by CaroPosted on

Despite some drizzly weather, Portland is looking a little more colorful this week. As of August 24th, the nonprofit mural festival Forest for the Trees, previously covered here, has been in high gear as 29 international artists work their magic on buildings across the city. The festival is co-directed by local artist Gage Hamilton and gallerist Matt Wagner of Hellion Gallery in Portland, who wanted to expand on their city’s visual identity through art. For its third year in a row, the project has a goal of creating 19 collaborative new murals.

by Nastia VoynovskayaPosted on

Yesterday we brought you our first recap of Portland’s second annual edition of Forest for the Trees, a new mural festival featuring 20 international and local artists. Today, we round up the rest of the murals. Philadelphia-based artist Nosego played with negative space for his piece, which sparkles on a small section of his giant wall with glowing contrasts. Nearby, Brendan Monroe and Souther Salazar collaborated almost seamlessly, blending whimsy with geometry and design. Paige Wright incorporated three-dimensional elements into her mural while Zach Yarrington opted to create text-based work. Take a look at the highlights after the jump.

by Nastia VoynovskayaPosted on

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.

by Nastia VoynovskayaPosted on

Public art and murals add an imaginative dimension to the daily humdrum of city life — a cause public art project Forest For The Trees is championing in Portland at Hellion Gallery. The gallery is currently hosting a two-week pop-up fundraiser show for FFTT, which is gearing up for a mural series in late August featuring the likes of Blaine Fontana, DAL, Faith47, Know Hope, Mary Iverson and many other international and Portland-based artists. The current group show at Hellion Gallery features works from a small selection of artworks from some of the participants: an assemblage by Fontana, psychedelic paintings by Brendan Monroe, a landscape collage by Mary Iverson and more. The exhibition is on view through May 30. Stay tuned for news about the Forest For The Trees mural series later this summer.

by Margot BuermannPosted on


Cape Town artist Michael Amery shares his concerns about human impact on the environment in his series of drawings, Trees by Man. In charcoal, pen and India ink, the artist depicts forests grown for commercial use, much like the ones found in his native South Africa. A graphic designer with a background in advertising, Amery is interested in how consumerist culture is tied to man’s exploitation of the natural world and its effects on our planet’s vulnerable ecosystems.

by Margot BuermannPosted on


Chromagrain, the latest exhibition from Svper Ordinary Gallery in Denver, brings together the stunning art of Blaine Fontana (featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 36) and David Rice (last covered on our blog here). The new works are currently on view through the end of September. View more images from the exhibition here.