Hampton Rodriguez: Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Hampton was profoundly influenced by the intellectual pursuits of the contemporary abstract art movement in my country, the Dominican Republic. After exhibiting my work in Spain and Belgium, he arrived in Oregon in March of 2002. Since then, he has become a different artist. The focus of his work shifted to capture the idiosyncratic culture of Portland’s diverse neighborhoods; the cadence of people’s lives there, the scenes of cultural clashes, and Urban vs. Rural. And the development of images that tap into shared concepts and free expressions of anger and hope, desire, and sadness. His work is egalitarian, surrealistic, and filled with people’s mystiques. He strongly feels that an artist belongs to the place he lives, a universal evolution of feelings and juxtaposed realities that are reflected in his work and in his own life.

The project, Enjoy and Get To Know Your Natural Resources While Learning About How They Are Your Tools, is a nature project based on the salmon that are in Oregon. It would symbolize the nature that we have in Oregon. We would also incorporate colors that are traditionally Hispanic, which would incorporate the Latinx community of Oregon. They will be graphically designed and printed on T-shirts. There would be a few different designs and they would show the unity of Latinx people in the state of Oregon. The salmon is a representation of one of the most popular fishes here in Oregon and  is a part of nature. It would also represent traveling. It represents Oregon as a state and as a community. Having colors that are representative of Latinx culture will be incorporated with the image of the salmon. The colors will be ones that are seen in a lot of traditional wear and also just the landscape that you see when you visit Latinx countries. It’s a part of who Latinx are. Vibrant colors are very important to many different cultures and they tell a lot about their history. Putting these together is a symbol of incorporating the Oregon and Hispanic population in the state. It is a symbol that there are many Hispanic/Latinx people in Oregon. This project will incorporate art, nature, culture, and inclusion.