I was mesmerized when I discovered this fountain today. I was drinking White Darjeeling at the Tao of Tea on Belmont and stepped into the main part of the building. The mosaic/fountain is in front of Theater! Theatre! and across from the Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Clinic. It isn’t functional at the moment, but it was designed to have water flowing from the wrist of the top hands and then spill from hand to hand down into the triangular basin.
A memorial bronze plaque on the right side of the mosaic reads:
Lend thy hand
and pluck my magic garment from me; -So
Lie there, my art.- Wipe thou thine eyes; have comfort.
The Tempest 1, ii
If I were to rebuild this fountain, I would just choose only a few different colored tiles for the mosaic; perhaps a light green, a dark green, and a brown; to go with the floor and wall. The multicolored mishmash distracts from the suggested movement between the hands. Nevertheless, this structure has a fabulously appropriate design. I feel this art is so perfect for this space because the building houses so many activities that involve hands. The Tao of Tea serves tea gracefully. The clinic heals the body through the delicate application of treatment by hand. The actors of the theater must cast their spell over the audience, not just with their voices and costumes, but also with the body language of their hands.
[...] The spectacular mosaics in public spaces are some of the most charming things about Portland. Valerie Garret does some fairly impressive mosaic work. I encourage you to look at some of her examples here, especially the sun mosaic she did around a sink. [...]