Fair-Haired Dumbbell

The Fair-Haired Dumbbell does some heavy lifting at the gateway to Portland’s Eastside. Two canted buildings with a sky-bridge become the canvas for Los Angeles artist James Jean. As a counterpoint to the vivid art, the site plazas are simple expressions in color and contrast. The central plaza is composed of white oyster shell paving with a grove of white flowering cherry trees. Centered between the two buildings, a large steel cauldron planted with bright red-osier dogwood collects rainwater from a steel downspout hidden under the sky-bridge.