Title: Furin Project
Medium: Community Art Practice
Technique: Engaged with 11 organizations and collaborated with over 300 community artist stakeholders. Facilitated 12 free clay bell-making workshops, organized a symposium, created two art installations, and redistributed the handmade bells to community participants.
Dimensions: Varied
Year Completed: 2023
Description: The Furin Project was a year-and-a-half-long community art initiative led by interdisciplinary artist Midori Hirose, involving over 300 participants in Southeast Portland. Inspired by the history of Japanese-American farming, the project connected generations, explored local legacies of internment and displacement and fostered healing through art. The series included free clay bell-making workshops, a symposium featuring an art walk, and two immersive art installations.
Workshops and activities were held in collaboration with several organizations, including Ikoi No Kai, Kirkland Union Manor, Portland Fruit Tree Project, Montavilla Farmers Market, Ride Connection, and various Portland Community College (PCC) campuses (SE, Rock Creek, Cascade, and Sylvania). At PCC, the project partnered with departments such as GIS, Music, Sonic Arts, New Media Coding, Learning Garden, Community-Based Learning, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Photography, and the Ceramics Department. Additional collaborations included McDaniel’s High School and a workshop studying pigment-to-clay applications with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Portland Cultural Lifeways, APANO, and the Mural Arts Institute.
Bells created during the workshops were installed at PCC SE Campus, providing an immersive space for community reflection. After the exhibitions, the handmade bells were redistributed to participants, along with gift bags containing QR codes for sharing personal stories. The project also featured multimedia collaborations, including a GIS story map and interactive sound installations, deepening community engagement and honoring cultural histories.
For more details and photos, please visit Midori Hirose’s website: www.midorihiro....
The Furin Project was supported by the Mural Arts PACE Initiative, a program dedicated to promoting socially engaged public art across the United States.
Copyright 2023 Midori Hirose.
Furin Project Final Credit Plates Added 9 29 23
17 сен 2024
