Known as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the country, Portland is easy to traverse on foot, and boasts more than 10,000 acres of public park land. Beautiful scenery is achieved with the Willamette River running through the center of the city and three mountains: Tabor, St. Helens, and Hood rise beyond the skyline.

There is plenty of culture to take in in Portland. Home to the Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Symphony, and the Portland Opera, the city was the jumping off point of many well-known bands. The second largest hammered brass sculpture in the country is Portlandia, located on the west side, and parks like the Portland Japanese Garden, the International Rose Test Garden, and Washington Park are scattered throughout the city.

ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS

• The 3D Center of Art and Photography was the first museum in the country to have a dedicated collection of stereoscopy art and products. Stereoscopy is a technique that creates an illusion of depth in two dimensional images - like those viewed in a View Master. Founded in 2003, the gallery has daily 3D slideshows open to the public, as well as interactive displays, featured artists, and displays of antique equipment. Classes in techniques used in the genre are also offered.

• Established in 1892, the Portland Art Museum is the oldest of its kind on the West coast. The 240,000 square foot facility is home to a collection of more than 40,000 items, and is always showing at least one major, travelling exhibit. An outdoor sculpture garden and the Northwest Film Center are part of the museum as well, which has separate sections for Northwest Art, modern and contemporary art, Asian art, and Native American art.

  Among the more well known artists in the collection are Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Inness, and van Gogh.

• The Museum of Contemporary Craft opened its doors in 1937, and functions as the oldest running craft institution on the West coast. Begun with a donation of materials from the Works Progress Administration and originally serving as a ceramics studio, the museum now houses a collection of more than 1200 objects that showcase the evolution of craft works in the last seventy years. The museum also includes a gift shop that sells handcrafted items by artists within the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

• Founded in 1995 by a local artist and curator, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art fulfilled the need for a contemporary program and exhibit space in the city. Exhibits and programs span the genres of sculpture, painting, audio, video, and much more. Performances travel from venue to venue in an effort to expose the entire city to contemporary art styles and artists. The gallery is responsible for the Time Based Art Festival, which began in 2003 and today sees more than 20,000 visitors annually.

• Blue Sky Gallery; photography
• Cooley Gallery; at Reed College
• Gallery 114; artists collective
• Cascade Gallery; Portland Community College
• Portland Children's Museum
• Oregon Maritime Museum
• Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
• Wells Fargo History Museum
• Architectural Heritage Center
• Portland Police Museum

Portland, Oregon

ARTISTIC INSTITUTIONS

• At the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PICA), artistically inclined students can study a variety of fine art concentrations and receive undergraduate and graduate degrees in their chosen vocation. Established in 1909, the school enrols approximately 800 students, and encourages public participation in public art culture with exhibitions, lectures, and visiting international artists and designers.

  Scholars can receive their education in a wide range of subjects including animation, illustration, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Master's degrees in critical theory, applied craft and design, and more are available to those continuing in academics. In 2009, the school partnered with the Museum of Contemporary Craft.

• Established in 1907 by a local artist who worked in a wide range of mediums, the Oregon College of Art and Craft offers Bachelor's and Master's programs in unique educational programs such as book arts, ceramics, fiber arts, woodworking, and metalworking. They also offer an Artist-in-Residence program and contribute to art education within the public community.

  Located a few miles outside Downtown Portland on a campus surrounded by woodlands, the facility is home to the Hoffman Gallery, the Hands On Cafe, and a library that contains a collection of varied resources supporting student research and education.

• George Fox University, located half an hour southwest of Portland, is a liberal arts and sciences institution established in 1885. The school offers more than fifty undergraduate and graduate programs, including communication arts, fashion design, interior design, journalism, graphic design, and studio arts.

  The institution has four campuses which are located around Oregon, including one directly in Portland. The school was ranked among the 100 best colleges in the country by Forbes magazine, and enrols approximately 3000 students.

• Located just minutes south of the city, Marylhurst University is one of the oldest degree-granting institutions in the state, established in 1893. The school enrols approximately 2000 graduate and undergraduate students, and offers Bachelor of Arts and Fine Arts degrees in various art concentrations, as well as media and film studies and interior design. Scholars can study painting and drawing, photography, sculpture, or contemporary practice, and Master's programs in Art and Music therapy are also available.

  The Art Gym on the school campus is dedicated to increasing "public understanding of contemporary art" in the region. The center organizes exhibits, discussions and publications, and is considered to be one of the most significant contemporary venues in the state.

• Multnomah Arts Center offers children's programs in music and art, and well metalsmithing, photography, and textile classes.
• The Loaded Brush teaches classes on drawing specific scenes, as well as sketching and portrait painting courses.
• The 100th Monkey Studio offers private and group art instruction, open studio sessions, and art therapy programming.
• At Radius Studio, space is available to artists for work in ceramics, painting, printmaking, and fiberworks.

NATIVE ARTISTS

There are plenty of artistic people originally from, or currently living in Portland, Oregon!

• Beverly Cleary is best known for her children's novels featuring the characters Beatrice and Ramona Quimbly.

• Famous Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko (1903-1970) grew up in the city. He is recognized for his large color block paintings which he recommended be viewed from less than two feet away.

• Brad Adkins is a local artist and curator whose work has been shown at PICA and the Portland Art Museum. He is recognized for "turning the everyday into art".

• Woodworker Tom Cramer is a sought after artist whose work can be seen around Portland in both private and public venues.

ART AND CULTURAL EVENTS

Annual Events

• Since 1995, the Oregon College of Art and Craft has hosted Art on the Vine, an annual auction gala that takes place in April. The event brings in 500 exclusive guests who bid in a silent auction on more than 100 artworks and wine-related gifts, as well as a live auction with even more offerings, before dining on a gourmet meal. The money raised goes toward scholarships to the school's undergraduate and graduate programs, and funds children and teens attending the adventure camp offered by a regional affiliate museum.

• Art in the Pearl takes place each year over Labor Day weekend in the city's Pearl district. Since 1997, the three-day festival is run primarily by volunteers and offers guests access to more than 100 artists who show and sell their work around the Northwest Park area. A live stage showcases original music performances and an education pavilion has fun crafts and hands on activities for kids. Among the genres to take in are metalworks, jewelry, clay, painting, photography, and glassworks.

• Located in Marylhurst, just outside Portland, ArtBurst NorthWest is hosted by Marylhurst University and began as a summer street fair in 1999. The event showcases the work of more than 100 individual artists and galleries from Portland and Pacific Northwest area. In addition to browsing and buying their products, visitors can also wander throughout booths selling art supplies, or offering information about art societies, guilds and other organizations.

Other Events and Sights to See

• Stop by the Portland Art Spark the third Thursday of every third month to mingle with artists and discuss arts culture in the city.

• Visit the Columbia River Gorge to explore the area and the work of the resident artists.

• Say hello to the tigers and elephants at the Oregon Zoo.

• Tour the Pittock Mansion, a historic landmark of French-Renaissance style.

• Catch a show at the historic Crysal Ballroom, which has entertained guests for more than 100 years.

• Make the 50 mile jaunt out to see Mount Saint Helens, an active stratovolcano.

• Visit Travel Portland for more great tourist destinations in Portland, Oregon.

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