Good ideas

While strolling about Buenos Aires, I have come across a few ideas that would be great to bring back to Portland. They both involved art and are subsidized by the City of Buenos Aires.

First, there is a practice here of treating public open space as exhibition space. On more than one occasion, I have seen art exhibits in public parks or plazas. Enclosed are pictures of the little park next to the national library. Some exhibits are permanent while some are temporary. This is a great way to bring art to the public, free and outside of an institution. The City of Buenos Aires has also used plazas to display its long-range plans. Something Portland could easily do if the Parks Bureau will allow it. In my observation, the exhibits are popular.

Second, there was a great event a few nights ago, The Night of the Museums (La Noche de los Museos). This is an annual event that occurs in several cities throughout the world. On this night, 120 museums around the city are open between 7 pm and 2 am and provide FREE special exhibitions, tours and/or live events - music, dance, theater, etc. Many buses are free and a shuttle is provided between venues in the same part of town. Marc and I joined a few friends and went to tour the house of tango legend Carlos Gardel. There were also tango concerts in the street in front of the house. Then, we went to some other small museum, where we watched tango shows until 2. We got our tango fix. The crowd in both places was very diverse in age. I couldn't believe that senior citizens could stay up that late. Only in Buenos Aires!