Filtering by: Schnitzer Collection
A Fountain of Creativity: Oregon's 20th Century Artists and the Legacy of Arlene Schnitzer - Pt 3
Nov
8
to Apr 15
Schnitzer Collection

A Fountain of Creativity: Oregon's 20th Century Artists and the Legacy of Arlene Schnitzer - Pt 3

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During the early twentieth century, the arts community in Oregon was small and,  isolated, and offered offering few opportunities for artists to exhibit and sell their work. While the Portland community valued public engagement with arts and culture, establishing an art museum, symphony, and a public library, local artists were isolated from the wider national art community due to a lack of commercial gallery space to show and sell their work.

Decades later, in 1961, Arlene Schnitzer, along with her mother Helen Director and friend Edna Brigham, started the Fountain Gallery. The commercial art gallery, named after its location near the Skidmore Fountain, became a hub for Pacific Northwest modern artists and helped raise the status of the Portland art scene.

Arlene’s son, Jordan Schnitzer, purchased his first work of art when he was fourteen years old. It was through her and her gallery that his initial acquisition turned into a lifelong pursuit to collect, share, and promote the visual arts. Jordan Schnitzer is now recognized as one of the Top 200 Collectors globally (ARTnews). His collection, one of the most notable in North America, functions as a living archive to preserve art for future generations and share it with the public through groundbreaking exhibitions, publications, and programs.

Arlene Schnitzer was quoted as saying, “A city without an art community has no soul.” Honoring her legacy and influence on the history of Portland, A Fountain of Creativity features a range of bold, evocative, and influential works created by Pacific Northwest artists from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation — many on public display for the first time. Featuring notable artists such as Louis Bunce, Carl Morris, Hilda Morris, Mike Russo, and Mel Katz, this original trio of exhibitions reflects the enduring legacy of Arlene Schnitzer and the Fountain Gallery and the ways that her work has helped feed the soul of Portland and of arts and culture across the state.

A Fountain of Creativity Parts 1 and 2 are on view at the Oregon Historical Society from June 28, 2024, through January 2, 2025 (Part 1) and November 1, 2024, through May 4, 2025 (Part 2). Part 3 is on view from November 1, 2024, through April 15, 2025, at The Schnitzer Collection exhibition space located at 3033 NW Yeon Avenue in Portland. Admission to The Schnitzer Collection exhibition space is free, and public viewing hours are Tuesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Educational tours are available upon request; please use this online form to schedule your tour.

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Mel Bochner: Words Mean Everything
Jun
1
to Oct 12
Schnitzer Collection, current

Mel Bochner: Words Mean Everything

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Get inspired with a new interactive art exhibition that will have you thinking about words like you never have before.  Step inside the world of text-based conceptual art with “Mel Bochner: Words Mean Everything – From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation”, open at The Schnitzer Collection in Portland June 1 - October 12, 2024. 

“Mel Bochner: Words Mean Everything” is an exciting, thought-provoking celebration of printmaking through renowned artist Mel Bochner’s exploration of language, communication, and meaning. “Throughout his career, Bochner has often played with color and language as a means of examining how we perceive and find meaning in the world around us. His work measures, documents—and even shouts—thoughts, while always conveying an underlying message: What are we thinking and how do we express it?” ARTnews Top 200 Collector Jordan Schnitzer said. 

Bochner is known for his ability to challenge the way we think about through a combination of words, colors, and engineering. His process includes compressing oil paint and paper pulp with 750 tons of force. 

“Mel Bochner: Words Mean Everything” pays homage to the art of printmaking. Through Bochner’s works, the exhibition allows visitors to learn about prints; their artistic value, and the techniques used to create them. 

Bochner’s own journey, from misadventures in his early life to becoming a world-famous artist, adds a touch of humor and humility to the experience. From being fired as a museum guard for falling asleep behind a Louise Nevelson sculpture to talking his way into an art critic position with no prior experience, Bochner’s path to success is as intriguing as his art.

The exhibition features more than 40 of Bochner’s incredible works from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, one of the most notable in North America. 

Schnitzer, one of the world’s top art collectors, is known for sharing his private collection with millions by loaning groundbreaking artworks to institutions large and small. The Schnitzer Collection is an extension of that mission. It is a local, educational art space in Portland that showcases uniquely curated exhibitions using pieces from the more than 22,000 works in the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. 

Throughout its run, the exhibition will feature robust programming including free Saturday events, educational activities, and the opportunity to schedule group tours. 

“Mel Bochner: Words Mean Everything – From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” will be open and free to the public June 1 – October 12, 2024, Thursday – Saturday from 12 – 5 p.m. at The Schnitzer Collection.

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