There are three very talented designers sitting with their hands in their laps among piles of cookies and hot tea poured in real mugs in North South Portland for the next few weeks. North South Portland isn’t meant to confuse you, Field Work sits on the Northern border of South Portland, and you should go visit.

Justin Flood, Sarah Baugh, and Nicole Lavelle are crafting a visual representation of a region no one really knows about. They have handled the oral histories of a corner of downtown with such loving affection that their exposition smacks of an interpretive linguistics museum. Highly visible from the Streetcar on SW Jefferson street, a marquee best viewed at night showcases rotating curated stories from residents of this pocket of city. The past lives of these heavily travelled streets are dug up, and delicately tabled for you to dabble. Upon arrival an interpretive glass explanation preps you for your visit:

You are standing at the north edge of South Portland. This neighborhood was once home to a thriving Jewish and Italian immigrant community. In the 1950’s, South Portland was drastically transformed by the construction of the highway and designation as one of Portland’s first urban renewal districts.

NORTH SOUTH PORTLAND is an exploration of place. Through a series of installations and events for the public, we are building a response to our location. We are investigating the past, listening to the present, and sharing what we learn.

The selection of works centered around urban planning, the concepts behind space and people, as well as extremely localized publications relating to space in Portland is surprisingly comforting. That so many publications have been produced about our fair city, not to mention pockets of the city, make it feel much larger than it actually is.

The most excellent thing about this project is that it is done with such consideration. Justin, Sarah, and Nicole care deeply about the content, how it is viewed, received, and spread. The result is the feeling that you have walked into someone’s personal museum, and that at any time you might say something that will be integrated by the designers. Don’t be fooled by the size of this exposition, though petit, it is a mountain of work and research.

Check out what other events & expositions are happening at Field Work in 2011, or just roll on in at SW 11th & Jefferson in downtown. If you time it right you’ll be warmed up by good company and the urge to run home and try to create work this awesome. Nice work, you three.