Arlene Schnitzer in an undated photo. (Courtesy Portland Art Museum)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Arlene Schnitzer, the late Portland art patron whose name dons a downtown performance venue, will be honored with a two-part exhibition at the Oregon Historical Society.
On Friday, the organization will debut “A Fountain of Creativity: 20th Century Northwest Artists and the Legacy of Arlene Schnitzer.” Part one of the exhibition will be on display through Jan. 2, 2025, while part two will run from Oct. 25 to May 4.
The first part of the exhibition will contextualize the Pacific Northwest’s arts landscape from 1915 to the early 1960s — before Schnitzer opened the Fountain Gallery. Up until then, OHS said local artists were “isolated” from the national community because the city didn’t offer enough commercial space for them to display and sell their pieces.
Schnitzer, her mother Helen Director and friend Edna Brigham founded the Fountain Gallery in 1961, and it closed later in 1986. The second part of OHS’ exhibition will spotlight the artists that collaborated with Schnitzer throughout those 25 years. Many pieces will be seen by the public for the very first time.
“I’m happy that the Oregon Historical Society wanted to share my mother’s legacy with old friends and many new citizens,” Jordan Schnitzer, Arlene’s son, said in a statement. “Focusing on my late mother Arlene Schnitzer’s Fountain Gallery — the first contemporary art gallery in Portland — these artists’ voices, embodied in their art, inspire us, challenge us, and tell the story of contemporary art in our community.”
According to the Historical Society, Jordan bought his first piece from his mother’s gallery when he was just 14 years old. He is now a known collector and philanthropist in the art world, with a recent $10 million investment into Portland State University.
The donation will cover the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, the future Schnitzer School of Art, Art History and Design, and additional on-campus artworks.