Oak Grove

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The Powerhouse Project - 2011

Estacada on the Clackamas

The Powerhouse Project: Oak Grove and Three Lynx

Travelers upriver from Estacada are often surprised to come upon a multi-story edifice with Palladian windows perched on the banks of the Clackamas. Oak Grove Powerhouse, built at the time in a road-less and heavily timbered forest, has a long and interesting history.

Portland Railway, Light and Power Company, a predecessor of PGE, built it in sections between 1921 and 1931. Power from the project was intended for an Oregon electric railway system. A rail line was built between Estacada and Harriet Dam to transport materials and workers. In June 1923, over 1,700 men were working on the job. The Three Lynx village was constructed to house the plant operating staff in traditional cottages and, later, in Aladdin “kit houses.”

Over two days in May, 24 artists from Estacada and the Portland area spent hours exploring all aspects of the Oak Grove Powerhouse and Three Lynx community. During this “art jam” they sketched, took photographs and painted images of these historic PGE properties. The results of their creative labors will be displayed at Estacada Public Library through mid-January.

Exhibit Schedule

Sept 16 - Jan 4: Estacada Library

Jan 5 - Apr 5, 2012: Clackamas County Development Services Building - Entry, Lobby and 3D Gallery, 150 Beavercreek Road, Oregon City, OR 97045.

April 6, 2012: PGE Headquarters in Portland

Artists participating include Sue Allen, Stevan Allred, Zeb Andrews, Eileen Belanger, Nina Bradford, Leslie Cheney-Parr, Richard Cork, Shannon Covington, Am Griswold, Boyd Holloway, Katherine Hurd, Julius Kuziemski, Thea Kuziemski, Bonnie Larsen, Earlean Marsh, Mimi Near, Neal Philpott, Norma Piper, Susan Schenk, Jeff Schnabel, Jill Torberson, Nolene Triska, Dean Walch and Gary Warkentin. Their media include photography, oil and acrylic painting, pen and ink, watercolor, paper collage, metal sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and historical and creative writing.

The Estacada Area Arts Commission and Portland General Electric are collaborating on Estacada on the Clackamas: The Powerhouse Project, a multi-year exploration of these industrial structures that shaped Estacada’s history. “We see this as an exciting way to explore and celebrate the history, geography and natural beauty of our community through the work of local visual artists, writers, musicians and historians,” said arts commissioner Jane Reid.

To view PGE's video of the Oak Grove project, click HERE.

To read an article about the Oak Grove project, click HERE.

To view Clackamas County's video of the Oak Grove Art Jam, click HERE.

To view the 2010 Powerhouse Project: River Mill, click HERE.