the Painting Activist

8″ x 10″ oil on canvas, $300 ($50 donated to Church of Our Lady)
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Over the years, the Louisville neighborhood of Portland has shifted from an original hub of commerce in the early 1800’s to a densely populated residential neighborhood. Of course, a lot has happened in between point A and point B. Many of such stories were told by the people who lived them at “Portland Stories” hosted at the historic Portland landmark, Church of Our Lady.

Seated at the stunning altar in a semi-circle were ten proud Portland residents reading from scripts as if in the early rehearsal phase of a play. The amateur performers varied in race, age, sex, education, and socio-economic background. I was delighted to see the narratives were told by residents representing the area’s diversity since my perception of Portland is that of a predominantly minority neighborhood harboring a disproportionate amount of Louisville’s homicides and other crimes. I am entitled to say this since the first apartment I can remember living in as a child hugged the Portland area. Instead of telling people the proper name of the street I lived off of, Dixie Highway, I gave them the fitting adopted name, “Dixie Die-way.” My father also grew up in the vicinity in housing projects that made for stories strikingly parallel to some told by the performers. You know, “…too skinny because ketchup sandwiches don’t get you far,” and “the shade of my cousin’s front porch was a favorite hangout on hot summer days.”

The Portland Museum played a large part in organizing the event by providing rehearsal space and transcribing the stories. It was a wonderful performance highlighting endearing chronicles of Portland. Events in this same vein are scheduled fairly often to engage the community in its lively history. Reverend John Burke conveyed that the community’s involvement is not what he would like. I’m optimistic that continued efforts, such as bringing in the Squallis Puppeteers, will entice a larger audience. Speaking of which, stay tuned for coverage of tonight’s New Year’s bash with the Squallis Puppeteers, and a happy New Year’s to you!