Water Tiger PDX

Meaning:

The Water Tiger was the Chinese Zodiac of the year 2022 but quickly grew throughout Portland City Hall as a symbol marking the efforts to bring back the city from the dark times of the COVID-19 lockdown. Not only does Water Tiger celebrate the City of Portland’s hard work to reinfuse downtown Portland with life, but the zodiac embodies the spirit of courage, strength, and boldness that city workers possess every day.

About the artist:

Artist Olivia Cheng first became involved with the Water Tiger Movement while attending a youth event at City Hall, and soon became inspired to create the Water Tiger image that was used for the mayor’s office Portland Half Marathon team, as well as a separate image that was displayed on City Hall throughout the Winter Light Festival in February 2023. Olivia is now taking on the challenge of helping continue this movement by creating art that will be displayed at the Waterfront Blues Festival in two new art installations (a painted piano for Piano.Push.Play and a crowdsourced mural art installation), another event signature to Portland, Oregon. Olivia’s bio is here.

Water Tiger at 2023 Waterfront Blues Festival

July 1 - 4, 2023 at Waterfront Park

In partnership with Portland youth artist Olivia Cheng, Prosper Portland, Waterfront Blues Festival and the Portland Mayor’s Office

Olivia was brought onto the Waterfront Blues Festival (WBF) team as part of an effort to continue highlighting the presence of “Water Tiger” throughout the city. Olivia met with WBF organizers Emily Crowley and Christina Fuller, Prosper Portland and others to plan projects for the festival. A special thank you to Blue Allen and Mariano Di Yorio with Jaja PDX for providing Olivia a space to paint in. Photos of the kickoff event can be found here.

WATER TIGER MURAL – interactive art installation

Designed and built in collaboration artist Olivia Cheng, Prosper Portland, builder and installer Kristin Jensen and Waterfront Blues Festival organizers

This interactive mural encourages you, citizens and visitors of Portland, to share what you love about our city and courageously offer our hopes and actions for the future.

All are invited to write one of the following on a sticker to add to the mural:

- My favorite thing about Portland is:

- One of my favorite Portland memories is:

- I’m doing ____ to help my community in Portland.

- My big idea for Portland is:

WATER TIGER PIANO

In partnership with Olivia, Prosper Portland, Waterfront Blues Festival organizers, Piano.Push.Play and Jaja PDX

More about Piano. Push. Play. (pianopushplay.com) - Piano. Push. Play. is on a mission to make pianos available to anyone who wants to play them. Since 2013, we have worked with local piano companies to rescue old pianos that are still in great shape and get them out into the world to be enjoyed.

Megan McGeorge with Piano.Push.Play provided a donated piano to Olivia to paint for the Blues Festival. A special thank you to Blue Allen and Mariano Di Yorio with Jaja PDX for providing Olivia a space to paint in.

After the festival, the piano will be moved to Sellwood Riverfront Park as a part of the larger Piano.Push.Play community art installation.