Portland is Hub for Performing and Visual Arts
Published Mar 24, 2008
Visitors examine the works at the Motto/DIG gallery in the Pearl District.
The arts in Portland have become so popular that they are not only accepted, they are expected.
Arts devotees can find quality theatrical performances, opera, ballet, public sculpture and museums.
“This is one of those cities that young, creative people are flocking to,” says Eloise Damrosch, executive director of the Regional Arts & Culture Council. “Portland has a reputation for being very arts-oriented and a good place to live. Plus the Northwest typically tends to be liberal and open-minded, which attracts the creative.”
Damrosch says the Portland City Council and the Oregon counties of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington are great supporters of local arts initiatives.
“Those four government entities are often providing grants for artistic projects, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council distributes those grants to everyone from big arts organizations to individual artists,” she says. “The council is also behind a growing initiative that will hopefully bring arts classes to every school classroom in the region.”
As for the visual arts, the region is graced with venues such as the Portland Art Museum, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and the Northwest Film Center.
There are also numerous private galleries as well as outdoor sculptures on public display. “We even have a walking tour brochure that shows people where all the sculptures are located downtown,” Damrosch says. “Public art is situated throughout our region – in buildings, along sidewalks and even at stops along our transit systems. Our convention center alone showcases more than $2 million worth of art.”
Attracting National Attention
In performing arts, the city is home to organizations such as the Oregon Symphony, Portland Center Stage, Portland Opera, Portland Youth Philharmonic and Oregon Ballet Theatre.
“The people of Portland care enough to support artistic endeavors that don’t get the same kind of support in other cities,” says Erik Jones, director of marketing for the Oregon Ballet Theatre. “There is an epidemic [afflicting] arts across the country, with shrinking audiences everywhere, but the Oregon Ballet Theatre, for example, has seen our ticket sales go up 40 percent over the past five years. That’s just the way it is in this city.”
Jones says the quality of the arts scene in Portland is beginning to be recognized on a national level.
“In late 2007, our ballet was on the cover of Pointe Magazine, which is the major dance publication in the country,” he says. “We are also making our debut at the Kennedy Center (in Washington, D.C.) in June 2008. The local governments and business community are behind the arts in this city, which is a huge part of the overall success. It is certainly a good time to be part of the arts community here in Portland.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Jeff Adkins
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