Courtesy of RACC Arts3C Grantee Jennifer Wright who’s grant funded music in the project Break to Build: Anthropocene, by Laura Cannon and ProLab Dance. Photo by Rowdy Webb.
At RACC, we believe in the power of arts and culture to unite communities, spark innovation, and drive economic vitality. As the central arts organization for the Portland metro region, we bridge creatives with opportunities, advocate for a thriving cultural ecosystem, and foster deep connections between artists, organizations, and public and private partners.
RACC plays a crucial role in ensuring that arts and culture are at the heart of our region’s future. By working alongside artists, cultural organizations, and policymakers, we are building a more inclusive, sustainable, and interconnected arts landscape. Our work includes:
Recognizing the need for a unified approach to arts and culture, representatives from government agencies across the tri-county metro area—including Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, the cities of Portland, Hillsboro, and Beaverton, Metro, and RACC—came together to launch a cultural planning process to define the next generation of arts and culture for our region.
This collaborative effort, initiated in October 2022, engaged a diverse 20-person steering committee, prioritizing voices that have historically been underrepresented in cultural planning. The result is Our Creative Future, a dynamic and flexible framework that reflects our community’s vision for arts, culture, and creative expression.
RACC is proud to have played a key role in this effort, ensuring that the perspectives of artists, cultural organizations, and creative workers were embedded in the plan’s foundation. As we move forward, RACC continues to lead and advocate for the implementation of important tenets of Our Creative Future, leveraging our expertise and regional partnerships to turn vision into action.
Our work is grounded in the belief that arts and culture are essential to the growth and well-being of the tri-county region and beyond. Inspired by cultural planning models and guided by ongoing input from local creatives, we are shaping a regional vision that:
Whether you’re an artist, arts organization, policymaker, or community leader, we invite you to partner with RACC in advancing a vibrant and equitable cultural landscape. Together, we can create an arts ecosystem that supports creativity, empowers communities, and ensures a sustainable future for arts and culture in our region.
Learn more about how you can get involved by signing up for our monthly newsletter!
Posted January 30, 2017
January 26, 2017 Dear Americans for the Arts Members and Friends, I am writing to you today about the status of federal funding for the arts in the new Administration and U.S. Congress and about what you should do right now and over the coming months. Last week on Thursday, January 19, I sent our […]
Posted December 30, 2016
RACC’s networking series for artists and arts leaders has been happening and evolving since the spring of 2008. This year, Art Spark will evolve even further as we develop new and interesting events for the arts community to convene and connect beyond the Third Thursday format we have used in the past. Throughout 2017 we […]
Posted November 29, 2016
By Nick Fish, Portland City Commissioner Imagine Portland with no art. No paintings or murals. No Lee Kelly sculptures. No Grimm or Wild or Live Wire. No Jefferson Dancers, symphony and opera in our parks, or production of Our Town. No Mel Brown Quartet. Would you still choose to live here? Fortunately, art, culture and […]
Posted November 29, 2016
Work for Art, RACC’s annual fundraising campaign for local arts organizations, has released its 2015-16 report of accomplishments and financial summaries. The report acknowledges more than 1,800 donors and 75 companies who contributed to the program’s most successful campaign yet. A record $912,213 was raised from employee and individual giving, company match, local governments, and special events – […]
Posted November 28, 2016
Issued by Americans for the Arts November 9, 2016. I congratulate President-Elect Donald Trump and all of the national, state, and local elected leaders across the country who won their elections last night. I also thank Secretary Hillary Clinton for her hard-fought campaign, along with all the candidates who did not win but participated in […]
Posted October 12, 2016
In March 2016, RACC distributed a questionnaire to all official candidates for Portland Mayor and City Council during the spring primary. The questions were: (1) In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Portland? (2) Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality […]
Posted October 7, 2016
Issued by Americans for the Arts on October 3, 2016 October is National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM)—a coast-to-coast collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. NAHM was launched by Americans for the Arts 30 years ago as National Arts Week in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the National Endowment for the […]
Posted September 6, 2016
Issued by Americans for the Arts on September 6, 2016. As a reminder, please join us in celebrating National Arts In Education Week from September 11-17, 2016. Take two minutes to issue a Letter to the Editor to your local papers and tell them why the arts matter in education! Designated by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 names the […]
