Juntos Florecemos: A Celebration of Cully’s Spirit

NORTHEAST PORTLAND, OREGON

Portland has a bold new community-inspired mural in its public art collection, painted by Michelle Ángela Ortiz at Hacienda CDC’s Las Adelitas project. Las Adelitas a 142-unit affordable housing community nearing completion in the Cully neighborhood at 6723 NE Killingsworth Street.

*“Together We Bloom / Juntos Florecemos”*

This project was spurred by community grassroots efforts and will provide much needed affordable housing to the Cully neighborhood. During the building’s design process, local community members expressed interest in a public mural and art installation. In response, Hacienda CDC incorporated a large-scale mural above the main entrance. They then teamed up with PSAA to commission the work. The goal of the project is to celebrate the neighborhood’s culture, diversity, and strength.

The final design, by Michelle Ángela Ortiz, is a beautiful expression of the Cully community. As part of her process Ortiz connected with several Cully residents to draw inspiration for the mural’s design. Together We Bloom (Juntos Florecemos) was directly inspired by the stories of community members from the interviews Ortiz conducted.

The images of light and growth emerge from their stories. The quote “We belong to you and you to us, together we bloom” is an excerpt of a poem created by local community member, Lizet. Her elegant words encompass the overall essence of the mural.

Photo courtesy **Michelle Ángela Ortiz**

Michelle Ángela Ortiz is a visual artist based in Philadelphia, PA. Ortiz has completed over 50 large-scale public works nationally and internationally. She is known for using her art as a vehicle to represent people and communities whose histories are often lost or co-opted. Michelle was assisted by artist OIiver Casillas of Portland and Guadalajara, Mexico.

“I am a child of immigrants, a woman of color, a mother, a product of two people that experienced extreme poverty that led them to immigrate to this country. It is within this context, that I see my work as an artist as cultural currency that I use to invest back into the communities I am connected to and to reflect what we contribute to our society. I am pleased to be in Portland to honor the people of the Cully neighborhood through this mural.”

– Michelle Ángela Ortiz, Muralist

“We are honored to have Michelle Ángela Ortiz commissioned to paint this piece at Las Adelitas. This mural paints a true picture of our community. It captures who we are, where we have come from, and our vision of where we want to go. Youth and children will look at this mural and see themselves, their families, and images that represent their culture and surroundings. Community members from Cully, where all of Hacienda’s work began, will see themselves in this mural as they walk into our community event space or pass by Las Adelitas. The impact of this mural will reverberate throughout our community for years to come.”

– Ernesto Fonseca, Hacienda CDC CEO,