Portland Spoke - The Official Blog of Travel Portland » Arts & Culture

Tonight’s a Night for the Theater!

Amy Stoner — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:24:46 +0000

With our busy lives, it often seems like there’s never enough time to take in many arts and culture offerings. However, I made a pledge this year that I would make the effort to savor all that Portland has to offer with our live music, theater and arts scene. I recently enjoyed an amazing performance [...]

Oregon Symphony Dazzles and Amazes

Tim Mongin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:23:38 +0000

It was date night and I had to come up with something special to placate the better half. Lucky for me, an e-mail hadpopped into my inbox earlier in the week with the perfect date idea: Catching the Oregon Symphony’s performance of “The New World Symphony.” With Musical Director Carlos Kalmar at the helm, I [...]

I Am not a Horse Person, but …

Barbara Steinfeld — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:29:32 +0000

I am not a horse person. I like horses and have even ridden them over the years but I don’t count as a real horse person who understands the nuance of a horse. But that doesn’t matter. I went to the opening of Cavalia this week and it blew me away. It was amazing. It [...]

Presentpalooza! Artisan gifts pop up all over

Laura Guimond — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:52:52 +0000

Bring on the holidays – the pop-up shops are back! Four destination shopping experiences, available only in November and December, are now open for business throughout downtown. Boys’ Fort, a fantastical venue created by two theater designers, offers everything from salvaged wood tables and reclaimed lighting to men’s wallets and women’s bangles. The nonprofit Trillium Artisans [...]

Holiday Theater and Dance Preview

Oregon Arts Watch — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:37:40 +0000

How do you get in the holiday spirit? Well, elves help and so do ghosts of Christmases Past. Somehow Rat Kings and Nutcrackers figure and so do Bing Crosby, a Red Ryder BB gun and maybe an angel or two. We can’t guarantee a white Christmas in Portland, but there’s plenty of holiday cheer, with [...]

Holiday Music Preview: Nov. 4 through Dec. 4

Oregon Arts Watch — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:35:44 +0000

As usual, the city’s choirs offer a choice of performances of Handel’s famous “Messiah” oratorio (technically an Easter story), and plenty of other holiday-related sounds abound as well. But by mid-December we’ll likely be overloaded with carols and other holiday tunes, so it’s nice to know that Portland’s vibrant classical music scene offers both spiritual [...]

Holiday Music Preview: Dec. 11-26

Oregon Arts Watch — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:35:14 +0000

As the holidays draw nearer, Portland offers even more musical celebrations! “Gospel Christmas” Dec. 9-11 Oregon Symphony, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway Charles Floyd and the Northwest Community Gospel Choir return for the season’s most exuberant sounds. “Glory of Christmas” Dec. 11,16-18 Oregon Repertory Singers, St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1716 N.W. Davis St. Under [...]

The Color of Art – Portland Open Studios

Amy Stoner — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:07:58 +0000

Fall is my favorite time of year, and not just because I get to break out the knee socks and enjoy the changing colors. I am infatuated with fall because it signals my favorite annual art event — Portland Open Studios! Imagine getting two weekends to enjoy the art of 100 local artists, all exhibiting [...]

Fall Arts Preview: Visual Arts

Oregon Arts Watch — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:06:30 +0000

Fall visual art exhibitions in Portland are highlighted by celebrations surrounding the legacy of the late Bonnie Bronson, for whom the important Bonnie Bronson Fellowship award is named, and the 30-year track record of dealer Elizabeth Leach. The Portland Art Dealers Association also celebrates the 25th anniversary of the First Thursday art walk, which has [...]

Fall Arts Preview: Theater & Dance

Oregon Arts Watch — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:40:06 +0000

Theater in Portland has become progressively better and more adventurous in recent years, and the fall season looks especially inviting, between a visit from film star William Hurt and a slate of sharp-edged American plays. “Oklahoma!” — Portland Center Stage’s big musical of the year — adds a touch of the American classic. The dance [...]