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2019 Schedule
Join us for two weeks of memory activism opportunities, to explore and confront our local past and recent history of “othering” and its tragic consequences. Through exhibits, documentary screenings, tours, theater, and dialogues we will celebrate the lessons of resilience and resistance as defined and told by historically oppressed communities.
Artistic Co-Directors: Laura Lo Forti and Damaris Webb
The Festival At A Glance
Exhibit, Ceremony, Art Exhibit, Community Gatherings, Oral History, Performance
A Community Altar for Collective Grief, Gratitude & Grace
Exhibit, Ceremony, Art Exhibit, Community Gatherings, Oral History, Performance
Exhibit, Ceremony, Art Exhibit, Community Gatherings, Oral History, Performance
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Oral History
Exhibits
Gatherings
Tours
Theater
Screenings
Tuesday, May 21st
Featured
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveThe tour explores Portland’s hidden history of housing discrimination, including the ghosts of lost ethnic communities, Klan rallies, and locations where Japanese Oregonians were interned during World War II. It features on-site presentations by local experts who lived through these tragic parts of history. Lunch discussion following the tour from noon-2pm.
This Event is $10. Limited seating — RSVP required.
Thanks to a partnership between Fair Housing Council of Oregon and Vanport Mosaic.
Wednesday, May 22nd
Featured
City Hall — 1221 SW 4th AvePlease join us at Portland City Council and make history with us! 71 years after a flood wiped out Oregon's second largest city on May 30, 1942, Mayor Wheeler will proclaim May 30th the Vanport Day of Remembrance. Let's pack City Hall to show that this history matters.
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Thursday, May 23rd
Featured
City Hall — 1221 SW 4th AveKick off the festival with us at City Hall. Featuring remarks by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, Vanport survivors, and a Stories in Movement offering.
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Friday, May 24th
Featured
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd Ave Portland, OR 97211Join us for the Opening of Henk Pander’s new exhibition “Building Memories” and Henk Pander in conversation with Comm. Jo Ann Hardesty.
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Peninsula Park Rose Garden — 700 North Rosa parks WayTo honor victims and survivors of the 1948 Vanport flood, Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden will install a permanent memorial plaque at the historic Bandstand. The plaque will mark the location of the 2018 Rose Planting Ceremony that was spearheaded by Vanport Mosaic.
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Saturday, May 25th
Featured
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd Ave Portland, OR 97211Originally from the Netherlands, Henk Pander was a child during WWII. Since immigrating to the PNW in 1965, he has become one of the region’s most renowned artists. This series of large format watercolors about the Vanport Flood and Nazi-occupied Amsterdam invites us to reflect on the invisible histories held by buildings, streets, and empty places. What is the danger of forgetting?
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Sunday, May 26th
Featured
Vanport Mosaic joins a broad coalition of friends and allies in a virtual summit, presenting the session: THIS is america with Chisao Hata and Jennifer Fang
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
Historic Kenton Firehouse — 8105 N Brandon AveThe Project (working title) presents a work-in-progress showing of a new performance piece, conceived by Damaris Webb and devised by a cohort of local African American performers and designers who are engaging with the questions of how our black bodies have participated in the American Economic Dream.
With screening of Root Shock by Cecilia Brown, a documentary short about generational loss, racial disparity, and the steps taken by one family to force a city to reckon with its history.
THIS EVENT IS FREE. Limited Seating — RSVP recommended.
Donations for Historic Mayo House gladly accepted at the door.
Historic Kenton Firehouse — 8105 N Brandon AveA documentary short about the Mayo House, a historic house in NE Portland that was recently saved and moved to a new location by artist Cleo Davis and his family, where it is envisioned as a space where historians, artists and members of the black community can preserve and create culture. Produced by University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication Master student Cecilia Brown, and screened with work-in-progress showing of SOUL’D: the economics of our black body.
THIS EVENT IS FREE. Limited Seating — RSVP recommended.
Donations for Historic Mayo House gladly accepted at the door.
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 North Interstate Avenue“THE PROJECT” is a new performance piece conceived by Damaris Webb and devised by a cohort of local African American performers and designers who are engaging with the questions of how our black bodies have participated in the American Economic Dream.
RUN TIME:
90 mins with screening
ADMISSION:
Suggested $25; $5 Students/Seniors.
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveOriginally from the Netherlands, Henk Pander was a child during WWII. Since immigrating to the PNW in 1965, he has become one of the region’s most renowned artists. This series of large format watercolors about the Vanport Flood and Nazi-occupied Amsterdam invites us to reflect on the invisible histories held by buildings, streets, and empty places. What is the danger of forgetting?
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Monday, May 27th
Featured
A presentation by Gwendoline Trice, Maxville Heritage Center director
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrAn immersive 360 documentary to experience the life and journey of Walter Cole, aka Darcelle XV, the oldest living and performing drag queen in the West Coast. This legendary performer (now 88!) braved discrimination and never back down. This 20-minute story is experienced individually by wearing VR headsets available throughout the day at the Memory Activism Fair.
Included in the $5 Vanport Spirit Pass
Part of the Spirit of Vanport Lives On Day at EXPO
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrJoin us for a screening of the new OPB documentary that examines the rich history and unjust treatment of Oregon’s Japanese community, from their early pioneer beginnings to their forced incarceration during World War II, and beyond.
This event is free
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrA selection of short documentaries, part of the on-going Vanport Mosaic participatory oral history project facilitated by Story Midwife Laura Lo Forti. Through archival footage, historic photographs, and compelling first-person narratives, this collection creates a rich and elaborate “mosaic” of the vibrant community that made up the city of Vanport, and commemorates the tragedy that displaced it. With a short introduction on Vanport history by Prof. James Harrison, and remarks by Vanport Survivor Beatrice Gilmore.
Included in the $5 Vanport Spirit Pass
Part of the Spirit of Vanport Lives On Day at EXPO
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrJoin Susan Barthel for a 3 mile guided walk around the heart of historic Vanport. The tour will include Force Lake, the Columbia Slough levee, the Theatre foundation, Cottonwood Ave., Mud and Bayou Sloughs, the administrative center, and Vanport area public art. Wear walking shoes, bring water and your imaginations. Ms. Barthel has been teaching Vanport history and conducting tours of historic Vanport for 23 years.
Tickets are $7 or $10 day of event — RSVP includes Spirit of Vanport Pass
Tour runs about 2 hrs 15 min.
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrJoin us for narrated bus tours of the original Vanport site. Seldom open to the public, this route will include sites of the historic city’s most important civic functions, residential areas and natural resources. Learn about the Miracle City before, during and after the flood, and the legacy that we have today. Docents include: James Harrison, Heather McAfee, Georgia Wier, Ed Washindton.
Tickets are $7 or $10 day of event — RSVP includes Vanport Spirit Pass
Tour runs about 1 hr 15 min. Check In/tickets at building A.
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrGrab one of our itinerary map/educational resources and hit the road on a self-guided walking tour of Vanport history.
Included in the $5 Vanport Spirit Pass
Part of the Spirit of Vanport EXPO
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrAs we explore our history of “othering” and Oregon’s racial legacy, we invite you to join us this Memorial Day at the site of the Assembly Center. Here, 4,000 Japanese Americans were interned before being sent to camps in 1942. Here, adjacent lands held thousands of American migrants working The Kaiser shipyards. Here, the Native Community gathers to this day celebrating their original connection to homeland. With a wide lens, we celebrate the resilience of “The Vanport Spirit” and its legacy with a full day of memory activism activities.
The $5 Vanport Spirit Pass includes all documentary screenings, exhibits and the Memory Activism Fair.
An additional $2 fee is charged for the walking or bus tours.
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrVanport: A Story Lived. A Story Told combines archival photographs and historical records with personal testimonies of former Vanport residents interwoven throughout. Consisting of 6 pop-up panels, the exhibit presents the multifaceted story of Vanport and its vibrant community. Exhibit includes artifacts from Vanport from the Terry Jones Collection.
Included in the $5 Vanport Spirit Pass
Part of the Spirit of Vanport EXPO
EXPO Center Hall A — 2060 N Marine DrJoin us for this rich celebration of local individuals, grassroots groups, and cultural institutions committed to amplify community histories. Explore pop-up exhibits, listening stations, informational tabling by our friends and partners.
Included in the $5 Vanport Spirit Pass
Part of the Spirit of Vanport EXPO
Tuesday, May 28th
Featured
A virtual music performance and conversation by PJEC
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
North Portland Library — 512 N Killingsworth StJoin us in celebrating the Jefferson High School Legacy Project, a collaborative oral history project between the Jefferson librarian and a US History class that captures the high school experience of Jefferson alumni from a variety of decades through recorded student-led interviews. Listen to each five minute interview and meet the student and alumni participants.
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveOriginally from the Netherlands, Henk Pander was a child during WWII. Since immigrating to the PNW in 1965, he has become one of the region’s most renowned artists. This series of large format watercolors about the Vanport Flood and Nazi-occupied Amsterdam invites us to reflect on the invisible histories held by buildings, streets, and empty places. What is the danger of forgetting?
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
NECN — 4815 NE 7th AveJoin Kent Ford, founder of Portland's chapter of the '60s-era black empowerment organization, for a walking tour in NE Portland. Listen to his personal memories of revolutionary activism and community service, and be inspired for today’s fight for change.
Start: Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods
End: Matt Dishman Center
Tickets are $10 — RSVP Recommended
Wednesday, May 29th
Featured
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveJoin us for an inspiring evening of live storytelling to spark hope and action. Learn from the experiences of those who survive and resist hate, bigotry, and racism. Storyteller Cassandra Sagan will be working with community members who are targets of “othering” because of their religion, race, class, disability, sexual orientation to polish their stories for sharing. Come and be inspired by the stories of Iman Abdi, Sam Sacs, Liza Jensen. and Tom Gevurtz. You can share a 5-min story during the open mic segment.
A collaboration between The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and The Vanport Mosaic
$5 suggested contribution
Limited Seating — RSVP recommended
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveOriginally from the Netherlands, Henk Pander was a child during WWII. Since immigrating to the PNW in 1965, he has become one of the region’s most renowned artists. This series of large format watercolors about the Vanport Flood and Nazi-occupied Amsterdam invites us to reflect on the invisible histories held by buildings, streets, and empty places. What is the danger of forgetting?
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Thursday, May 30th
Featured
Join Oregon Black Pioneers to honor the Andersons, a family of true Black pioneers who will finally be recognized with headstones at their grave.
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveThirty years ago Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian immigrant, was beaten to death by three white supremacists, we honor his legacy with a short doc about his life and death. Join us to hear his story, and learn from special guests about how we can respond to hate today, as individuals and as community.
$5 suggested donation
Limited Seating — RSVP recommended
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveFeaturing three exhibits: “Vanport: The Surge of Social Change”, “Beyond Vanport: Remembering Native North Portland” artwork by Peggy Ball-Morrill, and “Altar” by Lynn Yarne.
This event is free & open to the public
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveOriginally from the Netherlands, Henk Pander was a child during WWII. Since immigrating to the PNW in 1965, he has become one of the region’s most renowned artists. This series of large format watercolors about the Vanport Flood and Nazi-occupied Amsterdam invites us to reflect on the invisible histories held by buildings, streets, and empty places. What is the danger of forgetting?
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Friday, May 31st
Featured
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveMay 26, 2017 a white supremacist fatally stabbed two people and injured a third, after he was confronted for shouting racist and anti-Muslim slurs at two teenage girls on a MAX Light Rail train in Portland. This documentary screening commemorates the 2-year anniversary of this tragedy. Teenagers in the I Am M.O.R.E. program facilitated by S. Renee Mitchell will explore the role of storytelling in strengthening resiliency, mattering and belonging.
In collaboration with The No Hate Zone
$5 suggested donation
Limited Seating — RSVP recommended
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveFeaturing three exhibits: “Vanport: The Surge of Social Change”, “Beyond Vanport: Remembering Native North Portland” artwork by Peggy Ball-Morrill, and “Altar” by Lynn Yarne.
This event is free & open to the public
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveOriginally from the Netherlands, Henk Pander was a child during WWII. Since immigrating to the PNW in 1965, he has become one of the region’s most renowned artists. This series of large format watercolors about the Vanport Flood and Nazi-occupied Amsterdam invites us to reflect on the invisible histories held by buildings, streets, and empty places. What is the danger of forgetting?
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Saturday, June 1st
Featured
A collaborative exhibit co-created by Vanport Mosaic and Design As Protest Collective
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveThrough theatre, dance, music and historical documentation, this 90-minute performance evolved from an original reading performed in 2017 at the Vanport Mosaic Festival. This current collaboration brings together the talents of four artists Chisao Hata, Heath Hyun, Ken Yoshikawa and Jenna Yokoyama. Each has explored what it means to be Asian American in today’s landscape, and the historical impact and complexities on forming identities in America.
$15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors
Limited Seating — RSVP recommended
Run time: 90 minutes
For the fourth year, the Vanport Mosaic invites Vanport former residents to share a meal and their memories at a private reunion. During the event, we will conduct a Story Harvest, recording oral histories and digitizing photos, as part of our on-going preservation efforts.
THIS IS A PRIVATE EVENT
For more info, contact Velynn Brown velynnbrown@gmail.com 971-570-3589
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveThrough theatre, dance, music and historical documentation, this 90-minute performance evolved from an original reading performed in 2017 at the Vanport Mosaic Festival. This current collaboration brings together the talents of four artists Chisao Hata, Heath Hyun, Ken Yoshikawa and Jenna Yokoyama. Each has explored what it means to be Asian American in today’s landscape, and the historical impact and complexities on forming identities in America.
$15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors
Limited Seating — RSVP recommended
Run time: 90 minutes
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveFeaturing three exhibits: “Vanport: The Surge of Social Change”, “Beyond Vanport: Remembering Native North Portland” artwork by Peggy Ball-Morrill, and “Altar” by Lynn Yarne.
This event is free & open to the public
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveOriginally from the Netherlands, Henk Pander was a child during WWII. Since immigrating to the PNW in 1965, he has become one of the region’s most renowned artists. This series of large format watercolors about the Vanport Flood and Nazi-occupied Amsterdam invites us to reflect on the invisible histories held by buildings, streets, and empty places. What is the danger of forgetting?
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Sunday, June 2nd
Featured
Join us virtually at Portland City Council to honor the Vanport community.
A collaborative exhibit co-created by Vanport Mosaic and Design As Protest Collective
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveConfluence Story Gatherings are designed to elevate Indigenous voices in our collective understanding of place, specifically the Columbia River system. Join distinguished guest speakers; Carol Craig (Yakama) Yakama Reporter, James Holt (Nez Perce), Director of Confluence Environmental Center, and Woodrow Hunt (Cherokee, Klamath) Filmmaker, founder of Tule Films, for video segments of interviews with Tribal elders and culture bearers sharing personal connections to place and move into conversation exploring legacies of displacement, survivance and self-determination.
$10 suggested contribution
Limited Seating—RSVP recommended
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveThrough theatre, dance, music and historical documentation, this 90-minute performance evolved from an original reading performed in 2017 at the Vanport Mosaic Festival. This current collaboration brings together the talents of four artists Chisao Hata, Heath Hyun, Ken Yoshikawa and Jenna Yokoyama. Each has explored what it means to be Asian American in today’s landscape, and the historical impact and complexities on forming identities in America.
$15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors
Limited Seating — RSVP recommended
Run time: 90 minutes
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveFeaturing three exhibits: “Vanport: The Surge of Social Change”, “Beyond Vanport: Remembering Native North Portland” artwork by Peggy Ball-Morrill, and “Altar” by Lynn Yarne.
This event is free & open to the public
Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd AveOriginally from the Netherlands, Henk Pander was a child during WWII. Since immigrating to the PNW in 1965, he has become one of the region’s most renowned artists. This series of large format watercolors about the Vanport Flood and Nazi-occupied Amsterdam invites us to reflect on the invisible histories held by buildings, streets, and empty places. What is the danger of forgetting?
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Monday, June 3rd
Featured
A collaborative exhibit co-created by Vanport Mosaic and Design As Protest Collective
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveListening circles facilitated by Chisao Hata will hold space as we address the emotional legacies expressed in the performance of Gambatte: An American Legacy.
THIS EVENT IS FREE
RSVP recommended
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveFeaturing three exhibits: “Vanport: The Surge of Social Change”, “Beyond Vanport: Remembering Native North Portland” artwork by Peggy Ball-Morrill, and “Altar” by Lynn Yarne.
This event is free & open to the public
Tuesday, June 4th
Featured
A staged table reading of a new play written by Don Wilson Glenn, directed by Damaris Webb and featuring Victoria Alvarez-Chacon as Ona Marie Judge.
A collaborative exhibit co-created by Vanport Mosaic and Design As Protest Collective
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveThrough theatre, dance, music and historical documentation, this 90-minute performance evolved from an original reading performed in 2017 at the Vanport Mosaic Festival. This current collaboration brings together the talents of four artists Chisao Hata, Heath Hyun, Ken Yoshikawa and Jenna Yokoyama. Each has explored what it means to be Asian American in today’s landscape, and the historical impact and complexities on forming identities in America.
$15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors
Limited Seating — RSVP recommended
Run time: 90 minutes
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveFeaturing three exhibits: “Vanport: The Surge of Social Change”, “Beyond Vanport: Remembering Native North Portland” artwork by Peggy Ball-Morrill, and “Altar” by Lynn Yarne.
This event is free & open to the public
Wednesday, June 5th
Featured
A memory activism gathering with Vanport Mosaic, Design as Protest, friends and allies
A tour by Oregon Black Pioneers
In 2020, "Negro Ben Mountain" was officially renamed Ben Johnson Mountain after the early Black blacksmith who lived and worked there in the 1860s. With the change, Ben Johnson Mountain became one of just a few geographic place names in Oregon named for a known Black person.
Celebrate the name change by joining other Oregonians for a weekend of outdoor fun and historical appreciation!
A collaborative exhibit co-created by Vanport Mosaic and Design As Protest Collective
A pilgrimage in sound and time through the King, Humboldt, and Alberta neighborhoods- once the heart of Oregon’s Black community.
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveThrough theatre, dance, music and historical documentation, this 90-minute performance evolved from an original reading performed in 2017 at the Vanport Mosaic Festival. This current collaboration brings together the talents of four artists Chisao Hata, Heath Hyun, Ken Yoshikawa and Jenna Yokoyama. Each has explored what it means to be Asian American in today’s landscape, and the historical impact and complexities on forming identities in America.
$15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors
Limited Seating — RSVP recommended
Run time: 90 minutes
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center — 5340 N Interstate AveFeaturing three exhibits: “Vanport: The Surge of Social Change”, “Beyond Vanport: Remembering Native North Portland” artwork by Peggy Ball-Morrill, and “Altar” by Lynn Yarne.
This event is free & open to the public