Hey, just root for the Blazers & say hi to LaMarcus & we can be friends . . . no, i digress from a serious topic and "shame".  I got a lucky reprieve and moved instantly to Portland.  The Financial Crisis made it work.  Otherwise, Greed would have happened sooner, it was indeed well on it's way.  
     I also worked as an artist, having two studios simultaneously.  One the cheap private one i arranged at Cathedral Park for my private adventures and one that was, well more of a music and art underground thing for me until it wasn't.  I didn't dump Portland, it just was Time.  
      Yeah we can say this is progress. 

     We can say we value artists. 

      However, mean it.  All over the world, in too numerous examples Artists become the "Tools of Gentrification".  We often are brave enough or poor enough to go into areas other folks initially avoid as too "gritty" or whatever.  In Portland that could also translate as "too black"-ah History.  Sad white Playground city. Greed Disease