Designed in partnership by Portland\u2019s 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\u2019s robust collection. The expanded and renovated galleries will feature a complete reinstallation of the Museum\u2019s wide-ranging collection, highlighting nearly 300 major new acquisitions<\/a> including works by Jeffrey Gibson, Simone Leigh<\/strong>, and Ugo Rondinone<\/strong>, 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<\/a>, showcasing works, exhibitions, and performances by local, regional, and global emerging and established Black artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Museum\u2019s transformed campus is a result of a decades-long vision to better serve our community as the cornerstone of Portland\u2019s downtown cultural district,\u201d said Brian Ferriso<\/strong>, Director of the Portland Art Museum. \u201cAs 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\u2019t wait for everyone to experience the new PAM this November.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s landmark 1932 Main Building prior to the fall, and PAM\u2019s new caf\u00e9 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,<\/em> opening September 6, 2025, and Yoshida Chizuko, <\/em>opening September 27, 2025. Global Icons, Local Spotlight<\/em> highlights works by celebrated artists of the 20th century such as Louise Bourgeois<\/strong> and Jasper Johns<\/strong>, and contemporary luminaries including Nick Cave<\/strong> and Mickalene Thomas<\/strong> from the collection of Jordan Schnitzer, one of Oregon\u2019s foremost art collectors and the son of philanthropist and longtime PAM supporter Arlene Schnitzer. Yoshida Chizuko<\/em> will present the first major retrospective to focus on the groundbreaking 20th-century painter and printmaker Yoshida Chizuko<\/strong> (1924\u20132017), a pioneering woman modernist from Japan. With recent acquisitions drawn from PAM\u2019s collection, the exhibition will feature several works by the oft-overlooked artist that have never been exhibited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PAM\u2019s transformation centers on the creation of the 21,881-square-foot Mark Rothko Pavilion, which provides a new transparent, welcoming \u201cfront door\u201d to the museum. The glass Pavilion connects the Museum\u2019s two historic buildings\u2014the 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\u2014creating streamlined circulation across all four floors of gallery space. Upon the project\u2019s unveiling, visitors will experience new, more intuitive pathways to encounter art throughout the entirely reimagined permanent galleries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n PAM\u2019s 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\u2019s galleries and in newly created outdoor public spaces, providing opportunities for the entire Portland community to engage with and experience art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reinstalled galleries will adopt a new approach to exhibiting PAM\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pavilion is named in honor of Mark Rothko (1903\u20131970), who spent his childhood in Portland after his family emigrated from Latvia and who took classes at the Museum\u2019s 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\u2019s work in the Museum\u2019s Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art, featuring works on loan from the Rothko family\u2019s unparalleled collection, the National Gallery of Art, and private collectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s design incorporates an open-air passageway through the building connecting the museum\u2019s East and West Entry Plazas to Portland\u2019s South Park Blocks. The sheltered passageway provides unique views into the lobby and galleries for pedestrians and bicyclists who pass by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Chizuko_Valley-of-Butterflies-700x393.jpg\")
![\"Print](\"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/2020_0040_0001_20210109_01-Website-JPG-2600-700x488.jpg\")
PAM\u2019s collection & reinstalled galleries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Architectural](\"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/PAM-Exterior_EAST-02-e1691612645182-700x391.jpg\")
PAM\u2019s new campus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Rendering](\"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PAM_Rothko-Pavilion_Grand_Pavilion_Gallery-700x394.jpg\")