Portland Art Museum
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Message from Portland Art Museum
Find out why the oldest museum in the Northwest is internationally renowned for exciting art experiences. Tour the world and travel through history in magnificent permanent collection galleries, six stories of modern art, and special exhibitions. Join us for lectures, tours, and activities for the whole family. The Museum's campus of landmark buildings houses a permanent collection of 40,000 objects displayed in some 112,000 square feet of galleries. Serving an annual audience of over 350,000 visitors, the Portland Art Museum is a premier venue for education in the visual arts and the collection and preservation of art for the enrichment of present and future generations.
Editorial by Citysearch
In ShortFounded in 1892, Portland Art Museum is the oldest museum of its kind in the region and has one of the most comprehensive collections on the West Coast. It houses art of the Pacific Rim, Europe and Asia. Outstanding traveling exhibitions add to the museum's wide-ranging representation of international, regional and local art. There's also an auditorium and an education center.
Key Points
- Northwest and modern art
- Native American art
- European and Asian art
The Inside Scoop
- The Extras - The Hoffman Wing, which formerly housed the Pacific Northwest College of Art, includes a beautiful outdoor sculpture garden that's free to the public.
- Know Before You Go - This museum allows no-cost entry with a Cultural Pass offered free at local libraries.
- When to Go - On Wednesday evenings during fall and winter, the museum opens its doors for Museum After Hours, offering Portlanders an opportunity to wander the galleries, schmooze, drink and enjoy live music.
Reviews for Portland Art Museum
The PAM definitely does not have the budget for the big-name pieces. Instead they concentrate on providing a wide selection across multiple genres. In Fall 2005 they opened the new North building which houses the Contemporary collections. This houses a Monet & a Cezanne, so they do have a few big names! Most Portland attractions are in the $6 to $10 range, so at $15 PAM is quite a bit higher. However you will spend an entire afternoon here, so I think it's worth it.
PROS: Wide variety of collections. Newly-added 2nd building.
CONS: Pricier than other Portland attractions.
Posted 11/08/05 | Report Abuse
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Unfortunately, PAM doesn't have the budget or the benefactors to procure a big selection of major art work or a selection of art work from a wide variety of genres.
The one strength PAM does have is its ability to attract major travelling exhibits which make for an incredible experience. If PAM continues to attract major exhibits like Escher and Monet, there is hope that the community will rally around this museum and PAM will be able to continue to expose generations to wonderful masterpieces. Even if it is on a travelling basis.
Posted 10/26/05 | Report Abuse
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Portland Art Museum draws a large crowd of tourists as well as localites who love to enjoy art and culture ....it draws people of different cultures as it carries different cultures like American,Asian,American Indian,etc....it has many international scupltures and art which are a real eye catching...there is a fee to visit this Museum which also has a gift shop and also lets you rent as well as buy its arts and works...
Posted 09/26/05 | Report Abuse
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Sharing its location with the NW Film Center, the Portland Art Museum, to the surprise of many, is one of the 25 largest museums in the Unites States. Considering Portland's size, that's astounding, and with additions scheduled to be completed in October 2005, it'll be the largest cultural art resource center in the Pacific Northwest. Collections and exhibitions are mainly centered around European, Asian, American, Native American and contemporary art.
Posted 09/04/05 | Report Abuse
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If you're into European art, this is the great little museum of the Northwest. (Seattle Art Museum specializes more in Asian arts.) Each summer they'll have a big exhibition -- in 2004 it was the Rau collection, this year it's Sargent's paintings of children. Well worth the drive to see paintings that are otherwise located only in the worlds most famous cities without all the crowds!
Posted 08/28/05 | Report Abuse
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The art gallery changes it's exhibits about every 3 months, and almost every exhibit is interesting. Some can get kind of boring, but they recently bought some old masters' pieces permanently. When there is an interesting show, it's worth spending the money. If you are an art student at the local college, you can get an annual pass for $5. The Egyptian exhibit is coming next year, and you know I won't miss that! On Wednesdays, they host a happy hour jazz music event called After Hours for people coming from work, or those who just want to relax, drink and listen.
PROS: Good art, great atmosphere
CONS: sometimes the special events can be spendy.
Posted 08/20/05 | Report Abuse
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This is a very nice museum - you can tell Portland is a city that values art and culture. The permament collection is quite impressive, with many pieces from famous artists as well as some great works by lesser-known individuals, and all the pieces are very nicely displayed. There are traveling exhibits and other special shows that are always going on, so there is even more to see and enjoy. The special exhibits that the museum brings are world-class, many only being found in a select group of museums worldwide.
They also have a great gift shop and you can even rent some beautiful artwork by local artists to take home and hang on your own wall at very reasonable prices.
Posted 07/29/05 | Report Abuse
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We are so lucky to have an art museum of this caliber in Portland. The exhibits they get are first class. The prices for a membership are quite reasonable. When they have big exhibits in, you can use a tape recorder to listen to the details of each piece of art. It's sometimes a good idea to call ahead and see if there are many school groups coming on the day you are planning to go because it can get crowded with field trips. They have a great gift shop too.
Posted 07/22/05 | Report Abuse
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large number of international pieces of art from over the entire world, it also has a beautiful collection of Native American art. Very interesting and educational! But a tad bit expensive.
Posted 07/14/05 | Report Abuse
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This museum has ecclectic collections--fun to get lost in. The price of admission is quite reasonable, and the traveling exhibitions are truly world class!
Posted 06/08/05 | Report Abuse
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Truly a world-class facility!
Exibits from around the world are displayed here for several months at a time.
Portland Art Musuem's own art objects and paintings are beautifully displayed throughout.
I highly recommend it for all ages!
PROS: Wonderful World-Class Museum!
CONS: Expensive for families if you do not have an annual pass.
Posted 06/05/05 | Report Abuse
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Latest reviews from Citysearch.
The Portland Art Museum can have some interesting exhibits and has some intriguing works in their permenant art collection. It would be nice to go again and check out some new art, since I haven't been in awhile. I also am more knowledgeable about art, since I'm studying architecture at PSU.
Pros: Inexpensive, Good art, Great environment
Cons: Bad parking, Limited selection
Posted 07/11/03
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