Portland has no shortage of crows. Spotting one in the streets is hardly worth mentioning. But the sudden influx of vividly colored, 6-foot versions is something worth squawking about.
A collection of 30 crow statues was randomly placed throughout the sidewalks of Portland on Aug. 7. Each sculpture, an enlarged replica of a crow from the upcoming Laika movie “Wildwood,” has been hand-painted by local artists. The animated film will tell the tale of a seventh-grade Portland girl rescuing her baby brother from a murder of crows.
“Wildwood: Follow the Crows” is a free, self-guided art trail designed as part gallery, part scavenger hunt and part civic celebration. The outdoor installation is a joint effort from Laika, Downtown Portland Clean and Safe, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, and Wild in Art, a U.K.-based art installation producer.
The official ribbon cutting of the multi-month event took place on Friday at St. Johns Library.
The library is home to an extra special crow that features a map designed by Wildwood co-creator Carson Ellis, who illustrated the original “Wildwood” novels written by Decemberists front man Colin Meloy.
St. Johns is the home neighborhood to the series’ main character, Prue McKeel…