Around the Pearl: September First Thursday Gallery Walk Guide!
Kicking off September and the end of summer with a list of our favorite First Thursday gallery events!
Portland’s original creative district is overflowing with fabulous gallery openings and exhibitions. Thursday, September 5th, is First Thursday! Enjoy the many galleries throughout the Pearl and the always entertaining Street Gallery on the historic NW 13th Avenue. Check out the latest edition of the PADA ART GUIDE for more art events throughout Portland. Looking for more amazing happenings in Portland’s Original Creative District? Check out #AroundthePearl for the latest Pearl District events and activities!
First Thursday Art Walk: Pearl District Galleries
Augen Gallery
Owned and directed by Bob Kochs since 1979, the Augen Gallery has exhibited prints and works on paper by national and internationally known artists for the past 29-plus years. The gallery maintains an active exhibition schedule for the regional artists it represents and emerging artists from all regions of the country.
Art About Architecture: Works by Peter Paul and Mark Bennett,
Augen Gallery is proud to host two exhibitions this month: Art About Architecture: Works by Peter Paul and Mark Bennett and All These Years: a Retrospective by Morgan Walker.
First Thursday Opening: September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00 - 7:45 pm
Artist Reception and Talk with Morgan Walker: Saturday, September 7th, 2 pm
Exhibition Dates: September 5th–September 28th, 2024
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11:30 am - 5:00 pm (and by appointment)
Location: 716 NW Davis Street, Pearl District, Portland, 97209
Image: Dresden Template, Peter Paul
All These Years: a Retrospective, by Morgan Walker
First Thursday Opening: September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00 - 7:45 pm
Artist Reception and Talk with Morgan Walker: Saturday, September 7th, 2 pm
Exhibition Dates: September 5th–September 28th, 2024
Image: Morgan Walker 1963 Graces
Blue Sky Gallery
Blue Sky’s mission is to inspire and build community between contemporary photographic artists and our audiences through exhibitions, publications, and dialogue.
Ides of Gender by Zach Oren
Blue Sky Gallery will host a First Thursday gallery opening to celebrate their upcoming exhibitions: Ornithographies by Xavi Bou and Ides of Gender by Zach Oren.
First Thursday Opening: September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00–9:00 pm
Artist talkback with Zach Oren: Saturday, September 7th, 3:30 pm
Exhibition Date: September 5th–28th, 2024
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 12:00 –5:00 pm
Location: 122 Northwest 8th Avenue, Pearl District, Portland, 97209
Image: Zach Oren
Ornithographies by Xavi Bou
First Thursday Opening: September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00–9:00 pm
Artist talkback with Xavi Bou: Saturday, September 7th, 2:00 pm
Exhibition Date: September 5th–28th, 2024
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 12:00 –5:00 pm
Image: Xavi Bou
Blackfish Gallery
Located in the Pearl District, Blackfish is renowned for its dynamic exhibitions featuring contemporary art by both local and international artists. With a commitment to artistic excellence and cultural enrichment, Blackfish Gallery remains a cornerstone of Portland's thriving arts scene.
Caverna Clara by Corey S. Pressman
Blackfish Gallery is currently hosting Caverna Clara by Corey S. Pressman. “The mind’s bright cave is a blur of shifting colors and forms, calls and responses, wanderings and dissolutions. The works in Clara Caverna bring this kaleidoscopic shadow play to light.” - Blackfish Gallery
First Thursday Opening: September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Exhibition Dates: September 4th–28th, 2024
Artist Talks: Saturday, September 14th, 2:00 pm
Gallery Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: 938 NW Everett Street, Portland, OR 97209
Elizabeth Leach Gallery
Featuring regional and international artists across various mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, and multimedia, the gallery remains a vital cultural hub. Its dedication to outstanding artistry and engaging exhibitions makes it an essential destination for art enthusiasts in Portland.
MK Guth | Distant Dreamer
In this impressive gathering of recent work, Guth has revisited her own archive and cherry-picked some of the classic material and thematic highlights that have helped define her output over the last 30 years. Full of adjacent tangents and aestheticized renditions, the result is what one could call a “performance” by an indomitable artist very much connected to her own thesis.
The Froelick Gallery
Froelick Gallery exhibits and represents a diverse roster of contemporary artists, each with strong and independent voices. Their artists live in the Pacific Northwest, throughout the US, and in Tokyo. In October 1995, the gallery opened in Downtown Portland and relocated in 2007 to the historic DeSoto Building between Old Town and the Pearl District.
Gente de Rio by Orlando Amandza.
The Froelick Gallery is thrilled to host Treachery of Images by Jake Scharbach and Gente de Rio by Orlando Amandza. Sharbach’s work is “a tongue-in-cheek revamp of “This is not a pipe, “the birthing grounds for postmodern lingual trickery,” which pairs beautifully with Almanza’s beautiful group portraits highlighting the communities important in his life.
Date: September 3rd - October 12th, 2024
Time: 5:00 –8:00 pm
Location: 714 NW Davis Street, Pearl District, Portland, 97209
Image: Orlando Almanza, Atardecer en el Río Yáquimo, 2024 oil on canvas 60 x 72 in (ALM046)
Treachery of Images by Jake Scharbac
Date: September 3rd - October 12th, 2024
Time: 5:00 –8:00 pm
Gallery 114
Gallery 114, situated in our 1100 building, is a prominent venue for contemporary art exhibitions. Through its curated shows and community-focused events, Gallery 114 enriches the Pearl District’s cultural landscape, offering a platform for artistic exploration and engagement.
Bloom by Dianne Jean Erickson and guest artists
CHAS MARTIN and CANDYCE SCOTT
”My series, Bloom, is an exploration of how I perceive flowers, capturing not their literal existence, but the essence they evoke within me.
Each piece in the series is a reflection of my inner vision, where the vibrant life of the garden merges with the fluidity of paint. Through a painterly approach, I strive to convey the beauty and emotion that flowers inspire in me, transforming them into vivid expressions of color and form.”
- Dianne Jean Erickson, artist statement
First Thursday Opening September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Exhibition Dates: September 5th–28th, 2024.
Artists' Talk: Saturday, September 21, 2:00 to 4:00 pm
Gallery Hours: Thursday through Sunday from 12:00 – 5:00 pm
Location: 1100 NW Glisan Street, Portland, OR. 97209
Image: Dianne Jean Erickson, A Sudden Romance, acrylic on canvas, floater frame 30" square
J. Pepin Art Gallery
The J Pepin Art Gallery, located in the Pearl District Portfolio’s Maytag Building, offers a captivating showcase of artworks during the summer months. Known for its eclectic mix of paintings, sculptures, and multimedia installations, the gallery highlights the creative vision of local artists. J. Pepin Art Gallery reframes the perception of mental illness as one of mental health. Along with their work, the artists share their own journeys with mental health, creating a much-needed dialog.
11 Year Anniversary Exhibit
First Thursday Opening: September 5th, 2024
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Exhibition Date: September 5th–29th
Gallery Hours:
Monday–Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday - Saturday: 12:00 – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 – 4:00 pm and by Appointment
Location: Maytag Building, 532 NW 12th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209
Laura Vincent Design & Gallery
Established in 2018, Laura Vincent Design & Gallery defines its artistic program through the work of represented contemporary artists with soulful and discerning voices. Exhibition-based, the gallery hosts shows of regional, national, and international artwork.
What Meets the Eye by Bethany Rowland
“I believe in the power of art to transform us, often in mysterious ways, much in the way regarding another being with an open heart transforms us. It involves listening. Seeing. Feeling and imagining the heart and soul of another with compassion and curiosity.” - Bethany Rowland, artist statement
First Thursday Opening: September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Exhibition Date: Aug 31st–September 28th, 2024
Gallery Hours: Tuesday–Saturday | 11:00 am–5:30 pm
A Dialogue with the Artist: Saturday, September 21, 11:00 am
Location: 824 NW Davis Street
Portland, OR 97209
Image: Bethany Rowland
Waterstone Gallery
Waterstone Gallery is a contemporary artist-owned and operated gallery in Portland’s Pearl District, home to a vibrant arts scene. The gallery has been operating for over 30 years and presents dynamic, thought-provoking, and beautifully crafted visual art by Oregon artists.
Greg Wilbur
in Collaboration with J
ohn Strohbehn
& Kristin Mitsu Shiga: Surface Tension
Surface Tension will be shown at Waterstone Gallery until the 29th. This highly collaborative collection of sculptures honors the friendship and collaboration of these artists.
First Thursday Opening: 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Exhibition Date: September 4th - 29th, 2024
Gallery Hours: Wednesday–Saturday, 11:00 am–5:30 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: 124 NW 9th Avenue, Pearl District, Portland, OR 97209
Image: The Simple Life by Andrea Lopez
For more art events throughout Portland, check out the latest edition of the PADA ART GUIDE.
September First Thursday at PNCA
The Center for Contemporary Art & Culture at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) is excited to invite the public to the September First Thursday Art Walk in the North Park Blocks for exhibition openings, live music, refreshments, and more! There will be food, drinks, a live DJ, and a free photo booth! Come see openings featuring the next generation of our city’s up-and-coming artists!
Date: September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Location: 511 NW Broadway, Portland, OR 97209
Open Mic Night at Gather:Make:Shelter
Gather:Make:Shelter is a nonprofit founded to create opportunities for people experiencing houselessness and poverty to engage in collaborative, skill-building projects in creative fields, bringing houseless and housed people together to empower each other.
Join us for an evening of live music led by GMS Artists (and musicians!) Fawn and Madrone!
Date: Saturday, September 7th, 2024
Time: 6:30–9:00 pm
Where: 906 NW 14th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
First Thursday Street Gallery is organized by Urban Art Network in the Pearl District on the First Thursday of each month from April — October. It’s an open, inclusive celebration of local artists. Not to mention the restaurants and bars along 13th Avenue, which can’t be beat!
Date: September 5th, 2024
Time: 5:00 – 9:00 pm
Cost: Free!
Location: NW 13th Avenue between Flanders and Lovejoy, Pearl District, Portland, OR 97209
Around the Pearl
Visit #AroundthePearl to learn what’s going on in the Pearl District, and follow us on @pearldistrictportfolio. Sign up for the newsletter and follow us on social media.
Portland’s Original Creative District
We are committed to ensuring this mixed-use district continues to function as a vibrant center of art and culture, urban housing, and creativity. Through the adaptive reuse of our eight distinct buildings, we continue to honor the Pearl District's history while providing a range of spaces unique and unequaled in Portland.
The Pearl District Portfolio is proud to participate in the NW Community Conservancy's (NWCC) humanitarian and security initiative to enhance safety and livability for all who live, work, learn, and play in our neighborhood.
