Tyler Green's wonderful remembrance of Betty Freeman illustrates the all important difference between being a just a collector/donor and being a true patron. It's a deep... quantum level of involvement and personal investment in the artists and cultural organizations that makes a huge difference. I'm working on a historical post that looks at influential patrons (a hot topic in Portland these days).

Randy Gragg interviewed Miguel Rosales about the two possible Willamette river bridge options. Man I miss Randy's contributions to the O, whose architecture coverage since his departure has flagged (though this piece by Brian Libby is a start... there really is no replacement for an architecture and design critic, except a full-time architecture and design critic... especially in a city where design is a major industry). Here's what PORT had to say on the new bridge designs a while back. We want new pictures of the wave design so we can more fully assess it... maybe there will be new images at Rosales upcoming talk on Monday night at Jimmy Mak's (door opens at 5)?

Jerry Saltz ponders MoMA's recent sex change

Yes, Ill have PORT's 2008 roundup posted by Saturday night (now that the show I've been assisting on had its wonderful opening last night... it is always art first). Here's Richard Speer's take on 2008.