I think 2009 was PORT's most in-depth year to date and though traffic isn't our primary concern our most detailed and critical articles tended to be our most popular... it is why PORT is less like a typical blog or newspaper (which favor; money, scandal and generally ingratiating oneself to the scene) and more like a critical journal or ongoing symposia. In other words, we are primarily interested in comparing ideas, execution and history.

By far, Amy's April interview with Okwui Enwezor was the most popular piece on PORT in 2009. Even now it gets over 1000 readers a day.


Other consistently high traffic posts from 2009 were (in no particular order):


Arcy's excellent research into Mark Rothko's crucial Portland years was an important post, gathering scholarly interest at the very highest levels.

In April, I posed a piquant question regarding which discipline is working with the most interesting spatial ideas, installation art or architecture?

Alex's excellent interview with the V&A's Glen Adamason even featured some nice iphone images of Adamson's personal collection.

Ziba gave us an early tour of their new HQ, and we gave the world their first look at the Holst designed space. You saw it on PORT first.

Arcy's fine essay on Art and Nature explored the boundaries of an artist's intention and execution, relating them as a working part of the universe as a system.

My review of Joshua Orion Kermiet and Midori Hirosi at Fontanelle was definitely popular with readers. Hirosi deserves a solo show.

MK Guth's guest interview with Laura Fritz in February.

My photos and analysis of the CAN townhall last April, which definitely got RACC's attention too.

Also from April, my interview with Mickalene Thomas continues to draw a lot of eyeballs.

My mildly proscriptive review of Stephen Slappe's Shelter in Place caused an amusing firestorm (Stephen's one of the best liked artists in Portland and a prof at PNCA). Sure, it had lots of eye candy but even Doug Aitken's efforts (he's a master of multi-channel video) don't always gel and it is my job to review a show comparing an artist's latest piece against their best work up to that point. Seven months later, people seem to have come around to the fact that Slappe had done better at previous exhibitions in 2009. Still, it was an important show because it was a difficult new direction with a steep leaning/technological curve and hardly a wasted effort. The great thing about Portland's scene is artists are allowed to develop like Slappe has and maybe some of the under 30 scene learned a thing or two about criticism as well.

I thought it was a somewhat funny post, but PORT's readers have made Art and Tennis consistently one of our most trafficked photoblog entries.

Though it didn't get that many readers initially my review of Rose McCormick's Grand Ronde has drawn more and more attention. Now it gets more traffic every week than it did the 1st week of the review, which is unusual but well deserved.