STREETS OF HOPE

CENTRAL EASTSIDE, PORTLAND

Art has the power to amplify voices and bring untold stories to light. Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) is proud to unveil Streets of Hope, a powerful mural that shares the experiences of Portland’s houseless community through their own lens, exploring the theme of ‘we take care of each other.’

Prominently displayed on two large walls at SE 8th and Yamhill in the Central Eastside, Streets of Hope celebrates the resilience, creativity, and grassroots support systems within Portland’s unhoused population. Created by local muralist and comic book illustrator Damon Smyth, the piece combines striking visuals with a deeply collaborative and community-focused approach.

Through soft, glowing imagery, the mural portrays messages of hope, illustrating how the houseless community fosters care and mutual aid. It also captures moments of joy and togetherness, reflecting the humanity and strength of a community often overlooked.

A community-Driven initiative

This project is part of PSAA’s ongoing initiative to collaborate with houseless service organizations and people experiencing housing insecurity, ensuring their stories are centered in the public art-making process. PSAA has worked on similar projects since 2022, including the Housekeys Not Handcuffs and Leroy Memorial murals. These projects aim to highlight and uplift the voices of Portland’s houseless community while dispelling stigma and fostering more compassion and understanding for those struggling.

Spanning over 2,500 square feet, Streets of Hope transforms once-drab walls into a beacon of resilience and solidarity. Its imagery highlights moments of joy, self-expression, and the grassroots systems of care created within the houseless community.

““Everyone has value. Our project partners collaborated to come up with each element of the design. When it was time to start applying paint, everyone arrived eager and excited to beautify their community. The care and dedication they put into this mural truly inspires me, and I am grateful to have had the honor of working with all of them.””

— Damon Smyth, Muralist

Streets of Hope was supported by grants from the Oregon Community Foundation, Prosper Portland, and the Oregon Arts Commission. The mural took nearly three years to come to fruition. Property owners WYSE Real Estate provided site access and logistical support to make the mural happen. Miller Paint also provided PSAA and the artist with a discount on base coat paint products.

collaborating with community

To ensure authenticity and a community-driven process, PSAA partnered with local nonprofits: p:ear, Ground Score Association, Street Books, Street Roots, and Sisters of the Road.

P:ear, a youth mentorship organization that builds positive relationships with youth experiencing homelessness, ages 15 to 25, through education, art, recreation and job training.
Street Books, a bicycle-powered library that provides access to books for the houseless community across 13 locations in Portland.
Street Roots, a weekly social justice newspaper that is sold by over 250 vendors that are experiencing housing insecurity and poverty.
Sisters of the Road, a social justice organization with a 45-year history, providing low- or no-cost meals, education and training programs, a barter work system, advocacy efforts, and a well-loved cafe welcoming all (now closed, with plans to reopen when a permanent location is secured).
Ground Score Association, an association of informal recyclers, canners, dumpster divers, and other waste pickers who create and fill low-barrier waste materials management jobs.

Damon’s creative process began with Listening & Learning Sessions, where he, alongside PSAA Executive Director Tiffany Conklin, met with these organizations providing essential support and services to the houseless community. Smyth learned about the function of each organization and how the community interacts with it. From touring the Street Books lending library to interviewing Street Roots newspaper vendors, the goal was to collaboratively design a mural that felt authentic and inclusive for all.

These discussions played a key role in shaping the mural’s design, which incorporates imagery that reflects the community’s contributions and experiences, such as blank books symbolizing open narratives, a book delivery bike, and a rolled-up newspaper, honoring the work of our project partners.

PSAA and Damon also met with Street Roots newspaper vendor Tony Boone to gather input on the mural’s design. Tony helped PSAA manage two of PSAA’s Houseless Initiative Murals, the Leroy Memorial and Housekeys Not Handcuffs. Thanks to his job selling Street Roots newspapers in SE Portland, Tony is now employed at Belmont 34 Grocery. With this income and more stability, Tony was able to buy work tools and a laptop. He is now working with other local businesses (Stumptown Coffee, Hoda’s Lebanese Restaurant, and more), providing them with building maintenance support.

Throughout the design phase, Damon worked closely with p:ear youth, who shared their stories and contributed creative ideas for the mural. Their collaboration not only shaped the mural’s design but also provided participants with valuable skills and paid work opportunities. Ground Score workers also played a key role in the design and painting, offering essential support while creating paid work opportunities for members of the houseless community.

Streets of Hope features a large green pear to honor p: ear youth, paint buckets, and brushes, as well as musical instruments representing p:ear’s youth arts services. On the south wall of the mural the mural Ground Score workers can be seen canning and cleaning up city streets.

A variety of figures are placed throughout both walls of the mural. The faces on the figures are deliberately less detailed, allowing many to see themselves in the faces of these figures. The objects the people are carrying and how they are grouped together were based on feedback from the houseless community, and demonstrate how they support one another and gather together.

"It was a unique and exciting opportunity to be a part of the whole process, and I hope to be able to be a part of a similar experience in the future. Having the artist actually speak with us about our lived experience to generate ideas and then seeing our words reflected in his art, felt like an honor, and I really appreciated him doing it in a genuine and sincere manner." – Becky, Ground Score Association

CREATING TOGETHER

To kick off the project Damon and PSAA hosted two four-hour Community Painting Days, providing a unique opportunity for p:ear youth and Ground Score workers to actively participate in the mural’s creation. These sessions allowed participants to learn painting techniques, from brushwork to spray-painting, and contribute directly by applying the base coat colors for the mural. They were compensated for their work, reinforcing the value of their contributions and offering financial support.

"Thank you so much for letting me be a part of the project! Painting with the group was inspiring and helped me learn new things too. And getting paid for it was a sweet bonus. The whole vibe was nice. I'd definitely be down to do it again sometime." – p:ear youth

For at-risk youth, community painting days can have a profound impact, beyond artistic skill-building. They fostered a sense of accomplishment, belonging, and creative expression, empowering participants to see themselves as integral contributors to a transformative community project.

The experience of working alongside professional artists and peers in a collaborative environment helped to build confidence, nurture teamwork, and inspire hope for future opportunities. These projects are compelling demonstrations of the power of working together to beautify neighborhoods, sharing the untold stories of those often under-represented, unheard, and overlooked.

"It was an amazing experience, I loved how much the community was involved. I enjoyed the teamwork and meeting the other people we painted with. I liked learning the spray painting techniques Damon shared with us. PSAA created a space and peace for us that day, I am grateful for the experience." – p:ear youth

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Streets of Hope stands as a powerful testament to the impact of community collaboration. Through a multi-faceted approach that involved houseless service and advocacy organizations, the mural helps create space for sharing voices and perspectives from the houseless community. By integrating these grassroots organizations into the creative process, this mural not only highlights the experiences of those who are often marginalized but also bridges the divide between the housed and unhoused populations of Portland. It serves as a reminder of the strength, resilience, and unity that can be found in communities facing adversity.

“PSAA and Damon are very community-minded. I had a great time and I'd do it again many times over. It's for a great cause! And it was an honor to see waste pickers like myself recognized in this way." – Psyon, Ground Score Association

This project could not have been realized without the invaluable support and partnerships of organizations like p:ear, Ground Score Association, Street Books, Street Roots, and Sisters of the Road.

“This mural captures the spirit of hope, resilience, and collective action within our unhoused community, as well as the dedication of local organizations that provide our most at-risk community members with vital support and compassionate care. We are thrilled to collaborate once again with muralist Damon Smyth, whose artistic vision continues to bring profound meaning to our city. Thanks to the incredible partnerships with p:ear, Ground Score Association, Street Books, Street Roots, and Sisters of the Road, along with generous funding from Prosper Portland, the Oregon Arts Commission, and the Oregon Community Foundation, we are excited to see this project come to life after nearly three years of planning.” – Tiffany Conklin, Executive Director, PSAA

“Street Books believes in access to good books and the community at the street level, which is why the collaboration with PSAA is such a good fit. Street art is by the people for the people, and everybody is invited to enjoy it. Long live art and the community that creates it together!” – Laura Moulton, Executive Director, Street Books
“Art has a unique power to build a sense of belonging in the communities we serve, especially when it is the result of partners coming together in a collaborative and creative process. The ‘Streets of Hope’ mural project is exactly the kind of place-making Oregon Community Foundation is proud to support.” – Colin Fogarty, Communications Director, Oregon Community Foundation

“We are very excited to partner with PSAA and support the Streets of Hope Mural. The power that projects like this one have to unite people in the creative process and in the appreciation of the finished mural is unique. This project is a testament to the critical role art plays in creating community and augmenting the inclusivity and vibrancy of Portland.” – Shea Flaherty Betin, Interim Executive Director, Prosper Portland

Streets of Hope has not only transformed a physical space but also fostered a sense of community and inclusion, enriching Portland’s cultural landscape for years to come. PSAA plans to continue its houseless initiative, fostering livability for all and empowering unhoused individuals through art. The organization remains committed to creating public murals that reflect and celebrate the diverse stories within Portland’s communities.