Downtown Portland will be transformed into an open-air art gallery this August in celebration of the 15th anniversary of LAIKA Studio’s debut film, the Oscar®-nominated Coraline.

Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail with feature 30 almost six-foot-tall ‘Cat’ sculptures, creating an art trail which will be free for visitors to explore.

The trail will mark Wild in Art’s debut event in the U.S. and we are delighted to be joining forces with LAIKA Studios, the masterminds behind beloved animated films such as Coraline, ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings, the Visit Downtown Campaign and Oregon Health & Science University Foundation to bring this unforgettable experience to Portland.

Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art, said, “This new collaboration with LAIKA Studios and the Visit Downtown Campaign marks a new chapter for Wild in Art. We have animated cities across four continents including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, Christchurch, Cape Town, Nairobi and São Paolo and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this new journey of bringing the unique experience of a Wild in Art event stateside.

“Our events enable thousands of people of all ages to experience art by making it part of everyday life, while offering new ways for people to explore their local area and we hope that, through the trail we can inspire everyone to come together to create something very special which will have significant impact.”

Local artists will be commissioned to hand-paint the impressive cat sculptures making it the purr-fect celebration for the city, where LAIKA’s cinematic brilliance meets the diverse talents of local artists.

David Burke, LAIKA’s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer, said, “We’re excited to collaborate with the Visit Downtown Campaign and Wild in Art to celebrate Coraline’s 15^th anniversary in LAIKA’s hometown of Portland, Oregon.

“In the memorable cast of Coraline’s characters, Cat is a perfect fit for the trail. We believe this experience will bolster Portland’s vibrant creative community and support OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. We can’t wait for summer!”

The trail will weave together the magic of art and animation to bring a journey of creativity, imagination, and wonder to Portland’s residents and visitors.

“We are honoured to embrace Portland’s innate creativity with this amazing partnership between LAIKA and the Visit Downtown Campaign,” said Andrew Hoan of the Portland Metro Chamber. “We eagerly await these exciting summer installations in Downtown Portland. This is the perfect opportunity to collaborate with Portland’s own award-winning movie studio LAIKA and showcase our city’s vibrant artist community with proceeds benefitting OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.”

At the completion of the art trail, the sculptures will be auctioned off as a fundraiser for OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

Dana A. Braner, M.D., physician-in-chief at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, said, “With the community’s support of this project, we will continue meeting the needs of our patients and families throughout the region who turn to us for support in their most challenging moments. We are excited to see our families and supporters out on Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail.”