The Dream, also known as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Sculpture,[1] is an outdoor bronze sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr. by Michael Florin Dente, located outside the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. The 8-foot (2.4 m) memorial statue was dedicated on August 28, 1998, the 35th anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech. It depicts King plus three allegorical sculptures: a man who symbolizes the American worker, a woman who represents immigration, and a young girl shown releasing King's coattail, who represents, according to Dente, the "letting go" that occurs when people sacrifice their time and energy to engage in a struggle. The sculpture is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection, courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
Lee P. Brown and Vera Katz, mayors of Houston and Portland, respectively, were present at the dedication ceremony. The memorial has been used as a reference point for gatherings. It has also appeared in public art guides and walking tours. Seventy-five bronze replicas of the work exist, and Dente planned to send pieces of the original mold to each of the replicas' owners once all were sold.
The Dream is an 8-foot (2.4 m) bronze statue depicting Martin Luther King Jr. It is located at the intersection of Northeast Holladay Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, outside the northeast corner of the Oregon Convention Center in the Rose Quarter of Portland's Lloyd District.[2][3] King is shown "stepping forward with conviction to deliver his powerful message".[1][4] He is surrounded by three allegorical figures: behind and to King's right is a young white man with his sleeves rolled up who symbolizes the working American;[5] directly behind King is a woman wading ashore who represents the country's immigration history; and behind and to the left of King is a young girl, shown releasing King's coattail, who represents "intergenerational respect".[4] According to Dente, the working-class man "has come to the realization and made the decision to step forward to announce his support for the universal message of equality, freedom and justice".[1] Dente described the girl's release of King's coattail as "a 'letting go' process when one or more members of a family is called away to contribute their energy and time to a concept and struggle of greatest importance to all people of the world."[1]
Seventy-five bronze replicas exist; once the replicas were purchased, Dente planned to send pieces of the mold to each of the replicas' owners.[1]
HistoryEdit
U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield spoke at a fundraising breakfast for the sculpture.
Paul Knauls, a local resident and entrepreneur who was described as the "unofficial mayor" of Northeast Portland,[8] was "instrumental" in securing funding for the sculpture's design.[9] Cheryl Perrin and Betsy Brumm coordinated fundraising, with assistance from Charles Lewis; before Lewis invited U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield, for whom he had worked as an intern, to speak at a breakfast fundraiser, fundraising efforts had stalled for eight years. Oregon's Congressional delegation wrote appeals to large companies, requesting their support at the breakfast. Within six months of the campaign's re-launch, $300,000 was raised, enough to create the sculpture.[10]The Dream was dedicated by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Statue Foundation on August 28, 1998, the 35th anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech.[6][11] It was also dedicated by Harry Belafonte and much of the Congressional delegation.[10] John Jenkins, chairman of the foundation, said in a statement announcing the statue and its dedication:
Our dream began in the hearts of the students at Martin Luther King Jr., Elementary School nearly ten years ago. The dream was nurtured by the late state Senator Bill McCoy, and through the donations of Oregonians and some of our state's most respected businesses; we will have an original work of art honoring the memory and ideals of one of America's greatest leaders.[6]
Jeff Blosser, general manager of the Oregon Convention Center, said, "It is an honor for the Oregon Convention Center as well as our city, to have this significant sculpture placed here. It will be a very visible symbol for Oregonians, as well as the thousands of visitors who come to our state each year."[6] Dedication ceremony attendees included local educator Laverne Davis, who served as "Mistress of Ceremonies"; Lee P. Brown and Vera Katz, mayors of Houston and Portland, respectively; Mike Burton of the regional government Metro; Charles Jordan, director of Portland Parks & Recreation; Bishop A. A. Wells; and Dente. Music was provided by the Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School Choir, Ada Tillis, and the Accelerated Music Group.[6]
In 2014, Knauls shared with Oregon Public Broadcasting that he considers the project one of his proudest accomplishments. He said the project was a major undertaking and said that "it's still surprising how many people don't even know the statue is there".[8][12]
The memorial has been used as a place for gatherings. Charles Lewis announced his candidacy for Portland City Commissioner near the memorial in 2007.[3] In 2008, a march honoring King began at the statue.[13] In 2014, the sculpture served as the first stop on a "Housing History Tour" of Portland, sponsored by the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, the Portland Human Rights Commission, and Race Talks.[14] It has also been included in public art guides and walking tours.[15][16]
^ abcdef"The Dream". Art by Dente. from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^"The Dream, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^ ab(PDF). Friends of Charles Lewis. June 1, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^ ab"Art Walking Tour" (PDF). Oregon Convention Center. (PDF) from the original on March 14, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^Weaver, Joshua R. (August 18, 2011). . The Root. The Slate Group. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015. Note: Image 9 of 17.
^ abcde"Oregon to Dedicate Statue Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr". PR Newswire. Martin Luther King Jr. Statue Foundation. August 4, 1998. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^"The Dream, 1998". cultureNOW. from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^ abRosman, John; Sabatier, Julie (April 2, 2014). "'Comics for Change' Tackles Large Oregon Issues in Mini-Comics". Oregon Public Broadcasting. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^Moreland, Kimberly Stowers (2013). African Americans of Portland. Arcadia Publishing. p. 126. ISBN9780738596198. from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^ ab"Fundraising and Development: Early Fundraising Efforts". CharlesLewis.com. from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^"Home". Art by Dente. from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^Sabatier, Julie (March 26, 2014). ""Comics for Change" Profiles Oregon Activists". Oregon Public Broadcasting. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^Nokes, Kathy (April 2, 2008). "Remembering Martin Luther King Jr". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^Fernandez, Natalia (July 12, 2014). "Portland Housing History Tour". Oregon Multicultural Archives. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^(PDF). Regional Arts & Culture Council. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
Cook, Sybilla Avery (April 2, 2013). Walking Portland, Oregon (2nd ed.). Globe Pequot. p. 216. ISBN9780762778065. from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
External linksEdit
African American history at Travel Portland
Historic Sculptures at Art by Dente
Portland needs a convention center hotel to boost the regional economy (November 10, 2012), The Oregonian
The Dream – Portland, OR – Civil Rights Memorials at Waymarking
The Dream – Portland, Oregon – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Waymarking
dream, sculpture, confused, with, dream, sculpture, dreamers, sculpture, dream, also, known, martin, luther, king, memorial, sculpture, outdoor, bronze, sculpture, martin, luther, king, michael, florin, dente, located, outside, oregon, convention, center, port. Not to be confused with Dream sculpture or The Dreamers sculpture The Dream also known as the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Sculpture 1 is an outdoor bronze sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr by Michael Florin Dente located outside the Oregon Convention Center in Portland Oregon The 8 foot 2 4 m memorial statue was dedicated on August 28 1998 the 35th anniversary of King s I Have a Dream speech It depicts King plus three allegorical sculptures a man who symbolizes the American worker a woman who represents immigration and a young girl shown releasing King s coattail who represents according to Dente the letting go that occurs when people sacrifice their time and energy to engage in a struggle The sculpture is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts amp Culture Council The DreamThe sculpture in 2016ArtistMichael Florin DenteCompletion dateAugust 28 1998 1998 08 28 TypeSculptureMediumBronzeSubjectMartin Luther King Jr Dimensions8 feet 2 4 m tallLocationPortland OregonCoordinates45 31 48 N 122 39 43 W 45 5298688 N 122 661991 W 45 5298688 122 661991OwnerCity of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts amp Culture CouncilWebsitewww wbr artbydente wbr com wbr The wbr Dream wbr htmlLee P Brown and Vera Katz mayors of Houston and Portland respectively were present at the dedication ceremony The memorial has been used as a reference point for gatherings It has also appeared in public art guides and walking tours Seventy five bronze replicas of the work exist and Dente planned to send pieces of the original mold to each of the replicas owners once all were sold Contents 1 Description 2 History 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDescription Edit The statue is located outside the Oregon Convention Center The Dream is an 8 foot 2 4 m bronze statue depicting Martin Luther King Jr It is located at the intersection of Northeast Holladay Street and Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard outside the northeast corner of the Oregon Convention Center in the Rose Quarter of Portland s Lloyd District 2 3 King is shown stepping forward with conviction to deliver his powerful message 1 4 He is surrounded by three allegorical figures behind and to King s right is a young white man with his sleeves rolled up who symbolizes the working American 5 directly behind King is a woman wading ashore who represents the country s immigration history and behind and to the left of King is a young girl shown releasing King s coattail who represents intergenerational respect 4 According to Dente the working class man has come to the realization and made the decision to step forward to announce his support for the universal message of equality freedom and justice 1 Dente described the girl s release of King s coattail as a letting go process when one or more members of a family is called away to contribute their energy and time to a concept and struggle of greatest importance to all people of the world 1 PlaqueThe artist dedicated the monument to King s sacrifices to those who believe in King s message and to the ongoing march for truth and justice 1 Business and organizations that contributed 10 000 or more to the project are recognized at the statue Funders included ARCO Chevron Corporation Fred Meyer The Greenbrier Companies Gunderson Inc International Art Group Kaiser Permanente Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Meier amp Frank Oregon Health amp Science University Oregon Labor Unions AFL CIO Oregon Lottery Portland Development Commission Portland Trail Blazers RH Parker United Foundation US West and the William G Gilmore Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation 6 The work is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts amp Culture Council 7 Seventy five bronze replicas exist once the replicas were purchased Dente planned to send pieces of the mold to each of the replicas owners 1 History Edit U S Senator Mark Hatfield spoke at a fundraising breakfast for the sculpture Paul Knauls a local resident and entrepreneur who was described as the unofficial mayor of Northeast Portland 8 was instrumental in securing funding for the sculpture s design 9 Cheryl Perrin and Betsy Brumm coordinated fundraising with assistance from Charles Lewis before Lewis invited U S Senator Mark Hatfield for whom he had worked as an intern to speak at a breakfast fundraiser fundraising efforts had stalled for eight years Oregon s Congressional delegation wrote appeals to large companies requesting their support at the breakfast Within six months of the campaign s re launch 300 000 was raised enough to create the sculpture 10 The Dream was dedicated by the Martin Luther King Jr Statue Foundation on August 28 1998 the 35th anniversary of King s I Have a Dream speech 6 11 It was also dedicated by Harry Belafonte and much of the Congressional delegation 10 John Jenkins chairman of the foundation said in a statement announcing the statue and its dedication Our dream began in the hearts of the students at Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School nearly ten years ago The dream was nurtured by the late state Senator Bill McCoy and through the donations of Oregonians and some of our state s most respected businesses we will have an original work of art honoring the memory and ideals of one of America s greatest leaders 6 Lee P Brown Mayor of Houston left and Vera Katz Mayor of Portland right attended the sculpture s dedication ceremony Jeff Blosser general manager of the Oregon Convention Center said It is an honor for the Oregon Convention Center as well as our city to have this significant sculpture placed here It will be a very visible symbol for Oregonians as well as the thousands of visitors who come to our state each year 6 Dedication ceremony attendees included local educator Laverne Davis who served as Mistress of Ceremonies Lee P Brown and Vera Katz mayors of Houston and Portland respectively Mike Burton of the regional government Metro Charles Jordan director of Portland Parks amp Recreation Bishop A A Wells and Dente Music was provided by the Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School Choir Ada Tillis and the Accelerated Music Group 6 In 2014 Knauls shared with Oregon Public Broadcasting that he considers the project one of his proudest accomplishments He said the project was a major undertaking and said that it s still surprising how many people don t even know the statue is there 8 12 The memorial has been used as a place for gatherings Charles Lewis announced his candidacy for Portland City Commissioner near the memorial in 2007 3 In 2008 a march honoring King began at the statue 13 In 2014 the sculpture served as the first stop on a Housing History Tour of Portland sponsored by the Fair Housing Council of Oregon the Portland Human Rights Commission and Race Talks 14 It has also been included in public art guides and walking tours 15 16 See also Edit1998 in art Civil rights movement in popular culture List of memorials to Martin Luther King Jr References Edit a b c d e f The Dream Art by Dente Archived from the original on February 2 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 The Dream sculpture Smithsonian Institution Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 a b Charles Lewis to Launch Campaign for Portland City Council PDF Friends of Charles Lewis June 1 2007 Archived from the original PDF on March 4 2016 Retrieved March 1 2015 a b Art Walking Tour PDF Oregon Convention Center Archived PDF from the original on March 14 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 Weaver Joshua R August 18 2011 MLK Images from Around the World The Root The Slate Group Archived from the original on March 23 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 Note Image 9 of 17 a b c d e Oregon to Dedicate Statue Honoring Dr Martin Luther King Jr PR Newswire Martin Luther King Jr Statue Foundation August 4 1998 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 The Dream 1998 cultureNOW Archived from the original on March 23 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 a b Rosman John Sabatier Julie April 2 2014 Comics for Change Tackles Large Oregon Issues in Mini Comics Oregon Public Broadcasting Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 Moreland Kimberly Stowers 2013 African Americans of Portland Arcadia Publishing p 126 ISBN 9780738596198 Archived from the original on April 12 2016 Retrieved March 1 2015 a b Fundraising and Development Early Fundraising Efforts CharlesLewis com Archived from the original on February 4 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 Home Art by Dente Archived from the original on March 25 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 Sabatier Julie March 26 2014 Comics for Change Profiles Oregon Activists Oregon Public Broadcasting Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 Nokes Kathy April 2 2008 Remembering Martin Luther King Jr The Oregonian Advance Publications Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 Fernandez Natalia July 12 2014 Portland Housing History Tour Oregon Multicultural Archives Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 1 2015 A Guide to Portland Public Art PDF Regional Arts amp Culture Council 2014 Archived from the original PDF on August 29 2014 Retrieved March 1 2015 Walking tours Portland Cultural Tours Public Art Walking Tour PDF Regional Arts amp Culture Council 2007 Archived from the original PDF on October 6 2014 Retrieved March 1 2015 Cook Sybilla Avery April 2 2013 Walking Portland Oregon 2nd ed Globe Pequot p 216 ISBN 9780762778065 Archived from the original on April 13 2016 Retrieved March 1 2015 External links EditAfrican American history at Travel Portland Historic Sculptures at Art by Dente Portland needs a convention center hotel to boost the regional economy November 10 2012 The Oregonian The Dream Portland OR Civil Rights Memorials at Waymarking The Dream Portland Oregon Dr Martin Luther King Jr at Waymarking The Dream at Emporis Portals Oregon United States Visual arts Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Dream sculpture amp oldid 1158115628, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
