Kvinneakt, Bronze sculpture in Downtown Portland, United States
Kvinneakt is a bronze sculpture in Downtown Portland depicting a full-length female figure in abstract form. It stands along SW Sixth Avenue between Alder and Morrison streets as one of several public art works installed as part of the city's 1970s urban development initiative.
The work was created between 1973 and 1975 by artist Norman J. Taylor and funded through public sources including the local transit authority and federal support. It emerged as part of a broader effort to transform a downtown corridor into a space integrating transit infrastructure with artistic expression.
The sculpture expresses how Portland chose to weave artistic expression into its urban landscape during the 1970s, making contemporary art accessible to everyday commuters. The figure in bronze became a symbol of the city's commitment to placing original works directly in the path of people moving through public spaces.
The sculpture sits in an accessible downtown location along a main avenue that you can easily reach on foot. Audio guides and information resources are available to help visitors understand the work and its context within the broader public art collection.
In 1981, the sculpture nearly became the target of thieves when three people attempted to remove it from its location, though a city worker intervened before any success. This incident highlighted how the work had already become part of Portland's cultural identity and sparked conversations about protecting public art.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
