The Portland Art Museum has just announced their major exhibitions for the next two years. The most important announcements are the second Contemporary Northwest Art awards in 2011 and Rothko in 2012. Finally, Portland hosts a homecoming for its most famous son, Mark Rothko. It is a critical acknowledgment that is LONG overdue. As part of Portland's cultural contribution to world history it is arguably the most important show to hit PAM since the Armory (or Rothko's own solo show in 1933).


Mark Rothko, 1961 © 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / VG Bild Kunst, Bonn 2008

Rothko is particularly important to acknowledge as he sets the bar and telegraphs the upper limits of Portland's aspirations as an art city. If we cant acknowledge Rothko (no longer how belatedly) how can Portland hope to support the young contemporary artists whose reputation have risen internationally in the past few years? Until now it has vexed me how PAM could hope to be taken seriously as a museum without acknowledging Rothko? (they have one small painting in the collection)

Now PAM has taken a first step... in no small part by acknowledging their own history as the site of Rothko's first solo show. Will Portland follow suit by naming the New Willamette Transit Bridge after Rothko? It's conveniently due to be completed in 2012, in accord with the exhibition.

Also, the upcoming and already announced Disquieted with Doug Aitken, John Baldesari etc... is the first large scale exhibition of international contemporary art in over half a decade and something we are excited about. It has been in development for years.

DISQUIETED
February 20 - May 16, 2010

A Pioneering Collection: Master Drawings from the Crocker Art Museum
June 12 - September 19, 2010

The Bible Illuminated: R.Crumb's Book of Genesis
June 12 - September 19, 2010

The Riches of the City: Masterpieces from Portland Collections
October 2010 - January 2011

Lee Kelly
October 2010 - January 2011

The Artist's Touch, The Craftsman's Hand: Three Centuries of Japanese Prints from the Collection of the Portland Art Museum
February - May 2011

Contemporary Northwest Art Awards
June - September 2011

India: 500 Years of Masterworks
October 2011 - January 2012

Inspiring Impressionism: The Art of Corot
February - May 2012

Rothko
February - May 2012

The Body Beautiful: An exploration of human form in ancient Greek art and thought
October 2012 - January 2013