Over the course of four consecutive days, attendees at WMA’s 2022 Annual Meeting will hear from colleagues in a variety of fields during informative sessions, will get hands-on experience in Pre-Conference Workshops, tour some of Portland’s finest institutions, and connect with other museum folk.
But every year, a major highlight for many attendees is the fun and engaging Evening Events! This year, attendees will have the chance to experience the unique history, art, and science, found within some of Portland’s iconic cultural institutions.
Here’s a sneak peek of this year’s Evening Events.
Opening Progressive Party in New Chinatown/Japantown
The first night will welcome WMA Annual Meeting attendees for a progressive walking tour through Portland’s New Chinatown/Japantown Historic District – Portland’s ethnically diverse, and oldest surviving historic neighborhood.
During this walking tour, you will have the chance to stop at four of the neighborhood’s cultural destinations, each rich in their respective heritages. These include:
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Opening in September 2000, Lan Su Chinese Garden is one of Portland's greatest treasures and most interesting sites to see while visiting Portland. A result of a collaboration between the cities of Portland and Suzhou, Lan Su’s sister city in China's Jiangsu province that's famous for its beautiful Ming dynasty gardens, Lan Su was built by Chinese artisans from Suzhou and is one the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China.
Visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden website.
Japanese American Museum of Oregon
The Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO) in Portland is charged with preserving and sharing the history and culture of the Nikkei community—Japanese emigrants and their descendants. Formerly known as the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, JAMO is a venue for culture and research as well as an invaluable resource for exploring Nikkei experiences and their role in Oregon’s multicultural community. The permanent exhibit space highlights Issei immigration and early life in Oregon, Nihonmachi (Japantown), and the experience during World War II through Nikkei life today.
Visit the JAMO website.
Portland Chinatown Museum
The Portland Chinatown Museum (PCM) is Oregon’s first museum about Chinese American history, art, and culture. Opened to the public in December 2018 in an historic building at NW Third Avenue and Davis Street, the Museum honors Portland Chinatown’s past, celebrates its present, and is helping to create its future.
The permanent exhibition gallery features a 2,400 square foot exhibition, Beyond the Gate: A Tale of Portland’s Historic Chinatowns. Two front galleries serve as a venue for the work of contemporary Asian American artists in all media, as a site for storytelling about the immigrant experience, and for exhibitions, lectures, performances, and other public programs.
Visit the PCM website.
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
In June 2017, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE) opened its doors of their permanent home featuring rotating exhibitions of national and international stature. Three core exhibits anchor the museum: Discrimination and Resistance, An Oregon Primer, which identifies discrimination as a tool used to affect varied groups of people over the history of this region; The Holocaust, An Oregon Perspective, a history of the Holocaust that employs the stories of Oregon survivors; and Oregon Jewish Stories, an installation focused on the experience of the Jews of Oregon.
Their mission: The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education explores the legacy of the Jewish experience in Oregon, teaches the universal lessons of the Holocaust, and provides opportunities for intercultural conversation. OJMCHE challenges our visitors to resist indifference and discrimination and to envision a just and inclusive world.
Visit the OJMCHE website.
Together, these intimate venues reflect Portland’s oldest surviving historic neighborhood.
Click here for more information on Portland’s New Chinatown/Japantown Historic District.
Shipper's Party at the Portland Art Museum
The greatly anticipated annual Shippers’ Party will be hosted this year by non-other than the Portland Art Museum (PAM)! With a collection consisting of some 42,000 objects, PAM is one of the leading cultural institutions in the Pacific Northwest and has become a beacon for culture and education for Portland’s growing and evolving community.
Free to all attendees, you and your museum colleagues will have the chance to explore PAM’s galleries, accompanied by drinks and light snacks in the sunken ballroom.
Learn more about the exhibitions here.
Visit the PAM website.
Oregon Historical Society
On the third night of the Annual Meeting, attendees will be invited to a relaxed evening at the Oregon Historical Society (OHS). You can tour three floors of permanent and traveling exhibitions that feature rare documents and artifacts, and that explore the people, places, and events that have shaped the history of Oregon and America, all while enjoying heavy hors D’oeuvres and beverages.
Attendees will be able to view the award winning, Experience Oregon permanent exhibition – a seven-thousand square foot exhibit that highlights the countless people, places, and events that have shaped Oregon as a complex and distinctive state. Also on display will be the exhibition, Sign of the Times: The Great American Political Poster, 1844–2012 featuring some of the most exciting and rarely seen American political posters that together, explore a variety of styles, design trends, and printing technology.
Visit the OMS website.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
The final night of the Annual Meeting will wrap up with a fun-filled evening at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) on Portland’s waterfront. You can take your chances in the Epicenter, an immersive earthquake experience, feel like a kid again in the Science Playground, or make music in the towering Soundstack – a digital string interactive.
You can even experience science demos or a Planetarium show while enjoying delicious desserts and drinks; and attendees will have access the featured exhibition, Marvel: Universe of Superheroes for an additional $10.
Visit the OMSI website.
We look forward to experiencing these amazing Portland institutions with you!
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