I have some creative friends who might agree most with the sad facts on remuneration for artists that is part of this story, but I think they’d also agree with the overall gist of this article. It’s not just the books, cafes, food in Portland that stimulate creative minds, but the general openness and tolerance. You can be whatever. Paris was a famous artists’ haven for the same reasons, except in its creative heyday it was also very affordable. And let’s not forget that what Paris also had in abundance was a world famous joie de vivre which it lost somewhat after WWII. Personally, I think about Paris-Portland comparisons all the time, especially when I hear of another creative luminary, like Todd Haynes, moving here to free themselves from the trap of well-scrutinized celebrity. And I detect signs we’re getting much better in the spirit for living. We’re more social. We just have to get to the point where more people love art more and make it possible for young artists to live, thrive and stay here.
Author Archive for kmazz
This is really something special. A neon corridor on Interstate. For designophiles and culture vultures like me it would be like Christmas lights all year long. In fact, why don’t they rename the street Neon Avenue?
The signs would be grandfathering into code governing the gentrification soon to descend on this neck of Portland, saving these vintage artifacts for all posterity.
Check it out here.
There is a trend across America, perhaps the Western world, in returning to artisanal values. This is nothing new; it started happening years ago. But in Portland, artisanal values are part of the city’s DNA and have flourished, along with self-expression and creativity. Look at all the hand designed and sewn fashion boutiques, crafted bikes, microbrews, distilleries, and farmer’s markets to cite just a few examples
Take this pizza. Just a few years ago it was impossible to find a decent pizza almost anywhere in the U.S. in my view. Today, with wood fired ovens sprouting up on Portland’s east side, such as Ken’s Artisan Pizza and the Tastebud food cart (soon to be a sit down eatery near the Aladdin), no one has to opt for the ersatz any longer. It has become unthinkable to open up a new restaurant that is not locally, seasonally and sustainably sourced. As far as artisanal values authentic appeal, you could say they also support the local start up culture, with its emphasis on community, grass roots organizing and love of all things open source (transparency = authenticity). Perhaps open source developers harken back to ancient guilds, the era in which craft and micro enterprises spread
And in craft, the making of things of value, lies another Portland attribute. Richard Sennett in his new book “The Craftsman” writes about the role of craft in creating mental space, in fine tuning the ability to be thoughtful and to solve engineering problems. As some people have noted, being in Portland, surrounded by lots of busy and creative anthills, there is less herd-like thinking. My theory is that this is reason people in Portland are so nice. They have that weightless happiness that comes from doing your own thing with pride and passion.
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