Senior Designer
Paula Champagne stands in front of her completed mural, Woven by Water, now visible just inside the Natural Capital Center’s west entrance. Photo credit: Jason Hill
Paula Champagne is a multidisciplinary artist. Originally from the Midwest, she has been living in Portland for the past four years, where she has been nurturing her family, garden, and art.
Earlier this year, a committee selected Paula to paint a mural inside the Natural Capital Center, located in the Pearl District of Northwest Portland. The mural, titled Woven by Water, was unveiled last month, and Ecotrust Senior Designer, Heldáy de la Cruz, spoke with Paula about her artistic vision and inspirations behind this mural.
Paula, will you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are your roots, where do you feel at home?
I grew up in a suburb outside Chicago, but my parents are from the South, so I feel connected to both regions. To me, home is where my family and community are, and where I’m surrounded by nature. I spent ten formative years in Massachusetts before moving to Oregon, where I fell in love with the plants and foliage—the woods here immediately felt like home.
When we were looking for a muralist for this project, we were really drawn to your style. There’s a through line with your color choices, earthy tones that feel really grounding. Can you tell me more about how you choose colors?
My multidisciplinary art includes film and photography, so I often pull colors directly from my own images taken outdoors. I infuse this palette into my illustration, design, and mural work. These natural colors create a through line across all of my work, grounding it with warmth and earthiness. I’m so glad that sense of grounding resonated with you all.
Paula mixes paint in the early stages of the mural. Photo credit: Tony Sterling
Paula add details to the mural. Photo credit: Tony Sterling
For this mural, you did a beautiful job merging the two prompts we provided as guidance: one that was more visually direct (alluding to nature, people, place), and one that was more abstract (the “radical, practical” approach to our work). How was that process for you, and how did you land on the final artwork?
I love working with prompts and briefs; it’s the graphic designer in me. I enjoy the problem-solving process of integrating a creative brief into a design that aligns with the prompt while staying true to my own artistic voice and the themes that drive my work: honoring the connection between Black folks and the natural world. With such a strong alignment between Ecotrust’s mission and my own, this project felt like a natural fit from the beginning.
Paula Champagne with Woven by Water in progress. Photo credit: Tony Sterling
Paula chats with her mom. Photo credit: Tony Sterling
It was really special. My mom has always been incredibly supportive of my work as an artist, in so many ways. Even as a child, my mom recognized my interest in art and nurtured that passion, giving me opportunities to grow and explore new ways of expressing myself. She’s been supportive every step of the way, and since we don’t live near each other, it’s especially meaningful when she can be there while I’m creating something. It’s a special moment for both of us: she’s able to see her daughter living her dream and being true to who she’s always been, and I’m able to feel the continued love and support from my mom in person.
As a mother myself to my sweet three-year-old daughter, I reflect often on the bond between mothers and daughters, which makes moments like these even more meaningful. My mom has always done an incredible job of honoring my creativity, and I’m so grateful for that. My dad has also been extremely supportive throughout my journey, though he couldn’t join this time. I hope to carry on their legacy of support and pass it along to my daughter as she finds her own path in life.
Thank you, Paula.
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Heldáy de la Cruz (pronounced “el-dye”) is an artist and community organizer. Through illustration and design, his work explores the identities that are lost and found within both the queer and Indigenous diaspora. These, alongside his undocumented status, are at the very core of his community work.