This is a very nice museum - you can tell Portland is a city that values art and culture. The permament collection is pretty good, with many pieces from famous artists as well as some great works by lesser-known artists, and all the pieces are nicely displayed. The strongest draw for me is always their ability to attract wonderful traveling exhibits and other special shows, so there is even more to see and enjoy. The special exhibits that the museum brings are world-class, many only being found in a select group of museums worldwide.
They also have a neat gift shop and you can even rent artwork by local artists to take home and hang on your own wall at very reasonable prices and apply your rental fees toward purchase if you decide to do that. My mom did that and really enjoys the piece she ended up buying.
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