In 2012, PSAA was founded as an advocacy group. Our friends were being pressured and harassed by the police for making art in the street, even when they had permission from owners. Art shows and galleries that supported street and graffiti art were being shut down. Since then, PSAA has been working behind-the-scenes to help advocate for this form of art and shape the future of street and graffiti art in Portland by advocating for new City policies.
From January to June 2019, PSAA worked in a collaboration with Portland State University’s Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning to develop a Legal Walls proposal to go before the Portland Council for city-wide approval in August 2019. PSAA was one of a few organizations selected (including the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation, the City of Vancouver, the City of Monroe, and the Cathedral Park Neighborhood Association) by the School’s Master of Urban & Regional Planning Workshop Project students to participate in this initiative.
Working closely with PSAA, a team of students crafted a proposal to advance the City’s policies surrounding street murals and public art for the collective empowerment of Portland’s street artist community, drawing on street art best practices and case studies from around the world. The proposal combines research, original data collection, and analysis to present policy alternatives allowing Portland to better leverage its thriving street arts culture and solidify the City’s identity as a haven for creatives.
By listening to stories from artists and free wall organizers from around the world, and working with policymakers, property owners, and other stakeholders, this team developed recommendations supporting street art’s potential to achieve City-wide district revitalization goals and use art as a means to include the voices and perspectives of historically marginalized communities.
On August 7th, 2019, PSAA, graduates from the PSU research team (Brittany Quale and Joey Williams), and a young emerging local artist (Qwyinn), presented the research findings and provided testimony to Portland City Council. Commissioner Chloe Eudaly expressed appreciation for the Legal Walls PDX proposal and affirmed her willingness to support the project. In response to the presentation, Mayor Ted Wheeler asked PSAA to identify a site, draft a community agreement, and craft a proposal for a pilot legal wall program before returning to the Council for approval.
On October 16th, 2019, PSAA, Quale, and Qwyinn met with Eudaly’s Arts & Culture Policy Director, Pollyanne Faith Birge, to strategize next steps towards realizing a legal wall in Portland. Over the next several months, PSAA and supporters of Legal Walls PDX will be meeting with property owners, the Central Eastside Industrial Council, and City representatives from the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability, Bureau of Development Services, Civic Life, and Parks & Recreation to discuss potential avenues for implementation.
Portland City Council Presentation on August 7, 2019
To receive updates on the efforts to implement a pilot Legal Walls program in Portland, join the PSAA community list for notifications about upcoming related events.
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