Resonance Commissions | RE-FLEC

Commission story

Resonance Ensemble learned in the summer of 2022 that four previously unseen works by Portland-based artist Henk Pander would be on display at Historic Alberta House as part of the 7th Vanport Mosaic Festival. The oil paintings, inspired by Pander’s eyewitness accounts of the downtown protests sparked by viral videos of the state-sanctioned murder of George Floyd, make subjects of the federal courthouse and the justice center – two high profile epicenters of Portland’s racial justice protests in 2020–2021. Upon seeing these buildings-turned-fortresses flanked by armed federal officers in tandem with the increasingly emboldened white nationalist presence around the city, Pander recalled his childhood living in Nazi-occupied Holland at the end of WWII. “This is what fascism looks like,” says Pander. The first of the set, called Stain, features the federal courthouse with a prominent vertical smudge, “a stain on the American justice system.” The paintings, in addition to Pander’s works depicting scenes from the 1948 Vanport flood, really demand our attention, and it was clear that we would need to program the concert to be in dialogue with them.

Along with works by Margaret Bonds, David Lang, and Joel Thompson, video segments from Arresting Power: Resisting Police Violence in Portland, Oregon, and with Pander’s artwork as the frame, we sought to fill out the concert with local perspectives. We commissioned three local poets – Dr. S. Renee Mitchell, A. Mimi Sei, Vin Shambry – to write texts for new choral works by three local composers – Judy A. Rose, Kimberly R. Osberg, Kenji Bunch. We also collaborated with photographer Tojo Andrianarivo who spent several months in 2020 on the ground documenting protests in both Portland and Seattle to select images to project throughout the concert.

About RE-FLEC

Each poet here has an amazing voice, and I am honored to lift words into music. Vin Shambry’s poem “Re-flec” spoke to me as his words not only resonated with what happened locally in Portland, Oregon but also reflected the sentiment of the “racial awakening” that has sparked around the country. All of the protests that happen in this country were and continue to be necessary. It is crucial we take the time to reflect upon how we individually affect the whole of racism and injustice, so we may more fully understand collectively how we affect racism and injustice. Each day the pervasive struggle and turmoil in our country around race and class impacts us. On the daily, brown people are reminded they are viewed as sub-par and lesser class citizens. All of this is mirrored in neighbors, drivers, and workplaces who perpetuate racist micro/ macro aggressions. Race-lighting, intentional racism daily impacts black/brown persons. People are not “woken” by any stretch of the imagination as verbal adages only go so far. Sometimes I feel that the people who offend most unconsciously are light-brown assimilated brothers and sisters who can pass for light or white, and who have internalized our society’s white supremacy. What has happened to us? How can we begin again to care for each other like our ancestors cared for their community members? What is happening ? What is it? Is it survival, greed, fear, fatigue? Why are we not taking care of each other?

It has been hard to see people who were of vibrant royal fabric so broken. Look at what happened to Breonna, George and Tyre. Officers of their own color were also complicit with their lives being cut short. We need to continue raising our voices, our songs, our poetry, bring the conversation home.

I intentionally started the piece with Breonna to honor her. When I first started talking with Vin before he wrote this poem and as we were looking at the original artwork and paintings at The Alberta House, I expressed that it felt like there was a lot more focus on George Floyd’s murder as it was more visible. Breonna’s murder was overlooked as it wasn’t “witnessed” by the world on video. I want to honor her in this piece, our sister Breonna. Throughout Vin’s text he reminds us to reflect.

program note by Judy A. Rose

Return to Commissions Gallery

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From the Book of Sankofa