Jamison Square
Park Info
- Park hours: 5:00am-midnight
- Acreage: 0.94
- Amenities: fountain and public art
- Address: 810 NW 11th Ave
History
Jamison Square is one of the parks that resulted from the initial planning efforts for the Pearl District, which started in the early 1990s. Important goals in planning the neighborhood were to include a network of open spaces. The landscape architecture firm Peter Walker and Partners was rtained in June 1999 to provide concepts for three new parks between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues. Their final plan was characterized by a series of recurring elements which strengthened the connection between each of the three parks. Jamison Square was the first of these three parks to be developed and it was named in honor of William Jamison, whose presence it was felt was pivotal in the development of the River District. Per the Portland Parks website, "He was an exceptional person in his ability to influence and connect with a wide variety of people. His personal magnetism, in addition to the size and scope of his art gallery, drew many people into the Pearl District."
Design
The park is focused around a fountain which is intended to simulate a shallow tidal pool. There are stone joints from which water cascades and is continuously recirculated. There are four 30 foot tall sculptures along the edge of the park which are called the Tikitotemoniki Totems (Tiki Totems for short) that were created by artist Kenny Scharf. The pools are used to cover the Portland Streetcar caterary poles (the streetcar runs north on one side of the park and south on the other).