PORTLAND, Ore. — In Portland's Central Eastside, there's a new public art display for residents and visitors to come check out: the Avenue of Murals.
Located under the Hawthorne Bridge overpasses on Southeast Madison Street, the murals on 18 columns add to the district's reputation as a public art destination, as well as revitalize the space.
On Friday, cyclists gathered to tour this corridor and other prominent artworks around the Central Eastside.
"This really just celebrates that work that we can all enjoy at very low barrier — in fact, no barrier at all," said Carolyne Holcomb, executive director of the Central Eastside Industrial Council and Central Eastside Together. "My personal favorite is the train that's right here behind us. We've all been stopped by a train at some point in the Central Eastside, so I kind of love that one."
Central Eastside Together partnered with Portland Street Art Alliance to create the art corridor.
"We also always thought that these corridors were pretty dark and dreary," said Tiffany Conklin, the Executive Director of the group, "We are always advocating more colors on the wall… Activate the spaces with public art. It’s one of the best ways to just not live and up the actual physical space but to engage people and more people to come down here and come to the bars and restaurants and participate in the neighborhood."
Keith Jones, who leads Friends of the Green Loop, explained that these efforts fit into an even bigger picture down the road.
"Green Loop is a six-mile linear park that we are building around the city as part of the Central City 2035 Plan, and it encompasses all of Central City," he said. "It's about getting people out into the Portland neighborhoods and rediscovering their city. That's what makes it special."