The Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) is a local non-profit that activates public space and engages with communities by creating, documenting, and promoting vibrant art in the streets of Portland. In 2015, PSAA restored the iconic Art Fills the Void! banana mural at SE 12th and Division. PSAA has also managed the annual Sunnyside Piazza repaint event for the past two years.
This summer, with the support of SE Uplift’s Neighborhood Small Grants Program, PSAA will organize a local team of artists to design and paint a new mural that honors the rich history of the Sunnyside Neighborhood and Belmont District. This mural will be over 100 feet long and include 10 panels, each representing significant pieces of Sunnyside history, like its early Native American and pioneer histories, its historic built environment, unique transportation history, iconic local landmarks, prominent businesses and places of worship, and its dynamic cultures of art and sustainability.
PSAA has developed a website (KeepOnTheSunnyside.org) to serve as a hub for documenting Sunnyside’s history, and the process of creating this community mural. The Keep on the Sunnyside Mural Project will culminate with a mural celebration event, where the community can come together to celebrate its proud history as Portland’s first streetcar-era development and its bright future as a neighborhood dedicated to strong social ties, sustainability, and colorful streets.
While the majority of this project is supported by a SE Uplift grant, PSAA needs the community’s help raising money to pay for a protective clear coating for the mural wall, to ensure it is resistant to vandalism and UV fading. Please consider supporting the project, by donating to the GoFundMe (www.gofundme.com/keeponthesunnyside) or contacting PSAA directly. All donations are tax-deductible!
PSAA also wants to hear from you! Do you have unique stories about Sunnyside or Belmont history, have old photos, or artifacts? If so, please visit the project’s website (KeepOnTheSunnyside.org) or email PSAA (info@pdxstreetart.org). Submission deadline June 30th. To stay updated about this and other street art projects, following PSAA on Facebook and Instagram. Cheers, and Keep on the Sunnyside of Life!
By Tiffany Conklin, Director of the Portland Street Art Alliance