PICA's 16,000 sq ft new HQ at 15 NE Hancock

Exciting news, PICA has a new 16,000 sq ft permanent home at 15 NE Hancock thanks to help from the Calligram Foundation. The architect will be Holst. Location wise it is just a few blocks from both the Rose Quarter and the main portion of N. Williams Avenue's district around Cook street. This will certainly be Northeast Portland's cultural anchor.


Interior view of PICA's 16,000 sq ft new HQ


Another interior view, the fitness theme probably wont carry over but you never know with PICA

Ultimately, this gives TBA new permanent HQ as well as year round programming space on an epic scale that the downtown space never had (they are leaving it). With rents rising empty warehouses are getting harder and harder to procure. It also makes programming much easier when you know what space you have. In many ways that has been the major problem with TBA's visual art programming as art today often requires knowing precise spatial constraints.

I can also see PICA building out specific spaces and being part of the Northeast puts them smack in the middle of where a lot of artists live and work. PICA always likes to be close to the artists. Some organizations in Portland are notorious for mooching off of artists creating huge (often anonymous) group shows of people who already have their careers going so they can collect "names". PICA has always been generative, building artists careers early on and following through over time.