In its second year, Forest for the Trees, curated by gallerist Matt Wagner and artist Gage Hamilton, brought together 20 international and local artists in Portland for a few days of mural painting intended to encourage the growth of public art in a city already known for its creative flair. Unlike other street art festivals around the world, Forest for the Trees had a notable presence of artists you wouldn’t necessarily put in the street art or graffiti camps.
Mary Iverson, a Washington state-based artist known for her collage-infused landscape paintings, painted a wall alongside Blaine Fontana, who is primarily recognized for his painting and design work, and Jshea, who has garnered attention for his miniature sculptures. These artists joined the likes of Curiot, whose deity-like monster characters populate walls everywhere from his native Mexico City to Berlin, and Faith47, a South African painter and active muralist. Take a look at the first part of our recap and stay tuned for more FFTT photos tomorrow. Portland readers, you can check out the murals in person by following this map.
Curiot:
Blaine Fontana:
Faith47:
Gage Hamilton:
Jeremy Nichols:
Jshea:
Mary Iverson:
Maryanna Hoggatt
Mateu Valasco:
Public art and murals add an imaginative dimension to the daily humdrum of city life — a cause public art project 
Mexico City artist Curiot Tlalpazotl's mythical creations call upon cultural iconography and traditional craftmaking. In recent years, the artist's work has ranged from gallery paintings to massive installations and mural work. Much of it points to Mexican culture, which the artist said he reconnected with upon moving back after living in the States. Curiot was featured in 
Seattle-based artist