...according to Art Forum's Art Guide the postponed Oregon Biennial is taking place this weekend at an alternate site...the lovely state of Maine (scroll down). The greatly anticipated survey of Oregon art will be the most radical ever since only Maine artists were chosen.

All kidding aside, the real one is rumoured to happen in 2006 and thankfully none of the last 2 biennials (although disappointing compared to the pool available) looked as underwhelming as the one in Portland Maine does.

There has been talk that the yet to be hired Arlene & Harold Schnitzer Curator of NW Art will be involved. The format really deserves a serious re-appraisal too. Oregon artists are making real strides nationally and internationally and a more focused show of 6-9 artists makes a lot of sense to me.

What do you think? Do you prefer it be more focused with less artists? Is jury by slide just too limiting? Should the museum simply commission works, especially considering the number of installation artists we have here? Does the thing really matter now that Portland artists are increasingly using the place as a base for national/international activity? The biennial's contentious nature does keep things interesting.

Yes, there is a sense of catching up that needs to be addressed but some museum's move slow and the Portland Art museum is based on the venerable Metropolitan Museum's "better late than never" model. Fact is the biennial is an inexpensive blockbuster for the museum in this art crazy place.