By Cameron Autry
In June Rosemont Market & Bakery teamed up with Reiche Elementary School to present a new community mural at the bakery’s West End location. Students of the Reiche School’s Community Art Club designed the mural. It was inspired by the theme “Good Food from Where I Live” and illustrates local food traveling from farm to table. The mural is a celebration of Portland’s rich agrarian history.
Two panes of a community mural designed by Reiche Elementary students on display outside Rosemont Market. –Photo by Cameron Autry
The mural is currently on display at Rosemont Market & Bakery on 40 Pine Street.
Rosemont representative Molly Thompson says the mural “is part of Rosemont Market and Bakery’s greater initiative to energize and support children in contributing to the community in creative ways.”
This is the fourth year of the community-based mural project. Currently on display at Rosemont Market & Bakery’s Brighton Avenue location are seven murals. Those murals were designed by Deering High School students. They also depict the relationship between food and community in Portland.
The designs were distributed to local elementary schools where hundreds of students played a role in painting the individual tiles of the murals.
The project, set in motion by Ocean Avenue Elementary teacher Simon Williams, showcases collaborations between art teachers and students across Portland. Williams wanted to highlight how school art programs can enrich life in Portland neighborhoods.
The success of the mural installment comes among a larger revitalization of public art in the West End.
As a part of Art Underfoot, two bronze bricks were installed in Longfellow Square as a memorial to former MECA student Patrick O’Brien.
Art Underfoot was a community art project in which local residents designed 125 bricks inspired by things found on the ground that are unique to Portland — such as leaves, flowers, acorns, shells, insects and feathers. O’Brien casted the bricks in bronze that were then installed in Longfellow Square.
Students from Reiche Elementary School also played a role in designing bricks for Art Underfoot.
Also coming soon are details on the revamping of Congress Square Park. In 2016, the Portland Public Arts Committee selected New York City artist Sarah Sze to create artwork for display at Congress Square Park, which was saved from private development by a voter referendum in 2014.
Cameron Autry
Cameron is a Parkside resident. He enjoys traveling, writing, and speaking Spanish.
