CourtneyGallardo

BenjaminCraig
WorkofArt
June2,2016

ArtandGentrificationintheCityofPortland,Oregon

Portland,Oregonhasbeenamajorepicenterofredevelopmentforthepastcoupleof
years.Thesuddenspikeindevelopmentandgentrificationhappeningthroughoutthecityhas
causedquiteastirbothlocallyandnationally.Peoplefromacrossthecountryarelookingto
movetoPortlandforitsyoung,hipsceneofquirkyfinedining,creativesmallbusinesses,and
everythinginbetweenwhilethelocalsthathavelivedhereforyearsarelefthopingtheywont
bedrivenoutbyoverdevelopmentoranotherrenthike.Butthereismoretothismovementof
massgentrificationthanjustcompletelytakingouttheoldandbuildinguptheneweventhe
fixerupperneighborhoodcommunitiesaresuffering.Whilerenovatingcommunitieswith
publicartprojectsisintendedtobetterthequalityoflifeintheirneighborhoodsforeveryone,as
theneighborhoodvaluerises,itslowlydrivesoutthemorelowerclassfamiliesandindividuals
thatalreadylivethere,leavingonlythemiddleandupperclassestobenefitfromthenow
thrivingcommunity.

WhilePortlandisbringinginamassiveamountofvisitors,homeownersandrenters,and
businessfromthemiddleclass,anothersideaffectsofthisamountofpopularityand

gentrificationistheerasureofthehomelessnessissuethroughoutthecity.FoundonCityof
Portlandswebsite,itisestimatedthatonanygivennightabout3,800peoplesleeponthestreets,
inshelters,andintemporaryhousing.Thisisaccordingto2015sPointInTimecount(PIT,)an
annualsurveyofbothshelteredandunshelteredhomelesspersons,conductedonasinglenight
duringthemonthofJanuary.Whilethenumberofhomelesspersonshasstayedrelativelythe
samebetween2013and2015,evenastheaffordablehousingcrisiscontinuestodecline,the
numberofhouselesspersonsisstillacauseforseriousconcern.TheriseofPortlands
nationwidepopularityandpositivereputationenablesthislevelofgentrificationtooccurand
erasestheissuesofhomelessness,inadequateaffordablehousing,andotherstrugglespertaining
tohomelesspersons.(HomelessnessStatistics,TheCityofPortland,Oregon.)

Publicarthadbeenusedasawaytoimprovecommunitiesandneighborhoodssincethe
1930s,startingwithmonumentsregulatedbylongtermgovernmentprograms.(PublicArt,
Wikipedia.)InthecityofPortland,agoodexampleofpublicartbeingusedasatooltobetter
thecommunitycanbeseenintheAlbertaArtsDistrict.Whatisnowconsideredasafe,
middleclassneighborhoodknownforgreatartandtrendylocalrestaurantsandstoreswas,
betweenthe1950sandthe1990s,aneighborhoodindecline.Sincethe1990s,theAlberta
neighborhoodhasundergoneaseriesofmajortransformations,fromtheartstopoliticsthe
neighborhoodcontinuestogrowandchangeevennow.Andwhilethisprojectcouldbe
consideredasuccess,thereisstilltheissueofthisredevelopmentturningintooverdevelopment
andinevitablydrivingoutthelowerclass,thusnegativelyaffectingthatpopulationofthe
existingcommunity.Thisisthedoubleedgedswordofpublicart.(Rizzari30,33.)

Accordingtoanarticlepublishedin2006bytheHousingPolicyDebatejournal,a
majorityofresidentsandhomeownersintheAlbertaneighborhoodapprovedofthechanges.
However,thatmajoritywasmadeupofmostlywhitepeople,suggestingthatwhitepeopleare
morelikelythanblackpeopletothriveinareaswheregentrificationisoccurring.Whiteresidents
werealsoreportedtobemorelikelytodevelopstrongerconnectionsinthecommunitybecause
theydonotfeelvulnerabletothepossibilityofbeingdisplaced.Whilethepopulationofwhite
peopleintheneighborhoodcontinuestogrowandsettlein,blackresidents,businesses,and
institutionscontinuetosufferandfearthepossibilityofbeingrunoutofbusinessorbeing
displacedasaresultofthegentrificationintheAlbertaArtsDistrict.(Sullivan595.)

Oneexampleofartbeingusedasatoolforcommunityimprovementcanbeseenfrom
theorganizationForestForTheTrees.Establishedin2013,FFTTisalocalnonprofit
organization,committedtocreatingcontemporarypublicartthroughoutPortland.Thecollective
bringsinartists,bothlocalandinternational,toworkcollaborativelyinaspacethatallowsthe
artistscreativefreedomandthepublicthefreedomtoaccesstheseworks.Themuralscreatedby
theartistsandForestForTheTreesareintendedtonotonlybeautifythecommunitiestheyare
in,butalsotopullresidentsawayfromtheirdailyroutinesandprovidesthemamomentof
appreciationforthecreativitythatsurroundsusinthePacificNorthwest.ForestForTheTrees
wasfoundedbyartistGageHamilton,curatorMattWagner,andeventproducerTiaVanich,
withthevisionofimprovingthevisuallandscapeofthecityandgivingartiststheopportunity
tobeapartofthecommunity.(About,ForestForTheTrees.)


SimilarlytoForestForTheTrees,theCityRepairProjectisavolunteerrunorganization
whosegoalistobringpublicarttoneighborhoodsacrossPortland,whilealsooperatinginparts
ofCaliforniaandCanada.Theseartprojectsareallinclusiveandintendedtoinspirethe
communitytoparticipateinthecreationoftheirownsharedpublicspace.Notonlydovolunteers
encourageresidentstoparticipateintheinitialcreationoftheproject,butalsototakepartinthe
upkeepandrenewaloftheprojectsintheircommunityeveryfewyears.OntheCityRepair
ProjectsMissionpageisavideo,featuringbothorganizationmembersandresidents
highlightingsomeofthepositiveaspectsoftheEliotNeighborhoodCrossingproject,astreet
paintinglocatedonNETillamookandRodney.Alongwithstreetpainting,theyalsofacilitate
ecologicallandscapingprojects,suchascreatingcommunitygardensandpermaculture
structuresandnaturalbuildingprojects,includingbuildinganecofriendlycottageandan
outdoorkitchenspace,completewithacoboven.TheCityRepairProjectgivescommunitiesthe
opportunitytobeanactivepartinthecreationofthesepositive,recognizablelandmarks.
Accordingtoonecommunitymember,theysaypeoplecantell[theyre]inaneighborhood
when[they]seeone[oftheseprojects.]Italsogivesresidentsasenseofprideforthe
neighborhood,andhelpsbuildstrong,longlastingrelationshipsbetweenneighborsthroughthe
workstheyhavecreatedtogether.(Mission,TheCityRepairProject.)

Asasolutiontotheissueofgentrification,MakeYourOwnSpaceisanonprofitart
collectivededicatedtobuildingandredevelopingcommunityspacesthroughpublicart.Asa
collective,artistsfromacrosstheCityofPortlandandsurroundingareaswillcometogetherand

createcreativeprojectsfortheirrespectivecommunitiestobeinvolvedin.Whileitistheartists
whopioneereachcreativeproject,itistheirultimategoaltoletthecommunityinspire,create,
maintainprojectsonetheinitialprojectisover,givingthemasenseofownershipoftheart,their
neighborhoodsandtheirpublicspaces.Byallowingartiststheopportunitytocreateandfacilitate
theseartprojects,theywillbeanactivepartintherenovationoftheircommunity.Itwillalso
allowresidentsandcommunitymemberstointeractwiththeirneighborsandtheartist(s)
involvedintheproject.Theaccessible,socialaspectofthecollectivespracticewillbridgethe
gapsbetweenpublicandprivatespacecityversusindividual.MakeYourOwnSpaceerasesthe
ideatheindividualshavenoimpactontheirneighborhoodsandthecitybyreachingoutdirectly
tothem,ratherthanbeingcontractedbythecitytocreateaprojectsimplytofillanemptyspace.

Ratherthanrelyingonasingle,stationaryheadquarterlocation,MakeYourOwn
Spacewillbemobileandpredominantlyrunbyasmallgroupoflocalartists,mostlikelythose
whofoundedtheorganization.Thesebasecollectivememberswillmeetinpublicspacesorin
eachothershomesorplaceofresidence.Bymeetinginspacesthatarealreadyavailableto
them,thecollectivecandedicatemoneyalmostsolelytotheirprojects,insteadofbuyingor
rentingoutanotherbuildingandcontributingtotheproblemofgentrificationthattheyaretrying
tocombat.Anotherbenefittothecollectivemeetinginaspacethatisalreadyavailabletothe
publicisthatmembersofthecommunitywouldalsohavetheopportunitytoparticipateinthe
planningandfacilitationofthecreativeprojectstakingplaceintheircommunities.Thiskindof
open,earlyinvolvementisintendedtoencouragethecommunitytoactivelyparticipateinthe
projectsatthebeginningandtoinspirethemtocontinuetointeractwiththeprojectsandthe

communityforanumberofyearsaftertheinitialprojectiscomplete.Thisaspectofthe
collectiveisessentialtoitsmissiontocreateprojectsthatresidentswillbeinspiredtoclaim
ownershipofandtobeproudoftheworktheyhaveputintohelpingtheircommunitythrive.

Whiletheproposedcollectivehasanemphasisonkeeping
art
accessibleandlocal,
anotherimportantinstanceofcommunitymembersmakingtheirownspacecomesfrom
Portlandsskateboardingcommunity.BurnsideSkateparkisoneofthefirstinstancesofa
skaterbuiltskateparkintheUnitedStates.Orpanamakesmentionofanaccountfroma
journalistnamedPhillipDawdy,whodescribesthelocationasafleamarketforjunkies,
alcoholics,prostitutesanddriftersbeforetheparkwasestablished.(172)OnaHalloweennight
in1990,aftertheproposalforGabrielParkwasrejected,agroupoffiveunidentifiedskaters
tooktotheparkandinstalledacementrampagainstanunusedloadingdockandretainingwall.
Atfirst,localbusinessownersandpoliceweresuspiciousoftheskatersactivities.However,
overtimePortlandPolicebeganreportingfewerautothefts,whilebusinesseswerenolonger
subjecttovandalismorbreakins.Theidentitiesofthemajorityoftheskatersremainunknown.
However,accordingtoMarkScott,askateroriginallyinvolvedinthecreationofthepark,they
alsomadeconnectionswithpoliceofficersandbusinessowners,whothoughtitwascoolthat
theyweredrivingoutprostitutes,criminals,andothernegativeinfluencesinthecommunity.
Eventhoughtheparkwascreatedwithoutpermission,bytakingmattersintotheirownhands,
theskatersultimatelyhelpedimprovethesurroundingarea,andtheparkwasofficially
sanctionedin1992.TheBurnsideSkateparkhasexistedformorethan20years,andisstill
maintainedandupdatedtotheday.(173)Thisparkisactiveproofthatresidentsandcommunity

memberscanhaveasubstantialimpactontheirneighborhoodsandthedevelopmentoftheir
communityspaces.

AsthereputationandpopularityofPortlandgrows,sotoodoesthecity.Whilethe
populationoftransplantresidentscontinuestorise,itisultimatelythelongtimelocalresidents
whobegintosufferfromthesideeffectsofthismassivepushforgentrification.Bykeepingart
communitybasedandnotforprofit,neighborhoodswillbegintobenefitfrompublicartina
differentway.Communitymemberswillbeabletotakeprideintheworktheyputintothese
creativeprojectsandtheirneighborhoods.Residentswillbeabletorelyonthemselvesandtheir
neighborsforsupportandcommunitybuilding,ratherthanrelyingonthecitytostepin.Make
YourOwnSpaceisdedicatedtohelpingcommunitiesinitiateprojectsandstartredeveloping
theirspaces,andtocontinuallysupportingthemastimegoeson.AsseeninbothForestForThe
TreesandtheCityRepairProject,thesetypesoforganizationshaveagreatamountofpotential
forsuccess.MakeYourOwnSpacewouldcombineForestForTheTreesgoalsofgivingartists
spacetoworkandachancetobeautifythecity,andtheCityRepairProjectsmissionofcreating
strongcommunitybondsandgivingneighborhoodsasenseofprideinworkingonandowning
theircreativeprojects.Theimportanceofcollectivesandprojectssuchastheseisthattheyprove
neighborhoodshavethepotentialtochangethecityscapebyrepairingandelevatingtheareaand
thepeoplethatalreadylivethere,ratherthantearingdownexistingcommunitiesandbuilding
somethingnewinitsplace.Especiallyforresidentsvulnerabletodisplacementfrom
cityinitiatedgentrification,communitymadepublicartmaybevitalinrevivingtheirown
neighborhoodsandmaintainingtheownershipoftheirresidentialandpublicspaces.


Bibliography

"About."
ForestForTheTrees
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Orpana,Simon."11SteepTransitions."Ed.KaraJaneLombard.
Skateboarding:Subcultures,
SitesandShifts
(2015).Web.17May2016.

Rizzari,MeredithR."ReimagingaNeighborhood:TheCreationoftheAlbertaArtsDistrict,
Portland,Oregon."Thesis.PortlandStateUniversity,2005.Web.17May2016.

Sullivan,DanielMonroe."AssessingResidentsOpinionsonChangesinaGentrifying
Neighborhood:ACaseStudyoftheAlbertaNeighborhoodinPortland,Oregon."
HousingPolicy
Debate
17.3(2006).Web.30May2016.

"Mission."
TheCityRepairProject
.2016.Web.25May2016.

"HomelessnessStatistics."
TheCityofPortland,Oregon
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"PublicArt."
Wikipedia
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