New exhibit brings MoMA-level art to Portland
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
"Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me" is one of the first pieces guests are greeted with. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios
The art one collects is often a reflection of who they are and what they value. For Jordan Schnitzer — one of Portland's wealthiest developers and philanthropists — that means work by world-renowned contemporaries and multi-modal artists whose creations span sculpture, painting, photography and textiles.
The latest: In a new exhibition at Portland Art Museum called "Global Icons, Local Spotlight," more than 75 pieces of art from Schnitzer's private collection are on display through January.
- It offers an intimate look at pieces that would otherwise be out of reach for Portlanders, bringing the cultural caliber of New York City's MoMA or the Whitney to our own backyard.
Zoom in: Take Christopher Myers' immersive, illuminated stained glass paintings, situated in a makeshift chapel in the museum's sculpture court. The collection has only been seen at Miami's Art Basel before this.
- Inside, there's Jeff Koons' "gazing ball" series on a print of the "Mona Lisa," wood-carved totems from Keith Haring, and a large-scale black-and-white photo (with the classic red caption) by Barbara Kruger.
- Paintings from Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley — both known for their respective portraits of the Obamas — are also on display.
If you go: "Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer" is on display at the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Ave.) through Jan. 11.
- General admission tickets are $25.