by University Communications
September 19th 2023
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Kyra Watkins | Photo by Sara Jol
Portland State University President Ann Cudd, at the recommendation of the Jason Erik Washington Art Committee, has appointed an artist-in-residence responsible for creating an artistic Biographical Remembrance of Washington. Washington was killed by campus police in 2018 and Portland State is committed to remembering his life.
The committee selected Kyra Watkins to serve as artist-in-residence for the 2023-24 school year. Watkins is tasked with developing a piece in remembrance of Washington, which will be installed on the second floor study lounge in the Smith Memorial Student Union building.
“I’m delighted to welcome Kyra Watkins to PSU,” said Patricia Schechter, chair of the Jason Erik Washington Art Committee. “In making this appointment, the Committee and the President’s office have been generously supported by the Washington family and many units on campus, especially the School of Art + Design and Black Studies. We are all looking forward to supporting Ms. Watkins as she undertakes this significant commission in Jason’s memory.”
Watkins is a figurative artist with a focus on portraiture. She first started as a muralist at the age of 15 and said she quickly developed a passion for public art.
“What I love most about public art is the opportunity for community engagement and empowerment. In addition to that, I truly appreciate the wealth of knowledge I get to walk away with as the artist,” Watkins said.
Watkins is perhaps best known for her work on “Never Look Away,” a mural in the Pearl District celebrating pioneers of the LBGTQ+ community. Watkins also presented work in the Black Lives Matter Artist Grant Exhibition at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU.
“I am particularly honored and excited to be a part of this project because I know the breadth of the story that needs to be told,” she said. “My role in this project is to hold space for the Washington family to tell the story of their loved one and for me to immortalize that story. I hope that by the end of this project, I can walk away with a deep understanding of who Jason Washington is and birth a work of art that will be a constant teller of his story.”