Bank of America funding supports one of the largest capital arts projects in Oregon history and launches the Business Champions Circle
The Portland Art Museum (PAM) has been awarded $500,000 from Bank of America in support of the Museum’s historic campus transformation. The $111 million expansion is one of the most significant capital investments in the arts in the history of Oregon. This generous gift also launches PAM’s Business Champions Circle, a new initiative inviting other businesses to invest in the future of the arts and recognize the critical role this project will play in the civic and economic revitalization of downtown Portland.
PAM’s campus expansion and renovation will completely transform the existing museum and create a vital “cultural commons” in the heart of downtown Portland and will open to the public in late 2025. 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 extensive collection and new amenities that address the needs of more diverse audiences. The project centers on the creation of the new 24,000-square-foot Mark Rothko Pavilion, which will provide a transparent, welcoming “front door” to the museum. Designed for increased visitor accessibility, the glass Pavilion will connect the museum’s two historic buildings, creating streamlined circulation across all four floors of gallery space.
“Our transformed campus will invite visitors to make meaningful connections with art, find inspiration, and spark their creativity,” said Brian Ferriso, Director of the Portland Art Museum. “We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for their leadership and generous support, which underscores their commitment to strengthening cultural institutions and their role in revitalizing communities. The new PAM will become a vibrant destination for residents and tourists alike, helping to reinvigorate downtown Portland and contribute to the broader economic recovery of our city.”
By supporting PAM’s transformation, Bank of America underscores the importance of investing in cultural institutions that drive economic growth and tourism. The Museum’s expansion will attract visitors from across the region and around the world, generating revenue for local businesses, hotels, and restaurants, while positioning Portland as a major cultural destination.
Business investments in cultural institutions such as PAM contribute directly to the economic health and cultural vitality of their communities. The arts not only enhance quality of life but also have a measurable impact on tourism, job creation, and local economies. A revitalized Portland Art Museum will support downtown’s recovery by drawing visitors back to the city’s core, creating a ripple effect that drives commerce to local businesses, supporting local jobs, and contributing to a vibrant community. In the City of Portland, nonprofit arts and culture organizations spent an estimated $237.8 million in 2022, which supported 4,435 jobs and generated $59.1 million in local, state, and federal government revenue.
“Bank of America’s support of the arts as a driving force in the revitalization of Portland’s economy comes at a crucial time for our city,” said Roger Hinshaw, president of Bank of America Oregon and Southwest Washington. “PAM is Portland’s preeminent visual arts organization, and this support for their transformation is a further demonstration of our ongoing commitment to responsible growth that we hope will serve as a larger catalyst—attracting others from the business community to support the Corporate Champions Circle—as we work together to bring back a vibrant and inclusive downtown.”
The renovation will culminate with a complete reinstallation of the Museum’s encyclopedic collection, which includes Northwest art, Native American art, Asian art, American and European art, modern and contemporary art, prints and drawing, photography, and new media and film. The Museum’s collection is distinguished by its strong sense of place, with art that reflects the regional landscape and works spanning generations of nationally renowned artists who have all drawn inspiration from Oregon’s natural beauty and Portland’s creative culture.
The transformed campus will provide areas for visitors 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 be accessible from the West Plaza, which also provides another public entry point to PAM. Additionally, the 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 museum galleries and the Commons for passersby.
PAM’s campus is a cornerstone of the downtown Portland cultural district, serving as an important source of inspiration for those who live and work in Oregon. The Museum also radiates its impact out beyond its walls with programming and partnerships that reach communities across the state and Southwest Washington. 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.
The Business Champions Circle will bring together visionary leaders interested in investing in the arts to build a brighter future for our city. The Business Champions Circle honors those business leaders who recognize that the arts are a spark for the economy while improving Portland residents’ quality of life and forging community connection and learning.
Bank of America is one of PAM’s longstanding partners and has been involved with many initiatives at the Museum, including support of past PAM exhibitions Jeffrey Gibson: They Come From Fire; Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism; and Paris 1900: City of Entertainment, among others. Bank of America has also supported two conservation projects at the Museum: in 2019 PAM received an Art Conservation Project grant for the conservation of the Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes, the iconic sculpture in front of the museum on SW Park Avenue, and in 2024 PAM received an Art Conservation Project grant to support the restoration of Claude Monet’s Waterlilies, one of the French painter’s most universally recognized oil-on-canvas paintings, to return the work to Monet’s intended appearance. The financial institution has also lent works from its private collection to PAM and the museum is a Bank of America Museums on Us Partner, where bank clients can use their debit or credit cards to obtain free entry into the museum the first full weekend of every month.
