Henk Pander was a child in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. Later, he became an artist and immigrant inspired by the Vietnam protests and the government response. Now the octogenarian painter—one of the state’s preeminent talents—turns his artistic lens on another major historical moment: the flood of Vanport, once Oregon’s second-largest city, destroyed on Memorial Day 70 years ago.

New work from Pander will be on display as part of the Vanport Mosaic Festival, for which he created a series of large scale watercolors. The exhibit will also include Pander’s depictions of the so-called Liberty ships, cargo ships which delivered supplies for survival both during and after World War II, and were built by the people of Vanport.

The exhibit was co-curated by Laura Lo Forti and Gret Smith, and will be shown at Cerimon House on NE 23^{rd Avenue from} May 23–27 before moving to the White Stag Building from May 29–June 12.

Artworks of Henk Pander: War Memories, Liberty Ships, and the Climate Refugees of Vanport from Vanport Mosaic on Vimeo.

Vanport Mosaic Festival