Jamaali and Kacie Celebrate the Transitions Projects Murals Completion-
Some of the most impactful work i’ve done during my time in Portland has been working with the public and specifically the homeless and transient community in the downtown area. My Offsites Projects course at PNCA partnered with the Bud Clark Commons to conduct workshops with their clients to collaboratively create 3 door-size murals. The Apartments at Bud Clark Commons offer 130 studio homes that serve residents who have been experiencing homelessness. They offer day-center amenities for hygiene and other personal resources such as permanent housing and mailboxes. Kacie Baker and I conducted workshops with the day-center clients on Wednesdays in their art room, we didn’t want strictly our ideas on the murals. The workshops worked for everyone, we taught the participants art techniques such as object rendering, perspective, and a little color theory, they provided us with their stories and visions for the mural space. We learned that the three bathroom doors where we would paint really needed bright colors, positivity, and some Portland iconography. We painted during the weekends over the course of April and May to design and hand paint the three doors. These doors are where people line up to use the showers, and now they have bright colorful images rather than a drab grey wall, which has brought many smiles and positive energy to the sometimes rowdy and usually intense atmosphere of the transitions projects day-center. Kacie and I had a great deal of help from fellow artist and classmate, Jack Graydon, and our beloveds Elisa, Ellen, Deacon, Erin, Roberto, and the friendly staff who supported and encouraged us during the entire painting process. BCC wants us to paint more doors and i’ll keep you readers updated on their progress. We are still conducting workshops on Wednesdays, and if you would like to join Kacie or myself for these volunteer events send me an email.
