We didn't know we needed one until it came here. Velveteria is a velvet-painting museum curated by Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin, who relocated from Portland, Oregon, to open their new space in Chinatown late last year. This storefront gallery displays about 500 paintings — Baldwin likes to say “about 420 wink wink” — cherry-picked from the couple's 3,000-piece collection, bringing a welcome note of eccentricity to the growing hip-ification of the neighborhood. “See the '60s on velvet: black power, JFK, Beatles, Stones, rock 'n' roll, Vietnam and tiki,” screams the website, and it's all true — plus a plethora of unicorns, religious icons, Liberace and the Hall of Elvis. More than a hobby, Velveteria purports to make a serious study of the genre as interpreted around the world. Best of all is a special blacklight room, packed floor to ceiling with glowing works of art, where cushions are provided for your hanging-out pleasure, upholstered in (of course) zebra velvet. —Suzy Beal

711 New High St., Chinatown, 90012. (503) 309-9299, velveteria.com.

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