St. Louisans in Portland

by Michael R. Allen

While visiting Portland at the moment, I have had the fortune of running into St. Louis’ expat colony there. Drawn to this amazing city by academic opportunities, the young St. Louisans here are thriving. And who would not? Portland seems to keep every one of its much-touted promises for fulfilling urban life.

I am reminded of a certain winter day at the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation‘s old steel foundry, when a group of us wide-eyed young St. Louisans gathered to explore. In that group were artist Emily Hemeyer, who remains a St. Louisan as well as RJ Koscielniak and Annie Sparkle, now wide-eyed and energized in Portland. I captured this short video of a spontaneous moment that day that comes to mind now.

Whether my friends return depends on a future course of events unknowable at the moment. All I can write now is that St. Louis’ loss is Portland’s gain, for years to come.