By Nancy Varekamp | CNews Editor
Free wall. Legal wall. Rotating wall. You name it, but there are only two in Portland, and one is in an alley intersecting with the south side of Alberta Street between 27th and 28th avenues.
The Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) and a group of Portland State University students are collaborating to convince the city to allow more. They’d like your opinion in an online survey posted in April at PDXStreetArt.org/articles-all.
A proposal to the city this summer will seek permission for building owners to allow street and graffiti artists to express themselves any time on walls that are painted over completely on a regular basis. The wall off Alberta Street is covered once a year.
The PSAA website reported the objective is “for the collective empowerment of Portland’s street artist community to achieve city-wide district revitalization goals and use art as a means to include the voices and perspectives of historically marginalized communities.
“The proposal will combine research, original data collection and analysis to present policy alternatives allowing Portland to better leverage its thriving street arts culture and solidify the city’s identity as a haven for creatives.”
The effort includes analysis of similar policies throughout the Northwest and around the world. Plans call for submitting the proposal to the city this summer.
Nancy Varekamp is semiretired from her career in journalism, p u bli c r e l a t i on s and – her favorite work engagement – writing and editing targeted newsletters.