Looking for the best murals in Portland, Oregon? You’re in the right place. Back in 2021, my husband and I drove around the city extensively in search of Portland’s most beautiful murals.
We were surprised by some of the gems we found! I thought it’d be fun to do a quick roundup of the most interesting murals we came across. If you’re interested in street art, here’s a list of the 20 best murals in Portland. Enjoy!
Note to reader: This list was originally published in 2021 and is intended for archival use.
Best Murals in Portland
(Click here for the table of contents)
Portland Murals (Table of Contents)
- Best Murals in Portland
- Keep Portland Weird | 350 West Burnside St.
- Untitled | 412 SW 12th Ave.
- Bad Karma Mural | 1875 SE Belmont St.
- Untitled | SE Hawthorne & 10th St.
- Rhino Mural | 1300 SE Morrison St.
- Black United Fund | 2828 NE Alberta St.
- To Oregon With Love | NE 22nd Ave. & Alberta St.
- Art Fills the Void! | SE 12th & Division St.
- Swimming Elephant | 2314 NE Alberta St.
- Blind Insect Gallery | 2827 NE Alberta Street
- La Bonita | 2839 NE Alberta St.
- Flamingos | 521 NE 21st Ave.
- Attitude of Gratitude | 904 SE Division St.
- No Parking Octopus | Mississippi Street
- Rebuilding Center | 3625 N Mississippi Ave.
- The Fair Haired Dumbbell | 11 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.
- Mudshark Studios | 1930 NE Oregon St.
- Bridgetown Aikido | 336 NE 28th St.
- Pambiche Mural | 2811 NE Glisan St.
Keep Portland Weird | 350 West Burnside St.
Let’s start with a classic. Because no one will believe you were actually here unless they see this photo – myself included. The Keep Portland Weird sign (and slogan) has become synonymous with this town so make sure to visit!
But it’s not too surprising because it’s mere steps from Voodoo Doughnuts, and who doesn’t go there when visiting Portland for the first time?
Untitled | 412 SW 12th Ave.
Located near the Ace Hotel and Powell’s Books, I love this mural because it’s a study in contrast. An intricately-detailed aging woman adorned in vibrant clothes soars to nowhere. I love the detail and colors on this Portland mural, the jawbone necklace is something else.
Bad Karma Mural | 1875 SE Belmont St.
Talk about statement! Created in 2017 by Broken Fingaz (a well-known muralist group of three friends from Haifa, Israel and London), this popular Portland mural is all about symbolism. The muralists included portraits of people experiencing homelessness in Portland, it serves as a reminder not to overlook those we typically turn a blind eye to.
Untitled | SE Hawthorne & 10th St.
I’ll be honest with you, I have absolutely no idea what this mural is supposed to mean and I couldn’t find any history about it. But I really enjoy the colors and the artist is clearly talented. Does it mean we live our lives with masks hiding our true identities? Not sure, but there’s something poignant about the expression and juxtaposing colors.
Rhino Mural | 1300 SE Morrison St.
The artist, Josh Keys, is known for blending two starkly different themes (animals and the obstruction of cities). By painting scenes of animals alongside every-day things city dwellers see, Keys hopes to shine a light on our impact on the environment.
Black United Fund | 2828 NE Alberta St.
Shining a light on black women’s history, I find this mural very moving. It’s incredibly detailed and tells so many stories. The mural depicts historical black woman integral in the fight for racial equality. Woman such as Coretta Scott King. Ruby Bridges, Ruby Dee, Angela Davis, and Maya Angelou are depicted.
To Oregon With Love | NE 22nd Ave. & Alberta St.
Painted by Blaine Fontana, this mural highlights unique aspects of Portland.
Art Fills the Void! | SE 12th & Division St.
This mural was created as a protest to the existence of “such a boring blank wall.” Originally drawn in 1982, this is Portland’s oldest mural. After decades of tagging and fading, it was finally restored in the Summer of 2015.
Swimming Elephant | 2314 NE Alberta St.
Blind Insect Gallery | 2827 NE Alberta Street
It’s no surprise that most colorful murals will be found in the Alberta Arts District. This lively gem is no exception. I mean, look at those deep shades of blue and the pop of color on the flowers! If you’re an art enthusiast, you’ll love exploring the neighborhood and might enjoy reading: Alberta Arts District Neighborhood Guide (10 Best Things to Do).
La Bonita | 2839 NE Alberta St.
Flamingos | 521 NE 21st Ave.
What’s cuter than a flamingo mural? Two flamingos. And what’s even cuter than that? A flamingo mural on the wall of a pie shop. Come for the birds, stay for the pie.
Attitude of Gratitude | 904 SE Division St.
Get this, there are more than 1,000 living plants that make up the woman’s hair in this 70 foot mural. It’s a beautiful work of art and the live plants take it to the next level.
No Parking Octopus | Mississippi Street
This one is under the radar for most folks and, honestly, I don’t know why I like it so much. Either way, I think it’s a very clever way to prevent folks from parking – talk about eye catching.
Also, make sure to read: Local’s Guide to Mississippi Street before visiting.
Rebuilding Center | 3625 N Mississippi Ave.
Mississippi is FULL of colorful art – and I mean COLORFUL. Walk down Mississippi Avenue and you’ll know what I’m talking about in no time. This mural is a new addition in the neighborhood and I welcome it with open arms!
The Fair Haired Dumbbell | 11 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.
This building was greeted by Portlanders with mixed feelings. Some love it, some hate it. I have to admit I enjoy seeing it because the colors make me happy. It’s really nice to have artwork on buildings as opposed to typical gray stone, glass or metal. So I am definitely here for this cool piece of art!
Mudshark Studios | 1930 NE Oregon St.
Bridgetown Aikido | 336 NE 28th St.
This mural reminds me of the panda from Kung Fu Panda.
Pambiche Mural | 2811 NE Glisan St.
This mural adorns a well-loved Cuban restaurant so it makes sense that the mural would pay homage to Cuban culture.
Best Murals Portland, Oregon (Post Summary)
In sum, the best murals in Portland are:
- Keep Portland Weird | 350 West Burnside St.
- Bad Karma | 1875 SE Belmont St.
- To Oregon With Love | NE 22nd Ave. & Alberta St.
- Rhino Mural | 1300 SE Morrison St
- Attitude of Gratitude | 904 SE Division St.
- Faces Mural | NE 22nd Ave at Alberta St.
- Art Fills the Void! | SE 12th & Division St.
- Swimming Elephant |2314 NE Alberta St.
- Flamingos |521 NE 21st Ave.
- The Fair Haired Dumbbell | 11 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Further Reading
I hope you enjoyed this guide about Portland murals! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Until next time,
Antonina
You chose some great murals to showcase here. There are a couple more I thought you’d include (but maybe you don’t know them? if not, I think you will like them!). On SW 11th & Washington downtown is a beautiful tall mural of a woman from behind – it’s gorgeous. Also, Gary Hirsch (he has a Ted Talk!) does Joybots (or Botjoy – I’ve seen it both ways) and they are all over town – there are some by the Trimet headquarters on SE 17th. Also, this might be up your alley – do you know about ‘ghost signs’? These are old signs/billboards that were painted on the sides of buildings from back when that’s how billboard-style advertising was done. Sometimes they are super faded and sometimes obscured by newer buildings that were built next to them. They are really interesting – Portland has a lot of them (Seattle too).
There’s a new one on NW Couch Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue you might be interested in checking out. It’s an interactive singing mural! When you hold your phone up to the mural, the images come to life and you’ll hear voices of the Portland Lesbian Singers, Portland Gay Men’s Chorus and Maybelle Community Singers.