RACC Blog

Join Our Team! RACC is Hiring an Executive Director

Written by

Job Title: Executive Director
Location: Portland Metro Area, Oregon
Reports to: Board of Directors
Salary: $140,000 – $160,000, Depending on Experience

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council

The mission of the Regional Arts Culture Council (RACC) is to enrich our communities through arts and culture. We believe that the arts have the power to change hearts and minds and to inspire social change. We also believe that arts and culture are key elements in creating desirable places to live, learn, work, and visit.

For thirty years, RACC, an independent nonprofit, has served as the designated arts and culture agency for several regional governments and as a vital arts and culture
organization throughout the greater Portland Metro area. Recent changes in the political and funding landscape have led us to refocus our mission on public art management, professional development services for artists and arts organizations, and regional arts advocacy. As we advance in this transformative journey, we seek a visionary leader who can work with our skilled and cohesive team to drive this change, forge strategic partnerships, and guide our organization into a newly defined role in the regional arts ecosystem. RACC currently has 18 employees (16 FTE) and an annual budget of $5.4M (which includes $1.3M in RACC grant awards to other organizations).

Our team is passionate about educating and empowering people from all walks of life by providing and promoting access to a diversity of art and cultural experiences. Though we seek a charismatic leader who will be a positive force in leading external change, we are not looking for an internal change agent. Staff members look forward to welcoming the new ED to their positive and collaborative work culture.

You can find more information about working at RACC, including benefits and the hybrid work policy, here. RACC offers excellent benefits, including paid holidays and flexible time off, full medical and dental benefits, a 401(k) plan, long-term disability, and life insurance.

Please see the application instructions at the end of this document.

Position Overview

The Executive Director will serve as the chief executive of the organization, leading its strategic direction and overseeing all aspects of its operations in alliance with RACC’s values and commitment to equity and access. The ideal candidate is an experienced leader with a proven track record of coalition building, fundraising, and advocacy and has an understanding of the cultural landscape of the region. They will need to be both entrepreneurial and strategic and able to collaborate with staff, board, and community members to reimagine the organization’s identity and create sustainable revenue streams. This individual must be a compelling storyteller and able to communicate the value of our work to funders, partners, and the community at large.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Management, Equity, and Vision

  • Foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, and inclusion within the organization and among external partners.
  • Serve as the lead advocate to advance the organization’s learning, practices, policies, and procedures to continually increase diversity, equity, and access in all aspects of the organization’s work.
  • Work in partnership with the board of directors to set RACC’s strategic direction, provide appropriate information, and help support the board of directors and its committees.
  • Working with staff members, execute a new strategic vision for the organization that is aligned with the evolving needs of the arts community and regional partners.
  • Lead organizational transformation, including the implementation of new revenue models, organizational identity, and innovative approaches to public art and advocacy.
  • Provide direct supervision to the Director of Programs and Partnerships and the finance team, which includes an outside firm.
  • Maximize staff morale and productivity. Ensure all staff members receive the
    support and accountability needed to do their jobs and have timely performance reviews and opportunities for development, advancement, and growth.

Fundraising and Development

  • In collaboration with the development contractor and future Development
    Director, lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy to secure diversified revenue sources, including individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and government funding.
  • Cultivate relationships with current and potential donors, leveraging the
    organization’s story and impact to secure financial support.
  • Ensure effective donor stewardship and reporting to maintain and grow donor
    engagement over time.
  • Foster an entrepreneurial mindset to explore innovative models, sources, and
    partnerships for funding.
  • Work with staff in charge of developing a revenue generating program based on consultation fees.

Coalition Building and Partnerships

  • In collaboration with the Director of Partnerships and Programs, build and maintain strong relationships with local artists, arts partners, and relevant government and community agencies in the tri-county region and statewide.
  • In collaboration with the Director of Partnerships and Programs, establish
    collaborative partnerships that enhance the organization’s impact and reach,
    fostering cross-sector initiatives that benefit the arts community.
  • Serve as the primary spokesperson and advocate for the organization, representing its interests to a variety of constituents. Speak in a compelling way about public art and its role in enriching communities.

Operations Management

  • Oversee the organization’s operations, including program delivery, financial
    management, human resources, and facilities.
  • Work closely with the Board of Directors to ensure alignment on strategic priorities and governance best practices.
  • Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-performing team that reflects the diversity and values of the community we serve.

Qualifications

Leadership, Management, Equity, and Vision

  • Experience participating in and leading equity and access learning for individuals and groups, plus evidence of significant accomplishments.
  • Proven experience as a senior leader or executive in a nonprofit, arts or cultural institution, or related field.
  • Demonstrated success in leading an organization through change and growth, with an emphasis on strategic planning and revenue development.
  • Ability to think entrepreneurially and innovate within the nonprofit sector.

Fundraising Expertise

  • Strong track record of securing significant funding from a variety of sources,
    including major gifts, grants, and government contracts, particularly in arts and culture and public art.
  • Experience building and implementing successful fundraising strategies from the ground up.

Advocacy and Coalition Building

  • Ability to speak in a compelling and engaging way about the importance of arts and culture in our community.
  • Experience in inclusive public policy, advocacy, or community engagement,
    particularly in arts and culture and public art and with regional approaches.
  • Ability to lead the growth and sustainability of coalitions and partnerships with a diverse range of constituents, including government entities, community organizations, funders, and artists, to make public art projects inclusive and impactful for the community.

Communication and Relationship Building

  • Exceptional storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to inspire and engage a wide range of audiences.
  • Ability to represent the organization effectively in public forums and with media outlets.

Cultural Competence, Access, and Inclusion

  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in leadership, programs, and community engagement.
  • Experience working within diverse communities and understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in specific communities of the region.

How to Submit an Application

Please send a cover letter and chronological resume to our search consultant, Kathy Kniep, at kathy@kathykniep.com, by April 2, 2025. In your cover letter, please answer these two questions, supplying a one-paragraph answer to each:

  1. What actions and strategies have you used to cultivate equity in organizations? (You can read our commitment to equity and inclusion here.)
  2. RACC is undergoing a transformation. How have you led organizations through change?

An email acknowledgment will be sent to all applicants within two business days. If you do not receive an acknowledgment within that time frame, please contact Kathy Kniep: kathy@kathykniep.com / 503-309-3433.

All inquiries will be handled confidentially.

The position will remain open until filled.

How applications will be scored:

Supervision
+
Leadership
Experience		 Fundraising
Experience		 Financial
Mgt.
Experience		 Advocacy
Experience		 Board
Experience		 Arts +
Culture
Experience		 Answer to
Equity
Question		 Answer to
Leading
Change
Question		 Total Pts
20 20 15 15 5 5 10 10 100

Not sure if you should apply? Please call Kathy Kniep with questions: 503-309-4433.

RACC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

Download a PDF version here.

1.2 Million in Arts Funding Awarded to 275 Portland Artists and Organizations

Written by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland, OR — February 20th, 2025. In collaboration with the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded $1.2 million in arts funding to 275 Portland-based artists and arts and culture organizations. Of these recipients, 185 awardees are individual artists, 90 awardees are arts and culture organizations, and 131 awardees stated that they’ve never received a grant award from RACC. From performing and visual arts, to film and literature, art forms from every medium are represented among selected grantees.

Portland Arts Project Grants are a new funding initiative to support innovative artistic projects in the city of Portland. The program invites applications from Portland-based artists and organizations seeking to advance their work through programming, presentations, events or artistic development that engages and benefits the public. Grants between $1,000 and $5,000 have been awarded to support arts programs and activities that show community impact.

At RACC, we believe art is a public good—a force that binds communities, challenges perspectives, and reimagines what’s possible. This partnership with the City of Portland underscores our shared commitment to equitable access: ensuring artists and organizations in every neighborhood have the resources to create boldly. An investment in arts and culture is an investment in Portland’s future—because when artists thrive, our communities thrive.

Greg Netzer, Regional Arts & Culture Council Executive Director.

“The City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture is so proud to partner with RACC to provide funding for the new Portland Arts Projects Grants. Creating more space for more artists and arts organizations to explore, hone, and share their work across Portland, from downtown to the city’s farthest reaches, is one of the most important arts and culture investments the City can make.”

Chariti Montez, Office of Arts & Culture Director.

This grant program continues RACC’s decades-long relationship with the City of Portland, serving our region with grant programs that celebrate community engagement among diverse creative disciplines. Funding is awarded through a competitive process wherein arts community members serve on peer review panels, separated by discipline, to evaluate each request.

RACC received 514 applications for consideration in this cycle. Applications were assigned to 15 panels according to their discipline and evaluated by 35 community reviewers from the local arts community. Reviewers scored the applications against criteria including: project concept, quality of artmaking and experience, impact on the applicant, engagement with an audience and/or community, and financial readiness. In addition, reviewers were asked to consider how each application aligned with both RACC’s core values and the City of Portland’s commitment to inclusively serving the community.

I’m so excited that RACC has been able to continue to partner with the City of Portland on grantmaking to support such a breadth and scope of arts projects. I am proud of the work the team and community have done to get funding out to creatives and artmakers. Now the truly exciting part where the community can start engaging with realized artistic projects can begin.

Ingrid Carlson, Senior Programs Officer at RACC.

RACC continues to collect demographic information, including the leadership and anticipated project audiences of organizational applicants in order to help fulfill the intentions of the Arts Access Fund, one funding source for this grant. Around 46 (or 50%) of the organizational projects will serve youth in their audiences or participants and 80 (or 89%) will reach other identified underserved communities. Of the artist applicants who provided information, over 43% of the grant recipients identified as people of color, 53% identified as LGBTQIA+, and 38% identified as low income.

In addition to Portland Arts Project Grants, two other grant opportunities were made available to  Portland creatives over the past six months, as detailed on the Office of Arts & Culture ’s website at portland.gov/arts-grants. RACC was contracted by the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture alongside MusicOregon and Friends of IFCC to provide grantmaking services to our communities.

###

Contact:

Meech Boakye

Communications Lead, RACC

mboakye@racc.org

Kelly Knickerbocker

Communications Coordinator,

City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture

kelly.knickerbocker@portlandoregon.gov

###

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC): For decades, RACC has served every neighborhood of our region, ensuring arts and culture are accessible to all. Our nationally acclaimed public art program enlivens parks, community centers, government buildings, libraries and health clinics; brings people and communities together; and makes our region a more vibrant and welcoming place to be. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we work to elevate the voices and visibility of individual artists, creative organizations and arts nonprofits – especially those that serve underrepresented communities – amplifying their impact through grants, professional development and other vital resources. Through strategic partnerships, our team works to build coalitions and lead new initiatives, crafting a shared vision for an equitable future for arts and culture in our region. For more information, please visit racc.org.

About the Office of Arts & Culture at the City of Portland: Arts and culture are integral to our community and vital to Portland’s identity as a center of creativity. Artists and creative workers help define our culture, fuel our economy, and enhance our quality of life. We celebrate creativity in all its forms so that communities can connect, companies can flourish, and students can succeed in school and in life. The Office of Arts & Culture supports Portland’s arts and culture ecosystem and expands opportunities for Portlanders to participate in creative experiences. We do this through arts education coordination, cultural planning, grantmaking, public art and the Percent for Art program, and more. Our vision: arts at the center of public life in Portland.

FY25 Portland Arts Project Grant Awardees

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In partnership with the City or Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture, RACC designed and administered the FY25 Portland Arts Project Grant (PAG) program to support the making and sharing of artistic work and the development of the arts community in Portland, Oregon. Individual artists, arts organizations, arts businesses, and other nonprofits applied for grant funding to support arts programs and activities that have community impact. The following 275 Grants were awarded in February 2025 for a total of $1.2 million:

2024-2025 RACC Portland Arts Project Grant awards:

Individual artists:

Funded in partnership with the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture

Individual artists Working Title Primary Artistic Discipline  Award
 Abbey St. John Bedroom Lore #1 – Dreams Visual Arts $2,000
 Adam McWane Horizon Golden Music $5,000
 Ajay Ravi Visiting Artist Series Music $5,000
 Alexandra Burress The Unheard Soundscapes of Forest Park Music $5,000
 Alexandra Loves Roots Journey: Messages From Our Family in Africa Film/Video $5,000
 Allie Hankins By My Own Hand, Part 5: INVISIBLE TOUCH Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Amanda Arroyo Tiny Gallery St. Johns Visual Arts $2,000
 Amanda Triplett Verdant Sanctuary: Imagining the Guild Lake’s Native Plant Life Visual Arts $4,000
 Andrew Wenzlaff Two sculpture workshops Visual Arts $1,000
 Anthony Hudson 3rd Annual Portland Drag Theatre Workshop Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Anthony Roberto Object, Model, Figure, Form:  time refuses to go by Visual Arts $3,000
 Arminda Gandara A Library for Diaspora Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Ary Solomon Seeding Portland Song Culture Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $5,000
 Austin Stolz Snail Lunch on 16mm Film/Video $3,000
 Bea Yeh Ogden Festival of Hungry Ghosts Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $4,000
 Blair Borax The Color Green: Mixing, Mastering, and CD production Music $5,000
 Bobby Adams Ink & Drink Re-Launch at Sad Valley Bar in 2025 Visual Arts $5,000
 Brad Hansen Concert of Brad Hansen’s Music, by the PSU Chamber Choir Music $5,000
 BrandonLee Cierley Dedications – Third Studio Album (tentative) Music $3,000
 Bryan Smith Postcards From Oregon Music $5,000
 Cameron McCafferty Agent Izzy Bunny Literature $3,000
 Catherine Garvin Cana Cludhmor Harp and Song Recording and Concert Music $5,000
 Cavash  Johnson-Madison WMC (We.Make.Culture) A BIPOC Variety Show Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Cayla McGrail Gilding the Closet: Portland Regional Queer Art History, Space & Place Media Arts $3,000
 Celeste Noche Bye and Bye Visual Arts $5,000
 Charles Xiong Dear Evergreen Visual Arts $5,000
 Chitra Subrahmanyam Phone Voice LP2 Music $3,000
 Chris Lael Larson Cascades Visual Arts $3,000
 Christina Rusnak Women’s Rights Are Human Rights Music $3,000
 Christine Freije The Doppelgänger Project Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Colin Robson Brother vs Robot Debut Album Music $5,000
 Collin Hegna Federale – Unnamed Album #7 Music $3,000
 Cyrus Nabipoor Unwavering Music $4,000
 Dana deLaski The Hard Part Film/Video $5,000
 Daniel Cantu CHIMERA Short Documentary Film/Video $5,000
 Daniel Isaac Brown Ta Hasso: We remember Multi-Discipline $5,000
 David Fuks Alma de Luna workshop Theatre/Musical Theatre $3,000
 Dawn Jones Redstone Appliance of Science Film/Video $5,000
 Devin Tau Sansei Sensibility Film/Video $5,000
 Dominic Rieniets Tales of a Fire Challenged Dragon – A Childrens book Visual Arts $3,000
 Eduardo Jovanovic Paraisos – Music video Film/Video $5,000
 Elliott Miskovicz Climbing the Underwater Ladder Music $3,000
 Eric Jensen Arts Extension through Grant Funding Visual Arts $4,000
 Erika Bolstad Monumental Film/Video $5,000
 Erin Rachel Sonic Sound Lab: Weaving Stories through Sound Exploration Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Erinn Kathryn Hatter Installation for Terrain Group Land Art Exhibition Visual Arts $5,000
 Ethan Van Der Merwe Concorde Film/Video $3,000
 Eva Moss Born Again Film/Video $5,000
 Farah Haidari By Any Means Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Finn Donnelly The Show Show Portland – Winter Multi-Discipline $5,000
 G. Chesler Directing the Documentary with Courtney Hermann Film/Video $5,000
 Genevieve Hildebrand-Chupp Big Soft World Pop-Up Art Park Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Ghan Patel Small Stones Songs Music $3,000
 Gilian Rappaport The Original Fig III Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Gisela Rodriguez Fernandez Voces de la revolucion (Voices of revolution) Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Gordon Patterson My Brother Lawrence Visual Arts $4,000
 Grace Carter Transcend Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Grace Dunbar Pop-up Solo Show at One Grand Gallery Visual Arts $5,000
 Grady Zerse Caught In A Memory Visual Arts $5,000
 Grant Brady 10 Free Little Art Galleries Visual Arts $4,000
 Hannah Cumming Sea Legs Film/Video $5,000
 Hannah Newman Neural Lithic Futures Visual Arts $5,000
 Heldáy de la Cruz Provecho Magazine Issue 03 Literature $5,000
 Helen Helfand Sculptural Wood Carving Workshop Visual Arts $3,000
 Hibiki Miyazaki Spring Collaborative Exhibition Visual Arts $3,000
 Hyun Jung Jung Living Vicariously Through. Visual Arts $3,000
 Iram Asghar Taking space to heal wounds Multi-Discipline $5,000
 J Wallace Lunar Sessions Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Jack Gibson Don’t Be Scared Film/Video $3,000
 Jacqueline Luna Peña Ritmos de la Tierra (Rhythms of the Earth) Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $4,000
 Jae Nichelle “breaking, broken” community short film screening Film/Video $3,000
 James Jones Music video for The Ghost of James Jones band Music $2,000
 Jamie Fredericks Inner Sanctuary, an album of healing music by Mossy Hymns Music $5,000
 Janet Bebb Five New Pieces Music $5,000
 Jason Edward Davis Back of the Video Store II Visual Arts $2,000
 Jason Rouse Teen Sketch Comedy Program Expansion Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Jennifer Wright Long Strings Music $5,000
 Joanie Fox Beatlore Film/Video $5,000
 Jodie Cavalier Portland Garage Gallery in Irvington Visual Arts $3,000
 Joe Kye Studio Sessions for Upcoming Album “Silk” Music $5,000
 Joeanally Gonzalez Nico’s Adventure: The Journey Through Forest Park Multi-Discipline $5,000
 John Beer Portland Poetry Festival Literature $5,000
 Jordan Isadore you look good, bud (expanded) Dance/Movement $5,000
 Joseph Erikson Class Wars Film/Video $5,000
 Josephine LaCosta A Writer’s Room in Portland Literature $2,000
 Joshua Hood-Marvin Bring the Bows Back Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $5,000
 Joshua Rivera Journey and Ceremony Studio Album and Release Performance Music $4,000
 Josie Mae TWIST Multi-Discipline $3,000
 Julia Gaskill The Bigfoot Poetry Festival 2025 Literature $5,000
 Kale Bolton Creative Healing: Queer Cancer Art Collective Multi-Discipline $2,000
 Karen Polinsky PDXP’s Festival Within a Festival Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Karl Burkheimer Thinking Through Making: poetic polemics on a commitment to process Visual Arts $3,000
 Karma Rivera Debut Album Recording, Mixing and Mastering Music $3,000
 Kate Mura Commissioning Chants for Rebels & Priestesses Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Katie Prentiss Wake Up Maggie Film/Video $5,000
 Katie Sawicki The Cabin Project – Recorded By and For Music $5,000
 Kayla Caldeira Chasing Wind Film/Video $5,000
 Keelan Booth Oaks Park Roller Skating Documentary Film/Video $5,000
 Kelda Van Patten Lift Tighten Treat Transfer Tuck Visual Arts $4,000
 Kelli Pennington Void of Course Visual Arts $3,000
 Kerry Politzer West Coast Brazilian Jazz Collective Music $5,000
 Kevin Truong “Mai American” Community Film Screenings and Impact Campaign Film/Video $5,000
 Kristen Denning Wet Velvet Album Production and Release Music $3,000
 Kristen Pizzo Just Friends Film Screening and Mixer Film/Video $3,000
 KT Kusmaul Mass Movement Dance/Movement $5,000
 Larry  Yes Everyone on this Planet is Family Multi-Discipline $3,000
 Laura Glazer DREAM Publishing Social practice $5,000
 Leland Hull Queer Contact Improvisation Dance/Movement $4,000
 Limei Lai A Life of One’s Own Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Lindsay Kennedy Down to Earth Ceramics Marketplace Visual Arts $1,000
 Lindsey Plotner Dances of Significance Music $2,000
 Liz Howls Pedal Puppets Tour Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Luz Blumenfeld Listening to [Body of Water] Media Arts $2,000
 M F Intact: Solo exhibition at Waterstone Gallery Visual Arts $5,000
 Manuel Abreu home school (2025 curriculum) Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Marcel  Johansen A Portrait of Attraction Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Maria Amelia Randall Come into the Bog Visual Arts $1,000
 Marne Lucas Transmundane Multi-Discipline $5,000
 martin zarzar Wold Fusion Pdx Music $5,000
 Matthew Henderson Vvoyd Center Media Arts $5,000
 Max Mallory Gravitational Pull Issues #3 and #4 Visual Arts $1,000
 May Anuntarungsun Intellectual Property Protection Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Meaghan Sutton Unbridled Spirit Film/Video $5,000
 Megan Chin Anticapitalism Artist Book Club (AABC) Visual Arts $3,000
 Melanie Sevcenko Nice Dissolve Literature $3,000
 Melina Kiyomi Coumas Ocean Moon, Water Mother (海月 水母) Film/Video $5,000
 Mia Arvizu Release Visual Arts $3,000
 Michael Espinoza Stripped to the Bone Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Mieke Bruggeman Quadraphonnes Presents: Moondog – Sax Pax for a Sax – Live at the Alberta Rose Music $5,000
 Miesha Wilson-Harris DejaVu Mixtape Music $4,000
 Miguel Rodriguez Community Plaza Murals Visual Arts $1,000
 Mike Barber Conduit/An Evening of Solos Dance/Movement $5,000
 Mozl Morrissey Transmission Quilts Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $5,000
 Muffie Delgado Connelly Vuelve En La Concha De Tu Madre Dance/Movement $5,000
 Neal McCormick Progress Of The Ribbon Man Visual Arts $2,000
 Nedim Korkmaz Nowruz: A Spring Cultural Event Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $3,000
 Nick Fidelman Diasporic Judaica Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $3,000
 Nicole Williford Solo exhibition at Chefas Projects Visual Arts $5,000
 Ogochimere Ezendokwere Afrodance Experience Vol. 4 Dance/Movement $5,000
 Olga Kravtsova Harvest of Woman Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Pamela Hadley Guild’s Lake Visual Arts $3,000
 Patsy Morris Light as a board, Stiff as a feather Dance/Movement $5,000
 Paul Kim Communal Distractions Media Arts $5,000
 Quincy Davis 7th Wave: Vibes & Flows for Community Healing Music $3,000
 Quinn Amacher Speck Co-mixing Print Run and Reading Visual Arts $5,000
 Rachel Mulder Cyanotype Exhibition + Public Workshop Offerings Visual Arts $2,000
 Rongrong Wang Oregon MeiGui Choir Music $5,000
 Rose City MissChief Rose City MissChief presents ShaRhonda The Musical Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Rose Covert Terrain Land Art in Built Environment Installation Visual Arts $3,000
 Rose Lee Gary (the Foodie) – A Documentary Short Film/Video $5,000
 Rudy Klobas Heritage – Album production and distribution Music $3,000
 Sabina Zeba Haque The New Abnormal Visual Arts $5,000
 Sai Aguru Rasa: Culture & Sound Music $5,000
 Salt Hunter The Listening Box Visual Arts $5,000
 Sam Bangs This is Fine – Post Production Film/Video $3,000
 Samantha de la Vega NO BOX Theater Performance Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Samantha Pinkerton Sam Pinkerton Recording Project Music $5,000
 Samson Syharath Hanuman’s Shadow: Echoes of Laos and America Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Sara Jaffe Earth to You compilation and performance Multi-Discipline $4,000
 Sarah Levy Faces of SB 819 Visual Arts $5,000
 Sascha Blocker The Tortoise, The Hare, & The Bear Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Sean Brown Death of a Drag Queen Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Selene Latrine Selene Latrine’s Outhouse Zine (Issues #4 and #5) Multi-Discipline $4,000
 Sharita Towne Fortifying Black Creative Space: Now & For Future Portland Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Sofia Marks La Mariposa Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Soliana Gonzalez music/culture exchange Music $5,000
 Stacey Clampitt SPELLCAST Wax Carving Workshop Multi-Discipline $4,000
 steven golliday Living Phantom Brother, Album Recording Music $5,000
 Sundance Bleckinger The Cold Plunge Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
 Tahni Holt HORIZON Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Tara Johnson-Medinger Generation Loss Film/Video $5,000
 Tatiana Corbitt Dreamland Film/Video $5,000
 Taylor Wallau Printing for the People Multi-Discipline $3,000
 Terrance Burton Eccentric Visual Art Cultural Exhibition Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Terry Laurents Zentangle Class Series Visual Arts $1,000
 Theresa Hanson Enraptured: An Evening of Dance and Romance Dance/Movement $5,000
 Treasure Lunan Get The Fuck Out; Or, An Exorcism for My Ex Multi-Discipline $3,000
 Tyler Pell Portland Tennis Courterly Visual Arts $5,000
 Ursula Barton Hands On Mural Visual Arts $5,000
 Veronica Fernandez Tithe for the Sinner Film/Video $5,000
 Vivien Wise Crafting Colors of Portland Visual Arts $2,000
 Vo Vo Everywhere and Nowhere Multi-Discipline $5,000
 Wendy  Noonan The Monstrous Feminine Oracle Deck Literature $5,000
 Winona Hwang Finding My Ground Visual Arts $5,000
 Xaramar Floyd Tattoo Startup and Community Outreach Aid for 2025 Multi-Discipline $5,000

 

Arts organizations:

Funded in partnership with the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture and the Arts Access Fund

Organizations Working Title Primary Artistic Discipline  Award
21ten Theatre 21ten Summer Residency Program Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
A Notion, A Scream May 31, 2025 concert Music $3,000
Advance Gender Equity in the Arts ALP in Action Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
after / time collective gallery Exhibition Programming + Creative Research Lab – 2025 Multi-Discipline $5,000
Albina Music Trust Sounds Of Albina Remixed – Vinyl Album & Release Party Music $5,000
Alder Commons Traditional Ecological Knowledge & Indigenous Crafts Multi-Discipline $5,000
Augury House 汝來 Ru Lai (As You Are) Film/Video $5,000
Baksana Ensemble Album Recording and Release Party Multi-Discipline $5,000
Bedrock Theatre Record & Launch Bedrock Theatre’s First Album Theatre/Musical Theatre $3,000
Berm BERM Issue 7 – Arts & Crafts Literature $5,000
BIPOC Adoptees VOICES VOICES, a Celebration of BIPOC Adoptee Authors Literature $5,000
CampOUT Portland CampOUT – LGBTQIA+ Youth Programming Multi-Discipline $5,000
Carnation Contemporary Carnation Contemporary: Portland Artist-Run Gallery Visual Arts $5,000
Cascadia Composers Board-produced concerts for 2025 Music $2,000
Cinema Project 2025 Programming Film/Video $5,000
Columbia Slough Watershed Council I Belong Here 2024-25 Media Arts $5,000
congruency dance collective fractals Dance/Movement $5,000
Couch Film Collective Catalyst Film Collective- Script to Screen short film Film/Video $5,000
Creative Music Guild Improvisation Summit of Portland 2025 Multi-Discipline $5,000
Curbside Serenade 2025 Laurelhurst Park Curbside Serenade Series Music $5,000
Dana Thompson Memorial Fund of Awesome Schools Out Rock Out – after school program Music $5,000
Espacio Flamenco Feria de Portland Multi-Discipline $4,000
Fear No Music Together We Rise: Fear No Music Music $5,000
First Matter Press 4 New Books from First Matter Press Literature $3,000
Futel The Old Town Crier Media Arts $5,000
Gather:Make:Shelter Gather:Make:Shelter Mullowney Print Exhibitions Visual Arts $5,000
Happy Anyway Objects after Absence social practice $2,000
Hoi Phu Huynh Year of the Horse Tết Festival Multi-Discipline $5,000
Homo Superior Productions Homo Superior 2025 Multi-Discipline $4,000
Immutable Studio Immutable Studio Artist-Resident Stipends Media Arts $5,000
In Medio Sing, My Child 2025 Music $5,000
India Cultural Association India Festival 2025 Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $5,000
Japanese Ancestral Society – Ikoi no Kai Home Cooked 2, an intergenerational & collaborative zine cookbook Multi-Discipline $4,000
Kiki Productions Portland Of The Year Ball 2025 Multi-Discipline $5,000
LineStorm Playwrights Fertile Ground New Play Reading Series Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
Lion Speaks Bride Price Community Screening and discussion Film/Video $5,000
Lloyd EcoDistrict Art + Heart: Lloyd Mural, Music, & Street Fair Visual Arts $5,000
Many Hats Collaboration The Hatchery 2025 Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
Medicine Bear Native American Spiritual Encampment RedStone Collective art & culture workshop series Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $5,000
New Wave Opera Historical Women in Opera Music $5,000
nůn studios nůn studios exhibition Visual Arts $5,000
NW Dance & Culture Collective JamBallah NW 2025 Dance/Movement $5,000
Oregon Arts Watch Play-by-Play with Bobby and Susannah Media Arts $5,000
Oregon Karen Association Karen New Year Celebration Folk Arts/Cultural Arts $5,000
Oregon Origins Project Oregon Origins Project VI: The Birth of Cascadia Visual Arts $5,000
Oregon Potters Association Oaxaca Intercultural Exchange Visual Arts $5,000
Oregon Repertory Singers ChoirFestNW Music $5,000
Oregon Society of Artists Veteran’s Art Program Visual Arts $5,000
Outer Voice Outer Voice 2024/2025 Season Multi-Discipline $5,000
Past Lives Past Lives Prison Outreach Guild Visual Arts $5,000
People’s Town Hall The Experiment Film/Video $5,000
Performance Works NorthWest Alembic Artist Residency Program 2025 Dance/Movement $5,000
Portland Child Art Studio Free arts education program at the Vibrant Visual Arts $5,000
Portland Community Media dba Open Signal Portland Music Industry Showcase Film/Video $5,000
Portland in Color HERE: A Passage to Home Multi-Discipline $5,000
Portland Japanese Garden Lost Freedom: A Memory with George Takei Music $5,000
Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble PJCE & Mary Flower: Bridging Jazz and American Roots Music Music $4,000
Portland Lesbian Choir 2025 Concerts Music $5,000
Portland Panorama Northwest Filmmakers’ Conference Film/Video $5,000
Portland Revels Spring Revels 2025 Theatre/Musical Theatre $4,000
Portland SummerFest Opera in the Park Portland 2025 Music $5,000
Portland Symphonic Choir Summer Sings 2025 Music $4,000
Portland Zine Symposium Portland Zine Symposium Multi-Discipline $5,000
Pure Bathing Culture Roxi’s Dream Part 2 Music $5,000
Radix Vocal Ensemble One Sweet Chord 2025 Community Sings Music $4,000
Rahab’s Sisters Voices of Fashion: A Community Art Event Multi-Discipline $5,000
Rated Ill A Rose City Story volume 2 Music $5,000
Renegade Opera Bird Songs of Opera 2025 Music $4,000
Risk/Reward 2025 Festival of New Performance Multi-Discipline $5,000
Roots and All Theatre Ensemble Every Pretty Thing Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
Roseway Neighborhood Association Roseway Parkway Plaza Street Mural Visual Arts $3,000
Sabin CDC Summer Block Party 2025 Multi-Discipline $5,000
Shaver Elementary Community Organization Shaver Elementary Community Mural Visual Arts $5,000
Slumber Party Slumber Party Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
Soliloquy fine arts ekphraestival 2025 INTERTWINED exhibition Multi-Discipline $3,000
Souvenir 2025 Programing Support Visual Arts $5,000
Spooky World The Spooky Girls – short film Film/Video $5,000
Stage Fright Stage Fright Festival Fall 2025 Theatre/Musical Theatre $5,000
Steps for Youth Bloom Spring Student Performance Dance/Movement $5,000
Stomping Grounds Arthouse Scare City Film/Video $5,000
Street Roots Ink & Impact: Stories of Street Newspaper Vendors and Cover Art Visual Arts $5,000
Swan Songs Portland OR End-of-Life Concerts 2025 Music $5,000
The City Repair Project Village Building Convergence 2025 Multi-Discipline $5,000
The Mud Room Increasing Ceramics Access for People with Disabilities Visual Arts $4,000
Third Space Third Space: A Community Place Multi-Discipline $5,000
Thompson Elk Fountain Comic Project Weird Like Us: A History of the Thompson Elk Fountain Multi-Discipline $4,000
Vibe of Portland Support for new instructional site in partnership with Alberta Abbey Multi-Discipline $5,000
Waterstone Gallery Programming to Enhance Visibility & Attract New Audiences Visual Arts $5,000
Women In Film – Portland Educate and Incubate Program Film/Video $5,000
Word is Bond The King in Me Exhibition Visual Arts $5,000

Faces of the Future: Hopes and Dreams Through a Parent’s Eyes

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Photos courtesy of Alex Chiu

Alex Chiu‘s lenticular installation features the portraits of six Mill Park Elementary School students. Below are interviews with the parent(s) of each child. These interviews shed light on the family history of each child as well as the hopes and dreams each parent has for their child. The background patterns are related to the stories and culture of each child.

Interview with Inocencia, Mother of Daniel, Translated by Daniel

Interview with Suki, Mother of Angelina

Interview with Sadiya, Mother of Abubakar and Humairah

Interview with Tefiny, Mother of Jade

Interview with Terrance and Kristin, Parents of James

A New Era for Portland: RACC Artists Open City Council’s First Session of 2025

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January 2nd marked a significant milestone for Portland as the newly elected City Council and restructured city government convened for their inaugural session in 2025. The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) proudly celebrated this momentous occasion by highlighting the transformative power of arts, culture, and humanities.

The day began with music filling the North Atrium of City Hall, courtesy of Larry Yes, a Portland-based musician with more than 30 years of experience creating songs that focus on joy, positivity, and human connection. Larry’s upbringing as the son of a blues singer and his journey as a father have deeply influenced his heartfelt work. As Larry himself puts it: “Reaching for harmony and unison through collaboration is a blessing and my way of communing with the cosmos.” His performance set the perfect tone for a day dedicated to unity and renewal.

Inside the Council Chambers, two gifted RACC-supported artists took center stage to inspire and reflect on this new chapter for our city. Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani, a two-time National Poetry Slam champion and recipient of numerous prestigious fellowships, shared one of his beloved works, Forward, captivating the audience with his signature blend of warmth, lyricism, insight, and look to the future.

Following Anis, poet and mental health advocate Jen Shin shared an original piece written specifically for the occasion, Flow, inspired by our region-land of two rivers. As a Korean American writer and a 2023 Periplus Fellow, Jen’s work often delves into themes of healing and identity, shaped by her journey of recovery and self-discovery. Her poetic voice is a reminder of the resilience and creativity that define Portland’s artistic community.

This collaborative celebration of music and poetry highlights RACC’s commitment to ensuring that arts and culture remain central to Portland’s identity. As our city government embarks on this new era, RACC continues to work diligently to support artists, foster creativity, and provide access to arts and culture for all.

This event is a testament to the power of creativity in bringing people together during transformative times. Together, we look forward to building a Portland where imagination thrives, connections deepen, and our shared future is brighter than ever.

Advocacy Update: Looking Back on 2024 and Looking Forward to 2025

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RACC Grantee Opera in the Park (2024) playing amongst the roses in Peninsula Park. Photos by The Weekend Photographer.

As we close out 2024, we reflect on a year of transformation and adaptation. In this time of change, one thing remains clear: RACC’s role in the regional arts landscape is evolving. Our efforts this year have not only been about building momentum for the future but also about responding to the critical shifts in our sector and community needs.

What Needs to Shift

As we look to 2025, it’s clear that the arts community must transition from simply participating in conversations about regional change to actively leading them. While our role has historically been one of service and connection, the moment has come for us to step up as leaders in regional advocacy. We are taking on central leadership roles in the conversation around arts policy, funding, and engagement across the region.

The need for coalition building and active networking has never been more urgent. Regional arts leaders, organizations, and artists must collaborate with one another to build stronger, more resilient frameworks that support cultural production and access to the arts. As we move forward, RACC is positioned to not only convene these efforts but to actively foster them through dedicated outreach, programs, and relationship-building with new and existing partners.

How We Are Responding

In response to these shifts, RACC is embracing a new role as both convener and networker within the regional arts ecosystem. This includes deeper engagement with the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon (CACO) to reimagine how we address the major arts issues of our time. Together, we will pilot a regional rethinking program that will create a pipeline for leadership, ensuring that arts advocates across the region are supported and empowered to make real, sustainable change. Through this program, we are expanding the capacity of arts leaders and organizations to influence regional and state-level policy.

We are also engaging with the Cultural Framework planning group to align on how RACC can best step into the convening role among our regional partners. This alignment is critical as we expand our network of collaborators beyond the boundaries of traditional county jurisdictions. By doing so, we ensure that the reach of our collective advocacy and programming is broad, inclusive, and effective.

In addition, we are taking direct action on issues of access and equity. RACC is assuming leadership of the Arts for All program, focused on fostering access to the arts and cultivating new relationships with diverse audiences. This program is a cornerstone of our commitment to ensuring that arts opportunities are available to all, regardless of socioeconomic background.

Through RACC’s exemplary Public Art Program, which most recently is working on a handful of projects around the City of Portland simultaneously, installation of sculptures in public parks, installing artwork in public service buildings, including programming the opening day of the new City Council; leveraging Washington County funds in collaboration back to the community for art services; active participation in state and local advocacy groups; and fostering access for all residents through Arts for All are further examples of how RACC continues to take on leadership roles in the creative landscape. These roles and projects will help us continue to create more dynamic, community-centered public art spaces and initiatives, while fostering ongoing dialogue between artists, city officials, local residents, and stage policy makers.

RACC’s Continued Commitment to Equity in the Arts

As we look toward the future, we remain deeply committed to our core values of equity and inclusivity in the arts. These values will guide us through the upcoming transitions, especially in light of potential changes at the national level. While the shift in federal leadership may bring new challenges, RACC’s mission to advocate for artists, communities, and the arts sector will remain steadfast.

We believe that these shifts are not only necessary — they are an opportunity to strengthen the foundation of regional advocacy, amplify underrepresented voices, and ensure that the arts remain a central part of our community’s cultural fabric. With your continued support, RACC will lead the way in creating an arts ecosystem that reflects the diverse needs of our region and promotes access, creativity, and equity for all.

We look forward to 2025 with optimism and determination. Together, we will continue to elevate the arts as a force for positive change in our communities.

Portland City Hall Candidates Show Strong Support for Arts and Culture in Recent Survey

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**For Immediate Release**   

October 21, 2024   

As the City of Portland’s November 2024 election approaches, the results of a comprehensive survey reveal that many candidates for mayor and City Council positions are committed to fostering arts and culture in the city. Conducted by a coalition of Portland arts leaders and organizations, in partnership with Oregon ArtsWatch, the survey drew responses from 47 of the 117 candidates running for office, reflecting the growing recognition of arts and culture as essential to economic recovery, neighborhood vitality, and downtown revitalization.   

The candidates who responded shared their thoughts on key arts policies, including support for the city’s 10-year cultural plan, **“Our Creative Future,”** which emphasizes equitable access to arts experiences and sustainable funding. A significant number of candidates endorsed the plan’s vision for arts integration at the neighborhood level, highlighting the role of creativity in fostering a vibrant community and a key strategy in the revitalization of downtown Portland.   

 “This survey shows that candidates understand the critical role arts and culture play in shaping Portland’s identity and economic vitality,” said Kandis Brewer Nunn, a co-initiator of the coalition’s effort. “As we enter this new chapter of city governance, it’s essential to ensure that these priorities are discussed and funded at a level that is commensurate with the benefit they are capable of providing.”  

 The survey followed a six-month effort by the group to develop and share fact based documents to help further candidate understanding of current conditions for art and culture, locally and nationally. The group desired to help ensure incoming council members will be as up to speed as possible when seated in January as policy and budgetary discussions and decisions begin across many sectors, including arts and arts education.  They, and many of the candidates, hope policies will be prioritized to expand access to creative experiences throughout Portland, ensure adequate funding for arts education, and support artists and arts organizations that deliver these benefits. 

This comes at a pivotal moment for the city, following the Portland City Council’s recent unanimous vote to renovate the Keller Auditorium and develop a second performance venue in partnership with Portland State University. Candidates also weighed in on the possibility of replacing the current $35 annual arts tax with a combined levy support for arts and parks programming.   

A number of candidates emphasized the need for neighborhood-based cultural programs as well as events and activities that would bolster the revitalization of downtown Portland.Others advocated for creating grant programs for community arts projects and “cultural districts.”   

About the Survey   

The survey, conducted between August 28 and September 30, invited candidates to share their positions on arts funding, cultural planning, and economic development. ArtsWatch coordinated the survey aspect of the project with the coalition of arts leaders and organizations across Portland. To view the full survey results, visit Oregon ArtsWatch. 

About the Informational Resources, Documents, and Communication with Candidates 

Information was drawn from several recent surveys on public opinion on the value of arts and culture, nationally, statewide and locally.  To access the baseline documents, visit the following links: 

Arts and culture 2024 Summary 

Our Creative Future: A Regional Framework to Advance Arts & Culture for All 

Local Arts & Economic Prosperity Study 6 

Oregon – Arts & Economic Prosperity Study 6 

Members of the coalition include:  

City of Portland Arts Leaders:  Meagan Atiyeh, Arts Consultant; Converge 45; Elizabeth Leach, Elizabeth Leach Gallery; Randy Gragg; Mike Lindberg, Civic Leader; Jennifer Cole, Jordan Schnitzer Dean, Pacific Northwest College of Art; Mack McFarland, PTSTMM Studio, Mario Mesquita, Manager of Advocacy & Engagement, Regional Arts & Culture Council; Schnitzer Properties, LLC; Kandis Brewer Nunn, Strategic Resources, LLC, Reuben Roqueni, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA); Karen Whitman, Karen Whitman Projects 

Reconfigurations: a New Public Artwork Installed Along Recently Developed South Tabor Access Trail

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Join us for a Celebratory Poetry Reading at Mt. Tabor Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2024

Meech Boakye, Communications Lead, RACC, mboakye@racc.org

Kristin Calhoun, Director of Public Art, RACC, kcalhoun@racc.org

Portland, OR — Join the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC) on July 31st at 7 pm to celebrate the recently installed public artwork, Reconfigurations. The evening will take place beside the artwork located on the newly completed multi-modal trail South Tabor Access Trail, at SE 64th Avenue and Division Street to SE Sherman Street.

A collaboration between artists, writers, stones, and trees

Three configurations of stones, poetry and trees are set out along this path.

As the trees grow, the reconfiguring will continue…

Walk slowly. The person you are today will be different than the person you are tomorrow.

Reconfigurations began in 2016 when artist Adam Kuby was selected from the RACC Design Team Roster to join the design team of OPSIS Architecture and Lando Landscape Architecture for the Parks Replacement Bond project at Mt. Tabor Yard and the new access trail. The project took many twists and turns, eventually landing on the idea of three pairs of stones engraved with written text each with a tree in the middle which will eventually move (reconfigure) the placement of the stones over time.

Public Art Director Kristin Calhoun introduced Kuby to Dao Strom of de-canon as a potential collaborator for the written aspect of the work. Alongside Strom, a cohort of six poets was curated including Samiya Bashir, Trevino Brings Plenty, Sam Roxas-Chua, Anis Mojgani, Stephanie Adams-Santos.

Each poet was given the prompt to respond to the word reconfigurations in a poem of 30-40 words. Once they had each written their poems, they mutually decided to blend what they had done individually into a new poem that was then laid out & engraved on the six split stone faces set in three locations along the path.

On July 31st, the poets will read their poem aloud, walking the path alongside artist Adam Kuby and the audience. We hope to see you there! For more information, and recorded readings of the poems, please visit our website.

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council:

The Regional Arts & Culture Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides impactful and transformative funding for artists and nonprofit organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties; manages an acclaimed public art program; leads an advocacy and arts education program; and offers a wide range of technical and professional development workshops. RACC advocates for equity, inclusion, and access, working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity, and the arts. We remain steadfast in our mission to enrich every neighborhood we serve.