Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Student-painted Labor Mural Unveiled at Sylvania Sept. 13

Photos and story by James Hill

In early July, Portland Community College art students joined forces with the faculty and classified unions at PCC to complete the PCC Labor History Mural. A spirited crew of 12 students added life to the design created by PCC art instructor Bill Garnett during his two-week mural workshop this summer.

Now see what happens when you mix paint and passion with a little guidance at the official unveiling of the piece in the Sylvania Campus Science and Technology Building courtyard on Monday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. Also scheduled to jazz up the festivities will be the band The Nutty Professors, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The campus is located at 12000 S.W. 49th Ave.

The project became a reality when the PCC Faculty Federation (PCCFF) and the PCC Federation of Classified Employees (PCCFCE) sought and received funding for the mural from entities such as the Regional Arts and Culture Council, Plumbers and Steamfitters, Local 290, AFT-Oregon and others.

The muralist said the color scheme was an impromptu effort from the students that managed to work well.

"That can be a little dangerous," said Bill Garnett, who has the experience of 30 murals in Oregon and Washington on his résumé, "but these students have a very strong artistic sense. It’s a very social process and the students have to interrelate."

The chance to be a part of something larger than just an art project appealed to Sylvania art student Tamara Paulat.

"It is a community project and I wanted to be involved in a community effort," she said. "Nobody knew what this was going to come out like. It was quite a process.

For more information on the project or the official unveiling, contact the PCC Federation Office at 977-4180.