Facing the Amtrak Downeaster line, this mural transformed a drab, vandalized wall and brought a literal breath of fresh air to the surrounding setting. The piece is themed “Beastie Boy’s - Intergalactic Planetary” and stands as a dedication to one of Portland’s founding graffiti artists, Mike Rich. After contacting the building owner, they gladly allowed us to clean up the adjacent grounds and install a mural of our design at no cost to the building owner. Remarkably, the mural has gone unvandalized throughout its more than ten-year lifespan to date. Not only has the artwork remained untouched, but tags on the front and sides of the building have ceased entirely. It’s a clear, real-world example of what we can achieve for your property, regardless of how neglected the grounds may be.
When we arrived, the grounds were in poor condition — frequently used for drug activity and as a public restroom. We began by cutting back the overgrowth and clearing away litter and discarded needles. After that, we installed a temporary flat walkway so we would have even, solid ground to work from.
We applied a solid coat of base primer along with fresh coat of paint, creating a clean slate ready for the mural production.
With four artists working together, the project only took two days to complete, and that includes cleaning up the grounds as well as building and removing the temporary walkway. The highlight of the project for me was when the passengers on the Downeaster waved to us as they passed by, and the people from the surrounding neighborhoods stopping by to thank us for our hard work and offering us water.
