SOUTH WATERFRONT
PORTLAND OREGON

Welcome to the SWF’s brand new art and design blog spot. I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts and observations on this site; and truly hope you will feel comfortable contributing and being an active part of it, as well. I’d love for this space to be a place we can discuss and share ideas openly.

Speaking of which…

I have been thinking about what to write for my first entry since last week when we were given our passwords… It’s exciting and a bit intimidating to look at this blank virtual canvas and wonder to put here… I wonder what we will create.

Pondering the empty space, I feel what I imagine many artists feel when they begin something new. I’m inspired and have lots of ideas, passion and energy around what’s happening down here in the South Waterfront and the role of art and design; yet I am not sure how my contribution will take form.

I liken the art-creation experience to the envisioning and building of this community. The developers, PDC-ers, architects, planners and labors are artists in their own right, who are consciously and collectively making one giant masterpiece out of nothing. A blank canvas. And they are not the only ones; those of us living and working down here participate in the process of creation daily. Just by being, we bring color, texture, movement and a fairly artful social performance dimension to the SWF, as well.

While we might not consider ourselves artists or designers, our involvement as creatives, connoisseurs and participants is essential to making this place sing.

When you think about the way most thriving, desirable and interesting communities came to be, it’s often a direct result of artist’s first cultivating the place. In the case of The Pearl or N. Mississippi in Portland, or Greenwich Village, North Beach S.F. or East London, artists and creatives transformed the area with their imagination, talent and energy. (Of course, they are typically priced out once the area is made desirable, but that’s a completely different story and not at all my point).

My observation is that the South Waterfront did not have the advantage of being groomed organically over time. Much like a suburban development, we went from being an unconditioned piece of property to a mini-metropolis (well, micro) in a matter of years. Yet, we are not at all suburban. In fact, we are very urban and real. So what are we? New urban? Designerly new urban with more nature?

I see us as a demographic medley of people with varying degrees of artistic talent or vision, who are (like it or not) creatively cultivating and shaping this place. With each new retailer, resident, tree or water feature, bike rack, dog, trash can, herb garden, and wine tasting, we are deciding who and what we are. In lieu of a decades worth of artists’ cultivation, we are the artists.. defining, breathing life, making community.

Pretty exciting, right?

-hm

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 7:06 am and is filed under Art & Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “we are the artists”

1. wall art Says:
   October 27th, 2007 at 4:03 am

   wall art…

   …

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