08/05/2026
I was not an art major in college, am not an artist, and definitely never thought of myself as an art collector. BUT! Over the years as I’ve wandered Portland’s cultural corridor, enjoyed First Thursday, and met some incredible local artists.
I’ve learned that you don’t need to be fancy to appreciate art.
What matters is exploring what speaks to you. What do you love? What do you want to look at every day in your home?
My dear friend Liz of the Elizabeth Leach Gallery has inspired me so much in that department. When she asked if I’d like to help organize the first annual Portland Arts Week, it was an easy YES.
Liz’s vision for this annual event is to celebrate Portland’s art scene in partnership with other things that make our city great. The addition of the Portland Fire WNBA this year plus our obvious obsession with the Blazers, Timbers and Thorns, Pickles etc., made it easy to make the inaugural events centered around art and sports.
The first-ever Portland Arts Week is now officially one for the books. Watching this city show up for something brand new was awesome: galleries displayed sports related art, the Portland Art Museum help panel discussions on the impact of sports and art, there were free performance held in the new Darcelle Plaza and free community events and sports clinics.
It was energizing to think on the bigger themes for the event, but connecting my friend Coach Marshall Cho to this community was my absolute favorite part. Seeing the free basketball clinics come to life with kids and coaches alike thanks to Meadow Park Basketball, in downtown Portland was so special to see. If you don’t know Marshall, you need to, give him a follow!
So many people volunteered to make this weekend happen, including Arielle Weedman, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, etc as well as the entire advisory board for making the inaugural year happen. And thank you again to Coach Marshall Cho and Meadow Park Basketball for bringing your energy to the court. We were so glad to have you there.
This year’s event helped bring 394,682 visits to Downtown Portland! We’re already working on next year’s event, so get your taste buds ready!