Contact: Shawn Uhlman, PDC, 503-823-7994
August 14, 2014
Photo by Dawn DeAno
On Monday, August 18, friends and neighbors celebrated the grand opening of the Lents Grown Story Yard at 8801 SE Foster Road, a temporary art installation using a unique community development approach to activate vacant land in Lents. The event featured live music by Joaquin Lopez and local food provided by Lents-based El Pato Feliz, Bún bò Huế, and Paitong Thai Cuisine.
The Lents Grown Story Yard was designed by ROSE Community Development and Propel Studio Architecture to bring more art to the Lents neighborhood, strengthen neighborhood connections and celebrate the vibrant culture of outer southeast Portland. The project began as a response to a 2013 Request for Interest issued by the Portland Development Commission for permanent or temporary uses of three Lents properties owned by PDC and located in close proximity to the historic and re-emerging commercial heart of the Lents neighborhood at SE 92nd Avenue.
ROSE worked with local southeast Portland photographer Dawn DeAno to photograph local business owners and farmers market vendors; neighborhood youth video-interviewed each business owner and produced a photo collage that will be displayed at the Story Yard; Propel designed and installed wire mesh furniture, benches, and a stage to create a temporary gathering space for the community.
PDC provided individual grants of $7,500 each to ROSE CDC and Propel Studios to develop and maintain the site. ROSE CDC also received a $2,500 grant from the Kinsman Foundation, and a $2,350 grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council’s Arts Education & Access Fund (“arts tax”) to engage neighborhood youth and produce a video about the project.
