Transforming Peace Memorial Park: Bringing Art to Community Spaces

We’re excited to share the completion of a project long in the making! While infrastructure like traffic control boxes is essential for the smooth functioning of society, these often-overlooked and sometimes graffitied objects don’t always radiate as a community asset. At Lloyd EcoDistrict, we strive to find creative ways to bring a sense of place and beauty to spaces in the neighborhood that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

In partnership with local artist Irene Ramirez and the City, we wrapped a utility box at Peace Memorial Park, just feet away from one of Portland’s busiest biking areas. The artwork highlights the importance of our local pollinators while giving a sense of place to this vibrant neighborhood. Featuring the bold text “Peace Memorial Park,” this formerly blank, graffiti-covered box now invites cyclists, pedestrians, and visitors to connect with the area in a colorful way. 

The benefits of the project are multifold. The vinyl wrap is not only beautiful, but it’s also graffiti-resistant, designed to endure Portland’s seasons for years. Now, instead of constantly repainting over graffiti, we can easily maintain the box’s vibrant surface with a quick wipe-down. During last week’s community cleanup, led by Lloyd EcoDistrict, I had the pleasure of testing the graffiti resistance of the new artwork, using an eco-friendly cleaner to remove the small amount of graffiti that had appeared since the installation one week prior. 

Next time you’re passing through Peace Memorial Park, take a moment to enjoy the colorful utility box near the stoplight. It’s a small but meaningful way we’re working to beautify and enhance our community spaces here in the Lloyd neighborhood!

Learn more about Peace Memorial Park, its history, and our future plans for this cherished little public space here.