Mayer/Reed Gallery: Mis Muertitos by Sabrina Obeso

The Mayer/Reed studio gallery recently featured the work of visual communications designer Sabrina Obeso in a series titled Mis Muertitos (My Little Dead Ones), a deeply personal exploration of death, beauty and memory.

Three black vintage frames hang on the M/R Gallery wall. Within, the bones of deceased pets are artfully arranged over rich, red damask.

Created as a tribute to Sabrina’s deceased pets, the striking works of art incorporate the bones of two cats and a rabbit. “Over the years I have collected the bones of my pets after letting the earth clean them,” she explains. By carefully arranging the white bones against rich red damask in antique black frames, she creates compositions that play with symmetry and contrast.

Detail of cat bones artfully arranged over rich red damask

Sabrina draws inspiration from her Mexican heritage and Día de Muertos, the Mexican tradition of honoring and welcoming the spirits of deceased loved ones. Celebrated from October 31 through November 2, the holiday embraces the belief that those we remember are never truly gone. Through Mis Muertitos, Sabrina preserves the memory of her beloved pets as artwork displayed year-round in her home.

Posted November 12, 2026
Written by: Mayer/Reed
Categories: IN THE STUDIO 

Re-Introducing Pride Plaza 

On October 3, the community gathered to celebrate the grand reopening of Pride Plaza in downtown Portland. The plaza became a stage as drag queens and musicians performed, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden shared remarks and neighbors came together to honor the history and future of this beloved gathering place.

Illustrative plan of Pride Plaza for PBOT by Mayer/Reed. Plan shows a colorful "Pride ribbon" ground graphic and street furnishings.

Our studio led the redesign of Pride Plaza. It was the first implementation of PBOT’s Street Plaza Design Toolkit, developed by Mayer/Reed to help transform streets into comfortable, inviting places for people to gather. During the design process, community feedback helped us answer the question: What does Pride look like here in Portland? Inspired by queer theory’s embrace of fluidity and nonconformity, we explored whimsically interrupting the linear nature of the existing street with a patterned and colorful Pride “ribbon” inspired by the Pride flag. The ribbon arranges social zones for gatherings, playful furnishings, accessible crossings and a bike hub and invites engagement by providing space for future layering of art, performance and activations.

Rooted in Portland’s LGBTQ+ history, the revitalized plaza looks to the future with new energy, color and opportunities.

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.

Posted October 20, 2026
Written by: Mayer/Reed
Categories: COMMUNITY  EVENTS 

Celebrating 11 Fall Design Awards

Mayer/Reed is honored to be involved in so many award-winning projects this fall. They vary in scale, setting and purpose, but all share a common goal: serving the communities they are built for. We take great pride working with clients and communities to shape thoughtful, welcoming environments. Congratulations to all our design partners on these well-deserved recognitions.

OHSU Vista Pavilion, Portland, OR
AIA Oregon 2026 Honor Award
NBBJ | Mayer/Reed Landscape Architecture

East County Library, Gresham, OR
AIA Oregon 2026 Honor Award
Holst Architecture | Mayer/Reed Signage + Wayfinding

Midland Library, Portland, OR
AIA Oregon 2026 Merit Award
Bora Architecture & Interiors | Mayer/Reed Signage + Wayfinding

Redmond Senior & Community Center, Redmond, WA
AIA Oregon 2026 Merit Award
Opsis Architecture | Mayer/Reed Wayfinding + Graphics

U.S. Embassy Asuncion, Asuncion, Paraguay
AIA Oregon 2026 Merit Award
ZGF Architects | Mayer/Reed Signage + Wayfinding

Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland, OR
AIA Oregon 2026 Merit Award
Bassetti Architects | Mayer/Reed Landscape Architecture

Lincoln High School, Portland, Oregon
AIA Oregon 2026 Citation
Bora Architecture & Interiors | Mayer/Reed Landscape Architecture

Clackamas County Courthouse, Oregon City, OR
AIA Oregon 2026 Citation
DLR Group | Mayer/Reed Signage + Wayfinding

Mt. Scott Community Center, Portland, OR
ORPA 2026 Design and Construction Award
FFA Architecture and Interiors | Mayer/Reed Landscape Architecture

Concord Community Center Renovation, Oak Grove, OR
Restore Oregon 2026 DeMuro Award
Opsis Architecture | Mayer/Reed Wayfinding + Graphics

Oak Lodge Library, Oak Grove, OR
ALA 2026 Library Design Showcase Top 15 Projects
Opsis Architecture | Mayer/Reed Wayfinding + Graphics

Posted October 14, 2026
Written by: Mayer/Reed
Categories: AWARDS  PROJECTS