VOLTA GARAGE AT THE ELECTRIC BLOCKS
ROTATING COMMUNITY ART PROGRAM SPACE FOR EXPERIMENTATION, COLLABORATION, AND MENTORSHIP
Artists Shelly Swan and Natalia Cardona Puerta posing in front of their recently completed pillar murals
Launched in the winter of 2022, the Volta Garage features 10 walls that will rotate art periodically, similar to those at the Taylor Electric Project site next door. This recently renovated building is now home to Portland’s Bora Architects. These walls allow emerging and veteran artists a canvas to experiment with new techniques, collaborate with each other, and provide mentorship opportunities for youth. This project is made possible thanks to support from the property owner, Killian Pacific. For the inaugural set of murals, PSAA invited local Portland artists from a variety of styles and experience levels. Working together in a space like this offers artists to network and help each other out with logistics and supplies. Several of these murals also included artist mentorship programs, where the muralists have assist mentees who are learning the process of mural making.
In 2023, friends and illustrators Shelly Swan (Fairywulf) and Natalia Cardona Puerta painted 16 columns in the Volta Garage. Though they have similar illustration styles, Fairywulf’s illustrations are often darker, while Natalia’s illustrations are more bright and sunny. This led them to split the 16 garage pillars in two sections, with Natalia painting the day and Fairywulf painting the night. Fairywulf was assisted by fellow illustrator Donovan Diaz.
