Photo: Basil Childers
Seasonal Hours
February 2 – May 23, 2009
Tuesday through Saturday 11 AM to 6 PM
First Thursday of every month 11 AM to 8 PM
Closed Sunday and Monday
Hours
Tuesday through Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM
Thursday 11 AM to 8 PM
Open 11 AM to 2 PM Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve
Closed Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Admission to the Museum is free.
A Well-Crafted Experience
Museum of Contemporary Craft is a vibrant center for investigation and dialogue, expanding the definition of craft and the ways audiences experience it. At the Museum, craft is engaged as a verb as well as a noun, pondering what it means to “craft” something. Questions are posed, conversations ignited by dynamic exhibitions, thoughtful publications, provocative programs and special events.
The Exhibition Galleries present curated exhibitions and installations that examine the current, future and past of craft through today’s lens. Choreographed and arranged amongst 4500 sq. feet of exhibition space on two levels, the emphasis is on physical interaction with objects, exploration of ideas, ways of making and the shifting place of craft in contemporary society. An ongoing selection of objects from the Museum’s seminal and growing Collection is always on view, a public legacy that documenets the active role of both the Museum and the Pacific Northwest in the evolution of craft.
Discovery happens in The Lab. On any given day, this flexible space engages visitors through hands-on classes, artist demonstrations, panel discussions, lectures and videos. Visitors of all ages and sensibilities gather in The Lab to make, discuss and investigate aspects of craft that go beyond the surface of objects. The Lab also highlights the intersections between craft, art and design within the broader art community, hosting special events, collaborations, presentations and performances on a regular basis.
Composed with a curatorial eye, The Gallery at Museum of Contemporary Craft is one of the primary destinations in the Pacific Northwest for purchasing exceptional examples of contemporary craft as well as art publications. Here, you can touch, hold and purchase a meaningful one-of-a-kind object, extending the museum experience in a way that enhances your everyday life. The Gallery provides professional development and support to artists which positively impacts the economy in our community.
A Seventy Year Legacy
Founded in 1937 by a group of extraordinary women dedicated to the cultivation of craft, the Oregon Ceramic Studio (precursor to Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery, and Museum of Contemporary Craft) provided a market for artists while elevating awareness and appreciation of Oregon art. Founder Lydia Herrick Hodge, and other early organizers such as Katherine Macnab, had been educated at the University of Oregon under the tutelage of Victoria Avakian. Both Hodge and Macnab studied in Paris during the modern art movement. Hodge, upon her return from Paris, organized the University Alumni Art League, an association dedicated to promoting Oregon artists. The alliance acquired a four-lot site from the city in the historic Lair Hill. The price was modest in exchange for their promise to fire Portland school children’s ceramics in their kiln. Thus, Oregon Ceramic Studio began.
The Studio was built with donated materials by Works Progress Administration labor (WPA). During its early years – before becoming Contemporary Crafts Gallery in 1965, Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery in 2002 and then Museum of Contemporary Craft in 2007 – the Oregon Ceramic Studio hosted several exhibitions and participated in design campaigns crucial to the cultivation of the Northwest’s legacy of craft. From day one, this vital organization has contributed to the advancement of craft and has regularly shown and documented the work of artists from the Pacific Northwest as well as those of national acclaim.
Central and Accessible
On Portland's lush North Park Blocks, the Museum and its neighbors in the DeSoto Building – Charles Hartman Fine Art, Blue Sky Gallery, Augen Gallery and Froelick Gallery – provide an excellent starting point from which to begin a cultural tour of Portland, a stone’s throw from contemporary galleries on 9th as well as Portland Art Center, Portland Center Stage's Gerding Theater at The Armory, the Portland Classical Chinese Garden and Powell's City of Books. The Portland Art Museum is a five-minute streetcar ride away.
Museum of Contemporary Craft is easily accessible from all over the city, just blocks from arterial bike routes, the bus transit mall and the MAX light rail. With free admission, the Museum is as welcoming as it is accessible.