"For decades, Portland's lampposts and community boards have told a vibrant history. Oftentimes stacked one on top of another, feet-thick, stapled up on poles lining hip-strips like Mississippi and Hawthorne avenues, concert posters clue in passersby that certain artists will be playing at a certain time and date at a certain place; while also telling a story of a city's culture and history, its music and art scenes, and the people involved in those scenes."
"Since the mid-'80s, Blumklotz has collected concert posters that have caught his eye by taking them down from poles, grabbing them after shows, and building community with artists and collectors who have a similar appreciation of the art form. With over 10,000 pieces in his archive, Blumklotz is an authority on the historical threads weaving through Portland's concert poster history-threads including city and cultural history, art trends and styles, music history, paper-making technology, and more."
""The quality of poster making has always been way off the charts good in Portland," Blumklotz tells the Mercury. The excitement grew in his voice as he described the ongoing local movement of poster making and poster art, disciplines ever evolving in multiple directions and styles. "The interplay between music art and visual art is often seen as seamless," he explain"
Portland's lampposts and community boards have served as public galleries, where layered concert posters communicate event details and reflect local culture. Poster distribution in the 1980s relied on word of mouth, fliers, handbills, and physical posting at poles, stores, venues, and bars. Jason Blumklotz began collecting in the mid-1980s by removing posters from poles and gathering pieces after shows, forming relationships with artists and collectors. The archive exceeds 10,000 items and documents intersections of city history, music, visual-art trends, and printing techniques. An exhibition at Mint Gallery Records will display over 40 posters spanning the 1960s through 2024, many available for sale.
Read at Portland Mercury
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