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Peruse local artwork at Alberta Street Gallery in Northeast Portland.
Credit: NashCO

Arts

Galleries, public art, events and avant-garde institutions fill Portland’s vibrant arts scene.

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Peruse local artwork at Alberta Street Gallery in Northeast Portland.
Credit: NashCO

Art gallery wanderers, theater lovers and those with a curious eye will find something to marvel at in this creative city. Learn more about Portland’s arts offerings, then check out our events calendar to plan your next trip to The Rose City.

Enjoy the Arts

Portland is packed with things to do, including these art festivals and special events.

See events calendar
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Monthly Art Walks in Portland

Explore Portland's art gallery scene with three regular art walks, held in different creative neighborhoods around town.

three people standing near a food cart carrying books

The Portland Book Festival

Portland Book Festival (formerly “Wordstock”) returns every November with an impressive (and extensive) lineup of local and national authors.

performers on stage at Coho Productions

Fertile Ground Festival

See Portland's newest theater and dance works every April at the annual Fertile Ground Festival.

a woman creates art in a studio

Portland Open Studios

For two weekends every October, Portland Open Studios invites visitors to explore the houses and offices of artists across the city.

a performer on stage

Time-Based Art (TBA) Festival

Portland’s Time-Based Art Festival (TBA) returns every September with boundary-pushing performances, visual art and projects that defy categorization.

a night image of the word LOVE spelled out in large letters made of hundreds of small bulbs attached to bicycles in front of a large brick building

Portland Winter Light Festival

Brighten your February with glowing sculptures and thousands of twinkling lights at Portland’s annual Winter Lights Festival.

a man in a suit playing the trumpet

Biamp Portland Jazz Festival

The Portland Jazz Festival returns every February with a stellar series of concerts and events celebrating Black History Month.

Visual Arts in Portland

View paintings, sculptures and other visual art in a wide range of galleries, public spaces and unexpected venues.

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On Display

The city's museums and galleries feature work by renowned local and international artists.

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two people and a baby stand in front of a round oil classical painting of a religious scene at the Portland Art Museum

Portland Art Museum

Spend a day strolling among sculptures, sketching modern art and soaking in the artistic ambiance at one of the nation’s best art museums.

a person sits on a stool in front of an audience with colorful clothing strewn about the stage

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA)

Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA) brings internationally and locally renowned performances, installations and artists to their warehouse space in Northeast Portland.

white walled interior of an art gallery with 6 paintings hanging on three sides of an open room

Portland Art Gallery Scene

Art enthusiasts will find a dose of inspiration in Portland’s tight-knit independent gallery scene.

5 To Try

Art Galleries

Discover exciting local artists at these galleries located around town.

  • Blue Sky Gallery, Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts

    Founded as the Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts in 1975, Blue Sky is a venue for local photography. The organization has expanded its offerings over the last 35 years to include national and international artists.

  • Guardino Gallery

    Since 1997, the Guardino Gallery has offered exhibitions that change every month and a gift shop with a fine selection of contemporary crafts.

  • Blackfish Gallery

    This cooperative-owned gallery shows diverse contemporary works created by its members.

  • Nationale

    Nationale is an art gallery and specialty shop dedicated to the promotion of the arts through exhibitions, performances and a selection of carefully chosen goods.

  • Russo Lee Gallery

    Established in 1986, the Russo Lee Gallery exhibits high-quality work by both established and emerging artists. They showcase contemporary Northwest artists working in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, paper and print.

Performing Arts

Portland's performing arts include music, dance and theater, often combined in unexpected ways.

Theatrical cast on a stage

Portland Theater

Portland has a well-established network of venues and theater companies and an increasingly dynamic and diverse small theater scene.

Drag Queen Group under Cocktails Sign

Drag in Portland  

Indulge in Portland’s artful drag scene with local stars like Poison Waters, burlesque dancers like Jayla Rose and acrobatic drag shows all over the city.

a comedian performs on stage at a comedy club

Comedy in Portland

There's always something funny happening in Portland. From stand-up comedy to improv or even comedy classes Portland has any kind of comedy you may be looking for. Portland boasts many stages to bring you fresh, up-and-coming, and touring comedians.

a couple stands in front of a large theater painted orange with a sign reading “En Centro Milagro”

Latino Arts Shine at Milagro in Portland

Milagro Theatre in Portland’s Central Eastside has been home to Latiné-American arts and culture for over 30 years.

a music dj looking at a laptop connected to electronic turntables

Niche Live Music Venues in Portland

These hidden gems are havens for jazz, punk, bluegrass, funk and more.

Local Music Scene

Discover Portland through our talented musical artists in every genre.

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The Portland Hip-Hop Scene

Take a deep dive into the past, present and future of the Portland hip-hop scene with our expert guide to the best rap artists, showcases, shops and more.

a conductor conducting an orchestra

Classical Music in Portland

Classical music in Portland isn’t just the classics. Classical musicians offer new and innovative works, and an ongoing lineup of inspiring performances, from timeless works to modern interpretations.

Gary Bartz-Alto Saxophone

Portland Jazz

In Portland, it’s pretty easy to find small venues hosting intimate combos of world-class talent, or bigger, more boffo live shows.

5 To Try

On Stage

From big to small stages, Portland theaters delight with these local companies.

  • Portland Center Stage at The Armory

    The city’s largest theater company, Portland Center Stage puts on full musicals and productions on its main stage, along with stripped-down, avant-garde plays in its intimate basement studio — both inside The Armory, a historic building.

  • Imago Theatre

    Founded in 1979, Imago Theatre features original productions that have toured internationally for decades. The theatre and the ballroom located above it are also available to rent for private events.

  • Artists Repertory Theatre

    Founded in 1982, Artists Repertory Theatre is the longest-running professional theater company in Portland. Artists Rep’s mission is to engage diverse audiences in fresh, thought-provoking and intimate theater.

  • Third Rail Repertory Theatre

    Third Rail Repertory Theatre, a permanent ensemble of highly skilled theatre artists, is dedicated to pushing our audiences and ourselves to the edge of the comfort zone, the zone of the tickle, the chuckle, the gasp, and the ache.

  • CoHo Theatre

    After 21 seasons, this theater boasts over 90 co-productions, including more than 20 world premieres. CoHo’s seasons have represented master playwrights, while also providing a forum for local Portland playwrights.

Portland Bookstores and More

There's no better place than Portland to go book shopping, then settle in for a long read.

Three people sit and read a book at Mother Foucault\'s bookstore in front of a wall of books.

Portland Bookstores, Beyond Powell’s

Don’t stop with the largest independent bookstore in the world; these seven other shops offer an abundance of literary riches.

a person in a hat and leather jacket stands in-between towering stacks of books with a book in hand, reading

A Booklover’s Guide to Portland

From coffee houses with community libraries to writing workshops and a book festival, bookworms rejoice; this is for you.

people at books shelves in a books store

Powell’s City of Books

Covering an entire city block, Powell’s City of Books is more than a great bookstore: It’s a microcosm of Portland, packed with smart and eclectic books, gifting options, and passionate people. And, like Portland, it’s open 365 days a year.