Connecting Plants and People: The Vision for Portland Botanical Gardens
From February 5th – 26th, 2026, Design Portland (formerly City of Possibility) will host an exhibition on Portland Botanical Gardens’ vision for the McCormick & Baxter Superfund Site in North Portland.
The three-week exhibition centers on the design, planning, and work to establish botanical gardens along the Willamette River. Programming will include a keynote lecture by Scot Medbury (President Emeritus of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Senior Advisor to Portland Botanical Gardens), panel discussions, and an online plant auction.
Exhibit Space in JK Gill Building
The exhibition will be held in the Design Portland space on the first floor of the historic JK Gill Building at 426 SW Harvey Milk Street. The exhibit will feature three collections: 1) posters of site analysis, design research, and master planning; 2) mass timber furnishing prototypes; and 3) live plant displays.
Programming Schedule
Wednesday, February 4th, 7-8:30pm Keynote Lecture: Scot Medbury, “The American Urban Botanical Garden: Catalyst for Community Revitalization” Reserve tickets online!
Location: Sanctuary Hall at the First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205
Sunday, February 8th, 2-4pm, Panel Presentation: “A Superfund Site Blossoms: the Portland Botanical Gardens Vision and Plan” Reserve tickets online!
Location: JK Gill building at 426 SW Harvey Milk St, Portland, OR 97204
Sunday, February 15th, 2-4pm, Panel Presentation: “Portland Botanical Gardens: the Co-Creation of Education and Programming” Reserve tickets online!
Location: JK Gill building at 426 SW Harvey Milk St, Portland, OR 97204
Thursday, February 26th, 5:30-8:30pm, Exhibition Closing Party, Plant Auction Conclusion (free and open to the public)
Location: JK Gill building at 426 SW Harvey Milk St, Portland, OR 97204