Making the park
worthy of Dr. King's legacy.
The Art
“But the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends. It is this type of understanding goodwill that will transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age. It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Facing the Challenge of a New Age,” 1956
About the Curator
Hayashi Wilder
Hayashi Wilder (she/they) is the curator chosen through a competitive process to guide the art selection and interpretative development for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park Improvement Project. They previously served as a Curatorial Fellow at the Portland Art Museum, working on exhibits such as Black Artists of Oregon, Adriene Cruz: Power Prayer for the Community, and To Gather Your Leaving: Themes of Diasporic Experiences in the Northwest. On these, as well as other projects, she developed region-wide exhibitions and programming in collaboration with rural art centers, tribal museums, community activists, and local and regional artists.
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Wilder’s passion is creating meaningful cultural experiences centered on promoting equity and social justice, and empowering marginalized communities. Her goal with the art and interpretation work on this project is to have these elements reflect and honor Dr. King’s values of justice, community, education, nonviolence, hope and service.
Public art and interpretive elements will be integrated throughout the park, creating a welcoming place for all people while complementing a park design inspired by Dr. King's philosophies of inclusion and equality.
​Key locations for public art include: Entry Plaza, The Commons, Basketball Court and Fitness Area, Children's Playground and Outdoor Water Feature, the Barn, and the network of trails found throughout the park.
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The project benefits from the guidance and support of the Art & Interpretation Committee, a community-based, volunteer group comprised of the following members:
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Zina Allen
Jason Dorsette
Dr. Luhui Whitebear
Dr. Robert Thompson
Natalie Summerlin
Dr. Chance White Eyes
Elisabeth Anderson
Dr. Barry Jerkins
Jamar Bean
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Selection of the Curator is expected to take place in December of 2024. Public outreach events for the Art & Interpretation component will take place in the Winter & Spring of 2025. Initial art installations are expected in September of 2025.
Interpretive Design Plan
As the City of Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department began to approach improvements to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, it was understood that the interpretive plan was the mechanism by which a very nice park with Dr. King’s name on it would be transformed into a park that educated, inspired, and truly embodied his legacy of struggling against oppression for justice.