Press Release: Limei Lai Paints New Mural at Open Signal
October 20, 2020
Limei Lai Paints New Mural at Open Signal as Fresh Paint Temporary Mural Program Returns
PORTLAND, ORE. - October 6, 2020 - Artist Limei Lai has painted a new mural on the exterior wall of Open Signal on NE Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard in Portland. This is the seventh mural to adorn Open Signal’s exterior wall on NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard at Graham Street as part of the Fresh Paint program. A partnership between Open Signal and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), the professional development program provides emerging artists of color with the opportunity to paint a public mural in a high-traffic setting for the first time. Artists learn new ways of creating art for public spaces and build their portfolio.
Titled Together, the mural depicts three generations of women. The artist says: “The world is extremely beautiful and fun in the kid’s eyes; it is a complex chaos in the woman’s eyes; it is where the loved ones live in grandma’s eyes. The present and the past, the here and there, we are all in this world together, weeping and smiling and hugging, celebrating women’s lives and the world community.”
Lai, originally from China and now based in Portland, is currently getting her Bachelor’s degree at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. In paint, fabric and clay, she explores themes of change, weakness and aging through generational stories. Her work is informed by her experiences as an immigrant and her Chinese roots. She believes that art not only evokes issues and problems in society, it celebrates the beauty of this world in its entirety.
This work marks a return for the program, which took a hiatus as Oregonians were directed to stay at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The piece was completed on September 28th and will remain on display until March of 2021.
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Contact
Daniela Karina Serna, Programs and Communications Manager
Open Signal
daniela [at] opensignalpdx.org
(503) 288 - 1515 x931
Heather Nelson Kent, Communications Manager
Regional Arts & Culture Council
hnkent [at] racc.org
(503) 823 - 5426