RACC Blog

Response: Louse Lopes

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For the spring 2018 primary election, RACC distributed a questionnaire to all candidates running for Portland City Council; Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington County Boards of Commissioners; and Metro Council. Each candidate was asked five questions on March 13 or 14, and given the opportunity to respond by March 30 when this story was first published.  RACC will continue to publish responses from candidates even after the deadline has passed.

Here are the responses provided by Louise Lopes, running for Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, Position 2. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 

 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Clackamas County?

LL: This is the very first time I have run for elected office before so I have not had an opportunity to specifically support arts and culture in Clackamas County except as a private citizen. Personally, I strongly support all art and culture because I believe in the advancement of human potential and expression.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to the county’s economy, our education system and healthy communities – three of Clackamas County’s key performance measures. How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Clackamas County be doing to support this sector?

LL: Art and culture is important to every community and one of the fundamentals of human experience from the beginning of the origins of our species. It is through drawings on cave walls that we learned about the very first humans and their life (and hence culture). It is especially imperative that all children and youth have a chance to explore their interests and talent in the field of art.  Clackamas County should be supporting art, artists, and art education though funding and other avenues.  As a Clackamas County Commissioner, I would pursue those priorities.

 

RACC: Many schools in Clackamas County are participating in The Right Brain Initiative, which infuses dance, music, visual art and other creative activities into science, language arts, math and other subjects. Rigorous evaluative data has demonstrated that this approach leads to better teachers and more engaged students with improved test scores.  Do you support public investments in programs like these to support student learning in Clackamas County?

 

LL: Yes, I wholeheartedly support public investment in programs like The Right Brain Initiative.  It is so innovative and integrates many creative activities with the more basic subjects, and as noted, results in overall improved test scores.

RACC: How can RACC and Clackamas County do a better job of providing arts experiences for underrepresented populations, including rural communities, people of color, people with disabilities and underserved neighborhoods?

LL: I think that outreach and access are very important to bring the arts experience to underrepresented/underserved populations such as people of color, other minorities, the LGBTQ community, rural inhabitants, and those struggling with economic injustice.  Often times some members of these communities speak a primary language other than English ,and having the ability to communicate with them in that language improves outreach.  Access can be enhanced by providing arts experiences in their schools and communities through funding as well as volunteers, improving the chances they can participate in the same opportunities as those in urban areas.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for Clackamas County that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

LL: My priorities for Clackamas County include addressing many forms of injustice – social, economic, environmental, and more.  Many forms of injustice limit, or exclude, entire groups of people from getting access not only to basic services but to exploring beyond that into the world of art, culture, and more.

I would be interested in promoting a funded educational program (through scholarships) for all ages to explore and advance their talents in all forms of art.  Groups such as the Clackamas County Arts Alliance are vital. I’d like to see more events such as the annual Arts Extravaganza.  A Clackamas County Art Fair would be a priority I would pursue.

Response: Peter Winter

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For the spring 2018 primary election, RACC distributed a questionnaire to all candidates running for Portland City Council; Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington County Boards of Commissioners; and Metro Council. Each candidate was asked five questions on March 13 or 14, and given the opportunity to respond by March 30 when this story was first published.  RACC will continue to publish responses from candidates even after the deadline has passed.

Here are the responses provided by Peter Winter, running for Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, Position 2. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 

 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Clackamas County?

PW: My message of building vibrant communities outlined on www.votepeterwinter.com encourages development that allows citizens to live, work and play in their communities. This requires a commitment towards arts and culture to allow for well balanced and healthy population.

 

RACC:  Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to the county’s economy, our education system and healthy communities – three of Clackamas County’s key performance measures. How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Clackamas County be doing to support this sector?

PW: As someone that has lived abroad in Asia for three years I am keenly aware of the importance of promoting arts and cultures in our communities.  Integrating art and differing cultures into our daily lives promotes an environment of learning and understanding.  I’d like to support the arts by encouraging more growth in schools and training centers in the private market.  The county should offer grants to non-profit businesses that promote education of the arts and provide learning opportunities to experience different cultures.

 

RACC: Many schools in Clackamas County are participating in The Right Brain Initiative, which infuses dance, music, visual art and other creative activities into science, language arts, math and other subjects. Rigorous evaluative data has demonstrated that this approach leads to better teachers and more engaged students with improved test scores.  Do you support public investments in programs like these to support student learning in Clackamas County?

PW:  I firmly believe that we are doing are kids a disservice by eliminating these valuable teaching opportunities in our schools. An economy grows when creative innovators fill a niche in the market and if we encourage more exploration in our kids learning we can likely see the returns in our future generation of leaders.

 

RACC: How can RACC and Clackamas County do a better job of providing arts experiences for underrepresented populations, including rural communities, people of color, people with disabilities and underserved neighborhoods?

PW: I think Clackamas County should collaborate with RACC to help make rural communities aware of the programs and opportunities available and to encourage students to become more involved in the arts.  I would like to see the county providing some facilities at no costs to allow members of the community to perform in front of an audience.

 

RACC:  What are some of your other priorities for Clackamas County that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

PW: I am running on a platform of innovation that encourages all of us to come together to contribute so that we may tackle some of our most pressing social issues.  As a child I was exposed to arts, ceramics, foreign languages, and music that has allowed me to develop a creative side, which I seek to incorporate into my professional career.  I’m not sure if I’d have such a creative side had I not been exposed to these highly critical programs.  I love travel and have seen some very inspiring elements in cities that I hope to bring to our region.

Night Lights on April 5

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Night Lights’ final showcase of the 2017-2018 season will be a screening of work from this season’s artists in residence Amy Chiao and Chloe Cooper.

Since this season of Night Lights began last summer, Amy and Chloe have been building a life-size puppet made from plastic waste and filming its trips through public places in Portland.

Here is a statement from the artists:

“In a developing city, it becomes increasingly difficult to maneuver in public space from the growing amount of physical bodies and accumulation of materials. Our consumption of plastic waste in urban environments tend to disappear from the public eye. Phil, a large puppet created from single use plastic items, is a physical manifestation of this. While Phil moves through the city of Portland, these performances explore how our bodies are affected by the materials we consume.”

Documentation of these “Phil outings” will be projected at Open Signal’s exterior wall (2766 Northeast Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) April 5th, 2018. This event is free and open to the public, beginning at dusk and lasting around two hours. Night Lights is a collaboration between Open Signal and the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

Candidates share their views on arts and culture issues

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RACC is working to ensure that elected officials can articulate the value of arts and culture in society, and asks candidates to prioritize funding decisions to ensure that everyone in our community has access to the arts and arts education.

For the spring 2018 primary election, RACC distributed a questionnaire to all candidates running for Portland City Council; Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington County Boards of Commissioners; and Metro Council. Each candidate was asked five questions on March 13 or 14, and given the opportunity to respond by March 30 when this story was first published.  RACC will continue to publish responses from candidates even after the deadline has passed.

Please click on the link for each candidate to read their response. If there is no hyperlink, that candidate has not submitted a response.

For Portland City Council, Position 2:

For Portland City Council, Position 3:

For Clackamas County Commissioner, Position 2:

For Clackamas County Commissioner, Position 5:

For Multnomah County Chair:

  • Chuck Crockett
  • Deborah Kafoury
  • Wes Soderback
  • D. Bora Harris

For Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2:

For Washington County Chair:

For Washington County Commissioner, District 2:

For Washington County Commissioner, District 4:

For Metro Council President:

For Metro Councilor, District 1:

For Metro Councilor, District 2:

For Metro Councilor, District 4:

 

Search update for March 28

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The RACC Executive Director Search Committee has completed stakeholder focus group evaluations of four semifinalist candidates and expects to make its recommendations to the RACC Board of Directors prior to the April 11 Board meeting.

The Semifinalist Candidate Pool

The semifinalist pool contained candidates selected by the RACC Search Committee from those presented by Koya Leadership Partners.

All candidates are currently employed and requested not to be publicly identified. All participants in the evaluation process are bound by non-disclosure agreements not to reveal the names of candidates.

The semifinalist pool contained one local candidate and three national candidates. The candidate pool was diverse by race and gender.

Description of Semi-Finalist Review Process

  1. Each candidate was evaluated separately in small groups over the course of an evening and a full day. The evaluators consisted of  11 internal stakeholders + 16 external stakeholders + 10 members of the search committee.
  2. All stakeholders participating in the process committed to meeting all four candidates at a consistent time slot. There was some flexibility if a stakeholder needed to attend a substitute time slot for one of the candidates.
  3. The candidate meetings were organized such that each candidate attended two panel interviews, two salons, and three social events organized in as consistent a manner as practical.
  4. Each stakeholder completed confidential review and comparative analysis forms for the exclusive use of RACC’s Search Committee. Panel interview participants provided supplementary analysis in addition to the forms completed by Salon and Social participants.

The Search Committee has begin reviewing the feedback forms and will be meeting next on April 3.

A Note of Thanks

We are very grateful to the candidates and stakeholders for committing so much time and energy to this process on such short notice.

Thank you to Norris, Beggs & Simpson Companies, the Northwest Health Foundation, the Portland Opera and the Offices of Portland City Commissioners Chloe Eudaly and Nick Fish for their generous hosting of meetings.

Participating Stakeholders

  • Search Committee Members: Pollyanne Birge, Verlea Briggs, Jenny Chu, Jamie Dunphy, Mike Golub, Phillip Hillaire, Linda McGeady, Jan Robertson, Steve Rosenbaum, Anita Yap
  • Other RACCC Board Members: Eileen Day, Katherine Durham, Debbie Glaze, Ozzie Gonzalez, Leslie Heilbrunn, Parker Lee
  • RACC Staff: Kristin Calhoun, Helen Daltoso, Sara Farrokhzadian, Jeff Hawthorne, Cynthia Knapp, Salvador Mayoral IV, Marna Stalcup
  • Community Members: Jesse Beason, NW Health Foundation; Nick Fenster, NW Children’s Theatre; Elizabett Elsinger, Write Around Portland; Brian Ferriso, Portland Art Museum; Nick Fish, Portland City Commissioner; Cynthia Fuhrman, Portland Center Stage; Subashini Ganesan, NEW Expressive Works; Michael Greer, Oregon Ballet Theatre; India Rae Hamilton, Literary Arts; Kathleen Holt, Oregon Humanities; Linda K. Johnson, dance artist; Christopher Mattaliano, Portland Opera; Andre Middleton, Friends of Noise; Carole Morse, former RACC board member; Van Pham, PICA; Amira Streeter, Office of Commissioner Nick Fish; Steve Wenig, Oregon Symphony

 

 

 

Portland residents: arts tax payments are due April 17

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In November, 2012, 62% of Portland voters approved a groundbreaking new “Arts Education and Access Fund,” commonly known as the arts tax, to restore arts and music education in every public school, and to make arts and culture programs more accessible to every Portland resident.

The arts tax is an income tax of $35 paid by every Portland resident age 18 and older who earns more than $1,000 in a year from sources other than Social Security and state and federal retirement benefits. Persons who live in households that are at or below the federal poverty line are exempt from paying the tax.

Today, thanks to the arts tax, every school in Centennial, David Douglas, Parkrose, Portland, Reynolds and Riverdale School Districts has at least one art, music or dance teacher. In addition, RACC receives approximately $2 million/year to invest in nonprofit arts organizations that are making the arts more accessible to every Portland resident. Here are some examples of how arts organizations are expanding access with funding from the arts tax.

For the 2017 tax year, arts tax payments are due April 17, 2018. For more information, visit www.portlandoregon.gov/revenue/60076.

 

Links:

 

 

In memoriam: former RACC executive director Bill Bulick

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Bill Bulick, who served as the executive director of the Metropolitan Arts Commission (MAC) and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) from 1989-1999, passed away on March 15, 2018 at the age of 65. He had been living with Parkinson’s Disease for many years.

All of us at RACC extend our condolences to Bill’s family, including his partner Carol McIntosh, daughters Eva and Bita, and grandchildren Kaleb, Darmon, and Dalara.

Eloise Damrosch, RACC’s executive director from 2004-2017, worked with Bill as MAC’s director of public art in the early 1990s. “We were a very small joint bureau of the City and Multnomah County, giving grants and managing the public art programs for both entities,” she says. “Bill led the charge to undertake an ambitious cultural planning process. Out of several years of intense planning, goal-setting, benchmarking, and meetings emerged Arts Plan 2000.”

Arts Plan 2000 was the first cultural plan of its kind in the United States. “Many people helped create it,” Damrosch says, “but it was Bill’s dream, and he really laid the essential groundwork for what was ultimately to become the Regional Arts & Culture Council, a tri-county non-profit arts council praised by many to be one of the best in the country.”

“We still refer to Arts Plan 2000 often,” said Jeff Hawthorne, RACC’s interim executive director. “One of its recommendations was to secure regional dedicated funding for the arts, something we partially achieved with Portland’s voter-approved arts tax in 2012. When City Council recently approved a new plan to protect and expand affordable arts spaces in Portland, we noted that several of those recommendations were consistent with the plan that Bill advanced 25 years ago.”

Bill received the Ray Hanley award from Americans for the Arts in 2012, honoring his 40-year career advancing arts and culture both locally and nationally. Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch said at the time that “Bill is respected for the work he did in Portland and around the country.”

“Bill was also an artist and musician himself, a champion for artists and arts organizations, and a change-agent for our council and our community,” said Hawthorne. “Many of our staff worked with him in the 1990s and remember how he was always eager to share his music in addition to his administrative talents. Those of us who knew him are mourning his loss while we also celebrate his legacy.”

For more reflection on Bill’s passing, visit Oregon Arts Watch. To receive information about a memorial service being planned for the month of May, or to send your condolences, contact Carol McIntosh at carolm@easystreet.net.

 

 

 

GOS Survey Results

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In January, RACC conducted a stakeholder survey to collect feedback on RACC’s General Operating Support (GOS) grant program. The anonymous survey was distributed to all current GOS program member organizations, more than 150 arts organizations that do not currently receiving GOS support, and to community members.

Here is the Executive Summary.

GOS is the single largest funding program at RACC, funding 55 arts organizations across the community spectrum and supporting a wide range of arts programming throughout the Portland tri-county area. We are grateful to all who provided input! If you have additional feedback, please do not hesitate to contact the RACC grants team at grants@racc.org.