The Portland Art Museum unveils its major expansion and renovation to the public on November 20, 2025, with four days of free admission and activities. Tickets to the four-day celebration, November 20 – 23, are available for reservation beginning November 1, and day-of tickets will also be available.
On Thursday, November 20, the transformed Museum will officially open with a ribbon ceremony at noon, marking the opening of the new Mark Rothko Pavilion and a new era for art and community in Portland. The Museum will be open free to the public from noon to 5 p.m. on opening day, plus a free after-hours celebration 5 to 9 p.m. packed with food, music, and art inspiration. The celebration continues Friday through Sunday, November 21 – 23, with free admission 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and a range of activities throughout the day, including art making, DJ music, food trucks, curator conversations, educator-led programs, and happy hour at the Museum’s new cafe, Coquelico by Providore Fine Foods. Free admission to the Portland Art Museum’s grand opening days is generously supported by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program, which also provides support for the Museum’s monthly Free First Thursdays.
Anchored by the new, nearly 22,000-square-foot Mark Rothko Pavilion, which provides a new transparent, welcoming “front door” and connects the two campus buildings, the expansion project is one of the most significant capital investments in the arts in the history of Oregon. It adds nearly 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space, providing increased access to exhibitions and programs, updated amenities that address the needs of more diverse audiences, and new ways to experience the Museum’s robust collection. The galleries feature a complete reinstallation of the Museum’s wide-ranging collection, highlighting nearly 300 major new acquisitions including works by Marie Watt, Simone Leigh, Ugo Rondinone, Pedro Reyes, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Jeffrey Gibson, and Carrie Mae Weems, alongside works that are rarely or have never before been on view, revealing perspectives that emphasize key themes of place, community, and identity.
Visitors will experience a new approach to the collection, shifting from traditional chronological presentations to thematic displays that speak to the interests of Oregon audiences, tell little-known stories, and foster dialogue about the ideas shaping our lives. Several galleries also draw throughlines across the collection that allow discoveries of unexpected connections between works on view. Two special exhibitions, previously opened this fall, will also be on view: Yoshida Chizuko and Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer.
Expanded Campus, Expanded Hours
With the opening of the expanded campus, the Portland Art Museum is also expanding its hours for the community. Starting November 25, the Museum will be open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For our monthly Free First Thursdays (resuming in January), the Museum is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with free admission for the community.
Free tickets available November 1
Tickets for the free community days, November 20-23, can be reserved at portlandartmuseum.org starting November 1. Tickets for the expanded museum and exhibitions are available now; beginning November 1, admission is $27.50 for adults, $24.50 for seniors 65+, and $22.50 for students with ID. Admission is free for Museum members and for children 17 and under. To learn more about Museum membership, visit portlandartmuseum.org/membership.
Schedule of events and activities
Thursday, November 20 — Grand Opening Day
The celebration begins at 12 noon with a Ribbon Ceremony marking the opening of the new Mark Rothko Pavilion and a new era for art and community in Portland. The event includes remarks by civic and Museum leaders, a custom ribbon created by Portland Garment Factory, and live entertainment. The ceremony launches four days of free admission, inviting everyone to explore the transformed Museum.
Visitors enjoy free admission from 12 noon to 9 p.m. with access to newly installed galleries and recent acquisitions. From 5 to 9 p.m. the celebration continues with Museum Open Late, a free after-hours celebration featuring festive food and drinks, DJs, pop-up performances by local arts partners, and plenty of creative spirit. Guests are encouraged to dress inspired by their favorite artist or artwork—or simply come as they are.
Friday, November 21
Free admission all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests can Meet the Curator, with different curators featured each day. Look with Me, a rotating series of gallery talks, takes place from 12 noon to 3 p.m. In the Learning Studio, Artmaking activities run from 12 noon to 5 p.m., including felting with Labrie Rich from noon to 2 p.m. and make-and-take artwork with Jules Clementine from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Happy Hour follows from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the new cafe, Coquelico by Providore Fine Foods, featuring partners from the Everybody is an Art Person initiative. Throughout the day, Friends of Noise presents music in the Pavilion, with DJs performing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, November 22
Free admission all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Daily programs continue with Meet the Curator from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Look with Me/Art in ASL from 12:00 to 3 p.m., and Happy Hour from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The Black Art & Experiences Gallery hosts Riso Printmaking with Sharita Towne from 12 to 3 p.m.
Music fills the Pavilion from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., presented by Tender Loving Empire, featuring DJs and live performances in the galleries. Food trucks will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and family friendly art-making throughout the day led by PAM’s Venice Biennale Educator Cohort, a group of Oregon educators who have collaborated with artist Jeffrey Gibson to expand how contemporary Native art is taught and experienced for K-12 students.
Sunday, November 23
Free admission all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The weekend concludes with Meet the Curator from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Look with Me from 12 noon to 3 p.m., and Happy Hour from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.Riso Printmaking with Sharita Towne continues from 12 noon to 3 p.m., and Tender Loving Empire presents DJs and live music in the Pavilion from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Food trucks will again be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the Venice Biennale Educator Cohort programming rounding out the four-day celebration.
Access requests? Please email us at access@pam.org or leave a message at 503-276-4284. Deaf visitors can leave messages directly in ASL on our videophone at 503-420-3169.
Note: Free First Thursdays will pause in November and December as we celebrate the November 20 – 23 Grand Opening with four free days in a row. Free First Thursdays will return in January (January 8, since New Year’s Day museum closure falls on Free First Thursday). Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
Special thanks
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program for underwriting free admission to the grand openings.
We also gratefully acknowledge the support of our major funders, whose generosity helped make the inaugural year of exhibitions and programs possible. Presenting Sponsor: Mary and Tim Boyle; Lead Sponsors: William G. Gilmore Foundation, Mary and Pete Mark Family Foundation, Meier Family Fund, and Anonymous; Major Sponsors: Greg and Cathy Tibbles, Pat and Trudy Ritz; Sponsors: Alix and Tom Goodman, Grace Serbu and Ivan Gold, The Smidt Foundation, Darci and Charlie Swindells, Mr. and Mrs. William A. Whitsell, and Janet Macomber Williamson.
