PSU’s newest building is named after Vanport, a thriving community of WWII worker housing that was at one point the second largest city in Oregon and the most diverse place in the state. Vanport was destroyed by a flood in May 1948, but has a deep legacy as a touchstone for Portland’s Black community, as well as the roots of PSU itself. The Spirit of Vanport is part exhibit, part memorial; a lobby installation in the new Vanport Building to commemorate this legacy. BPDesign created six multicolored steel panels that present historical content and community voices, curated by local memory activists Vanport Mosaic. Interpretive elements are incorporated into a 20’ x 17’ mural by Alex Chiu collaging historic photographs.
