Must-see art exhibitions in Portland this December 🎄

Everything you need to know about the Portland art scene this December

The Latest

There are many great things to see this month, whether you want to take your friends and family to an art gallery during the holiday season or enjoy artwork alone. Whatever your reason, we have you covered on what is new and still showing through the end of the year.

We recently took a trip to Vancouver, BC, and had a wonderful time exploring the city. Highlights included Catriona Jeffries, Belkin Gallery, and the Vancouver Art Gallery.

We also recently saw Oregon Ballet Theater’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, supported children’s art at the German International School, which offers language immersion tracks in both German and Chinese, so don't let the name fool you.

Check out some of our recent visits to art shows:

Ceramics by Jordan McDonald

Paintings by Cori McCullough

December First Thursday

The reopened Portland Art Museum

An evening of art at an MCM house

We will still be accepting submissions on our rolling basis, but otherwise, we will be taking a break for the holiday season and into the New Year. We look forward to seeing you in 2026! If you love what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon. Learn more about an exhibition by clicking on the photo thumbnail.

This month’s song choice is Hiroshi Yoshimura - Time After Time.

New & Now

Jeffry Mitchell, Winter Blooming, PDX Contemporary Art, December 3-27. Opening reception Sat, Dec 13, from 3-5 p.m.

Rest is Smoke, Munro Galloway at Elizabeth Leach Gallery,
Dec 4-Jan 10, 2026.

Mutable Paintings, Jaq Chartier at Elizabeth Leach Gallery,
Dec 4-Jan 10, 2026.

Of Earth and Sky, a group exhibition at Waterstone Gallery, Dec 3-Feb 1, 2026.

What’s Not to Love: Portraits and Reflections from the Collection of Jordan Schnitzer at the Schnitzer Collection, until Feb 28, 2026.

Of Earth and Sky, a group exhibition at Waterstone Gallery, Dec 3-Feb 1, 2026.

Cara Levin, Without End: Recent Work on Grief at OJMCHE until May 31, 2026.

Someone Once Told Me the Grass Is Much Greener, Diego Morales-Portillo, Center for Contemporary Art and Design, until Dec 20.

Blue Sky 1985 – 1995: The Second Decade at Blue Sky Gallery, Dec 4-Jan 3, 2026.

35 Trips Around the Sun: Members’ Anniversary Show at Gallery 114 from Dec 4–27, 2025. Public birthday party, Sat, Dec 13, 1–3 p.m.

Thanatopsis: A Meditation on Grief, Death and Transition, Shelley Chamberlin, Marne Lucas & Dardinelle Troen at Paragon Arts Gallery, Dec 4-Feb 15, 2026.

Already Been Chewed, Wynter Jones at Imperfecta, Dec 6-27.

Help us do more of what you love!

Our work documenting and promoting Portland’s art scene has created a valuable archive of the last decade of activity within our art community. Whether you are affiliated with an art space or appreciate what we do, Supporting Members help us do what we do best: sharing must-see art exhibitions, events, and more in Portland & The Greater Pacific Northwest.

As this year comes to a close, we’re humbly asking you to consider joining our Patreon. Help give us a strong start in 2026 with sustainable support as we get closer to reaching our goal of $1,000/month (we are almost there). This would make a huge difference to our day-to-day operations since we only operate on our love for the arts (i.e., no grant funding) and reader support. There are a variety of Membership Tiers that have different perks. Save 10% with the annual membership. Plus, new and existing members who renew annually will receive a free sticker this month!

Community - $7/month
Enthusiast - $25/month
Seeker - $50/month
Partner - $50/month

Want to make a one-time donation?! Show us some love, buy us a coffee, etc., on PayPal or Venmo at any time!

Learn More about becoming a Supporting Member

Curatorial Conversation

Curators Bella Feinstein and Olivia Miller talk to Dylan Hester about bringing together sixteen artists who shape or alter matter in ways that reveal its capacity to transform and challenge assumptions.

Freddie Robins: Apotropaic at Douglas F. Cooley Gallery, until Dec 18.

Somehow, Tiffany Noelle Palafox at The Writer's Block, until Dec 19.

Body on Me, Cameron Clayborn, .Compost Cooperative, and Vishal Jugdeo at PICA, until Dec 20.

Scott Gellatly, Lands Recalled and Echoed at Laura Vincent Design & Gallery, until Dec 20.

𝐑𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡 𝐏𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐲: 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐅 at Adams and Ollman
until Dec 20.

TEN, featuring 22 artists celebrating Chefas Projects 10th anniversary, until Dec 20.

Uncertainty surrounds the holding of things, at after/time collective, curated by Bella Feinstein and Olivia Miller, until Dec 21.

Laura Camila Medina, Ceremony for the Winged at Nationale, until Jan 3, 2026.

Neural-Lithic Harvests, by Hannah Newman at North View Gallery, until Jan 28, 2026.

The Wandering Womb, Isabelle Albuquerque and Louise Bourgeois at lumber room, until Jan 31, 2026.

A Larger Reality: Ursula K. Le Guin at Oregon Contemporary, until Feb 8, 2026.

Outside of Portland

Measured, New work by Dan Gluibizzi, David Schell, and Benjamin Terrell at One Wall Gallery in Eugene, until Jan 31, 2026.

LAnd SEA, group exhibition at AMcE Creative Arts, in Seattle until Jan 10, 2026.

Work with Us

Alongside sharing our art experiences & editorial selections, we want to help promote your exhibitions, events, lectures, open studios, classes, et al! Contributions from your submission help us maintain our platform and share what’s actually happening, help us continue to be your on-the-ground, dependable, local art resource.

Learn more

Coming soon

Third Angle will present an immersive performance of Steve Reich’s solo Counterpoint Series at experimental gallery Hopscotch. Counterpoints runs one night only on Jan. 29, 2026, from 6-9 p.m. with timed entry every 15 min.

Portland Winter Lights Festival, Feb 6-14, 2026.

Domestic Topographies, Colin Kippen at Well Well Projects, Jan 3 - Feb 1, 2026.

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