Art In the Pearl, the free outdoor art festival that has filled Portland's North Park Blocks every Labor Day weekend since 1997, returns for its 30th anniversary starting Saturday, Sept. 5.
More than 140 jury-selected artists from the U.S. and Canada will show painting, ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, fiber art, glass, sculpture and photography across the Pearl District park.
The festival runs Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., between NW Davis and NW Flanders at NW 8th Avenue. Admission is free.
The whole operation is volunteer-run.
The festival takes no government grants and no corporate donors, Oregon ArtsWatch reported in an anniversary feature. Fifteen artists started it in 1997, two years after ArtQuake, a popular outdoor arts festival in the South Park Blocks, folded.
ArtQuake had run from 1977 through 1995 with support from the Metropolitan Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts before recession-era funding cuts contributed to its end.
Board member Annie Meyer told Oregon ArtsWatch the founders spotted an opening. "After ArtQuake crumbled in 1995, they saw a major gap that needed filling," she said.
"At that time, there weren't any restaurants or commercial spaces in the Pearl, either … We were lucky to have chosen a location that was about to become extremely popular."
The festival has since earned a listing on the American Craft Council's events page and has been ranked among the top art shows in the country, according to Oregon ArtsWatch.
Visitors can watch live demonstrations where local guilds including Print Arts Northwest and Oregon Potters' Association show ceramics, sculpture and weaving. A "Hands On" Art Pavilion offers activities for all ages. The festival also features roving musicians.
One program Meyer highlighted is the Emerging Artist track, which selects three artists each year, offers them a reduced booth rate and coaches them on pricing and presenting work. Two current board members came up through the program.
A site map is posted on the festival's website.
More Labor Day weekend events in Portland
- Arab Mahrajan Festival: Sunday, Sept. 6, 1–7 p.m. at Director Park. Free. The 15th annual celebration features food, music, dance and a bazaar.
- Romanian Festival: Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6 at Saint Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church.
