Portland loves its arts and culture scene, so it should come as no surprise that the arts figure big in our "100 Reasons to Love Portland" May issue. If you haven't picked it up on the newsstand, here's a rundown of what's inside:

Sound Check: 5 Portland Bands You Need to Hear Now
Shy Girls, Magic Mouth, Natasha Kmeto, Lost Lander, Scott Pemberton. These incendiary acts may be relatively new to the scene, but they’ve already locked into solid grooves of their own. Best of all, you can still catch them at intimate venues—but probably not for long.

100 Reasons to Love Portland
From poetry to poutine, from high tech to high fashion, we celebrate what makes our city the best anywhere. Some of the arts-centric reasons include our rocking wealth of small publishers, Willy Vlautin’s Bucket List (hint: everything’s checked off), why Literary Arts beats every other city’s lit series, and more, plus essays by Justin Hocking, Brian Doyle, Rene Denfeld, Carl Abbot, and Laini Taylor.

Big in Europe: 5 Portland Arts Ensembles With Global Followings
We may take them for granted, but some of Portland’s best artists and ensembles are beloved around the world.

May PoMo Picks
The Whitney Houston Tribute, Lizzie Borden's ax-wielding musical, the World Horror Convention, and the rest of the month's best bets for things to see or do

Long Story Short: Glenda Goldwater, Portland's Bon Vivant
Go to an arts event: an experimental performance, a symphony gala, or the latest gallery opening. You’ll nearly always see Glenda Goldwater, impeccably dressed, white hair reaching above the crowd, horn-rimmed glasses turning her eyes into a diptych.

Humans of Portland Defy All Stereotypes
An Oregonian spin-off of New York's famous photoblog reveals a portrait of a city unlike any other.

Tea and Circumstantial Evidence
Once a month, a bunch of nice ladies (and a few gents) gather for Chinese food and civilized banter about violent crime.

A Wild and Playful Portland Garden
Crafted humor, whimsical color, and seriously lush horticulture blend in one of the city's greatest backyards.