This past August, creative agency Kamp Grizzly’s KAMP Gallery opened its doors to host an archival installation in honor of Street Roots’ 25th anniversary. The show cataloged a quarter-century of giving voice to Portland’s homeless community through the power of journalism and storytelling, presenting the history of Street Roots’ large community of vendors and volunteers (in which Kamp is included), and the ongoing effort to build solidarity with individuals experiencing homelessness in Portland.
The show featured an array of artifacts and artworks from Street Roots’ archives, focusing on stories of resilience, community and survival. Along with displays of archived issues of the Street Roots newspaper, there were news clippings from its original incarnation, the Burnside Cadillac. One of many highlights was a towering collage wall of objects and memorabilia spanning Street Roots’ history: artwork created by past vendors, vintage signage used to promote the paper and even a bouquet of paper roses from a wedding once held at the longtime Street Roots office on Northwest Davis Street. The wall, adorned with messages of solidarity, justice and snapshots from the past, embodies the creative and rebellious spirit of the publication and contextualizes Street Roots’ ongoing work with its history.
Feedback from the exhibit was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees struck by the emotional depth of the artworks on display. Local photographer Gloria Baker Feinstein’s portraits of Street Roots vendors celebrated the individuality of people who have been selling the paper on Portland’s streets for years. The portraits feature eight active vendors, each through a lens that captures the essence of their presence at Street Roots.
The exhibit also showcased Jim Lommasson’s powerful series, What We Carried, documenting items of deep personal significance to their owners. Lommasson captures these objects in photographs, and then invites his subjects to write stories directly onto the prints, sharing the meaning behind each possession. These belongings range from hats to notes, letters, heirlooms and pets. Spread across the wall, the mosaic of items and heartfelt hand-written reflections offered a poignant glimpse into the lives of people experiencing homelessness, revealing their humanity and individuality in a way that’s too often overlooked and underrepresented.
The exhibition also included a limited edition of totes, t-shirts and sweatshirts with exclusive designs custom made for Street Roots by Portland artists Rob Lewis, Eric W. Mast, Bijan Berahimi and Sora Shodo. All proceeds from the merchandise were collected to support Street Roots; giving visitors a way to carry the experience forward and a reminder that their support fuels the work of this vital organization, its publication and its vendors.
The exhibit concluded in early October, but the impact continues. The collage wall — in all its historic and artistic glory — is now installed on the main floor of Street Roots’ new office. It occupies the space as a daily reminder of the countless lives touched by the organization and a permanent homage to its long history. The vibrant and multifaceted installation is a tribute to all the vendors, readers and supporters who’ve been part of the journey over the years.
For Street Roots, this exhibit isn’t just a celebration of the work done in the last 25 years, but a deeply moving call to continue to build community and a stronger future for Portland’s homeless population. Kamp Grizzly’s curation is a wonderful representation of the mission of Street Roots to engage in the pursuit of justice by creating it with each other.
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly investigative publication covering economic, environmental and social inequity. The newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Street Roots newspaper operates independently of Street Roots advocacy and is a part of the Street Roots organization. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring gift today.
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This article appears in December 11, 2024.