Vanport Survivors In Front of Vanport Mosaic Permanent Tribute

Ben Johnson, Janice Okamoto, Ed Washington, who all lived in Vanport and survived the 1948 flood, posing in from of The Spirit of Vanport - a permanent tribute created by Vanport Mosaic in the lobby of PSU Vanport Building.

This large scale mural with panels sharing history and quotes from our oral history collection is a tribute to the legacy of this vibrant community, and at the same time an accessible entry point to Oregon’s history of exclusion and discrimination.

When the shrinking community finally gathered in the lobby of the new public building (named after Vanport), they marveled at the large-scale mural that represented the mosaic of their experiences. They found their quotes and names on the panels, next to those of friends who had passed away. After almost 75 years, the silenced history of Oregon’s like Katrina has a home. The Spirit of Vanport lives on.

The permanent tribute to the Spirit of Vanport was curated and facilitated by Laura Lo Forti in collaboration with Chisao Hata and Shalanda Sims.
Mural by Alex Chiu. Steel panels by Bryan Potter Design.
Made possible by Portland State University.