Tomorrow, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts opens to the public, marking the culmination of a decades-long effort to bring a world-class performing arts venue to Beaverton. Here’s what you need to know.
📍 Yes, it is in the suburbs, but it’s located less than 300 feet from the Beaverton Central MAX Station, making it accessible to the entire Portland area via the Red + Blue lines. There’s also a 270-space parking garage attached to the building.
👏 The Reser’s Mainstage Theater has seating for 550 (350 at ground level and 200 in the balcony), with state-of-the-art equipment for concerts, theatrical productions, and more. It’s the first facility of its kind to be built in the region in 30+ years.
🎨 A free, on-site art gallery will feature rotating exhibits from PNW artists. The first, “Celilo – Never Silenced,” tells a visual story through the paintings of Indigenous artists about the sacred tribal fishery on the Columbia River, which was flooded with the completion of The Dalles Dam.
🗣️ Education + outreach are a priority for The Reser; workshop + meeting spaces, as well as the outdoor plaza, will be available for the community to host a variety of events, from masterclasses to dance recitals.
💰 $55 million: The project received both private + public funding. The center’s namesake and local philanthropist, Pat Reser, contributed $13 million, while additional dollars came from the city’s hotel tax, as well as $12 million from 960 donors across 18 states.
🏗️ Design + construction were done by Skanska USA Building Inc., Gerding Edlen, and Opsis Architecture. Ground broke in Nov. 2019, and work was only slightly delayed during the pandemic. Expansive windows and wood elements are meant to evoke stepping into a beaver dam, blurring the lines between urban and natural environments. Pro tip: Look for Mount Hood from the lobby’s upper walkway.