Know Your Neighbors

On March 1st, 2012, the students at Portland State University and the Bud Clark Commons, will present the opening of Know Your Neighbors. This exhibit aims to begin a dialogue between residents of the BCC and the surrounding community.

This project is part of a senior Portland State course that sets the University’s motto - Let Knowledge Serve the City - in action. Through weekly activities, including guest artist presentations and student-led workshops, the students have worked with the residents of Bud Clark Commons to create the exhibit.

Know Your Neighbors seeks to explore how art can be used to serve this transitional community and to facilitate a broader awareness of our neighbors. The art exhibition will be held on First Thursday and will feature pieces created by the residents of the Bud Clark Commons in partnership with local artists and PSU students.

The Bud Clark Commons was constructed in 2009 as a cornerstone to Portland’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness, and is an innovative partnership between the Portland Housing Bureau, Home Forward, Transitions Projects, Inc., and Multnomah County. The goal of the center is to provide vital resources, shelter, and housing placement services to individuals experiencing homelessness in Portland, and consists of 130 housing units, a 90-bed men’s transitional shelter, and a day center providing crucial services to Portland’s homeless community, including computer and telephone access, showering and laundry facilities, and physical and mental health services. Beginning in January, students from Portland State have been actively engaging with residents and staff of the Bud Clark Commons to create an art workshop program.

Join the students of Portland State and members of the Bud Clark Commons on March 1st for Know Your Neighbors, the culmination of this artistic venture.

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