August 2008

· IN THIS ISSUE ·

• Feature:  Making the Arts More Accessible to Everyone
• Message from RACC Executive Director Eloise Damrosch
• Work for Art Surpasses Goal for Second Consecutive Year
• New Book: The Practice of Public Art
• Three Oregon Arts Commission Grants Awarded to RACC
• New Public Art at MachineWorks in the Pearl
• Ten Tiny Dances/South Waterfront: A Performance Walkabout
• RACC presents Bin Labs at the Portland Building
• Street Life: Selections from the Visual Chronicle of Portland
• Art Spark Every Third Thursday
• Summer Art Camps Listings
• RACC Summer Hours

• Current RACC Opportunities:
  • Grants
  • Public Art
  • Invitation to Filmmakers
• August Events Funded in part by RACC:
  • Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya: Sahajananda Nritya Gita
  • Hand2Mouth Theatre: Project X: you are here
  • Northwest Professional Dance Project: 5th Annual Showing by Dance Makers
  • Ethan Jackson: The Polyopticon Series
  • Gwenn Seemel: Apple Pie, twenty slices of the American dream

Making the Arts More Accessible to Everyone

Carlos Kalmar conducting the Oregon Symphony

Among the core values we hold at the Regional Arts & Culture Council is the fundamental belief that all citizens have the right to develop their artistic expression. We also work every day to promote diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and to cultivate a community in which everyone can participate in arts and culture, and design all of our programs with these values in mind.

RACC encourages its grant recipients to make their art events accessible to the general public, and recent surveys have indicated that arts organizations use approximately 20% of their RACC General Support grant to fund a variety of outreach programs that serve neighborhoods beyond the central city, and education programs that serve tens of thousands of school children each year. (Visit www.racc.org/grants/grantawards08_09.php for a current list of FY08-09 General Support recipients). RACC Project Grant recipients (to be announced in December 2008) are required to develop effective strategies for presenting their project to the widest audience possible. Since 1995, RACC has funded hundreds of events throughout the tri-county that have either been free to the public or modestly priced. Large and small art and culture organizations have expanded their outreach to the public, with a variety of events that the public can participate in.

In July, Portland Center Stage hosted an exciting series of free readings and other activities as part of its JAW Playwright’s Festival, and more than 500 people attended these events. But don’t worry if you missed out; PCS also has created a highly interactive blog-based website (www.pcs.org) that promotes community involvement, and there are many more free arts events still to come this summer:

Portland Art Museum: This year, the Portland Art Museum has developed the Art Access Endowment to fund free admission opportunities. As of last April, all youth under 17years old are admitted free and the fund also supports free Museum tours for thousands of school groups, grades K-12. Sundays feature Family Drop In events, complete with artmaking activities with Museum educators and local artists. ArtX, a free scholarship-based program, is a unique opportunity for high school students to learn about art. Art & Conversation invites seniors the third Thursday of every month for coffee and conversation with Museum docents or curators.

Oregon Symphony: RACC and the City of Portland are pleased to support free concerts every summer as part of the Oregon Symphony in the Neighborhood program (pictured above). This year’s concerts will be 8/23 at Mt. Scott Park, SE 72nd & Harold, and 8/28 at Waterfront Park by the Hawthorne Bridge. The Symphony also performs Kinderkonzerts at schools and presents special kid concerts on Sundays.

Museum of Contemporary Craft: At their new Pearl District location, the Museum has developed outreach programs to involve the community in crafts, including artists demonstrations, panel discussions, artists workshops, Family Discovery Sunday, School’s Out/Arts In (classes for kids during school holidays), and a Tuesday discussion group called Kaffeeklatsch. Mid-July they open the museum and surrounding streets to the public with craft demonstrations, music, food, and lectures by artists.

Photo: Blaine Truitt Covert

Oregon Ballet Theatre: OBT Exposed! is one of the many innovative outreach programs that OBT has developed over the years - bringing the rehearsal studio to the South Park Blocks. This year the free week-long event will be held from 8/25-30. Other educational programs include Dance Talks, discussions by ballet artists; Performance Perspectives, pre-performance talks; Dance History Salon Series; Dance Matters, movement education for youth 4-20 years old; Student Performance Series; and numerous workshops, residencies and field trips.

Other art organizations that have outreach programs to encourage participation include: Portland Opera’s popular brown-bag lunch talks on the latest Opera production, “Would You Like an Aria with those Fries?” Artists Repertory Theatre offers $19 tickets every Thursday Night under a program it calls “Thirty Something Thursdays.” Portland Taiko offers numerous taiko classes and workshops for adults and youth, while also performing at schools and community settings throughout the region. Chamber Music Northwest has free open rehearsals on Wednesdays before each Summer Festival Concert and Portland Chamber Orchestra also offers free dress rehearsal performances and children’s activities before concerts.

Then there are the numerous community cultural centers in the region which bring art and cultural activities to the neighborhoods. All provide art classes for adults and youth. Many centers have galleries for art exhibitions and stages for plays and concerts. These centers include: The Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro; Multnomah Art Center in SW Portland; Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center in North Portland; Community Music Center in SE Portland; Oregon City Carnegie Center; and Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego. And during the summer, Portland Parks & Recreation present over 60 free concerts at dozens of parks around town.

Adding to this fertile artistic climate, a whole host of organizations have developed what represents a growing support system in the region for artists of all kinds - professional, amateur, young, old, disabled and with or without means. These would include: Launch Pad; 100th Monkey Studio; Working Artists; Village Gallery of Art; DIY Lounge; and Muse Art and Design. In addition to fostering creativity in the wider public, many of these organizations offer resources, including galleries, to help artists develop professionally.

Accessibility to arts and culture is an important ingredient in building strong, vibrant communities. By breaking down the barriers between art and audience - between professional artists and amateur - the arts community has helped to promote a more communal experience, thereby increasing interest and involvement in the arts on a broad scale in the Portland metropolitan region.
 

From RACC Executive Director: Eloise Damrosch Contrary to some people’s experience during these “dog days of summer” the pace of life at the Regional Arts & Culture Council during the summer seems only to intensify. So this is a fitting time to recognize and thank the amazing staff here at RACC. These smart, creative and hardworking people not only dedicate long hours and copious amounts of energy to RACC’s work, but also make this an open, positive and stimulating place to be. Some have been here for 20 years, a few, a matter of weeks and everything in between. I want especially to commend staffers who have been here upwards of ten years. You know this can be exhausting work, but you have stuck with us and contributed your talents, experience and institutional memory. We all benefit. And what would we do without the more recent of our mix, who bring new ideas, skills and attitudes to keep us nimble, flexible and up to date? As our budget and programs have increased over the past few years we have added staff to support growth in our offerings, always mindful of our mission to raise support for and to integrate arts and culture in all aspects of this region’s life. We have righted our gender imbalance (more men!); hired accomplished administrators who are also artists; and added both young people and seasoned experts. And we even have a RACC baby on the way. I wish I could tell you something special about each person here, but for the sake of space, I urge you to go to www.racc.org/staff . There you will see their faces and learn a bit about them. Better yet, follow your nose to the Pearl Bakery, climb the stairs, and come say hello. Meanwhile, have a great rest of summer. Eloise can be reached at edamrosch@racc.org.

Work for Art Surpasses Goal for Second Consecutive Year

Work for Art, RACC’s umbrella fund for private donations to arts and culture, has raised $559,741 during the 2007-08 campaign that ended on June 30 - this is a 25% increase over the previous year. Hundreds of individuals and corporate leaders at 57 companies participated in the campaign. Continued growth has been made possible in large part because of a $230,000 matching challenge grant from the City of Portland, Clackamas County, and Washington County. Over the past two years, more than $1 million has been donated for grants to 79 arts and culture organizations in the Portland tri-county region which provide events, arts education and community outreach services locally and statewide. For more on this program, please visit www.workforart.org or www.racc.org/WFAJune08PR.

New Book: The Practice of Public Art

RACC’s two Public Art Managers, Kristin Calhoun and Peggy Kendellen, wrote a chapter in a recently published book. The book is The Practice of Public Art and their chapter, Here and Gone: Making it Happen, chronicles RACC’s programs of temporary public art from 1990 to the present. The book is available on Amazon at $86 and a soft cover version is due out later this year.

Three Oregon Arts Commission Grants Awarded to RACC

In July, the Oregon Arts Commission announced more that $1.2 million in grants for arts organizations throughout the state. RACC received $18,000 for Arts Services and $18,000 for Operating Support. In addition, the Arts Partners Project, an arts education initiative, was awarded $15,000. Click here to view a complete list of OAC grants.

New Public Art at MachineWorks in the Pearl

The new installation, the work of Portland artist Scott Sonniksen, was commissioned by MachineWorks developers Al Solheim, Rich Ford and Gary Ames. The installation, entitled Falling Light at NW 14th & Northrup uses the same building materials to create a beautiful wall treatment on the building’s façade. The developers received a Floor Area Ratio Bonus (FAR) - a zoning bonus -to create the art. The Planning Bureau calculates the bonus and the art budget based on a formula. The developers contribute 25% of their art budget to RACC for public art use within the central city and the rest is spent on art for the building. In addition to Scott’s work, there will be a major work by James Lavadour in the main lobby.

Ten Tiny Dances/South Waterfront: A Performance Walkabout on August 2

Photo: Dan Doherty

Linda K. Johnson, Director and Curator of the South Waterfront Artist in Residence Program, has collaborated with choreographer and dancer Mike Barber to curate an exceptional roster of artists with an evocative selection of site-specific choreography in a 4X4space . Artists include: Linda Austin, Mike Barber, Hand2Mouth Theatre, Hot Little Hands, Ko & Co., Tere Mathern, POV Dance, Rhiza A + D, Sojourn Theatre, and Cydney Wilkes. RACC served as an advisor to this Program. This event is free and open to the public. For details visit www.southwaterfront.com.

RACC presents Bin Labs at the Portland Building, through August 22

In Bin Lab 1: Things Never Die~Stories from the Edge of Excess, Portland artists Rachel Hibbard, Sean Regan and Cara Tomlinson (Bin Lab Collective) have created a multimedia installation made up of pieces found in bins at the Goodwill Outlet Store in SE Portland. Using interviews with individuals, collections of materials and objects and through a deep examination of place, the artists explore how the bins subvert and highlight systems of prestige and the symbols of value, and how they reveal patterns of culture.7am-6pm, Monday through Friday at the Portland Building Installation Space, 1120 SW 5th Avenue. For more information, click here.

Street Life: Selections from the Visual Chronicle of Portland at Antoinette Hatfield Hall through August 26

Photograph by Jim Lommasson, Harbor Lights Mission, New Year’s Eve, 2000

This exhibition, curated by Prudence Roberts, offers a selection of works from The Visual Chronicle that highlight public spaces in Portland --specifically, the streets, roads, avenues, and freeways. Roberts’ selections provide a unique look at the variety of ways we use, inhabit, and interact with the pathways that pass through our city. The Visual Chronicle of Portland is a city-owned collection of works on paper --prints, photographs, paintings and drawings --that focuses on artists’ views of the city’s social and urban landscapes. Open to the public Mon - Sat, 10 am-5 pm at Antoinette Hatfield Hall, part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, located at 1111 SW Broadway. For more information contact RACC at 503.823.5111 or info@racc.org.

Art Spark Every Third Thursday

Join RACC on the third Thursday of every month for Art Spark, a new monthly mingling of artists to network, socialize, discuss, blather, applaud and plot the growth of the arts in Portland. The next Art Spark will be held on 8/21 from 5-7pm at Living Room Theaters, 341 SW 10th and will be hosted by Third Angle New Music Ensemble. Visit www.portlandartspark.com for more event information.

Summer Art Camps Listings

RACC is providing a listing of summer art camps in the tri-county region at www.racc.org. There are still summer camps starting up in August.

RACC Summer Hours

Through Labor Day, RACC will be open from 8am to 5:30pm, Monday through Thursday. On Fridays we will be open from 8am to noon. If you need to contact us about this schedule you may call 503.823.5111 or email info@racc.org.

Grants Opportunities now available at www.racc.org

• Opportunity Grants for Portland-based nonprofit arts and cultural organizations to help meet special opportunities or assist with emergencies that arise. Deadline for Intent to Apply: 8/6/08.

• RACC Professional Development Grants (Cycle 2) assist artists or arts administrators with artistic or business management development skills. Application/guidelines available at www.racc.org in mid-August. Deadline for Intent to Apply: 9/24/08.

• Arts-in-Schools Project Grants for nonprofit organizations, schools and individual artists in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties. Grants of up to $6,000 are available for 2009 Project Based Arts Programming. Application available at www.racc.org in mid-August. Deadline for Intent to Apply: 10/8/08.

Public Art Opportunities now available at www.racc.org/murals:

• The 2008-09 updated Public Art Mural Application and Guidelines are now available. This Portland city-wide program is administered by RACC. Businesses and artists/teams are eligible to apply for this program. Be sure to set up an appointment with RACC staff if you’re interested in painting a mural in the City of Portland. Artists will be able to apply on-line beginning September 2008. Call 503.823.5111 or email info@racc.org. Next Deadline: 8/6/08.

Special RACC Opportunity now available at www.racc.org

• Invitation to Filmmakers. RACC invites filmmakers currently living in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties to submit original short videos for a new pilot project, Portland Art Happens. The goal of Portland Art Happens is to excite, stimulate, and inform the 50,000 monthly visitors to the RACC website by showcasing an array of short videos by local filmmakers that portray Portland’s vibrant art scenes. Six short videos will be selected to run on the RACC homepage (www.racc.org). Deadline: 9/17/08.

Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya: Sahajananda Nritya Gita~Spontaneous Bliss of Sacred Dance and Song 8/2 Performance - First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Park 8/3 Workshop - Dance Mandal Temple, 1405 SE 40th Ave. www.dancemandal.com Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya (pictured) is a dancer, Newar Buddhist priest, and ritual master of Charya Nritya, classical dance of Nepal. He and his group, Dance Mandal, are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Charya Nritya and the related traditions of music, choreography, and the crafts of mask making, costumes, and jewelry used in the dances. They will present a performance and workshop dedicated to this rare and ancient sacred dance. This project was funded in part by a RACC Project Grant

Hand2Mouth Theatre: Project X: you are here Photo: Kate Sanderson 8/14-24 Milepost 5, 900 NE 81st Ave., 503.502.3286 www.hand2mouththeatre.org Designed as a living time capsule to be filled by audiences, Project X delves into the stories and myths we carry about life, legacy, and the desire to live forever. This project was funded in part by a RACC Project Grant

Northwest Professional Dance Project: 5th Annual Showing by Dance Makers Photo: Blaine Truitt Covert 8/15-16 Lincoln Hall, PSU, 1620 SW Park, 503.421.7434 www.nwpdp.com Northwest Professional Dance Project annual performances showcasing an all world premiere program by six extraordinary choreographers who are given the chance to create new works without constraints, restrictions or expectations - an increasing rare working opportunity in the field. This project was funded in part by a RACC Project Grant

Ethan Jackson: The Polyopticon Series 8/20-10/5 New American Art Union, 922 SE Ankeny 9/4-27Gallery Homeland, The Historic Ford Building, 2505 SE 11th Ave. & at 1313 West Burnside Studios 503.833.2311 www.ethanjackson.net This installation involves the ancient technique of camera obscura. The collage-like images optically reconfigured from the exterior landscape onto interior architectural surfaces serve as metaphors for individual interiority, memory, emotion, history, or simply spectacle. This project was funded in part by a RACC Project Grant

Gwenn Seemel: Apple Pie, twenty slices of the American dream Raha the Riveter, 2008 8/28-9/20 Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N Interstate Ave., 503.784.9248 www.onefaceatatime.com For her eighth solo conceptual show in the past five years, Gwenn Seemel gathered subjects that don’t always come to mind when one thinks of a U.S. citizen - first and second generation Americans - blending their likenesses with American icons. This project was funded in part by a RACC Project Grant

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