It’s been almost a year now since we at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability lost Tony Lamb, a valued colleague, friend and activist. Tony was beloved in the community as well, regarded as a leader in the movement for racial justice and equity for Portland’s communities of color.
On August 19, 2020 – what would’ve been Tony’s 36th birthday – BPS staff and friends organized around a desire to create a legacy art project to honor him. And with generous donations from staff, the group commissioned local muralist Amaranta Colindres to create a piece of art that memorializes Tony and the impact of his racial justice work.
To start, they shared photos, drawings, and inspirational stories of their time with Tony. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed exploring the Cascades while backpacking and trail running. He often spoke of a spiritual connection to big cats, including tigers, leopards, and the black panther, jokingly referring to himself as “Tony the Tiger.” For him, the three represented a call for solidarity between the Black, Latinx and Asian communities.
Amaranta the artist used these reflections to create the memorial mural titled Eternal Connection, in which “… the big cats represent the communities he advocated for. These three animals have historically been used as symbols for Black, Latin and Asian struggle.”
As Amaranta processed what she learned about Tony, a vision for the work came into focus. “Tony as the tiger is up in the clouds, morphing into the wind,” she explained. “The lighter stripes become the wind, and the dark stripes recede into the night sky, becoming one with the heavens, while the panther and jaguar walk together in unity.”
Notably, Amaranta’s color palette does not include the color black. She prefers to combine other colors such as burnt umber and ultramarine blue to make a darker object. “The panther is made up of deep blues and purple, which contrasts with yellow,” she explains. “And the tiger has a lot of blue, which contrasts with the orange in the sky.”
Regarding the astrological references in the constellations, Big Dipper and North Star, she included them because of their importance to escaping slaves and explorers – as well as contemporary outdoor adventurers like Tony. Regarding the tent and bonfires – beyond the obvious reference to Tony’s love of backpacking and camping – in many cultures, the artist noted, “Fire is sacred when you pair it with intention. I put fire in there with the intention to keep the passion going, keep it burning.”
As she painted, Amaranta made decisions, creating spheres for the panther, waterfall, and mountain peak placed in a geometry that connects them in a harmonious way. “I used ‘sacred geometry’ – what the universe uses to design all of creation – which can invoke healing and reminds the viewer they are connected to all,” she explained.
To her it’s a reminder that Tony’s energy will transfer to the mountains and the waterfalls and – maybe even – the Vanport Building, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s new home. “The builder uses geometry,” she noted with a smile in her voice.
Eternal Connection was shown in community spaces for friends and colleagues of Tony’s and is now in the Rosemont neighborhood as it awaits its final resting place at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, where it will inspire future planners of color as well as those of us who knew and loved him.
Profile by Eden Dabbs, Senior Communications Strategist, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability