THE LOVEJOY COLUMNS PROJECT -
The Lovejoy Ramp- circa 1955- showing the paintings of Tom E Stefopoulos. Photo from the archive of Tom Robinson.
Photo of Tom by Hugh Ackroyd
The artist of the Lovejoy Ramp- Mr. Tom Stefopoulos
From 1948 to 1952, Greek Immigrant and Artist Athanasios Efthimiou Stefopoulos, known in America as 'Tom', created a series of paintings on the pillars of the old Lovejoy Ramp in Portland Oregon.
Tom worked as a watchman for the SP&S Railroad when he began the paintings during slow times. He initially drew them in chalk, but passersby encouraged him on, and he went back over them with paint. The paintings quickly gained Tom local noteriety, and media coverage soon followed. The paintings depict a mixture of Greek Mythology and Americana, painted in a highly calligraphic style. One of the best known paintings was of the Philosopher Diogenes, walking the streets of Athens with his lantern, looking for an honest man.
We believe there were about a dozen paintings by the time Tom was finished, but there is no known photographic evidence of how all of the paintings looked upon their completion.
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Photo of Tom by Joan Peacock
Script reads- "Diogenes The Greek Cynic Philosopher walking the streets of Athens looking for an honest man." Photographer not known
On March 12, 1967, the Oregon Journal (now the Oregonian) ran a feature article on Tom Stefopoulos entitled- "The Artist of the Lovejoy Ramp" by Carl Gohs. It ran with the photo to the left, by David Falconer.
To read some of the articles about Tom and this project,
Photo of Tom by Joan Peacock
The Rescue Effort
Beginning in 1997, a rescue effort was undertaken to protect these paintings from the raveges of time and development pressure. The Lovejoy Ramp was slated for demolition as the old rail yard was being rebuilt as a new neighborhood and extension of the Pearl District. Through extensive lobbying and meetings with the city and the neighborhood, a group of dedicated volunteers managed to convince the city to save not just the paintings but the entirety of the columns they were painted on arguing that if the paintings alone were cut free, much of their magic would be lost. By preserving and extrating the whole column, not only do you capture the space that Tom created, you simultaneously create a ruin that will continue to tell a story. The fragile paintings preserved the mighty concrete.
The Lovejoy Ramp- 1999. With the old ramp being demolished to make way for new development, the painted columns were carefully protected and cut free in an extraordinary effort of surgical demolition. Of the three columns shown in front in this photo- the two to the left have been re-erected in the plaza of the Elizabeth Building at NW 10th and Flanders, in the Pearl District- Portland, Oregon. Photo by James Harrison.
Ramp during early demolition. Photo by Guy Gilray
Column being lifted into position. Photos JH
Uncovered column prior to rewrapping before full restoration work
Portland based Filmmaker Vanessa Renwick has been chronicalling the effort to save the columns and restore the paintings in her documentary entitled 'Lovejoy'. Through her brilliant vision we have been able to show this project to a wider audience. Read more here.
THE NEXT STEPS-
Due to the generosity of John Carroll, the Lovejoy Columns have a new and very public home in the Plaza of the Elizabeth Tower at NW 10th between Flanders and Everett. The paintings will be preserved and restored in place in the near future. Stay tuned for details.
And as always- If you have any old photos of the paintings or know anyone who might, especailly from the period 1948-1979, please contact me. To help this project with your tax deductible donation, please call the Regional Arts and Culture Council at 503 823-5111.
Thank you!
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