Are you art savvy and looking for the best murals in Portland, Oregon? The streets of Portland have a lot of eye-catching, art-covered walls.
In this article, I’ll give you a detailed description of the 20 best murals in Portland.
Enjoy!
Portland’s Best Murals
From the downright bizarre to murals that cover moments in history, here’s a perfect description of the 20 best murals in Portland.
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The artistic displays on this street include a black and white snake created by artist Spencer Keeton Cunningham. He made it for the 2014 Forest for Trees Mural Festival. The mural was Egyptian-inspired —a gigantic green monster with a toothy grin and abstract 3D installments.
Keep Portland Weird
This mural represents the Portland spirit — weird and fun, a place where individuality is renowned.
It has become part of the town’s tourist attractions. The wall showcases a commercial storey building with a few dry trees in front.
It’s also close to Voodoo Doughnuts, one of the best doughnuts in Portland.
Alexis Walls
The Alexis Walls is a Portland Street Art Alliance. This Graffiti’s new production was launched in 2017. It’s most popular for being one of the finest there is.
What’s more? The public is provided with a rotating public art gallery.
If you aren’t impressed by the artwork (which is almost impossible), keep in mind that it took 5 days for the artists to finish the pieces. That’s inspiring, to say the least.
The mural is majorly inspired by Greek vases. Each section is brought to life by the artists’ personal touch. If you’re in town, you can check it out at 215 SE Stark Street.
Bot Wall
This bot-inspired mural is located at 1205 SE Stark Street. It’s a helplessly cute pairing of three robot murals that ask:
‘What brings you joy?’
‘How can I help?’
‘What’s your inspiration?’
Gary Hirsch, an Oregon artist, painted the images. He has painted over 64,000 domino bots, with the first being painted in 2010.
Art Fills the Void!
This is also one of the best murals in Portland. It depicts an enormous banana created by a group of talented guys called ‘Gorilla Warfare.’
The mural itself apparently was meant to be a protest against the Reagan-era guerilla wars in Central America.
A fun fact is that this ancient mural seems to be one of the longest-standing of the group artworks.
Other inventions were either washed off or taken down with the buildings they were on.
The art was originally painted in 1982 and revamped in 2015.
Mural on Hawthorne and 10th Street
There are over 2000 pieces of public art in Portland. And this untitled mural on Hawthorne and 10th street is very aesthetic.
The mural depicts a woman wearing a bunny mask as a hat. With its details and mix of colors, you’d wonder why the artist would leave such a gorgeous piece unnamed.
Among the many murals in Portland, this definitely is an eye-catcher.
Hawthorne Arrows
The Forest For The Trees non-profit mural event features some amazing murals. Hawthorne Arrows is one of them.
The mural is an assemblage of arrows drawn parallel to one another in opposite directions.
It was painted by famed Portland artist, Blaine Fontana.
You can easily see this mural on any sunny afternoon in South Portland. If not, then your next catch should be the annual Portland mural event at the end of August.
Faces Mural
The Face mural features some bold and unconventional artworks. Like the Portland spirit, it displays the vibrancy of clowns.
This mural was created by Tom Cramer, another Portland native. It is located at NE 22nd Avenue on Alberta Street.
Swimming Elephant
Swimming Elephant is a cool and colorful mural located at 2314 NE Alberta Street.
This aesthetic painting features an elephant in sea blue color swimming through the walls.
One thing’s for sure — you don’t see that every day.
Blind Insect Gallery
It seems to me that the most colorful murals line the streets of Alberta! This enthralling mural gem features insects.
Even more — its blue, yellow, and summer colors make the flowers on the mural pop with color. If anything, the mural reminds one of the vibrancy of spring.
Mural on 412 SW 12th Avenue
Another untitled mural finds itself on 412 SW 12th Avenue. It features a barefooted graying woman, having green pants and soaring through the air.
The detail in the artwork is breathtaking. You don’t get to see a granny flying through the air every day!
Attitude of Gratitude
This foot mural has been famed to feature 1,000 living plants in a woman’s hair. Standing at 70 feet, the lady stands with clasped hands in prayer. Amongst many things, this mural deserves some high praise for its concise attention to detail.
Stampeding Rhino
This Portland piece features a life-size rhino running through the street. While at it, it takes out some street signs with its horns.
It’s one of the few animal-inspired murals. The Stampeding Rhino was painted by Josh Keyes. It was part of his input for the Forest For Trees in 2015.
This exciting piece is located at 1308 SE Morrison Street, Portland.
The Fair-Haired Dumbbell
This artwork features abstract lines. It’s located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Northern Oregon.
With a poppy high-length design, the mural has an abstract modern touch. For extra effect, it covers the face of an entire building.
The play with colors on this mural can influence a revisitation.
George Floyd Mural
This mural is etched on a wall in Aura Club, Center Street. It was put up in 2020 by Portland artists Jason McDonald, Ryan Adams, and Mike Rich.
The mural commemorates George Floyd who was killed by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Remember the one that sparked a nationwide protest for the Black Lives Matter movement? It’s impossible to forget!
The words ‘Again We Rise’ are spelled out in bold letters on the black-painted mural. The names of black people murdered by police officers in the United States are also written.
Never Look Away Mural
The Never Look Away mural is the first piece dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community in Portland. According to the Mural Production Team, it celebrates the struggles and beauty of this group.
This 120ft mural celebrates the 8 pioneers of the LGBTQ+ movement. The mural is sited at 720 NW Davis Street, Downtown Portland.
For what it’s worth, this mural took the artists 5 years to produce. The artists were Cassandra Swan, Rachel Oleson, Kyra Watkins, Naomi Likayi, and Tommie Mack-Davis.
Bad Karma Mural
This classic is located at 1875 SE Belmont Street. It’s a huge mural, if not one of the largest.
What’s there to love about the Bad Karma mural? The details! “Be nice to those you meet on the way up”. “You will meet them on the way down”.
These words can evoke some deep thoughts!
No Parking Octopus
What’s more fun than giving vital information with great humor? That’s what the No Parking Octopus tries to achieve.
This mural is located on Mississippi Street. It has been praised for being eye-catching and clever in deterring drivers.
Mural on 225 SW 6th Avenue
Though untitled, this mural is instructive. It depicts a man climbing a wall with his focus on an apple. Since nobody’s talking about the real intent of the painter, we’re free to think wide.
If you picture it as an Apple logo, you can relate the mural to the obsession with Apple products. But that’s only my opinion. What do you think?
Pambiche Mural
The Pambiche mural is located at 2811 NE Glisan Street. It gives a perfect touch to the Cuban restaurant it beautifies.
If you’re wondering, it’s not the case of beauty on the inside, a piece of shit on the inside. Pambiche restaurant is a very good restaurant.
I totally recommend it to anybody wanting to go “Cuba”!
In the End, Here’s What I Think!
The Portland murals light the street with cultural and artistic magnificence. If you love art, then mural gazing is a fun activity to engage in when in Portland.
Feel free to take a lot of pictures with these breathtaking murals. It’s okay, we won’t judge!
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Portland Murals
What do you call a mural artist?
They’re called muralists. A mural artist is one who designs or paints wall or ceiling art on expansive surfaces.
Some cities like Portland consider murals a form of art and it’s no wonder! Portland features some of the best mural pieces in all of America.
How many murals are there in Portland?
Portland is home to a lot of breathtaking murals and street art. The murals are inspired by both abstract and natural forms.
There are about 2,000 of them in Portland alone. What finesse to the city!
How do you paint a mural in Portland?
To paint a mural, you have to obtain permission from the city of Portland. You can also get permission through the Regional Arts and Culture Council.
Unrecognized murals can be tagged as graffiti and removed. But with a permit, any art on the street would be legalized.
Where is the famous George Floyd mural?
The George Floyd Mural is located on the side of Aura Club on Center Street, Portland. The mural carries a message from the Black Lives Matter movement – ‘Again We Rise’.
It is intended to dissuade police violence. We all know violence has been a problem in the USA for a long time now.
What is the best paint for murals?
Acrylic paints have proven to be the best ever. And that’s because they serve all kinds of surfaces. They also dry very fast. Since it’s public art, it’s good you go for paint that’ll dry as soon as possible.
