Charlotte Lewis

An artist, activist, teacher and tireless community worker, she was born in Arizona and moved with her family to Portland in 1937. After graduating from the Portland Art Museum School in 1955, she pursued a career as a graphic designer. In the late seventies, Lewis decided to devote the rest of her life to community work. She began creating art for groups such as the American Friends Service Committee, the Urban League and the Rainbow Coalition, among others. Lewis's large-scale public projects include the African-American history mural on the side of the Irvington Covenant Church building at Northeast Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Shaver Street and the vibrantly colored triptych, Isis, permanently on display at the North Portland Branch of Multnomah County Library. In December of 1994, Lewis organized her first exhibition celebrating the African-American holiday Kwanzaa at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, an event that became her annual gift to the community. Bringing individuals and organized groups together, she orchestrated a magical presentation of colors, textures, tastes and smells -- with candles, traditional African foods, artwork, and always her own handcrafted quilts.