Oregon Biennial

Exhibition Statement

The 1989 Oregon Biennial opened at the Schneider Museum of Art on Thursday, December 6, 1990. The purpose of the exhibition was to demonstrate the broad range of contemporary art produced by Oregon artists

The exhibition was organized every other year by the Portland Art Museum with the assistance of a guest curator. The 1989 Biennial was curated by Mary Jane Jacob, Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. She selected 71 pieces out of over 800 submissions. In reviewing the submitted work, she noted that the vast majority of the work did not conform to a regional style and could have been produced in another state or region. Her selection was guided by quality and innovation rather than conforming to an arbitrary or stereo­typical idea of what is “Oregon art”. Nevertheless, the Oregon Biennial is an expression of regional resources and talent. It is an opportunity for Oregon artists who have achieved a level of expertise to exhibit their work, and a chance for us in Southern Oregon to see it and enjoy it first-hand.

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