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Vanport Mosaic Festival

Date: 
Saturday, May 27, 2023 - 12:00 to 16:00

Saturday, May 27, 2023 

Memory activism, healing, Blackberry Art, stories, pop-up exhibits,  and screenings on the Indigenous land where Vanport once stood and nearly 4,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated. We gather and experience together throughout the afternoon  activities and cultural offerings led by  Indigenous, African American, Japanese American and Latinex artists and community weavers

Location
Hall A
 
Hours
12:00pm - 4:00pm
 
Admission
Free

Program Details

  • The Assembly by Chisao Hata
    • Artist, storyteller, and community weaver Chisao Hata brings together communities whose stories intersect in Vanport. Join the "Story Room" as the circle becomes whole by weaving cultural stories of life in Vanport together.
    • Can someone else's story help us understand our own? THE ASSEMBLY CENTER is new work exploring the history and memories of the place where 3800 persons of Japanese and Japanese American ancestry were held as prisoners in Portland, Oregon, while incarceration camps were being built. THE ASSEMBLY CENTER  builds connections to place, loss, family, celebrations, and land. On May 27th, at the former site, shared stories will reveal parallel lives of interconnectedness.
  • Remember Us by Chisao Hata
    • a temporary memorial to Japanese Americans held at the Portland Assembly Center in 1943 honoring their history, loss, erasure, and continuing ReClaiming of Culture, History, and Stories.
  • The Japanese American Museum of Oregon will display history boards, signage, photos, and memorabilia of the Portland Assembly Center.
  • The Architecture of Internment by Graham Street Production:  traveling exhibit exploring how Oregonians participated in the decision to incarcerate Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants during World War II.
  • Video Altar by Joemil Santos (content curation: Story Midwife Laura Lo Forti)
    • A container for our converging stories: past,  present, and future; a space to enter willingly,  contemplate quietly, and love unconditionally;  an altar for the land and its people; a place to amplify, honor, present, and preserve the silenced histories that surround us; an opportunity to be in a circle,  to be present, to witness, and ultimately, to choose: How will these stories live on? How and what will you add to these stories? What action will you take to make sure these stories never repeat themselves?
  • Presence and Preservation: Force Lake Birdwatching and Historical Walking Tour (12-2 pm)
    • Join Marti Clemmons (Portland State University archivist/historian) and Han Lyons (BIRDHERS) as they contextualize a space where history and nature meet.
  • Soft Earth & Hard Ground
    • an art-infused walk in former Vanport led by environmental artist Linda Wysong
  • Anywhere but Here: The History of Housing Discrimination in Oregon
    • Traveling exhibit by the Fair Housing Council of Oregon chronicles Oregon’s largely unknown history of discrimination, segregation, and displacement, as well as the progress we’ve made in overcoming this history and the challenges that remain.
  • Story Harvest
    • Vanport Mosaic and XRAYs volunteers will Digitize your scrapbooks, photos, and artifacts about Vanport + record your memories for the Vanport Mosaic Archive.

 

For more information visit the Vanport Mosaic Festival Website