Bust of York, Bust in Mount Tabor Park, Portland, United States
The Bust of York is a four-foot (1.2 m) painted wood-and-urethane sculpture depicting the head and shoulders of York, the only African American on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was installed in February 2021 on a plinth in Mount Tabor Park, Portland, Oregon, that had previously held a statue of Harvey W. Scott. The bald head looks downward; no contemporary image of York exists.
The bust appeared on February 20, 2021, on the plinth in Mount Tabor Park where the statue of Harvey W. Scott had stood until it was toppled on October 20, 2020. Todd McGrain installed it without city permission and expected it to be temporary. Vandals tore it down on July 28, 2021, and Portland Parks and Recreation removed it. The city later announced plans for a permanent monument, and by May 2026 the Portland Art Museum held a new bronze bust by McGrain.
York was an enslaved man who traveled the full length of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, yet his story was absent from public memorials for generations. His portrait at this site invites visitors to think about who gets remembered in shared public spaces.
The pedestal sits within Mount Tabor Park, which is easy to walk through and has paths through trees and open grassy areas. Since the sculpture has been in storage at times and may not always be on display, it is worth checking its current location before visiting.
The artist installed the sculpture without official permission at first, choosing to remain anonymous when the work appeared. This unexpected act sparked a broad public debate about whose stories deserve a place among the city's monuments.
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