For many students, the Goose Hollow neighborhood brings to mind Lincoln High School, Providence Park or the Multnomah Athletic Club. But before any of these places existed, Goose Hollow was home to many different groups, including a community of Chinese farmers who cultivated the land.

In an effort to acknowledge the history of Goose Hollow, artists Lynn Yarne and Shu-Ju Wang are creating a mural that will have a strong focus on community engagement.

“A lot of my art has to do with the community and how we tell stories, but also losses of stories and space,” said Wang.

Due to the lack of public acknowledgement, many people are unaware of Goose Hollow’s history.

“Lincoln’s been home to so many different communities and groups that aren’t necessarily considered in mainstream Portland history,” said Yarne. “Growing up and going to Lincoln I really didn’t know anything about the history of Goose Hollow.”

Yarne thinks the mural could serve as an educational tool, sparking conversations among those who pass by.

“The mural could potentially help out with organic ways of learning. You would just naturally pass it, see it and think about it,” said Yarne.

Yarne and Wang plan on representing the history of Goose Hollow in the mural and are still in the conceptual stages of design. Although it’s early on in the process, they do have elements that they plan on incorporating into the final piece. 

Wang described what she wants to reflect in this work.

“A timeline of the area that is represented through ecology and culture,” said Wang. “The mural will give us a chance to talk about the Chinese vegetable gardens… and I was thinking I would use Chinook salmon because… it’s the territory of the Multnomah Chinook people.”

As the artists work towards creating a clear outline, they are planning on holding workshops where they will engage with student groups, staff members, alumni and community stakeholders. They plan to complete the mural by the end of December.

“We are really hoping to collect a very diverse collection of actions and hopes and wishes for the future,” Wang said. “We plan to use people’s actual words that we will collect in the workshops for the mural.”