The Portland Art Museum's grand reopening celebration turned into an unexpectedly eventful weekend, with two separate incidents forcing complete evacuations of the newly renovated facility. The four-day free admission extravaganza, which welcomed an impressive 30,000 visitors to the downtown campus, was marred by a vaping incident that triggered smoke alarms and damage to a major art installation that activated safety protocols.
The first evacuation occurred on the evening of November 20, when someone set off smoke alarms by vaping in a first-floor restroom. This incident happened on the very first day the Portland Art Museum welcomed guests back after completing a massive $111 million renovation project that added or updated 100,000 square feet of space. Museum staff quickly resolved the situation and allowed visitors to return to the galleries.
Two days later, on November 22, a more serious incident unfolded when a child accidentally bumped into Marie Watt's impressive 26-foot-long neon sculpture titled "A Shared Horizon (Western Door)" in the new Mark Rothko Pavilion's Grand Gallery. The collision broke a neon tube, specifically damaging the "Bear Bear" section at the bottom right edge of the artwork. The sculpture, described as "like a poem in lights," features pairs of repeated words that reflect the Pacific Northwest, including "Deer Deer Sky Sky Water Water."
The damage to Watt's neon installation triggered the museum's safety protocols for potentially hazardous materials, prompting staff to evacuate the entire building as a precautionary measure. However, officials quickly determined that neon is non-toxic, allowing guests to safely return inside. The evacuation was brief, but it demonstrated the museum's commitment to visitor safety even during minor incidents.
Museum spokesman Ian Gillingham addressed both incidents in an official statement, acknowledging the disruptions while emphasizing their minor nature. "These incidents did cause minor and brief disruptions to the opening weekend, and the museum is taking measures to prevent similar issues in the future," Gillingham said. "We're grateful to our visitors for their patience and understanding."
The damaged sculpture was successfully restored before the museum's official reopening on November 28, ensuring that visitors could experience Watt's complete artistic vision. Marie Watt, who serves as a board member at the Portland Art Museum, expressed her disappointment about the temporary inconvenience caused to visitors. "It was sad to know that people had to leave the museum, even temporarily," Watt said. "There's so much art to see and I hate the idea of anyone having to exit for any sort of fire drill."
Despite these unexpected incidents, the grand reopening weekend was considered a success, with the museum welcoming thousands of art enthusiasts eager to explore the extensively renovated facility. The Portland Art Museum's ability to handle these situations professionally while maintaining visitor safety demonstrates the institution's commitment to providing a secure environment for experiencing world-class art.
