This vision was brought to life through a multiyear collaboration between a cohort of ten dedicated educators, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), and Jeffrey Gibson himself. Together, they developed a suite of 14 new interdisciplinary lessons that move far beyond traditional art room boundaries. By situating Indigenous art within a broad U.S. and global context, these resources fill a critical gap in contemporary education, offering students a way to engage with the complexity and vibrancy of modern Native life.

Rather than treating art as a static object to be studied, the curriculum uses Gibson’s work as a lens to explore the world. Students are invited to investigate the deep connections between Identity and Representation, looking at how symbols, garments, and color function as tools for storytelling. The lessons also champion the concept of Creative Sovereignty, empowering young people to see how Indigenous artists define their own spaces within the global art world. By bridging the gap between contemporary art and subjects like math, history, and social studies, the initiative encourages a more holistic way of thinking.

While Gibson’s work has dazzled audiences on the international stage in Venice, this extension ensures that its true impact is felt in local communities. These high-quality resources are now freely available to educators and the public through the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) digital platform and the official Jeffrey Gibson 2024 Venice Biennale website.

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Laura was a Museum member beginning in the 1960s, joined the Board of Trustees in 1998, and was named a Life Trustee in 2012. Additionally, she served on the Executive, Collections, and Development Committees. Laura’s philanthropy was broad, consistent, and mission‑driven. She supported major initiatives—capital campaigns, key program areas, especially European art, and provided meaningful Annual Exhibition support for many years. Laura also enhanced countless Museum events with flowers and décor, bringing beauty and creativity to special occasions.

She made significant gifts of art to the Museum’s permanent collection, including an exceptional group of lithographs by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the celebrated Elles series, as well as paintings by Paul Elie Ranson, Alfred Sisley, and Théo van Rysselberghe, among others. These gifts reflected her love of French culture and belief in art to inspire and connect. 

The Portland Art Museum extends its deepest condolences to Laura’s family and to all who loved her. 

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Together, the three leaders bring more than 55 years of experience at the Portland Art Museum. This tenure brings not only institutional knowledge but also confidence in the Museum’s future. “Our donors, members, and supporters are the foundation that carries us forward,” said Burch. “That collective generosity continues to make the Museum’s work possible.”

With the support of the board, staff, and members, the Museum remains on a solid financial footing, and fiscal responsibility will continue to guide decision-making. “It’s an honor to help steward the Museum during this moment,” said Nevitt. “Fiscal responsibility and transparency remain core values for us.”

The Museum’s work is carried forward by teams across Collections, Exhibitions, Learning, and Curatorial, whose dedication and expertise shape every visitor experience. “Their passion, commitment, and expertise are what make this Museum so special,” said Urquhart. Individuals like Julia Dolan, Minor White Senior Curator of Photography, exemplify the depth of talent and leadership within the institution, and we are pleased that she has assumed the interim chief curator role. 

Leading together, Burch, Nevitt, and Urquhart are committed to continuity, thoughtful collaboration, and keeping art at the center of everything the Portland Art Museum does. Learn more about them below.

Karie Burch
Karie Burch has been with the Museum since 2007 and has led its philanthropy through fundraising and strategic partnerships that support long-term growth and sustainability. She brings deep experience in nonprofit leadership and in connecting people to the Museum’s mission. Under her leadership, the Museum completed the historic $146 million Connection Campaign, which funded the recent campus transformation. She is committed to supporting the people and partnerships that make the Museum’s work possible and to advancing the role of arts and culture in the community.

Gareth Nevitt
Gareth joined the Portland Art Museum in 2008 and since then has been responsible for its financial management through the great recession, repaying previous construction loans, weathering the pandemic, and financing the construction of the Rothko Pavilion. He began his career with 14 years in public accounting, and prior to coming to the Museum, he served as the COO of the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Donald Urquhart 
Don joined the Museum in 2004 to complete the renovation of the Mark Building and to grow its ambitious exhibition program. Trained in Museum Studies and shaped by experience in museums across California and Washington, he leads a talented team dedicated to collection stewardship, exhibitions, learning, and community engagement. He is deeply committed to building strong relationships, cultivating international partnerships, and developing people and teams across the Museum. He brings curiosity, passion, and a constant eye toward what comes next.

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The final piece of the Portland Art Museum’s recently completed $116M campus transformation, the renovated PAM CUT @ The Whitsell for film, new media, and visual storytelling, is set to reopen to the public on January 10, 2026. 

PAM CUT’s reimagination of the Whitsell Auditorium is part of the Portland Art Museum’s expanded and renovated campus that opened November 20, which completely transforms the existing Museum and creates a vital “cultural commons” in the heart of downtown Portland. The campus transformation adds nearly 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space, providing increased access to exhibitions and programs, updated amenities that address the needs of more diverse audiences, and new ways to experience PAM’s robust collection. 

PAM’s transformation has created for the first time a vital space for media arts on the lower level of the Museum’s new Mark Rothko Pavilion. The renovated 293-seat Whitsell Auditorium offers comfortable new seats with improved accessibility; upgraded cinema projection, sound, and screen; and improved camera and streaming capabilities for public programs and events. Just outside the Whitsell, a dedicated gallery for new media, the Blair Family Gallery, hosts world-renowned media artist Marco Brambilla’s exhibition Maximalist Dreamscapes, pushing the boundaries of cinematic storytelling further into the museum. 

Together, the Whitsell Auditorium and Blair Family Gallery create a new destination to showcase PAM CUT // Center for an Untold Tomorrow, PAM’s program for film, new media and visual storytelling, in conjunction with PAM CUT’s eastside Tomorrow Theater, education and artist spaces at PAM CUT downtown, and the new Blair Family Gallery in the Portland Art Museum. 

In this reimagined cinematic destination at the heart of the Portland Art Museum, screenings and events will be held in the upgraded space as part of PAM CUT @ The Whitsell programming. The exhibition-style programming showcases work by local and global artists, filmmakers, and culturemakers past and present. Screenings will be held every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. 

Curated collaboratively by Amy Dotson, PAM CUT Director and PAM Curator, Film & New Media, and PAM CUT Head of Programming Joanna Sokolowski, along with creative guest programmers, PAM CUT @ The Whitsell programming features distinctive, must-see cinematic programming in a range of film and digital formats. Guest curators for Winter 2026 include creative polymath Carrie Brownstein, multi-faceted director Lance Bangs, fashion expert Looks on Screen, writer and content creator Remy Solomon, actor and content creator Michele Venlee, and artists and partners in conjunction with the Portland Art Museum’s new Black Art and Experiences Gallery. Inaugural partners include Criterion, which will be sharing giveaways of iconic films from its Collection and access to the Criterion Channel throughout the opening series.

“PAM CUT @ The Whitsell is the perfect venue for cinematic arts collision,” says Amy Dotson, Director of PAM CUT.  “Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible by changing for whom, by whom, and how visual stories are told is PAM CUT’s mission, and we can’t wait for audiences to be immersed in the new space.” 

Ongoing Signature Series 

Subsequent film series will be released on a rotating basis, often in theme and conversation with exhibitions and work at the Portland Art Museum. Additional series will launch in the spring, including Deep CUT, featuring screenings that expansively highlight the work and creative inspirations of directors, artists, and visionaries, and the CUT Away, featuring the best of the cutting edge of international cinema. 

The reopening of the Whitsell Auditorium is an invitation to dream, to expand the possibilities of who and what shape our realities, and to create and experience something entirely distinct where art and cinema collide.

Learn more about the PAM CUT @ Whitsell and view programming.

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The Portland Art Museum (PAM) today announced the completion of its $116 million capital campaign in support of the Museum’s campus transformation opening on November 20, 2025. Marking one of the most significant investments in the arts in the history of Oregon, PAM’s capital campaign supports the expansion and renovation of its campus to reimagine the visitor experience and make the museum and its growing collections more accessible to all. The Museum raised $5M over its original capital goal to account for ongoing enhancements. The Museum has also raised $28.4M towards its $30M endowment campaign, which supports ongoing operations, endows curatorial and leadership positions, and more, ensuring PAM’s sustainability as a vital cultural resource for audiences throughout Oregon and Washington for generations to come.

Designed in partnership by Portland’s Hennebery Eddy Architects and Chicago-based Vinci Hamp Architects, the Museum’s transformation project connects PAM’s two historic buildings, adding nearly 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space, providing increased access to exhibitions and programs, updated amenities that address the needs of more diverse audiences, and new ways to experience the robust collection. Upon reopening next month, the galleries will feature a complete reinstallation of the Museum’s wide-ranging collection, highlighting nearly 300 major new acquisitions including works by Jeffrey Gibson, Ugo Rondinone, Marie Watt, Carrie Mae Weems, Simone Leigh, and more.

The successful completion of the capital campaign, which was 98% privately funded, was made possible by the generous support of more than 1,000 individual donors, including 49 who have made gifts of $1 million or more to the Museum’s broader Connection Campaign, which encompasses both capital and endowment initiatives. Contributions to the overall campaign range in size from five dollars to $13.5 million. Lead campaign gifts include $13.5 million from Arlene Schnitzer, $8 million from an anonymous donor, $5 million from Mary and Tim Boyle, $5 million from Trudy and Pat Ritz, $5 million from Nani S. Warren, $5 million from Helen Jo and Bill Whitsell, and $5 million from an anonymous donor. The capital campaign was formally completed thanks to a $1.1 million gift from longtime PAM supporters Fred and Gail Jubitz, for whom the Museum’s modern and contemporary galleries are named, bringing their total contribution to the campaign to over $4 million.

“The overwhelming support from our community for the Portland Art Museum speaks to the important role this cultural institution plays in our city and the greater region as a dynamic and vibrant civic, educational, and cultural resource,” said Brian Ferriso, The Arlene & Harold Schnitzer Director of the Portland Art Museum. “The generosity of our over 1,000 donors with gifts of all sizes, enables us to better serve all our audiences and to continue to fulfill our mission to connect the community with art that reflects their own experiences, voices, and personal journeys for years to come.”

Cyndy Maletis, chair of the Portland Art Museum board, commented, “I am deeply grateful for the generous support from the individuals, foundations, and businesses in Portland and across the region who recognize and value the impact of the arts on our city and its downtown. For more than a century, this museum has served as a beacon of inspiration in the Northwest and with this expansion, we can ensure it continues to thrive into the next century.”

PAM’s campus is a cornerstone of the downtown Portland cultural district, and as the only major art museum between Seattle and San Francisco, serves as an essential lifeline for the region with a diverse slate of exhibitions and programs that highlight art from around Oregon, the region, and the world.

PAM’s Connection Campaign is co-chaired by Alix Meier Goodman and Angela Snow. For more information about the transformed Portland Art Museum campus, please visit https://portlandartmuseum.org/campus-transformation.

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On Thursday, November 20, the transformed Museum will officially open with a ribbon ceremony at noon, marking the opening of the new Mark Rothko Pavilion and a new era for art and community in Portland. The Museum will be open free to the public from noon to 5 p.m. on opening day, plus a free after-hours celebration 5 to 9 p.m. packed with food, music, and art inspiration. The celebration continues Friday through Sunday, November 21 – 23, with free admission 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and a range of activities throughout the day, including art making, DJ music, food trucks, curator conversations, educator-led programs, and happy hour at the Museum’s new cafe, Coquelico by Providore Fine Foods.  Free admission to the Portland Art Museum’s grand opening days is generously supported by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program, which also provides support for the Museum’s monthly Free First Thursdays.

Anchored by the new, nearly 22,000-square-foot Mark Rothko Pavilion, which provides a new transparent, welcoming “front door” and connects the two campus buildings, the expansion project is one of the most significant capital investments in the arts in the history of Oregon. It adds nearly 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space, providing increased access to exhibitions and programs, updated amenities that address the needs of more diverse audiences, and new ways to experience the Museum’s robust collection. The galleries feature a complete reinstallation of the Museum’s wide-ranging collection, highlighting nearly 300 major new acquisitions including works by Marie Watt, Simone Leigh, Ugo Rondinone, Pedro Reyes, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Jeffrey Gibson, and Carrie Mae Weems, alongside works that are rarely or have never before been on view, revealing perspectives that emphasize key themes of place, community, and identity.

Visitors will experience a new approach to the collection, shifting from traditional chronological presentations to thematic displays that speak to the interests of Oregon audiences, tell little-known stories, and foster dialogue about the ideas shaping our lives. Several galleries also draw throughlines across the collection that allow discoveries of unexpected connections between works on view. Two special exhibitions, previously opened this fall, will also be on view: Yoshida Chizuko and Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer.

Expanded Campus, Expanded Hours

With the opening of the expanded campus, the Portland Art Museum is also expanding its hours for the community. Starting November 25, the Museum will be open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For our monthly Free First Thursdays (resuming in January), the Museum is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with free admission for the community.

Free tickets available November 1

Tickets for the free community days, November 20-23, can be reserved at portlandartmuseum.org starting November 1. Tickets for the expanded museum and exhibitions are available now; beginning November 1, admission is $27.50 for adults, $24.50 for seniors 65+, and $22.50 for students with ID. Admission is free for Museum members and for children 17 and under. To learn more about Museum membership, visit portlandartmuseum.org/membership.

Schedule of events and activities

Thursday, November 20 — Grand Opening Day

The celebration begins at 12 noon with a Ribbon Ceremony marking the opening of the new Mark Rothko Pavilion and a new era for art and community in Portland. The event includes remarks by civic and Museum leaders, a custom ribbon created by Portland Garment Factory, and live entertainment. The ceremony launches four days of free admission, inviting everyone to explore the transformed Museum.

Visitors enjoy free admission from 12 noon to 9 p.m. with access to newly installed galleries and recent acquisitions. From 5 to 9 p.m. the celebration continues with Museum Open Late, a free after-hours celebration featuring festive food and drinks, DJs, pop-up performances by local arts partners, and plenty of creative spirit. Guests are encouraged to dress inspired by their favorite artist or artwork—or simply come as they are.

Friday, November 21

Free admission all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests can Meet the Curator, with different curators featured each day. Look with Me, a rotating series of gallery talks, takes place from 12 noon to 3 p.m. In the Learning Studio, Artmaking activities run from 12 noon to 5 p.m., including felting with LaBrie Rich from noon to 2 p.m. and make-and-take artwork with Julz Clementine from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Happy Hour follows from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the new cafe, Coquelico by Providore Fine Foods, featuring partners from the Everybody is an Art Person initiative. Throughout the day, Friends of Noise presents music in the Pavilion, with DJs performing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, November 22

Free admission all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Daily programs continue with Meet the Curator from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Look with Me/Art in ASL from 12:00 to 3 p.m., and Happy Hour from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The Black Art & Experiences Gallery hosts Riso Printmaking with Sharita Towne from 12 to 3 p.m.

Music fills the Pavilion from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., presented by Tender Loving Empire, featuring DJs and live performances in the galleries. Food trucks will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and family friendly art-making throughout the day led by PAM’s Venice Biennale Educator Cohort, a group of Oregon educators who have collaborated with artist Jeffrey Gibson to expand how contemporary Native art is taught and experienced for K-12 students.

Sunday, November 23

Free admission all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The weekend concludes with Meet the Curator from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Look with Me from 12 noon to 3 p.m., and Happy Hour from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.Riso Printmaking with Sharita Towne continues from 12 noon to 3 p.m., and Tender Loving Empire presents DJs and live music in the Pavilion from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Food trucks will again be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the Venice Biennale Educator Cohort programming rounding out the four-day celebration.

Access requests? Please email us at access@pam.org or leave a message at 503-276-4284. Deaf visitors can leave messages directly in ASL on our videophone at 503-420-3169.

Note: Free First Thursdays will pause in November and December as we celebrate the November 20 – 23 Grand Opening with four free days in a row. Free First Thursdays will return in January (January 8, since New Year’s Day museum closure falls on Free First Thursday). Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

Special thanks

Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program for underwriting free admission to the grand openings.

We also gratefully acknowledge the support of our major funders, whose generosity helped make the inaugural year of exhibitions and programs possible. Presenting Sponsor: Mary and Tim Boyle; Lead Sponsors: William G. Gilmore Foundation, Mary and Pete Mark Family Foundation, Meier Family Fund, and Anonymous; Major Sponsors: Greg and Cathy Tibbles, Pat and Trudy Ritz; Sponsors: Alix and Tom Goodman, Grace Serbu and Ivan Gold, The Smidt Foundation, Darci and Charlie Swindells, Mr. and Mrs. William A. Whitsell, and Janet Macomber Williamson.

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The Portland Art Museum announced a major endowment from the late Arlene Schnitzer and the Schnitzer family on Friday evening that includes the naming of its Director position, currently held by Brian Ferriso, as the Arlene & Harold Schnitzer Director.

The Schnitzer family, led by Arlene Schnitzer, contributed $13.5 million to the Museum’s Connection Campaign—the largest ever from an individual donor in the Museum’s 132-year history.

“I am pleased to be the first Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Director at the Portland Art Museum,” said Portland Art Museum Director Brian Ferriso. “The Schnitzer family has made extraordinary contributions as leaders and donors to this institution as well as arts organizations throughout Oregon and across the country.”

Long known for their leadership in sustaining and growing Portland’s cultural sphere, the Schnitzers have earned recognition as the city’s “First Family of the Arts.” The late Arlene Schnitzer (1929 – 2020) began her relationship with the Portland Art Museum as a young woman when she enrolled as a student at the Museum Art School. She and her husband, Harold Schnitzer (1923–2011), along with their son, Jordan, have been close partners of the Museum for almost half a century.

“I know that my mother and father are both looking down, so proud of the effort that Brian, the talented staff at the Portland Art Museum, the Board of Trustees, and everyone in the community have done to help position the Portland Art Museum as one of the most important regional art museums in the country,” said Jordan Schnitzer.

The Schnitzers’ passion for art and Portland led to leadership roles at the Museum. The Schnitzers have provided financial support for important acquisitions, exhibitions, and capital campaigns; donated their Chinese Han Dynasty collection and other works to the Museum’s collection; and made significant investments in furthering the scholarship of the curatorial team through endowments of Northwest and Asian art, whose curatorial positions are named in their honor. Arlene Schnitzer also established an endowment for early Chinese art and an endowment for special exhibitions. The Schnitzers’ vision and generosity led to the creation of the Museum’s Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Northwest Art, celebrating the creative vitality of the region. The spacious Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Sculpture Court in the Museum’s main building will continue to be a key area of art connection in the Museum’s transformed campus, opening November 20, which the Schnitzers played a major role in bringing to reality with historic leadership gifts to the Connection Campaign.

In recognition of their incredible commitment and contributions, in 2007, Harold and Arlene Schnitzer were named the first-ever Life Trustees of the Museum. In 2014, the Museum showcased Arlene and Harold’s distinguished collection with the exhibition and publication In Passionate Pursuit: The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Collection and Legacy. That exhibition displayed artwork by many of the Northwest artists whose careers Mrs. Schnitzer nurtured through her Fountain Gallery, including Robert Colescott, the focus of the 2020 special exhibition Art and Race Matters: The Career of Robert Colescott.

Arlene and Harold Schnitzer’s son, ARTNews Top 200 Art Collector Jordan Schnitzer, continues his family’s legendary support of the Museum and other arts and culture organizations across the world. He shares works from his world-renowned contemporary art collection with Portland Art Museum visitors through exhibitions like Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer, which debuted Saturday, September 6, and David Hockney: Works from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation opening in February 2026.

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Coquelico will be an experiential, modern European bistro offering an inspired, simple menu with breakfast, lunch, and dessert, plus seasonal offerings and rotating dishes inspired by exhibitions at the Museum. It will also offer full coffee service all day, featuring iconic Portland roaster Spella Coffee, who has created a custom roast available only at Coquelico and Providore, with wine, beer, vermouth, and non-alcoholic cocktail options in the afternoon and early evening. Coquelico is slated to open in mid-September, in advance of the Museum’s grand campus reopening on November 20.

“Food is art, and we hope that people will come and see some really beautiful art, and then sit down and have a continuation of that on the plate,” said Kaie Wellman, co-owner of Providore Fine Foods. 

Customers can look forward to bistro dishes like Toasted House Loaf with Ricotta and Caramelized Honey, Lyonnaise Salad, Tartines, and Seasonal Pavlovas, to name just a few of the dishes available for dine-in or take-out. The collaborative, community-building spirit shared by both Providore and PAM will be evident through thoughtfully sourced ingredients, partnerships, and collaborations with Portland brands and partners.

“I am thrilled to have Kaie’s vision and leadership for this major moment for us and the city,” said Brian Ferriso, Portland Art Museum Director. “Kaie’s creative approach to food and inclusive hospitality align perfectly with the Museum’s. She also believes in Portland, with a deep connection to the vibrant food scene and cultural vitality that has made the city so special in recent decades.”  

For Wellman, who co-owns Providore with her husband, Kevin de Garmo, the opportunity to be part of a flagship institution invigorating the downtown core was a key part of their decision-making. 

“I want to be part of people seeing downtown through a new lens. We want to show people, along with this spectacular remodel and reimagining of the museum, that Portland is not only an incredible, unique city, but one that stands tall during tough times,” Wellman said. “Museums are the cultural hubs of cities, and for us to be a part of the next chapter of PAM is super exciting.”

Coquelico will occupy a prime location on the Portland Art Museum’s new West Plaza with windows onto Southwest 10th Avenue and doors that open for al fresco dining and imbibing on the plaza. It is also adjacent to the brand-new Shop at PAM, which opens to the public on September 3. Together, the cafe and shop provide a continuous, flexible use space for Museum programs and rental events. The West Plaza, created by the addition of the Mark Rothko Pavilion, offers Museum entry from Southwest 10th Avenue, sculpture, and outdoor seating.

The renovated cafe and adjacent retail space are essential components of the Museum’s $111 million expansion project, which represents one of the most significant capital investments in the arts in the history of Oregon and was made possible through the Museum’s Connection Campaign. PAM is especially grateful to Board of Trustees member Grace Rose Serbu for her generous support of these beautiful new spaces that enrich the visitor experience and affirm the Museum’s role as a civic anchor in downtown Portland. As one of the oldest museums in the Pacific Northwest and the only major art museum between Seattle and San Francisco, PAM is an essential cultural lifeline for the region with a diverse slate of exhibitions and programs that highlight art from around Oregon, the region, and the world.  For more information on PAM’s campus transformation, please visit portlandartmuseum.org/campus-transformation.

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Portland 

Oregon

The Museum offers dynamic school and community programs for audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, designed to deepen engagement with its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. K-12 school group visits and tours are completely free, and of the more than 380,000 visitors a year, 20,000 are students and youth. In 2024, nearly half of school visits were Title 1 schools, which are designated by the percentage of students from low-income families. PAM works with more than 50 community and education organizations throughout Oregon, and over 900 educators participate in learning programs and partnerships. 

PAM’s education programs also reach beyond the walls of our Museum. The Poster Project brings art into classrooms across the region, especially for educators in rural communities, with more than 26,000 posters distributed since the project began in 2015, and we celebrate a century-plus relationship with the largest public school district in the region.   

With school and community initiatives and a recommitment to existing programs, PAM continues to center learning at the heart of its work as it enters the next phase of its future. Following the opening of PAM’s transformed campus, the Museum will expand its offerings with new, dedicated spaces that provide increased flexibility for and access to community-based programming. We can’t wait to welcome students, educators, and the entire community into the newly transformed Museum this November.

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Portland Art Museum (PAM) announced today that its expanded and renovated campus, which will completely transform the existing Museum and create a vital “cultural commons” in the heart of downtown Portland, will open to the public on November 20, 2025. The Museum will host a free four-day celebration for the community with festivities inside and outside the museum, and meaningful opportunities to connect with and be inspired by art.  

Designed in partnership by Portland’s Hennebery Eddy Architects and Chicago-based Vinci Hamp Architects, the expansion project is one of the most significant capital investments in the arts in the history of Oregon. It will add nearly 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space, providing increased access to exhibitions and programs, updated amenities that address the needs of more diverse audiences, and new ways to experience PAM’s robust collection. The expanded and renovated galleries will feature a complete reinstallation of the Museum’s wide-ranging collection, highlighting nearly 300 major new acquisitions including works by Jeffrey Gibson, Simone Leigh, and Ugo Rondinone, alongside works that have rarely or never before been on view. The reimagined Museum will also house a newly dedicated gallery space for exhibition programming focused on Black art and experiences, showcasing works, exhibitions, and performances by local, regional, and global emerging and established Black artists.

“The Museum’s transformed campus is a result of a decades-long vision to better serve our community as the cornerstone of Portland’s downtown cultural district,” said Brian Ferriso, Director of the Portland Art Museum. “As one of the oldest art museums in the country, and the only major art museum between Seattle and San Francisco, PAM is an essential cultural lifeline for our region. The new PAM will create a dynamic destination for the arts, reinvigorating our city and offering expanded opportunities to engage audiences with art from around Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and the world. We can’t wait for everyone to experience the new PAM this November.”

In an effort to bring elements of the completed campus to the public as soon as possible, select newly reinstalled collection galleries will reopen in PAM’s landmark 1932 Main Building prior to the fall, and PAM’s new café and store will open to the community in late August. Additionally, the Museum will continue its special exhibition programming, with Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer, opening September 6, 2025, and Yoshida Chizuko, opening September 27, 2025.  Global Icons, Local Spotlight highlights works by celebrated artists of the 20th century such as Louise Bourgeois and Jasper Johns, and contemporary luminaries including Nick Cave and Mickalene Thomas from the collection of Jordan Schnitzer, one of Oregon’s foremost art collectors and the son of philanthropist and longtime PAM supporter Arlene Schnitzer. Yoshida Chizuko will present the first major retrospective to focus on the groundbreaking 20th-century painter and printmaker Yoshida Chizuko (1924–2017), a pioneering woman modernist from Japan. With recent acquisitions drawn from PAM’s collection, the exhibition will feature several works by the oft-overlooked artist that have never been exhibited.

PAM’s transformation centers on the creation of the 21,881-square-foot Mark Rothko Pavilion, which provides a new transparent, welcoming “front door” to the museum. The glass Pavilion connects the Museum’s two historic buildings—the landmark 1932 Main Building to the south, designed by Pietro Belluschi, and the Mark Building to the north, a former Masonic Temple designed by Frederick Fritsch in 1924—creating streamlined circulation across all four floors of gallery space. Upon the project’s unveiling, visitors will experience new, more intuitive pathways to encounter art throughout the entirely reimagined permanent galleries. 

PAM’s collection & reinstalled galleries

PAM’s far-ranging collection encompasses Northwest art, Native American art, Asian art, European and American art, prints and drawings, photography, and modern and contemporary art. Over the past two decades, the Museum has significantly expanded its collection to add works by historically underrepresented artists from across the region and the broader U.S., with an emphasis on acquiring works by women, Native American, and Black artists, as well as by other artists of color. New acquisitions to the collection will be on view both in PAM’s galleries and in newly created outdoor public spaces, providing opportunities for the entire Portland community to engage with and experience art.

The reinstalled galleries will adopt a new approach to exhibiting PAM’s collections, shifting from traditional chronological and geography-based presentations to thematic displays that emphasize place, community, and identity, and tell stories that speak to the interests of Oregon audiences and foster critical dialogue. Several collection galleries will reflect a more collaborative, cross-departmental approach to curation that allows visitors to discover new interpretations of and unexpected connections between the works on view.

PAM’s new campus

The pavilion is named in honor of Mark Rothko (1903–1970), who spent his childhood in Portland after his family emigrated from Latvia and who took classes at the Museum’s art school, reflecting a unique partnership between PAM and the Rothko family. Further underscoring this connection, when it reopens the Museum will present a focused exhibition of the late artist’s work in the Museum’s Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art, featuring works on loan from the Rothko family’s unparalleled collection, the National Gallery of Art, and private collectors.

The Rothko Pavilion is clad in custom, white-fritted and semi-transparent glass, offering glimpses of the art and activity within during the day, and acting as a glowing beacon for the arts downtown when illuminated at night. The Pavilion’s design incorporates an open-air passageway through the building connecting the museum’s East and West Entry Plazas to Portland’s South Park Blocks. The sheltered passageway provides unique views into the lobby and galleries for pedestrians and bicyclists who pass by.

The transformed campus also creates areas for the community to rest, reflect, and gather—inside the museum, on second and fourth-floor terraces overlooking the street and parks below, and in an outdoor public plaza on the west side of the new Pavilion. A new café and expanded store will also be accessible from the West Plaza, providing another public entry point.

Investing in PAM’s future

The Connection Campaign, PAM’s fundraising campaign to expand its campus and increase the Museum’s endowment, has raised 90 percent of its $141 million goal, 98 percent of which is privately funded. The campaign includes $111 million in construction costs and $30 million to grow the Museum’s endowment, ensuring that it remains a civic anchor for generations to come. More than 600 donors have expressed their support through contributions to the campaign as of March 2025, with gifts ranging in size from $1,000 to over $13 million. Fundraising is ongoing, with the campaign recently having entered its public phase. The Museum is welcoming gifts from donors at all levels.  

Learn more and join in supporting this once-in-a-generation project.

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Portland Art Museum (PAM) today announced that it will create a dedicated gallery space with exhibition programming focused on Black art and experiences, thanks to a generous multi-year grant from 1803 Fund. The award establishes a five-year partnership between PAM and 1803 Fund, a nonprofit committed to rebuilding and strengthening the historically Black community in North and Northeast Portland.

Situated on the first floor of PAM’s Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art in the Mark Building, the new gallery space will be visible through the Museum’s transparent façade as visitors traverse a public community passageway, expanding the reach of these installations and contributing to the integration of cultural and public life in downtown Portland. The Black Art and Experiences gallery will open in late 2025 in tandem with the unveiling of PAM’s broader campus expansion and renovation project, which will completely transform the existing Museum and create a vital “cultural commons” in the heart of downtown Portland.

“We are deeply grateful to 1803 Fund for the support and recognition of PAM as a beacon for all of Portland’s diverse audiences and are thrilled for the opportunity to provide a platform for voices that have often been marginalized in the broader art world,” said Brian Ferriso, Director of the Portland Art Museum. “Through this partnership, we want to continue to spotlight the ongoing growth and vitality of Portland’s Black artistic community, as well as nationally and internationally recognized Black artists, to create an inclusive and welcoming space that resonates with generations of visitors to come.”

Through this partnership, PAM will continue to build upon efforts to diversify its collection and exhibition programming and uplift historically underrepresented artists. With the creation of the Black Art and Experiences gallery, the Museum will have a dedicated space to showcase works by local, regional, and global Black artists and present exhibitions, performances, and programs that reflect the multitude of Black experiences. At inception, PAM is organizing exhibitions and programs of new work as well as collection presentations with the ultimate goal of securing funding to establish an endowment to hire a dedicated curatorial position. The new gallery is the latest initiative in PAM’s ongoing commitment to center Black voices, most recently reflected in the 2023 exhibition Black Artists of Oregon, curated by Intisar Abioto, which explored the Black diasporic experiences particular to the Pacific Northwest from the 1880s to the present day.

The inaugural presentation in PAM’s new Black Art and Experiences Gallery, opening in late 2025, will encompass four exhibitions. This will include Tenderhead, a solo exhibition featuring new works and a site-specific installation by Portland artist Lisa Jarrett; an exhibition of prints by Black artists drawn from PAM’s collection, including recent acquisitions of works by Derrick Adams, Robert Pruitt, Alison Saar, Gary Simmons, and others;  Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers) (2016), a video installation by  Mickalene Thomas; and Conductions: Black Imaginings, a series of performances with artists Noah Beckham, Miles Greenberg, and Bridgette Hickey. The exhibitions are organized by Portland Art Museum curatorial staff: Sara Krajewski, Jaleesa Johnston, and Mary Weaver Chapin.

1803 Fund seeks to nurture collaboration, autonomy, and power in Black Portland, through social and financial investment. Launched in 2020 with funding provided by Phil and Penny Knight, the Fund centers culture as one of three key program areas, and supports projects that celebrate creativity and sustain the communal element of Black artistic life in the city. The partnership between 1803 and PAM serves to amplify the Museum’s role as an important source of inspiration for those who live and work in Oregon, and an essential cultural lifeline for the region’s diverse communities.

“1803 Fund is excited to partner with the Portland Art Museum for Black Art and Experiences,” said Rukaiyah Adams, Chief Executive Officer of 1803 Fund. “This partnership is a meaningful evolution—moving from Black artists and audiences petitioning for admission into hushed, venerated spaces, and moving toward working in collaboration on dynamic places that uplift our collective creativity and highest aspirations. We are excited to become strategic partners to PAM.”

The new gallery space is a key component of PAM’s broader campus transformation. Adding nearly 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space, the project provides increased access to the Museum’s exhibitions and programs, new ways to experience its robust collection and new amenities that address the needs of more diverse audiences. Upon the project’s completion, visitors will encounter an entirely new Museum experience with completely reinstalled galleries and new, more intuitive pathways to encounter art.

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As we enter a new year, I am pleased to share that the second half of 2024 was filled with powerful works of art, major accomplishments, community connections, and much more. We kept our doors open during our ongoing campus transformation project with exhibitions offering a wide range of art and experiences for visitors. Future Now: From Virtual Sneakers to Cutting Edge Kicks and Monet to Matisse offered a delightful juxtaposition of art forms, while Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm and Psychedelic Rock Posters and Fashion of the 1960s highlight pivotal cultural moments. Across town, we celebrated one year of PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater on Portland’s east side, and across the globe, we closed our historic exhibition representing the United States at the Venice Biennale in Italy, known as the Olympics of the art world. 

We also continued our free access days—Free First Thursdays, supported by the Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All Program, and quarterly Miller Family Community Free Days—serving more than 20,000 visitors since July 2024. Thank you for your continued support, and cheers to 2025.

Sincerely, 

Brian Ferriso, Director, Portland Art Museum

Program highlights & news

Campus Transformation

In October 2024, the Museum shared more details about what visitors will experience in the reinstalled galleries later this year. The project to transform the existing museum will add almost 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space. Expanded and renovated galleries will feature a complete reinstallation of the Museum’s wide-ranging collection, highlighting nearly 300 major new acquisitions including works by Jeffrey Gibson, Simone Leigh, Ugo Rondinone, Wendy Red Star, Pedro Reyes, Marie Watt, and Carrie Mae Weems, alongside works that are rarely or have never before been on view, revealing new perspectives that emphasize key themes of place, community, and identity.

• July 2024 marked the topping-out construction milestone for the final steel beam placement on the Mark Rothko Pavilion. 
• Travel + Leisure: The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2025
• The Observer, a well-respected British publication, included the Portland Art Museum in its list of the “most anticipated art museum openings and expansions of 2025.”

Venice Biennale

Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibition, the space in which to place me, closed on November 24 after an incredible seven months. The Portland Art Museum and SITE Santa Fe, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, presented Jeffrey Gibson as the representative for the United States at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Nearly 570,000 people from around the world visited the exhibition in Venice, Italy, providing unparalleled visibility for the Museum and the city of Portland. 

The exhibition also included an educational component so that its impact could be shared broadly for years to come. A convening organized by Bard College’s Center for Indigenous Studies (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY) in collaboration with the Portland Art Museum and SITE Santa Fe, brought together practitioners, academics, artists, and theorists for a symposium to explore the relationship between Indigenous North American cultures and global histories. Five Oregon educators from public schools and universities traveled to Venice to participate and their work will live on as part of the Smithsonian’s Native Knowledge 360°.  

• Hyperallergic – A Swell of Native Pride at Jeffrey Gibson’s Venice Symposium
• Miller Family Free Day celebrates the space in which to place me

Monet’s Waterlilies

In May, the Museum received Bank of America funding for the restoration of Monet’s Waterlilies, a visitor favorite. The conservation project, led by PAM conservator Charlotte Ameringer, is focused on returning Waterlilies to Monet’s intended appearance by removing a non-original varnish to bring back the soft, subtle colors and variations of texture and luminosity.

• OPB – Portland Art Museum begins painstaking Claude Monet restoration
• Portland Monthly – Getting Handsy with Monet’s Water Lilies at PAM

The conservation process has been documented through a series of videos and culminates in just a few months when Waterlilies will be on view as part of the new exhibition Monet’s Floating Worlds at Giverny: Portland’s Waterlilies Resurfaces.

PAM CUT // Center for an Untold Tomorrow

In June PAM CUT held the 5th annual Cinema Unbound Awards. The awards honor artistic innovators working at the intersection of art and cinematic storytelling and celebrate multidisciplinary artists who push the boundaries of what’s possible in media arts. 
November marked the first anniversary of the opening of PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater in SE Portland. Since opening its doors the theater has welcomed nearly 40,000 guests for hundreds of unique, one-night-only events that combine two or more art forms that celebrate storytelling in all its forms. From internationally known artists like David Byrne, Ani DiFranco, Ruth E. Carter, and Julio Torres to free events and $5 family movies to bingo nights, crafternoons, and more. It has been a resounding success.

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