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Portland Parks Foundation presents: Green Dreams: Through the Eyes of the Elk
Free
The David P. Thompson Elk Fountain has been a Portland icon for 125 years. Removed from its home downtown due to collateral damage from community protests in 2020, the Elk has been out of sight but not out of mind as it makes its return this fall. The Elk is not just a fountain. It’s art, a gathering place, and a symbol. But, of what? For whom?
Join Portland Parks Foundation for the second event in their 2025 Green Dreams series, “On the Nature of Monuments,” in partnership with the City’s Portland Monuments Project (PMP) to examine the interplay of nature, monuments, memory, and cultural placemaking. This panel discussion with historians explores the social, cultural, and ecological stories surrounding our iconic elk and how its meaning in our city has evolved over centuries. Plus, encounter for the first time two illustrated stories: one comic examining the history of the Thompson Elk Fountain, and one traditional story from Grand Ronde people of Mulak (Elk) Man.
As part of the Portland Monuments Project, this event is meant to inform Portlanders about the history of this beloved icon and inquire with residents about how we should approach monuments and memory-making in our city.
Free and open to all. Register in advance here.
Moderated by Adam Davis, the Executive Director of Oregon Humanities, panelists at this event will include:
David Harrelson:Â David Harrelson is an administrator, lecturer, and proponent for the arts and historic preservation. He works as the Cultural Resources Department manager for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, where he is also an enrolled member. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Oregon Arts Commission.
Keith Eggener:Â Keith Eggener is Marion Dean Ross Professor of Architectural History at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Previously, he taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and Carleton College.
Milo Reed: Milo is a historical researcher, writer & oral historian, working all across the state of Oregon. He has completed projects for organizations like Vanport Mosaic, Oregon Black Pioneers, the Portland Parks Foundation, Oregon Heritage, The University of Oregon, the Oregon Historical Society, the Timbers Army, & Multnomah County Library.
