Portland News
Street Paintings Aim to Uplift North Portland Community
The Big Bang of Peace and The Unity Circle will turn intersections into gathering spots
T
wo projects in the Albina
Killingsworth neighborhood aim to
bring people together to build com-
munity through turning intersections into
public gathering places.
The Unity Circle, a street painting at the
intersection of N. Haight and Emerson
Streets, will be getting a fresh coat of paint
May 31-June 1 as supporters of all ages get
together for a painting and block party.
And just a few streets away, at the inter-
section of N. Borthwick and N.
Killingsworth Court, youth and adults are
which is run through Multnomah County
Health Department, is sponsoring a range
of projects this summer that will bring
adults and youth together with the aim of
building a stronger, safer community.
The Killingsworth Court intersection was
chosen because of its location, bordered by
Rosemary Anderson High School and Pied-
mont Church of Christ, with Jefferson High
School, just a block away. Church leaders
have welcomed the project and are helping
coordinate about 20 students and neighbor-
hood residents, as they turn an intersection
that has seen too much conflict into a place
for gathering and friendship.
Youth involved in the project envisioned
Neighbors of all ages are invited to take part. To
find out when the group will meet next, contact
STRYVE at 503-927-1823, or see Big Bang of
Peace on Facebook.
working together to create a street painting
called The Big Bang of Peace.
The Big Bang of Peace was started with
the support of STRYVE, a federal violence
prevention initiative. STRYVE (Striving to
Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere),
PHOTO COURTESY OF STRYVE
a design that features a tree whose roots
extend into neighboring streets. The design
also includes a honeybee theme because
honey is known to increase immunity.
Next, artist Antwoine Thomas, who paint-
ed the mural in Rosewood/Rockwood at the
intersection
of
162nd and SE Stark
St., will help the
group finalize the
design.
Neighbors of all
ages are invited to
take part. To find
out when the group
will meet next, con-
tact STRYVE at
503-927-1823, or
see Big Bang of
Peace on Facebook.
Both the Big Bang
of Peace and the
Unity Circle have
support from the
Village
Building
Choo Fair and Dwight Myrick were part of the group
Convergence, an
designing the street painting.
annual
10-day
PHOTO COURTESY OF STRYVE
By Helen Silvis
Of The Skanner News
The North Killingsworth Court street painting group took drawings into the
intersection to get a better idea of what it will look like full size.
placemaking festival, which aims to
strengthen our urban communities through
making our environment more welcoming,
and sustainable. But while the Unity Circle
will be repainted during the convergence,
May 23 -June 1, the Big Bang of Peace will
be painted later this summer.
The Unity Circle
The Unity Circle first came into being in
2012, the vision of artist Kymberly Jeka.
Living near the Haight and Emerson inter-
section, Jeka knew it marked the spot where
DeAndre Clark, 25, had been shot and
killed in 2011. And she knew dozens of stu-
dents travel that route every day, on foot
and in school buses. So she dreamed up the
street painting as a way to build community
and to bring beauty and hope to the inter-
section.
With support from neighbors the Unity
Circle project passed city scrutiny and came
to life. Jeka’s vision was inspired by the
City Repair project, that seeks to build
stronger communities in urban areas by
bringing local people together to take con-
trol of their neighborhoods and turn them
into places where neighbors can gather and
enjoy.
In 2012, Jeka succeeded in getting her
project underway independently. This time
around, the Unity Circle repainting will be
part of The Village Building Convergence,
City Repair’s annual 10-day placemaking
festival, where neighbors get together to
paint, build, plant and create unique proj-
ects that aim to make a neighborhood more
friendly and neighborly. The festival, which
runs from May 23-June 1 includes more
than 30 projects, as well as workshops,
music and arts activities.
The Unity Circle street painting and block
party will be underway during the weekend
of May 31—June 1. Volunteers are needed
to paint, lead children’s activities, look after
food and more. To get involved,
contact
Kymberly
Jeka
at
kymberlyjeka@gmail.com (858) 705-4418
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Page 8 The Portland and Seattle Skanner May 28, 2014