'Wake of Vanport' Offered Dec. 14 at Oregon Historical Society

NPMTC’s collection of Vanport Oral History multimedia productions screened on Saturday, November 15 to a packed hall at the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church in North Portland. It was the premiere screening of works produced during the year through NPMTC production workshops and interviews that paired survivors with artist producers.

NPMTC administrator Naomi Pierce said the project has been ongoing since 2011 and has gained momentum thanks to the outpouring of community support, many volunteer hours, multiple partnerships including the University of Oregon School of Journalism and funding from The Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition and The Skanner Newsgroup. This year Laura LoForti, story mid-wife, directed the project bringing together multiple people and using her skills and creativity to help capture the voices of Vanport survivors.

Nine short documentary type productions were shown to a crowd of over 200. Renee Mitchell performed her poem about Vanport, and Ed Washington, Vanport survivor, led the post discussion.

The next screening will be Dec. 14 at the Oregon Historical Society at 2 p.m. The screening is free and open to the public.

NPMTC plans to continue the Vanport Multimedia Project into 2015. If are a Vanport survivor that would like to be interviewed, please contact NPMTC at 503-285-5555 x 521 or email [email protected]