A murder of crows has gathered in a downtown Portland office. Dozens of artists have them surrounded, dabbing the flock’s feathers, feet and beaks with acrylic paint brushes. But these birds won’t fly away. At the former offices of Start Making A Reader Today, the 6-foot-tall sculptures are in various stages of completion.
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
On August 7, they will be scattered throughout downtown Portland as part of “Wildwood: Follow the Crows,” a free, self-guided art trail designed as part gallery, part scavenger hunt and part civic celebration.
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
Organizers at Downtown Portland Clean & Safe recently invited The Oregonian/OregonLive into the “Crow’s Nest” for a preview of the works in progress. They asked us not to reveal full images until the trail officially opens. They did give us a thumbs up to share artist-in-action portraits and sneak-peeks of the designs.
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The sculptures are inspired by LAIKA’s upcoming stop-motion film “Wildwood,” based on Colin Meloy’s novel. Meloy is lead singer of Portland-founded band The Decemberists, and the book features illustrations by Carson Ellis.
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
The art trail installation is a joint effort from LAIKA, the Portland Metro Chamber, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Downtown Portland Clean & Safe and Visit Downtown.
The local partners teamed up to bring in the U.K.-based art installation company Wild in Art, who produced 2024’s successful “Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail.”
According to a “Wildwood” press release, the cat trail’s popularity brought tens of thousands of visitors to downtown Portland and raised significant funds for pediatric healthcare.
Wildwood crow sculptures will find their way to Portland’s sidewalks.Wild Arts
In March, organizers put out a call for artists, and got “214 designs,” according to Monice Wong, media relations manager for Downtown Portland Clean & Safe. “They were all amazing,” Wong said. Sponsors were tasked with whittling the list down to 30 designs.
All of the fiberglass creations began as blank white canvases, but the artists are putting their individual stamps on the sculptures.
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
Sam Warford saw the call for artists on Instagram and jumped at the opportunity. “I love Wildwood and I read the books when I was a kid, so I really wanted to be a part of it. Now I’m here. It’s very unreal,” Warford said. “This is my first solo individual project. It’s really cool.”
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
Reuben Lancaster learned of the opportunity through an OMSI newsletter. It’s the first time Lancaster has worked on a three-dimensional project. “I’ve done flat stuff, but not any kind of 3D. It’s hard to draw on a bumpy surface. A lot of it is just how you hold your body.”
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
Lizzie Keenan, who works in tourism in Clackamas County, said she is a self-taught watercolor painter who had to learn acrylics for the project. “It’s been a super cool experience seeing all the different artists, everybody’s different styles and ideas and creativity in this one space. It’s been a lot of fun,” Keenan said.
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
Keenan’s design draws from the Portland area’s woodsy environment. “Native trees, bark, critters and owls are all going to go in here,” she said. “I’m just trying to kind of speak to the natural landscape that has always existed and still does even as urban life has come in.”
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
Local artist Mike Bennett submitted a design this year after being a fan of Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail in 2024. Using what looked like a magic marker—actually a paint pen—he was adding details to individual feathers in his pastel colored creation during the studio visit.
Wild in Art connected the 30 Portland artists with a Facebook group that had hundreds of other artists from around the world who have created similar installations.
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Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
The sculptures will be on display through October 31 along walkways, plazas, parks and street corners throughout the city. At the end of the event, the sculptures will be auctioned off, with proceeds to benefit OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. The installation will also include an app, digital and physical maps, a dedicated website and a customized Spotify playlist.
Local artists are in the midst of designing 6 ft. crow sculptures for an upcoming art installation in downtown PortlandSean Sterling
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