LAIKA, the Visit Downtown Campaign, Wild in Art and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital announced Friday that the auction of the Coraline Cat Statues that have drawn crowds to downtown Portland, Oregon since August of this year has raised $324,500 for the hospital.
Based on preliminary economic data, it is estimated that over 135,000 people visited Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail from August through October 2024, with an economic impact of $4 million to the Downtown area. The trail featured 31 nearly six-foot tall ‘Cat’ sculptures stationed throughout Downtown Portland, creating a free art trail for visitors complete with maps, a dedicated website and social media. The Farewell Weekend drew 10,000 visitors to Director Park to say goodbye to these locally crafted art pieces.
“What a truly incredible project! This art trail created a buzz throughout our city, brought thousands of visitors downtown, boosted our local economy and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital,” said Andrew Hoan, President & CEO of the Portland Metro Chamber. “These cat sculptures now hold a special place in Portland’s history and symbolize both community spirit and resilience and we are very proud to have been a part of this project.”
Local artists used these larger than life felines as canvases and hand-painted each Cat Sculpture, based on the mysterious house pet voiced by Keith David in Portland-based LAIKA’s debut feature, Coraline (2009).
“We’re thrilled that the auction of the Coraline Cats will make a meaningful contribution to Doernbecher, supporting their essential work in delivering top-tier medical care,” said David Burke, LAIKA’s Chief Marketing & Operations Officer. “Our collaboration with the Visit Downtown Campaign and Wild in Art to celebrate Coraline’s 15th Anniversary highlighted Portland’s vibrant creativity and inspired thousands of visitors. We’re incredibly proud to have been part of such an impactful initiative.”
“Ongoing philanthropic efforts allow us to go beyond basic medical care and provide services that not only optimize treatment, but also allow kids the opportunity to live each day to the fullest,” added Dana A. Braner, M.D., Credit Unions for Kids Chair in Pediatrics, Physician in Chief, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Associate Dean of Children’s Health, OHSU. “We’re incredibly grateful for the generosity of our community and thrilled to see the impact these contributions will have on our patients and staff.”
Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail was the first of its kind in the U.S. from installation producer Wild in Art, which has animated cities across four continents including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, Christchurch, Cape Town, Nairobi and São Paulo with innovative public art trails. Based in the U.K., Wild in Art has developed events the length and breadth of the country, including public art trails for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
Based on the novella by beloved author Neil Gaiman, Coraline is a stop-motion animated feature about a young girl who one day walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily like her real life — only much better. But when this off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous and her counterfeit parents try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to save her family and get back home.
Adapted for the screen and directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wendell & Wild), Coraline’s voice cast includes Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane, Keith David and British comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
