New art in the Natural Capital Center: An interview with Paula Champagne

Heldáy de la Cruz

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

Oregon

Built environment, Storytelling

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

What’s your favorite thing about painting murals?

What I love most about painting murals is that it allows me to step away from my computer. So much of my time is spent designing, editing video and photos, and handling the admin side of freelancing. Murals give me the chance to work with my hands and engage with a more tactile medium. It feels like I’m reconnecting to my inner artist child. By the time I start painting, the design process is complete, so the act of painting becomes meditative. It feels like a ritual, a way to immerse myself in the process, connect with the paint, and tap into a part of myself that often gets lost in the digital side of my work.

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

I want to touch on the water elements of the mural. The Bull Run Watershed in the Mount Hood National Forest is the main source of water for Portland. You show it beautifully at the base of the mural, and it feels like a foundation for the rest of the elements. Can you speak to the rest of the elements we see in the final work, like people, land, sun, and plants?

The core of my work celebrates the connection between often-unsung people and the natural world. While water does indeed serve as the foundation, the rest of the mural honors those who have been stewards of the land in the past, those who are connected to the land today, and folks who I dream will be a part of the land in the future.

Paula chats with her mom. Photo credit: Tony Sterling

Paula Champagne and Heldáy de la Cruz in front of the completed mural. Photo credit: Jason Hill

During one of the painting days, your mom flew into town and dropped into the Natural Capital Center to spend some hours with you while you painted. What was it like to have your mom on site while you were painting?

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.

This page was published March 7, 2025
Last updated March 14, 2025

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Paula Champagne

Paula Champagne is a Visual Storyteller specializing in video, documentary photography, illustration, and graphic design.

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Heldáy de la Cruz

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.