Portland Arts & Lectures

Welcoming the world’s most celebrated writers, artists, and thinkers to speak to our community in the historic Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

OUR 2024/25 SEASON IS SOLD OUT.

Click here to learn more about the upcoming season lineup.


Click here for FAQs on Portland Arts & Lectures subscriptions.


Since 1984, Portland Arts & Lectures has brought celebrated writers, artists, and thinkers to our community to discuss their work and the trajectory of contemporary culture, connecting readers and writers of all ages in a spirit of intellectual curiosity and engagement with events, classroom visits, and forums.

Listen to past speakers from Portland Arts & Lectures and other Literary Arts events on our radio show and podcast, The Archive Project.



“By supporting readers, writers, and books, Literary Arts is doing the difficult and crucial work of building engaged communities, and for me, this is nothing short of protecting a democratic society that recognizes that you and I are deeply united by our vision of a world that is better, truer, and freer.” 

Min Jin Lee, 2019/20 Portland Arts & Lectures Speaker

THANK YOU TO OUR SERIES SUPPORTERS

A to Z Wineworks | Angeli Law Group | The Eberwein Family
Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund | ZGF Architects

Additional in-kind support from:

To create access for our wider community we need the support of event sponsors.
If you or your company is interested in sponsorship, please email development@literary-arts.org.

Past Seasons

For more than three decades, Portland Arts & Lectures has presented the greatest writers and thinkers of our time. Browse past speakers by season and listen on our podcast, The Archive Project.

Learn More

“I’ve had the good luck to participate in many lecture series, and Portland Arts and Lectures is the gold standard.  They’ve established a virtuous cycle of literary engagement among local writers, local high schools, and an avid and vibrant reading community.  The visiting writer gets to reach and interact with all three, meaningfully and efficiently.” 

Jennifer Egan, Portland Arts & Lectures Author

Donate to Youth Programs

We provide local high school students with tickets and transportation to our concert hall events. Make a donation to help ensure students have access to these transformative arts experiences.

Donate

Community Tickets

We reserve seats for local community organizations at our concert hall events. Contact our box office at la@literary-arts.org or 503-227-2583, ext. 101 for more information about receiving free or discounted tickets.

The Archive Project

In addition to live lecture events, our Portland Arts & Lectures program connects readers and writers of all ages through classroom visits and workshops for professional writers. Events are featured on The Archive Project, our weekly radio show and podcast.

Listen