You can joke about the Portland Spirit (and I don't mean the Willamette River partyboat that embarks from the Central Eastside), but our city does have something special going on. The young (and old) creatives around town are making a lot of art and culture, beautiful (and sometimes provocative) noises and words and choreographed or chaotic movements. They're also making a lot of furniture and crafts. The art scene and the "making things" scene are intertwined, not separated by a high-low firewall of elitism or aesthetics.

Part of that easy going blend of high and low is also evident in the artisan/entrepreneurial attitudes espoused (and lived out) by so many Portlanders. Business doesn't have to be a strictly bottom line venture (Bain Capital we are not); here, the bottom line is triple. Call it community capitalism. In a city that attracts people for its quality of life, art and business blend in a practical, cooperative, supportive sort of way.

The ubiquitous DIY spirit so strong in Portland has matured beyond the basement. These makers of Portland gather in collaboration, community and commerce. Family connections are frequent, and common tastes forge new friendships. 

To see a great example of this creative commercial culture, take the slide show tour of the workspaces upstairs at Beam & Anchor. We'll be visiting some of the individual artisan businesspeople in more detail in coming weeks.

Beam & Anchor
2710 N Interstate Ave.
Portland, OR 97227
503 367 3230