Velveteria facts for kids
Neon sign for Velveteria in 2006
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| Established | December 2005 (Portland, Oregon); December 2013 (Los Angeles, California) |
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| Location | Portland, Oregon: 518 NE 28th Avenue (2005–2008); 2448 E. Burnside Street (2008–2010) Los Angeles, California: 711 New High Street (2013–present) |
The Velveteria: The Museum of Velvet Paintings was a unique museum. It was all about art painted on velvet fabric. The museum first opened in Portland, Oregon, in 2005. Later, in 2013, it moved to Los Angeles, California.
In Los Angeles, it had a longer name: Velveteria Epicenter of Art Fighting Cultural Deprivation. The museum displayed hundreds of velvet paintings. These came from the personal collection of its founders, Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin. They owned over 2,000 such artworks! The Velveteria was thought to be the only museum of its kind. It closed in Portland in January 2010 because of money problems. The owners then moved to Southern California. The museum reopened in Chinatown, Los Angeles in 2013. It finally closed for good around 2020-2021 during the COVID pandemic.
Contents
The Museum's Story
Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin, who were originally from California, started the museum. They opened it in Portland, Oregon, in 2005. The first location was at 518 NE 28th Avenue. It cost $3 to get in.
In May 2008, some of their paintings were shown at a famous bookstore called Powell's Books. Later that year, the museum moved to a bigger place. This new spot was at 2448 East Burnside Street. The admission price went up to $5. However, the rent for this larger space was much higher. Because of these money troubles, the Velveteria closed in January 2010. Anderson and Baldwin then moved to Southern California. The owners said they "never made any real money" from the museum. They even wrote a book about their collection called Black Velvet Masterpieces: Highlights from the Collection of the Velveteria Museum.
In December 2013, the Velveteria reopened in Los Angeles. It was called the Velveteria Epicenter of Art Fighting Cultural Deprivation. By 2017, it cost $10 to visit. The museum faced money problems again in 2019.
What You Could See
The Velveteria in Portland was in a plain-looking building. But inside, it was very colorful! You would walk through bright pink velvet curtains to enter. A sign at the entrance promised a "life-changing experience!"
The museum showed about 400 velvet paintings. These were chosen from the owners' huge collection of over 2,000 pieces. None of the artworks were for sale. Some paintings were even displayed in a special black light room. The owners, Caren and Carl, wrote their own comments next to many of the artworks. This made the visit even more personal.
The paintings showed many different things. You could see pictures of landscapes and sad clowns. There was even a painting called Unicorn Combover. It showed a unicorn whose mane looked like a woman's hairstyle. The museum also had a special area dedicated to Michael Jackson. Other famous people and figures painted on velvet included Anderson Cooper, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and Elvis Presley.
Moving to Los Angeles and Closing
The Velveteria found a new home in a storefront on New High Street. This was in the Chinatown area of downtown Los Angeles. Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin, who was from Los Angeles, were behind this new start. However, the museum is now permanently closed.
See Also
- Glossary of textile manufacturing
- List of museums in Oregon
External Links
- Velveteria's official site: http://velveteria.com/
ja:ベルベット・ペインティング
