Art

Portland galleries including Butters, Alysia Duckler, Elizabeth Leach, PDX, Pulliam Deffenbaugh, Laura Russo, and Savage Art Resources have increased the visibility of regional talent by participating in art fairs in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Miami, and Cologne.

The Portland Art Museum is in the midst of a $40 million dollar expansion that will yield 28,000 square feet dedicated as the Center for Modern & Contemporary Art. This new wing will showcase the Clement Greenberg Collection, the Photography Collection, and highlights of 20th Century Art. (www.pam.org)

The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) brings national and international performance works in dance, theatre, music, and hybrid forms to the city with their 10 day,high-intensity TBA Festival. Now in it’s 3rd year, the festival presents multiple stage and street events, lively seminars and workshops, parties, etc. (www.pica.org)

Portland artists Harrell Fletcher and Miranda July were included in the widely praised 2004 Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art. They are also included (along with Michael Brophy and Matt McCormick) in the touring exhibition "From Baja to Vancouver," a survey of representational artworks that respond to and engage the physical and social landscapes of the West Coast.
(www.learningtoloveyoumore.com)

In the summer and fall of 2003, the thriving DIY scene generated two sprawling exhibitions that included site specific installations, performances, lectures, and concerts by Portland artists. The "Modern Zoo," was organized by Brian Suereth and Gavin Shettler at a 100,000 square foot defunct warehouse space in North Portland. The exhibition/event attracted over 6,000 people. "Core Sample" was a temporary consortium of artists, writers, and volunteers formed to present the full richness of Portland's current art scene. This "exhibition of exhibitions" was organized by The Oregonian's architecture critic Randy Gragg with a team of local curators, activating various gallery and warehouse sites aorund the city.

Architecture

The Portland Building, an icon of Post Modernism designed by Michael Graves is located on SW 5th Avenue. Completed in 1980, this chunky municipal building houses the offices of the City of Portland. A huge statue of a woman, "Portlandia," was added in 1985, dominating the main entrance. She is the world's second-largest hammered copper sculpture, taking a back seat only to the Statue of Liberty.

Wine

Oregon is ranked fourth in the nation for wine production. With a similar climate to France's Bordeaux regions, Oregon is most well known for its Pinot Noir. However, the 250 wineries here also produce the following varietals: Pinot gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Syrah.

Beer

Portland has cultivated a reputation as the Munich on the Willamette, offering more brewpubs and craft breweries than any other city in the nation. Portland's love affair with beer stretches back to 1888, when local brewer Henry Weinhard offered to pump beer from his brewery (via Portland's fire hoses) through the pipes of the Skidmore Fountain to celebrate its unveiling. City leaders, fearing that residents might poke holes in Portland's only set of fire hoses and help themselves to the beer a bit early, vetoed this generous plan.

Coffee

Stumptown coffee was rated one of the four best coffees in the word by National Geographic Adventure. It is served at most fine restaurants and coffee shops in Portland as well as at the three Stumptown Cafes. We have such an abundance of great local coffee joints, you might not even have to go to Starbucks.

Strippers

Allegedly, Portland has the highest number of strip clubs per capita in North America. The prevalence of clubs is due to an extremely liberal free-speech clause in the Oregon Constitution and a series of legal cases upholding a stripper's right to bear all.

Getting Around

Portland's recently developed streetcar system, replete with non-polluting streetcars imported from the Czech Republic, provides a silent and very Euro way travel the city.

Fauna

More Asian elephants (27 to date) have been born in Portland than in any other North American city.

Fuel

You may not pump your own gas in the state of Oregon.

Sales Tax

In Oregon, there is none !!!

People Who Live Here

Some people you might run into include Brad Cloepfil, Chuck Palahniuk, Katherine Dunn, Dan Wieden, Steve Malkamus, Chris Johanson, Todd Haynes, Gus van Sant, Danny Glover, Tanya Harding, Susan Faludi, Leo Bersani, Chris Riley, and members of The Shins, Sleater Kinney, The Decemberists, Pink Martini, The Thermals, Modest Mouse, Quasi, Built to Spill, and Lifesavas.

Expose Yourself to Art

In 1978, one of the world's most popular art posters was created here when Bud Clark (owner of The Goose Hollow Inn, a popular pub) exposed himself to the public sculpture "Kvinneakt" (which means nude woman in Norwegian) by Norman J. Taylor. Bud's friend Mike Ryerson snapped the photo and they ran the image in a neighborhood newspaper, offering $25 in a contest to title the picture. "Expose Yourself To Art" was chosen. In 1984, Bud Clark ran a successful grass roots campaign and became Mayor of Portland. The combination of barkeep/flasher/Mayor was big news; publications including Time, Newsweek, Playboy, and major newspapers picked up the story. The attention also landed Clark on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

By 2004, estimated sales of the official poster (and various knock-off versions) are reaching a million. The official image is owned and distributed by E. Michael Beard at www.errolgraphics.com. You can visit the sculpture near the intersection of SW Fifth Avenue and Washington Street.