Fine Art Portland: Great Industrial Spaces Where You Can Have a Studio

Portland Art Opening at the North Coast Seed Building

The Best Spaces Where You Can Help Keep Portland Weird

Portland has a well-deserved reputation as a city where creativity reigns. This popular Pacific Northwest destination has historically offered the perfect mix of inspiration and relative affordability that makes it fertile ground for creative weirdos of all stripes, from musicians to painters, filmmakers to performance artists.

But Portland is no longer the well-kept secret that it once was. These days, it seems just about everyone is moving to PDX, and some of the city’s cherished artist spaces have been razed to make way for high density housing, as demand for housing has gone through the roof.

Not to worry: there are still plenty of great industrial spaces where you can follow your muse and live the Bohemian dream. In this post, we’ll check out some of Portland’s best spots for creatives to live and work.

North Coast Seed Building – 2127 N Albina in North Portland

North Coast Seed Building, PDX

Back before Portland was on the short list of the hippest cities in the country, a rag-tag band of artists took up residence in the North Coast Seed Building. The elevator was dicey and the place was full of cardboard boxes, but to those pioneering underground artists, it was home.

The Fire Marshal smelled trouble (or it could have been smoke), so he issued an eviction notice. But thanks to some compassion from a sympathetic member of City government, city code was reinterpreted to allow workspaces in the building. It’s been a legitimate studio enclave ever since.

Carton Service Studios – 2211 NW Front Avenue in The Pearl

Carton Service Studios

These days, the Pearl is one of Portland’s most sought-after neighborhoods for high-end condo living and art galleries, but back when the owners of packing material recycler Carton Service first started renting the upper floor to artists, the area was better known for abandoned warehouses than upscale retailers.

Some of the artists at Carton Service Studios have been in their spaces for more than two decades, but studios do become available on occasion.

Cathedral Park Place – 6635 N. Baltimore in St. Johns

Across the river from the Pearl District in North Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood, you’ll find Cathedral Park Place. This former Columbia Sportswear warehouse boasts 280,000 square feet of mixed-use space occupied by photographers, painters, sculptors, software designers, and all sorts of other creative misfits.

Cathedral Park Place Studios

In short, it’s fertile ground for collaboration, and there’s always something going on. Some of the spaces feature hardwood floors, skylights, and arched windows, and it’s all within view of the majestic St. Johns Bridge.

Everett Station Lofts – 625 NW Everett Street in The Pearl

Everett Station Lofts is quite a rarity in Portland: it’s a fully legal live/work studio complex, which makes it especially desirable for those who need to be able to get their hands dirty the moment inspiration strikes.

Everett Station Lofts in PDX

First Thursdays, a monthly evening event year-round that showcases Pearl District artists and galleries, is a big deal here, with up to 16 artists opening their storefront studios to the public at any given time. Upstairs, the live/work units are much more private. Everett Station serves as an oasis of inspiration in the upscale Pearl District.

Ford Building PDX – 2505 SE 11th Avenue in Hosford-Abernathy

Studio Interior at the SE's Ford Building

Situated in the bustling Hosford-Abernathy neighborhood of Southeast Portland, the Ford Building was originally used by Ford Motor Co. as an assembly plant for the iconic Model-T. These days, its list of taste-making tenants includes Pinterest, The Factory, Nutcase Helmets, Hand and Hide, and Duchess Clothier.

Spaces here range from micro to macro, and if you only need a part-time workspace, co-working options are available. And yes, the spaces at the Ford Building PDX are gorgeous.

The Studios at Milepost 5 – 850 NE 81st Avenue in Montavilla

Not too long ago, most Portland residents wanted to live as close to the Willamette River as possible, but that’s rapidly changing. The Montavilla neighborhood is quickly becoming one of the coolest districts in the city, with a wide array of makers, retailers, and purveyors of fine food and drink setting up shop in the area.

Studios at Milepost 5 in Portland

The Studios at Milepost 5 are situated at the northern end of this rapidly evolving neighborhood, and while the spaces there are on the diminutive side, the rents for live/work spaces start at a very affordable $375 per month.

Let’s Get Creative in PDX!

As you can see, the Boho lifestyle is alive and well in Portland. It’s a hot place to live, though it’s not without its growing pains, all of which can make for some much-needed artistic inspiration for those with the proverbial ear to the ground. Here’s to hoping that it always maintains its creative spark, thanks to the artists who live and work in these stimulating creative spaces!

[Photos Via: Portland Art; PDX Building Ads; Positive Spin]