October 31st, 2009 §
Last week I noticed something different in my new neighborhood. A block from my office, a speaker could be heard in the background. I went to go check it out, and saw people milling about the Central City Concern building, a relief agency that provides temporary housing.
Installed at the intersection of the Broadway and NW Everett, at the old Golden West Hotel, is a new display honoring the contributions of what was once the heart of Portland’s first African American community. From roughly 1890-1920, the area around the Golden West consisted of many African American businesses, including restaurants, barbershops, hotels and more. As someone deeply interested in social history, this came as news to me.
The display, which is artfully done, consists of six panels and a visitor activated loud speaker playing recollections of long-time African American residents. Organized by the Old Town History Project (I can’t seem to find any information about this group — does anyone know anything about them?), the project was funded by the City of Portland Vision Into Action program and Oregon Council for Humanities.
Check out a preview of the panels here, or simply stop by the Golden West building at NW Everett and Broadway. Related is a blog about the project, Golden West Project: Black in Portland History.
June 14th, 2009 §
Created a site for The Dill Pickle Club, a new experimental cultural/ education center in Portland, OR.
Starting June 2009, The Dill Pickle will begin hosting a monthly presentation series in which academics, zinesters, political activists, artists and people of every political shade under the sun can come together to examine life as we know it. Presentations will be controversial, offbeat and intellectual, and provide an experimental format to critique contemporary politics, culture and humanities.
Up first, “Art for the Millions,” a leisurely bicycle tour of Works Progress Administration (WPA) sponsored projects in Portland. The ride will make several stops along the way to hear from leading scholars and examine the WPA’s relevance to contemporary society. The ride is $10 and includes lunch. Register at yes@dillpickleclub.com.
June 8th, 2009 §
Photo by Gabe Graff.
June 7th, 2009 §
Inspired by AREA Chicago, I recently created a piece for “Grassroots Cartography,” an exhibition at SEA Change Gallery in Portland, OR. “Notes for a Peoples Atlas” is a multi-city, participatory mapping and design project that began in Chicago in 2005, and has since traveled to Zagreb, Croatia and Syracuse, NY. A sort of lo-fi, more political Platial, the project invites participants to fill in the blank outline of the political border of their city or region with individual and collective local knowledge, forgotten histories, ongoing debates and changing definitions of urban space. Not to show favoritism, but this one is extra special.
For more photos go to the photstream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36959900@N08/sets/72157619413018494/
Check out more highlights after the jump, or download and fill in your own.
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