Land of craft beer and hipster beards, Portlanders embrace a unique brand of self-expression, labeled everything from quirky to downright weird. As I discovered during a recent long-weekend venture to this Oregon tourist magnet, the city’s offbeat portrayal on hit show Portlandia is far from exaggerated. Wander into local shops and the “Keep Portland Weird” paraphernalia is geared as much toward locals as those of us exploring what the city has to offer.
“Portlanders have always been unapologetically who they are,” said Jeff Miller, president of Travel Portland. “As the city has grown and evolved, it has maintained a fearless and distinct identity—part Pacific Northwest and Earth-friendly vibe, part individualism and self-reliance.”
One of the best ways to tap into that individualistic vibe, as I discovered, is full immersion into Portland’s creative side, whether taking in a performance at one of the city’s many theater spaces, strolling its boutique stores or exploring any of its myriad group-friendly art spaces.
“The maker culture is deeply embedded in our roots and it is our one-of-a-kind spirit that continuously feeds thriving foodie, creative, artistic and cultural communities,” Miller said. “The city romances locals and visitors alike, giving them the space and freedom for their own versions of innovation and artistry. This inclusivity reminds us all that in Portland there are no boundaries for who you are or what you can do.”
Even my host hotel Kimpton Vintage Portland, which offers meetings and event spaces, serves as an outlet for local artists, with live music some nights, urban art decor and a wine-tasting social hour.
For groups, Travel Portland can help bring local artists and purveyors into any itinerary, from taiko drummers to food carts featuring the likes of homegrown ice-cream makers Salt & Straw.
“My goal at Travel Portland is to be the most innovative DMO in the country,” Miller said.
Free Expression
While Portland’s renowned indie book store Powell’s Books in the Pearl District makes headlines for its block-long lineup of reading options, smaller local shops such as MadeHere PDX help define the city. Brands include The Bitter Housewife, a husband-and-wife team that produces cocktail bitters, Fire Brew for tonics and Wooly Beast, which makes beard oil. The store is a perfect first stop for attendees to soak in the local culture. I also explored Portland’s Eastside, stopping en route in stores like Redux, representing 300 artists, and ZimZim, a boutique that overflows with cat paraphernalia, locally made jewelry and clothes, and “Portland Was Weirder Before You Moved Here” T-shirts.
Attendees can explore Portland’s creative side at art events like First Thursday in the Pearl District or the annual SE Area ARTwalk, which I was in town to experience. ARTwalk invites visitors to wander into personal studios, artist homes and small galleries to meet the artists themselves.
Portland’s larger arts venues, including the Portland Art Museum, cater to groups. The museum is adding the Rothko Pavilion, developed with the help of the children of artist Mark Rothko who lived in Portland. The pavilion will connect the museum’s buildings via a glass-walled structure and will include the loan of major works by Rothko.
Groundbreaking is scheduled to take place in 2018 with an expected completion date in late 2020 or early 2021. Current group venues include the Evan H. Roberts Sculpture Mall at 11,800 square feet and Marion Miller Gallery, with space for 200.
Groups can also utilize historic spaces, such as The Armory, where Portland Center Stage, the city’s largest theater group, performs. The 1891-era building, originally constructed for the Oregon National Guard, now offers its lobby space, as well as its U.S. Bank Stage Theater or Ellyn Bye Studio, for events.
“The Armory is a spectacular building, built inside the shell of an old building,” Miller said. “It’s an only-in-Portland type of building.”
Moda Center, home of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, also offers its suites as a blank canvas for group gatherings.
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Portland’s creative side extends toward food, as I discovered on my visit to Farm Spirit with its 10-course vegan tasting menu. Dishes can include herb fritters topped with carmelized sweet onion, mixed with fresh grated horseradish or a rye cannoli tube with filbert yogurt and sprouting purple broccoli.
Instead of a wine pairing I opted for the Housemade Temperance Flight featuring everything from apple-fennel shrub to chamomile kombucha.
Steven Smith Teamaker, located in an old blacksmith shop, takes tea to the point of art with tea tastings, hand-ground matcha green tea and specialties such as nitro chai. The main location in Northeast Portland offers classes and can host groups.
Group Classes
One way groups can explore their own creative talents in Portland is through a variety of classes, everything from cooking to glass blowing. ADX Art Design Portland, for example, offers a makers space with group classes and workshops, according to Miller. Its members receive access to wood and metal shops and more, while groups can participate in custom maker classes, such as screen-printing and lamp making.
“We can customize the lamp project so that we do the base and they can etch logos,” said Matt Preston, director of marketing and communications.
For events at ADX, local brewery Burnside Brewing can supply craft options, and ADX also allows catering.
I also paid a visit to Artemisia, a small horticultural shop that offers a variety of classes, such as make-your-own terrarium, according to founder Amy Bryant-Aiello. The shop can host 10 to 12 for a workshop or classes, or she can come to a meeting venue and offer larger workshops.
Another green space, the Portland Japanese Garden, recently unveiled a new $33.5 million Cultural Crossing expansion, with its centerpiece Cultural Village, offering performances and cultural demonstrations in the Tateuchi Courtyard. Groups can organize tea ceremonies or learn about the art of bonsai and ikebana—traditional flower arranging.
Locally crafted homewares store Carter & Rose offers private classes such as jewelry making and ceramics. Sewing classes for small groups are available through the Modern Domestic sewing studio and fabric store, and Klum House Workshop. Portland’s Culinary Workshop offers cooking classes and teambuilding workshops, while Parties That Cook also features teambuilding options and hands-on cooking classes.
One new venue for groups is the DIY Bar, which offers Craft + Sip art projects, ranging from making a cat scratcher to a leather passport holder using self-guided tutorials. The bar pours craft beer from local brewers as well as a diverse selection of Oregon wines. Full buyouts and private events are possible and “craft-tenders” are available to offer assistance.
The Business of Portland
For all of Portland’s creative flair, its business side provides the necessary impetus for meetings and conventions to flock to the city. One of the big stories is the upcoming Oregon Convention Center hotel, the Hyatt Regency Portland, which will be a 600-room hotel when its doors open in 2019.
According to Travel Portland, a survey of national meeting planners found that they were 79 percent more likely to book events at the Oregon Convention Center if there was an amenity-rich hotel next door. It is projected the Hyatt Regency Portland will help attract five to 10 new major convention events each year, boosting annual hotel business in the area by 70,000 to 110,000 new room nights.
“The hotel will help bring in a little different economic dynamic,” said Julie DeWeese, sales manager at the Oregon Convention Center, noting that it will help increase the opportunity for citywides. “Corporate engineering markets, health and sporting groups won’t come without a hotel across the street.”
