I love events where you go around viewing art installations over the city.
Portland has been really good for that lately, with Bloom Tour, Illuminate, and the Winter Light Festival. They provide an interesting way of seeing the city and noticing new things.
Our current event in many ways takes me all the way back to 2002's Cow Parade, with a base sculpture that multiple artists put their own take on. Those sculptures decorate the city, then are sold for charity.
Let me repeat: I love the concept.
I have also enjoyed the cats.
Based on the cat from the movie Coraline (from PDX-based Laika), the cats are kind of ugly (which cats are not) but also have a certain charm (which cats do).
There have been some real problems with the execution.
I don't blame the organizers for the temporary abduction of cat 23, Keep Portland Weird. These things happen, and the cat was found and restored pretty quickly.
However, the web site is terribly inaccurate.
The plan appears to be that people will use the app, available through either Apple or Google.
If you were trying to use the map, many of the locations are wrong.
For example, cat 30, Rose Kitty, says it is at City Hall. The map shows it located at City Hall. City Hall was under construction; Rose Kitty is at PSU.
It is not next to the other cat at PSU, Descent (20). Descent is by the Millar Library and Rose Kitty is more by the MAX and streetcar stop.
When I asked at City Hall, the guard told me it had been moved to Pioneer Square. I suspected he was wrong because I had already found Cat Usher (18) there.
However, when I was talking to two separate couples at Perfect Weather for Gardening (28), one of them told me Rose Kitty was at PSU.
The funny thing there is that Perfect Weather for Gardening was supposed to be at the Standard Plaza Building but was actually two blocks West, at Standard Insurance. Maybe they wanted something to draw attention away from the naked fountain?
Just kidding; everyone is used to The Quest by now. At least the security guard knew where the statue really was.
Cats were generally in more open spaces (though not 14, Alebrije), which may have explained some of the placement.
Somehow, though, I thought that meant that 26, Hero Sculpture at OHSU would be at the OHSU Commons, and not tucked behind the Knight Cancer Research Building. Again, at least someone there knew.
For other map flaws, 2, Nine Lives of News, looks like it is right by Keep Portland Weird. It isn't. The South Park Blocks (25, Garden Time) are not on Clay, and Burnished Joy is not on the map at all!
I guess that makes Burnished Joy number 31, and I can confirm is located at Midtown Beer Garden (5th and Oak). Other than the things mentioned, most locations are only off by a block. Great?
People seemed to do better with the app. I have seen some complaints about some cats not having codes, and others saying you can get the codes from security guards, which works as long as there is a security guard available.
If it were only an app thing, fine, but public art should have multiple access points, and if you are going to post information on a web site, it should be correct.
In many ways the concept worked. I never went without finding other people looking and taking photos.
In talking to them, several had just seen a cat randomly, and then started looking for more.
This is a great idea that needed to be done better.
COVID: Almost all of the cats are outside, except for 22, In Plain Sight, at Pioneer Place.
Accessibility: The map flaws could be a real accessibility issue for some. For mobility issues specifically, there are some long paths to get to some of these cats. Technically there are always ramps or something, but there can be a lot of walking, and a lot of walking in the wrong direction.
https://www.coralinescuriouscattrail.com/
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