Is Portland the next art capital of America? (Jack Bog's Blog)

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on May 2, 2012 8:41 PM. The previous post in this blog was Why the Portland aerial tram is a failure. The next post in this blog is Magic Sam pulls another $7.3 million out of nowhere. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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« Why the Portland aerial tram is a failure | Main | Magic Sam pulls another $7.3 million out of nowhere »

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Is Portland the next art capital of America?

None other than the Wall Street Journal seems to think so. Seriously.

Posted at 8:41 PM | Permalink

Comments (13)

Great. So the suckup festival at the New York Times finally overflowed the bowl and the Journal caught the spill. Ah, well: it means a lot of really crappy artists are going to be chased by even more "investors" with more money than brains until the bubble bursts.

Posted by Texas Triffid Ranch | May 2, 2012 8:46 PM

Here come some more "creatives." The barista market just tightened up a bit. Time for the taxpayers to subsidize some more "workforce housing"!

Posted by Jack Bog | May 2, 2012 8:50 PM

Great. More Banksy wannabes

Posted by Mike H | May 2, 2012 9:18 PM

I was born here and can tell you Portland hasn't been a "rough logging town" or anything tough for a long, long time. It's gotta be one of the wimpiest cities I can think of.

And I'm sure there will be a few planners who will smile when they read this. Time for more artists lofts.

Ugh...

Posted by dg | May 2, 2012 9:49 PM

The only thing tough about Portland is the traffic.

Posted by Jo | May 3, 2012 1:36 AM

The only "tough" things about Portland are the aggressive bicyclists, and the street kids with their pit bulls demanding money.
Logging? The only logging done here any more is when TriMet cuts down trees to make way for the f*ing trolley tracks.

Posted by Portland Native | May 3, 2012 6:28 AM

Crabbiest. Thread. Ever.
Oh no, artists are innovating with their creations and ways to display and market their art. That's so...arty. It's not like galleries are a small business or anything, or that people might be drawn to visit Portland because of a vibrant art scene. Can't these hippies just cut down a few trees and make an honest living already?

Posted by Guggenheim | May 3, 2012 9:04 AM

Oddly, I agree with PN - this town hasn't been "rough" in years, though corruption runs deep.

It is ironic that Tri-Met cuts down half-century old trees with impunity, but CoPo will go after you if you cut one on "your" property.

But that's why we have the UGB - gotta preserve that precious farmland for growing small street trees for Tri-Met, PSU, OHSU, and the other developers.

We're gonna need a bigger Starbucks.

Posted by Max | May 3, 2012 10:39 AM

The only thing tough about Portland is the traffic.

I think you forgot the /sarcasm tag for that sentence.

I'm settling in here nicely, but I still chuckle at this area's notion of "traffic". Try the DC Beltway at 5:30 PM on a Friday afternoon. Now that's traffic!

Posted by tommyspoon | May 3, 2012 10:40 AM

Max, I think you and I agree about a lot of things....seriously!

Posted by Portland Native | May 3, 2012 11:39 AM

I weep for art if we are the new capital. Once again, Portlandia. The rest of the world obviously sees us as a bunch of celler dwellers biking around on our sustainable roads in search of a vegan burger...an adult daycare center for the overeducated/underemployed. Great.

Posted by George | May 3, 2012 12:00 PM

Can't help but notice the writer spent most of the article praising the art spaces and not the art they contain. If Portland was the next art capital of America, shouldn't they be able to come up more than one photograph of a pretty generic-looking gallery piece?

Posted by Kevin | May 3, 2012 12:53 PM

But that's why we have the UGB - gotta preserve that precious farmland for growing small street trees for Tri-Met, PSU, OHSU, and the other developers.

Don't forget, land for McMansions and estates.

I have written about this before, why are we importing food from China and other places, making it more expensive, when we have rain and farmland here, but yes, where I used to see acres and acres of farmland growing food, I now see the street trees being grown on those acres.

Posted by clinamen | May 3, 2012 2:07 PM

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Charamba, Douro 2008
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Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
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Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
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Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
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Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
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La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
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Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
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Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
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Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
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The Occasional Book

Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
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J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
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Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
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Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt

Road Work

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