At the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), we connect artists, creatives, and arts and culture organizations to opportunity and access.

Documentation of the RACC Arts3C supported musical performance Femenine, a project by 45th Parallel Universe for chamber orchestra. Courtesy of 45th Parallel.

About Us

Our mission is to enrich our communities through arts and culture. We envision a thriving region, powered by creativity, with arts and culture in every neighborhood. Review our full 2025 Bridge Strategic Plan to explore our roadmap for amplifying arts access, equity, and impact.

An independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we support the creative economy in greater Portland by providing equitable funding; managing and growing a diverse, nationally–acclaimed public art program; and developing enduring public and private partnerships. Through advocacy and engagement, we’re building community support to ensure a thriving region for arts and culture. Get to know our team and board here.

Documentation of the RACC Arts3C supported musical performance Femenine, a project by 45th Parallel Universe for chamber orchestra. Courtesy of 45th Parallel.

Our Impact

In 2023, we distributed $1.9 million in Arts3C Grants and enriched our public art collections with 102 new artworks.

We continued to build relationships with our community on the ground through 11 engagement events and 12 professional development workshops, reaching thousands of audience members through our social media and email channels.

We couldn’t have done it without help from our volunteers, who logged a total of 77.5 hours for the year!

Image courtesy of Glasmalerei Peters Studios. BTS documentation of Yoonhee Choi developing their public artwork, between (2024) for Portland International Airport.

Our Programs

One of the ways the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) supports the region’s vital arts and culture community is through grant programs. Funding is awarded through competitive processes that includes dozens of community members serving on peer review panels and evaluating each request.

RACC’s public art program is among the oldest and most highly regarded public art programs in the country. Through a variety of public-private partnerships, RACC helps acquire and maintain community-owned artworks in public places.

RACC helps build support for a strong arts and culture community. We actively promote increased arts funding at the local, state, and federal level, while also encouraging more private sector giving.

Image courtesy of RACC Arts3C Grantee Portland Drag Theatre. Photography by Jingzi Zhao.

RACC Statement on Federal Arts Funding and the Importance of Local Voices

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) stands in deep solidarity with our national and local partners as the arts and culture sector faces yet another wave of uncertainty—this time at the federal level. We […]


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Portable Works Installed at Portland's City Hall

Portland’s City Hall serves as a vibrant cultural hub, reflecting the city’s essence through artwork that encapsulates its people, landscapes, urban evolution, diverse cultures, and their interconnections. RACC’s curation, led by Ivan Salcido, our 2D […]


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Touch Glass: Urban Foraging with Kate Newby

11 am – 1 pm, Sunday, May 4 Portland Institute for Contemporary Art 15 NE Hancock St, Portland, OR 97212   You’re invited to participate in the creation of a large-scale, permanent 2D public artwork […]


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Community Listings

04/26
Impressions From The Collective
12:00 pm
  • Art & Design
Grease
2:00 pm
  • Performing Arts
The Adventures of Baksana
6:30 pm
  • Performing Arts
Another Dialogue
7:30 pm
  • Music
  • Performing Arts
Grease
7:30 pm
  • Performing Arts
Kalyana Mitra - The friends who know the gift that you are
7:30 pm
  • Performing Arts
The Brothers Size
7:30 pm
  • Performing Arts
04/27
Grease
2:00 pm
  • Performing Arts
Another Dialogue
7:30 pm
  • Music
  • Performing Arts
Kalyana Mitra - The friends who know the gift that you are
7:30 pm
  • Performing Arts
The Brothers Size
7:30 pm
  • Performing Arts
04/28
Jamin London Tinsel | Homemades
All Day
  • Art & Design
  • Exhibition
Oregon Book Awards
7:00 pm
  • Readings & Talks
Friends of Chamber Music
7:30 pm
  • Music

View Full Calendar