2008-09 RACC Opportunity Grants: Emergency and Special Opportunities (Cycle 5)

The Opportunity Grant Program is funded by the City of Portland and is designed to provide grants to Portland-based nonprofit arts and cultural organizations to help meet special opportunities or assist organizations with emergencies that arise during the year and that are not part of the applicant’s annual budget or regular programming.

German American Society                  Special Opportunity                     $6,400
The German American Society received funds to help sponsor hosting the German Dance troupe Grotest Maru as one of the events scheduled for the Week of German Culture. This performance will showcase an aspect of Contemporary German Culture unlike any of the other activities scheduled to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. The performance will take place in Pioneer Courthouse Square and be free to all Portlanders.

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)         Special Opportunity             $18,600
For the Generations: Native Story & Performance is a co-production by Oregon Public Broadcasting and Painted Sky which documents the journey of eight Native American performing artists (or artist groups) in pursuit of creative excellence. Opportunity Grant funds will support the filming of Women of the Four Winds – four of the brightest female stars emerging from Indian Country - in Taos, New Mexico and through this documentary raise the profile of native female performing artists across the country

Portland Gay Men's Chorus       Emergency                 $10,000
In the wake of a loss of income due to the December 2008 snowstorm and the elimination of an expected challenge gift, the RACC board awarded this Emergency grant for payment of operating expenses while maintaining programming through the remainder of the 2008-2009 season.

Portland SummerFest              Emergency             $5,000
Portland SummerFest was awarded funds for production expenses for the August 2009 production of Verdi’s La Traviata in Washington Park. Due to the economic downturn, fundraising for the production of La Traviata had been significantly slower than in previous years, leaving the organization with a challenging budget gap.

Sowelu Theater              Special Opportunity          $5,415
Sowelu was awarded funds to take advantage of a special opportunity to work in the Laika studio to create a media version of the new work Anse and Bhule. Sowelu found a unique window at Laika that would provide dramatically increased production values to the project and foster new relationships in the local artistic community.

Total awarded for Opprotunity Grants for cycle 5: $45,415