Anne Hughes (art patron)

Anne Hughes (née Marguerite Anne McBride) was an American gallery owner, restaurateur and patron of the arts from Portland, Oregon. Hughes originated various enterprises including the Anne Hughes Coffee Room at Powell's bookstore, an eponymous art gallery, and the Kitchen Table Cafe.^[1][2] Mentioned along with Matt Groening, Paul Allen, and Phil Knight, she was described as a "One-Woman KaffeeKlatsch" by Willamette Week as part of the weekly's 25th anniversary celebration in "They Rule: Some of our Favorite Portlanders".^[3]

Anne Hughes
Born	(1944-09-21)September 21, 1944 Washington, D.C.
Died	August 26, 2021(2021-08-26) (aged 76)
Occupation(s)	Restaurateur, art patron

Personal life

Hughes has lived in Portland for over 60 years. She has four brothers, one of whom lives in Philadelphia.^[2] Another brother, Francis McBride, is an architect. As of 2016, Hughes was living in a "tiny home", a 400 square-foot house located next door to her son, Michael.^[4]

History

Hughes was a prominent part of the Portland art scene during the 1970s.^[5] She served on the first board of directors for the Portland Saturday Market.^[6] Before closing in 1977, the Anne Hughes Gallery operated in Northwest Portland and Downtown Portland.^[7] Judy Chicago, Henk Pander, and Mel Katz showed at her gallery.^[8][9] She displayed the work of painters Scott McIntire, Frank Okada, Carolyn Cole, Martha Banyas, Jackie K. Johnson, Sherrie Wolf, Judy Cooke, Carol Colin, jeweler and sculptor Nelsie Davis, artist Bill Ritchie, sculptor William Tunberg, Scott Sonniksen, and the work of the current Director of Art Programs for Marylhurst College, Paul Sutinen.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]}

During the 1980s, Hughes hosted "Wednesday Breakfasts" which were famous for the scones.^[24]

The Anne Hughes Coffee Room was started in 1985 at Powell's Books after Hughes gave a written proposal to owner, Michael Powell.^[2][25] Hughes claimed the inspiration came to her after she sat on a box in the stacks and read an entire book.^[4] The Coffee Room was famous as a meeting place and for The Anne Hughes Coffee Room Books, a series of blank journals put out by Hughes to be filled in by patrons. Leo Burt, the fugitive believed to be behind the Sterling Hall bombing and one-time Unabomber suspect may have visited the Coffee Room and written in one of the books in 1988.^[26][27]

On September 24, 1990, Hughes was arrested along with 51 others during the so-called "Quayle Riot". She was charged with unlawful assembly. The riot began as a demonstration timed to correspond with a visit by then-Vice-President Dan Quayle. She subsequently sued the city, claiming that her constitutional rights were violated when she was hand-cuffed for more than 3 and one half hours, forced to kneel for over an hour and cursed at by Police. The suit was subsequently settled and the criminal charges against her were dropped.^[28] Hughes operated the Kitchen Table Cafe in Portland's Buckman neighborhood for most of the 1990s. During that time, she was on the Board of the Buckman Community Association.^[29]

Hughes previously worked providing organizing services to small businesses and individuals.^[1] She died from the effects of dementia on August 26, 2021.^[30]

References

1. Hinkel, Kevin (February 13, 2008). "Conquer the Clutter: Living Portland Institution Anne Hughes Embraces her Second Life as an Expert on Organization". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
2. Crotty, James (October 30, 1998). . Monk Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
3. . Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
4. White, Maggie (May 26, 2016). "Tiny living: Anne Hughes went in search of a simpler life". Northwest Boomer and Senior News.
5. Speer, Richard (May 2009). "100 Years of PNCA". art ltd. magazine. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
6. "History of Portland Saturday Market". Portland Saturday Market. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
7. Lothian, Michaela (1977). . Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
8. Clarke, Kelly (1977). "For Arts Sake". Willamette Week. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
9. . Katherine T. Carter & Associates. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
10. "Scott McIntire CV/BIO". Scott McIntire. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
11. (PDF). Portland Grid Project. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
12. "Frank Okada Resume". Greg Kucera Gallery, Inc. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
13. "Carolyn Cole Exhibitions". Carolyn Cole Art. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
14. "Jackie K Johnson Bio". Laura Russo Gallery. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
15. "Sherrie Wolf Bio". Laura Russo Gallery. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
16. "Resume, Nelsie Davis". Nelsie Davis, Hollow Fabricated Jewelry. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
17. "Bill Ritchie Full Biographical Resume". Bill H. Ritchie, Jr. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
18. . yyize.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
19. "1986 Cooke Exhibition List(Elizabeth Leach Gallery)". University of Oregon Online Libraries, Oregon Percent for Art. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
20. "Paul Sutinen: Incidents and Ideas 1975-2000" (PDF). Oregonvisualarts.org. Oregon Visual Arts Ecology Project. 17 September 2000. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
21. "Resume". MarthaBanyas.com. Martha Banyas. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
22. "Scott T. Sonniksen Resume". OregonDigital.org. Oregon Digital. April 1980. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
23. "Carol Colin Resume". Carol-Colin.squarespace.com. The Studio of Ted Waltz and Carol Colin. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
24. "Wednesday Breakfast Scones". Tasting Spoons. October 18, 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
25. "Romance Revolution". Darrel Plant. April 9, 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
26. Bates, Tom (10 December 1995). "Did the Unabomber try his hand at living in Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
27. "Anne Hughes Coffee Room". Jill Domschot. June 14, 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
28. "City, Woman settle over arrest". The Register-Guard. 18 April 1992. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
29. "BCA Minutes 6-12-03". Neighborhood Link National Network. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
30. "Anne Hughes, Portland arts champion and coffee shop owner, dies at 76". oregonlive.com. 19 September 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.