Fabric of Life

This enameled steel mural portrays success as lifelong learning. Wrapping the corner of the building, these multicultural panels announce the entry to the Portland Community College Lifelong Learning Center where one can get counseling, job training, learn English & plan for the future. At the time of installation, residents at New Columbia spoke 14 different language.

The marvelous poetry, fabrics & faces, proudly welcoming visitors, were chosen to evoke recognition & memories & instill a sense of belonging. Textiles, adornment & poetry fulfill our need for creative personal expression & the portraits celebrate our “global family”, all of us seeking fulfillment & joy.

The poetry of Pablo Neruda, in English and Spanish; Ho Xuan Hong, in English and Vietnamese; & Oregon’s Poet Laureate, William Stafford, eloquently describes our quest for knowledge & happiness.

Several techniques including painting, silk-screening, stenciling, air brushing & digitally printed ceramic decals were secured by multiple high firings.

The models for the panels on the exterior of the building were residents of North Portland and New Columbia. Encircling their portraits are symbols of opportunity, occupations & interests. In the background, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man represents human composition & harmony. The north panel on the face of the building expresses intelligence in both man & nature with images of the golden mean, the dance of the bees & Henry David Thoreau’s quotation, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”