Grand Old Thor in Portland's Transit Mall: A Whopper of Public Art

Meet Thor, the big cheese, the almighty Norse deity of thunder, immortalized in a remarkable sculpture squarely in Portland's Transit Mall. This artistic marvel, a 1977 joint venture between artists Melvin Schuler and TriMet, boasts a marvelous design, certified by the United States Department of Transportation, standing tall at 7 feet by 4 feet. This Thor isn't a Marvel Avenger, but he can sure give you a rather intimidating squint – swing by at the intersection of Southwest 6th Avenue and Southwest Taylor Street, where the open-air art gallery is unlike any other. Portland's Regional Arts & Culture Council, the city's public art protectors, describe Schuler's style as large, geometric, and angular sculptures crafted by hammering copper onto carved redwood. The result? A one-of-a-kind patina for each piece, setting it above the competition in the city's artistic scene.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons