. From what I understand, she had to be floated down by barge down the Willamette River in order to be delivered. read more

Portlandia - The gnome had to see it! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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You'd miss it unless you were looking for it. Based on the image of the Lady of Commerce in the city seal of Portland, the 30-foot tall Portlandia statue is hidden atop the Portland Building on 5th Street. Due to building angles and nearby trees, it's hard to notice this statue unless you're looking up and are standing in the right place. The statue is best viewed when standing in front of the building (Standard Plaza) on the opposite side of the street. Completed in 1985 by sculptor Raymond Kaskey, Portlandia is the second-largest copper statue in the U.S., after the Statue of Liberty. Despite having been commissioned by the city for $228k, Portlandia's image is copyrighted and belongs to Kaskey, who has threatened to sue people using it for commercial purposes. This is thanks to a policy made by the Regional Arts & Culture Council allowing artists to retain the copyright on publicly commissioned works. Wherever the blame lies, the end result is that the City of Portland has been unable to market Portlandia's image, which is probably why when you ask most people in the city about it, they'll say "Portlandia who?". Forget about trying to find a postcard with her picture on it. Portlandia's image will enter into the public domain 70 years after the artist's death. Not great for a city with lots of culture but arguably no cultural icon. read more

Portlandia is a beautiful allegorical copper figure representing the spirit of the city of Portland. It sits over the front entrance of the Portland Building. The statue is almost thirty seven feet tall and is based on Lady Commerce who appears on the seal of the city of Portland. It was presented to the public in October of 1985 and has been a symbol of the city ever since. The statue itself looks very solid but it is actually hammered copper sheeting which is about as thin as a dime! The copper is supported by a steel skeleton to help it keep its shape. Portlandia is the next largest statue of its kind after the Statue of Liberty in New York City. It is also 1/3 the size of Lady Liberty so you could say she is Lady Liberty's little sister! This beautiful statue sits on top of one of a building that just does not do it justice. The Portland building is strange looking and seems to be out of place in the Pacific Northwest. It would seem better in Florida with its strange hues of green and brown. The busyness of the colorful exterior of the building takes away from the beauty of the statue. Great place for a picture and if you are in Portland you should at least pay it a visit. read more

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It's kinda hard to grab a good photo but if your a fan of the show you might as well come here to grab a photo of the statue. read more

Portlandia - Portlandia statue - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I was shocked when I finally noticed Portlandia. Perched on the third floor of the Portland building located on Fifth Avenue, Portlandia is a gargantuan copper statue of a woman holding a trident overlooking innocent passersby on the sidewalk below. I meandered by Portlandia a dozen times before finally glancing up to catch a glimpse of the statue and I couldn't believe the size of it and how creepy she looks leering over the side of the building. I heard a rumor that she's poorly designed and is gradually pulling the building over. It's no wonder--she's the second largest copper statue in the US, second only the Statue of Liberty. read more

Portlandia - from the website - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The statue is really lovely but unfortunately was tasked with being the namesake of a very unfunny, very repetitive television show that had one joke. The city should have laid the show with a cease and desist the moment the second started filming. They did not. Now the city is filled with the types of people who moved here to be terrible on purpose. And that's when vlogging started to become a thing. None of this is the statue's fault as it is a work of art made from metal. Art does not have feelings. That is a fact. read more

Guardian of the parks and rec department, as well as the place I go for my parking permit, Portlandia does a fine job looking after the inhabitants of its abode. She's a big ol' thing, yet incredibly stealthy. I walked right under her without even noticing! Only until I saw pedestrians across the street staring above my head and taking iPhone pics did I realize where I was. Like others, I agree this is a second-rate home for such a majestic landmark. She deserves to roam free and party it up with the rest of Portland! read more

Portlandia - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This is an imposing statue above the entrance to the Portland Building, It is huge and based on the figure on the City of Portland seal. U and serves as a massive (almost 34 feet 10 inches tall) symbol of The City of Portland. It is a nice statue and one of the best reasons to keep the Portland building. Where else to put her. Unfortunately there cant be a lot of t-shirts and stuff about her as the artist kept rights to the image. It is to bad, its a great piece of art and deserves to be better known. She is impressive, and looks strong. I wouldn't want her angry at me! read more

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Before Portlandia was an IFC comedy show about Pacific Northwest hipsters, it was a massive statue next to the Multnomah County Courthouse. It IS the second largest copper statue in the US (after the Statue of Liberty herself), but it's also in a secluded location. It's also a challenge to photograph. Portlandia is a majestic sight. From her perch, she gazes upon tiny mortals below. With her trident, she represents the abundance of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. Portlandia is beautiful and monumental! read more

It may be just a statue, but it's a giant one! Located in downtown, you could walk under it and never know it was there, but if you look up, it's pretty impressive! read more

Oh dear and mighty Portlandia, please stay still there and don't ever get tired when I pass by. If you do and drop your thunder legs on me. I might cut a bitch. Don't you even dare point that trident at me. Just stay pretty up there. read more

A HAIKU REVIEW Sweet Portlandia I bow before you, humbled Do not stab me please read more

Hey y'all, I noticed Portlandia waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before the TV show. Now, there's Portlandia on tv and y'all just noticed her just now? It's understandable if you are tourists, but if you lived in Portland for more than couple years...l said...well shame on you? :D. It's fun to see people taking pictures in front of this giant statue. Especially when they try to take facebook profile style pictures...I think they just get the knee part of Portlandia in those pictures. I say, hold your cameras higher! read more

Hmm... I'm not sure... I don't hate it, nor love it. It's put in an awkward position... It's in a secluded location... Well... I guess you can either love or hate it. 2nd biggest cooper statute? Why the low profile then? Even badly designed and located, it still should be made well known! read more

A neat statue but it does not really have any signs telling you to take notice or pointing you in its direction. You would think that the 2nd largest copper statue in the US would have a bit more hubbub surrounding it. Oh well. read more

Portlandia - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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2nd time visiting portlandia. I lived here when I was a kid and my mom forced me to take pictures with this statue. Coming back on vacation, I had to take another picture on my own terms lol. It brought me back memories and now I understand the real meaning behind it. It was more than beautiful. Very grateful for the statue still being there and in great condition. read more

She's a beauty!! From reading other Yelp reviews, I've learned that Portlandia is the second largest copper statue in the United States. The Statue of Liberty being the first largest. Sitting atop the Portland Building, she is worth seeking out. read more

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Second largest copper statue in the United States! It's worth it to stop by and see it! I love how it sits on top of a building and it's gorgeous to see in person! read more

Portlandia - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

What's she reaching for? Seriously? The people? La Gente? The downtrodden masses? The suckerfish? The debris and sewage in the Willamette? The unrealized potential in all the creative, unemployable Portlandians? This would be a better icon for our city if there weren't so many copyright restrictions surrounding it. read more

beautiful statue. iconic building. unfortunately, She is covered up while the building is being restored and so may not be visible until that is completed (end of 2020?). read more

Cool statue on a building that makes a cool photo op. Takes probably 2 minutes to view and then you're on your merry way.

Portlandia is really huge but she's in kind of an odd spot, it's hard to process her size visually without something smaller up there for a frame of reference. Keep in mind a person could sit comfortably in her extended hand (as long as they weren't afraid of heights or flashed back to any King Kong movies). She regards and appears to be reaching out to those passing her on the street below. Next to the Multnomah County Courthouse Jail so if you were recently arrested be sure to look around and you might just see this great sculpture. read more

I was here and working downtown Portland when this Bronze statue arrived back in the day!'' circa late 80's to early 90's sometime within that time period as I can recall? The face of the statue as many people don't know is the face of the artists wife!'' Aside from that tidbit of information the Statue is huge!'' I don't like Portland itself but I did like this statue as it is too beautiful and too excellent a work and too good to be in stump town. 5 stars for the artist*****! ''Thank you'' read more

Walk or drive by Portlandia at night. Her imposing mass is palpable and quite spooky.

A local landmark in Portland. It's really not that impressive to see in person though. People always take pictures of it zoomed in, so photos make it seem like the statue is bigger and grander than it actually is. Your view gets obstructed by trees and buses too. If you happen to be in the immediate area, it's worth passing by to see, but I wouldn't work a long detour into your itinerary just to see it. read more

Much bigger in person. Very cool to check out for a few minutes while strolling beautiful downtown Portland.