The Albina Mural Project: Filling a Void in Portland’s Public Art and History

From McMenamin’s Kennedy School:

The Albina Mural Project: Filling a Void in Portland’s Public Art and History
Kennedy School Theater | Monday, January 31, 7 p.m. | Free | All ages welcome

In the late 1970s, a group of several artists of color created murals and sculptures that hung outside for five years in the historically African-American Albina neighborhood. They worked to depict the history of black culture, both within in and outside America, aiming to fill in the gaps left by silent history books. Mural scholar Robin Dunitz will explain the context in which the artists worked and the impact the project had on them and the community. We will also show a film on the Albina Mural Project created by Portland State University’s Center for Moving Images.

Robin J. Dunitz has been researching, photographing, and writing about murals for almost thirty years. The traveling exhibit “Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride: African American Murals” is based on a book of the same name, which she co-authored with James Prigoff and which was published by Pomegranate Communications in 2000. In 2005, the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture hosted the exhibit. Her other books include Street Gallery: Guide to 1000 Los Angeles Murals and Painting the Towns: Murals of California, the latter also co-authored with James Prigoff. She holds a B.A. in people’s history from the University of California.

About History Pub Monday
Join us for beer and history, sponsored by the Oregon Historical Society, Holy Names Heritage Center and McMenamins, in which you’ll hear lively local or regional history while you enjoy a frosty pint or two of handcrafted ale.

The Kennedy School is at 5736 N.E. 33rd Avenue.

Community History Storytelling Event

Community Outreach of Our United Villages is hosting a free Community History Storytelling focusing on the stories of Northeast Portland history as told by the people who have lived and worked within them. The flyer is attached. This event is free and open to anyone interested. RSVP required.

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Featured storytellers include Minnie Bell Johnson, Trustee Emeritus and member of Bethel AME for the past 67 years and Paul Knauls, “Mayor” of Northeast Portland and resident since 1963. Others include:

• Bernadette Scott, history of Coast Janitorial Service
• O.B. Hill, history of the Knott St. Community Center
• James E. O’Connor, history of the Oregon Park site
• Polo Catalani, N/NE Portland Refugee resettlement history
• Michael Roth, Rose City Park History Project

In addition, there will be an open forum for anyone to share their artifacts, photographs, or stories of Northeast Portland history! This event will be held Saturday, January 29th at Redeemer Lutheran Church (5431 NE 20th Avenue) from 12:00 – 3:00 PM.

FREE and open to anyone interested. Hosted by Community Outreach of Our United Villages. Light lunch provided. Please RSVP by Monday, January 24th to outreach@ourunitedvillages.org or 503.546.7499. Child care (9 and under), transportation, and interpretation provided upon request.

For more info, visit www.ouvcommunityoutreach.org.

If you have questions, please contact:
Community Outreach, Our United Villages
503.546.7499|outreach@ourunitedvillages.org
www.ouvcommunityoutreach.org

Community History Storytelling Event Flyer

King Mural Fading

Photo by Ross William Hamilton/The Oregonian

In the January 3rd Oregonian: an article about the “Walls of Pride” record of African-American mural art in Portland. Featured is this mural: “Now is the Time, the Time is Now” at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Shaver. Is this something we are willing to let crumble?

KNA Board to Hold Special Session

This month’s regular meeting of the King Neighborhood Association dealt with a full agenda of big issues related to the safety and livability of our community. Packed with high-profile guests, the discussion ran long past the scheduled meeting time. As a result, a discussion of KNA’s application to PSU to help facilitate a youth mural project next summer was not held. The deadline for application is prior to the December meeting. The application will be discussed and finalized at this meeting so it can be submitted by December 6th. This special meeting will be held November 24th at Fuel Cafe, 1452 Northeast Alberta Street, at 5:30 pm. Anyone is welcome but only board members can vote.