To our community,
As we enter a new year, I am pleased to share that the second half of 2024 was filled with powerful works of art, major accomplishments, community connections, and much more. We kept our doors open during our ongoing campus transformation project with exhibitions offering a wide range of art and experiences for visitors. Future Now: From Virtual Sneakers to Cutting Edge Kicks and Monet to Matisse offered a delightful juxtaposition of art forms, while Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm and Psychedelic Rock Posters and Fashion of the 1960s highlight pivotal cultural moments. Across town, we celebrated one year of PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater on Portland’s east side, and across the globe, we closed our historic exhibition representing the United States at the Venice Biennale in Italy, known as the Olympics of the art world.
We also continued our free access days—Free First Thursdays, supported by the Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All Program, and quarterly Miller Family Community Free Days—serving more than 20,000 visitors since July 2024. Thank you for your continued support, and cheers to 2025.
Sincerely, 
Brian Ferriso, Director, Portland Art Museum
Program highlights & news
Campus Transformation
In October 2024, the Museum shared more details about what visitors will experience in the reinstalled galleries later this year. The project to transform the existing museum will add almost 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space. Expanded and renovated galleries will feature a complete reinstallation of the Museum’s wide-ranging collection, highlighting nearly 300 major new acquisitions including works by Jeffrey Gibson, Simone Leigh, Ugo Rondinone, Wendy Red Star, Pedro Reyes, Marie Watt, and Carrie Mae Weems, alongside works that are rarely or have never before been on view, revealing new perspectives that emphasize key themes of place, community, and identity.
- July 2024 marked the topping-out construction milestone for the final steel beam placement on the Mark Rothko Pavilion.
- Travel + Leisure: The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2025
- The Observer, a well-respected British publication, included the Portland Art Museum in its list of the “most anticipated art museum openings and expansions of 2025.”
Venice Biennale
Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibition, the space in which to place me, closed on November 24 after an incredible seven months. The Portland Art Museum and SITE Santa Fe, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, presented Jeffrey Gibson as the representative for the United States at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Nearly 570,000 people from around the world visited the exhibition in Venice, Italy, providing unparalleled visibility for the Museum and the city of Portland.
The exhibition also included an educational component so that its impact could be shared broadly for years to come. A convening organized by Bard College’s Center for Indigenous Studies (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY) in collaboration with the Portland Art Museum and SITE Santa Fe, brought together practitioners, academics, artists, and theorists for a symposium to explore the relationship between Indigenous North American cultures and global histories. Five Oregon educators from public schools and universities traveled to Venice to participate and their work will live on as part of the Smithsonian’s Native Knowledge 360°.
- Hyperallergic – A Swell of Native Pride at Jeffrey Gibson’s Venice Symposium
- Miller Family Free Day celebrates the space in which to place me
Monet’s Waterlilies
In May, the Museum received Bank of America funding for the restoration of Monet’s Waterlilies, a visitor favorite. The conservation project, led by PAM conservator Charlotte Ameringer, is focused on returning Waterlilies to Monet’s intended appearance by removing a non-original varnish to bring back the soft, subtle colors and variations of texture and luminosity.
- OPB – Portland Art Museum begins painstaking Claude Monet restoration
- Portland Monthly – Getting Handsy with Monet’s Water Lilies at PAM
The conservation process has been documented through a series of videos and culminates in just a few months when Waterlilies will be on view as part of the new exhibition Monet’s Floating Worlds at Giverny: Portland’s Waterlilies Resurfaces.
PAM CUT // Center for an Untold Tomorrow
In June PAM CUT held the 5th annual Cinema Unbound Awards. The awards honor artistic innovators working at the intersection of art and cinematic storytelling and celebrate multidisciplinary artists who push the boundaries of what’s possible in media arts.
November marked the first anniversary of the opening of PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater in SE Portland. Since opening its doors the theater has welcomed nearly 40,000 guests for hundreds of unique, one-night-only events that combine two or more art forms that celebrate storytelling in all its forms. From internationally known artists like David Byrne, Ani DiFranco, Ruth E. Carter, and Julio Torres to free events and $5 family movies to bingo nights, crafternoons, and more. It has been a resounding success.
