PORTLAND, Oregon — A new proposal announced by Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan would create a system where individuals or groups could enter a formal complaint against a monument or other piece of public art. The city of Portland doesn’t currently have a process to address this.
In 2020, numerous monuments built in the 1920s and 1930s were toppled or damaged by protesters and later removed. Statues of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and Harvey Scott were just some of the ones affected.
This proposal doesn’t decide what happens to the statues already removed but will create a process to deal with controversial statues in the future, explained Darion Jones, the Senior Policy Director of Arts, Culture and Equity with the City of Portland.
"The City has received a number of emails from the last four years, hundreds of engagements from Portlanders who have said they want this public process. They have been pretty clear that they want some of the monuments to return, and some of them to be removed," said Jones.
One of the statues slated to return is the Thompson Elk Fountain. The Elk was a fixture in Portland for years before it was targeted by protesters in 2020 and later removed by city officials. Jones said the Thompson Elk Fountain will return at some point in 2024 after council allocated $1.5 million dollars for the project.
Residents have until Feb. 28 to share their input on the policy draft. Citizens will also be able to speak at the public comment period of the Feb. 28 council meeting, where the proposal will receive its first reading.
"I am deeply committed to steering this project to its successful conclusion. Portland must no longer tolerate criminal behavior as a standard course of action. I look forward to community feedback and landing a thoughtful policy," Commissioner Ryan said in a press release.
Some of the parameters for review include that if "the subject or impact of a piece of artwork is significantly at odds with City’s values of antiracism and equity," as well if there is a "negative impact on community wellbeing" after the artwork is up.
If up for review, a written report would be made to the Portland City Council; some of the suggested solutions include adding historical or informational context to the artwork, community meetings, or establishing a Public Artwork and Monuments Advisory Commission to evaluate the artwork or monument.
The draft of the proposal as provided by Ryan’s Office can be found here. Public comment can be emailed to monumentspolicy@portlandoregon.gov.