Ainsworth Elementary Marquetry by Aimee Gorham – Portland OR

City:
Portland, OR

Site Type:
Art Works, Mosaics

New Deal Agencies:
Arts Programs, WPA Arts Project (WPAAP)

Artist:
Aimee Spencer Gorham

Quality of Information:
Minimal

Marked:
No

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

Aimee Gorham created a large wooden marquetry at the rear of Ainsworth auditorium. The piece is usually hidden behind band equipment and room dividers. In danger of damage unless acknowledged as US property, not Portland Public School property.

According to Barry N. Ball (2004) “During the WPA period, Gorham did a large number of documented marquetry projects, actually starting in 1933 under the short-lived Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) when she demonstrated her sculptural skills with a bas relief of Abigail Scott Duniway, shown at the Portland Art Museum in 1934. She also did watercolors of fairy tales and prints of civilian conservation camp scenes. She did two “spirit” marquetry panels as WPA projects in high school auditoriums—the Spirit of Jefferson High School and the Spirit of Lincoln High School, both presently unaccounted for. Work was done for Chapman, Riverdale, Gregory Heights, and Ainsworth schools, in addition to works already mentioned.”

Source notes

Barry N. Ball (2004), Aimee Gorham  Ainsworth Elementary: https://www.ochcom.org/pdf/Aimee-Gorham.pdf

 

Site originally submitted by Craig Koon on October 24, 2017.

Location Info


2425 SW Vista Ave
Portland, Oregon 97201
Multnomah County

Location notes: In auditorium of public school.

Coordinates: 45.5098051, -122.69969579999997

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