July 28, 2014

Americans for the Arts (AFTA) recognized 37 incredible artworks for this year’s Public Art Network Year in Review, a national honor in public art. Of those selected, two are right here in Portland!

Funded by the City of Portland’s Percent for Art program, and managed by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), the two artworks are paradoxical. One highlights Portland’s future, with a focus on transit, while the other is a ghost of Portland’s past.

The Streetcar Stop for Portland, by talented artist Jorge Pardo, is located just north of the Rose Quarter at the NE Broadway and Weidler Streetcar stop. Inspired by an evening photograph, the eclectic, sunshine-colored structure consists of over 300 individual panels. Promoting our public transit, the artistic shelter is intended to be a momentary escape from Portland’s rain. The warm hues of orange and yellow makes for a feeling of walking into a sunny day.

Inversion +/-, by Lead Pencil Studio, is a tall, three-part structure near the Hawthorne and Morrison Bridges, in Portland’s Central Eastside Industrial District. A nod to the past, the weathered steel structures represent buildings that were demolished in the 1950’s for highway construction, including a foundry, warehouse, and apartment building.  

RACC manages more than 2,000 community-owned artworks throughout Portland and Multnomah County.  Visit their website to view the entire collection, and don’t forget to check out Streetcar Stop for Portland and Inversion +/- in person!