Alberta, Portland: A Street Art Paradise

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Why Alberta in Portland is a must-visit destination for street art lovers? Stroll the main Street to unveil colorful and vibrant murals. And don’t forget to get lost in the local boutiques, exquisite coffee shops, and restaurants.

Building a Legacy, Brick by Brick by @Mundooo

Brazilian artist @mundooo, also known as Eduardo Kobra, gathered people from different ethnicities for this large mural. The female figures are holding bricks to build a wall. Each brick has a different inscription – powerful, faith, community – probably symbolizing their future and the future of their neighborhood.

Location: 1807 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

Collage on Alberta by Jesse Reno

Inspired by Native American and African cultures, American Artist Jesse Reno uses geometric shapes and symbols to create colorful collages. For this mural, he shaped a large elephant with different patterns adding eyes, mouth, and different geometric shapes like triangles and circles.

Location: 5021 NE 17h Ave, Portland, OR 97211

“Machine” by Tom Cramer

The original “Machine” mural was painted in 1989 and destroyed in 2017. In its place now stands a new edition including bold and colorful motifs. The artist, Tom Cramer, has likely drawn inspiration from his extensive travels to India, and Europe. His passion for music also echoes through this artwork.

Location: 2203 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

Mural by Maddo, 2018

This mural seems to be a camouflage art where animals blend in with the background of leaves and flowers. Can you spot the cat, dog, and bird? They are partially hidden by a mix of green, yellow, and pink foliage.

Location: 1930 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

“Black Pride” by artist Lewis Harris and the students from the Black Education Center, 1984.

Painted in 1984, Malcolm X is the second oldest mural in Portland. Artist Lewis Harris collaborated with the students from the Black Education Center to represent slaves and human rights activists.

Location: 4941 NE 17th Ave, Portland, OR 97211

“Six Strong”, by Michelle McCausey, Darci Johnson, Una Kim, Corie Hinton, Heidi Elise Wirz, Lucid Rose, 2016.

Led by artist Michelle McCausey, this collaborative project empowers female street artists and encourages the youth. Michelle McCausey declared: “I hope the mural inspires our community to support their female artists. I also hope young women and girls see these paintings and realize they, too, have opportunity and support*.”

Source: https://concordiapdx.org/2019/02/concordia-murals-empowerment-flows-in-six-strong-panels/

Location: 1520 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

The Community Cycling Center Mural by Robin Corbo

The Community Cycling Center is a nonprofit organization promoting bicycling. On the side of its building, this large mural depicts a scene of people on various bicycles: tricycles, tandem bicycles, wheelchairs, and more.

Location: 1700 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97211

Forest for the Trees mural by Mateu Velasco, 2014.

A giant rabbit on a wall in Alberta. The mural was part of the Forest for the Trees, an annual event that brings together local and international artists to create public art in the city. Brazilian artist Mateu Velasco painted a rabbit with long ears surrounded by a small house, geometric shapes, and patterns.

Location: 4941 NE 17th Ave, Portland, OR 97211

Elephant and Whale, by Pablo Matt Franklin

This large mural illustrates an elephant holding a red rose and a whale moving in opposite directions. The artist used mainly a palette of blue and white to define these mammals. This artwork has a community garden in front of it, which adds a natural and lively element to the scene.

Location: 2314 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

Leaves by Derek Yost

Derek Yost, an American artist who loves nature and animals, created a mural of feather-like shapes on a red wall. The mural features a variety of colors, such as blue, green, yellow, and pink, that contrast with the red background.

Location: 2104 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

The Alleyway Bar by Derek Yost

It is the second mural spotted in the Alberta Arts District by Artist Derek Yost. For this artwork, he created a large deer head and a wolf with intricate lines and patterns on a light blue background. These animals refer to his personal passion for nature and wildlife.

Location: 2415 NE Alberta St Portland, OR 97211

To Oregon with Love by artist Blaine Fontana

Named “To Oregon with Love,” this collage represents different aspects of Portland and Oregon. The text “You are confined only by the walls you build yourself,” and extended representations have deteriorated since in creation in 2014. However, you can still see the top of the original artwork.

Location: 2137 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR 97211

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