EVENTS Archives - Mayer Reed

25 Years of the Van Evera Bailey Fellowship

The Architecture Foundation of Oregon (AFO) is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Van Evera Bailey (VEB) Fellowship, marking a quarter century of impact. Mayer/Reed is proud to support this milestone through pro bono graphic design for the anniversary celebration honoring the past and current fellows.

A grid showing examples of the social media campaign Mayer/Reed created for the AFO VEB Anniversary celebration. The first row are into slides. The second row is the inauguarl VEB Fellow of 2001, John Cava. The third row is the current 2026 VEB Fellow, Emi Day.

“The VEB Fellowship is my favorite AFO program, and more people should know about it! The program gives fellows time, encouragement and visibility—a gift with lasting impact on our community. Each year, I’m inspired by their work and the outcomes.” –Mayer/Reed Principal Kathy Fry, SEGD

Since 2001, AFO has partnered with the Van Evera and Janet M. Bailey Fund of Oregon Community Foundation to award annual fellowships ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. The fellowship gives professionals the time and resources to explore ideas that create lasting value for themselves, the design profession and the broader community. To learn more about AFO and its fellowship programs visit af-oregon.org/fellowships and join us on November 12 to celebrate 25 years of the VEB Fellowship.

Jumping for Joy at Frog Pond Neighborhood Park

Beneath a bright blue sky on August 27, families and community members celebrated the grand opening of Frog Pond Neighborhood Park in Wilsonville, Oregon. Children enthusiastically explored the new playground, winding trails and cast their votes to name the park’s signature green frog.

Beneath a swatch of mature evergreen trees, children play on the new, bright green playground equipment at Frog Pond Park. A concrete frog sits proudly amongst the play equipment, both as the park's mascot and a place to play and climb.

Mayer/Reed designed Frog Pond Neighborhood Park to reflect the personality and desires of the neighborhood. Shaped by community engagement, the 2.8-acre park features places to gather and play, and the meandering pathway system creates an important connection to the adjacent primary school.

An aerial photo of the lily-pad inspired playground of Frog Pond Primary School — Frog Pond Primary School

The neighborhood has another reason to celebrate this week. Just a short walk from the newly opened park, Frog Pond Primary School (designed by Arcadis with landscape architecture by Mayer/Reed) welcomes students for the first time on September 1. Although the park and school are two distinct projects, they were designed with a shared vision for a connected community open space. Together, with their nature- and water-inspired landscapes, Frog Pond Park and Frog Pond Primary School establish a welcoming new destination for play, discovery and gathering in the growing Frog Pond neighborhood.

Belmont Library Reopens as Multnomah County Library’s Final Major Project

A line of people waiting to enter Belmont Library on opening day

In mid-August, Multnomah County Library celebrated the reopening of Southeast Portland’s Belmont Library, marking a special milestone as completion of the final major project funded by the 2020 Library Capital Bond. Mayer/Reed designed and implemented the new signage and wayfinding system throughout all 19 major library projects including 3 new builds, 5 renovations/expansions and 11 refreshes to create cohesive, multilingual signage throughout the library district.

Eager patrons queued up to explore the new Bora-designed space (more than double the original footprint), its colorful art installations, expanded collections and community rooms—guided by fresh wayfinding signage. Congratulations to the Belmont community and all of Multnomah County!

One Step Closer to a New Cleveland High School

A group of eight people post for a ceremonial groundbreaking at Portland's Cleveland High School. They are wearing hard hats, safety vests and holding golden shovels.

The golden shovels came out for a long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony at Southeast Portland’s Cleveland High School. We joined Portland Public Schools, city officials, students, staff and community members for the momentous occasion.

A rendering shows the future central courtyard of Cleveland High School with a skybridge overhead connecting the school buildings. The courtyard contains pedestrian paths and stepped seating for gatherings and breaks. — COURTESY OF MAHLUM AND STUDIO PETRETTI, RENDERING BY SIDE PIXEL STUDIO

The modernization project will replace the aging school with a state-of-the-art campus. Working alongside Mahlum Architects and Studio Petretti, Mayer/Reed designed outdoor spaces at the new facility that foster gathering and movement. A new central courtyard will serve as the heart of campus life — a big change for a school that currently lacks any outdoor spaces. The new Cleveland High School is expected to open to students in the fall of 2029.