Women of Power Mural Activity At The Phoenix Pharmacy Building, July 15th 2020

3718We've visited this corner before. It got our attention today because of the new decor being installed.

The building, on the northwest corner of SE 67th Avenue and Foster Road, was built on 1922 by a pharmacist named John Leach to house his business. The Phoenix Pharmacy remained a going business at one corner or the other at 67th and Foster until the early 2000s, and the building itself, with its unique architecture, has ascended to hallowed landmark status.

Its latter-day history is a bit checkered and tarnished, as the vicissitudes of progress will provide. After the pharmacy vacated the building, a variety of businesses tenanted there, including a cheap phone and VHS video store which is what most people probably remember there, if they remember anything there at all.

In '99, according to the history published online by the preservationist group Foster The Phoenix, a neighborhood businessman purchased the property in hopes of rehabbing it into a stove museum and community center - plans which were destined to remain unrealized. So it remains standing, unoccupied, as Foster The Phoenix works diligently to forward their own plans.

The balks of plywood shielding the first-floor glass are by no means new nor a response to the protests that are ubiquitous in the news. They've been there for a long time, and up to recently, were decorated with an abstract party scene. Our route through the neighborhood was in via Holgate from Outer East Portlandia, then a side-jink via 67th in quest of some much-needed coffee at the Dutch Bros at 67th and Foster. My eye was caught by a young man covering up an ugly red graffito with a rather stylish street-art phoenix. And then it was east to see the new art. While the Brown Eyed Girl fixed us up with lattes, I jumped out and started clicking.

This is some timely art, a tetraptych (I was today years old when I found out that this is a word) of four women.

This first panel, still incomplete ... I'll cop to not recognizing her.

The second panel, also incomplete, but not recognize Frida Kahlo? How could you not do that?

The third panel, I see Angela Davis here.

I'm getting a heavy Marsha P. Johnson vibe on this last one, if only for the unfinished adornments.

This is a strong improvement over the artwork that graced these panels up until now. I hope to get back there after it's finished and get a look at how powerful this will be when complete.

A lot of spirit here!