RACC Blog

Artist Leslie Vigeant’s “Material Rescue League” at the Portland Building, August 13 – September 7

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Project Background: The Material Rescue League is setting up shop in the Portland Building. Created by artist Leslie Vigeant in 2010, the Material Rescue League (MRL) is an ongoing and evolving homage to humble materials. MRL installations also offer a critique on the marketing practices the mainstream retail industry employs. The degree to which we, as consumers, can be influenced by chic packaging and alluring presentation becomes crystal clear the moment we realize that Vigeant’s objects, elegantly displayed in futuristic boutique fashion, are actually post-consumer items that have been reworked and re-packaged—old floor tiles, lead tire weights, and discarded bits of wire never looked so good. In many ways, the installations are an anthropological display of cultural debris. Vigeant’s focus is a hybrid of scientific study, fine art, and dumpster diving and the work deftly calls into question the hierarchies we place on materials, and objects. This focus, combined with the attention to detail Vigeant brings to her MRL installations prompts a thoughtful examination of the challenges and rewards associated with the recovery and rehabilitation of discarded goods.

About the Artist: Leslie Vigeant lives and works in Portland, Oregon. She received her MFA in Applied Craft and Design from Oregon College of Art & Craft and Pacific Northwest College of Art. Vigeant is also a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she received a BFA in 2-D Studies; she has shown her work on both coasts and recently completed a Recology Fellowship in San Francisco, California

Viewing Hours & Location: 7 am to 6 pm, Monday – Friday. The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland.

For more information on the Portland Building Installation Space series including images, proposals and statements for all the installations since 1994, go to www.racc.org/installationspace.
 

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Todd Haynes donates autographed portrait to benefit The Right Brain Initiative

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Nationally renowned filmmaker Todd Haynes is the subject of a one-of-a-kind portrait that posted today on eBay. This ten-day auction supports a good cause: Haynes donated the giclee print to benefit The Right Brain Initiative’s arts education programming in Portland, Oregon area schools. The print is signed by both Haynes and the portrait’s artist, Steve Cohn. Cohn is brother-in-law to Haynes, and works under the pseudonym Jasper Marks.

Cohn rendered the portrait in homage to Haynes’ remarkable body of work in filmmaking. Haynes, a Portland resident, is the creative mind behind Far from Heaven, a feature film starring Julianne Moore, for which he was nominated an Academy Award for original screenplay; and I’m Not There, a biopic about Bob Dylan. He is also the writer/director of Mildred Pierce, a 2011 HBO miniseries nominated for an unprecedented 21 Primetime Emmy awards.

The original oil painting of this portrait hangs in Portland City Hall, inducted in April 2011 by Mayor Sam Adams as a testament to the city’s dedication to supporting independent artists and cultural leaders. “This office is honored to display such a beautiful portrait of one of our most prolific artists,” said Adams at the hanging.

The Right Brain Initiative’s dedication to providing rich arts education to all K-8 students in Portland resonates with Haynes’ personal experience as a student. “Music, art was all part of basic curriculum that most of us grew up with in the public school system. It’s a really different story today,” he said. “I’m extremely honored to have played even the smallest part in supporting The Right Brain Initiative and its commitment to bringing art and the value of creative experience into the lives of so many young people.”

The auction closes at noon on Sunday, August 5. Portlanders can see the work in person during business hours at the Lara Sydney Framing Gallery, 1230 NW Hoyt Street (including the First Thursday art walk on the evening of August 2) through the end of the auction. www.larasydney.com

The giclee print is available in an eBay auction through Sunday, August 5.

Filmmaker Todd Haynes Signs Portrait to Donate for Arts Education from Former Mayor Sam Adams on Vimeo.

Regional Arts & Culture Council elects new board members and officers

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) board of directors has elected Lina Garcia Seabold as the Chair of the board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, and Peg Malloy has been elected as Vice-Chair.

Lina Garcia Seabold is owner and partner of Seabold Construction Co., Inc.; Cornell Estates Living Center; Rosewood Park Retirement and Assisted Living Center; Rosewood Specialty Care; and Avamere at Bethany. She is also an active artist. Presently, Lina is the president of MANA de Portland. Past professional experience includes working on the Eastside and Westside Light Rail Projects with Tri-Met as well as serving a stint in the Governor’s Office under Governor Neil Goldschmidt creating and developing the Office of Minority, Women and Emerging Small Business.

Peg Malloy is the Executive Director and Founder of the Portland Housing Center, and she serves on the Operation Home Steering Committee and the National NeighborWorks Association.

Joining Seabold and Malloy as officers on the RACC Board are treasurer, Jennifer C. Cies, VP of Product Strategies at Umpqua Bank; and secretary, Alan Alexander III, owner of Dub Squad Music, BMI. Ex-Chair Carol R. Smith, Ed.D. will serve as Chair Emeritus.

In addition, three new members have been elected to the RACC board:

  • Nik Blosser is the co-founder and president of Celilo Group Media, a media company with the mission of expanding markets for sustainable products and services. For the past decade, Nik has been a recognized leader in the sustainable business sector in the Pacific Northwest, shaping both political and business perspectives around the economic opportunities of sustainable practices. As the Co-founder of the Oregon Business Association (OBA), he also serves as vice chair on OBA’s board. Nik received his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in aeronautical engineering and English from Stanford University.
  • Daryl Dixon is known for his expertise in workforce diversity, equity, and cultural inclusion throughout the tri-county area. Since 2010, he has served as Multnomah County’s Chief Diversity and Equity Officer, playing a key role in fostering an organizational culture of awareness, inclusion, respect and accountability. For more than 14 years, Daryl has developed and delivered diversity training programs and curriculums for a number of key stakeholders in the region. As owner of Diversity Resource Group, he has worked as a consultant for PGE, Clackamas County, Umpqua Bank, Clark County, Iberdrola Renewable Energy, NIKE, the City of Portland, and many others.
  • Joanna Priestley is an accomplished media artists and independent filmmaker, who has produced 24 award-winning films over the last two decades. As the Founder and Owner of Priestley Motion Pictures, Joanna was awarded with numerous national and international awards, including the National Educational Film Festival (First Prize), National Independent and Video Festival (Grand Prix), Canadian International Animation Festival (Special Merit Award), Athens Film and Video Festival (First Prize), and the Seoul International Animation Festival (First Prize). Joanna received RACC’s prestigious Fellowship Award in Media Arts in 2007.

Continuing RACC Board members for FY13 include: Jesse Beason, Verlea G. Briggs, Jessica Clark, Jay Clemens, Mike Golub, Stacey A. Graham, Kira Higgs, Phillip Hillaire, Eric R. Hormel, Jerry E. Hudson, Karen Karbo, Joe Krumm, Max M. Miller, Jr., Bonita Oswald, Brian Rice and Jan Robertson. 

Gwyneth Gamble Booth and Tad Savinar have rotated off the RACC Board after serving six years each.
 
 

Mikyoung Kim Selected for Sellwood Bridge Public Art Project

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) announced today that Boston based artist, Mikyoung Kim, has been selected to create public art for the Sellwood Bridge, slated to open in 2016. The art is funded through the city’s percent for art program and will be owned by the City and maintained by RACC.

Kim, an award-winning international landscape architect and artist has completed projects as diverse civic gardens and municipal playgrounds to large scale parks and institutional master plans and was selected by a panel of local artists, community representatives and project team members. Her concept, “Stratum Project,” is a “series of ecologically inspired geologic sculptural totems. Layers of various recycled and formed materials create a quilted surface that represents earth, water and sky as the gateway to the Sellwood Community”. The multi-part installation will line both sides of the block just east of the bridge, up to 6th and Tacoma.

Kim will talk about her past work and conceptual proposal for the Sellwood Bridge on Thursday, July 12th, 5:30-7:30 PM, at the Oaks Park Dance Pavilion. The event is free and open to the public.
 
 

Artist Christy Hawkins presents “Outdoors In” July 9 – August 3, 2012

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Project Background: Christy Hawkins presents her ambitious quilting project Outdoors In at the Portland Building next week. Using a combination of organic cotton and “up-cycled” fabrics, Hawkins has created a full scale, three-dimensional campfire scene complete with scenic backdrops made entirely with quilted material. Her aim is to help counteract “nature deficit disorder” by inspiring visitors to leave their electronic devices at home and get out in the natural world. The sculptural elements in Outdoors Ininclude real tree stumps topped with pads quilted in tree-ring patterns and a handmade quilted tent situated next to a “soft and plushy” campfire of pillows. The sculptural elements of the installation will be surrounded by the artist’s two-dimensional quilted landscape backdrops.

About the Artist: Christy Hawkins attended Maryland Institute College of Art in the late 90s and is currently an Art Practices major at Portland State University. She began designing and sewing quilts for her children but loved the process so much that she turned it into a small quilt-making business. This life experience, combined with her love of the outdoors (she has solo-cycled across the U.S. and throughout Europe and has hiked the 230 mile John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada range), has shaped her artistic direction and led her to projects like Outdoors In.

About the Installation Space: Each year the Portland Building Installation Space series reserves several exhibition opportunities for advanced students in fine art. The format and presentation requirements for these student installations are identical to those for established professional artists, the Regional Arts & Culture Council created this separate eligibility category to help introduce emerging talents to the world of public art. Christy Hawkins is the third student artist to present work this season.

Viewing Hours & Location: 7 am to 6 pm, Monday – Friday. The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland.
For more information on the Portland Building Installation Space series including images, proposals and statements for all the installations since 1994, go to www.racc.org/installationspace.
 
 

Lawrence Johnson named RACC’s 2012 Fellow in Media Arts

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is pleased to announce its 2012 Fellow in Media Arts: Lawrence Johnson. This fellowship honor carries a cash award of $20,000.

“Larry has spent many years developing his techniques; experimenting; and is eager to share his personal vision and stories,” said Eloise Damrosch, executive director of RACC. “We are thrilled to award him this Media Arts Fellowship – something only the highest caliber artists in our community can receive.”

Larry Johnson has been making films since his childhood and has developed a national reputation for historical and cultural documentary and films for museums across the country. Many of his films have been seen on Public Broadcasting stations nationwide. He has created films for museums such as the Smithsonian Institution, the Washington State History Museum and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Johnson has taught cinematography at the Portland Art Museum’s Northwest Film Center and has completed several residencies through its Filmmaker-In-Schools program. Johnson has been a recipient of three project grants from RACC and the 2008 Oregon Media Arts Fellowship. His most recent film, Stuff, is his first personal documentary. This highly acclaimed film has received awards in multiple film festivals across the country including awards at the Florida Film Festival (Special Jury Award), Talking Pictures Festival (Best Documentary) and the Astoria International Film Festival (Best Documentary).

After taking an opportunity for some much needed “creative retreat”, the Fellowship award will allow Larry to start work on a second personal documentary. With Ghost Money (working title) Larry plans to tell the story of his tour of duty as a soldier-cum-entertainer in Vietnam. This proposed film will be framed as three interlocking stories told in parallel. He will use archival footage (shot from his tour in 1972), animation reminiscent of Asian comic books, and new footage of modern-day Vietnam (trip funded by the Fellowship).

The RACC Artists Fellowship Award, established in 1999, is one of the largest and most prestigious grants to individual artists in the Pacific Northwest, supporting exceptional artists who enrich the communities in our region. One fellowship is awarded each year, rotating through four artistic disciplines. Next year, a literary artist will be honored. For more information, visit www.racc.org/grants/individual-artist-fellowships.

To be eligible for consideration, professional artists must have worked in their field for 10 years and have lived in the Portland tri-county area for five years. Applications, which include three narrative questions, artist resumes, two letters of recommendation, and examples of the artist’s work, are reviewed through a panel process of community representatives from the discipline being honored.

Amy Collen, Russ Gage, Shelley Midthun, Stephen Slappe and David Walker served as panelists for the Media Arts Fellowship this year.

Johnson joins a prestigious group of local artists who have been named RACC Fellows in the past, including:
• 1999, Performing Arts – Obo Addy and Mary Oslund
• 2000, Visual Arts – Terry Toedtemeier and Christine Bourdette
• 2001, Literary & Media Arts – Michele Glazer and Jim Blashfield
• 2002, Performing Arts – Tomas Svoboda and Keith Scales
• 2003, Visual Arts – Michael Brophy and Judy Cooke
• 2004, Literary & Media Arts – Craig Lesley and Chel White
• 2005, Performing Arts – Thara Memory
• 2006, Visual Arts – Henk Pander
• 2007, Media Arts – Joanna Priestley
• 2008, Literary Arts – Kim Stafford
• 2010, Performing Arts — Robin Lane
• 2011, Visual Arts – Eric Stotik

 
 
 

RACC awards $1.7 million to 48 local arts organizations

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) announced today that 48 local arts organizations have been awarded a total of $1,728,290 for FY13. These organizations, headquartered in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, submitted proposals through RACC’s competitive “general support” grant program, which helps fund the overall mission of qualified arts organizations that are delivering year-round services in the community. Funds are awarded based on an applicant’s ability to demonstrate artistic excellence, fiscal responsibility, and broad community support including a stable base of audiences and donors.

“These are stellar organizations that have extraordinary impacts in our community,” said Eloise Damrosch, executive director of RACC. “We are honored to invest in all of the work they do to inspire and provoke us; to bring our communities together; to support the economy; and to enhance our children’s education.”

Damrosch pointed out that this year’s general support total is 5% higher than FY12, including support for four new organizations – Bag & Baggage Productions, Independent Publishing Resource Center, NW Documentary Arts & Media, and PHAME Academy. Funding for RACC general support grants is provided by The City of Portland; Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties; the Oregon Arts Commission; Metro; and Work for Art, RACC’s workplace giving program. The City of Portland is by far the largest contributor to RACC, although budget cuts resulted in a 1.2% decrease in FY13. Clackamas County investments were reduced by 20% in FY13, while funding from Washington County was up 14%, and funding from Work for Art was up 8%.

Despite the record size of these awards, RACC still provides less local public funding support than comparable metropolitan areas. Said Damrosch: “We look forward to increasing the size and number of grants for organizations that are based in Portland if the Creative canadapharmacymedonline.com Advocacy Network’s proposal for a new Arts Education and Access Fund is approved by voters in November.”

General support grants are awarded every year, but applications are only accepted every two years; the next opportunity for arts organizations to apply will be in the spring of 2014. In addition to competing on the criteria mentioned above, organizations must meet minimum eligibility requirements, including 501(c)(3) status; a mission centered on producing or presenting art; having one or more paid administrative staff members; and annual revenues of at least $80,000.
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Organizations receiving RACC general support in 2012-13 are:
Artists Repertory Theatre $56,920
Bag & Baggage Productions $11,600
Blue Sky Gallery $13,890
Bodyvox $24,890
Broadway Rose Theatre Company $36,740
Cappella Romana, Inc. $13,350
Chamber Music Northwest $53,450
Children’s Healing Art Project $12,760
Do Jump Movement Theater $29,740
Ethos Music Center $17,700
Film Action Oregon $17,970
Friends of Chamber Music $21,140
Imago Theatre $29,750
Independent Publishing Resource Center $11,040
Lakewood Center for the Arts $37,320
Literary Arts, Inc. $45,070
Live Wire! $12,710
Metropolitan Youth Symphony $30,330
Miracle Theatre Group $29,990
Northwest Children’s Theatre $28,390
Northwest Dance Project $16,000
NW Documentary Arts & Media $11,040
Oregon Ballet Theatre $85,900
Oregon Children’s Theatre $60,280
Oregon Repertory Singers $26,630
Oregon Symphony Association $143,860
PHAME Academy $11,040
Playwrite, Inc. $16,730
Portland Art Museum and NWFilmCenter $193,740
Portland Baroque Orchestra $25,500
Portland Center Stage $90,560
Portland Chamber Orchestra $15,710
Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra $14,090
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus $16,790
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art $29,000
Portland Opera $140,060
Portland Piano International $15,630
Portland Taiko $37,420
Portland Youth Philharmonic $31,050
Profile Theatre Project $23,360
Tears of Joy Theatre $31,310
The Portland Ballet $18,510
The Third Angle New Music Ensemble $11,500
Third Rail Repertory Theatre $13,400
White Bird $51,460
Wordstock, Inc. $14,780
Write Around Portland $20,140
Young Audiences of Oregon $28,050

RACC provides numerous other grants and services throughout the year, including project grants for schools, arts organizations and individual artists, which will be announced in December.
 
 

Local nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $253 million in annual economic activity

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PORTLAND, OR – The nonprofit arts and culture industry in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties generates more than $253 million in annual economic activity, according to Arts & Economic Prosperity IV, a national economic impact study. The study was conducted in 182 communities nationwide by Americans for the Arts, with local support from the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) and Business for Culture & the Arts (BCA).

According to the study, the region’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations spent $152 million during fiscal year 2010. This spending is far-reaching: organizations pay employees, purchase supplies, contract for services and acquire assets within their community. The industry also leverages more than $101 million in event-related spending by its audiences; as a result of attending a cultural event, attendees often eat dinner in local restaurants, pay for parking, buy gifts and souvenirs, and pay a babysitter. All combined, these dollars support 8,529 full-time equivalent jobs, generate $195 million in household income for local residents, and $21 million in local and state government revenues.

“Arts organizations add tremendous value to our community, but it’s not always something we can quantify,” said Eloise Damrosch, executive director of RACC. “We know that the arts have the power to inspire us and provoke us, delight and engage us. They foster creativity in the classroom and stimulate innovation in our workplaces. But now we see exactly how much arts and culture organizations contribute to the local economy – and it’s significant.”

Deborah Edward, executive director of BCA, added that arts organizations are important local businesses, too. “They hire employees and purchase goods and services in our community. They also anchor tourism and our after-work lives, supporting local restaurants, retailers, and hotels. Culture inspires commerce and our economy is all the better because of this dynamic. Plainly, the arts are good for business.”

The study found the total attendance at arts and culture events in 2010 was 4.6 million, and that 16.3% of these were visitors from out of town. Nearly 70% of all visitors say that the primary reason for their trip is “specifically to attend this arts/culture event,” and visitors who stay overnight in a local hotel spend an average of $154.79 per person as a direct result of their attendance.

The Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study was conducted by Americans for the Arts and supported by The Ruth Lilly Fund of Americans for the Arts. RACC, BCA, and the Creative Advocacy Network (CAN) contributed time and other support, including the collection of local data. The full text of the local report is available here.

Nationally, the study reveals that the nonprofit arts industry produced $135.2 billion in economic activity during 2010. This spending—$61.1 billion by nonprofit arts and culture organizations plus an additional $74.1 billion by their audiences—supported 4.1 million full-time equivalent jobs and generated $22.3 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. The national report is available here.

“This study shines a much-needed light on the vital role the arts play in stimulating and sustaining economic development,” says Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Contrary to popular belief, the arts are a bustling industry that supports a plethora of diverse jobs, generates significant revenues for local businesses and to federal, state and local governments and provides quality of life that positions communities to compete in our 21st century creative economy.”

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is the local arts agency for Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, providing grants for artists, schools and nonprofit organizations; conducting workplace giving for arts and culture (“Work for Art”) and other advocacy efforts; presenting workshops and other forms of technical assistance; providing printed and web-based resources for artists; and integrating art into public spaces.

Business for Culture & the Arts (BCA) is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to strengthening Oregon’s cultural and economy vitality. BCA’s advocacy, strategic alliances, membership programs, research, networking and celebratory events help to connect businesses and the arts for mutual benefit. Approximately 180 Portland businesses are members of BCA, which is an affiliate of the national Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. www.nwbca.org.