Blue Sky is a non-profit contemporary exhibition space so you don’t have to worry about high-cost tickets here. But if you’d like, you can also be more generous when it comes to donations during your trip.

The gallery features contemporary photography, showcasing various local artists in Portland. Of course, we have a soft spot for spaces that promote local talent, so this definitely won our favor.

Visitors can expect various exhibitions that change usually on a monthly basis. In this approach, guests don’t only get to see the same set of pieces throughout the year, and this is especially important for art enthusiasts.

They even have virtual exhibitions available if you just want to explore the kind of themes they often showcase. Although to be fair, the experience isn’t all immersive and it only feels like swiping through a series of photos.

If you have a deep appreciation for art, you’ll totally love their artist talks which take place once or twice a month. And if you want to go back to the past talks, they do have a YouTube channel you can check out.

By the way, the gallery also accepts submissions which is something you can try if you have art pieces in hiding. It’s truly a nice place for those who love seeing art and producing art in exhibitions like this.

If you are fond of contemporary arts, then you should pay a visit to Portland’s Elizabeth Leach Gallery. And since they have been established in 1981, we know for a fact that you’ll love stopping by their place.

First things first, you need to know that they allow guests by appointment only, meaning walk-ins are not accommodated. They’re mostly open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, which are reasonable days for you to visit an art gallery.

What we find interesting about them, apart from the wide range of featured arts, are the exciting exhibits they launch. Such exhibits last for more than a month, at least, giving enough time for interested people to visit them.

We’re also pleased with their Print Wall program which not only features established artists but also the emerging ones’ art in print, something that wins our hearts. It’s nice to know that this particular program is not just available in their gallery, but also online.

Speaking of online, they also do have a virtual viewing room of all the arts and exhibits featured before together with the currents also (most of it are for sale). This is good news – although not for everyone, since this is online and takes away the gallery experience.

On another poor note, the Elizabeth Leach Gallery’s physical location is not that big, at least in our opinion. Fortunately, it can put in place two different exhibits as they have available rooms for that, which is generally adequate.

Most of the reviews say that Froelick Gallery has a beautiful selection of works by contemporary artists. And we do attest to this through our visits, in fact, most of the featured arts are quite modern and it’s something we think you might actually buy once you see them.

Before anything else, we want you to know that the gallery has a reputation that rests on the strength of its artists. From the arts of Rick Bartow, Lauri Danial to Sarah Horowitz, Ritsuko Ozeki, and many more, you can never leave without purchasing one.

There’s just a bit of a problem regarding this, most especially with their customer service. It’s within our knowledge that previous guests in the gallery do experience being ignored by the staff due to them being busy selling artworks.

Good thing, they really excel in this aspect of their art gallery, as a matter of fact, they provide delivery and installation service for those who purchased art pieces from them. You just have to pay a minimum fee of $75 which is fair enough. 

Just like any other art gallery, Froelick Gallery operates through appointments only. However, under reasonable circumstances, which is totally a plus point in our book, they accommodate unplanned visits to their place.

Unfortunately, we’re not aware of their ticket rates (but we do hear it’s not pricey at all). The artworks for sale, on the other hand, have good prices, well, seeing that most of those for sale are from less established artists.

Having been founded in 1986 makes us believe that Russo Lee Gallery has the “art” of representing local artists. Well, as we’ve managed to know, they do so by featuring the best artists of the Pacific Northwest region.

The way the reviews state that they are a contemporary art gallery in a vibrant urban setting adds to our desire to put them on our list. However, we still look at them as an ordinary art gallery that does regular exhibits as well as artists’ talks.

To give you an idea, they represent the art of known local artists like James Allen, Frank Boyden, Roll Hardy, and many more. While at the same time showcasing works by several internationally recognized artists.

We also want to highlight the estate collections they have of some of the region’s most renowned early artists. However, these are not all available to see in their gallery but through private tours, which they don’t disclose publicly (through inquiries).

On the brighter side, they have a specific service for private collectors. This includes systemized processes such as in-depth consultation, payment plans, appraisals, as well as all things concerning packing/shipping of the artwork – a very convenient thing for the collectors, actually.

As per artists looking for Russo Lee Gallery’s representation, the gallery doesn’t currently seek them as of writing. But to those who want to pay a visit to their place, you might wanna schedule an appointment since they don’t allow walk-ins.

Whether you are a fan of different artworks from paintings to sculpture, ceramics, metalwork, photography, fiber, glass, and jewelry, Alberta Street Gallery has it all. We personally find their place very pleasing and a comfortable environment for art lovers.

Speaking of that, the gallery has this unique art lending library, which we think is an effective way to create a community and engage people to talk. Not to mention how organized they are as the artworks are arranged by their medium.

On top of it all, we also have our eyes on their art shows, especially their regular one called “Last Thursday”, which brings life to the streets of Alberta. Additional point for the fact that their gallery is open daily, making it more accessible to the locals as well as to the tourists.

Since we find the local artworks in the gallery interesting and very original, we felt sad when we read some of the reviews regarding the low quality of the prints/pieces of photography. You may want to leave that out in the meantime during your trip.

On the positive side, their for-sale artworks, as we’ve heard, are actually that affordable. To add to this convenience, as we pay our visits, we don’t feel any pressure to buy at all, which is a good feeling we want you to experience as a buyer.

Finally, for additional information, we think it is worth mentioning that they are an integral part of the art scene in the Historic Alberta Arts District and greater Portland. This alone greatly speaks to the kind of art gallery they are, and we can’t wait for you to see it for yourself.