The Vanport Mosaic

The Vanport Mosaic is a platform for memory activism. We amplify, honor, and preserve the silenced histories surrounding us to understand our present and envision a new chapter where we all belong.

Through oral history recordings and screenings, original theater performances, tours, exhibits, and dialogues, we amplify the personal experience of individuals and communities impacted by the long-endured inequalities across American economic, social, and civic systems.

The Vanport Mosaic honors the experience of traditionally underrepresented and under-heard communities of color by surfacing, celebrating, and maintaining their cultural and historical memories. Our work is grounded in collaborative and participatory practices that allow us to live up to one of our core values: telling stories WITH and not ABOUT communities.

Our annual Vanport Mosaic Festival is “ a highlight of Portland’s cultural calendar, blending history, culture, arts, and activism into a living and highly creative memorial.”

Vanport Mosaic was awarded the Spirit of Portland Award by Commissioner Nick Fish, the Columbia Slough Watershed Council’s Achievement Award, and the Oregon Heritage Excellence Award.

In 2022, our efforts were recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which named Vanport Mosaic as one of 80 organizations nationwide, using historical places as catalysts for a more just and equitable society. This recognition showcases the multi-layered intersections of underrepresented communities of people that we serve.

On May 2023, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) selected Vanport Mosaic as a 2023 Award of Excellence winner by the Leadership in History awards committee for our work about Vanport - the nation’s most prestigious competition for recognition of achievement in state and local history