Presented by ArtCity, in partnership with City of Eugene Parks and Open Spaces and Cultural Services

“Culture Raising” was a temporary public art project installed from June 2022 to June 2024 during construction at the Downtown Riverfront Park. The artwork brings awareness to the Native American peoples and cultures by showing larger-than-life faces of Native American people who live in our community. Half of each elder’s face is matched with a youth or young adult face, emphasizing unity and representing the past, present and future of Native American cultures.

The project invited young adults of systemically marginalized backgrounds, cultures and demographics to raise awareness of our Native American neighbors by working together to install the images of the elders and young adults photographed by TJ.

This project was made possible with funding from Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Eugene and with support from Cultural Services and Parks and Open Spaces. This project is the result of an open artist call to Lane County artists in the summer of 2020.

A Conversation on Culture Raising
A panel discussion with artists TJ, Charly Swing, Greg Black, and participants who worked together to raise up our Native American and Indigenous community through the social practice photography piece titled Culture Raising, located at the Riverfront Park Plaza. The panel discussion is led by LCC Longhouse Steward, Lori Tapahonso. Watch the video on Facebook