Black Lives Matter art in Portland, Oregon

Many artworks related to the Black Lives Matter movement were created in Portland, Oregon, during local protests over the killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans. Oregon Arts Watch contextualized the artistic works, stating that a "whitewashed pre-COVID lens" on American life, which obscured systemic racism, had been "cracked",[1] and describing artists' response to racial violence being brought into the public eye was a "marathon, not a sprint".[2]

Mural outside Apple Pioneer Place (July 23, 2020)

Artworks
See also: Black Lives Matter art
Murals on boarded windows of Apple Pioneer Place

During local protests over the killing of George Floyd, many boarded windows, sidewalks, and other structures in downtown Portland were graffitied with chalk and paint, or covered by posters. According to Benjamin Brink of Street Roots, "Messaging range[d] from anti-police and anti-racist rhetoric to motivational quotes and support for Black lives".[3] Many of the artworks depicted Floyd and other victims of police brutality in the U.S., or incorporated phrases associated with the Black Lives Matter movement such as "I can't breathe and "No justice, no peace".[3] Some of the murals were added by local businesses.[4]

Sculpture and performance art

The Thompson Elk sculpture, one of the most visible public artworks in Portland, located near frequent protests at the Multnomah County Justice Center, was removed for its protection. The elk has been used since as an antifascist symbol, perhaps most visibly in a sculpture dubbed "Nightmare Elk" erected in the Thompson Elk's place.[1]

The Trump Statue Initiative performed several "statues" at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in summer 2020.[1]

Downtown Portland
Portrait of Breonna Taylor and other murals on the exterior of Pioneer Place
Mural of Claudette Colvin in downtown Portland

Emma Berger painted portraits on boards protecting windows of Apple Pioneer Place (Southwest Yamhill Street and Fifth Avenue). She started with one of Floyd on June 1, 2020, and worked to recruit other artists and protesters to participate. A portrait of Ahmaud Arbery was added outside the store.[3] In the Pioneer Place vicinity, portraits depicted Kendra James, Deontae J. Keller, and Jason Washington, all of whom were shot to death by Portland Police Bureau officers, as well as Tony McDade and Anton Sterling, who were killed by officers in Tallahassee and Baton Rouge, respectively. Portraits of Rayshard Brooks, Elijah McClain, and Breonna Taylor also appeared.[3]

Mexican artist and mother Xochilt Ruvalcaba was commissioned by Lisa Schroeder, the owner of Mother's Bistro to paint a series of murals dedicated to Floyd and seven Black children who were killed by police, including Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice.[5] Next to the portraits Ruvalcaba described the circumstances of their deaths.[6] Ruvalcaba’s mural of the words “All Mothers were summoned when he called out to his mama” became the slogan of Moms United for Black Lives, who wore bright yellow T-shirts with the words “Summoned Mama - Black Lives Matter” to protests.[7]

Buckman neighborhood

After someone tagged the Imago Dei nondenominational church in the Buckman neighborhood with the phrase "Black Lives Matter" on June 3, staff member and artist Heidie Ambrose converted the graffiti into a larger "vibrantly colored" mural. The names of Black people who "died at the hands of systemic racism... police brutality, racial injustice or white supremacy" were painted on individual bricks, including locals as well as Arbery, Martin Luther King Jr., Taylor, and Emmett Till.[8][9] By August, the mural had become a memorial.[9] The church's associate pastor Michelle Jones said:

The mural is part of this often difficult, ongoing project. And as the conflict over the last month in Portland between federal agents and protesters has intensified, the artwork feels even more necessary... At Imago, we're trying to keep the main thing the main thing. I think that's also why the mural is there ― to remind those who see it that with so many things happening at the same time, justice matters. These people on this wall ― and people like them ― matter.[9]

St. Johns neighborhood
The "Black Lives Matter" mural in St. Johns (July 23, 2020)
People writing text within the mural's yellow block letters

On June 18, Nick Lloyd painted the phrase "Black Lives Matter" in large bright yellow block letters on North Edison Street in St. Johns. Inspired by Washington, D.C.'s Black Lives Matter Plaza, the 336-foot (102 m) mural spanned an entire block,[10] and had "detailed historic facts about the treatment of minorities in Portland" written in smaller text within individual letters.[11] The following text appeared within the letter "B":

1800 – The Cowlitz people live nearby when the first Black visitor arrives in 1802. His name is York. He's on the Lewis and Clark expedition, and he's enslaved – William Clark has owned him since birth. These roads 1st appear on a map in 1865 – While Oregon has an annual tax on every nonwhite resident. Those who can't pay are forced to work for the state.[10]

Written on the letter "A" was "1923 — This neighborhood is 100% white. Over 9,000 belong to the KKK. The state bans Japanese and Chinese immigrants from owning property". A statement about when voters changed the Constitution of Oregon to eliminate the original ban on Black residents (2001) was written on one of the "T" letters, and another letter displayed the text "In 1988, PDX banks make only 9 mortgage loans in the district from Irvington to Woodlawn."[11]

Lloyd did not seek permission to paint the mural, and city officials did not plan to remove the artwork, as of June 25.[10] He said of his work:

We are all a part of history you can find your birth date somewhere between these letters and see that the story continues... I think we all make history, whether we mean to or not. All of us are part of the story of the rest of us. By relating the events of this area and this region to this very bit of ground, it highlights how much each of us has a choice in what we be a part of. We are all a part of a longer story. It started before us, it will continue after us and we only can control the portion that's in front of us.[10]

Museum grant program

In August, local businessman and philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer announced a $150,000 Black Lives Matter grant program to award 60 artists in Oregon and Washington $2,500 each.[12][13] The program is accepting proposals "for new work or projects, or recently created work directly responding to the current Black Lives Matter movement, responding to marginalized communities; experiences with systemic racism and inequality" until September 30, and grant recipients will be announced on October 31.[14] Museums at Portland State University, University of Oregon, and Washington State University will each award 20 grants and display the newly created artworks upon reopening.[12][15] In a press release, Schnitzer said, "I have often said artists are chroniclers of our time. We all feel anguish about the death of George Floyd and many others at the hands of racial oppression. We, more than ever, need artists to help us understand this issue and help us heal."[14]

See also

References
  1. Jankowski, Andrew; Maurice, Safiyah (August 20, 2020). "The lens is cracked: Art and protest in the summer of 2020". Oregon Arts Watch. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  2. Hicks, Bob (July 30, 2020). "Through the tear gas, darkly". Oregon Arts Watch. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  3. Brink, Benjamin (July 11, 2020). "Photos: Art of the uprising". Street Roots. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  4. Gusinow, Sander (July 23, 2020). "BLM Protests Transform Face of Portland Business District". Oregon Business. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  5. "Painting the town: Murals meet the moment". Oregon ArtsWatch. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  6. Edlin, Venus (2020-09-18). "Public art thrives on boarded-up storefronts". The Pioneer Log. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  7. "The "Wall of Moms" protecting protesters are spreading beyond Portland". Newsweek. 2020-07-23. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  8. Brobst, Scout (August 6, 2020). "Someone Tagged "Black Lives Matter" Outside a Church in Southeast Portland. Staff Decided to Keep It—and Turn It Into a Mural". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  9. Wong, Brittany (August 10, 2020). "Instead of Painting Over Black Lives Matter Graffiti, This Church Memorialized The Message". HuffPost. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  10. Haskins, Devon (June 25, 2020). "'Black Lives Matter' painted in large yellow letters along street in St. Johns". KGW. Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  11. Hardgrave, Alex (June 27, 2020). "Black Lives Matter mural splashes its message across N. Portland street". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  12. Clerkley, Bryant (August 5, 2020). "Jordan Schnitzer establishes Black Lives Matter artist grant program at PSU". KGW. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  13. Jasper, David (August 13, 2020). "Grants offered for Black Lives Matter art". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  14. Acker, Lizzy (August 4, 2020). "Jordan Schnitzer announces Black Lives Matter artist grant program". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  15. "Portland philanthropist announces Black Lives Matter artist grant program". KPTV. August 4, 2020. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
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