What is a monument?
In the City of Portland's public art collection, there are about 100 sculptures and memorials among more than 1,700 works of art. Our history, much like our people, is not static.
Currently, Portland City Code defines monuments as three-dimensional works that are publicly accessible, and commemorate a person, place or event. Our goal is for the city’s understanding of monuments to evolve through this project. We want to hear from the public what should be considered a monument.
Why monuments matter
The City of Portland is engaged in a national dialogue about public art, history, monuments, and memorials. With support from the Mellon Foundation, the Portland Monuments Project is a multi-year, inclusive public engagement and policy initiative driven to:
- Decide on the future of seven monuments that were damaged, toppled, or removed following demonstrations in Portland in 2020-2021.
- Develop community-centered policy changes.
- Foster new dialogue to reimagine and transform the purpose of monuments and memorials in Portland.
Portland Monuments Project goals
The goals of the Portland Monuments Project are to:
- Engage the community in creating policies about Portland’s public art collection.
- Foster new conversations about the purpose of monuments and memorials in Portland.
- Finalize recommendations for new monuments, updated interpretations, and the future of monuments that were damaged or removed in 2020 and 2021.
Guiding questions
Public engagement for the Portland Monuments Project is guided by these questions:
- How can Portland adapt and be open to change with its use of public art to hold memory and history?
- What do Portlanders think about the current collection of monuments in the City’s Public Art Collection?
- How can monuments support the City of Portland's core values?
- The City of Portland has decisions to make about monuments and public art. These decisions include how to think about our history and how to educate the public about our monuments. What principles and practices should guide these decisions?
Additional resources and information
Monuments offer us an opportunity to express what is important to our community. Explore the list of monument resources to learn about the insights and contributions that have informed our project approach in Portland.