As 2020 draws to a close, Portland is saying goodbye to a hard year of Covid, hazardous smoke, struggling businesses and protests. But despite the turmoil, the heart of our city has not wavered and many Portlanders continue to look at their home with a focus on its friendly eccentricities. One such group of people has fostered kindness and encouraged exploration of the small wonders of Portland for over ten years. Hidden Portland for the Curious, a Facebook group with over 50,000 members, is a place for Portlanders to discover all of the city’s little-seen oddities or reconnect with the more well-known sites that make Portland unique. Members from all walks of life post photos of everything from the old metal horse cart rings popularized by the Portland Horse Project to small bronze statues on Division Street, tiny fairy homes discovered in a yard or a simple handwritten sign proclaiming “Slow Down! Fast kids, slow dogs, lazy cats”. To this group, Portland is like an immense museum to be delved into, admired, and shared. When people post their intriguing finds in the group, others don’t merely comment their appreciation. They share their own knowledge and perspective until a history emerges and suddenly a Facebook post becomes a treasure trove of information. Started in 2010 by local artist and author, Carye Bye, the group was originally intended to be a page supporting the publication of her book, Hidden Portland. When she discovered that someone already had a page named Hidden Portland, Bye changed course and created a group instead. Initially, being a group, members could post anything they wanted, but it soon became apparent that the group would not be enjoyable unless there was a clear direction for the content and interactions. It was decided that posts should be “rooted in delightful discovery of the Portland Metro region” with a “zero-tolerance policy for rudeness and derailing.” Bye, who was prominent in the Portland area as a woodblock print artist of Portland bridges and animals on bicycles, was also known as the “Museum Lady” who started a Bathtub Museum and dressed as a rabbit to organize and lead the Bunny on a Bike Easter bike rides. With the vision for her Hidden Portland group more defined, Bye set the tone by posting about what she was most interested and curious. Eventually, however, Bye moved from Portland and turned the group over to fellow artist and current administrator, Gretchin Lair. Lair was a member of the group for three years before being asked to become the administrator, and she was initially anxious about taking on the job. There was a year of overlap before Bye left, so they used that time to fine-tune the workings of the group. “I loved her vision for Hidden Portland,” Lair said of Bye. “Her encouragement and enthusiasm for our fair city was infectious. I was really nervous about being an admin at first, but I also knew Hidden Portland was so special that it was worth it.” Lair spends a significant amount of time keeping the Hidden Portland group a safe and positive place to share and learn. She enforces an “If you don’t like it, please ignore it” guideline and believes that a thick skin should not be a requirement to share. Lair knows that the more time she spends on Hidden Portland, the more smoothly it runs. “I try to react to all the posts I approve. I wish I could do more exploration and posting! That was one of Carye’s strengths,” Lair explains. “My work and travel schedule didn’t allow for that as much as I wanted, and now I’m not exploring much due to COVID.” Despite Lair’s feelings of wanting to do more, she has successfully led the group, along with fellow admin Michelle David, and moderator Trey Witteried. “I feel lucky to have their support, and I am grateful for so many members who contribute to our unique culture with positive interactions and by reporting inappropriate comments. But sometimes we all need to sleep!” Currently the group has 51,000 members with around 1,000 new members joining each month. When the group was around 11,000 members, Bye arranged for a Hidden Portland brick to be added to Pioneer Courthouse Square before she left. “For our next milestone,” says Lair, “I wish I had a brick from the Hidden Brick Company in Vancouver!” Being a part of the Hidden Portland for the Curious group is a refreshingly wonderful way to stay connected with Portland and it’s community. Seeking out and sharing the intriguing little details of a city rich with art and personality is a joy that even 2020 couldn’t stop for Portlanders. “Hidden Portland is truly a special group,” Lair says with pride. “It’s such a joy to find things and have people to share them with. Even things that have already been found — the joy is in the discovery, and seeing the familiar through fresh eyes and new perspectives.”
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