[1] The establishment housed hundreds of paintings from founders Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin's personal collection of over 2,000 pieces, and was reportedly the only one of its kind.

The museum was established by Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin, California natives residing in Portland, Oregon.

[6] However, rental costs were more than three times higher and in January 2010, Velveteria closed when Anderson and Baldwin relocated to Southern California.

[2] The museum included a shrine to Michael Jackson; other portrait pieces depicted Anderson Cooper, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln and Elvis Presley.

[2][5] Velveteria was featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in September 2006,[9] Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in January 2007,[10] and CBS News Sunday Morning and MSN's Appetite for Life with Andrew Zimmern in 2009.

[2][11][12] In 2010, Kristi Turnquist of The Oregonian wrote that Anderson and Baldwin personified the "Keep Portland Weird" slogan and that the museum was "evidence of the city's quirky creativity".