July 6. 2011
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Jorikin?» (Observer
Page 9
METRO
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Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
r t as
Transformation
Murals project opens
minds to young offenders
by M indy C( x > per
T he P ortland O bserv er
Artist Arvie Smith stands in front o f the completed mural “Hope, ” which he has worked on for the
past two years with young men and women incarcerated with Measure 11 offenses.
Vlvldcol°'s anddramatic datails mark a series of 8 foot by 15 foot murals created by incarcerated
youth who took drawing and pa,nt,ng classes to receive academic credit.
Community members from throughout the Portland area recently gath
ered in the Donald E. Long Juvenile Center to celebrate the completion of
a murals project done by young men and women incarcerated in the
northeast Portland facility.
Under the guidance of local artist Arvie Smith, the artist in residence
for “intersections” a program that encourages art within social and
community settings, the youth created five 8 foot by 15 foot murals that
will become a part of Multnomah County’s public art collection.
The project began almost two years ago in July 2009 as a way to engage
dozens of young offenders in the detention center for Measure 11
offenses with minimum mandatory sentences. Throughout their time at
the center, the youth also took drawing and painting classes taught by
Smith to receive academic credit.
“Hope is at the heart of the compositions,” Smith said. “I think the whole
creative process is something that can transport us from an environment
that perhaps you wish you weren’t in, to an environment that can be your
future.”
The Donald E Long Juvenile Detention Home was remodeled in 1995
as a secure place to detain youth between the ages of 12 and 17-years-old,
who can stay at the facility from one to 260 days of the year.
Helping Smith celebrate the project with community members and
public officials on June 22 was Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen,
Department of Community Justice Director Scott Taylor, and Regional
Arts Council Board Chair Carol Smith.
“This makes me know our public arts program is really worth it,” said
Cogen after viewing the murals inside the center walls. At a time when the
community is working on all fronts to provide meaningful alternatives for
young people, he explained the murals are aclear example of how creativity
can be transformative.
inside t h e ^ ^ ^ L o n g J u v e n H e ^ e n te ^ th a t were m a te d
under an artist in resldJ ce pmgram