Portland observer., July 11, 2012, Page 13, Image 13

3-*!' ^lorthmb (Observer
July II. 2012
Page 13
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
Alberta
North Portland
photo by M indy C ooper /T he P ortland O bserver
The Oregon Historical Society exhibit ‘Oregon Voices'inspires residents to examine both what it means to be an Oregonian and explore the unique communities of the
state, including the African-American population.
Good Tim esand Bad
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
-
A new exhibit ‘Oregon Voices’
opened last month at the Oregon
Historical Society to inspire resi­
dents to examine both what it means
to be an Oregonian and explore the
recent history and unique commu­
nities, which have made Oregon the
unique state it is today.
The long-term exhibit, free to all
M u ltn o m ah C o u n ty re sid e n ts
throughout the year, features inter­
active displays, videos and pro­
grams that explore the challenges
and su c ce sses o f O re g o n ia n s
fromWorld W ar II to present day, in
both good times and bad.
“It was really exciting working on
this because we are looking at what
is happening right now,” said Larry
Johnson, director of the films and
interactive programs featured in the
exhibit. “That, for me, is fun and new
for an art museum, and hopefully
meaningful for those to come.”
According to Johnson, the heart
of the exhibit is multicultural.
“Although the numbers of the
populations of ethnic communities
aren’t great, they have an important
impact on the nature of Oregon,”
said Johnson. “That is what it is
really about. It is a portrait of Or­
egon now.”
T hroughout the past several
years, Johnson met with dozens of
people and conducted approxi­
mately 40 interviews to make the
Oregon Voices exhibit true to its
name.
The exhibit, on the first floor of
the Oregon Historical Society down­
town, invites visitors to begin with
a short film spanning with perspec­
tives from across the state, before
walking into the exhibit, where resi­
dents can take a deeper looker into
many different pockets in Oregon,
including a look into a black-owned
barber shop in north Portland.
“A lot of times museums will have
narrated programs that tell you just
what to think,” he said. “But I have
‘Voices’ exhibit explores our
challenges and successes
always tried to bring the authentic
voice of the people to the exhibit.”
Although there museum space is
not grandeur, the information within
the walls of the installation, includ­
ing high-definition touch screens
to press at one’s choosing, would
take more than nine hours to expe­
rience from start to finish.
“We are presenting a thoughtful
look at all the things that are going
on, and have been going on, since
the world war,” said Johnson. “I
think it will be relevant to a lot of
people directly in their lives. They
will be able to remember some of the
events we depicted in the exhibit.”
As director, Johnson said his
goals for the project were to bring
the face of Oregon to the screen.
“We went all over the state—
north, south, east, west— and inter­
viewed people over about 12 days,”
he said.
Johnson added, throughout the
entire process, diversity was always
built into the mission.
In eastern Oregon, the team spoke
with a wheat farmer, a Japanese Nisei
onion grower, and a bask sheep
herder and farmer, all given a spot­
light. Urban stories include a pro­
gram about the African American
community, the Asian community
continued-
on page 15