RACC Blog

Two Oregon Artists Chosen to Create Large-Scale, 2D Public Artworks at Portland International Airport

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Left: Portrait of Ryan Pierce by Sadie Wechsler. Right: Portrait of James Lavadour by Walters Photographers, Pendleton, Oregon.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information

Portland, OR —June 23rd, 2025. In collaboration with the Port of Portland, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is proud to announce that Oregon artists James Lavadour and Ryan Pierce have each been chosen to create a large-scale, 2D public artwork for Portland International Airport (PDX), anticipated to be installed in late 2025 and debut to the public in 2026. Both artists were selected by the PDX Terminal Core Redevelopment (TCORE) Public Art Committee.

The renovation of the airport’s main terminal aims to increase the capacity, flexibility, and resilience of the airport, while improving the travel experience and adding more of what people love about PDX–including more art. Pierce’s and Lavadour’s artworks are among several exciting new public art projects RACC is managing within the new PDX.

Lavadour’s work will be featured in the south entry hall, greeting both entering and exiting visitors to PDX. With its contemporary abstraction of landscapes, Lavadour’s painting will become a companion piece to the abstract landscape mural by Louis Bunce originally commissioned for the airport in 1958 that will be displayed in the north entry hall.

Located at the north end of baggage claim, Pierce’s artwork will greet passengers exiting international arrivals and will also be prominently visible from a waiting lounge for travelers to meet family, friends, and colleagues. The work will welcome passengers to Portland, and provide a first impression of Oregon.

“RACC is proud to partner with the Port of Portland to bring James Lavadour’s and Ryan Pierce’s visionary works to PDX. Lavadour’s Conduit honors our region’s landscapes and Indigenous artistic legacy, while Pierce’s Liberated Luggage invites travelers to engage with the resilience and playfulness of our natural world. These installations exemplify RACC’s commitment to ensuring public art reflects the diversity of our communities and enhances our shared spaces,” says Kristin Law Calhoun, Director of Partnerships and Programs at the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

“Our essential partnership with RACC continues to enrich cultural experiences at PDX by providing new opportunities for artists to exhibit their incredible work in public places,” said Wendy Given, Art Program Manager at the Port of Portland. “It is an absolute honor to gain large-scale installations for the Port’s permanent collection from celebrated regional artists James Lavadour and Ryan Pierce. Sharing the spirit, creativity, cultures, and pride of the Pacific Northwest with travelers and visitors is our responsibility.”

About the Artists & Artworks

James Lavadour (Walla Walla; b. 1951, Pendleton, OR) is a self-taught artist whose painting practice is informed by an intimate attention to and deep connection with the natural world. Lavadour’s paintings are created through a process of improvisation, resulting in abstract landscapes of rich colors and broad brushstrokes. His publicly commissioned artworks are carefully considered compositions made up of multiple paintings installed in relationship to one another in linear or grid formations.

Lavadour’s work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions and can be found in many collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY), Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, DC), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR), Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, WA), Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, WA), Portland Art Museum (Portland, OR), and University of Oregon (Eugene, OR). Awards and recognitions include a Hallie Ford Fellowship of The Ford Family Foundation, an Oregon Arts Commission fellowship, an Oregon Governor’s Arts Award, the Betty Bowen Memorial Recognition Award, and an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from Eastern Oregon University (La Grande, OR). Lavadour is the co-founder, past president, and past board member of Crow’s Shadow Institute for the Arts (CSIA). Located on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, CSIA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to preserving and promoting contemporary and traditional Indigenous cultural practices and is a nationally recognized studio known for advancing Native voices in contemporary fine art printmaking. Lavadour is represented by PDX Contemporary Art gallery.

For the PDX airport, Lavadour has been invited to create a site-specific large-scale painting composition. Lavadour’s largest public artwork to date, the piece will be composed of 36 individual painted 24” x 30” panels in a grid formation that create one unified, complex painting. Conduit, the title of the painting, represents the idea of a passage or connector. Meaningful in the context of the airport, “conduit” as a theme is also personally significant to the artist: aware of the significant challenges faced by Indigenous artists trying to gain the recognition of mainstream galleries, Lavadour founded Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts in 1989, the only professional printmaking studio on a reservation in the USA, to provide a conduit for Native artists. Painted in Lavadour’s signature expression over a period spanning more than 10 years, the assembled panels represent the depth and breadth of Lavadour’s painting practice, his commitment to uplifting Native artists, and a welcome to visitors. In Lavadour’s words, “I think of this painting as similar to a beaded belt to be given as a welcoming gift to all that pass. This homeland is open and welcome to all.”

Ryan Pierce‘s paintings, prints, and experimental artist books envision a world recovering from human industry amid the throes of climate chaos. He draws on influences from ecological theory, literature, and folk art to create scenes that portray the resilience of the natural world. His work has been shown nationally and internationally, including solo exhibitions at Elizabeth Leach Gallery and Nine Gallery in Portland, and Lademoen Kunstnerverksteder (Trondheim, Norway). His work has also been shown in group exhibitions at the Schneider Museum of Art (Ashland, OR), STREAM Gallery (New York, NY), the Henry Art Gallery (Seattle, WA), and Irvine Contemporary (Washington, DC). In 2019, Pierce was selected to participate in the inaugural exhibition of the Portland Art Museum’s regional triennial titled the map is not the territory…

Pierce received an MFA from California College of the Arts and a BFA from Oregon College of Art and Craft. Recognitions and awards include grants from the Joan Mitchell and San Francisco Foundations, an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Oregon Arts Commission, and a fellowship at the Jordan Schnitzer Printmaking Residency at Sitka Center for Art & Ecology (Otis, OR). Pierce currently chairs the low-residency MFA in Visual Studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art and is represented by Elizabeth Leach Gallery, both in Portland.

For the PDX airport, Pierce will paint Liberated Luggage, an original panoramic landscape to be translated into kiln-formed glass in collaboration with Glasmalerei Peters Studios (Portland/Paderborn, Germany). The composition is inspired by the question: What if your luggage got to Oregon before you, and your things were already having a good time? The landscape leads travelers on a visual journey through the ecoregions of Oregon from the Coast to The Great Basin. Endemic flora and fauna populate the composition, as do the things travelers carry: roller bags, duffels, and backpacks, whose vacationing contents are representative of international destinations linked to PDX. Those who stop to look closer will discern a story that’s quirky, playful, and rooted in the pride of place that makes travel as rewarding as coming back home.

Please find a folder of images for use here.

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC): For decades, RACC has aimed to serve every neighborhood of our region to ensure that arts and culture are accessible to all. Our nationally acclaimed public art program enlivens parks, community centers, government buildings, libraries and health clinics; brings people and communities together; and makes our region a more vibrant and welcoming place to be. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we work to elevate the voices and visibility of individual artists, creative organizations and arts nonprofits – especially those that serve underrepresented communities – amplifying their impact through grants, professional development and other vital resources. Through strategic partnerships, our team works to build coalitions and lead new initiatives, crafting a shared vision for an equitable future for arts and culture in our region. For more information, please visit racc.org.

About Port of Portland:  With three airports, three active marine terminals, and five business parks, the Port of Portland is an economic engine for transforming the region into a place where everyone is welcome, empowered, and connected to the opportunity to find a good job or grow their business. The Port works to pull down barriers and provide access to people and local businesses who have been left out of the region’s economic growth—including people of color, low-income workers, and people with disabilities. Collectively, the Port leads big projects in the region, including building a new PDX with a community-centered approach; transforming a former marine terminal into a site for innovation in the housing construction and mass timber industries; and providing more options for Pacific Northwest businesses to send their products around the world. For more information, visit www.PortofPortland.com.

 

Portable Works Installed at Portland’s City Hall

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La Señora by Hampton Rodriguez (2023).

Portland’s City Hall serves as a vibrant cultural hub, reflecting the city’s essence through artwork that encapsulates its people, landscapes, urban evolution, diverse cultures, and their interconnections. RACC’s curation, led by Ivan Salcido, our 2D Curator & Collections Manager, aims to celebrate a spectrum of artists, from some of the city’s most established artists to rising talents exclusively from the region, who embody the richness of Portland’s artistic community. The artworks offer a compelling representation of what it means to live, work, and play in Oregon.

The Mayor’s suite features a curated collection of Oregon-themed artwork, blending seasoned artists with emerging talents. In the Commissioner’s offices, the curation focus shifts to the new districts of Portland. Each office features works specifically tailored to reflect the character and spirit of its respective community. Within the Conference Rooms suite, the theme of Portland’s identity continues through another curated mix of established and emerging artists.

All of the artworks installed come from two main collections: the Portable Works Collection, which features hundreds of regional artists’ two and three-dimensional pieces spread across City and County buildings; and the Visual Chronicle of Portland, a collection that captures the city’s evolving social and urban landscapes.

Artists

Artist Portfolio Link
Aaron Wessling http://aaronwessling.com/
Alison Bremner https://alisonobremner.com/
Álvaro Tarragó https://www.instagram.com/tarrago_art/
Amy Bay http://www.amybay.com/
Bobby Fouther https://about.me/bobby.fouther
Cameron Hawkey https://www.cameronhawkey.com/
Carolyn Hazel Drake https://carolynhazeldrake.com/home.html
Craig Conahan https://www.instagram.com/salaciousbcraig/
David Robert Boxley https://davidrobertboxley.com/
Dennis Cunningham https://www.arts.wa.gov/artist-collection/?request=record;id=1864;type=701
eatcho http://eatcho.com/blog/
Ed Archie NoiseCat https://noisecatart.com/
Epiphany Couch https://www.epiphanycouch.com/
Future Prairie (Brett Brown, Onry, Saeeda, and Joni Whitworth) http://www.futureprairie.com/
Hampton Rodriguez http://www.hamptonrodriguez.com/about-hampton-rodriguez/
Holly Andres https://www.hollyandres.com/
Isaka Shamsud-Din https://www.isakashamsuddin.com/
Jeremy Okai Davis https://www.instagram.com/jeremyokaiart/
Jo Hamilton https://www.johamiltonart.com/
Joe Cantrell https://www.instagram.com/joem.cantrell/
Joe Feddersen https://www.joefeddersen.com/
Jolene Cleo Thompson https://publicartarchive.org/artist/Jolene%20Cleo%20Thompson
Josh Gates https://www.joshgatesart.com/
Judith Pacheco-Lujano https://publicartarchive.org/artist/Judith%20Pacheco-Lujano
Kanani Miyamoto https://www.instagram.com/mamakanani/
Kristine L. Kordell http://www.klkfineartstudio.com/
Latoya Lovely https://llovely.artspan.com/artwork-gallery/-3588650/neon-woman.html
Lehuauakea Fernandez https://lehuauakea.com/
Lli Wilburn https://www.pernoctalian.com/
Marne Lucas https://www.marnelucas.com/
Matthew Earl Williams https://www.mearlwilliams.com/
Melanie Stevens http://melanie-stevens.squarespace.com/
Menka Desai https://www.msmonocles.com/
Michael Espinoza https://www.michaelespinozaart.com/
Mike Vos https://www.mikevos.com/
Nancy Watterson Scharf https://www.nwattersonscharf.com/
Onry http://www.onrymusic.com/
Paul Harcharik https://publicartarchive.org/artist/Paul%20Harcharik
Rankin Renwick http://www.odoka.org/
Rebecca Rodela https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaarte/
Rene Rickabaugh https://www.russoleegallery.com/artists/ren-rickabaugh
Sadé DuBoise https://sadeduboisestudio.com/
Samantha Wall https://www.samanthawall.com/
Sarah Bouwsma http://www.neuhengen.net/sarah/
Shelbie Loomis https://www.shelbieloomis.info/
Shobha Jetmalani https://www.shobhajetmalani.com/
Simone Fischer https://www.simonef.com/
Stephen Hayes https://www.stephenhayes.net/
Terrance Burton https://publicartarchive.org/artist/Terrance%20Burton
Terrence Gasca https://terrencegasca.com/home.html
Terry Toedtemeier https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/toedtemeier_terry_1947_2008_/
William Kucha https://freedgallery.com/artists/bill-kucha/

Touch Glass: Urban Foraging with Kate Newby

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11 am – 1 pm, Sunday, May 4

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

15 NE Hancock St, Portland, OR 97212

 

You’re invited to participate in the creation of a large-scale, permanent 2D public artwork for Portland International Airport (PDX)! Artist Kate Newby has been commissioned to create “The Sound of Trees,” a 76-foot-long mural that evokes Oregon’s forested landscape through a richly textured surface of glazed ceramic tiles, for PDX Airport. Community members are invited to participate in “Touch Glass,” an urban foraging workshop led by Newby, in partnership with Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and the Regional Arts & Culture Council. During the workshop, participants will collect discarded glass, which will be embedded into the clay tiles and fired, becoming a permanent part of the mural. The mural is anticipated to be installed in late 2025 and debuted to the public in 2026.

RSVP Here

Learn more about the commissioned artwork for PDX airport

Kate Newby (b. 1979, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand; based in San Antonio, TX) is a sculptor known for her site-responsive installations, architectural interventions, and material-driven explorations. Working primarily with glass, ceramics, and found materials, Newby engages with space’s physical and atmospheric qualities, creating sculptures that emerge from sustained engagement with a place. Her work incorporates elements reflecting a site’s social and environmental rhythms—wind, light, rain, and human and non-human activity traces.

Two Artists Chosen to Create Large-Scale, 2D Public Artworks for Portland International Airport’s Main Terminal

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Left: Portrait of Dyani White Hawk courtesy of the artist / Copyright Dyani White Hawk. Right: Portrait of Kate Newby ©Atsushi Nakamichi, Nacása & Partners Inc./ Courtesy of Fondation d’entreprise Hermès

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 25, 2025

Portland, OR — In collaboration with the Port of Portland, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is proud to announce that Dyani White Hawk and Kate Newby have been chosen to create large-scale, 2D public art works for Portland International Airport (PDX), anticipated to be installed in late 2025 and debut to the public in 2026. Newby and White Hawk were selected through a competitive process by the PDX Terminal Core Redevelopment (TCORE) Public Art Committee from an applicant pool of over 110 artists and artist teams from across the United States.

The renovation of PDX’s new main terminal  aims to increase the capacity, flexibility, and resilience of the airport, while improving the travel experience and adding more of what people love about PDX–including more art.. White Hawk and Newby’s artworks are two of several exciting new public art projects RACC is managing during the airport’s redevelopment.

The unique works will be located on walls along the north and south exit routes for travelers, where greeters wait after security, with each spanning over 50-feet long. Not only will they provide natural wayfinding cues for travelers, but the works will also be an impactful, beautiful welcome to PDX for locals and visitors alike.

“The selection of artists Dyani White Hawk and Kate Newby reflects our commitment to curating impactful public art—works that resonate with our region’s landscapes, histories, and communities,” said Kristin Law Calhoun, Director of Partnerships and Programs at the Regional Arts & Culture Council. “Guiding a committee of artists, community members, and Port employees through this thoughtful selection process reinforced the power of collaborative decision-making in shaping public spaces. These works will create a uniquely  PDX experience as enduring landmarks that will welcome and inspire visitors and residents alike.”

“We are honored to have work from Kate and Dyani as part of the airport’s permanent collection, which aims to celebrate everyone’s life experiences, voices, and cultures,” said Wendy Given, Art Program Manager at the Port of Portland. “The proposals from each artist retain their unique voices, are strongly tied to the Pacific Northwest region and our community, and will further enrich PDX’s forest-inspired design.”

About the Artists and Artworks

Dyani White Hawk (Sičáŋǧu Lakota) is a visual artist based in Minneapolis, MN. White Hawk earned a MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2011) and BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM (2008). Her artistic work is multidisciplinary, drawing from her cross-cultural experiences as a woman of Sičangu Lakota and European American ancestry raised within Native and urban American communities.

Support for White Hawk’s work includes a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Creative Capital grant, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship along with many others. White Hawk’s work is in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art,  among other public and private collections. She is represented by Bockley Gallery in Minneapolis, MN.

White Hawk’s 55-foot long symmetrical glass and natural stone mosaic draws on the materiality of beading and weaving traditions as well as her own abstract painting practice to realize an abstracted view of the majestic silhouette of Mt. Hood reflected and situated in day and night cycles. The  artwork incorporates rich colors, lines, and patterns that prioritize Indigenous practices of abstraction within contemporary artistic expression.

Grounded in White Hawk’s identity as a Lakota woman and artist, the piece honors the aesthetic traditions of her own lineage while also honoring the land in which the work is situated. By drawing on motifs, patterns, and symbolism found within artistic languages of tribes indigenous to the Oregon region that are akin to the  aesthetics of her own lineage, she is able to speak to multiple and intersecting histories of Indigenous abstraction.

Kate Newby (b. 1979, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand; based in San Antonio, TX) is a sculptor known for her site-responsive installations, architectural interventions, and material-driven explorations. Working primarily with glass, ceramics, and found materials, Newby engages with space’s physical and atmospheric qualities, creating sculptures that emerge from sustained engagement with a place. Her work incorporates elements reflecting a site’s social and environmental rhythms—wind, light, rain, and human and non-human activity traces.

Newby has had solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; Klosterruine, Berlin; and the Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, among others. She has participated in group exhibitions at venues including Mori Art Museum, Tokyo,  Blaffer Art Museum, Houston, and the Palais de Tokyo, Paris.  In 2018 she was included in the 21st Biennale of Sydney and currently has work in the Sharjah Biennial 16.

Kate has participated in numerous residencies, including The Chinati Foundation Artist in Residence in Marfa, TX; Artpace in San Antonio, TX; and Fogo Island Arts in Newfoundland. She won the Walters Prize, New Zealand’s most significant contemporary art award in 2012 and in 2019, she received a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant.

“The Sound of Trees,” is a 76 foot long mural that evokes Oregon’s forested landscape through a richly textured surface of glazed ceramic tiles. The work will conjure up a distinct color palette drawn from the state’s diverse vegetation with a focus on the season of fall.

At a distance, The Sound of Trees will give the impression of a large-scale abstract landscape. Textures and shapes from Oregon’s native foliage, impressed and incised into the clay, will create a sensory touchstone for PDX visitors. The work connects seamlessly with the interior landscaping and design of the new PDX Terminal, while creating a direct connection between airport visitors and Oregon’s majestic forests.

Community Engagement 

As part of The Sound of Trees, community members are invited to participate in urban foraging workshops led by Kate Newby in partnership with the Regional Arts & Culture Council and Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. Participants will collect discarded glass, which will be embedded into clay and fired, becoming a permanent part of the mural. Interested in learning more? Sign up to be notified about the urban foraging opportunities.

In addition, Newby is also collaborating with students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science. Through art and science curriculum, students will imprint mural tiles with natural elements gathered from the local environment, integrating hands-on fieldwork with classroom learning.

Find additional images of the artists’ work here

Contact Information

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC)

For decades, RACC has aimed to serve every neighborhood of our region to ensure that arts and culture are accessible to all. Our nationally acclaimed public art program enlivens parks, community centers, government buildings, libraries and health clinics; brings people and communities together; and makes our region a more vibrant and welcoming place to be. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we work to elevate the voices and visibility of individual artists, creative organizations and arts nonprofits – especially those that serve underrepresented communities – amplifying their impact through grants, professional development and other vital resources. Through strategic partnerships, our team works to build coalitions and lead new initiatives, crafting a shared vision for an equitable future for arts and culture in our region. For more information, please visit racc.org.

About Port of Portland

With three airports, three active marine terminals, and five business parks, the Port of Portland is an economic engine for transforming the region into a place where everyone is welcome, empowered, and connected to the opportunity to find a good job or grow their business. The Port works to pull down barriers and provide access to people and local businesses who have been left out of the region’s economic growth—including people of color, low-income workers, and people with disabilities. Collectively, the Port leads big projects in the region, including building a new PDX with a community-centered approach; transforming a former marine terminal into a site for innovation in the housing construction and mass timber industries; and providing more options for Pacific Northwest businesses to send their products around the world. For more information, visit www.PortofPortland.com.

Faces of the Future: Hopes and Dreams Through a Parent’s Eyes

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Photos courtesy of Alex Chiu

Alex Chiu‘s lenticular installation features the portraits of six Mill Park Elementary School students. Below are interviews with the parent(s) of each child. These interviews shed light on the family history of each child as well as the hopes and dreams each parent has for their child. The background patterns are related to the stories and culture of each child.

Interview with Inocencia, Mother of Daniel, Translated by Daniel

Interview with Suki, Mother of Angelina

Interview with Sadiya, Mother of Abubakar and Humairah

Interview with Tefiny, Mother of Jade

Interview with Terrance and Kristin, Parents of James

Reconfigurations

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Documentation of Reconfigurations. Courtesy of Adam Kuby.

On July 31st at 7 pm, we celebrated the recently installed public artwork, Reconfigurations with a poetry reading. The evening will took place beside the artwork located on the newly completed multi-modal trail South Tabor Access Trail, at SE 64th Avenue and Division Street to SE Sherman Street. 

A collaboration between artists, writers, stones, and trees

Three configurations of stones, poetry and trees are set out along this path.

As the trees grow, the reconfiguring will continue…

Walk slowly. The person you are today will be different than the person you are tomorrow.

Reconfigurations began in 2016 when artist Adam Kuby was selected from the RACC Design Team Roster to join the design team of OPSIS Architecture and Lando Landscape Architecture for the Parks Replacement Bond project at Mt. Tabor Yard and the new access trail. The project took many twists and turns, eventually landing on the idea of three pairs of stones engraved with written text each with a tree in the middle which will eventually move (reconfigure) the placement of the stones over time.

Public Art Director Kristin Calhoun introduced Kuby to Dao Strom of de-canon as a potential collaborator for the written aspect of the work. Alongside Strom, a cohort of six poets was curated including Samiya Bashir, Trevino Brings Plenty, Sam Roxas-Chua, Anis Mojgani, Stephanie Adams-Santos.

Each poet was given the prompt to respond to the word reconfigurations in a poem of 30-40 words. Once they had each written their poems, they mutually decided to blend what they had done individually into a new poem that was then laid out & engraved on the six split stone faces set in three locations along the path.

Reconfigurations Full Poem Text

Readings

Introduction

Intro Download (.mp3 file)

Stones Read By Contributors

Stones read by All Contributors

Download Stones Multi-Voice Version (.mp3)

Stones read by Anis Mojgani

Download Stones read by Anis Mojgani (.mp3)

Stones read by Dao Strom

Download Stones read by Dao Strom (.mp3)

Stones read by Sam Roxas-Chua

Download Stones read by Sam Roxas-Chua (.mp3)

Stones read by Samiya Bashir

Download Stones read by Samiya Bashir

Stones read by Stephanie Adams-Santos

Download Stones read by Stephanie Adams-Santos (.mp3)

Stones read by Trevino Brings Plenty

Download Stones read by Trevino Brings Plenty (.mp3)

To download audio files, open the link, right click on the audio playback bar, and select the “save audio as…” option

Multnomah County Library and Regional Arts & Culture Council announce community artist as part of diverse work at North Portland Library

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Sadé DuBoise will focus on community input as part of artwork for library’s new Black Cultural Center

  • Contact: Liz Sauer, Multnomah County Library Capital Building Projects Communications Manager, 971.350.8733, elizabeths@multco.us
  • Contact: Meech Boakye, Communications Lead, Regional Arts & Culture Council, 503.823.5111, mboakye@racc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 22, 2024

PORTLAND, OR. — Multnomah County Library (MCL) and Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) are continuing their efforts to bring community-centered artwork to libraries throughout Multnomah County. This work is part of the voter-approved 2020 Library building bond which will build, rebuild or expand nine library buildings. Smaller upgrades to 11 libraries are also underway as part of the Refresh projects. Since the bond passed, Multnomah County Library has undergone major updates, with North Portland Library as one of the first projects.

North Portland Library will be renovated and expanded, adding 1,500 square feet to make the library 10,200 square feet. The renovated building will highlight the diversity and history of the community. The design by LEVER Architecture preserves the historic Carnegie building on Killingsworth Street while providing greater space for community gatherings in the new Black Cultural Center.

North Portland Library has long been the library home to the Black community in Portland. That’s why insights from the Black community have guided the vision and purpose for the new Black Cultural Center. Exciting updates at North Portland include:

  • A Black Cultural Center for connection and a celebration of Blackness
  • Outdoor space for community members to relax and be together
  • Updated technology and internet
  • Art that represents the neighborhood’s diversity

Public art for the North Portland community

As part of these updates, local artists are creating unique installations that represent the North Portland community’s history, culture and diversity.

“The historic North Portland Library has long been a cornerstone of the community, and specifically the Black community,” said Vailey Oehlke, Director of Libraries. “Through the library’s partnership with the Regional Arts and Culture Council, North Portland can offer vibrant new artwork that represents the community in a beautiful, inspiring space.”

Portrait of Sadé DuBoise. Photography by Olivia Renee (2020)

At North Portland Library, Sadé DuBoise has been selected to create a site-specific, artist-designed glass wall which will create a backdrop for the west side of the new Black Cultural Center. This permanent glass artwork, measuring 12 ft. high and 16 ft. wide, will be based on an original painting DuBoise will create, grounded in her North Portland upbringing and influenced by North Portland Library community engagement events. Her work is currently featured in the Black Artists of Oregon Exhibition at the Portland Art Museum, curated by Intisar Abioto.

In collaboration with Multnomah County Library and RACC, Sadé DuBoise will host two visioning sessions to welcome the community into the process of developing artwork for the Black Cultural Center. More details are below.

This artwork is developed in coordination with the Regional Arts & Culture Council through the Multnomah County Percent for Art Program, allotting two percent of the construction budget for all county-funded improvement projects toward the investment in public art. Artists are awarded projects as part of a robust public process, which includes selection panels led by local residents, business owners, artists, library staff and project partners.

Valarie Pearce, author, educator, and community panelist for the selection committee, celebrated the announcement, saying:

“As an educator, Portland native, and lifetime library evangelist it has been a great pleasure to be a part of the Multnomah County Library, Regional Arts & Culture Council, and community panel for the inaugural glass art and artist selection for North Portland Library’s Black Cultural Center.

“Art is a universal connector and the historical expression by which the Black Portland community has shared its story across time. North Portland Library’s Black Cultural Center is the legacy and enduring story of resilience, community, and beauty.

“I believe as a city it is important for us to invest in our values. With the focus of centering community voice, steering a broad and diverse artistic selection process, and curating community feedback forums, we have done just that. We have demonstrated our values for collaboration, community-centered voice, and the deliberate celebration of Black artistry in library spaces. Bravo!”

Artists and community working in tandem

Community engagement is at the center of the library’s building projects. The selection panel, made up of residents of the neighborhood, artists, architects, and library staff, prioritized artists with demonstrated experiences and connections to the North and Northeast community around North Portland Library. Most artists selected for these projects are seeking to create and host community engagement opportunities as part of their design phase, including the two events Sadé DuBoise will lead.

Design artwork for the Black Cultural Center at North Portland Library

The first event will be a visioning event where community ideas and perspectives will help shape the artwork for the Black Cultural Center. This gathering is a chance for community members to engage in meaningful dialogue and contribute to the selection of Adinkra symbols that will be featured in the upcoming glass wall art project. Adinkra symbols originated in Ghana and represent concepts or aphorisms. This interactive session will be an inspiring blend of cultural exchange, artistic discussion, and community bonding. Presentations will begin at 10:30 am and there will be handouts and opportunities for engagement for anyone who might come after the presentation begins.

  • Date and Location TBA

The second event will be held in celebration of Black History Month where participants will have the opportunity to create their own symbols, drawing inspiration from traditional Adinkra symbols. This hands-on experience is a chance to explore the symbolism of Adinkra while expressing your personal creativity using ink and paper. Additionally, attendees will get an exclusive sneak peek at the latest developments in Sadè DuBoise’s artwork for North Portland Libary’s new Black Cultural Center. All materials will be provided, and no prior art experience is necessary. Refreshments will be served.

Find more information on Multnomah County Library’s website and follow RACC on social media for updates.

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About Multnomah County Library

A treasured community institution since 1864, Multnomah County Library is one of the nation’s busiest public library systems, providing social, educational and cultural programs, resources and services, online and through its 19 public locations. With an eye toward the future of community-centered spaces, the library is working to build, rebuild or expand nine libraries through a voter approved capital bond. In addition to being Oregon’s largest provider of free internet access, the library offers millions of print and digital resources, in multiple languages for people of all ages. From kindergarten readiness to job training, computer-assisted design and 3D printing, the library supports all people in their pursuits to connect, learn and create. Learn more at multcolib.org

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council

The Regional Arts & Culture Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides impactful and transformative funding for artists and nonprofit organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties; manages an acclaimed public art program; leads an advocacy and arts education program; and offers a wide range of technical and professional development workshops. RACC advocates for equity, inclusion, and access, working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity, and the arts.

 

Thirty-three Artworks Inspired by the People and Places of Portland Selected for Purchase

Written by

Mika Martinez, Portland Catrinas, 2023, Photography and graphic design on aluminum, 20 x 40 x 2 inches.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 11, 2024

Portland, Oregon — The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), in partnership with the City of Portland, announces that 33 artworks by 26 artists have been selected for purchase through a competitive application and review process. Celebrating and taking inspiration from the people and places of Portland, the selected pieces include paintings on canvas, photography, works on paper, mixed media, textiles and beadwork.

The selected artists are: Rebecca Boraz, Sarah Bouwsma, Terrance Burton, May Maylisa Cat, Epiphany Couch, Menka Desai, Michael Espinoza, Emily Fitzgerald, Future Prairie, Terrence Gasca, Josh Gates, Elisa Gusdal, Jo Hamilton, Linda Higgins, Anya Keyes, Latoya Lovely, Marne Lucas, Mika Martinez, Christa Nye, Rory ONeal, M Prull, Rebecca Rodela, Hampton Rodriguez, Mona Superhero, Heléna Dupre Thompson, and Aaron Wessling.

Left: Helena Thompson, One Eighty Compulsion 14, 2020, Archival pigment print (photography), 22 x 17 inches. Right: Menka Desai, New Year at Lan Su Chinese Garden, 2023, Gouache and embroidery on handmade paper, 5 x 7 inches.

The artworks will enter RACC’s Public Art Collection of portable works, a rotating collection displayed in accessible municipal spaces throughout the City of Portland and Multnomah County. Fifteen of the works will enter the Visual Chronicle of Portland, a collection consisting of more than 400 works on paper that focuses on artists’ views of the city’s social and urban landscapes as they evolve through time.

Art Selection Process

Facilitated by RACC, an independent panel made up of artists, community representatives, and City employees participated in a three-stage review process to select artworks for purchase. RACC received applications from 155 artists, with up to six artworks submitted per person. The panel participated in thoughtful discussion and collective decision-making to determine which pieces to purchase from the many talented artists who submitted work.

Taking Inspiration from Portland’s New City Map

Funded by the City of Portland, the theme of the artwork purchase project was “Taking Inspiration from Portland’s New City Map.” The theme references Portland’s four new geographic districts, which were created by the City of Portland’s Independent District Commission through extensive community input. Submitted artworks could directly or indirectly relate to the theme, by portraying Portland’s neighborhoods or people; making personal, social, historical, political, or natural connections to the City or districts; and/or exploring broader ideas of borders, maps, place, or community.

Quote from Kristin Calhoun, Director of Public Art: “From celebrating community, to honoring the natural spaces within the City, to reflecting on urban changes, these thirty-three artworks present diverse perspectives on what it means to live, work, and play in Portland now. RACC is grateful to all the artists that submitted work for this opportunity, and we continue to be inspired by the unique viewpoints and creativity of the artists in our region.”

To learn more about the two-dimensional artwork purchase project, the selected artists, or to schedule an interview with RACC or the project team, please contact Eleanor Sandys at esandys@racc.org.

Contact Information: 

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About the Regional Arts & Culture Council:

The Regional Arts & Culture Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides impactful and transformative funding for artists and nonprofit organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties; manages an acclaimed public art program; leads an advocacy and arts education program; and offers a wide range of technical and professional development workshops. RACC advocates for equity, inclusion, and access, working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity, and the arts. We remain steadfast in our mission to enrich every neighborhood we serve.