This vision was brought to life through a multiyear collaboration between a cohort of ten dedicated educators, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), and Jeffrey Gibson himself. Together, they developed a suite of 14 new interdisciplinary lessons that move far beyond traditional art room boundaries. By situating Indigenous art within a broad U.S. and global context, these resources fill a critical gap in contemporary education, offering students a way to engage with the complexity and vibrancy of modern Native life.

Rather than treating art as a static object to be studied, the curriculum uses Gibson’s work as a lens to explore the world. Students are invited to investigate the deep connections between Identity and Representation, looking at how symbols, garments, and color function as tools for storytelling. The lessons also champion the concept of Creative Sovereignty, empowering young people to see how Indigenous artists define their own spaces within the global art world. By bridging the gap between contemporary art and subjects like math, history, and social studies, the initiative encourages a more holistic way of thinking.

While Gibson’s work has dazzled audiences on the international stage in Venice, this extension ensures that its true impact is felt in local communities. These high-quality resources are now freely available to educators and the public through the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) digital platform and the official Jeffrey Gibson 2024 Venice Biennale website.

The post Celebrating Indigenous Vitality: MORE COLORS THAN THE EYE CAN SEE appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

Portland 

Oregon

The Museum offers dynamic school and community programs for audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, designed to deepen engagement with its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. K-12 school group visits and tours are completely free, and of the more than 380,000 visitors a year, 20,000 are students and youth. In 2024, nearly half of school visits were Title 1 schools, which are designated by the percentage of students from low-income families. PAM works with more than 50 community and education organizations throughout Oregon, and over 900 educators participate in learning programs and partnerships. 

PAM’s education programs also reach beyond the walls of our Museum. The Poster Project brings art into classrooms across the region, especially for educators in rural communities, with more than 26,000 posters distributed since the project began in 2015, and we celebrate a century-plus relationship with the largest public school district in the region.   

With school and community initiatives and a recommitment to existing programs, PAM continues to center learning at the heart of its work as it enters the next phase of its future. Following the opening of PAM’s transformed campus, the Museum will expand its offerings with new, dedicated spaces that provide increased flexibility for and access to community-based programming. We can’t wait to welcome students, educators, and the entire community into the newly transformed Museum this November.

The post New Maps Chart Impressive Reach of Portland Art Museum Education Programs  appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

ShadowMachine co-founder and 2020 Cinema Unbound Awards honoree Alex Bulkley shares more about who ShadowMachine is, the studio’s deep connection and commitment to Portland artists, and how they maintained connection, “outside-the-box creativity,” and innovation during a time of COVID to bring this storyworld to life.  

Tell us about ShadowMachine—what is it and why is it important to have it here in Portland?

Alex Bulkley: ShadowMachine is an award-winning animation studio that specializes in world-building and comedy-craft. The company’s 2015 expansion into the Pacific Northwest provided the unique opportunity to work within one of the most exciting and powerful animation communities on earth. Portland, Oregon, is home to some of the best stop-motion artists, animators, designers, and technicians working in the format today.

How did you become involved in Pinocchio? 

In 2012, Lisa Henson from the Jim Henson Company introduced us to Guillermo del Toro. After a brief visit to our Los Angeles-based animation studio, the synergy with Guillermo was clear. His adaptation of Pinocchio was born through an amazing collaboration with The Jim Henson Company, ShadowMachine, and ultimately, Netflix.

What was it like to work with Guillermo and the team, especially during COVID? 

Guillermo’s vision for Pinocchio attracted not only the great talents of Mark Gustafson, but the most incredible crew including world-renowned puppet builder Georgina Hayns, the amazing cinematographer Frank Passingham, award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat, art director Rob DeSue, and production designers Guy Davis and Curt Enderle,
amongst others. 

It was an absolute dream team, which made the process of production that much more exciting and meaningful—it was artistic performance at its highest level. As directors, Guillermo and Mark required 100% from the crew 100% of the time, and the crew delivered. Guillermo is a master filmmaker, and given that this was his first time directing an animated film, his collaboration with Gustafson provided a critical balance in both story and execution. 

What none of us could ever anticipate or had experienced before was the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did we continue production despite this major disruption, but with the incredible support of Netflix and the sheer will of the crew, I believe the film came out stronger in spite of it. 

This film is a testament to the fortitude, resilience, determination, out-of-the-box creativity, and great camaraderie that blossomed in the face of disaster. I’m not sure who to attribute this quote to, but it became a production mantra on this film and couldn’t be more true of our process: “Extracting beauty from adversity.”

The post Made in Portland: Behind the scenes with ShadowMachine appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

For the past two years, the Portland Art Museum has been in partnership with BRENDA ARTS to create a series of BRENDA LAB videos around works in the Museum’s permanent collection. This partnership has been supported by the Museum’s Artist Fund, the Learning and Community Partnerships Department and an Oregon Community Foundation grant. With a focus on inspiring youth and young adults, these collaborative videos are written, directed and produced through the lens and thinking of Portland-based artist and educator Spencer Garland. 

BRENDA ARTS started life as a BIPOC teaching practice which focused on art creation and Black studies-encouraging Black and Brown youth to create new narratives for their communities. BRENDA is shifting focus into becoming a media company which creates content for a new generation of Black thinkers. The students of BRENDA ARTS are an integral part of the content development process. They help make things that represent them.

BRENDA LAB is Bill Nye for Black Art. Staring Spencer Garland, each episode investigates POC arts and culture with a bent on community involvement. Being produced in conjunction with the Portland Art Museum, LAB offers a fun look into some of today’s most exciting artists. Beginning during the height of pandemic closures, this partnership continues to reach audiences through videos on the Museum’s Youtube channel. In addition to these online engagements, the partnership will conclude with an in-person presentation of Garland’s work at the July 15th Animation Art Day for Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio.

To watch previous BRENDA LAB episodes, visit the Museum’s BRENDA LAB Youtube Playlist, where you can watch videos on the work of Wally Dion and Ōishi Junkyō, and keep an eye out for future videos. 

The post New BRENDA LAB video for AAPI Heritage Month appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

Her process is rigorous and intentional, balancing an organic evolution of form within the restraints of a systematic, repetitive structure. She deliberately prioritizes nontoxic materials in her printmaking practice. Now based in the Seattle area, Kim also draws upon personal memory to inform her work, particularly childhood experiences growing up in Korea.

Kim says, ‘This ritualistic repetition harkens back to my grandmother’s nightly Buddhist prayer chants I grew up listening to, and touches on larger themes, such as making as meditation and the interplay between individual and collective.'”

—Jeannie Kenmotsu, The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Asian Art

Seattle-based Eunice Kim’s Tessellation (16-3) #21 is currently on exhibit in Shades of Light: Korean Art from the Collection (on view through December 31, 2022).  In this exclusive to PAM post, she shares some of her thoughts and observations on what makes the exhibition so special:

One of the great joys for me—both as a maker and viewer, is discovering the why’s and how’s behind an artwork. My own creative practice, for instance, is deeply informed by my early years growing up in South Korea. Recurring visual motifs of dots, circles, and grids, as well as thematic explorations of interplay between individual and collective, all find their origins in that formative time.

Likewise, mindful repetition mirrors and echoes the Buddhist prayer chants my maternal grandmother, who raised me for the first ten years of my life, recited nightly. Holding these memories close to heart and guided by desire to transcend the prosaic, I employ lyrical iteration in what has become making as meditation.

Despite the immense and profound influence of culture, it’s not very often my work has the opportunity to be showcased in the context of “Korean Art.” It has been an absolute pleasure to be exhibited in such illustrious company and what I find particularly delightful about Shades of Light is, although the objects shown span nearly a millennium of time, there is a shared thread of aesthetic and sensibility running through them. We find a wonderful simplicity and clarity of form, which light, true to the premise of our installation, brings to the forefront and illuminates.

Another striking thing about the artworks on view as a group is the duality and coexistence of sparse austerity and rigorousness, both at once. These are qualities I find ever-present in my work as well, and perhaps quintessentially, and unmistakably, Korean.

—Eunice Kim

To learn more about influence of Korean culture on artist’s work: https://www.eunicekim.net/influences.html

To learn more about artist’s process: https://www.eunicekim.net/process1.html

The post Eunice Kim on Shades of Light appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

Often change or transformation is a process much faster or slower than we would choose. When we look at María Izquierdo’s painting Living Still Life, these words come to mind: community, readiness, vulnerability, barriers. Izquierdo is one of several powerful women artists whose work is featured alongside Frida Kahlo’s in the Mexican Modernism exhibition, on view through June 5. 

Take a few moments to look at this work yourself—on the screen or in person. Which words come to the surface for you? What feelings or ideas press forward and what do you sense below the surface? Hold those thoughts as you shift to the page and consider the prompts below. As always, you can use one, both, or neither. Just set a timer for 5–10 minutes and see what comes through.

We gather together…. / It is different now….

As both PAM and Write Around Portland focus on transitioning back to in-person engagement after two years of program disruption, we find ourselves in a time of rich assessment: What have we learned and where do we go from here? This will be our last post for now in the series as we pause, reflect, and regroup. Write Around PAM will exist as a resource on the Museum’s blog, inviting you to continue exploring the connection between stunning visual images and the process of writing. Please share it with friends, family, and educators who may be interested in these unique writing prompts. Look for occasional Write Around PAM posts in the future, particularly around the Portland Book Festival in November. 

We are grateful for the ongoing collaboration between our organizations and for being in community with you, dear writers. We look forward to seeing you in the galleries, pencil and notebook in hand, and hope you’ll continue to allow visual art to inspire you to write wherever you are. Please share your work with us!

#RespectWritingCommunity #WriteAroundPAM

The post Write Around PAM: María Izquierdo appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

IDEAL PDX’s mural beautifully and intricately depicts Frida and Diego’s visit from the Mictlan, as they bring some of the traditional and cultural symbols of Mexico to the lands of the Multnomah, Cathlamet, Clackamas, Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribal territories of the PNW.  Rich in images of nature and mythology, IDEAL’s mural gives visual language to the ways in which culture, place and movement show up in artists’ practices today.  In this article, each IDEAL PDX artist shares more about their journeys, their influences, and their inspirations within their own work. It is inspiring to see the varied ways in which artists of the Mexican Modernism movement are still making an impact on contemporary, diasporic Latinx practices. Read on to learn more about each artist’s path and practice.       

Daniel Santollo (Tekpatl) – México 

“INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE PRESENT IN EVERY FORM AND ART FITS THEM VERY WELL.”  —Daniel Santollo

My journey began right after graduating from High School: I started my art journey working in digital illustrations, murals, fine art, and apparel design. I was influenced by the work of Akiro Toriyama –  Japanese Manga Artists, and my high-school art teacher, Gwen Hullinger, whose teachings introduced me to different artistic mediums and whose encouragement inspired me to pursue my artistic career.

I was born in Michoacan, México, which is known as “the soul of México,” as it is one of the states that impeccably preserves its nature, arts, culture, and indigenous values up to the present time. The love and admiration I have for my roots are the most significant inspiration for my work—and although my parents emigrated when I was very young, I have found my own ways of preserving their culture within my art.

During pandemic times, I reinvented myself in my most recent work and developed my branding, called Toltekpatl Clothing, which focuses on Mexican Meso-American art. 

My work can be seen around the city of Portland through narrative murals and social media platforms. In addition, I have worked with the Portland Trail Blazers, Portland Street Art Alliance, and Portland Parks Foundation, while also collaborating with other local artists and businesses to create and participate in different art shows.

I am an active member and a lead mural artist of IDEAL PDX, a latinoamerican art collective.

I am currently working on a series of digital illustrations emphasizing my culture and personal experience in my studio located in the center of Portland. 

Follow my journey on Instagram: @tekpatl_art 

William Hernandez  – Perú 

“IF YOU WANT TO BREAK BARRIERS, AND MAKE SOMEONE WELCOME, THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO CONNECT.” —William Hernandez

Since moving to Portland in the early 2000s, I have dedicated myself to introducing art to the wider community. I have been an artist-in-residence for Milagro Theater, held workshops through the Portland Art Museum, and am currently teaching painting classes for all ages through the Latino Network-Studio Latino program, Catlin Gabel School, and more. 

Even when I was a child, I found joy in creating art and was determined to pursue the field as my profession. When I was 17, I spent a year learning from art books so that I would be ready for the National School of Fine Arts entrance exams in Lima, Peru. Unlike most of the applicants, I did not receive any formal training in art, but I persevered and was selected for admission from a large pool of candidates. This accomplishment felt so good. 

It was very emotional and gratifying when I was leaving our first meeting at PAM with the news of this important art commission that we got: a huge 30 ft x 10ft mural. Wow!  If you want to break barriers, and make someone welcome, there are many ways to connect. For this reason, I see art as a way to create connections with others, and this is especially true of this commission to paint a six-panel mural in the Schnitzer Sculpture Court at the Portland Art Museum in honor of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The theme I wanted to focus on is Globality. While they are important icons in Mexican history, they are also well-known globally and are influential in the greater scope of global history and culture. They bring their amazing lives, traditions, and art to our region, the Pacific Northwest. Our entire community can appreciate and share in their splendor and universal messages.  

I am convinced that this important collaborative project will give way to the beginning of new creative proposals, founded on the values and vision of creative leaders with Hispanic heritage in our community. I would like to continue contributing to the community using my passion for the arts, teaching, and leading IDEAL PDX in new challenges and opportunities for the future. 

In addition, I firmly believe in the positive effects of art, especially during these difficult times. “Being creative,” “as well as motivated and carefree without perfection are key pieces to staying active, inspired, and maintaining a positive attitude.  “My life is bright, so my colors need to be bright. I’m an optimistic, happy person, and I want to transmit this feeling to the people who view my work.”

I am feeling overwhelmed in a good way with many amazing personal projects and much more on behalf of my group that is happening right now.  This is the time, be prepared! Finally, I am currently preparing for my third solo exhibition in Seattle. So, if you want to know more about cool things, please don’t be shy to ask.  

Instagram: @hernandezpdx
Website: www.williamhernandezart.com 

Jessica Lagunas – México

“It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.” —Eckhart Tolle

For eleven years, I have served as the Creative Director for IDEAL PDX. This role has allowed me to help cultivate Latin American arts and culture in Portland, develop emerging and professional artists, increase Latin American cultural visibility and expand the identity of the Latin American artist in our community. I have given all of my love and energy to this volunteer role. It is my life’s work and personal journey. For this, I am grateful.

I have had the privilege to witness and participate in the creative transformation of community spaces in this role. Honest and humble artists have taught me to be vulnerable and flexible. I have learned to develop interpersonal bonds between communities to forge networks that lead to exciting collaborations. The compensation I have received from this work has been personal growth and leadership development.

I entered the world in Toluca, México. From a very young age, my dream was to be an artist! I can still see myself as a young girl painting the patio of my grandmother’s house with red clay or drawing on her white walls with charcoal. In college, I traveled throughout México, visiting different towns. Every trip allowed me to discover, learn, and embody my culture. These root experiences ground me in my work today. They are my strength and pride. They shape the heartfelt role of being a cultural ambassador for my country. These formative experiences are the source that I draw from and create with to work through life. 

Gratitude fills me endlessly. I am grateful to all the artists who have trusted me. Their gift to the world is their magic, time, and knowledge. I appreciate every person who has believed in me and helped cultivate my talents. I have received much more than I could imagine. Everyone has opened my mind and heart. I am lucky.

I found my purpose. I work tenderly and arduously for it. I discovered the “why” of all my actions, and I have endured the lessons of my journey. Day by day, I am closer. I see the lighthouse. It guides me and holds my hand. It never let go.

Instagram: @la.ave.jess 
Website: www.idealpdx.com

José Solis – México

“LIFE IS AN ODYSSEY.” —José Solis

I became an apprentice washing brushes, sweeping floors, and learning some primary painter’s tricks of the trade. I helped paint large banners for theaters, wall graphics, brush lettering, and mural restoration techniques at a very young age. One day, while browsing through a magazine, I found an ad for the Customizing Center School in Los Angeles, CA., where I put all my efforts to enroll. It was at that time that I was able to learn design techniques for painting airbrushed murals and graphics on vans. My work was shown in Hot Rodding magazine right away, and I started to get requests from personal and business clients to paint graphics on their vans. 

On weekends in the studio, we would gather with other artists, friends, and neighbors.  While some of us painted portraits just for fun, others brought their guitars and musical instruments to play music, and sing. We bonded over sharing our ideas and future goals and dreams. Those were my wonderful years! As a child, I always felt the need to create art in different forms: from pencil drawings, palm weaving, and wood carving to making colorful kites with china paper and straw. I sold these kites to kids in my hometown in San Luis Potosi, México.

After a few years, I eventually quit a good-paying job in Washington, the Studio, and gave up good times to move to Portland.  I was in search of a future as an artist with my wife and kids. I became a student at the Museum Art School (Pacific Northwest College of Art) in Portland to study Graphic Design.  Through this program, I got to meet and talk to several artists who incurred and inspired me to pursue my dreams. I had no idea that becoming an artist and following my dreams were going to be so hard; trying to survive as an artist in Portland is an odyssey, especially when you have a family to feed. However, I did not want to give up my dreams. My family needed food on the table, so for days and weeks, I walked the streets with my box of paints and brushes in one hand and business cards in the other, looking for work in art studios, sign and body shops, car dealers, stores, etc. 

I knew that I eventually would “find the light.” I did—while I was sweeping the floors at the church, working as a janitor making $3 an hour. The Franciscan friar, Michel Gagnon (RIP*), called, “Jose, please follow me;  I want to show you something.”  He pointed to a massive wall and asked, “Do you see that wall? Do you know someone who can paint a Mural?” I responded, “No, I don’t.” He then replied while pointing his finger,  “Jose, you will paint a mural on this wall.” 

I thought I was dreaming; I had never painted anything this big! I knew this was the opportunity of my life. I never focused on why I came to Portland and worked so hard in my spare time, but thankfully, after eight months of intense painting (with some all-nighters), the mural was completed. The Oregonian newspaper published a page filled with photos of the mural calling me “The Michelangelo of Ascension.” 

Since this happened, the opportunities have not stopped, and I have had the chance to grow my art skills day by day. After The Ascension Mural, I created  The Viacrucis (Stations of the Cross), a permanent display of sixteen hand-carved woodblocks for the same Ascension Church.                                                                                                         

I  participated as a scenic artist, painting the backdrops for the movie Coraline, the Best Animated Feature Film of the Year Academy Awards USA 2010 produced by Laika Entertainment. I won the Silver Medal Award at the International Film & Television Festival of New York, and Best Spiritual Documentary Judge’s Award winner for Art director on God save Us from Your Followers, to mention a few. 

In the end, I believe that my most significant achievements will be with me forever, as they are the reward for my hard work. The life of an artist is an individual journey, and I’m thrilled to be able to build and create a legacy in this world through all my projects, and I hope that they inspire many to continue pursuing their work and never give up.

I feel grateful and honored to be chosen by the IDEAL PDX team to paint Frida’s mural and to be able to work with other talented Latino artists- “brothers and sisters of the brush”-  who I can learn from, share ideas, and techniques with, have fun and write history with for future generations of Latino Artists in Oregon.                                                                                                                                                                                          

* Franciscan friar Michel Gagnon was my spiritual leader and a motivational person who influenced my life in a big way at a time when I was starting to lose faith in myself. I was mentally fragile and vulnerable, and he helped me turn my life around so that I can be where I am now.

José Solis

Instagram: @jscreativeartstudio
Website: www.jscreativearts.com

Romina del Castillo – Perú 

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” —Pablo Picasso 

My desire to create art stems from the memories of my childhood in my native country, Perú. But this is something I wouldn’t understand until much later.  I lived in Lima, Perú in my grandparents’ apartment. During the 1950s, my grandparents migrated to the capital from the Andean region of Andahuaylas in search of a better life.  But in their new home, they also encountered the struggles, and sometimes indignities, of being “provincial” in the big city.

Soon enough, at the age of 6, I found myself on my first of many migrations. This one was with my mother to our southern neighboring country, Chile with the promise of prosperity and stability; no hyperinflation, no terrorism, no blackouts, no bombs. My younger self was blissfully unaware of Perú’s perpetual internal political conflict, and I happily continued to visit my grandparents, spending my entire summers back in their apartment.

Lima was “the grey,” as we say, because of the endless coastal fog that covers it, but to me, it was full of color and life. The busyness and chaos of the city, full of colors and patterns set amongst a concrete jungle, was a sensory overload to my young self.  Fluorescent paint seemed everywhere. The “mantas” or aguayos woven fabrics, which are seen on display at markets and adorning everyday people, had the most intense polychromatic combinations. 

It is easier now for me to see how my experiences as a child deeply impacted my artistic self.

It was sometime later… after more migrations, after college, after learning fine arts techniques, after working on murals and after showing my own paintings … when I met Paulin Paris, the artist who would introduce me to a technique I now practice in my own art. He was in need of an assistant and I was eager to keep the ball rolling with learning and making art. Paulin had a heart as big as his imagination, and he quickly went from being my employer to be a friend and mentor. At that time, Paulin was working on a technique called straw marquetry which he had learned by watching videos of Martha Stewart. By a lucky twist of fate, he decided to switch me from mostly administrative tasks to hands-on assistance with his projects.

This is how I learned straw marquetry, slicing and ironing straw after straw, gluing, and making countless decorative tiles. It was hard not to fall in love with the material, the “poor man’s gold” as it was once referred to. Each straw was one of a kind, and the way it reflected and interacted with the light was very special. Working with an exacto knife as my main tool felt very satisfying too. The concentration and involvement that this process-oriented art form required created a calming space for me, much in contrast to the existential battle that oil painting had sometimes felt like.   

One day at the atelier, Paulin received a shipment of straw. Along with the usual gold, ivory, and bronze hues we had been using came a catalog with the full array of tinted straws offered. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the loudest pinks, fuchsias, canary lemon yellows, and shamrock greens. Pablo Picasso once said, “inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” And it did. Now I wanted to explore the material in a more selfish way than within the confines of my workday at Paulin’s studio. I wanted to fulfill my own vision. So, I began buying and collecting my own palette of hues. My inspiration? The beautiful geometric patterns of the aguayos, the humble fabrics sold by the meter in Perúvian markets which had captivated me in my youth, provided me with endless ideas.

I gave my new body of work a name in Quechua, the Andean language my grandparents had once spoken but never passed on to their children for fear of discrimination. I wanted to honor that part of our history. I named the work Maimantataj Kanki’ or Where Are You From? because it alluded to my experience as an immigrant, never fully belonging to a place, feeling like a forever foreigner even in my own country. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

It has been a great honor to be invited by IDEAL PDX to collaborate on a large size mural for Frida Kahlo’s exhibition at Portland Art Museum. Deep diving into Frida’s history, exploring the early Méxican cosmovision, working in creative synergy, and learning from each other with this amazingly talented cohort of painters has been an invaluable experience. I hope this collision of works and styles brings about new pathways of art-making and storytelling for all involved. Even you… so see you at the Museum this spring! I hope you find inspiration and that it finds you working.  

Instagram: @rominibini
Website: www.rominadelcastillo.com

The post Frida and Diego Are Here: The Life and Work of IDEAL PDX Mural Artists appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

We have two prompts to help you get started. As always, you can use one, both, or neither. Just set a timer for 15 minutes and see what comes.

When I looked up… / In the sunlight…

Writing in community is powerful. We are grateful to our longtime partner Write Around Portland for the writing prompts and inspiration. You can revisit past posts and look for continuing posts on alternate Sundays. Please share your work with us! @writearoundpdx @portlandartmuseum #RespectWritingCommunity #WriteAroundPAM

[Image description: Grey Development. Robert Goodnough. 1969. Acrylic and oil on canvas. 38 x 66 in. Large rectangular canvas covered fully in apricot colored paint. There are variations in the density of the paint with a few lighter vertical strokes that radiate from the center of the bottom of the canvas upward and outward like sun rays. A triangular formation made of several small white and tan geometric shapes begins in the top left corner and continues along the top of the painting stopping just short of the right edge. The formation comes to an end in the middle of the painting with a flat edge instead of a tip. Each geometric shape resembles paper, some edges seemingly cut straight while others appear ripped. The shapes are placed closely together, sometimes touching. The arrangement gives the illusion that some of the shapes are about to float off the canvas. It is framed in a simple frame with a thin silver strip which is bordered by a thin golden strip.]

The post Write Around PAM: Robert Goodnough, Grey Development, 1969 appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection is an exhibition rich with layers of communal and artistic camaraderie that helped build the vision for the formation of post revolution Mexican national identity.  Kahlo and Rivera’s works sit in conversation with their peers throughout each gallery in the exhibition, highlighting the collective that surrounds these two well-known artists. The focus on the collective within art and art-making has shaped and inspired the community partnership work for this exhibition, with one of the first partnerships culminating in the creation of live mural painting in the Museum’s Schnitzer Sculpture Court.

Working from March 2nd through April 2nd in both a triptych mural and video projection art, artists Hector Hernandez, Angennette Escobar, Christian J. Barrios and Victor Hugo Garza have conceptualized images of Kahlo that capture the vastness of her being within her gender expression, mestiza identity, and physical disabilities. While it is exciting to watch the bold color and beautiful forms of their mural work unfold over the last couple of weeks, it is a great pleasure to be able to share more about each artist and their individual practices in this post. Moreso, it has been extremely gratifying and inspiring to see how these artists have come together to create the Metamorphosis Mural in the Sculpture Court. Read on to learn more about each artist and their perspectives through their contributions in this article.    

HECTOR HERNANDEZ

Hector Hernandez’ first experience painting murals was achieved in Mexico City while studying a program in Social Anthropology. During that opportunity Mr. Hernandez participated as collaborator for two murals under the guidance of the Mexican master painter Arnold Belkin. This experience allowed him to follow a path to community murals from the teachings of the Mexican school of painting. Following his academic formation Mr. Hernandez received an MFA from the University of Oregon in 1999 in painting and a MIS in Art and Education, with a Bachelor in FA in addition to an undergraduate degree in Social Anthropology. Currently Mr. Hernandez has been teaching mural painting at Portland State University and Chemeketa Community College for the last 12 years, and also has developed an exchange program with National School of Sculpture, Engraving and Painting “La Esmeralda” in Mexico City, painting murals with students from both Universities.

HECTOR: First of all I would like to thank the Portland Art Museum, Sara Krajewski, Jaleesa Johnston, Stephanie Parrish, and Hana Layson for this great opportunity to create the Metamorphosis Mural, that was the result of previous conversations years ago about the creation of a mural for the upcoming exhibition of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism. I proposed to Hana in early conversations to paint a mural during the exhibition following the example of the Mexican painter José Clemente Orozco during the exhibition 20 Centuries of Mexican Art in 1940 at the Museum of Modern Art of New York. The creation of a mural during the exhibition was part of showcasing the Mexican mural movement taking place in Mexico, which has been so influential to the USA art scene. The Mexican modernism influence in the USA can be identified through muralism, but also there are other aspects of such artistic Mexican influence, such as the approach to social realism subjects and art materials experimentations among others.  

The Metamorphosis Mural

In this 21^st century, the influence of Mexican modernism can be felt through the works of other artists, such as Frida Kahlo. Her works and contribution to the art world could be identified in terms of her subjects’ approach, as well as the diversity in mixed media art objects. The Metamorphosis Mural is an approach to the subjects that our postmodern culture deals with, such as issues of gender and sexuality, multiracial persona, and people with different capacities or disabilities.

My work as a muralist deals constantly with social and cultural subjects and I enjoy approaching those subjects in a way that speaks to the people in general. I also notice that the visual narratives I develop in my murals and artworks are interpreted in different ways by people from different cultural backgrounds; therefore, I’m approaching my subjects in a simple manner, so they can resonate in a universal way. I also enjoy teaching mural painting in the Chicano Latino Studies Program at Portland State University, and having a background in social anthropology allows me to further explore subjects on cultural dynamics, ethnicity, and interethnic relationships. It is my hope that my artwork will contribute somehow in a positive way to deal with and face the issues of our contemporary society that have been a historical constant. 

-HHH 2022

Website: www.behance.net/hectorhh
Website: www.hectorhh.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hectorhh.mural
Instagram: @muralsbyhector

ANGENNETTE ESCOBAR

Angennette Escobar is a working artist and teacher living in Portland, Oregon. Escobar has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Sculpture and a minor in Art History. She also attended the MFA program at the University of California, San Diego with a focus on Sculpture and Performance Art. She currently exhibits at Blackfish Gallery in Portland, Oregon and Trails End Gallery in eastern Washington. Escobar holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching from George Fox University and teaches Sculpture and 3D Design at Wilsonville High School in Wilsonville, Oregon. Escobar is a Mexican-American artist that was raised along the Mexican border in South Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. Her most recent work often involves Mexican religious iconography, specifically Milagros, small metal charms that represent miracles. She uses body imagery intertwined with religious objects to explore her cultural identity and heritage as well as her corporeal reality as a human being. 

ANGENNETTE: As long as I can remember, the work of Frida Kahlo has resonated deeply within me as an artist and as a Mexican-American woman. Kahlo’s influence is very evident in the work I make. I feel strongly that it is vital that young artists see themselves reflected in both local artists as well as prominent art historical figures and I am intensely grateful that the Portland Art Museum has curated an opportunity for both of these to happen with the Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism exhibition and the live painting of the Metamorphosis Mural. I would also like to thank Latino Art NOW which includes Hector H. Hernandez, Christian J. Barrios and Victor Hugo Garza. It has been a pleasure collaborating with such fiercely creative Latino artists. This experience has impacted me greatly and it will permeate throughout my own personal art making as well as in my teaching practice at Wilsonville High School, where I will be teaching a dual language class titled Latino Art and Culture, where Mexican Modernism and muralism will feature prominently in the curriculum.

Instagram: @angennetteescobar

CHRISTIAN J. BARRIOS

Christian J. Barrios was born in Mexico City where he grew up in a traditional household. When he was very young, he learned the art of ceramic painting and Talabera in his family business. At the age of 16, he moved to the United States. Years later, he met Gene Zanni who was a marquetry artist; Christian apprenticed for him for 7 years, learning a lot about marquetry, such as how beautiful types of wood can create wonderful pictures. Also during this time, Christian learned other visual arts, like acrylics and paper maché. Christian has painted murals that represent cultural diversity and community. Some of these murals have been created in collaboration with youth at different school locations. Currently, Christian is investing his time in helping underserved communities by teaching art in different schools of Portland, OR through Latino Network -Studio Latino, ETHOS, and RightBrain Initiative. He is an active member of IdeAl-PDX and a member of the Equity Committee of Grace Art Camp and Young Audiences Associated Board. 

CHRISTIAN: I love being part of this community and teaching the magic of art, photography, Mexican folk art, and Muralism in schools and organizations, such as Right Brain Young Audiences, ArtsWA, and many others that work with kids and our community. I love color in my life because color can affect our emotions, mental clarity, and energy levels, so I love to see that in my murals. I am so thankful to the Portland Art Museum for allowing me to be part of this beautiful project and blessed to work with these three fantastic artists and human beings. Their talents have made this project a unique and unforgettable experience for me. 

Thank you, 
Christian J Barrios

Instagram: @chrisjbarrios_art

VICTOR HUGO GARZA

Victor Hugo Garza is originally from Monterrey, Mexico but has lived most of his adult life in the United States. He has been interested in the arts since he was very young. Pursuing his artistic interest, he moved to Hollywood, California to attend film school, where he graduated with a specialty in sound and post-production. After working in the Hollywood industry as a sound designer for 10 years, he relocated to Oaxaca, Mexico, where he studied painting and worked with different mediums: oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink, mixed media and wood. His work was shown in galleries around the city. He created murals with a community of artists. As a composer and guitarist, he produced two records of his original music in L.A. Victor has also lived in Poitier, France for a year, where he took art classes and taught English. In Iowa City, he taught theater, dance and history for high school. In 2005, he moved to Portland, Oregon to study art and alternative education and began teaching at the Portland Waldorf School the same year, where he still teaches today. His artwork has been shown at several galleries around Portland, and his visionary work has traveled across the world via social media. Today as a digital artist, graphic designer, and a videographer, Victor Hugo is interested in bridging new technologies with art. His mission is to innovate, inspire, and instill hope, bringing a positive message with his vision.

VICTOR: I love being a Waldorf teacher and an artist. Both passions allow my spontaneity and my creativity to flourish. The greatest satisfaction is doing what I always wanted to do. I have been able to make music, write books, paint murals, travel the world and make a living making people happy. Knowledge is power and it’s a blessing to be able to teach the new generations. Being able to serve others gives me great joy.

I am a very curious person and this insatiable thirst drives my impulse to keep improving myself all the time. My art and videos are a reflection of this. I want to use new technologies to innovate, to inspire, and to instill hope, bringing a positive message with my vision. 

Thanks to the Portland Art Museum and our team of artists for the opportunity to share our vision and our love for Frida Kahlo and our culture with so many people. It’s been a pleasure to participate with all of you. 

Victor Hugo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victor.bizantium

The post Collective Process: The Artists Behind the Metamorphosis Mural appeared first on Portland Art Museum.

Let’s explore how our words can convey the same energy of movement and grace that Hill’s image does. We have two prompts to help you get started. As always, you can choose one, both, or write whatever else comes to mind. Set a timer for 12 minutes and just keep your pen or pencil moving.

Together we leapt… / Reaching higher…

Writing in community is powerful. We are grateful to our longtime partner Write Around Portland for the writing prompts and inspiration. You can revisit past posts and look for continuing posts on alternate Sundays. Please share your work with us!  @writearoundpdx @portlandartmuseum #RespectWritingCommunity #WriteAroundPAM @jasonhill.photo

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—Julia Dolan, The Minor White Curator of Photography

#ValentinesDay

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We have two prompts to help you get started. As always, you can use one, both or neither. Just set a timer for 11 minutes and see what comes.

Between the lights… / Beyond the frame…

Writing in community is powerful. We are grateful to our longtime partner Write Around Portland for the writing prompts and inspiration. You can revisit past posts and look for continuing posts on alternate Sundays. Please share your work with us!  @writearoundpdx @portlandartmuseum  #RespectWritingCommunity #WriteAroundPAM

The post Write Around PAM: Dan Flavin appeared first on Portland Art Museum.