RACC Blog

RACC launches language support services

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has begun providing language support services for residents with limited English proficiency, and has published the “Arts for All” brochure in Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese. These services are provided as part of RACC’s ongoing equity initiative, helping ensure that all area residents have access to arts and culture, with funding assistance from the City of Portland.

Arts for All is a program that helps low-income Oregonians purchase $5 tickets to local arts events. Forty-two organizations spanning all artistic disciplines – theater, dance, music, visual art and beyond – are now participating in the program, which was first launched by a coalition of classical music organizations in 2010. Residents who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps) can acquire $5 tickets to eligible events by showing their Oregon Trail Card at the time of purchase and paying with personal funds. SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase tickets or other non-food items.

In the last nine months, more than 5,495 tickets have been purchased through the Arts for All program. One grateful participant attended a recent performance at Oregon Children’s Theater and said, “My children and I got to see Magic School Bus Live… one of our favorites. We are a low income family and would have not had the chance otherwise.”

A key priority for RACC and Mayor Sam Adams is to ensure more equitable access to Portland’s arts and culture offerings. Communities of color are young and growing quickly – they make up 45% of local public school students in Portland – but they face huge disparities: the child poverty rate in these communities collectively is 33.3%, while that of white children is 12.5%.

Eloise Damrosch, executive director of RACC, noted that Oregon already has one of the highest rates of arts participation in the country. “Arts for All is another wonderful way to increase residents’ access to arts and culture. As we eliminate old barriers like cost and language, we hope that everyone can and will enjoy more of the extraordinary events that our arts community has to offer.”

As the local arts agency for the Portland metropolitan area, RACC provides grants, technical assistance, and other services to the region’s artists, arts organizations, schools, and community groups. In expanding its outreach to communities of color, RACC began translating several of its publications into Spanish this past year, including a community arts education survey, and a recent call to artists for the Visual Chronicle of Portland. Arts for All brochures are being distributed in Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese, in schools, neighborhoods, places of worship and community centers where these languages are spoken.

To help facilitate conversations with residents whose English proficiency is limited, RACC has also set up a new telephone line at 503-823-5071. Callers can get more information about Arts for All and other RACC programs with over-the-phone interpretation services in a variety of languages upon request, provided by Northwest Interpreters, Inc.

For more information about Arts for All, including a complete list of participating arts organizations, visit www.artsforallpdx.com. For more information on RACC’s other services in the community, visit www.racc.org.

RACC contact: Mary Bauer, Communications Associate, 503.823.5111, mbauer@racc.org

Arts for All contact: Ingrid Arnett, 503.936.5986,  ingrid.arnett@gmail.com 

 

(ESPAÑOL)

24 de mayo de 2012 –

El RACC lanza servicios de apoyo lingüístico

El Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) ha comenzado a ofrecer servicios de apoyo lingüístico para residentes con un dominio limitado del inglés, y ha publicado el folleto “Arts for All” (“Artes para Todos”) en español, ruso y vietnamita. Estos servicios se ofrecen en el marco de la iniciativa de equidad que está desarrollando el RACC, con el fin de contribuir a garantizar un acceso igualitario al arte y a la cultura para todos los residentes del área, con la asistencia financiera de la ciudad de Portland.

Como agencia local para las artes en el área metropolitana de Portland, el RACC ofrece becas, asistencia técnica y otros servicios para los artistas de diversas disciplinas, las organizaciones vinculadas a las artes, y las escuelas y grupos comunitarios de la región. Al ampliar su labor de extensión a las comunidades de color, el año pasado el RACC comenzó a traducir al español varias de sus publicaciones, entre ellas una encuesta para la comunidad sobre educación artística y una reciente Convocatoria a Artistas para la Crónica Visual de Portland. Los folletos Artes para Todos se distribuyen en español, ruso y vietnamita, en escuelas, barrios, templos y centros comunitarios donde se hablen estos idiomas.

Para contribuir a facilitar las conversaciones con residentes cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado, el RACC ha establecido también una nueva línea telefónica. Llamando al 503-823-5071 se puede obtener más información acerca de Artes para Todos y otros programas del RACC, con servicios de interpretación por teléfono en una diversidad de idiomas a pedido, provisto por Northwest Interpreters, Inc.

Artes para Todos es un programa que ayuda a los residentes de Oregón de bajos ingresos a adquirir entradas de $5 a eventos artísticos locales. Ya participan cuarenta y dos organizaciones que abarcan todas las disciplinas artísticas – teatro, danza, música, artes visuales y más – en el programa, que fue lanzado por primera vez en 2010 por una coalición de organizaciones de música clásica. En los últimos nueve meses, más de 5.495 entradas fueron adquiridas por residentes inscriptos en el Programa de Asistencia Alimentaria (SNAP), o lo que se conoce comúnmente como las estampillas para alimentos. Los participantes de SNAP pueden adquirir entradas de $5 a eventos elegibles mostrando su Oregon Trail Card al momento de la adquisición y pagando con fondos personales; no pueden utilizarse los beneficios de SNAP para adquirir entradas u otros artículos no alimentarios.

Una prioridad clave para el RACC y para el Intendente Sam Adams es garantizar un acceso más equitativo a la oferta artística y cultural de Portland. Las comunidades de color son jóvenes y están en rápido crecimiento – constituyen el 45% del estudiantado de la escuela pública local en Portland – pero se enfrentan a enormes disparidades: La tasa de pobreza infantil en estas comunidades es colectivamente del 33,3%, mientras que la de los niños blancos es de 12,5%.

Eloise Damrosch, directora ejecutiva del RACC, señaló que Oregón ya tiene una de las más altas tasas de participación artística en el país. “Artes para Todos es otro modo maravilloso de incrementar el acceso de los residentes a las artes y la cultura. Al eliminar las antiguas barreras como el costo y el idioma, esperamos que todos puedan y quieran disfrutar de los extraordinarios eventos que nuestra comunidad artística tiene para ofrecer”.

Para más información acerca de Artes para Todos, y una lista completa de las organizaciones artísticas que participan, visite www.artsforallpdx.com. Para más información sobre los otros servicios del RACC a la comunidad, visite www.racc.org.

Contactos de prensa:
Para el Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC)—Mary Bauer, 503-823-5426, mbauer@racc.org 
Para Artes para Todos – Ingrid Arnett, Ingrid.arnett@gmail.com

 

Tiếng Việt

Ngày 24 tháng Năm, 2012 –

RACC giới thiệu dịch vụ trợ giúp ngôn ngữ

Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC – Ủy Ban Văn Hóa Nghệ Thuật Khu Vực) bắt đầu cung cấp dịch vụ trợ giúp ngôn ngữ cho các cư dân không thông thạo tiếng Anh, và đã xuất bản tờ thông tin “Arts for All” bằng tiếng Tây ban nha, tiếng Nga, và tiếng Việt. Các dịch vụ này được cung cấp trong khuôn khổ hoạt động vì sự bình đẳng đang diễn ra của RACC, giúp bảo đảm tất cả các cư dân trong khu vực có điều kiện tiếp cận văn hóa nghệ thuật qua ngân khoản trợ cấp của Thành Phố Portland.

Với tư cách là cơ quan nghệ thuật địa phương cho vùng đô thị Portland, RACC có các ngân khoản trợ cấp, trợ giúp kỹ thuật và các dịch vụ khác cho các nghệ sĩ, tổ chức nghệ thuật, trường học, và các nhóm cộng đồng tại địa phương. Nhằm mở rộng phạm vi ngoại tiếp đến các cộng đồng người da màu, RACC bắt đầu chuyển ngữ nhiều ấn phẩm sang tiếng Tây ban nha trong năm vừa qua, trong đó bao gồm bản thăm dò ý kiến cộng đồng về giáo dục nghệ thuật, và gần đây là tài liệu kêu gọi các nghệ sĩ ghi tên vào Kỷ Yếu Hình Ảnh Portland. Các tờ thông tin của Arts for All bằng tiếng Tây ban nha, Nga, và tiếng Việt đang được phân phát tại các trường học, khu phố, đền chùa nhà thờ và các trung tâm sinh hoạt cộng đồng nơi có sử dụng các ngôn ngữ này.

Để giúp tạo điều kiện nói chuyện với các cư dân không thông thạo Anh ngữ, RACC cũng thiết lập một đường dây điện thoại mới tại số 503-823-5071. Người gọi có thể tìm hiểu thêm về Arts for All và các chương trình RACC khác với dịch vụ thông dịch qua điện thoại bằng nhiều ngôn ngữ khác nhau khi có yêu cầu. Các dịch vụ này do Northwest Interpreters, Inc cung cấp.

Arts for All là một chương trình giúp các cư dân Oregon có lợi tức thấp mua vé $5 tham dự các hoạt động nghệ thuật tại địa phương. Bốn mươi hai tổ chức trong tất cả các ngành nghệ thuật – sân khấu, múa, âm nhạc, nghệ thuật hình tượng v.v… hiện đang tham gia chương trình. Chương trình này được đưa vào hoạt động bởi một hiệp hội các tổ chức nhạc cổ điển vào năm 2010. Trong chín tháng vừa qua, hơn 5,495 vé đã được bán bởi các cư dân hiện đang tham gia Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP – Chương Trình Trợ Cấp Dinh Dưỡng Bổ Sung), thường được gọi là phiếu thực phẩm. Những người tham gia SNAP có thể mua vé $5 để tham gia các hoạt động hội đủ điều kiện. Vui lòng xuất trình thẻ Oregon Trail Card vào thời điểm mua và trả bằng tiền riêng; Không được dùng trợ cấp SNAP để mua vé hoặc các vật dụng khác không phải là đồ ăn.

Ưu tiên chính của RACC và Thị Trưởng Sam Adams là bảo đảm việc tiếp cận các hoạt động văn hóa nghệ thuật của Portland được công bằng hơn. ’Các cộng đồng da màu đều còn trẻ và phát triển nhanh chóng – chiếm 45% số học sinh tại các trường công lập địa phương ở Portland – tuy nhiên họ phải đối mặt với nhiều thiếu hụt: tỷ lệ nghèo khó ở trẻ em trong các cộng đồng này tổng cộng là 33.3%, trong khi tỷ lệ này ở trẻ em da trắng là 12.5%.

Bà Eloise Damrosch, giám đốc điều hành RACC, ghi nhận Oregon hiện có một trong các tỷ lệ tham gia hoạt động nghệ thuật cao nhất trên toàn quốc. “Arts for All là một trong những cách tuyệt vời để giúp cư dân tăng cường tiếp cận các hoạt động văn hóa nghệ thuật. Chúng tôi cố gắng xóa bỏ các rào cản truyền thống như chi phí và ngôn ngữ, và hy vọng rằng tất cả mọi người có thể và sẽ tận dụng nhiều hơn các sự kiện đặc biệt mà giới nghệ thuật của chúng ta mang lại.”

Để biết thêm thông tin về Arts for All, bao gôồ cả danh sách đầy đủ các tổ chức nghệ thuật tham gia, vui lòng tới website www.artsforallpdx.com. Để biết thêm thông tin về các dịch vụ khác của RACC trong cộng đồng, xin tới website www.racc.org.

Liên lạc truyền thông:
Cho RACC—Mary Bauer, 503-823-5426, mbauer@racc.org
Cho Arts for All – Ingrid Arnett, Ingrid.arnett@gmail.com

 

Русский

24 мая 2012 г.

RACC организовывает услуги языковой поддержки

Региональный совет по вопросам искусства и культуры (RACC) начал предоставлять услуги языковой поддержки для жителей с низким уровнем владения английским языком. RACC также опубликовал брошюру «Arts for All» («Искусство для всех») на испанском, русском и вьетнамском языках. Услуги предоставляются в рамках действующей инициативы продвижения справедливости при финансовой поддержке города Портленд. Цель таких услуг заключается в том, чтобы предоставить всем жителям области доступ к произведениям искусства и культуры.

Будучи местной организацией, которая занимается вопросами искусства в муниципальном районе г. Портленд, RACC предоставляет художникам, организациям, занимающимся искусством, школам и группам сообщества гранты, техническую поддержку и другие виды услуг. В рамках распространения своих идей среди сообществ людей различных национальностей в прошлом году RACC начал переводить на испанский язык некоторые свои публикации, в том числе опрос, посвященный вопросам художественного образования в сообществе, а также недавний призыв художников объединиться для создания коллекции «Visual Chronicle of Portland». Брошюры «Arts for All» распространяются на испанском, русском и вьетнамском языках в школах, жилых районах, церквях и центрах сообществ, где разговаривают на указанных языках.

Чтобы облегчить общение с жителями, чей уровень владения английским языком невысок, RACC организовал новую телефонную линию – 503-823-5071. Лица, обращающиеся по телефону, смогут получить дополнительную информацию о программе Arts for All и других инициативах RACC. Более того, по просьбе им также оказываются услуги перевода на различные языки (услуги предоставляет компания Northwest Interpreters, Inc).

Arts for All – программа, которая помогает жителям Орегона с низким уровнем дохода приобретать билеты на местные мероприятия, посвященные искусству, за 5 долларов США. Сорок две организации, деятельность которых охватывает все направления искусства – театр, танец, музыка, изобразительное искусство и много другое – принимают участие в программе, которая впервые была запущена союзом организаций любителей классической музыки в 2010 году. В течение прошлых девяти месяцев жителями, которые принимают участие в программе Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), было приобретено свыше 5495 билетов. Такие билеты обычно называют продовольственными талонами. Участники программы SNAP могут приобрести билеты на соответствующие мероприятия за 5 долларов США, показав карту Oregon Trail Card в момент покупки за личные средства. Льготы программы SNAP нельзя использовать для покупки билетов или других непродовольственных товаров.

Приоритетом для RACC и мэра Сэма Адамса является предоставление более справедливого доступа к произведениям искусства и культуры в г. Портленд. Сообщества людей различных национальностей молоды и быстро растут (45% учащихся местных государственных школ являются представителями таких сообществ), но сталкиваются с серьезными проблемами неравенства: уровень детской бедности в таких сообществах в совокупности составляет 33,3%, когда как уровень бедности белых детей составляет 12,5%.

Элоиз Дэмрош, исполнительный директор RACC, отметила, что Орегон уже имеет один из самых высоких показателей привлечения к искусству в стране. «Программа Arts for All – это еще один замечательный способ предоставить жителям более широкий доступ к произведениям искусства и культуры. Поскольку мы устраняем такие старые преграды, как цена и языковой барьер, мы надеемся, что каждый сможет насладиться большим числом удивительных событий, которые может предложить наш мир искусства».

Чтобы получить дополнительную информацию о программе Arts for All, в том числе полный список организаций-участников, которые занимаются вопросами искусства, посетите веб-сайт www.artsforallpdx.com. Чтобы получить дополнительную информацию о других услугах RACC в сообществе, посетите веб-сайт www.racc.org.

Контактные данные СМИ:
RACC — Мэри Бауэр, 503-823-5426, mbauer@racc.org
Arts for All – Ингрид Арнетт, Ingrid.arnett@gmail.com

Kendra Larson presents “Aviary” at the Portland Building April 30 – May 25, 2012

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Project Description: Kendra Larson’s installation Aviary is designed to spark conversation about the ownership of nature. Drawing on her interest in literature of the woods, contemporary film noir, and research on natural phenomena Larson was inspired to combine her slightly spooky wall paintings—a mix of conifer trees, mountain vistas and clouds—with an aviary of bird sculptures constructed of paper, wire, wood, silicone caulk, paint, vinyl, and other industrial materials. The easily identifiable avian sculptures are cute and un-nerving at the same time. While the entire installation functions as a large scale forest diorama with recognizable Northwest flora and fauna, it moves beyond being a merely a regionally specific exploration of wilderness. The undertow of the installation touches on the artist’s contemporary ideas of Romanticism, place, humor and fear. With Larson’s unique painting technique to serve as a backdrop for her eclectically assembled perched and flying birds, our central sense of what constitutes the forest, and who might belong there, is tweaked and reimagined.

“The Portland Building is the perfect place for this project since I am interested in bringing questions of humor, fear, and the sublime into a public site that is inhabited by a wide range of art viewers. Ultimately, I see this as an opportunity to build a site-specific installation that addresses how we interact with nature and the way art contributes to this understanding.”

While Aviary is intended to delight and intrigue, it also works to present a deeper, more complicated definition of what “being in the wild” really means.

About the Artist: Kendra Larson lives in Portland; she received her M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and her B.F.A. from Pacific Northwest College of Art. Her studio practice typically takes the form of large paintings which explore concepts associated with Romanticism, contemporary landscape, and the notion of place. Larson is an Adjunct Professor at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and shows frequently in the Northwest.

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 including images, proposals and statements of all installations since 1994, go to www.racc.org/installationspace.
 

The Right Brain Initiative provides tools to build creative classrooms in its third arts education seminar

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3rd Annual Imagine This! A Seminar on Bringing Creativity to Classrooms
Monday, June 18 – Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Portland Art Museum | 1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland
Open to educators of all subjects and disciplines

Register at www.imaginethis2012.eventbrite.com
Cost: $250; single-day option $100
Advanced registration: April 17 – 30
General registration: May 7 – June 13

This summer, The Right Brain Initiative invites classroom teachers, arts specialists, principals, curriculum directors and teaching artists to explore creative possibilities in the classroom at Imagine This! The third annual arts education seminar unique to Oregon will convene K-8 educators from Portland and around the nation, for three days of arts-based teaching and learning.

Seminar attendees will choose from over 30 practical and inspiring sessions led by local and national arts education leaders. Workshops provide standards-based arts strategies to engage K-8 students and deepen student learning across the curriculum. Combining hands-on workshops, studio sessions, discussions about educational philosophy and trends, and compelling stories from the field, the seminar offers something for every educator.

In these dynamic sessions, participants will gain skills to integrate visual art and math; use theater to build a classroom community; examine the connections between music and literacy; and much more. Featured guest presenters include Frances Bronet, Dean of University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts; Rae Takemoto, administrator at Pomaika’i Arts Integration School in Hawaii; and Deborah Brzoska, teaching artist from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

According to a 2011 participating educator, the Imagine This! symposium is, “A refreshing exchange of ideas and networking that I can take into staff meetings as well as the classroom.”

A program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, The Right Brain Initiative enables the region’s educators to provide high quality arts-integrated experiences, furthering the program’s vision to ensure that every single K-8 student in the Portland metropolitan area receives creative learning opportunities. In 2011, Right Brain received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of Imagine This! and its other professional development programming.

Space is limited at this seminar. Participants are encouraged to register by April 30th to receive a discounted rate and priority selection of workshops.

Featured Speakers and Workshop Leaders:
Frances Bronet is an educator, practicing designer, and has served as Dean of the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts since 2005. An advocate for cross-disciplinary education, Frances has implemented courses and curricula for interdisciplinary learning, combining architecture; engineering; science, technology, and society; dance and electronic arts. She holds bachelor’s degrees in engineering and architecture from McGill University in Montreal and a master’s degree in architecture from Columbia University.

Deborah Brzoska is a national leader in arts education who presents professional development for teachers and teaching artists across the country on behalf of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A former dancer and teacher, she was also the founding principal of The Vancouver School of Arts & Academics, the award winning arts-based public school in Washington State. In addition to serving on the editorial board of the Teaching Artist Journal, Deb has written about arts education for The Kennedy Center, Chicago’s Project AIM, the Arts Education Partnership and The College Board.

Rae Takemoto serves as the Vice Principal of Curriculum & Instruction and Vision Leadership, as well as Arts Integration Curriculum Coordinator/Coach at Pomaika’i Elementary School, Hawaii’s first public school to adopt a whole school arts integrated curriculum. She is a certified K-6 classroom teacher, with 25 years of experience and has been named one of Hawaii’s Top Educators. For the past ten years, she has researched the effects of the arts on student learning and teacher effectiveness.

Artist Jodie Cavalier presents a minimalist take on a postmodern icon

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Project Background: Artist Jodie Cavalier will bring her uncanny ability to translate the essence of an experience into evocative, minimalist sculptural form (picture a folded sheet of corrugated metal for a waterfall, a loosely tied sheet of rolled foam for a hug) to focus on the iconic postmodern architecture of the Portland Building itself.

Love it or hate it, the Portland Building is one of this country’s earliest postmodern icons, it is clearly distinct from other buildings with easily identifiable color, design and ornamentation details that immediately set it apart. Cavalier proposes to create a dialogue between its postmodern design and her minimalist aesthetic. By distilling the essence of this well-known Michael Graves monument and focusing on a select set of architectural elements—the signature small-format windows, the frequently repeated triangular shapes, and the distinct use of line and color—the artist hopes to build a bridge between two seemingly irreconcilable styles.

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. Jodie Cavalier is the first student artist to present work this season.

About the Artist: Jodie Cavalier is a Master of Fine Arts candidate in Visual Studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) here in Portland, Oregon. Her research explores ideas of function, value, and the body through a combination of video, photography and installation. For more information visit www.jodiecavalier.com

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 of all the installations selected since 1994, go to www.racc.org/installationspace.

New artists added to the Portable Works Collection

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has added 52 new works by 32 Oregon artists to its portable works collection. The collection of more than 1,000 pieces represents hundreds of Northwest artists, and these artworks are displayed on a rotating basis in publicly accessible buildings throughout the City of Portland and Multnomah County.

RACC purchases artwork for the portable works collection every few years or so, when accumulated funding from the city and county reaches a significant level. The budget for this round of purchases was $57,100. An important goal of this year’s purchase was to expand the artists and subject matter represented; only artists who weren’t in the collection already were eligible to submit artwork for consideration.

The artworks selected for this purchase include paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, mixed media works and wall mounted sculpture. They were chosen by an independent panel of artists, curators and Multnomah County representatives. The panel reviewed more than 1,200 digital images that were submitted for consideration, and made their final selections based on viewing actual artwork.

Several of these newly purchased artworks will be on display at RACC’s offices, 411 NW Park Avenue, Suite 101 in Portland, from April 5th to May 4th, 2012.

A list of the artists selected follows below. For a list of all the individual artworks purchased, with titles and thumbnail images included, please see PDF below. To request use of a specific image, contact Public Art Collections Manager Keith Lachowicz at klachowicz@racc.org. For more information on the Portable Works Collection, or other collections managed by RACC, visit http://racc.org/public-art/search.

Artists added to the Portable Works Collection, spring 2012:
Holly Andres
Corey Arnold
Pat Boas
Deanna Bredthauer
Esteban Camacho Steffensen
Laurie Danial
Rachel Davis
Shawn Demarest
Justin Finkbonner
Bobby Fouther
Kwa Franklin Ghong
Surabhi Ghosh
Damien Gilley
Pat Courtney Gold
Trish Grantham
Sabina Haque
Farooq Hassan
Kathy Karbo
Jesus Kobe Garcia
Kendra Larson
Stu Levy
Ron Mills de Pinyas
Pepe Moscoso
Susan Murrell
Thomas Le Ngo
Trude Parkinson
Hampton Rodriguez
Grace Sanchez
Gwenn Seemel
Sara Siestreem
Shu-Ju Wang
Tammy Jo Wilson

Nine new temporary installations selected for the Portland Building Installation Space

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has announced a line-up of nine new installations by local artists scheduled to appear in the Portland Building over the next twelve months.

For 18 years, RACC has managed the Installation Space in the Portland Building (located downtown at 1120 SW 5th Avenue) as a way to present some of the region’s best interactive and experimental media installations. At 13’wide by 8′ deep, this modestly sized venue is devoted exclusively to installation art presented in month-long exhibitions. The space has developed a devout following over the years, and every fall when RACC issues a “call for proposals,” competition for a spot on the roster is spirited.

This year, 33 artists submitted proposals in the “Professional Artist” category, and 31 artists applied in the “Student” category. An independent selection panel reviewed all of the proposals, and ultimately selected nine site-specific works that are challenging, topical and diverse. The RACC Board approved the final recommendations earlier this month. 

Portland Building Installation Space—2012/2013 Season Calendar and Project Descriptions:
Jodie Alexi Cavalier (student) March 26 – April 20, 2012
Kendra Larson April 30 – May 25, 2012
Jules Nemish (student) June 4 – June 29, 2012
Christy Hawkins (student) July 9 – Aug 3, 2012
Leslie Vigeant August 13 – September 7, 2012
Stephen Kurowski & Marina Tait September 17 – October 12, 2012
Linda Hutchins October 22 – November 16, 2012
Margot Myers January 14– February 8, 2013
Nathan Sandberg February 18 – March 15, 2013

Jodie Alexi Cavalier (Student) March 26 – April 20, 2012
Untitled – A minimalist installation focusing on selected architectural details of the Portland Building: The artist brings her uncanny ability to translate the essence of an experience into evocative, minimalist sculptural form (a folded sheet of corrugated metal for a waterfall, a loosely tied sheet of rolled foam for a hug) to focus on the architecture of the Portland Building. Love it or hate it, the Portland Building is clearly distinct from other buildings, with easily identifiable color, construction and ornamentation details that set it apart; the artist proposes to distill the essence of this well-known Michael Graves monument by isolating a select set of architectural details (such as the signature small-format windows, the frequently repeated triangular shapes, the distinct use of line and color) and presenting minimalist sculptural representations of them inside the Installation Space.

Kendra Larson April 30 – May 25, 2012
Aviary – A Northwest forest diorama complete with three-dimensional birds perched and flying in the space: Using her slightly spooky wall paintings that present a mix of conifer trees, mountain vistas and clouds, along with an aviary of three-dimensional bird sculptures, the artist will create an installation based on Northwest flora and fauna that will function on a number of levels—beyond being a regionally specific exploration of wilderness, the intentionally clumsy application of paint, in combination with the use of industrial materials to form the sculptures, will both support and contrast with our traditional image of the forests around us. The result will be a work that will not only spark conversation about the ownership of nature, but will suggest a deeper, more complicated vision of what “being in the wild” means.

Jules Nemish (Student) June 4 – June 29, 2012
Van Gogh in Three Dimensions – A 9 foot high paper maché sculpture modeled on Van Gogh’s Tournesols painting: Drawing on the long tradition of copying or imitating Van Gogh famous “Sunflowers” painting, the artist proposes to stretch things into the 3rd dimension and build a sculpture that recreates Van Gogh’s uber famous painting of 1888. The vase will be scaled up to a height of 3 or 4 feet and will be constructed in paper maché; the flower arrangement will top out at 9 feet high. The colors and textures used originally by Van Gogh will be matched on the sculpture, and the floor and walls of the gallery will be treated using various media to echo the background in the original still life.

Christy Hawkins (Student) July 9 – Aug 3, 2012
Outdoors In – A 3-D quilted campfire scene complete with quilted scenic backdrops: The artist will bring a soft and colorful camp scene made of quilted fabrics, rugs and a “plushy campfire of pillows” to the Installation Space. The scene, which will include both 3-D sculptural creations and 2-D quilted backdrops, will feature real tree stumps (topped with pads quilted in tree ring patterns), and a central tent with bamboo frame and quilted fabric sides. All the quilts and sculptures will be made with a combination of new and “up-cycled” material. The project is principally aimed at families and children and seeks to help counteract “nature deficit disorder” by inspiring visitors to leave their electronic devices at home and “get out there on a real camping trip!”

Leslie Vigeant August 13 – September 7, 2012
Material Rescue League – A modern boutique style presentation of salvaged/re-configured/re-packaged/re-marketed raw materials: The Material Rescue League, created by the artist in 2010, is dedicated to illustrating the absurdity of the retail industry by branding and re-packaging post-consumer materials and presenting them in an up-scale fashion. The degree to which we, as consumers, can be influenced by packaging and marketing becomes clear when the viewer realizes that the objects on display are actually items of trash—old floor tiles, lead tire weights, discarded bits of string and wire. The attention to detail present here, (lead weights re-cast into new shapes, marmoleum tiles ground into powder and bottled, etc.), not only takes the “purchaser” by surprise, but also generates a discussion about the challenges of re-purposing in a sustainable way.

Stephen Kurowski & Marina Tait September 17 – October 12, 2012
Project Everyone – An open interview station set up in the space with playback available in off-hours: Project Everyone is an ongoing video interview series with the lofty goal of interviewing every person on earth. Each interview session lasts ten minutes or less and the video is edited to less than five minutes. Volunteer participants (who all sign waivers) are prompted by a list of eight questions which range from the mundane to the esoteric. The interviews, which champion the significance of the everyday and provide a glimpse of the rich life-path variety surrounding us, have proven to be oddly addictive. Without a hint of Hollywood or Reality T.V., the earnestness of the “average” person is both captivating and refreshing.

Linda Hutchins October 22 – November 16, 2012
Apart Along, Together – A set of silverpoint drawings created on-site and in full view of passers-by: Wearing silver thimbles on all fingers the artist will draw directly on the walls with both hands simultaneously to accumulate marks that echo and record her drawing gestures. The drawings will be created with intention (they will be abstract, but not arbitrary) and will present a set of three separate silverpoint “constellations”, each made by repeating a particular gesture over and over. The end result will not only fix the marks in relation to the surrounding architecture, but will vividly indicate the presence of the artist even when she is not present.

Margot Myers January 14– February 8, 2013
Radiate – A complex set of stencils cut from x-ray film that project light from the overhead track fixtures onto the walls: Inspired by images of the skeletal structures left behind by microscopic organisms fossilized in ocean floor sediment (radiolaria) the artist will expand the scope of her recent work with small, intricate stencils to present forms on a more monumental scale. The stencils, cut from large sheets of x-ray film and strategically laid out on Lexan hung above the main wall, will translate light from the track lights into shadowy, quivering images that will read dramatically both from the lobby and from inches away.

Nathan Sandberg February 18 – March 15, 2013
Tally – A wall of steel rings with cast glass and concrete stakes that resemble jailers keys serve as physical records to track, and provide significance to, everyday mundane tasks: Perplexed by the repetitive nature of life, Nathan Sandberg records the number of times we find ourselves reaching for our keys, taking exactly the same path to and from our jobs, or checking the mailbox. To both curse and pay homage to the amount of time we spend on these tasks the artist proposes to document such repeated activity in permanent and dramatic fashion. A wall of 25, five inch dia. steel rings with varying quantities of kiln cast glass and concrete, “marking” stakes will be mounted to the back wall of the Installation Space to serve as a reminder to all those who trivialize the mundane.

Burgerville to “Feed the Arts” by donating portion of proceeds to “Work for Art” on March 8

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Non-profit provides financial support to more than 80 vital arts and culture organizations serving the Northwest region

VANCOUVER, Wash.  – On Thursday, Mar. 8, Burgerville, a long-standing tradition in Oregon and Southwest Washington, will donate 1.5 percent of all sales that day to Work for Art, a non-profit that supports arts and culture services throughout the Northwest region. Additionally, Burgerville cardholders who make a purchase before 11 a.m. will generate another 5 cents for the program.

“Burgerville is committed to giving back to the communities where we live, work and serve. Our partnership with Work for Art gives us an opportunity to do just that,” said Jeff Harvey, president and CEO of Burgerville. “Work for Art funds more than 80 vital arts and culture organizations each year, and they are an important part of keeping the arts alive in the Pacific Northwest.”

This isn’t the only way Burgerville is giving back to Work for Art; Burgerville employees can also personally donate money to the non-profit through Burgerville’s employee giving campaign. Burgerville believes art and creative vitality are essential to thriving communities and Work for Art perfectly embodies this message.

Burgerville will host two more partnership days with their other payroll-giving partners this year. On March 29, a percent of sales will be donated to the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, and on April 29, sales will benefit EarthShare of Oregon and Washington.

For a list of Burgerville locations visit http://www.burgerville.com/find-a-restaurant.

About Work for Art
Donations to Work for Art’s Community Fund and Arts Education Fund provide grants to more than 80 vital arts and culture organizations every year – encompassing dance, visual arts, music, literary arts, media arts, theater, cultural arts, and arts education. 100% of all donations to Work for Art are passed through to these organizations – no administrative fees are deducted. These groups provide: Thousands of arts education experiences every year in our schools; Partnerships with the clients of more than 100 health and social service agencies; as well as thousands of performances and events in our neighborhoods and communities. Gifts from employees and other individuals are matched dollar-for-dollar by a challenge fund. Those who give $60 or more to Work for Art will be thanked with an Arts Card, providing 2-for-1 tickets at hundreds of arts and culture events.

About Burgerville
Burgerville is a quick-service restaurant company with 38 locations throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, serving guests fresh, great-tasting food from a mission to “serve with love.” Burgerville’s values extend beyond locally grown berries, all-natural Country Natural Beef, Walla Walla onions and cage-free eggs. At Burgerville, the commitment to fresh, local and sustainable values is about helping people and communities thrive. The innovative company, established in 1961, is redefining industry norms by providing affordable health care for hourly employees and their dependents, purchasing wind power equal to their electricity use, converting used trans-fat free cooking oil to biodiesel and implementing comprehensive resource stewardship and recycling. For more information about Burgerville, please visit www.burgerville.com.

Media contact
Kathryn Jackson, Work for Art
503.823.5424/kjackson@racc.org

Jamie Godfrey, LANE PR for Burgerville
503.546.7892/jamie@lanepr.com

Artist Shu-Ju Wang’s “The Laundry Maze” Ends March 16

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Project Background: The Chinese laundry is an iconic thread of the early China-to-US immigration story. It was a business that required little start-up capital or spoken English and was viewed as an undesirable task that could be passed on to immigrants without controversy. Regardless of professions they may have attained before coming to the U.S., many Chinese immigrants found this particular small business to be one of the few career options open to them in their new country.

Although the laundry business and immigration patterns have changed a great deal in the last 100 years, in a broad sense, jobs with “laundry” roots still represent work that a wide variety of immigrants find easily accessible regardless of past experience—dry cleaning, housekeeping in the hospitality industry, and private housecleaning services often have a disproportionate number of immigrants filling their ranks—once again doing difficult, lower wage work that more established Americans are happy to pass on. Since our work is such a large part of our identities, a transition in profession brought on by immigration, be it permanent or temporary, can bring about dramatic changes in identity.

Project Description: Using the Chinese laundry as a jumping-off point, artist Shu-Ju Wang will present The Laundry Maze in the Portland Building Installation Space from February 13th through March 16th, 2012. As she began her research, the artist found that immigrants continue to compromise and take on jobs with less prestige as they resettle; those with the most training and the most prestigious jobs in their native countries are generally the most impacted. But the results were more varied than she had initially anticipated—over time quite a few immigrants surveyed were able to make lateral transitions to jobs comparable to those held before immigration, and a few who took on positions with lower responsibility elected to keep those “lower stress” positions.

Drawing on the idea of unseen figures moving from place to place, uncertain of where they will be led next, Wang will create a simple maze inside the installation space. Clotheslines will be installed in a grid pattern with various shirts and blouses hung upon them to define the maze. Sets of “before and after” job descriptions, inscribed on the clothing (or “laundry”) will document the variety of profession transitions that immigrants have volunteered to share with the artist. With their faces and identities obscured from outside view by the maze walls, visitors to the Portland Building will be encouraged to find a path through the maze as they read and share the identity shift experience that immigration demands.

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 of all the installations selected since 1994, go towww.racc.org/installationspace.