Apple says it plans to preserve the panoramic George Floyd mural around Apple Pioneer Place in Portland, Oregon. The artwork, which has become symbolic of Black Lives Matter activism by 2020, will be donated at a later date.
Apple Pioneer Place reopened on May 27 after COVID-19 shutdowns began in March. On May 30, the store closed again after a night of protests and vandalism throughout Portland following the murder of George Floyd. The store was looted and severely damaged along with more than a dozen other locations around the country. The closure came just a day before the first year anniversary of the store’s floor-to-ceiling renovation.
A plywood barrier around the store quickly became a work of art thanks to muralist Emma Berger, who painted a portrait of George Floyd and the words “I can not breathe.” Other members of the community attended and added their own messages in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Berger later added portraits of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.
Since June, the memorial page at Apple Pioneer Place has attracted a lot of media attention, and members of the community have continued to leave signs, flowers and candles on the stairs in front of the store. The mural has been transformed from a simple message into a culturally important wallpaper that captures the spirit of 2020’s racial protests.
While many other Black Lives Matter murals in Apple Stores worldwide were removed earlier this year, Apple has not touched its Pioneer Place location until now. The Oregonians Mike Rogoway says Apple will lay protective plywood over the murals today and announce long-term plans for the artwork in early 2021.
No reopening date for the store has been announced at this time, and Apple has not said which organization they will donate the mural to.
In a June letter entitled “Talking about racism”, Tim Cook expressed his support for racist justice. The company launched one $ 100 million initiative that spark change.
keep up on Twitter for daily Apple Store news.
Photo: Flat Rabbit Studio
FTC: We use auto-affiliate links for income. More.
Watch 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: