MURAL Celebrating Women Leaders OF EAST PORTLAND

PORTLAND, OREGON

March 27, 2023 (Portland, OR) – Completed just in time to celebrate Women’s History Month, Portland Street Art Alliance is pleased to announce the completion of a monumental new mural in Southeast Portland’s Midway District. The mural, titled “Leaders of East Portland,” was painted by local muralist and Midway resident, Alex Chiu. It features four prominent leaders of the Midway community and was commissioned by the Midway Business Association, with grant assistance from Venture Portland. The mural is located at SE 122nd and Powell in the Midway Neighborhood.

Along with being a talented muralist, Alex specializes in collaborating with communities to create public art that tells a larger story. Since Alex lives in the district, he had an even deeper understanding of the people and place - giving him a unique perspective. Alex worked closely with the Midway Business Association to identify which district leaders to honor. Alex implemented a public survey to gather nominations for prominent female community leaders in the neighborhood. In the end, four women were selected to be depicted in the mural.

ABOUT THE FEATURED WOMEN

Lisha Shrestha, a native of Nepal is the current Executive Director of the Division Midway Alliance. Lisha previously worked at IRCO, the City of Portland’s New Portlander Program, and Elders in Action and was the recipient of the Portland State University’s President’s Diversity Award in 2015 and Community Leader of the Year Spirit of Portland Award in 2017. Lisha is also pursuing her doctoral degree at PSU. Her position at Division Midway Alliance allows Lisha to advocate for and bring resources to the immigrant and refugee populations in the area.

Halimo Alinur is one of 9 children raised by a single mother, who immigrated to Portland from Somalia. Halimo was born and raised in Ethiopia, but ultimately moved to the U.S. from Somalia. She moved to Portland at age 11. As a student, Halimo participated in programs organized by the African Youth Community Organization (AYCO). Halimo was later hired as AYCO’s Community Engagement Lead, and is working with newly immigrated families and youth in East Portland.

Olena Borova immigrated to Oregon in 2018 from Ukraine. She began to work at Mercy Corps, as the Education & Outreach Program Officer for the Community Investment Trust (CIT) and is now a CIT Implementation Manager. Olena is dedicated to serving underrepresented communities and advocating for equality and financial inclusion. Before joining CIT, Olena worked as the Executive Director for ArtLinks, a non-profit in Eugene, OR that supports cultural diversity through art, culture, and education.

Diana Nuno-Perez is a mother of five who has lived in East Portland for over 20 years. She is a local store owner and designer at SaVistication Customs & Apparel at 2803 SE 122nd Ave. Diana is deeply involved in the Chicano and Native art community in Portland. Diana designs custom apparel, promotes and organizes hip-hop events, and is involved in the lowrider car scene.

“It is an honor for me to paint a mural in this particular location. I have lived in Outer East Portland for about 8 years now. I am currently living in the Mill Park Neighborhood and live about a half mile from the mural itself. There is not a lot of public artwork or murals in the area, so I was excited to take this opportunity.” – Alex Chiu

ABOUT THE MIDWAY DISTRICT

The Midway district covers 12 square miles of neighborhoods and includes more than 500 businesses and is one of the largest districts in Portland. The district was named for its location “mid-way” between many of the region’s amenities, including downtown Portland, the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood - which can be seen in the background of the new mural.

‘“MBA is extremely grateful for the generous grant we received from Venture Portland to hire local artist Alex Chiu who worked with the community to create this inspiring mural. It celebrates several of East Portland's influential women as it beautifully brightens up this busy intersection with a sense of calmness and connection.” – Midway Business Association Board

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