;)
Portland, Oregon is a unique,
thriving cultural center in the Northwest, and we have been deluged
with emails from our customers to open a Studio
in the area. Done deal. We're there, with our largest studio to date
now open and displaying many pieces that we cannot display in our
smaller studios. We are lucky and excited to have found a large
space in the award-winning Wieden+Kennedy building, a circa 1910
cold-storage warehouse in Portland's Pearl District that has been
masterfully reworked by Portland-based architect Brad Cloepfil into
a stunning modern space. The scale of the building is such that it
allowed us to hold a Nike design event there last Friday with over
300 designers. Look out for more on that in next week's newsletter.
The Pearl District is Portland's equivalent of SoHo, and we have
an amazing array of neighbors that you would normally expect to find
only in a much larger metropolitan area. The level of design
sophistication, diversity and cultural context in Portland is
welcomingly disproportionate to its scale. In our building, you will
find:
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA)
The
seven-year-old, progressive alternative to the Portland Art Museum,
it has brought nationally acclaimed contemporary works to Portland
and is largely responsible for the city's active arts scene. A great
show by Luca Buvoli is happening through February 1, in the library
and media center.
PICA, 219 NW 12th Ave. #100, 503.242.1419, www.pica.org
Bluehour
One of the
top-ranked cool restaurants in the Northwest. Run by restaurateur
Bruce Carey who was formerly at the Fog City Diner in San Francisco,
it has a big city urbane feel in terms of both the space and the
menu. The use of produce here is indicative of the organic movement
that is currently defining food in Oregon.
250 NW 13th Ave., 503.226.3394, http://portland.citysearch.com/review/11339516/editorial
Christiane Millinger Rugs
The selection here runs from
oriental carpets to Odegard and Paola Lenti works, curated by Ms.
Millinger, who is respected as an authority for quality and
aesthetics in her field. This is also the place to have older rugs
faithfully restored.
208 NW 13th Ave., 503.274.4440.
And nearby, you'll find the Orchid Exchange, a Vespa dealership,
numerous cafés, art galleries and boutiques, as well as the
following Portland institutions:
Twist Northwest
The
entrepreneur and owner of Twist Northwest is my close friend, Paul
Schneider. Paul and I were potters together in Santa Cruz in the
'70s, and we've continued to work in the arts together for almost 30
years, as well as keep up a mean flyfishing habit. Twist Northwest
is a nationally recognized art gallery/gift concept center that
offers truly unique objects from $3 to $15,000 made by artists that
Paul and his wife, Lauren, travel the world to curate. It's a
standout concept that has held to exceptionally high design
standards and personality for 20 years.
30 NW 23rd Place,
503.224.0334, www.twistonline.com
Powell's Bookstore
One of the largest bookstores in the
world, it is an institution in the Northwest. It takes up an entire
city block and is a mecca for bibliophiles with over a million new
and used books. The architecture section is outstanding, and the
rare books room is a treat.
www.powells.com
Oblation Papers and Press
A quaint paper boutique that
does papermaking, and custom printing using a 100-year-old press on
site.
www.oblationpapers.com
750 ml Wine Bar
Rena Vatch
runs this tapas bar–like bistro and wine shop, with over 30 wines by
the glass, food and a stunning selection of wines for sale.
www.750-ml.com
Urbanezen
Both men and women can find potions and
elixirs here to combat the daily stresses of urban life, like the
hard-to-find, exclusive "Blue" spa line from France. Also handmade
soaps, PJs, yoga wear and great skin expertise.
www.urbanezen.com
The Perfume House
A quirky 20-year-old boutique that
pulls in the scent cognoscenti with the largest selection of real
fragrances sold in one location. They have over 1,000 scents,
including Evening in Paris, for our reader who recently wrote
in.
www.theperfumehouse.com
The David Kerr Violin Shop
With a company philosophy
of, "everyone deserves to have music in their lives," David Kerr has
the largest selection of used stringed instruments in the
Northwest.
www.kerrviolins.com/vision.html.
American Advertising Museum
Founded in 1986 by
historically minded advertising professionals in Portland, the Ad
Museum is the only institution of its kind in the U.S., and a
general trove of American character, creativity and wit.
www.admuseum.org.