In Old Town Portland, a significant art initiative is underway at the Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.
On a recent Saturday morning, community members gathered for a clay workshop, where they were encouraged to sculpt items as a reflection of their ancestral connections.
This hands-on event is part of a broader effort to create a memorial in the historic Chinese section of Lone Fir Cemetery, recognized as Block 14.
Artists Qi You and Sophia Xiao-fan Austrins are leading the initiative, aiming to integrate these community-made contributions into the memorial, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
The project is supported by a 2019 parks and nature bond, allocating over $4 million toward the restoration and honoring of this historical site.
“We want to actually cast directly the objects into bronze that will show up on the altar,” said Xiao-fan Austrins.
“Part of it was also to keep people’s fingerprints as part of the art. If you can touch them on the site, then it’s sort of like connecting people across time.”
This workshop was the third of its kind, following earlier sessions that resulted in a collection of hardened clay items comprising food offerings like oranges, bao buns, dumplings, as well as a variety of artistic tokens and cultural artifacts.
The idea for a memorial dedicated to Block 14 has been in the works since the early 2000s, although funding only became available after the 2019 parks and nature bond was approved by voters.
Block 14 serves as a vital historical site that operated as a cemetery for Chinese immigrants from 1881 to 1948.
Beyond serving as a burial ground, it was a cultural space important for honoring ancestors through rituals and community connection.
“It’s not just a burial site,” noted Xiao-fan Austrins. “Honoring our ancestors is such a huge part of our tradition, of our culture. To care for our ancestors, to bring them food, bring them nourishment, to receive their blessings, for us, it’s a part of the community.”
In the 1950s, amid a period of exclusion for Chinese Americans, the county’s decision to pave over many graves in the cemetery to create space for a parking lot was a significant blow to the community.
“Many of the graves were removed with a bulldozer,” Xiao-fan Austrins said, emphasizing the disrespect shown toward the deceased.
For years, the cemetery’s historical significance was largely forgotten, but protests and excavations in the early 2000s helped verify the claims of the Chinese community regarding the site’s importance.
In June 2025, county commissioners issued a long-awaited apology for the disregard shown to the graves and the community.
The current memorial initiative works to focus on reclaiming and restoring the cultural and historical significance of Block 14.
During a December session with community members, You and Xiao-fan Austrins identified four guiding elements for the memorial’s design:
a return to ritual practices, a desire for sensory and physical engagement, a longing for cultural familiarity, and the creation of an educational space that fosters understanding across cultures and generations.
Approximately 20 participants joined the recent Saturday workshop, engaging in the creative process by crafting spoons, apples, butterflies, bowls, paintbrushes, and beaded bracelets.
Christiana Hedlund and her daughter, Iris, collaborated to create a clay dog and an incense spiral during the event.
Having lived in Portland for over a decade but lacking connections to the local Chinese community, Hedlund expressed how participating in the workshop offered a meaningful opportunity.
“So when I heard about this, it was like a nice way of being able to connect with the community. Hearing about what happened at Lone Fir is devastating to hear. So making art as part of this bigger community piece is a really nice thing to do,” she said.
Another participant, Marissa Leung-Shin Seiler, described the experience as both humbling and a chance to honor shared history.
“Being here with everyone feels really sweet and nourishing,” she remarked.
“So I hadn’t really thought about it in terms of longevity, but my heart feels encouraged.”
Following the workshop, You and Xiao-fan Austrins plan to reconvene with community members to select which clay objects will be cast in bronze for the memorial.
“Our work invites the community to be part of that remembering, imagining, and to shape the space for ongoing cultural practice and care,” You commented.
“It’s a way for us to reach back to the traditions of the past, and at the same time, extend our hands forward to future visitors and future generations.”
image source from：oregonlive
