Calligraphy and Culture

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Portland Street Art Alliance Hosts Qatari Artist Fatima Al Sharshani

CENTRAL EASTSIDE , PORTLAND

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Artist Fatima Al-Sharshani at her mural.

Portland Street Art Alliance was pleased to work with Qatari artist Fatima Al-Sharshani via our partners at Gradient (NYC) and Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture program. In 2021, Year of Culture paired with JEDARIART, to bring Qatari muralists to the United States. JEDARIART is a public art initiative and international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people. This is the first year JEDARIART is travelling internationally, pairing local partners with visiting artists in 5 cities across the U.S.

Over a two week period, artist Fatima Al-Sharshani worked with the assistance of Portland artist Sarah Farahat to create a stunning calligraphy-based mural at the Mt. Whitney Blocks in Southeast Portland. This was Fatima’s first visit to the U.S. and their second public art mural production.

After laying down the brushed portion of the circle, Fatima began adding letters in Arabic calligraphy. While each letter stands on its own, the bounty of letters flowing together help one appreciate the beauty of calligraphy in an altogether new way. As a finishing touch, splatters were added in an organic fashion.

The mural, titled "Never Ending / Endless" is an abstract piece that merges Arabic letters into a shape of a circle, representing continuity. The piece is intended to be viewed clockwise (Arabic writing reads right to left). Following along the circle, one’s eyes are transported down and around to Fatima’s expressive calligraphy that finishes the form. 

The inner depth of the circle is a “sensory expression that sparks a notion of infinity, and the never-ending power that lives within us.”

“Because I have the passion for Arabic calligraphy, I feel that there is a relationship between myself and the letters. When I can’t write something, the letters are sad, because for a long time I did not talk to them.”

— Fatima Al-Sharshani via The Willamette Week

This beautiful new piece is part of a larger Portland Street Art Alliance community project known as the “Mt. Whitney Blocks.” This project features a total of 15 murals and gave Fatima the opportunity to exchange ideas and techniques with multiple Portland-based artists. Learn more about the larger Mt Whitney Blocks project here.

““I had a good experience with this project. I enjoyed getting to paint in Portland and meet fellow muralists.” ”

— Fatima Al-Sharshani

While in Oregon, Fatima was able to visit the Oregon Coast, tour mural sites across the city, pet her first dog, and experience the magnificence of local landmarks such as Multnomah Falls.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Fatima Al-Sharshani 
Never Ending / Endless
@qair.qa

Qatari-based calligrapher, Fatima Al-Sharshani, has been honing her artistic penmanship for the past several years. Originally a Chemistry and Food Science graduate from Qatar University, Fatima first discovered her passion for the arts in 2011.With Calligraphy, Fatima has given her written words more power. She enjoys the calmness and perseverance that comes from continuously improving her skills, and the meditative effect it has on her. While perfecting her skills in Diwani, Moroccan Calligraphy, Thulth, and Free line, she has organized multiple calligraphy workshops in order to share her passion with her community.

ABOUT QATAR USA 2021 YEAR OF CULTURE

Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture is a partnership between Qatar Museums (QM), the United States Embassy in Doha and the Embassy of Qatar in the United States, featuring a wide-range of programming including exhibitions, festivals, bilateral exchanges, and more.

ABOUT JADARIART

JEDARIART is an annual program in Qatar developed by Qatar Museums in 2020 to add vibrancy and meaning to the walls of Doha murals, encouraging individuals to reflect on social, historical, and cultural conversations and contains a diverse range of works by some of Qatar’s most recognized artists and by celebrated international artists throughout Doha.

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PRESS

Article from Portland’s Willamette Week

Article in Doha News

Gulf Press Newspaper

New York Daily Press

Article By Peninsula News in Qatar

Post by I Love Qatar

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SPONSORS

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Thank you to our partners:

Gradient 
North Rim PDX
Central Eastside Industrial Council 
World Pac Inc.
Ground Score Association / Trash for Peace

Production Assistants: 
Sara Farahat
Caleb Ruecker 

Photography:
Sara Sjol

Moving on Up!

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The New Central Eastside Mural District Continues to Grow with 5 New Murals at All Service Moving

CENTRAL EASTSIDE , PORTLAND

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5 new murals under the Belmont Viaduct completed in June 2021.

The Central Eastside Mural District is even more vibrant as Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) and local Portland artists Naomi Likayi, NotSik, Hayden Senter, Pono and Habiba Abdul Rahim have completed a large-scale installation painted on the All Service Moving building at 66 SE Morrison, under the Belmont Viaduct. This project was completed with major support from the Central Eastside Together Community Grant Program.

In just the past two years, Portland Street Art Alliance has painted over 53,000 square feet of new murals in the Central Eastside Industrial District. With this initiative, PSAA aims to celebrate the unique creative spirit of the Pacific Northwest’s diverse communities, increase recognition of the importance of the arts in Portland, and further the City’s ambitions to foster accessible spaces for working artists.

Hayden working on his Union Pacific inspired mural at All Service Moving. Photo: Sara Sjol

Artists worked night and day for two weeks in June to paint these new murals, using a mix of spray paint and latex bucket paint, along with a 45’ boom lift and ladders. Portland Street Art Alliance has been working with building management and district representatives for several years in order to get the logistics in place to make this project happen, expanding the Mural District and enhancing Belmont Viaduct coordinator. 

Painting in progress in the Central Eastside. Photo: Sara Sjol

With this project, PSAA also launched a new ongoing partnership with Ground Score Association, a peer-led initiative of the non-profit Trash for Peace. This special work program helps folks with housing insecurities gain access to paid work and job training opportunities. Laborers are assisting PSAA with wall preparation and base coat painting and getting paid a living wage for their work.

Habiba working on their first large-scale permanent mural in Portland. Photo: Sara Sjol

This five mural installation was supported by a PSAA-secured grant from the Central Eastside Industrial Council’s Central Eastside Together grant program. Central Eastside Together works to enhance the pedestrian experience, reinforce economic viability and promote Central Eastside’s unique identity through innovative and highly-responsive programs.

Completed murals by PONO and Naomi Likayi. Photo: Sara Sjol

The goal of the Central Eastside Mural District is to create a world-class public art destination in the industrial heart of Portland. The vision of the Mural District includes: 1) empowering regional artists to take new risks and further develop their public practice and portfolios, 2) honoring the district's unique history and enhancing its identity as being a walkable public art destination, 3) preserving space for creative and cultural production in a rapidly changing urban neighborhood, and 3) placing Portland’s Central Eastside on the global map as a hub for innovative and grassroots public art programming.

Not Sik working on their new mural featuring wolves and rabbits. Photo: Sara Sjol

With these projects, underrepresented artists from the Pacific Northwest are supported with project management assistance, permit procurement, painting supplies, and most importantly, livable-wage compensation from PSAA and project sponsors. At a time when Portland is experiencing accelerated redevelopment and demographic changes, especially in the booming Central Eastside, it is important to create and save spaces where artists from around the region can work, grow, and thrive. This initiative strives to ensure that street art is an integral part of the district’s identity as a hub for art innovation, makers, and culture-builders.

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ABOUT THE WORK

NAOMI LIKAYI
Ancestral Portal
@mungala_nao

“This mural is based on the first part of my thesis project at Portland State University, as a graphic design student. I wanted to mix my illustration style alongside Kongolese (Angolan/Congo) visual writing systems. These symbols come from ancient Kongolese religions that were meant to bridge communication between mankind's ancestry, creation, and the cosmos. In the mural, you can see six different symbols that represented a new beginning in my artistic practice. My illustration style is very abstract and figurative, so I wanted to carefully choose symbols that would visually mesh with my illustration style but had a lot of impact in terms of my narrative. The heavy influence of spirituality with these symbols and how I feel about the creative process is very connected.”

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NOTSIK
Vicious Cycles 
@notsikk

“This piece represents all the chaos and evil in this world, and how we are all just some rabbits trying to run, hide, and survive it all. There’s far too many wolves out there who are dying for the chance to eat your heart out.”

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HABIBA ABDUL RAHIM
The Watchers: Keep One Eye Open
@habiba_abdulrahim_art

“Keep one eye open" is an idiom that I grew up hearing elders say; it was a reminder to always remain vigilant and watchful. This piece has been a reflection on the person that I want to become and how I am remembered  when I am gone. I want to be like the elders that I learned from; they were wise, nurtured, developed and guided, and anchored their families and community. I want to be remembered as someone who stood against injustice and oppression, who fought and never gave up, and was a "Watcher" over her community. May we all be Watchers over our communities.”

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HAYDEN SENTER 
Seem To See 
@chairboy

“Just a glimpse into what I’m trying to find most days. Some sense of grounding to let my brain rest and explore something unfound.”

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PONO
Serpent And Centaur
@ponopinto

“This is an image in which the centaur could be any one of us, likely embroiled in our own personal struggles. The serpent loosely represents adversity and strife, perhaps a year’s worth. It’s not quite clear which one is winning the battle, but the centaur is prepared. Oddly enough, the idea isn’t necessarily related to astrology, even though I am a Sagittarius myself!”

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The Art of Art Mini-Documentary Series by Kyle LaMontagne

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SPONSORS

The Central Eastside Mural District is funded, in part, by the Regional Arts & Culture Council, Prosper Portland, the Oregon Arts Commission, and the Central Eastside Industrial Council’s Central Eastside Together grant program.

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PARTNERS

Thank you to our partners:

Central Eastside Together, Safety for All Teams (provided by NW Enforcement), Ground Score Trash for Peace, City of Portland Office of Community & Civic Life, Miller Paint, Metro Paint, Rose City Self Storage & Wine Vaults, Baby Doll Pizza, Star Rentals, Jupiter Next Hotel, The Painter Guys, Belmont Building LLC.

Central Eastside History Mural

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Portland Street Art Alliance Expands the Central Eastside Mural District with New Mural Dedicated to the History of the Industrial District

CENTRAL EASTSIDE , PORTLAND

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Photo: Sara Sjol, PSAA

Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) worked with three lead artists (Devin Finley, Jeremy Nichols, and Dan Lee) and nearly 20 regional graffiti artists to paint a massive 12,000 square foot mural dedicated to the nautical history of the Central Eastside Industrial District of Portland. This project is part of the non-profit group's efforts to seed a world-class mural district in the Central Eastside. This mural can be found at 211 SE Yamhill St. Portland, OR 97214.

This colossal new mural was a partnership between PSAA and the Central Eastside Industrial Council (CEIC), the neighborhood business association, and with significant grants from Prosper Portland and the Oregon Arts Commission. CEIC secured a grant from Prosper Portland and contracted with PSAA for assistance managing and implementing this mural project. CEIC is also donating all of their staff time to support this district beautification and improvement project

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A TEAM EFFORT

Muralists Jeremy Nichols, Dan Lee, and Devin Finley in front of a small section of the new mural. Photo: Tim Trautmann.

In May and June of 2021, three local artists, Jeremy Nichols, Devin Finley, and Dan Lee, had the opportunity to showcase their skills, painting a mural honoring this unique Portland neighborhood. Working closely with a team of professors from Portland State University, including Dr. Carl Abbott, famed Portland historian and Dr. Hunter Shobe, cultural geographer and member of Portland Street Art Alliance’s Board of Directors, PSAA gathered historical research to help inform the content of this mural.

Muralist Devin Finley works to paint a historic dockside view of the Central Eastside. Photo: Tim Trautmann.

Photo: Sara Sjol, PSAA

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HISTORY LESSONS

The mural design honors the history of the Central Eastside Industrial District and this stretch of the Willamette River. Specifically, the industrial and maritime history as a hub for shipping and commerce in the late 1800s. Included will be historic views of the Willamette River during the early industrial boom, spawning Chinook and Coho Salmon, flowing wapato, fishing nets, wooden ship hulls, buoys, anchors, and fishing piers. Carl Abbott explains that, “Willamette River shipping grew Portland from a straggling settlement to a major city. The docks, mills, and warehouses of the eastside were central to its industry and commerce in the 19th and early 20th century.”

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STYLE WRITERS

Completed project with work from various graffiti artists adorning the bottom. Sara Sjol, PSAA

Keeping true to their mission of supporting and advocating for writers and graffiti-style art, PSAA has also arranged almost 20 regional artists (based in Portland, Seattle, and Idaho) to paint a production along the bottom 10ft of the two main mural walls, along with the third loading dock side of the building. In this line up included: JOKER, MAWK, KANGO, GIVER, ABNR, DELAY, NOTES, QUE, DEPTHS, UTER, JAHDI, RITE, NIMBY, RASKO, OTHER, CEAD, NERD, FIBER, QUETZAL and ISREK.

These artists were selected from an open call to artists, and are among the best and most highly-respected writers in the Pacific Northwest. PSAA’s unique approach involves extensive community outreach and providing opportunities to underrepresented and diverse street artists. PSAA provides artists with the guidance, support, and supplies they need to create large-scale murals that engage with the larger community. These types of opportunities provide artists avenues to expand their skill sets, build their networks, and work portfolios.

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A NEW PARTNERSHIP

Paint sprayer training by The Painter Guys for Ground Score workers.

With this project, PSAA also launched a new ongoing partnership with Ground Score Association, a peer-led initiative of the non-profit Trash for Peace. This special work program helps folks with housing insecurities gain access to paid work and job training opportunities. Laborers are assisting PSAA with wall preparation and base coat painting, and getting paid a living wage for their work.

The building that the mural is being painted on was originally owned by Herbert M. Clark Jr., and was built in 1953. It was a family-business called Holman Transfer Company; a warehouse and trucking facility. It was then leased to Nor-Air for decades until around 2000 when that company was acquired by the current tenant, Airefco, a wholesale distributor of heating, air conditioning and ventilation products.

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“ The CEIC is proud to call PSAA a partner in the creation of the Central Eastside Mural District. A longtime center for urban manufacturing, Central Eastside businesses value the making, creativity and innovation that’s at the heart of this initiative. This new mural reflects the scope of our ambitions to bring colorful walls and artistic expression to the Central Eastside. ”

— CEIKC Executive Director, Kate Merrill

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SPONSORS

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Farmworkers in Lake Oswego

Local muralist restores and creates a mural in Lake Oswego, honoring farmworkers and cooperatives

A partnership between Wilco Farm Stores and the Portland Street Art Alliance is revitalizing and bringing new public art to Lake Oswego, Oregon

Fresh new public art is up in Lake Oswego thanks to a new partnership between Wilco Farm Stores and the Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA).  Located at 17711 Jean Way in Lake Oswego, OR this is an exciting new addition to the public art landscape of Lake Oswego.

Long-time Portland-based muralist, Hector H. Hernandez restored a historic mural designed by illustrator Mike Benny and painted by ArtFx in 1998. The artwork honors and celebrates the farmers and local farming cooperatives that have a long history in the Willamette Valley region (Stayton, Lake Oswego, Donald, Mt Angel). Hernandez worked with the Wilco team to develop additional scenery to extend the original mural by an additional 864 square feet.

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Mural painting and restoration by Hector Hernandez. Photo: Sam King

“Agriculture is a vital part of Oregon’s culture. We wanted to help celebrate the area’s heritage in way that adds value to the community. This was a perfect opportunity to share the story of farming in a modern way,” said Sam Bugarsky, CEO of Wilco. “We are excited about becoming a more active part of the Lake Oswego community. This was just a first step.”

Jerad Lillegard, the Project Manager overseeing the mural-making process, said, “It has been a fun and rewarding opportunity to add to the beautification of the Gateway of Lake Oswego. By working with local muralist Hector Hernandez, he has enabled us to visually describe some of the lifestyle activities that Wilco serves through our customers. Our team at Wilco is very excited to open our new store and join this beautiful community.”

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Muralist Hector Hernandez. Photo: Sam King

Hector Hernandez has produced murals and other artworks throughout communities and educational institutions in Oregon since 1995. Permanent exhibition murals by Hernandez are located at the OSU Memorial Union, Portland Community College (Rock Creek Campus), Portland State University, as well as Independence High School, Canby School Districts, Parks and Recreations among others. Hernandez has shown his works in numerous galleries across Oregon, Japan, and Mexico. Among the subjects and themes reflected in his murals are the community involvement on issues such as environment, education, multiculturalism, and social change.

Portland Street Art Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides access to resources, networking platforms, and professional development opportunities for Pacific Northwest street artists. Since its founding in 2012, PSAA has managed over 100 private and publicly-funded street art projects, collaborating with hundreds of artists in the region.

PSAA's Executive Director Tiffany Conklin said, "PSAA is excited to work with Hector Hernandez, Wilco, and the City of Lake Oswego for the first time. This mural is an exciting new addition to the public art landscape, and we are happy to see a historic mural being saved. Street art enriches our everyday lives. It can help foster a unique sense of place and pride of our local communities, teach people about the rich and diverse history of our region, while also providing visitors with a way to connect and understand the PNW lifestyle."

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Muralist Hector Hernandez. Photo: Sam King

“We hope this brings people closer to the story of farmers and farming in our region. As a brand we celebrate the passions of small town living and this mural expresses those beautifully,” says Maria Olivier, VP Marketing at Wilco.

In reflecting on the process thus far, muralist Hector Hernandez said, “this project has been quite a challenge to undertake due to the site requiring that painting be done between nearby cables and large trees. It’s also a challenge to match my artwork to someone else's when doing the restoration work. I aim to bring my perspective of the Oregon landscape and the farming activities to this project. I hope my approach contributes to ample the perspectives of the Oregon landscape, with a refreshing view of colors and motifs.”

Photo Credits: Sam King (@Sammysam_iam) and Hector Hernandez.

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MEDIA COVERAGE

Fanno Creek History Mural

In July 2019 artist Jeremy Nichols completed a large-scale mural in Downtown Tigard. The mural, entitled A Walk Through Time, is a interwoven tapestry of Tigard’s history and culture along the Fanno Creek corridor.

Working with local historian, Sean Garvey, and ecology specialists in the city, Nichols’ design incorporates images from Tigard’s past. The mural depicts a member of the Kalapuya tribe (the indigenous inhabitants of the area) alongside native flora and fauna, including Red-tailed Hawk, Western Painted Turtle, Great Blue Heron and Oregon Iris and Camas flowers. Nichols hopes that the mural will raise awareness about the original inhabitants of the Tigard area, as well as the local ecosystem. “It is important to me to create a mural that will stay relevant and be enjoyed by generations to come. I wanted to create a design that steps away from the norms of ‘traditional cultural’ murals and create a design with a more contemporary approach that is equally informative and significant,” says Jeremy Nichols, the artist designing and painting the mural. 

Mural Design Concept

Located at 12553 SW Main Street, the mural is directly adjacent to the popular Fanno Creek multi-use trail on the recently renovated building home to several new Downtown Tigard businesses including Frameabl, Versus Board Games and Senet Game Bar. Building upon previous arts initiatives led by the City of Tigard and non-profit Tigard Downtown Alliance the mural will aid in the ongoing revitalization of downtown Tigard. Dylan Dekay-Bemis, the City of Tigard’s Economic Development Coordinator, believes the project will “increase access to art in Tigard, help improve walkability in downtown and draw attention to the great local businesses housed within the building where the mural will be located.”

In recent years, art initiatives have driven commercial success and interest in Downtown Tigard, including the annual Downtown Art Walk event, gateway art sculptures by artist Brian Borrello, an Art on Loan program that places art leased from local artists in locations around downtown, and the award-winning SubUrban street art exhibition. 

Artist Jeremy Nichols working on the Walk Through Time Mural in Tigard. Photo: Paul Landeros

Portland based non-profit Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) facilitated the commissioning of Jeremy Nichols for the City of Tigard and will continue to assist the City in managing this mural project. PSAA Executive Director Tiffany Conklin explains that “the quality of our shared public spaces speaks volumes about what we, as a society, believe to be important. Public art projects like A Walk Through Time not only bring more cultural vibrancy and interest to a place, but ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience art in their everyday lives.” The mural took Nichols 10 days to complete.

A Walk Through Time was funded through the City of Tigard’s Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper (LQC) program.  LQC projects are inexpensive but impactful actions that improve walkability, connectivity and health in Tigard.

Final Mural by Jeremy Nichols

All Photos © Portland Street Art Alliance @ Paul Landeros

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IN THE NEWS!

Taylor Electric History

Since 2006, the remains of the Taylor Electric building have been a unique Portland landmark. A sanctuary for artists, rebels, and outcasts. Over these nine years, this burnt out industrial skeleton at SE 2nd and Clay had been continuously and illegally reinvented by the public into a gallery for urban art and exploring. Taylor Electric was full of possibilities, a homemade refuge, and a cultural space of our own making.

The aesthetics of Taylor Electric were addictive for many, not only artists and tourists, but academics, journalists, photographers, and videographers. As geographer Bradley Garrett wrote “these spaces are appreciated for their aesthetic qualities, for their possibilities for temporarily escaping the rush of the surrounding urban environment and their ability to hint at what the future might look like, when all people have disappeared, a visceral reminder of our own mortality.”

In the months leading up to its demise, the art in Taylor Electric flourished as the fences went down and security was reduced. More so than ever people of all types, young and old, high heels and rubber boots, descended on this public place to experience an post-apocalyptic scene bursting with color.

Rumors of demolition and development plans had been circulating for years. With Portland’s economy and population is booming this change was inevitable. As power and urban space collide, developers moved their attention to this centrally located urban property. It was a profitable time to rebuild. This time instead of an electrical supply company, this site would be occupied by an office building and café. Part of the existing south-facing retaining wall of the 1936 building will be preserved and incorporated into the new structure.

In early May 2015, a large fence was erected, surrounding the entire building and closing an adjacent street. On Monday May 10th the demolition of Taylor Electric began. Spreading quickly through social media, artists shared images of the first walls to fall. Some onlookers talked with workers, gathering details of the plans. Local media outlets, like the Willamette Week covered the story, focusing on the cultural importance and impact of this space.

While a sense of loss pervaded, there was also a sense of unity and reflection that arose, as many people began to introspectively think about what was being lost, but also what had been built over the years in this space.

A local group of artists created this video:

Taylor Electric was showcase of local, regional, national and international graffiti art. When people visited Portland and wanted to see graffiti, Taylor Electric was the obvious and easiest destination.

While it has been difficult to see Portland’s only truly public and easily accessible graffiti space crumble before our eyes, graffiti is about temporarily occupying and re-imagining the spaces of the city. This spark that creates culturally rich places like Taylor Electric, lives within us. We use these urban voids as conduits and staging grounds for our creative energies. Taylor Electric was a particularly conductive environment for such electricity, but there are always new frontiers. That’s part of the beauty of graffiti; it’s always searching out the unexplored and raw. Strangely, it’s ephemeral and nomadic nature contributes to its resiliency and allure. Because it won’t be there forever.

All images © 2015 Anton Legoo

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LAST DANCE WITH TAYLOR ELECTRIC

“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution – Emma Goldman 1931”

Last night, from a ruined crack of the urban landscape, culture erupted with fiery explosions of color, light, and movement. Crowds gathered inside and outside the space to watch this mysterious event. Playing amongst these ruins, using rubble as the raw material for innovation, the Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre Northwest’stook over Taylor Electric, using it as a stage for Ragnarok, a Norse mythological tale of destruction and rebirth. The dance performance featured artists from Portland State University, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

This event is the first and perhaps the last opportunity for the public to officially experience this space, before it is lost forever. Demolition plans have been set.

Since the ruins of Taylor Electric were left to stand outside the political economy of urban development for years, it has functioned as richly occupied public space.While it was not legally public, it also was not subjected to the exclusionary controls of commercialization that increasingly afflict our cities. Taylor Electric offered a ‘shelter from the storm’ for a diverse community of outcasts, illustrating why debates over urban economic and cultural gentrification often evolve into debates over social well-being, social order, and social justice.

Many officials and developers envision streets purged of marginalized populations, cleared of human trash. These uncomfortable reminders of decay and neglect counter a narrative of a city made safe for endless effortless consumption and full of programmed urban activities. Officials often present redevelopment as economic salvation, or as social and cultural stimulation – restoring their version of a ‘quality of life.’

However, for many people in the city, spaces like this are essential for quality of life. We choose to live in the city for the unexpected and the grit. In this way, we view the demolition of Taylor Electric as the destruction of our public and cultural sphere. In many modern sanitized cities, space for unanticipated interaction and chaotic urban pleasures are rapidly diminishing. 

Over the past few weeks, as the fences have been slowly removed, the amount and variety of urban explorers descending upon the space has dramatically increased. People of all types come to take photos, reminisce, and talk with each other about what the place is and its future. Experiencing the dance performance shed light on how easy it would have been to use a space like this for community events. Imagine if grass were planted in the factory floor, turning the space into a unique pocket park surrounded by the burnt-out skeleton walls. Live bands could play music, people could have picnics, street artists could paint murals, and mobile food carts could provide food and beverages. As many from the street art community have argued for years, if permitted, this would have provided a perfect free wall space, something the city does not have and desperately needs. Portland has a ‘zero-tolerance’ graffiti policy requiring that all un-permitted public expression be promptly removed or the property owner will be fined. Countless northwest cities (Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, San Francisco, etc.) have free walls that are open to public expression. Free walls are a community asset because they provide a designated safe place for people to practice and refine their artistic skills and a place where urban flâneurs and tourists can go to see this style of art.

Our vision of the City of Portland is a place where gutter punks, graffiti writers, and the houseless community will no longer be driven from public space. They’ll be embraced as members of the community. In such a city, residents would no longer be taught to fear marginal spaces like Taylor Electric, they would be embraced for creativity and cultural innovation, where the inherent uncertainty of the unpredictable provides raw material and conditions that incubate new ways of being and thinking. The allure of this vision is undoubtedly fleeting. We must not forget this spark lives within us, not necessarily in the spaces we create and occupy. We use these urban voids as conduits and staging grounds for creative energy. From the ruins of the past, time and time again, we rebuild.

Special thanks to Hart Noecker and Anton Legoo for contributing to this article.

Some material adapted from Jeff Ferrell’s 2001 book, “Tearing down the Streets: Adventures in Urban Anarchy” 

All images © 2014 Anton Legoo

TAYLOR ELECTRIC FREE SPACE

Seven years ago, a massive fire engulfed the wooden frame Taylor Electric Supply Warehouse on SE 2nd & Clay in the Central Eastside Industrial District of Portland. The building housed electrical equipment, flammable materials and chemicals. It was one of Portland‘s largest industrial fires ever. It burnt into the night, causing power outages and oil spills in the Willamette River. The next day, the smoldering building collapsed. All that remained was a charred skeleton and an ash-covered floor.

Today, the building‘s shell stands mostly unchanged, but with one important difference. It serves as a public art gallery, a mecca for Portland’s street art and photography community. Here, emerging and veteran artists showcase their art to the public; free, direct, and uncensored. On most days, visitors discover a range of graffiti here including, tags, stencils, installations, and huge masterpieces. As with many official and unofficial ‘free walls,’ the graffiti in Taylor Electric is generally found to be more aesthetic pleasing. The artists have time to create more detailed work.

During the day, the building comes alive in other ways. On the edge of Produce Row, a flurry of manufacturing and shipping activity surrounds it. Professional photographers, film crews, wedding parties, and urban explorers descend upon the building to photograph its walls. It is even used to market locally-made mustard.

Even though graffiti is often stereotyped negatively as promoting blight and urban decay, a thriving street art scene is also a sign of a vibrant, innovative, and creative city. Under-use and decay of built environments is not caused by the presence of graffiti; it is instead a by-product of an area that’s already in disrepair. Artists are drawn to these spaces because of their gritty aesthetics and the anonymity they provide.

Cities like Berlin, London, Melbourne, Basel, and Miami have realized that fostering creative activities in public (both planned and unplanned) can be beneficial to the city, financially and culturally. In many cities around the world, graffiti removal is mostly targeted to the central downtown core. The extent of graffiti abatement outside the city is left to individual neighborhoods to decide and manage. Some neighborhoods are mostly free of graffiti, and other areas the walls burst with color. This is not the case in the City Portland, where a blanket zero-tolerance policy covers the entire city. It is illegal to paint graffiti (or a mural) on an outside wall, even if you have permission from a property owner. If graffiti is not covered up in 10 days, property owners run the risk of being issued substantial fines from the city. Additionally, Portland does not host any official free walls, like other northwest cities, like Tacoma and Olympia do. What often results in Portland is an abundance of quick tags (which most people dislike) all over the city, instead of more elaborate pieces painted on designated walls or districts.

Portland’s zero-tolerance policy has been playing out on the walls of Taylor Electric for years now. The entire building has been ‘buffed’ (painted-out) every few months to remove the graffiti even though it was an un-salvageable building with no residential neighbors. The premise behind this continued effort was that it would “reduce social deterioration within the City and promote public safety and health.” The assumption is that consistently covered up graffiti will deter more from occurring. Research done by Portland State University graduate students in 2004 and 2012 (Gorsek & Conklin, respectively), suggests that, in fact, buffing does not to deter graffiti from reoccurring. If anything, the solid paint provides a fresh canvas to work on and incentive to get bigger and better.

The potential for re-development of the Taylor Electric site, and the surrounding area, cannot be denied. It sits just minutes from downtown Portland, offers panoramic city views of the city, and easy access to the Willamette River, East Bank Esplanade, and Hawthorne Bridge. Down the road, you find Distillery Row, the heart of Portland’s craft distilling movement, several of Portland’s famous food cart pods, the Museum of Science and Industry, and most recently, the new Eastside Streetcar line.

A different type of gentrification is occurring in the Central Eastside Industrial District (CEID). It is zoned industrial, not residential. Some of the businesses in this district have operated here for decades. There is even a non-profit, volunteerorganization, responsible for representing businesses and property owners in the Central Eastside Industrial District. This group fights to protect the rights of property owners and businesses in the district and keep CEID as an ‘industrial sanctuary,’ and major employment zone for the city.

Just recently it was announced that the Taylor Electric Building had been sold. It is now slated to be re-developed into office space. New building plans can be found here. This re-development was inevitable. Portland’s and urban growth boundary makes it a very dense city. Most vacant land in and around the urban core is developed. This land-use planning protects our cherished natural surroundings, fosters walkable, bikeable, cohesive, and vibrant neighborhoods.

However, this density also makes finding hidden under-used spaces that allow for alternative uses very hard to find. Undeveloped landscapes serve as a reminder that there is value in not having all urban space in continuous official use. These spaces in-between are voids that allow for unscripted activities. In Portland, out of under-used parking lots, culinary meeting grounds arise. In a trash covered ditch under a bridge, one of the most famous skateboarding spots in the world, Burnside Skatepark, was built by hand and without permission.

Although many people might at first think these spaces as uninviting, boring and even dangerous, other people see great potential in these derelict wastelands. These spaces offer respite from the city‘s watchful eyes. They are places in a state of uncertainty, caught between uses, and open to endless possibilities.

ALL PHOTOS © PSAA

Pirate Town

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK:
THE HISTORY OF PIRATE TOWN

Everything is ephemeral. Sometimes it takes loosing cherished pieces of our city to realize what is important and how change is the only constant, especially in a city. As Portland’s wild-west development bonanza booms, many of us are hard at work documenting and fighting to save these important pieces of the urban landscape.

Our urban growth boundary helps preserve our hinterlands and create a dense city, but it also ensures that vacant space is temporary and abandonment is short-lived. As in other cities, Portland is growing at an unprecedented rate due to the millennial desire for a more sustainable urban life. With this influx, comes change and with this change there are important considerations and sacrifices. What impact does the loss of free, hidden, and accessible spaces have on the city and its arts culture?

Indeterminate “spaces in-between” are voids in the city, undesirable to most people and sought after by some. These abandoned, contaminated, and sometimes dangerous spaces are where DIY activities flourish. Whether it be for graffiti art, skate/BMX parks, urbex, or guerilla gardens, these “cracks” in the urban fabric provide respite from norms and regulations of modern urban space. These spaces are open to possibilities for intervention and ripe for activation; places where the seeds of innovation and authenticity can be sown.

As we contest and cope with our changing city, it is important to document and remember an important piece of Portland’s DIY and graffiti history that is quickly fading into distant memory.

It was known by many names: Popsicle Land, Creosote Factory, SuperFun Site, officially named Triangle Park, and most infamously Pirate Town. This 35-acre superfund site is situated on the Portland Harbor at the base of Waud Bluff and in the University Park area of North Portland. With an industrial history dating back to at least 1900, this site has been home to nearly 50 different industrial operations.

Photo: Michael Endicott

Photo: Michael Endicott

Most recently, this was the site of the former Riedel North Portland Yard, which dredged rivers, constructed boats, and cleaned-up hazardous railroad spills. Riedel closed in 1986, but the effects of its operations (and the site’s prior operations) will be present for centuries to come; as soil and groundwater tests show high levels of toxic contaminates, mainly arsenic.

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This abandoned complex consisted of a dock and three cement buildings. The site provided both a canvas for the most prolific graffiti in Portland at the time and space for creation of DIY skateboarding and BMX structures. Skaters and BMX riders revamped Pirate Town, turning the spaces into parks reminiscent of the early Burnside Bridge days. For years, Pirate Town was a cherished space for all sorts of adventure; a place to end midnight bicycle rides, hold massive parties, host an epic chariot wars, army training ground, and a horror movie theater.

Photo: The Skateboard Archives, skateandannoy.com

A 2009 Portland Mercury article by Sarah Mirk documented the public sentiment when demolition plans were announced: “It’s one of those places where there’s no rules. I’m perpetually frustrated by how society stomps out the places where people can create new things,” Zander Speaks told reporters. Similarly, Zachary van Buuren said that it was “one of the few places that graffiti artists could go to do their art and it’s completely alright. It’s a giant industrial canvas, sad to see it go.” Gabe Tiller who rode around town on a coffin bike, explained that “these urban decay areas are gorgeous and every city needs them, it was inevitable I guess. Fun while it lasted, and there are other great spots out there waiting to be found!”

Photo: Jeremy Running

American Institute of Architects even hosting a photography show displaying the work of Bruce Forster, commemorating the graffiti that covered almost every inch of the structure.

Photo: Chris Nukala, theskateboardarchives.com

Reminiscing about the Pirate Town 10 years later, native Portlander and professional BMX rider Caleb Ruecker explained to PSAA that for many years it was a favorite spot for him and his friends, for not only biking but fishing off the decaying old docks. For a long time it was a chill spot, mainly just used by the bikers, skaters, and graffiti artists, and sometimes visited by photographers and explorers. Then around 2003 nearby University of Portland students started going down there more, even driving their cars down the access road (unlike most who took the back way in along the tracks). This brought a lot of attention to the site and then there were fences and guards.

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Photo: Sam Policar

Photo: Bruce Foster

In December of 2008, the University bought the site for $6 million and swiftly demolished it; releasing a statement saying that it was a liability. Back then, UofP representatives explained that the site would allow them to “expand without going into the neighborhood.” They saw this as an “opportunity to take blighted and contaminated industrial land and restore it under the stewardship of the University of Portland as a public asset.” Rumors circulated that it was going to be developed it into a baseball, sports field, or storage area. Today, over 7 years after its demolition, some environmental restoration has happened, but the site still sits completely vacant, being almost completely reclaimed by nature.

Interestingly, the University’s comment about how they intended to restore the site into a “public asset” raises the question about who this development is for, and how the divergent values placed on spaces. These abandoned spaces are actually often being well-used, just not in traditional, scripted, or city-sanctioned ways. While technically being private property, many times these types of sites are left to rot, especially turning into semi-public spaces.

Photo: Chris Nukala, theskateboardarchives.com

These spaces are then reclaimed by certain subcultures and turned into unique “community asset.” However, the general ethos does recognize the value in these unique DIY spaces in cities, they just assume that they are blighted, debauchery-ridden cesspools that need to be removed. True in some cases yes, but in others they are just removed for the sake of removing them, paved or grassed over, or left to sit for another few decades until market demand rises to the point of profit.

Photo: Brandon Seifert

Photo: Aaron Rabideau

As urban planners strive to design authenticity in our cities with placemaking and tactical urbanism-inspired plans, we ignore and disregard the fact that original and authentic place-making is done by the communities like these, in places like Pirate Town and more recently in Taylor Electric. Toxic wastelands flourish into meccas for activity, adventure, and raw beauty. Enter at your own risk.

Special thanks for Caleb Ruecker for providing invaluable insights and inspiration for finally writing this article. Be sure to follow his demolition and abandoned documentation adventures @calebrueckersphotos.

Photo: Aaron Rabideau

Photo: Bruce Foster

Photo: Michael Endicott

Photo: Michael Endicott

Photo: Michael Endicott

Photo: Michael Endicott

Photo: Michael Endicott

Photo: Michael Endicott

Photo: Michael Endicott

Photo: Brandon Seifert

More Pirate Town Photo Albums:

Erin McGuire on Flickr

Jeremy Running on Flickr

Aaron Rabideau on Flickr

Brian Latta on Flickr

Brandon Seifert on Flickr

K-Web on Flickr

All Photos Tagged with Pirate Town on Flickr

If you have photos of Pirate Town that you would like to share with PSAA, please email us at pdxstreetart@gmail.com.

Murals and the Portland Sign Codes

MURALS AND THE PORTLAND CITY SIGN CODE

At one time, artists could paint outdoor murals in Portland with a simple agreement between themselves and the building owner, as is the case in manyother cities in the United States.

In 1998, the City of Portland was thrust into a lengthy and complicated legal battle with AK Media (a company that was later absorbed by Clear Channel).

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of a handful of art advocates who pushed for the art of mural-making to be recognized, in 2005, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) began its Public Art Mural Program. In 2009, following the closing of the Clear Channel trial, and the judge’s decision (in 2007), the City of Portland’s new mural program was created.

Until those two pathways were forged, community murals were either not painted, or were done without City permission, thereby risking citations and fines for building owners being out of compliance with the City’s sign code.

Both the existing mural programs have certain requirements. The City of Portland’s mural permitting process requires a fee and a neighborhood meeting. RACC is a more comprehensive mural proposal submission and funding opportunity that, if approved, the mural is added to the City’s public art collection, ensuring that the artwork is exempt from the City’s sign code and will be enjoyed by future generations to come.

The existing systems work, and many murals have been painted since the drought of mural art in the late 1990s and early 2000s, however, there are many ways that certain types of artistic expression are still burdened.

It is time that the City of Portland re-evaluates its Original Art Mural Permit process to ensure that it is still effective and could not be further improved.

Buckman Community Mural by Joe Cotter

Contributors: Joanne Oleksiak, Robin Dunitz & Mark Meltzer