1997 Oregon Biennial

Exhibition Statement

The Oregon Biennial was an exhibition organized every two years by the Portland Art Museum. The 33 artists represented in the 1997 show were selected from a pool of over 1000 applicants. The 1997 exhibition was selected by Kathryn Kanjo, the Portland Art Museum’s newly appointed Curator of Contemporary Art. Kanjo chose work that not only met her quality expectations but work that reflected what was happening in the Oregon art scene for the past two years, its elaboration and its current developments. Some of the artists were well established, familiar names; others were new. The body of work elicits an interest in time, systems of nature, and culture; concern for the crafted form and organic shape; and an abiding interest in the traditional concerns of the landscape, representational, and abstract painting.

The Oregon Biennial began in 1911 at the Portland Art Museum as an annual exhibition dedicated to displaying the work of Portland-based artists. Later, the show expanded its scope to include the Pacific Coast and then to all of Oregon.

“Oregon’s art community is complex and varied. We’re fortunate to have a strong gallery network in Portland, but many artists are also working outside the commercial system. The Biennial was an opportunity to cut across the distinctions, and simply highlight some of the most exciting work of the past two years,” said Kanjo.

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