A contested Mount Tabor statue pedestal has a new resident -- a large crow, who is giving onlookers the middle finger.
The pedestal was first the base for a statue of Harvey Scott, an editor of The Oregonian for 40 years who was a conservative who opposed his sister, Abigail Scott Duniway, on women’s suffrage.
That statue was torn down in October of 2020 in the midst of nationwide protests for social justice that often included tearing down statues of historical men in power.
Scott was mysteriously replaced in February with a bust of York, the only Black person on the Lewis and Clark expedition, an enslaved man who was one of the explorers who made their way West.
That statue was removed by the city after it was defaced and toppled in July.
In a statement at the time, Portland Parks & Recreation director Adena Long said, “The York bust appeared in Mt. Tabor Park in February as a happy surprise to Portland Parks & Recreation.”
“Unfortunately,” she said, “the numerous racist responses to the memorial of a Black man forced to participate in the Corps of Discovery Expedition have not been a surprise. The latest act of vandalism is incredibly disappointing for me, and I’m sure the majority of Portlanders will miss seeing York at the top of Mt. Tabor. Parks staff will inspect the installment after this latest incident to see if it can be salvaged.”
The Regional Arts & Culture Council is now looking into the question of what to do with a variety of toppled statues.
The newest installation is called, according to a new plaque, “Baszd meg Portland, 2021.”
“Baszd meg” is a Hungarian saying, which has the same meaning as the gesture the bird is giving onlookers.
The artist is listed as “Vilmos,” possibly in reference to Hungarian artist Vilmos Huszár, a Hungarian painter and designer, born in 1884, who was one of the original members of the De Stijl movement, notable for its emphasis on geometric shapes and simple, stark colors.
While it isn’t clear who created the unauthorized art, it is clear that person had a message to convey.
“Dear Portlanders,” the plaque reads. “How about taking pride in your city; let’s clean it and accelerate a recovery from the mayhem that has decimated the downtown economy.”
“Stop reacting like idiots and commission an actual bust of York for this location,” the plaque continued.
A statue of a crow appeared overnight on Mount Tabor.
In a statement Monday, Portland Parks and Recreation spokesperson Mark Ross said, “An installation of a bird appeared sometime overnight at Mt. Tabor Park. Portland Parks & Recreation is removing the unauthorized piece.”
-- Lizzy Acker
503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
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Bird flipping the bird takes up residence at site of former York statue on Mount Tabor - oregonlive.com
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