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September 15, 1939: Portland Art Museum Hirsch Wing Opens

September 15, 2011 by Dave Leave a Comment

Photo of Ella Hirsch in The Oregonian, 15 September 1939Six years after the opening of the Pietro Belluschi designed Portland Art Museum building, construction began on the Hirsch wing, which when opened on September 15, 1939, doubled the exhibit space.

The opening celebration was well attended by Portland dignitaries, and the new space was well received (The Oregonian 16 September 1939)

The new wing, designed by Pietro Belluschi, Portland architect, drew much interested comment for its economical use of allotted space and its excellent lighting. The wing is two stories high and adds six galleries and two long corridors, which also may be used for display space.

A simple carving in a column of the upper corridor announced the dedication of the new wing to Solomon and Josephine Hirsch, mother and father of the donor, and for many years associated with the cultural and social live of Portland and Oregon.

The Hoffman wing, party designed by Belluschi, was added in 1969, and in 2000 the adjacent Masonic Temple was absorbed into the museum as the Mark Building.

Filed Under: Art, History, Museum, Portland, This Day in History

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