Art lovers will want to make a beeline for the Portland Art Museum, the oldest museum in the Pacific Northwest. Since it's founding in 1892, the Museum has amassed an impressive and diverse collection of paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photography, and cultural arts from the far reaches of the globe. From European sculpture to Native American art to African art from Cameroon, the Museum has something for all tastes.
In addition to their collections, the Museum's massive complex houses two exquisite ballrooms, the 33,000-volume Art Study Center, and headquarters for the Northwest Film Center. Public programs include exhibit tours, the Art & Conversation informal lecture series, and Family Drop-in Sundays, where kids can stop by for artmaking activities led by the museum's educators and local artists. The Museum Café offers visitors a pleasant place to take a break, enjoy a cup of tea, or have lunch served in the outdoor sculpture mall.
