1111 SW Broadway
Introduction
The Portland’5 Centers for the Arts is a large arts venue in downtown Portland, Oregon. It includes several theaters and houses many concerts, plays, dances, and other performances each year.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
One of the most famous buildings in the group is the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. It was built in 1927 and originally called the Portland Publix Theatre, then the Paramount Theatre, before being renamed for Arlene Schnitzer in 1984. The hall has beautiful Italian Rococo Revival architecture and seats about 2,776 people.
On the outside of the Schnitzer Concert Hall you’ll find the iconic PORTLAND sign. This sign is very tall (about 65 feet high) and has neon lights. It was first installed when the building opened as the Portland Publix. Three years later Paramount Movie Company bought the theater and changed the sign to say Paramount. At that time the sign contained 7000 light bulbs. The sign was rebuilt in 1984 to say Portland again and now contains 1100 LED bulbs. Years ago there were problems with the sign. Electricians discovered that bees had made a home in the sign and there were hundreds of gallons of honey inside the sign. It had to be rebuilt again. The sign is a landmark and local favorite in Portland.
Here’s another anecdote about the Schnitzer. If you look through the windows, you can see a white marble statue. It’s called Surprise and it was in the original theater in 1927. Soon after the theater opened, an unemployed actor stole the cash box and a gunfight broke out in the lobby. No one got hurt but someone shot off two fingers on the statue’s hand. Those fingers were not glued back on until 1984 – 57 years later!
Antoinette Hatfield Hall
Right across the street is Antoinette Hatfield Hall. This hall is part of the Portland’5 group and houses three theatres: The Newmark, the Winningstad and the Brunish. The architect who designed the building created the lobby to look like an Elizabethan theater. The lobby makes you feel like you are on stage. Look up and imagine people sitting in the boxes looking down on you.
In the lobby of Hatfield Hall there is a special sculpture called Mago Hermano (Brother Wizard or Magician) by Mexican artist Alejandro Colunga. Portland’s Sister City, Guadalajara, Mexico, gave Portland the statue as a gift. It features a whimsical bronze and steel figure with many Northwest features (roses, a ball with water, a nose like a water spigot, antlers, slugs, etc.). The statue adds a fun international art element to the space.
While in the lobby look up to see the Spectral Light Dome. The dome is comprised of 500 pieces of clear glass that are treated with a chemical that picks up the light and gives the dome color. The architect also wanted the lobby to feel like theaters in ancient Greece and Rome which had open domes to the sky.
Outside on the street next to these buildings (SW Main Street between Broadway and Park Avenue), there is another fun art installation called the Folly Bollards. They are twenty bronze busts mounted on waist-high posts, showing 10 different spirits or mythical characters from literature and story-telling from around the world. They were installed in 1998. They are there to decorate the space and make it fun. Also note the repeated checkerboard pattern in the sidewalk that repeats the pattern on the historic First Congregational Church.
In addition, there are stars on the sidewalk between the two theaters. Each star contains the name of a person who made a great contribution to our city. Remember, good citizens are the riches of the city.
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Discussion Questions:
What are some symbols of Portland depicted in the Mago Hermano?
What is a sister city? Why are they important?
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State Education Standards:
Social Studies 3.11. Describe how individuals, groups, events, and developments have shaped the communities and regions. Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.12. Compare and contrast the history of the local community to other communities in the region. Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.13. Apply research skills and technologies to gather information about the past in a region. Historical Thinking