Murals in Oregon

Eugene

Throughout our trip we were inspired to see murals in communities large and small. Some are designed in a collaborative manner others by a lead artists. Oregon is home to numerous murals. Every city small and large that we stopped in had a mural of some sort. Most of our time was spent in Eugene visiting family. We had a chance to see lots of works and go on the First Friday Art Walk visiting galleries, hearing live music and meeting artists.

Murals are everywhere in Eugene. They are woven into the cultural tapestry of the city. Eugene is a unique place thriving with life and creativity. In addition to the natural beauty and intelligent urban planning there is a strong local economy. The weekly Saturday market and regular farmers markets provide a great window into the social life of the community.

One of the muralists we saw in Eugene was Kari Johnston who has painted a number of works in the area. She painted one of the most loved murals in the Whiteaker neighborhood.

Kari Johnson mural in the Whiteaker neighborhood

Kari gave us a tour of the in-town land trust where she and several dozen others live. She designed the commons house that sits next to one of the gardens where a parking lot once stood. Now you can enjoy a maze of gardens and fruit trees. Seeing this really helped us get a feeling for the spirit of her murals.


You can find a list of Eugene murals here but you might need the help of a local in planning your mural tour of Eugene. A good place to start is by visiting the Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts (DIVA).

Portland

We had the delight of spending a day touring Portland, OR. Portland is home to many beautiful community murals. It was synchronicity that helped us find a mural in progress by artist Robin Corbo at the Community Cycling Center .


She told about another mural she had just finished entitled Women Making History in Portland. The mural depicts women who have, or are making history in Portland. A ton of people were involved in this mural. If you click on the image below you should be able to make out the text.

Women Making History in Portland
2007
2335 N. Clark St.
Artists: Robin Corbo with assistance from artists Mark Meltzer, Sherri Shaw, Emily Lux and Jason Greene

I like the design and richness of these murals, they tell a story, make a statement and are visually fun to spend some time with. Other muralists in Portland include Joe Cotter and Joanne Oleksiak. They are involved in the Portland Mural Defense group . This group has been active in an epic struggle to keep the mural movement alive in Portland.

I would suggest that you visit the Regional Arts and Culture Council mural gallery to plan your mural tour.

On the Road Looking for Murals

“To the Glory of G-d” Mural in Springfield, MO

Murals in Missouri and New Mexico

Over the past few weeks we have been in transit from Philadelphia, PA to Tucson, AZ. Along the way we have been visiting communities to try and get a feeling for the status of the arts in America. How are artists and community arts programs making their way in this new global economy?

One of our first stops was in Louisville KY. There is an active arts scene there with several community murals on underpasses and at least one "free" wall where aerosol artists work on ever changing images. There are several arts centers, galleries and performance centers. Its a beautiful town that seems to offer a full array of cultural activities.

We discovered several murals in Springfield and Joplin Missouri. The mural in Springfield was huge and located on an abandon grain silo. We met a few guys who maintained the property. They told us that Springfield was going through a revitalization of sorts. The old was being demolished for new upscale shops and apartment buildings. The mural was painted by local artists Obie Harrup III and Farley Lewis and sponsored by something called the Messiah Project. It was painted 10 years ago and is entitled “To the Glory of G-d”. Springfield MO is home to a number of religious collages, and felt like a deeply spiritual place. As we walked around the beautiful downtown I don’t think we saw one piece of trash. We noticed several other murals on businesses but no evidence of an organized program.

The next day we stumbled on a masterpiece in Joplin MO. “Joplin at the Turn of the Century 1896-1906” was painted by the great American artist Thomas Hart Benton in 1973 at the age of 82. The interior mural is located in the City Hall building. The 5 1/2’ x 14’ mural was the centerpiece of Joplin’s 100th Birthday. Benton began his career as an artist working as a cartoonist for the Joplin American newspaper in 1906. This mural was his last signed large scale work.

“Joplin at the Turn of the Century 1896-1906”

A few days later we found ourselves in Socorro, New Mexico. This small town is a beautiful piece of Southwestern culture and features many historical buildings including the San Miguel Mission, restored in the 1960’s. The original mission was burned during the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. A second mission was built between 1819 and 1821. The center of town is the Kitrell Park Plaza. On one corner of the Plaza we discovered a mural painted on the side of the Manzanares Street Coffee House and bike shop.


The shop was closed and we didn't see an artists name on the mural. It’s a beautiful work of art with rich color and detail. We walked around the town enjoying the ambiance, imagining that many years ago this could be what Tucson or Santa Fe looked like.

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