Arts and Letters

Mother Foucault’s, the Lifeblood of Portland Literary Bohemia

“Hey, this is a real way to live,” says owner Craig Florence, who’s formalizing the community around his bookshop as a nonprofit.

10/29/2025 By Jaydra Johnson Photography by Michael Novak

At the Museum

The Portland Art Museum Is Having a Very French Summer

At the center of four shows is a traveling exhibit of fan-favorite Impressionist paintings. There are plenty of dots to connect, Monet to Bonnard.

07/31/2024 By Matthew Trueherz

For Kicks

Back to the Future and into the Metaverse: 100-Plus Years of Sneakers at PAM

Marty McFly’s Nikes, those Big Red Boots, and a few pairs that literally don’t exist have plenty to tell us about ourselves.

04/12/2024 By Matthew Trueherz

Trolling

Don't Be an Internet Troll. Help Build One Instead

Want to help build an enormous wooden troll? This is your moment, as Danish artist Thomas Dambo brings his 30-foot-tall creations to the Pacific Northwest.

07/21/2023 By Dalila Brent

Gallery Openings

Lisa Congdon’s New Show Opens Friday at Chefas Projects

A concurrent group show, curated by Congdon, features 16 local and national artists.

01/12/2023 By Matthew Trueherz

Art Galleries

Chefas Projects Opens in a New Space with a Massive Group Show of Local and International Artists

The Southeast Portland gallery gets a much larger footprint and a rebrand.

12/15/2022 By Matthew Trueherz

Graphic Design

Toro Y Moi and Raveena’s Graphic Designer Talks Representation Through Design

Portland design agency FISK works with everyone from major label recording artists to local restaurants.

08/18/2022 By Matthew Trueherz

Arts News

A New Old Town Studio Collective Looks to Uplift Artists of Color

Salomée Souag and Anna Barlow are creating a sliding-scale residency space on NW Glisan to fill a community gap.

03/30/2022 By Julia Silverman

Year in Review

The Best Oregon-Made Movies, Books, Music & Art of 2021

From Shrill’s finale to Third Angle's Sanctuaries to Nicolas Cage's Pig, it was quite a year.

12/08/2021 By Conner Reed, Julia Silverman, and Fiona McCann

Bringing the Arts Closer to Beaverton

The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will connect people from all walks of life through world-class entertainment and cultural experiences.

11/22/2021 By Ben McBee

Visual Art

Building Five Offers Large-Scale, Low-Stress Artist Residencies

The project, in the works since 2019, gives artists a several-thousand square foot canvas to let their imaginations run wild.

08/09/2021 By Andrew Jankowski

Interview

Portland Artist Wins Warhol Grant to Write About Our City’s Challenged Arts Scene

Bean Gilsdorf, artist and writer, poses questions about who is supporting the arts in Portland.

11/20/2020 By Fiona McCann

Black Lives Matter

Some Portland Theaters Are Opening Their Lobbies to Protesters in Need of a Recharge

Demonstrators can use the bathroom, power their phones, and get water and snacks.

06/10/2020 By Julia Silverman

Spring Up

6 New Projects Shaking Up Portland's Arts Scene

From a brick-and-mortar outpost for Baby Ketten Karaoke to the Hollywood Theatre's refurbished pipe organ, here's what to know right now.

02/26/2019 By Rebecca Jacobson and Fiona McCann

Secret City

Hidden Portland

Bizarre museums, secret parks, ghost cinemas: There's so much more to this city than meets the eye.

12/21/2018 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Hidden Portland: Reel Estate

Portland's Forgotten Movie Houses

From downtown's gutted Guild Theatre to NE MLK's Egyptian, what's become of the city's early cinemas?

12/21/2018 By Margaret Seiler

Big Steps

A New Dance Studio Opens Its Doors in St. Johns

FLOOR Center for Dance launched in early November, with ambitious plans for newbies and professional movers alike.

11/29/2018 By Emma Luthy

Music

8 Projects and People Giving Life to Portland Music

An old-school radio mainstay. A record label that gets DIY bands national buzz. An all-local streaming service. Get to know a few vital forces of our sonic scene.

08/14/2018 By Tiara Darnell, Rebecca Jacobson, Fiona McCann, and Sam Pape