RACC Blog

Latinidades: Redefining Art Spaces to Support Latinx Creatives

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How do a regional arts and culture organization and a Latinx economic and community development organization intersect? Months ago, RACC and the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (HMC) first met to discuss partnering and what that would look like. Together, we asked this question, and the answer was right there: our commitment to the creative and entrepreneurial Latinx community.

We turned this commitment tangible through Latinidades: An Art Show Celebrating Latinx Artists, a first-of-its kind First Thursday art show that opened on August 2nd. Mercedes Orozco, Director of UNA Gallery, led the show curation. Once a contemporary art space, UNA Gallery is now a non-localized visibility project that supports the creativity of people of color (POC), queer, femme, and gender non-conforming artists through exhibit curation and events throughout Portland.

Show attendee viewing the feature artist artwork in the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber

Together, we transformed the HMC office into an art gallery with an opening reception that welcomed over 60 community members. The range of artwork and artist experience, thanks to Mercedes’ curatorial direction, is truly the soul of Latinidades. Just like the Latinx identity,  these artists’ work are not homogenous – and Latinidades is just a taste of what the creative Latinx community looks like.

 

 

Eleven local Portland Latinx artists were featured in the exhibit, ranging from sculptors, painters, to printmakers:

Daniela del Mar and Camila Araya of Letra Chueca Press standing and speaking to Latinidades attendees

Latinidades attendees listening to Latinx artists featured introduce themselves and their work

The night was filled with live music, appetizers from Latinx vendors, and vodka tasting sponsored by Parlae vodka, a local Latinx vodka distillery. By night’s end, 5 pieces of artwork were sold, and we’re expecting several more as the show remains up on the Chamber’s walls.

As organizations with the resources not often afforded to artists of color, we understand the importance of finding ways to make those resources or opportunities more widely available, more often. These all matter, since it is shows and exhibit opportunities like Latinidades that have the potential to propel artists into bigger and more opportunities. Ultimately, the warm reception for Latinidades serves as both a reminder and encouragement for more creative, non-traditional collaborations to address the needs of many communities often left out of the traditional arts scene.

Latinidades attendees walk down the HMC office hall to view featured artworkFor those who missed the opening reception, we invite you to stop by the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber office (333 SW 5th Avenue Suite 100, Portland, OR 97204) Monday thru Friday between 9am – 5pm. The works will be up until September 30th, 2018. As for future collaborative shows, RACC will continue finding opportunities to create spaces for the many communities facing similar challenges of representation and inclusion, and we hope you will join us as these take place.

Executive Director Search Update for July 30, 2018

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The search committee continues to meet weekly. (Committee members include Helen Daltoso, Ozzie Gonzalez, Jeff Hawthorne, Angela Hult, Salvador Mayoral IV, Linda McGeady, Alejandro Queral and Steve Rosenbaum.) Here is the latest update:

 

Process Changes:

  • Our search firm, Koya Leadership Partners, has expanded the areas and communication vehicles they are targeting for the job posting and search process.
  • Koya is confirming that applicants and their partners and families are able to relocate to Portland before presenting individuals to the committee for consideration.
  • Many applicants are asking questions about the arts tax and the audit, so we are sending Koya weekly updates to help them stay apprised of RACC-related issues and activities. This enables Koya to share RACC’s recent successes while answering questions about the audit and other issues of interest.
  • A second round of video interviews is being added to the interview process, enabling the committee to ask additional, specific questions before determining which candidates to bring to Portland for finalist interviews.

 

Interviews: Round One:

  • The committee interviewed four individuals via video conference on July 17 at the RACC office. The group spent one hour with each individual, followed by a 30-minute debriefing session with the team at Koya.
  • Overall the interviews went well, and while all four interviewees were from outside of Oregon, each person had varying degrees of knowledge regarding our local arts ecosystem. The search committee and Koya agree that the candidates are strong, and we are pleased to see that the word continues to get out — in a very positive way — about the opportunity.
  • A second set of three or four individuals will be interviewed via video conference on August 6.

 

Next Steps:

  • Following the August 6 interviews, the committee will determine which individuals to advance to the second round of video interviews.
  • Upon completion of the second round of video interviews, the committee will identify which candidates to advance to the finalist round, a series of in-person interviews and meetings in Portland.
  • While details are still being determined, the intention is to mirror the approach used in the previous search, providing board, community members and others with an opportunity to meet the finalists.

 

We are grateful to community members who have reached out with advice and encouragement in this effort. Your collective support is greatly appreciated. We will continue to keep you updated on the process, and in the meantime, please let us know if you have any questions. The search committee can be reached at EDsearch@racc.org

 

 

Portland arts organizations receive special, one-time funding investment due to the City’s collection of past-due arts tax dollars

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PORTLAND, ORE — The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded a total of $2,464,000 to 52 arts organizations throughout the City of Portland thanks to the city’s efforts in collecting several years’ worth of past-due Art Education and Access Fund (AEAF) dollars, often referred to as the “arts tax.” This special one-time allocation of unanticipated arts tax revenue is in addition to the annual general operating support these organizations receive.

This spring, the city’s collection of back-taxes resulted in more than $3 million of unanticipated revenues. RACC’s Grants Review Committee and Executive Committee discussed appropriate allocations, applying an equity framework to city code that regulates how RACC distributes arts tax proceeds. The final amounts were approved by the RACC Board of Directors on June 27. In addition to providing $2,464,000 for General Operating Support organizations, RACC is also allocating:

  • $300,000 to RACC’s Project Grant program to fund proposals in the Arts Equity & Access category throughout Fiscal Year 2018-19
  • $275,000 to RACC’s Equity Investments program, which provides supplemental funds to General Operating Support organizations for equity programming and organizational development
  • $250,000 to RACC’s Capacity Building program for Culturally Specific Organizations
  • $100,000 to RACC’s arts education coordination work, including professional development opportunities for arts specialists and a new arts education inventory and mapping project

“We commend the city for collecting millions in overdue arts tax payments, and we are thrilled to be providing this one-time extra boost to a wide variety of arts organizations in our community,” says Jeff Hawthorne, RACC’s Interim Executive Director. “Portland’s vibrant nonprofit arts organizations rely on public and private support to inspire and engage us all, and the arts tax continues making their programs more accessible to everyone.”

Since it was first approved by voters in 2012, the Art Education and Access Fund has generated over $50 million to support arts education and accessible arts and culture programs throughout the city. While collection amounts still fluctuate, the general revenue raise has improved since 2012. An independent citizen oversight committee ensures funding expenditures, progress, and outcomes follow city code. After covering administrative costs and distributing net revenues to public schools to pay for certified art and music teachers, the City of Portland distributes remaining revenue to RACC for arts organization funding.

Allocation amounts

Artist Repertory Theatre              64,500
August Wilson Red Door Project              18,500
Blue Sky Gallery              14,000
Bodyvox              64,500
Cappella Romana, Inc.              18,500
The Circus Project              42,000
Chamber Music Northwest              64,500
Children’s Healing Art Project              18,500
CoHo Productions              18,500
Disjecta Contemporary Art Center              18,500
Echo Theater Company              33,000
Ethos Music Center              42,000
Friends of Chamber Music              33,000
Hand 2 Mouth              14,000
Hollywood Theatre              64,500
Imago Theatre              18,500
Independent Publishing Resource Center              14,000
Literary Arts, Inc.              64,500
Live Wire! Radio              33,000
Metropolitan Youth Symphony              33,000
Miracle Theatre Group              42,000
My Voice Music              18,500
Northwest Children’s Theatre              64,500
Northwest Dance Project              64,500
NW Documentary Arts & Media              14,000
Oregon Ballet Theatre            126,000
Oregon BRAVO Youth Orchestra              33,000
Oregon Children’s Theatre              64,500
Oregon Symphony Association           200,000
PDX Jazz              42,000
Pendulum Aerial Arts              14,000
PHAME Academy              42,000
Playwrite, Inc.              14,000
Polaris Dance Theatre              18,500
Portland Art Museum/Northwest Film Center            200,000
The Portland Ballet              42,000
Portland Baroque Orchestra              42,000
Portland Center Stage            126,000
Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra              18,500
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus              33,000
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art              64,500
Portland Opera            126,000
Portland Piano International              33,000
Portland Playhouse              42,000
Portland Youth Philharmonic              42,000
Profile Theatre Project              33,000
Third Angle New Music Ensemble              14,000
Third Rail Repertory Theatre              33,000
Triangle Theatre              18,500
White Bird              64,500
Write Around Portland              18,500
Young Audiences of Oregon              64,500

# # #

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants for artists, arts organizations, and artistic projects in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through Work for Art; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; and works to integrate arts and culture into the standard curriculum in public schools through The Right Brain Initiative. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and is working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity, and the arts. For more information visit racc.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jeff Hawthorne, Interim Executive Director: jhawthorne@racc.org | 503.823.5258

Special one-time allocation of Arts Education and Access Fund

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RACC is distributing $3,389,000 in a special disbursement of recently accrued Arts Education and Access Funds (AEAF), also known as arts tax funds. These funds will be disbursed in line with RACC’s contract with the City of Portland and will be allocated as follows:

  • $2,464,000 in special one-time allocations to General Operating Support (GOS) partner organizations.
  • $300,000 to RACC’s Project Grant program to fund proposals in the Arts Equity & Access category.
  • $275,000 to RACC’s Equity Investments program, which provides supplemental funds to General Operating Support organizations for equity programming and organizational development.
  • $250,000 to RACC’s Capacity Building program for Culturally Specific Organizations, which provides funding and technical assistance to organizations led by historically underserved communities.
  • $100,000 to RACC’s arts education coordination work, including staffing and a new arts education inventory and mapping project.

Keep reading to get more information on why this is happening, get your questions answered, and see the full list of allocations.

Why is this happening?

RACC receives its primary allocation of AEAF funds from the City of Portland in January of each year. This primary allocation is followed by a series of unpredictable allocations throughout the spring that primarily contain revenue from past tax years. This spring, as a result of the City’s ramped up collection efforts, RACC received an unusually large and unexpected allocation of back taxes totaling $3.3 million. The RACC Board of Directors has adopted a new policy allowing RACC to hold some AEAF revenue in reserve, up to one year of anticipated expenses, as mitigation for future AEAF volatility. All additional funds will be distributed annually, through a one-time special allocation if needed. As a result RACC will be distributing an extra $3,289,000 through several different grant programs throughout FY19, as well as $100,000 for Arts Education coordination work at RACC.

When will this happen?

Most General Operating Support partners will receive a payment for their AEAF Special Allocation in August. Organizations with outstanding reporting obligations will receive their payments when those obligations are met.

We’re making changes to our grants program that will affect GOS organizations. Please click here to read the changes.

 

FAQs

How has RACC accumulated so much Arts Tax revenue?
Because of past volatility with the Arts Tax, RACC has been conservative in how it budgeted Arts Tax allocations over the last two years. Meanwhile, the city has been aggressive in collecting overdue taxes over the past year. The combination of these two factors resulted in RACC receiving $3.3 million more than anticipated in Arts Tax revenue from the City of Portland this spring.

Why is RACC holding Arts Tax money in reserve?
RACC holds some AEAF funds in reserve for a several reasons. In order to ensure that RACC could meet the pledges we have made to GOS partners in 2016, it was important that we saved any excess funding from some years as mitigation for revenue shortfalls in other years. Fortunately, collections have exceeded expectations in each of the last two years.

RACC will continue to hold one year’s worth of AEAF funding in reserve in case there are significant changes to AEAF funding in the coming year. For example, City Council is considering increasing the AEAF’s poverty exemption level, which would reduce RACC annual revenues by $1 million or more. In addition, now that the city has collected most back-due taxes, it is unlikely that RACC will receive as much, if any, unanticipated revenue next year.

RACC is committed to providing stable and predictable funding for the community and our GOS partners. Maintaining a healthy reserve allows us and our grantees to weather changes in the funding we receive without immediately reducing funding levels for our partners.

Does RACC anticipate special allocations like this in the future?
No. We do not anticipate that special allocations will be a regular occurrence, and partner organizations should not plan to receive additional funds in the future. However, if collections do continue to exceed expectations, RACC has policies to ensure those funds are distributed promptly to the community.

How were the award amounts for GOS partners determined?
Partner organizations were grouped into seven tiers base on their FY2017 eligible income, which is a calculation of revenue from ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible programming provided in RACC’s service area. All of the organizations within each tier will receive the same award amount. The award amounts range from $14,000 to $200,000.

Do GOS partners need to do anything to receive these funds?
If your organization has completed all outstanding reporting requirements you will automatically receive a payment in August. A handful of organizations who have not yet completed FY2017 reporting requirements, or submitted reports late, will receive their payments once their report is approved. Not sure if you have outstanding reporting requirements? Contact your Grants Officer and we can let you know!

How will RACC use the funds for Arts Education coordination?
AEAF legislation allows RACC to retain 3% of Arts Tax revenues for staffing and materials that advance RACC’s ability to support art and music teachers that are funded by the Arts Tax, and coordinate arts education activities in public schools. These funds will support more professional development for certified arts specialists, and the mapping of arts and culture resources that are available to all Portland students.

What do the funds allocated to the Capacity Building program support?
RACC’s Capacity Building program provides multi-year financial support and technical assistance to arts organizations led by under-served communities. Currently four organizations  are receiving support — Kukatonon, Instituto de Cultura y Arte In Xochitl In Cuicatl, PassinArt, and Portland Taiko. The additional arts tax funds will allow us to support five additional organizations over the next several years.

What is the Equity Investments program? How can my organization apply?
The Equity Investments program provides additional funding to General Operating Support partner organizations for initiatives which advance their commitment to equity in the arts, with a focus on racial equity. The program provides one-time and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to $75,000. Including the funds from the special allocation, a total of $425,000 will be awarded in spring 2019. General Operating Support partners will receive notification when applications become available this fall.

We’re making changes to our grants program that will affect GOS organizations. Click here to get your frequently asked questions answered.

Who to contact with more questions

Jeff Hawthorne, Interim Executive Director| jhawthorne@racc.org | 503.832.5258

List of allocations

Artist Repertory Theatre              64,500
August Wilson Red Door Project              18,500
Blue Sky Gallery              14,000
Bodyvox              64,500
Cappella Romana, Inc.              18,500
The Circus Project              42,000
Chamber Music Northwest              64,500
Children’s Healing Art Project              18,500
CoHo Productions              18,500
Disjecta Contemporary Art Center              18,500
Echo Theater Company              33,000
Ethos Music Center              42,000
Friends of Chamber Music              33,000
Hand 2 Mouth              14,000
Hollywood Theatre              64,500
Imago Theatre              18,500
Independent Publishing Resource Center              14,000
Literary Arts, Inc.              64,500
Live Wire! Radio              33,000
Metropolitan Youth Symphony              33,000
Miracle Theatre Group              42,000
My Voice Music              18,500
Northwest Children’s Theatre              64,500
Northwest Dance Project              64,500
NW Documentary Arts & Media              14,000
Oregon Ballet Theatre            126,000
Oregon BRAVO Youth Orchestra              33,000
Oregon Children’s Theatre              64,500
Oregon Symphony Association           200,000
PDX Jazz              42,000
Pendulum Aerial Arts              14,000
PHAME Academy              42,000
Playwrite, Inc.              14,000
Polaris Dance Theatre              18,500
Portland Art Museum/Northwest Film Center            200,000
The Portland Ballet              42,000
Portland Baroque Orchestra              42,000
Portland Center Stage            126,000
Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra              18,500
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus              33,000
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art              64,500
Portland Opera            126,000
Portland Piano International              33,000
Portland Playhouse              42,000
Portland Youth Philharmonic              42,000
Profile Theatre Project              33,000
Third Angle New Music Ensemble              14,000
Third Rail Repertory Theatre              33,000
Triangle Theatre              18,500
White Bird              64,500
Write Around Portland              18,500
Young Audiences of Oregon              64,500

Changes are happening with Work for Art

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Changes to the Work for Art program

Over the past 18 months, the Work for Art team has been deeply evaluating the 12- year- old program with an end goal of transforming our work into something that will yield greater impact and scalability. At the end of August, we’ll retire the Work for Art brand, and run our workplace giving as a part of Arts Advocacy at RACC. This is a nod to our growing collaborative work with RACC’s Grants and Communications teams over the past year. Although the City of Portland eliminated its annual $200,000 matching challenge contribution to the campaign, we view this as a prime opportunity to build and promote a stronger public-private movement – in partnership with you – to advocate for our arts and culture community in more meaningful ways. Read more about the changes we’re making to our workplace giving program here.

RACC’s grants program is implementing changes alongside with these Work for Art changes that will affect GOS organizations. Click here to see those changes.

What’s changing?

  • RACC will continue its workplace giving program. The Work for Art brand will retire on 8/31/2018.
  • The Work for Art team will be part of Arts Advocacy at RACC. This team will collaborate with RACC Grants and Communications staff to build and promote a public-private movement in support of our region’s arts and culture ecosystem.
  • Donors through RACC’s workplace giving program will have the option to contribute to the Arts Impact Fund, which replaces the Arts Community Fund and the Arts Education Fund.
  • Fall 2018 will be the final separate allocation of workplace giving donations to GOS groups. Beginning FY19-20, workplace giving donations will no longer be a separate allocation from the amount that RACC distributes as grant awards. RACC will collect donations to the Arts Impact Fund over a full campaign/fiscal year, then disburse these funds to the spectrum of RACC grant programs that support arts organizations, including General Operating Support and Project Grant awards.
  • As a part of City Council’s approval of 5% reductions across bureaus, beginning FY18-19, RACC will no longer receive the $200,000 donor match incentive from the City of Portland.

What’s staying?

  • Donors will still be able to designate a portion or all of their gift through RACC’s workplace giving program to any 501(c)(3) arts organization based in Clackamas, Multnomah, or Washington County. RACC will continue to distribute designated gifts quarterly.
  • Donors who contribute $60+ annually will continue to receive The Arts Card.

We’re also making changes to our grants program that will affect GOS organizations. Please click here to read the changes.

Why is it changing?

The Work for Art team spent the last 18 months deeply evaluating the 12 year old program with an end goal of transforming our work into something that will result in greater impact and scalability.

Retiring the Work for Art brand empowers our Arts Advocacy, Grants, Community Engagement, and Communications teams to unite and strengthen RACC’s role in supporting our arts and culture ecosystem.

Workplace giving as a whole is changing due to technological advancements and generational shifts. We have already begun our work to attune to these changes, streamline our processes, and expand our capacity to grow. Our current projects include

  • a new pledge site that immediately sends donors acknowledgement and tax receipt information
  • an online artist directory that directly connects partner companies with arts opportunities and experiences
  • phased progress toward a digital Arts Card to enhance user experience
  • strategic and collaborative work with our combined campaign colleagues at Black United Fund, Children’s Trust Fund, EarthShare, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, to advance our relevancy and marketability in the business community.

We understand RACC can do more to provide value and resources beyond money to help you better serve your communities. Working with you, we aim to demonstrate how crucial arts and culture organizations are to the livability of our communities.

In addition to changes to the Work for Art Program, we’re making changes to our grants program that will affect GOS organizations. Please click here to read why these changes are happening.

 

FAQs

How are Fall 2018 workplace giving allocations looking?
Although we have yet to complete reconciliation of FY17-18 donations, we estimate that the campaign total decreased by about 24% from FY16-17. Our Fall and Spring campaigns were generally down across the board. While it fostered a positive buzz, we retired the Battle of the Bands in 2018 as we realized the amount of money and awareness raised did not substantiate the staff time and resources used to produce the event. We are eager to partner with you to advocate for our arts and culture community in more meaningful ways.

How about beyond Fiscal Year 18-19?
The combination of several internal changes and external factors (detailed above in “Why is it Changing?”) makes it challenging for us to accurately project our future workplace giving campaign totals at this time. We believe that the new direction we are taking will contribute to the growth of our workplace giving and arts advocacy efforts. We also believe it will open the door to other ways that we can add value and measure our success – beyond a campaign total. We will be testing, measuring, and evaluating new strategies as we partner with you to build a public-private movement in support of arts and culture.

Why is the Arts Education Fund going away?
Donors will continue to have the ability to support arts education under the new model. We decided to channel donations into one fund that benefits a wide variety of arts and culture organizations, which include those that provide substantial arts education programming. The Arts Education Fund constituted a small percentage of our annual campaign totals. We believe that this is largely due to the functional limitations of donor pledge portals that many of our partner companies use. For example, our two largest campaigns use an online giving platform that does not provide donors a straight forward way to select from multiple funds under one organization.

Should my organization remove Work for Art recognition?
Please remove all Work for Art logos and related text. However, please continue to recognize RACC in accordance with your current GOS acknowledgement requirements.  We understand you may have already printed some materials with Work for Art recognition for your upcoming season – that’s ok! Our new printed and online materials will clearly demonstrate the sunset of the Work for Art brand, and we will have online re-directs in place. We are thinking about how to best include credit to our workplace donors and partner companies through your RACC recognition, and we will update you on any changes prior to FY19-20 grant allocations.

What about the Work for Art pens?
Perhaps the time has finally come to get some cool RACC branded pens.

We’re making changes to our grants program that will affect GOS organizations. Click here to get your frequently asked questions answered.

Who to contact with more questions:

Alison Bailey, Business Partnership Manager | abailey@racc.org | 503.823.5424

FY2017-18 General Operating Support Awards

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A total of $2,482,600 in General Operating Support was distributed to 55 organizations in fiscal year 2017-18. Additional information about this program is available on the General Operating Support page. The arts organizations which were awarded General Operating Support in 2017-18 are

  • Artists Repertory Theatre – $69,500
  • Bag & Baggage Productions – $10,000
  • Blue Sky Gallery  – $11,700
  • BodyVox – $31,600
  • Broadway Rose Theatre Company – $23,000
  • Cappella Romana – $13,800
  • Chamber Music Northwest – $39,600
  • Children’s Healing Art Project – $13,400
  • CoHo Productions – $12,800
  • Disjecta Contemporary Art Center – $13,900
  • Echo Theater Company – $15,300
  • Ethos Music Center – $29,600
  • Friends of Chamber Music  – $19,000
  • Hand2Mouth Theatre – $8,000
  • Hollywood Theatre – $38,300
  • Imago Theatre – $15,500
  • Independent Publishing Resource Center – $10,600
  • Lakewood Center for the Arts – $21,000
  • Literary Arts – $45,000
  • Live Wire! Radio – $15,200
  • Metropolitan Youth Symphony – $19,700
  • Miracle Theatre Group – $21,000
  • My Voice Music – $9,800
  • Northwest Children’s Theater and School – $52,300
  • Northwest Dance Project – $34,200
  • NW Documentary – $8,000
  • Oregon Ballet Theatre – $131,000
  • Oregon BRAVO Youth Orchestras – $14,600
  • Oregon Children’s Theatre – $72,900
  • Oregon Symphony Association – $352,000
  • PDX Jazz – $17,200
  • Pendulum Aerial Arts – $8,000
  • PHAME – $13,700
  • PlayWrite – $10,100
  • Polaris Dance Theatre – $12,300
  • Portland Art Museum – $427,000
  • Portland Baroque Orchestra – $28,700
  • Portland Center Stage  – $225,000
  • Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra – $13,200
  • Portland Gay Men’s Chorus – $14,700
  • Portland Institute for Contemporary Art – $41,900
  • Portland Opera Association – $214,000
  • Portland Piano International – $20,000
  • Portland Playhouse – $23,000
  • Portland Youth Philharmonic Association – $23,800
  • Profile Theatre – $17,100
  • The August Wilson Red Door Project – $12,000
  • The Circus Project – $12,800
  • The Portland Ballet – $24,100
  • Third Angle New Music Ensemble – $8,000
  • Third Rail Repertory Theatre – $29,100
  • Triangle Productions! – $13,000
  • White Bird – $42,100
  • Write Around Portland – $13,400
  • Young Audiences of Oregon – $46,100

Search Update for June 29

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RACC search committee members Linda McGeady, Steve Rosenbaum and Ozzie Gonzalez, and interim executive director Jeff Hawthorne, recently accepted invitations to meet with constituents interested in the status of RACC’s search process, including 20 leaders of local arts organizations and 5 representatives from AWE – Arts Workers for Equity.

RACC representatives heard questions in these meetings about the board-only composition of RACC’s search committee; encouragement to do a better job of communicating what is going on and why; and concerns about leadership in the arts in this challenging and exciting environment. We also heard words of encouragement and support, and we are very grateful for those.

Informed by these and other discussions over the past month, the search committee recommended adding two staff members as voting members, and Jeff Hawthorne as an ex officio, non-voting member. Staff chose Helen Daltoso and Salvador Mayoral as their representatives, and the committee nominated Linda McGeady and Angela Hult as committee co-chairs for the new fiscal year. The board enthusiastically approved all of these changes on June 28, so the new composition of the search committee is:

  • Linda McGeady (board), co-chair
  • Angela Hult (board), co-chair
  • Helen Daltoso (staff)
  • Ozzie Gonzalez (board)
  • Jeff Hawthorne, ex officio
  • Salvador Mayoral IV (staff)
  • Alejandro Queral (board)
  • Steve Rosenbaum (board)

The search committee will continue to assess its composition and evaluate its processes on an ongoing basis. We remain committed to including more than 20 additional community members in the final vetting of candidates, and will continue to do everything possible to eliminate unconscious bias from decisions that are made.

The search committee also wants to clarify that extending the search does not add significant expenses to the budget. $67,000 has been budgeted to date, including the costs associated with our executive search firm, Koya Leadership Partners. Koya is still under contract to deliver a candidate at no additional expense, but RACC may incur some additional, relatively nominal expenses in bringing out-of-town finalists to Portland.

The search committee will continue to post updates on racc.org, and the job description is posted here (HTML) and here (PDF). Candidates should apply directly to Koya, but you can also contact the search committee by emailing EDSearch@racc.org.

 

 

Reflections, Lessons, and Projections

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by Jeff Hawthorne
Interim Executive Director

June is coming to an end, and so too is RACC’s 2017-2018 fiscal year. Now is a good moment, before a new fiscal year begins on July 1, to ruminate on RACC’s past and present, and what that means for our future.

A year ago this week, we celebrated the accomplishments of our retiring executive director, and prepared to launch a national search for her replacement. Even as this transition phase continues, RACC has shown that it is leader-full, confidently moving forward as the search goes on. Throughout this shift, I have been impressed time and again with the board’s profound dedication to the organization, and the staff’s drive to lead innovations that make our work more effective, accessible, and impactful than ever before.

Some of the staff-led accomplishments of the past year that I’m particularly proud of include:

  • Our grantmaking program launched two new initiatives: a Capacity Building Program for culturally specific organizations, and additional Equity Investments for General Operating Support organizations that are making real progress diversifying their staff, board, and audiences.
  • RACC revamped the Art of Leadership program to better align with the needs of small and midsize arts and culture organizations, resulting in the program’s highest attendance ever – with 63 graduates this past spring.
  • We continue to facilitate public art projects, including three collaborations with Portland Parks this past year – two of which were in East Portland. Big projects are also getting underway at the Multnomah County Health Department and with the renovation of the Portland Building… stay tuned!
  • Our Fresh Paint temporary mural program invited its first three muralists of color to paint Open Signal’s wall facing the highly visible Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and we collaborated with Prosper Portland to install murals by Eatcho and Arvie Smith at the new Natural Grocers store on NE Alberta St depicting Northeast Portland’s African American history, present, and future – check out the video.
  • RACC’s arts integration program, The Right Brain Initiative, continues to expand but with a new focus on serving schools where the achievement gaps are greatest – specifically schools where 30 percent or more of the population are students of color, English language learners, low-income and/or in neighborhoods with limited arts resources nearby.
  • RACC continues working to build better relationships with marginalized communities, and our community engagement team has been listening to shape RACC’s program delivery model as a result. This past year, staff launched the Art & Power conversation series that centers the experiences of artists from historically marginalized communities with topics ranging from cultural appropriation to the healing power of the arts.

We’ve also had learning moments. As an organization advocating for and supporting artists, we take continuous feedback and improvement seriously. This past year, we’ve done some new things or made changes based on feedback we received from community members, artists, and arts institutions. Some highlights include: conducting a survey with all General Operating Support organizations and restructuring how organizations are funded; adding more project grant application cycles per year to address artists’ needs; modifying our executive director search process based on community feedback; and developing policies and programs aligned with our equity lens.

RACC is stronger and more committed than ever as we continue working to enrich our communities through arts and culture. In a region that is ever-changing and growing, we keep the community’s arts and cultural needs first and foremost in our mind as we move through changes of our own.

Going forward, we have work to do to build deeper relationships with our government partners, and will be rolling out a new grantmaking framework for General Operating Support organizations in the months ahead. We are also in the process of revamping our fundraising programs in response to funding cuts, and pledge to reinvigorate RACC’s role in building a strong arts and culture advocacy network.

This September, RACC will present its annual State of the Arts report to Portland City Council. Some of our report will focus on these accomplishments, but it is also incumbent upon us to remind City Council of the real and persistent challenges we face as artists and arts workers. I’d love to hear about your success stories from the past year, and your perception of what’s working and what’s not. Please help us inventory the unmet needs that you experience or observe in our local arts community by dropping me a line at jhawthorne@racc.org with your thoughts.

From myself and all of us at the Regional Arts & Culture Council, thank you for supporting our work and holding RACC and our government partners accountable for more equitable investments in our community of artists, arts educators, and nonprofit organizations. We look forward to building even more with you in the year ahead.