Electronic Poet

The Electronic Poet is a bronze sculpture in downtown Portland featuring an LED light board that displays rotating poetry text above the sidewalk on Southwest Morrison Street. The work combines metal casting with digital display technology to integrate written words directly into the urban pedestrian experience.

Keith Jellum created this sculpture in 1984 through Portland's Percent for Art program, which directed funding toward integrating artworks into public spaces. The installation has remained part of the city's public art collection and continues to display rotating texts to pedestrians.

The display rotates through poems by writers from America, Europe, Native American traditions, and the Pacific Northwest. This literary mix reflects the city's connection to diverse voices and storytelling traditions.

The sculpture sits along Southwest Morrison Street where pedestrians can view it while walking through downtown Portland. The display remains visible both during the day and at night, though evening lighting makes the LED text particularly easy to read.

The sculpture is positioned adjacent to a parking garage, transforming an ordinary functional structure into a setting for poetry. This placement within a practical urban facility shows how art can appear in unexpected everyday locations.