Harvest Celebration

Interact with artists and winemakers at this Portland wine event

By Michele Francisco

What happens when winemakers and artists share the same canvas?

You probably know how collaboration is woven into the DNA of Oregon’s wine industry. On Wed., Nov 11, the Portland Art Museum welcomes 54 Willamette Valley wineries and six Northwest artists for Harvest Celebration, an evening focused on wine and art in its grand ballroom. This event marks an innovative partnership between the museum and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association– and creates one of the largest Portland gatherings of local wineries in recent years.

UNITED BY DIFFERENT GOALS

With recent alcohol sales trending downward, wineries need to work harder to reach new consumers and strengthen relationships outside the tasting room. The Portland Art Museum, fresh off an almost entirely publicly funded $116 million campus transformation anchored by the new Mark Rothko Pavilion, is seeking new ways to become a gathering place for the creative community. While each organization has different goals, joining together– at least for one night– feels right.

“Portland is an important part of the Willamette Valley story and a gateway to the wine region,” acknowledged Morgen McLaughlin, executive director of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. “We want to find creative ways to bring Willamette Valley wine to people rather than asking them to come to us. Partnering with one of Portland’s great cultural institutions felt like an exciting way to do that, while celebrating something Oregon does extraordinarily well: make things with a strong sense of place and individual expression.”

For the Portland Art Museum, Harvest Celebration builds on its Maker’s Table series held earlier this year– intimate evenings pairing winemakers with artists in its new spaces. “The museum is a place for discovery and connection,” shared Kabir Sondhi, head of strategy and operations at the museum. “Harvest Celebration invites people to experience artistry more broadly. Artists and winemakers both ask us to slow down, pay attention and consider how something was made. Bringing those perspectives together creates an entirely new experience.”

ART AND WINE, GROUNDED

Don’t expect a traditional wine tasting experience with art simply hanging on the walls. Instead, the event centers on six local artists, each anchoring a portion of the museum’s grand ballroom, accompanied by Willamette Valley wineries whose wines relate thematically to each one’s vision. 

The artists and experiences explore:

Wayne Chin– Rooted in the Natural Environment

Duncan Neilson– A Sense of Place

Yong Hong Zhong– Seasons and Cycles

Max McBurnett– Craft and Transformation

Jennifer & Richard Cutshall– Connection and Community

Chuck Bloom– Small Wonders

Attendees will have direct access to the winemakers and artists as they sip wine samples and experience the art. “Winemakers and artists may work in very different mediums, but there is so much common ground in how they approach their craft,” McLaughlin observed. “There is curiosity, interpretation, patience and a deep connection to place.”

Artwork is available for purchase or rent through the museum’s Rental Sales Gallery. Guests can also do their holiday wine shopping– convenient for those with a gift list.

CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS

Oregonians excel at thinking beyond the ordinary. Oregon Wine Press regularly highlights these creative collaborations within the wine world. Harvest Celebration is another example of our partnership culture.

Without leaving the city, Portlanders can discover new wines while interacting with artists of two mediums: those whose art is displayed in a museum and others whose art is consumed from a wine glass.    

Harvest Celebration, Wed., Nov. 11

Portland Art Museum Grand Ballroom, 1219 S.W. Park Ave., Portland

VIP Admission: $135, 5 to 9 p.m.

Early access, premium tastings, passed hors d’oeuvres and additional time with artists and winery reps.

General Admission: $105, 6 to 9 p.m.

Wine tastings, seasonal culinary offerings, artist experiences, live demonstrations and interactive activations.

Alcohol-Free General Admission: $55

Event admission, artist experiences, non-alcoholic beverages and seasonal culinary offerings.

Tickets: willamettewines.com/things-to-do/events/harvest-celebration-with-portland-art-museum.

Michele Francisco spent her childhood reading and writing, eventually graduating from UCLA with an English degree. She attended graphic design school and began a career in design and marketing. After moving to Oregon in 2010, Michele studied wine at Chemeketa Community College and began Winerabble, a Northwest-focused wine blog. She has been a cheerleader for Oregon wine since her arrival.