P-town art scene has legs

Newcomers to Portland probably have heard the ramblings about Portland’s status in the world of visual art. Well it is true; top to bottom, Portland is a town that’s brimming with art.

There are many opportunities to check it out, from galleries, to the Portland Art Museum (PAM) to PSU.

Galleries in the Pearl District show all of the bigger local, regional and national talent.

Smaller galleries at the Everett Station lofts, at Northwest Broadway and Everett, tend toward artists of the underground and emerging varieties.

All of the above premier during the First Thursday Art walk, which runs about 6-9 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month.

Alternatives to the yuppity First Thursday affair include Last Thursday up on Northeast Alberta Street and the newer Second Friday Art Parade on Southeast Belmont. The former is a fairly multicultural and punk affair, whilst the latter looks to be cluttered with work of near Southeast Portland’s hipster denizens.

Portland Art Museum has a treat coming Oct. 6 through Jan. 6. “European Masterpieces: Six Centuries of Paintings From the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia” will bring to Portland works of European masters through the ages. Here on campus, the visual arts are represented by the art department and the Arts Council. The Arts Council is a student development organization that is responsible for the management of the Littman and White Galleries, both of which are located on the second floor of Smith Center.

The Arts Committee is currently headed by Ann Amato, a post-bac student who works closely with five assistants. These student employees work as curators of the Littman and White Galleries, voting on artist submissions every month.

Eleven shows are installed each year – one per month with the exception of December – in each of the galleries. This year’s highlights include the East-West Symposium in Print Art, to be held in October in conjunction with galleries across town, as well as an exhibition of works by Romanian university professors in April.

Also on campus are Gallery 299 and the Autzen Gallery, both on the second floor of Neuberger. Art department faculty curates the Autzen, while art students run Gallery 299.