Portland’s public art shines at national conference

Issued June 28, 2011

Three works of public art in Portland are among the nation’s best from 2010, according to Americans for the Arts (AFTA), the country’s leading arts service organization. The following projects were among 47 outstanding public artworks cited at AFTA’s Public Art Preconference in San Diego on June 16, 2011:

• The Portland Acupuncture Project by Adam Kuby, partially funded by RACC’s inSitu program and the Oregon Arts Commission through a career opportunity grant. This six-month long project explored the interface between art, regional planning, traditional Chinese medicine and the health of a city. A 35’ tall acupuncture needle moved around the city to ten different locations around the Portland area from April to October, 2010. More online at www.acuportland.org.
   
• Harrell Fletcher’s mural, The Knowledge, at Portland State University, was partially funded by RACC’s public art mural program. The 127’x20’ mural has improved the aesthetics of the surrounding area – which is dotted with apartments, small businesses, cafes and restaurants – by adding vibrant color and graphics that promote learning in a university setting. More online at http://bit.ly/jgJZgo.
   
• Intellectual Ecosystem, a permanent video project at PSU’s Urban Center, was produced and directed by Fernanda D’Agostino and funded by Oregon’s 1% for Public Art Program. This public artwork involves a projection onto the glass façade of the PSU Academic and Student Recreation Center (ASRC) at SW 5th and Harrison, and may be viewed from dusk to 11:00 pm nightly. The video work uses imagery of PSU student performances, faculty work, and archival holdings that were researched and filmed over a one year period. Video: http://vimeo.com/25629679.

More than 400 nominations were submitted to AFTA for consideration. The winning artists and commissioning organizations will receive letters of recognition.