Portland Police Training Complex Art Project
Collaboration with Mark R. Smith
Percent For Art, Portland Police Bureau Training Complex, Portland, Oregon, 2014
A project to represent the complex work of policing and the relationship between individuals in the bureau and those in the community they serve, this work has three components: You Know What You Signed Up For, Connecting Lines, and Make-Coffee-Drink-Art.
You Know What You Signed Up For, 2014
Digital Printing, laminated glass panels, metal hardware
68.6 feet x 18 x 2.25 inches
Inspired by the and ups and downs of the job, it includes one minute of an EKG strip that moves from a resting heart rate to an excited one, and a one-week chart of priority calls for service.
Along with historic and current photographs, the piece is meant to show the variety of experience and the everyday rhythms in the lives of police officers.
Connecting Lines, 2014
Digital printing, reclaimed textiles, cotton flannel, glue on 10 framed panels
86.25 x 34.5 x 2 inches
Each collage includes transcriptions of interviews with officers and Portlanders, along with photographs of areas around the city. Lines of fabric from clothing and uniforms symbolize connections between police, residents and neighborhoods, and the diverse paths and intersections where people encounter each other.
Make-Coffee-Drink-Art, 2014
Interactive event
Rosewood Initiative, Portland, OR
Saturday, May 31, 2014 from 2 to 5 pm
The Portland Police Training Complex Art Project began with Make-Coffee-Drink-Art, a social gathering held at The Rosewood Initiative, a vital community center in East Portland. We invited police officers, neighborhood residents and other Portlanders for complimentary lattes and other refreshments, art activities and conversation.
Photos of Art: Stephen Funk
