Larger-than-life street art by Irish artist Fin DAC in downtown Portland. Photo by Justin Katigbak, Travel Portland.
Oregon and Washington, the faces of the Pacific Northwest, provide collectors with what feels like endless opportunities—opportunities to explore the myriad art galleries, museums, arts districts, public installations and artists that inhabit the supremely unique area. There’s a distinctly artsy vibe here, especially in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, from the cloudy, rainy weather and coffee shops on every corner, to public art displays and performances everywhere you turn.
Here, art is open to everyone. In downtown Seattle, the Seattle Art Museum implements “suggested admission,” meaning visitors can explore the museum’s vast collection of almost 25,000 works of art from around the world for whatever amount of money they can offer. In the Seattle Center is the Chihuly Garden and Glass, consisting of a massive collection of large-scale sculptures by local glass artist Dale Chihuly. The spellbinding glass works, which feel like flora from another planet, mimic that of an organic garden. On the University of Washington campus is the Henry Art Gallery, housing contemporary art, photography and prints, as well as costumes and textiles. The gallery holds exhibitions throughout the year featuring both modern and historic art. And be sure not to miss the plethora of galleries and studios located in Pioneer Square. While the Seattle Art Fair did not take place this year, collectors can expect to partake in the celebration of the region’s best modern and contemporary art in 2021.
While the beauty of Oregon lends itself to artistic endeavors across the state, Portland is undoubtedly a hotspot. The Pearl District, in particular, is a great place to check out, as are the dozens of galleries located throughout the city. And, of course, the Portland Art Museum is always a fantastic place to explore with its continuously updating exhibitions featuring a wide range of subject matter including race, social and environmental issues, as well as shows that highlight specific places or historic periods.
Also located in the Pacific Northwest region are The Secret Gallery and Brumfield Gallery in Astoria, Oregon, as well as artists Peregrine O’Gormley of La Conner, Washington, and Neal Philpott of Oregon City. Collectors can also peruse the artwork of the late William F. Reese.
+++
Brumfield Gallery
1033 Marine Drive, Astoria, OR, 97103
(503) 741-3439
info@brumfieldgallery.com
www.brumfieldgallery.com
Brumfield Gallery shows contemporary figurative and narrative art, favoring work that speaks authentically of the human experience from a unique viewpoint. Much of the work they show has an otherworldly sensibility, suggesting the precarious nature of the veil between accepted reality and the imagined world. Their exhibition program navigates a path that borders surrealism, symbolism and magical realism, but is always rooted in real world human experience.
The interior of Brumfield Gallery in Astoria, Oregon.
Brumfield Gallery, Harbinger, digital composite, 22 x 22", by Maggie Taylor.
Brumfield Gallery, Thinking Cap, oil on aluminum panel, 16 x 12", by Emily McPhie.
“Brumfield Gallery recently relocated to Astoria from Cannon Beach…Astoria attracts a lot of young professionals visiting from the nearby cities of Seattle and Portland. It has a Second Saturday Art Walk and a growing number of galleries and studios. Oregon’s north coast boasts a more vibrant art scene than its rural location might suggest.” — Jane Brumfield, owner, Brumfield Gallery
The gallery represents a number of established Northwest painters such as Mary Alayne Thomas, Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley, Molly Cliff Hilts and Carla O’Connor. They also draw talent from around the U.S. including Doug Whitfield, Duy Huynh, Emily McPhie and Maggie Taylor. Also represented are a number of well-known ceramic sculptors including Michelle Gregor, Margaret Keelan and Cary Weigand.
Brumfield Gallery is organized into two distinct areas to present a changing exhibit drawn from their inventory of new work and a monthly exhibition program. In September, Huynh, McPhie and Taylor are among the featured artists in the gallery’s Collections Show. In October, the gallery presents the work of Whitfield, an artist fascinated with the concept of individual perception of reality, dreams and alternative realities.
+++
The Secret Gallery
160 10th Street, Astoria, OR 97103
(503) 836-3374, info@thesecret.gallery
www.thesecret.gallery
An indoor view of The Secret Gallery in Astoria, Oregon.
The Secret Gallery features exhibitions of art by notable artists from the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with an emphasis on shows that tell larger stories through the presentation and juxtaposition of compelling and unusual art forms. Started in 2018 in a long-abandoned room in a former auto dealership in Astoria, Oregon, The Secret Gallery has rapidly distinguished itself in the Pacific Northwest as a unique fine art gallery with a clear and compelling vision. From its beginning, the gallery has focused on the consistency and quality of its shows and on representing exceptional midcareer, “New Old Master” painters.
“Astoria has long been a haven for creative people, but the last few years have brought an unprecedented influx of artists as new studio spaces and galleries are emerging all over downtown.” —Jill McVarish, curator, The Secret Gallery
Running until the beginning of September is The Secret Gallery’s “toy” show, which is shaping up to be a fun and colorful show. September to October an exhibition will display work by artists alongside work by their artist parent or child. For November and December, the gallery has asked artists to give their interpretation of surrealism and answer the question, “What would Hieronymus Bosch do?” For January to February 2021, there will be a solo show by gallery co-founder Jill McVarish specifically created to fit the unique look and size of the gallery.
The gallery also produces a weekly podcast where they interview artists and talk about the shows and happenings at the gallery. 
The Secret Gallery, Two Dogs, oil on canvas, 12 x 12", by Hickory Mertsching.
The Secret Gallery, Anonymous Portrait #1, oil on canvas, 40 x 30", by Colin Chillag.
+++
Peregrine O’Gormley
P.O. Box 513, La Conner, WA 98257
peregrine@peregrineogormley.com
www.peregrineogormley.com
The subjects of Peregrine O’Gormley’s work relate to elements of human experience depicted through living forms. Though anatomically respectful, they focus on feeling and spirit rather than precise emulation. The pieces in his new body of work speak of a sense of calm and resilience in the face of adversity; they relate to the long term.
“With each new piece, unique challenges arise that require modified and or entirely new techniques to solve,” says the artist. “My work incorporates more and more stone in recent years, and with it comes the need for stone specific tools and techniques. I’m finding the unique surface textures achievable in stone to be quite interesting and enjoyable.”
Peregrine O’Gormley, A Crack in Everything, Alaskan yellow cedar, juniper, Eastern maple, 12 x 12 x 10"
Peregrine O’Gormley, After the Broken Wing, bronze, ed. of 9, 8 x 10 x 18"
Peregrine O’Gormley, Trajectory Blue, yew, carved 14k gold, OSHA Blue oil paint, 2 x 5 x 3"
O’Gormley has won multiple National Sculpture Society awards including the Pat Munson Prize for Avian Sculpture 2015 and 2017, and in 2016 the Green-Wood Cemetery Award. Upcoming September shows include Western Visions at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, Birds in Art at Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, a solo exhibition titled Old Tree at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and in October a duo show with Rob Vetter at Smith & Vallee Gallery. Collectors will also find his work in the October 2021 Woolaroc Retrospective and Sale at the Woolaroc Museum in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
O’Gormley is represented by Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and at Smith & Vallee Gallery in Edison, Washington.
+++
Neal Philpott
Oregon City, OR, (503) 407-9263
neal.philpott@me.com
www.nealphilpott.com
The ever-changing beauty of the Pacific Northwest fascinates landscape painter Neal Philpott, with views ranging from the simple to the sweeping just outside his door. “I love how a passing slant of light can enliven an everyday scene, transforming it into something uplifting for a brief moment. It challenges me to attempt to capture it in the unruly material of oil paint,” he says. “The scenes I’m most often inspired to paint are landscape scenes in my rural neighborhood, water in all its vagaries and grand vistas with remarkable skies. Although I’ve lived and painted here for more than 30 years, I never run out of incredible views to paint.”
Neal Philpott, Pacific Forest, oil on canvas, 30 x 40"
Neal Philpott, Fallen Tree, oil on canvas, 26 x 54"
Philpott is originally from Michigan and studied painting at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. He’s lived in the Northwest since 1988 and currently paints full time from his studio in Oregon City, Oregon. Currently, Philpott is represented by four galleries: Gallery 903 in Portland, Oregon; Kneeland Gallery in Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho; Roby King Gallery in Bainbridge Island, Washington; and Sugarman-Peterson Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is part of an upcoming three-artist show at Kneeland Gallery this September.
+++
William F. Reese
(253) 288-1739
contact@williamfreese.com
www.williamfreese.com
William F. Reese, an internationally renowned painter and sculptor who passed away 10 years ago this past June, leaves behind an exceptional body of work in a variety of mediums. Working in oils, pastels, watercolors, sculptures and etchings, Reese celebrated the Northwest with majestic landscapes and delicate still lifes and was known as one of the nation’s premiere plein air painters. Through his art practice—painting in all manner of weather conditions and diverse locations—he chronicled the lives of the men, women and creatures that inhabited the Northwest. 
William F. Reese, Winter Covey, bronze, ed. of 20, 20½ x 13½"
Powered by Froala Editor
