RACC Blog

RFQ: Sobering & Crisis Center – Exterior Murals Opportunity

Posted on July 24, 2026 at 2:05 pm.

Rendering of the exterior of the southeast-facing exterior on Grand Ave. and the northwest-facing entrance. (Image provided by Scott Edwards Architecture)

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), in partnership with Multnomah County, invites artists or artist teams to submit qualifications for two site-specific exterior murals at the future Sobering & Crisis Stabilization Center, located at 440 SE Stephens St., Portland, OR.

This opportunity is part of Multnomah County’s Percent for Art Program and is approximately a total of $140,000 – $150,000 for both murals. This project is located at a highly visible and socially complex site. The Sobering & Crisis Stabilization Center serves individuals experiencing behavioral health and substance-related crises. The exterior artwork will play an important role in shaping a sense of care, dignity, and public perception of the space. Artists are asked to approach this opportunity with sensitivity, awareness, and a trauma-informed lens. The deadline for submissions will be Wednesday, August 19, 11:59 PM.

Timeline

July 24 2026: Call Opens
August 19, 2026: Call Closes
August – October 2026: Panel Review, Interviews, and Artist Selection

About the Sobering & Crisis Stabilization Center

Multnomah County is developing a new 24/7 Sobering & Crisis Stabilization Center, scheduled to open in Fall 2027. Located in Portland’s Central Eastside, the center will help fill a critical gap in care that has existed since the closure of the previous sobering center in 2019.

The project includes the renovation of an approximately 25,000-square-foot facility, designed by Scott Edwards Architecture and constructed by Fortis Construction.The facility is designed to provide deflection, sobering, withdrawal management, medication assisted treatment, and crisis stabilization services, supporting individuals in accessing pathways toward stabilization, care, and recovery. By offering an alternative to jails and emergency rooms, the center plays an essential role in a more humane and effective behavioral health response by offering a community-centered response to crisis care. The artwork plays a role in aligning to this broader public vision.

Art Opportunity

Exterior Murals (2 Sites)

This call focuses on two exterior mural locations that will serve as highly visible public-facing elements of the building.

Mural #1 – SE Grand Exterior Is a A large-scale mural facing SE Grand Avenue, one of the site’s most prominent and high-traffic corridors. The mural composition on this elevation will begin at approximately 14 feet 2 inches above grade, aligning with the building’s canopy on the north wall. Artists should consider this as the starting point for the mural when developing concepts and compositions.
Mural #2 – NW Corner Entrance A smaller mural located at the building’s northwest corner near an entrance point. There will be a canopy installed here. The mural composition on this elevation will begin at approximately 10 feet 2 inches above grade, aligning with the building’s canopy. This wall is highly visible to cars heading over the bridge.

These murals will contribute to the building’s identity and presence within the neighborhood, serving as a visual threshold between public space and a place of care, dignity, and transition.

Note: Artists or teams applying are encouraged to specify which site they would prefer, or both.

Community Engagement Process

Selected artist(s) will be expected to incorporate a community engagement component into their design process. This may include gathering perspectives, ideas, and feedback from community members, stakeholders, and individuals with lived experience connected to the center.

Engagement approaches should be thoughtful, accessible, and appropriate to the context of the site, and may include small group conversations, or potentially art activities/workshops developed in coordination with the project team.

Engagement efforts should meaningfully inform the direction of the artwork. The goal of this process is not to reach consensus, but to inform the direction of the artwork in a way that reflects community presence, dignity, and shared experience.

Site Visibility & Traffic Considerations (SE Grand Exterior)

Due to the mural’s location along SE Grand Avenue – a high-traffic corridor – artists must consider how the artwork will be experienced by drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Artwork should maintain a strong visual presence without creating excessive visual complexity, optical illusion, or movement-based effects, optical effects, or elements that may distract or interfere with roadway safety. The final design will be reviewed with consideration of its impact on the surrounding traffic environment. Artists should demonstrate awareness of how scale, contrast, and composition function within a fast-moving visual environment.

Selected artist(s) will be expected to participate, as appropriate, in project-related communications, including contributing to public updates as coordinated by Multnomah County and RACC.

Project Goals

Artists are encouraged to develop artwork concepts that align with the goals below. Work considered may include imagery that is abstract, representational, or hybrid of both, but should clearly support the environment and community context, allowing for open interpretation rather than overly prescriptive narratives.

Selected artwork should:

Reflect community-informed perspectives and lived experiences
Support a welcoming, calm, respectful, and non-stigmatizing environment
Reflect themes of care, dignity, recovery, and humanity
Be appropriate for a site serving individuals in vulnerable or transitional moments
Contribute positively to the public-facing identity of the facility
Integrate thoughtfully with the architecture, scale, and urban context
Artists should balance strong visual identity with sensitivity to the emotional and functional context of the site.

No single artwork is expected to represent all experiences. The selection panel values thoughtful, grounded artistic approaches over literal representation.

Trauma-Informed Approach

A trauma-informed approach is central to this project. The artwork does not need to be simplistic, it can be visually compelling and conceptually strong while remaining emotionally accessible.

Artists should consider:

Emotional safety and visual grounding
Composition, scale, and imagery appropriate for high-sensitivity environments
Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity
Creating work that supports calm, stability, reflection, and a sense of dignity
Awareness of impact of imagery, scale, and visual intensity

Individual Wall Budgets and Dimensions

Mural #1 – SE Grand Exterior: $75,000

Links to photos/video of texture, walking perspective

South side: 302 sq ft
East side: 773 sq ft
TOTAL: 1,075 sq ft

Mural #2 – NW Corner Entrance: $65,000 – $75,000

Links to photos/video of texture, walking perspective

2 North-facing sides: 716 sq ft (310 sq ft and 406 sq ft)
West-facing side: 761 sq ft
NW Corner (North + West) TOTAL: 1,477 sq ft

Budgets are inclusive of all project-related costs, including:

Artist fees
Design development
Materials and fabrication
Installation
Site coordination and safety planning

Artists should account for all costs associated with community engagement, design development, fabrication, and installation within the proposed budget.

Due to the complexity and visibility of the site—particularly along SE Grand Avenue, safety planning and coordination are critical components of this project.

Artist Eligibility

This opportunity is open to artists or artist teams with expertise creating murals on multi-floor elevations and challenging locations. Artists who have experiences with houselessness, substance and/or mental health challenges will be prioritized.
Artists should demonstrate:

Experience creating large-scale or public-facing work
Ability to navigate complex site conditions and installation requirements
A trauma-informed approach to artmaking
Experience with or openness to community-engaged or participatory art processes

Artists must demonstrate the capacity to work within a highly visible, publicly scrutinized, and operationally complex site. Artists located in Oregon and Washington are eligible. Artists who have a connection to the Portland region and Multnomah County are strongly encouraged to apply.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by an Artist Selection Panel composed of artists, community members, and project stakeholders, with guidance from RACC staff.
The panel will:

Develop project goals and evaluation criteria
Review applications and select semifinalists
Conduct interviews
Select artist(s) for each mural site

Panelists will apply an equity-centered lens throughout the process. Evaluation will consider both artistic excellence and the artist’s approach to community engagement, site responsiveness, and trauma-informed practice.

How to Apply

All application materials must be submitted through the RACC Opportunity Portal, an online application system. Applicants will need to create an account, or log into their existing account at racc.smapply.org. If you are applying as a team, please assign one person to apply and be the contact on behalf of the team.

For first-time users of the portal, view a brief video learning how to register here.

Application Materials

Statement of Interest Based on the information given, please address the following:
- Interest in the project and connection to its mission and values
- Which site/s you are interested in
- Approach to trauma-informed design
- Relevant experience with similar projects
- Approach to community engagement and how it may inform your design process
- If you’re working as a team, describe how you anticipate working together

There are two options in submitting these responses:

- Written Statement: 3000 characters or less
- Oral Statement: Upload a video/voice recording no longer than 2 minutes
Resume/CV
Up to 8 Work Samples: These images are the primary way the quality of your art work is evaluated. Provide no more than two images per artwork. For each artwork, please provide title, year produced, budget, media, dimensions, location. Conceptual information is desirable but not required.

Timeline

July 24 2026: Call Opens
August 19, 2026: Call Closes
August – October 2026: Panel Review, Interviews, and Artist Selection

Informational Session

Recording coming soon. Check back in the coming weeks

Questions & Accessibility

For questions or application support, please contact:

Mario Mesquita Director of Advocacy & Engagement | Project Manager
Regional Arts & Culture Council
mmesquita@racc.org

Interpretation and translation services are available upon request, please email info@racc.org.
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FY26 Washington County Sponsorship Awardees

Posted on April 20, 2026 at 9:21 am.

Written by Wren Miles

In spring 2026, RACC piloted a sponsorship opportunity for nonprofit arts organizations in Washington County to support cultural events and arts programming slated for public presentation between May and August 2026. With a budget of $30,000 for sponsorships and an additional $10,000 to support direct community engagement, RACC was able to support 25 summer arts events. The program helps create vibrant and meaningful encounters with various artistic disciplines and happenings for community members across Washington County.

Organization Name	City	Project	Sponsorship Award
ArtMax Academy	Portland	Tirgan Summer Solstice Celebration: June 14	$ 1,500
Bag&Baggage Productions	Hillsboro	2026 HYPE Showcase: July 17 & 18	$ 2,500
Beaverton Community Band	Beaverton	Concert in the Park series: July 11 & July 26	$ 1,000
Beaverton Symphony Orchestra	Beaverton	Travis Hatton Young Artist Program: May 29 & 31	$ 2,000
Bells of the Cascades	Tualatin	Premiere of “When All Else Fails…” A Groundbreaking Work for Handbells and Ensemble: June 6 & 7	$ 1,000
Broadway Rose Theatre Company	Tigard	“Newsies” Summer Musical Production: July 16 to August 16	$ 2,500
Classical Up Close	Tigard	Washington County Kids’ Concerts: May 3	$ 1,000
Experience Theatre Project	Beaverton	End of Summer Carnivale: A Feast of Friends : August 29	$ 2,500
GoldenRoadArts	Hillsboro	Art in the Park: June to August	$ 1,500
Hillsboro Artists’ Regional Theatre (HART)	Hillsboro	Summer New Works Series: June to August 15	$ 1,500
Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra	Hillsboro	HSO in the community: May to August	$ 1,000
Mask & Mirror Community Theatre	Tigard	Main Stage and UnMasked Shows: May to August 1	$ 1,500
Native Performing Arts Network	Hillsboro	Using Theater to Improve visibility of Native women and address the crisis of violence against Indigenous people: May to June	$ 1,500
Oregon Marathi Mandal	Hillsboro	Love Musical celebrating Indian/Maharashtra culture: June	$ 1,000
Peruvian Cultural Festival And Events	Beaverton	Festival 2026: Culture to Be Shared: July 25	$ 1,500
RASIKA Society for Arts of India	Hillsboro	Music & Dance of India: May 9 & July 24	$ 1,500
Scarlet Sails Cultural Foundation	Beaverton	Community Story Lab: From Children’s Stories to Stage: June to August	$ 1,000
STAGES Youth Academy	Hillsboro	“Catch Me When I Fall” : May 1 to June 14	$ 2,000
The FLIP Museum	Hillsboro	Seasonal Native Traditions of the Tualatin Valley: June to August	$ 1,500
The Immigrant Story	Portland	I Am An American Live: May 16	$ 2,000
WE Youth String Ensemble	Portland	Traveling the world through music: May 9 & August 8	$ 750
Theatre in the Grove	Forest Grove	CAST Camp Youth Scholarship Initiative: July 13 to August *9	$ 2,500
Tualatin Valley Creates	Beaverton	La Strada dei Pastelli Pop-Up Program: May to August	$ 2,500
Tualatin Valley Symphony	Tigard	Two public orchestra concerts: June 7 & July 4	$ 2,000
Willamette Writers	Hillsboro	Washington County Adult and Youth Programming: April to August 2	$ 750

Second Round of Portland Arts Project Grants Awards $1,220,000 to 274 Artists and Organizations

Posted on January 23, 2026 at 2:10 pm.

Written by Wren Miles

In partnership with the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded $1,220,000 in arts funding to 274 Portland-based artists and arts and culture organizations through the second round of Portland Arts Project Grants. This round supports 179 individual artists and 95 arts and culture organizations, with 107 recipients indicating this is their first time receiving a grant from RACC. Funded projects reflect the breadth of Portland’s creative community, spanning visual and performing arts, music, film, literature, and interdisciplinary practices.

Portland Arts Project Grants are a citywide funding initiative designed to support innovative, publicly engaged artistic projects. Grants ranging from $1000 to $5000 help artists and organizations advance programming, presentations, events, and artistic development that contribute to Portland’s cultural vitality and strengthen connections across neighborhoods.

“At its core, this program is about trust in artists and the value they bring to our city,” said Patricia Rojas, Executive Director of the Regional Arts & Culture Council. “This second round of grants invests directly in the people and ideas shaping Portland’s cultural landscape, reinforcing that the arts are a shared public resource.”

This funding round continues RACC’s long-standing collaboration with the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture, expanding access to resources for artists and organizations throughout the city. Funding for this round of grants is made possible through the City of Portland’s general fund, and proceeds from the City’s voter-approved Arts Access Fund. Grant awards were determined through a competitive, peer-led review process grounded in community knowledge and disciplinary expertise.

“These Portland Arts Project Grants help sustain Portland’s arts ecosystem by awarding funds to individual artists, arts and culture organizations, and creative businesses,” said Office of Arts & Culture Director Chariti Montez. “Projects funded through these grants are vital—underpinning many of the arts and culture experiences enjoyed by Portlanders all year long.”

For this round, RACC received 625 applications, which were evaluated by 19 peer review panels composed of 38 community reviewers from across Portland’s arts and culture sector. Reviewers assessed proposals based on artistic quality, project concept, community engagement, public benefit, readiness to carry out the project, and alignment with RACC’s values and the City of Portland’s commitment to inclusive service.

“The range of projects funded in this round speaks to the creativity, care, and ambition of Portland’s artists,” said Ingrid Carlson, Senior Programs Officer at RACC. “It’s especially meaningful to facilitate a process that engages the community in allocating public funds. It wouldn’t be possible without the numerous creative professionals who thoughtfully serve on the review panels or the incredible team who work together to manage a values-driven process.”

The Portland Arts Project Grants program builds on RACC’s decades-long partnership with the City of Portland, centering transparent, community-driven grantmaking practices. In addition to these grants, the City has offered other funding opportunities for Portland creatives over the past year, as detailed on the Office of Arts & Culture’s website. RACC is proud to serve as a grantmaking partner for small grants, alongside MusicOregon and Friends of IFCC.

Please find a full list of grantees here.

Contact

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

Kelly Knickerbocker, Communications Coordinator, Office of Arts & Culture, kelly.knickerbocker@portlandoregon.gov

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC)

For decades, RACC has aimed to serve every neighborhood of our region to ensure that 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 creatives help define Portland’s culture, fuels its economy, and enhance the quality of life for the people who call it home. The City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture celebrates and supports Portland’s creative economy, expanding opportunities for Portlanders to participate in creative experiences 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. Learn more at portland.gov/arts.

FY26 Portland Arts Project Grant Awardees

Posted on January 23, 2026 at 12:39 pm.

Written by Wren Miles

In partnership with the City or Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture, RACC designed and administered the FY26 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 274 Grants were awarded in February 2026 for a total of $1.22 Million:

2025-2026 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
Alvarado, Time	Inheritors of Movement	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Anderson, Michael	Friends After Good Sound 2026 Programming	Music	$5,000
Aquarian, Erin	Femme TV: Programming For A New Paradigm	Film/Video	$5,000
Arroyo, Amanda	Tiny Gallery St. Johns	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$4,000
Arvizu, Mia	Nahui Ollin	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Ball, Amber	Hella NDN, Siletz Theatre Fest	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Barrera, Claire	CAME BACK DIFFERENT	Dance/Movement	$5,000
bath, ilish	Forgotten Words: Korean language zine and Graphic Novel	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Beach, Jasmine	Black Feast: In Spirit	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Beer, John	Portland Poetry Confluence	Literature	$5,000
BeGaetz, Heather	Oil Speaks	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Belden, Jaime	Let’s Try This Again	Multi-Discipline	$4,000
Berger, Emma	Farm to Paper	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Bint Bandora	The Wedding I Would Want	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$3,000
Bittakis, Fran	Yo No Soy Mi Mamá	Film/Video	$5,000
Boswell, Addie	Trash-based Community Mural	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Bourke, Ron	Sanctuary	Film/Video	$5,000
Brashear, Rachel	Rachel Brashear presents The Carla Bley Big Girl Band: A Tribute to Carla Bley	Music	$3,000
Bray, Julia	Bimbo Tennis	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Caldwell, Makayla	Restoring Kellogg: A River, A People	Film/Video	$5,000
Castano, Roxanne	Guia Community Mural	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Chilton, Jeffrey	Double EP Production	Music	$3,000
christian, steven	Cutie Catcherz	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Christiansen, Teresa	The Purple Door Gallery Two Person Show	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Clark, Alan Saint	Return to the Rainbow Forest	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Clendenon, Kelly	Helpers: Inspiring Change Through Storytelling	Film/Video	$4,000
Cotik, Tomas	Performance, Audio and Video Recording of a Double Album of Spanish Music	Music	$5,000
Crowley, Caitlin	Alx the Artist	Film/Video	$5,000
Culver, Breesa	LINE TIME live community taping, “exploded gallery,” and art zine	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$4,000
Curtis, Ell	Holding onto the Sky	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$4,000
daghlian, martha	Initial: An Art-Critical Writing Project	Writing	$4,000
Davis, Quincy	7th Wave: Medicine Flows	Music	$5,000
de Bastion, Myles	“Journey to Earth II” a Deaf/Blind Immersive Scifi Experience	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Dechenne, Sam	Concerts in Color 2026	Music	$5,000
DeGrave, Sarah	Body of Work	Multi-Discipline	$2,000
Deiz, Brendan	Doombia album 2 vinyl production	Music	$5,000
DelGandio, Olivia	Dry Land: A Celebration of Matt Dishman Community Center Regulars	Social Practice	$3,000
Dembrow, Catherine (Kiki)	Just Listen	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
DeVivo, Nykelle	Set You Free	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Dextrous, Amber	Supporting Access and Growth in Glitter Trashcan’s 2026 Season	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$3,000
Dot, Francis	TIME GHOST TOWN	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Driesler, Amy	The Sugar Hole	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Duffly, Kate	Everything Under the Sun Parade 2026	Multi-Discipline	$4,000
Duncan, Meera	for sex workers by sex workers an art and film festival, the highlights, the marginalized workers!	Film/Video	$5,000
Dyer, Jam	Pencil Test Animation Festival	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$4,000
Eaton, Noelle	Bike Play	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Eng, Kai Pacifico	Propagant – Environmental Sci-Fi/Horror	Film/Video	$5,000
Evangelista, Oliver	FLiP Series	Film/Video	$5,000
Faktor, Liza	The Arrival	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Farahat, Sarah	Contiguous Energy	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Faria, Quinha	Material Experiments in Care and the Social Body	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Febbroriello, Devin Jane	The Impeccable Art of Never-Ending Wellness	Film/Video	$5,000
fimbres, papi	STUDIO RECORDING, MASTERING & DISTRIBUTION OF ALBUM	Music	$4,000
Fitzgerald, Emily	The People’s Archive for Reproductive Empathy	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Ford, Ma	Signs of Good to Come	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$4,000
Foreman, Paul	Guitar for Yoga and Meditation	Music	$4,000
Foster, Rebby Yuer	Don’t Cry For Me	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$3,000
Friedman, Naama	A Night with The First!	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$2,000
Frison, Ebony	Echoes & Assemblies	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Fruchter, Ora for Feeble Flame	You’re Doing it Wrong	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Garcia, Lonnie	Dedmal Collective-Risograph	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Garland, Spencer	Counter of Sheep	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$5,000
Gaskill, Julia	The Bigfoot Poetry Festival 2026	Literature	$5,000
Gerber, Rose	EP Recording	Music	$3,000
Gietler, Therese	Sparking Creativity Free Public Screening and Reception	Film/Video	$5,000
Gilmore, Sarah	Studio Noir: Pilot Episode	Film/Video	$5,000
Glasser, Kelsey	AS YOU LIKE IT RE-LAUNCHES NW CLASSICAL THEATRE CO.	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Gonzalez Lazo, Erik	Indiepocalypse: A dedicated album and concert celebrating independent game studios and their music.	Music	$5,000
Gonzalez, Joeanally	Stories of Resilience	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Graff, Jess	Community Collaborations	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Grün, Clara	Cala Brava	Music	$5,000
Hadley, Pamela	Reforesting the Edgelands	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$4,000
Hammond, Julie	The Walking Studio	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Haque, Sabina Zeba	“Wildfire & Water” Solo Exhibit at Waterstone Gallery, Portland, OR	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Hasan, Elijah	P.O. Reign Line Dance Choreography and Video	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Hata, Chisao	TADASHI’S TRUNK	Multi-Discipline	$3,000
Hawksford, Heather	Human Reproductive Stories	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$5,000
Henreid, Onry	Echoes Under the Bridge: Albina Homecoming	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Hermann, Courtney	Outliers and Outlaws – Distribution in Community	Film/Video	$5,000
Hickey, Bridgette	seed to quilt	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Hickey, Leslie	Rubus Discolor Project presents: A Billboard Project	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$4,000
Hinnessy, Kween	Kween	Music	$5,000
Hood-Marvin, Joshua	Community wellness through bow making 2	Traditional Wood-working	$5,000
Hudson, Anthony	4th Annual Portland Drag Theatre Workshop	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Humberston, Essie	Professionally recording my first 3 song EP.	Music	$4,000
Hummel, Micah	Scholarships for Community Music Education	Music	$5,000
Hunte, Roberta	Push: Black mamas changing the culture of birth filming	Film/Video	$5,000
Jackson, Michelle	Fat Over Lean	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Jay, Manta	Manta Jay’s Parade of Monsters	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Jessie, Paris	The Poetics of Being	Film/Video	$1,000
John, Mack	Hard Surfaces EP	Music	$4,000
Jorden, Shanea	Shanea-Animal Instincts album production	Music	$5,000
Kimbrow, Rachel	STEAM Abecedario	Literature	$4,000
Korkmaz, Emrah	Community Saz Workshops	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$3,000
Korkmaz, Nedim	Kurdish Cultural	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$4,000
Krause, Timothy	Boom Crash Love	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Kravtsova, Olga	Harvest of Woman: Embodied Fables	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Law, Horatio	John Day Tango – An Oregon Love Story	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Lee, Benjamin	Lents Slam n’ Jam 2026	Music	$5,000
Levy, Stuart Allen	People of The River	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Lind-Diamond, Mahalia	Pale Violet Debut EP	Music	$3,000
Lindstrom, Brian	Mothering Inside Tenth Anniversary Screening Series	Film/Video	$3,000
Lipton, Shawna	Stabby: The Secret Lives of C.M. Owens	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$5,000
Longstreth, Katherine	The Changing Room	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Longworth, Trip	Apocalypse Matrix The Musical	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$3,000
Lueck, Anna	Homecoming	Film/Video	$5,000
Lyon, Olivia	Album – “Meet Me In The City”	Music	$4,000
MAARQUII, marquise dickerson	For The Consideration Of Fem Queens	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Mack, Marsha	Memory Palace	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Mairs, Will	Ladd’s Edition 2026: Vols. 5 & 6	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Maita,	Maita: Fourth Full-Length Album Recording	Music	$5,000
Martinez Linares, Hector	The Future Is Ancestral / Somos el puente	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$5,000
mcclinton, aiyana	Wool Processing, Spinning, Felting, and Hide Tanning Workshops	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$5,000
Mcgarry, Jordan	Keep portland fuzzy: a community tufting space	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
McNamee, Audra	Comics about computers and technology	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Mead, Angie	Woe Nelly Debut Album	Music	$5,000
Medina, Rozzell	Experimental Chaos Fiction	Multi-Discipline	$2,000
Mello, Michelle	Make a Puppet with Me: A DIY Stop-Motion Art Series	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Michel, Karen	Jazz Pesado	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Minu-Sepehr, Ava	Seeds as ancestors, connection, and (be)longing: an exhibition of SWANA seeds and their stories	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$5,000
Morey, Liberty	Erosion Concerns	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$4,000
Murine, Alexis	HUNK Liberation Now	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Nagle, Brendan	Ten Years Alive On The Infinite Plain – A Tribute To Tony Conrad	Film/Video	$4,000
Nartey Jr, Titus	Wo Bea Ne [It is Our Time]	Music	$5,000
Nenemikwa, Shego / Shegocaga	Active Development of Traditional Beadwork – Workshops and Tutorials	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$5,000
Ng, Salty Xi Jie	The Grandma Reporter: Issue 4 – Sex	Social Practice	$5,000
Niekrasz, John	Wrong Civilization	Music	$4,000
Nolan-Finkel, Conor	Production of the Audio Drama Series: Radio New Cahokia	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Ogden, Bea Yeh	Whispers & Leaves – Luminous Together Art Grove 2026	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$5,000
Orfale, Adam	Free relaxing music concerts with local tradtional tea service	Music	$5,000
Orloski, TJ	Shatter Flat	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$5,000
Parson , Andrea	The One	Multi-Discipline	$4,000
Peoples, Amber	How on Earth? LIVE	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Pepper, Pepper	In The Name of the Moon	Multi-Discipline	$3,000
Pérez, Krystal	From Canvas to Community: Expanding Cultural Narratives through Painting & Printmaking	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Phenix, Darci	Show at Laura Vincent Design and Gallery	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$3,000
Prado, Emilly	CARACOLITA	Literature	$5,000
Ra, Hazel	Producing a New Album: “Afraid of Nothing”	Music	$1,000
Radsliff, Jack	Mixing Costs for Record	Music	$5,000
Ripper, Karina	Silver Blankets	Film/Video	$5,000
Rivers, Dey	Fantasy, Fable, & Folklore: whimsical and political storytelling in challenging times	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Roberts, Kendra	Grief Holiday at The Lantern	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Robinson, LaTroy	The Dojo: Ballroom 2026 Programming	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Rodriguez Fernandez, Gisela	Puentes sonoros (Sonic Bridges) : a sonic & visual storytelling performance about history, solidarity and resistance in Latin America	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Rose, Alicia	Menopunks	Film/Video	$5,000
Ross, Danielle	Glitch	Dance/Movement	$4,000
Ruggles, Angela	Echoes of the Trees: Ceramics and Climate Change	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Ruscher-Haqq, Niyyah	An Infinite Universe: A compilation of Muslim storytellers	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Samizay, Gazelle	Mapping the Unseen	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$5,000
Alberta Rose Theatre	4th Annual International Booklover’s Burlesque Festival	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Simons, Eric	Full Court Progress with Coach Clem	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Sloan, Aubrey	A Year and A Day	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
sneed, joe	Meconia: Long Circuit	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Solomon, Ary	Tending Portland Song Culture	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$5,000
Songolo , Asukulu	Threads of Us: Weaving Black Love	Fashion Design and Film	$5,000
Spaulding, Claire	Craft and Material: Conversations with the Portland Arts Community	Multi-Discipline	$3,000
Stebbins, Kyle	Don’t Be Weird – Improv Gameshow	Film/Video	$5,000
Strom, Dao	Diaspora Songs	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Swatosh, Drew	The Dead Fires Anthology Album	Music	$3,000
Terrell, Jacob	Mildred’s Palace	Film/Video	$5,000
Thomas, Paige	Person Under – Community Workshops and Presentations	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Tirta, Gaby	Resist/Exist: The Space Between Story and Stain	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Velasquez , Orquidia	“Goodbye Old Textiles, Hello New Textile Art”	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$1,000
Vivas, Maya	Wherever You Go, There You Are	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Volness, Kirsten	“for Anna Atkins” Music Video	Music	$1,000
Walker, David	The Making Comic Books Comic Book and Creative Workshop	Literature	$5,000
Walters, Jonathan	The Dowry	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Welch-Cabler, Franny	Franny Cabler‘s own harness!	Dance/Movement	$5,000
White, Louis	A.M.P.: First Thursdays 2026 — Art.Music.Poetry Series	Multi-Discipline	$3,000
White, Orion	Wen’ípt	Music	$4,000
Whitworth, Liam	Queer Forest Bathing & Portland Poet Walk	Literature	$5,000
Willow, Brooke	The Hands of Portland: Holding On	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Winchester, Jai’aja	Hijinx Me.	Film/Video	$5,000
Worthy, Danitrius	Expanding BUK’s Multidisciplinary Impact Through Professional Development	Music	$5,000
Wright, Jennifer	The Female Gaze: Women and Allies Unite in Petrifying the Patriarchy	Music	$2,000
Yamamoto, Takahiro	Hollow Center	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Yoshioka, Kyle	Provecho: Stories of Food and Identity – Issue 04	Literature	$5,000
Zimmerman, Keith	outside	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000

Arts organizations:

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

Organization	Working Title	Primary Artistic Discipline	Award
21ten Theatre	21ten Summer Residency Program – Emerging Artists & New Works	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
45th Parallel	Resonant Communities: 45th Parallel Universe’s 2025–26 Community Concert Series	Music	$5,000
82 Roses Community Enrichment Coalition	Roses in the Heart of Portland Parade 20th Annual Event	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$4,000
A.Y.C.O.	Uplift Arts Competition: Celebrating Youth Creativity	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Albina Music Trust	Jefferson High School Choir – Vinyl Album & Release Party	Music	$5,000
All Classical Radio	All Classical Radio Artist in Residence	Music	$5,000
AMP (Artist Mentorship Program)	AMP’s Beat Building Academy – 2026	Music	$3,000
Architecture Foundation of Oregon	Architects in Schools	Design Arts	$4,000
Automatic Pilots LLC	Unmatched: The Team that Changed the Beautiful Game – Proof of Concept	Film/Video	$5,000
Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project	The Wasp	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Belong Art Community	We All Belong	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Berm	Berm Issue 8 – Physical	Magazine	$5,000
BIPOC Adoptees VOICES	3rd Annual: VOICES, a BIPOC Adoptee Author Reading	Literature	$5,000
Blackfish Gallery	Many Bridges	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$4,000
Blanchet House of Hospitality	Portraits and Stories of Unhoused Community Members	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Boise-Eliot Humboldt Elementary PTA	Boise/Eliot-Humboldt Elementary Community Mural	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Brain Injury Connections Northwest	Art on the Brain	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Building Five	Engagement 2026	Multi-Discipline	$3,000
CampOUT Portland	CampOUT – LGBTQIA+ Youth Arts Programming	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Carnation Contemporary LLC	Carnation Contemporary: Portland Artist-Run Gallery	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Cesar Chavez PTA	New Children’s Choir at Cesar Chavez K-8 School	Music	$2,000
CETI	XRchive – Block 14 at Lone Fir Book and Qing Ming celebration	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$5,000
Chiral Filmworks	Skates and Stilettos	Film/Video	$5,000
Chronic Pain Project	Art as Voice: Integrated Community Programming	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Clinton St. Theater	Clinton Street Theater – February 2026	Film/Video	$4,000
Color Outside the Lines	Voices of Migrant Youth: A Mural	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
congruency dance collective	congruency dance collective presents : waveform	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Constellation Reading Series	Constellation: A Community Reading Series – 2026	Literature	$5,000
Dana Thompson Memorial Fund of Awesome	Schools Out Rock Out after school programs – Spring 2026	Music	$5,000
Elemental	Portal of Perception	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Espacio Flamenco	Feria de Portland	Multi-Discipline	$4,000
FROGTOWN	FROGTOWN LIVE!	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
From the Ground UP : A Research and Development Center for New Art	From The Ground UP New Works Festival: Spring 2026	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Futel	Words On A Wire	Media Arts (Audio/Tech)	$3,000
Gal Pal	Help Solve A Murder	Film/Video	$5,000
Gather:Make:Shelter	Exhibition featuring fiber, textile and wearable art	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Good in the Hood Multicultural Music & Food Festival	Roots, Rhythm & Power: A National Artist Spotlight & Festival Documentary	Music	$5,000
Heidi Duckler Dance/Northwest	Creative Movement for Community Learners	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Hellenic-American Cultural Center & Museum of Oregon and SW Washington	Follow the Thread: The Fabric of the Hellenic Spirit — Spring 2026 Programming	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$1,000
Hi LLC	Hi Books Publications	Literature	$5,000
Hollywood Farmers Market	Live Music at the Hollywood Farmers Market	Music	$5,000
HONK PDX	HONK! PDX 2026	Music	$5,000
Humans for Housing Education Inc	Humans for Housing Exhibition	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
In Medio	Sing, My Child 2026	Music	$5,000
In Mulieribus	“Among Women 2026” Celebrating Women Artists on International Women’s Day	Music	$5,000
Jazz Society of Oregon	Cathedral Park Jazz Festival – 2026	Music	$5,000
Katya Presents/Klip Klop Productions	Divapalooza: A Queer BIPOC Centric Celebration of the Arts and Activism	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Kickstand Comedy	Kickstand Comedy in the Park 2026	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
LES Shakespeare Co.	The Words Will Come	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Misfit Academy	Art At The End Of The World	Performance	$5,000
Montavilla Jazz Festival	Vestal Social Justice Night 2026: A Latin Jazz Community Performance	Music	$5,000
Mullowney Printing	Gather:Make:Shelter and Mullowney Printing Workshop Series	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Mysti Krewe of Nimbus	Portland Mardi Gras Parade Management	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$4,000
Native American Youth and Family Center	Developing Native performing artists in Portland	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
New Moon Productions	Drama Literacy Program	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$3,000
New Wave Opera	Deep Water	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
North East Productions	Against the Code	Film/Video	$5,000
Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts	Welcome to the NW Museum of Cartoon Arts – Comics Are For Everyone Mural	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Open Space	Do You See Me?	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Opera Theater Oregon	Nu Nah-Hup: Sacajawea’s Story	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Oregon Adventure Theatre	Free outdoor performances of world premiere The Simple Truth by Ken Yoshikawa	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Oregon Repertory Singers	Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir: All-Ages Recording Project	Music	$5,000
Oregon Suzuki Institute	Scholarships for underrepresented students	Music	$3,000
Ori Gallery	Sun Kissed	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Outer Voice	Outer Voice 2025/2026 Season	Time-Based Art	$5,000
Pacific Refugee Support Group	Refugee Youth Farm to Table Project	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$5,000
Performance Works NorthWest	Alembic Artist Residency 2026	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Portland Cultural Dance Collective	Youth Cultural Dance Expansion & Showcase	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Portland Dance Film Fest	The 10th Annual Portland Dance Film Fest	Film/Video	$5,000
Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble	PJCE at Vanport Mosaic Festival	Music	$3,000
Portland Latin American Film Festival	20th PORTLAND LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL	Film/Video	$5,000
Portland Lesbian Choir	Queer Joy June 2026	Music	$5,000
Portland Panorama	“Mental Health in the Entertainment Industry Conference”	Film/Video	$5,000
Portland Queer Arts	Queer Arts Spectacular	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Portland Revels	Spring Revels 2026	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$4,000
Portland SummerFest	Opera in the Park 2026: Cruzar la Cara de la Luna	Music	$5,000
Portland Symphonic Choir	VESPERS 2026	Music	$4,000
push/FOLD	Union PDX – Festival:26	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Quest Center for Integrative Health	Empowering Recovery through Collaborative Art	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$3,000
Rock Dojo	The Nullsong Chronicles: Pilot Program Launch	Music	$5,000
Rogue Pack	Rogue Pack Cross -Gen Story Circle	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Sabin CDC	Summer Block Party 2026	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Sebe Kan Youth African Dance Inc.	Sebé Kan Annual Concert	Dance/Movement	$5,000
Shady Pines Radio	The Bullfrog Stage: Supporting Emerging Musicians at Shady Pines Festival 2026	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Sincere Studio	Protest Banner-making Classes	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$3,000
Steps for Youth	Spring Performance 2026	Dance/Movement	$4,000
Sugarpill LLC	Sad Girl Summer 2026	Multi-Discipline	$2,000
Swingin’ Sounds	Swingin’ Sounds: Community Events and In-School Instruction	Music	$5,000
The Grief House	Community Quilting – Stitching Our Grief	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$4,000
The Oaks Park Association	Oaks Park Roller Rink Entry Mural	Visual Arts (2D and 3D)	$5,000
Third Eye Theatre	Third Eye Theatre’s Portland Pride Play Festival 2026	Theatre/Musical Theatre	$5,000
Void Center LLC	VOID Tattoo Fest 2026	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Wonderfolk	Unity Through Arts Program: Amplifying the Power of BIPOC Youth Through Mural Creation	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
World Forestry Center	Forest Hope & Innovation	Multi-Discipline	$5,000
Yiu-Mienh Association of Oregon	Iu-Mien Association of Oregon’s Lunar New Year Celebration	Folk Arts/Cultural Arts	$3,000

Two Oregon Artists Chosen to Create Murals at Portland International Airport

Posted on January 14, 2026 at 10:54 am.

Written by Wren Miles

Left: Lettie Jane Rennekamp. Photo by Christopher Diego. Right: Mark Small. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Portland, OR —January 14, 2026. In collaboration with the Port of Portland, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is excited to announce that Oregon artists Lettie Jane Rennekamp and Mark Small have each been chosen to create a mural design for the exit halls at the Portland International Airport (PDX), anticipated to be installed in spring 2026. The artists were selected through a competitive process by the PDX Terminal Core Redevelopment (TCORE) Public Art Committee that considered applications from an applicant pool of 78 artists and artist teams from across the region.

The renovation of the airport’s main terminal aims to increase the capacity, flexibility, and resilience of the airport, while improving the travel experience and adding more of what people love about PDX–including more art. These commissioned mural designs are among several exciting new public art projects RACC is managing within the new PDX.

The vibrant 59-foot-long murals will celebrate local mural culture and promote pride of place and a sense of home. Custom-printed and installed in the north and south exit halls of the main terminal, the artworks will remain on display for one to three years. The exit halls are the last post-security area passengers will walk through before they meet friends, family, or other meeters/greeters, leave the terminal, or travel downstairs to baggage claim to pick up their luggage. The murals will be the first cycle of two new rotating art exhibition locations post-security at PDX that will be refreshed with new murals every two to three years.

“We’re excited to collaborate with the Port of Portland on these new mural commissions by Lettie Jane Rennekamp and Mark Small,” says Kristin Law Calhoun, Director of Partnerships and Programs at the Regional Arts & Culture Council. “Located in the airport’s exit halls, these bold, site-responsive works will engage travelers as they arrive or depart, highlighting some of the distinct creative culture and landmarks of our region.”

“Talented local artists Lettie Jane Rennekamp and Mark Small are creating two massive inspiring murals for PDX, bringing their unique transformative designs to the airport’s new North and South passenger exit lanes. These fantastic and colorful mural designs represent Portland’s resilience and potential, celebrate our thriving community spirit, and welcome everyone,” says Wendy Given, Art Program Manager at the Port of Portland.

About the Artists

Lettie Jane Rennekamp (she/they) is an artist, muralist, teacher, and parent originally from Kentucky and now based in Portland, OR. Here, she also owns and runs Ulna Art Studio with Cole Lyons and Jolyn Fry. Through illustrations depicting people, plants, and patterns, Rennekamp aims to capture abstract ideas such as moving through grief, self-acceptance, or a sense of place. Her work ranges from more serious yet tender contemplative work about what it means to inhabit a body in this world to whimsical depictions of nature and the humans and animals that occupy it. Rennekamp has had murals commissioned by many clients in Portland and beyond, including Boeing, The City of Tigard, Advantis Credit Union, Leach Botanical Garden, Scratch Meats, and Radius Art Center, among others, and numerous private individuals.

Rennekamp’s mural, entitled Watercolor Walk, presents a dreamlike walk through a park, providing the diverse travelers to PDX an experience that is both joyful and soothing. As people pass by the mural, they will find themselves meandering through a visually rich landscape of watercolor washes and collaged elements.

Based in Portland with deep roots in Brooklyn, New York, Mark Small is a visual artist and graphic designer who creates distinctive visual narratives at the intersection of classical design principles and contemporary urban culture. His practice draws from mid-century modernist traditions and Renaissance compositional structures, interwoven with the visual language of hip-hop’s golden era and graffiti culture.

As co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Les Sapeur, a design studio established in 2023, Small develops work that centers themes of place, identity, and collective experience. Through his practice, he advances representation and accessibility within the Pacific Northwest’s cultural and design sectors, contributing to the region’s evolving creative landscape and commitment to diverse artistic voices.

Small’s mural presents a panoramic view of Portland’s urban landscape, incorporating recognizable architectural landmarks, neighborhood scenes, and symbolic imagery—including a sneaker-wearing sasquatch integrated into the city’s streetscape. The composition is designed to align with the flow of passengers moving through the Exit Hall, creating visual rhythm that corresponds to pedestrian movement through the terminal.

The artwork offers moments of recognition for returning residents while introducing visitors to Portland’s cultural character and sense of place. Through its layered references to local landmarks and community identity, the mural reflects the city’s creative spirit and establishes the airport as a threshold between travel and homecoming.

Please find a folder of images for use here.

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC): For decades, RACC has aimed to serve every neighborhood of our region to ensure that 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 Port of Portland:

With three airports, three active marine terminals, and five business parks, the Port of Portland is an economic engine for transforming the region into a place where everyone is welcome, empowered, and connected to the opportunity to find a good job or grow their business. The Port works to pull down barriers and provide access to people and local businesses who have been left out of the region’s economic growth—including people of color, low-income workers, and people with disabilities. Collectively, the Port leads big projects in the region, including building a new PDX with a community-centered approach; transforming a former marine terminal into a site for innovation in the housing construction and mass timber industries; and providing more options for Pacific Northwest businesses to send their products around the world. For more information, visit www.PortofPortland.com.

Contact Information

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

Port of Portland, media@portofportland.com

Northwest Library: A transformed space in Slabtown

Posted on December 17, 2025 at 9:55 am.

Written by Wren Miles

Exterior of the new Northwest Library along Pettygrove St.; rendering courtesy of Hennebery Eddy Architects

Northwest Library has moved to a brand new location, going from a small, leased space at 2300 NW Thurman to 2030 NW Pettygrove Street. This new location is approximately 11,000 square feet, more than twice the size of the former library at 4,700 square feet.

Multnomah County Library is growing library spaces as part of a November 2020 capital bond. As part of this work, in 2021, the library purchased the new Northwest Library building, which sits on NW Overton Street to the south and on NW Pettygrove Street to the north. The library and its partners renovated and transformed this building into a brand new space for the community as part of the library’s goal to reduce costs and uncertainty related to leased spaces.

Northwest Library has long been a small but beloved location for Northwest Portland, and its expansion means more space for the community. That’s why insights from community members have guided the vision and purpose for the space, with the design team gathering feedback from senior citizens, families, teens, people experiencing homelessness and the neighborhood association. Gifts to The Library Foundation supported an interactive early learning space, a mobile creative learning lab, and a study space for teens at Northwest Library.

New features include:

A large early learning and play space for children and their families.
A teen area with space for technology, homework and creative expression.
A larger, more diverse collection of books.
Five small community rooms for study, homework and small group meetings; one medium and one large room for group meetings, library programs and presentations.
Updated wi-fi and technology, including more laptops, iPads and creative software for patron use.
New Automated Materials Handling system, ensuring materials get to patrons much faster.
Modern self checkout stations to provide a better patron experience.
New art that represents the community in partnership with the Regional Arts and Culture Council including:
- A suspended artwork by artist Christine Clark
Artwork from the Portland Street Art Alliance including:
- A room-spanning mural that covers the adult seating area, teen area and kids’ area by artist Kyler Martz
- Mural in the gallery seating area by artist Nia Musiba

Centering the community

Northwest Library has been a vital center of the community for decades. To amplify the community’s ideas, the library worked with the design team to table at existing community events and host focus groups, public meetings and public surveys. We engaged over 1,700 people during more than 19 activities. Community members cast 1,189 votes for Northwest’s color palette, with the winning theme being beautiful blues inspired by the Vaux’s Swift migration. The color palette reflects the sky and sunset as the birds would funnel into the chimney at Chapman Elementary School.

Project teams held paid affinity focus groups with neighborhood elders, families, teens and social service providers and clients. The local neighborhood association was also engaged in the design process.

Learning and playing in the kids area

Northwest Library is continuing the commitment to early learning and development with a 919 square foot kids area. This includes an interactive learning and play installation developed by the Burgeon Group, the premier firm designing, building, and installing creative early learning spaces in public libraries. With an engaging nest theme that evokes the Vaux’s Swift migration, kids can let their imagination soar. The updated kids area will also have technology and seating for youth and their caregivers to learn and play side-by-side.

A new teen area

Northwest Library’s new 275 square foot teen area is a special addition. Guided by teen input, teens will have access to an area where they can study, play games using state-of-the-art video equipment on a 75” screen and just be in community with other teens. Teens have an opportunity to plug-in (or unplug!) in a new area complete with artwork from artist Kyler Martz, which was inspired by an art workshop held with local teens. Participants shared a desire for artwork that is tranquil with a connection to nature.

Places for connection

With multiple community rooms available for patron use, people can connect much easier than before at Northwest Library. Going from one meeting room at the old location to seven new community rooms for a total of about 1,300 square feet after construction in the new building, the library is excited to expand these places for connection. Overall, the community rooms consist of one large, one medium and five small community rooms. Whether attending a library event, a community meeting, or just needing a quiet room for a one-on-one conversation, these spaces are for the public.

To increase connection, all community rooms in Northwest boast audio/visual-equipped spaces (A/V-equipped) to accommodate advanced meeting needs and collaboration. Need to connect remotely for a job interview or host a presentation? Northwest has you covered! All of the meeting rooms support state-of-the-art presentation and video conferencing when connected to a library-supplied laptop.

Additionally, these community rooms are even more accessible thanks to assistive listening systems (ALS) which amplify sounds from lectures, presentations, storytimes, and events, allowing hard-of-hearing patrons to fully engage with library programs and resources. Northwest offers assistive listening systems via two different methods: a wireless system that allows patrons to use library provided receivers or their own smartphones and a portable offering which includes a microphone for the speaker and a listening device for the audience.

Northwest is yet another library location to introduce Multnomah County’s new fiber network, providing increased internet speeds and bandwidth. The building boasts a strong wi-fi signal throughout.

Entryway and community room at the new Northwest Library; rendering courtesy of Hennebery Eddy Architects

Diversity in building

A wide range of tradespeople, experts and construction workers with diverse backgrounds built Northwest Library. Over the life of the project, 320 trades workers from the local area built this library with great pride.

Apprentice utilization: 21.4%
Apprentice-level woman: 38.9%
Apprentice-level minority: 64.8%
Journey-level minority: 35.4%
Journey-level woman:12.4%

Not only was there a diverse workforce building the new Northwest, the companies who employed these workers also represented a wide range of communities.

Women Business Enterprise (WBE): 21.3%
Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE): 6.7%
Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE): 1.5%
Emerging Small Business (ESB): 0.3%

Artwork for all

As part of these building projects, each major location gains engaging new artwork. One of these exciting art pieces is thanks to the Multnomah County Percent for Art Program which is led by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). RACC advocates for equity, inclusion and access within the arts and connects artists and creatives to opportunities throughout the region.

Portland-based sculptor and installation artist Christine Clark has created a multi-piece suspended artwork throughout the library’s clerestory area. Inspired by the rich history of Slabtown and the Vaux’s Swifts, Christine’s powder-coated and mild steel artwork celebrates the people, waterways, and traditions that shaped the neighborhood and the larger Northwest area. Her suspended basket-like forms honor the Native weaving traditions of creating and selling baskets. The green leaves that accompany the multiple elements of the artworks symbolize the crops that were grown by Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s, cultivating vegetables and other produce that were sold locally. The interwoven blue strands that sinew their way throughout the clerestory area and around the baskets evoke the creeks that once flowed throughout Slabtown as well as the flight patterns of the Vaux’s Swifts as they descend into Chapman School. Christine’s hope is that this suspended artwork will allow the library users to look up, reflect, and connect to the past while being present in many of the library’s gathering spaces.

Throughout the room-spanning Bound for Slabtown mural, which covers the adult seating area, teen area and kids area, artist Kyler Martz explores the transformative power of reading and nature through the migratory journey of the Vaux’s Swift. By observing the surreal transformation of trees into books, books into birds, the viewer is encouraged to reflect on their relationship with nature and the ability to grow and change.

In the gallery seating area, artist Nia Musiba created this mural, drawing inspiration from Oregon’s natural landscape and its vibrant flora and fauna. The piece takes a colorful, abstract approach to depicting elements of the natural world, abstracted views of irises, ferns, Oregon swallowtails, Vaux’s swifts, oxalis, and more. It serves as a reminder to enjoy the beauty and balance of the environments that surround us.

Reading gallery in the new Northwest Library; rendering courtesy of Hennebery Eddy Architects

A resilient building

Hennebery Eddy Architects led the design for Northwest. Howard S. Wright, A Balfour Beatty Company, is the General Contractor. Northwest Library is on track to be LEED Silver certified. Northwest reduced its impact on the environment by reusing much of the existing building structure and facades. The building also boasts a seismic upgrade, highly efficient new mechanical and plumbing systems, all LED lighting, as well as low-emitting materials which contribute to improved indoor air quality.

Multnomah County Library is excited to present this larger, transformed Northwest Library to the community.

RACC, City of Portland to Celebrate the Addition of 21 Artworks to Public Art Collection at October 2 Exhibition

Posted on September 19, 2025 at 10:44 am.

Written by Wren Miles

Contact Information

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

Portland, OR — September 18, 2025. The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), in partnership with the City of Portland Office of Arts & Culture, is excited to announce an exhibition of 21 artworks newly acquired for the City’s Visual Chronicle of Portland collection. The exhibition will be hung in the City Gallery space on the second floor of the Portland Building. The public opening event is on Thursday, October 2, at 3pm, and all are welcome to attend.

The artists whose work was selected are Stephanie Buer, Jax Chow, John Cline, Paul Higgins, Hermon Joyner, Kendra Larson, Jim Lommasson, Ivan McClellan, Robert Minervini, David Rice, and Chris Russell.

“These 21 artworks speak to the rhythms and tensions of life in Portland, from the moments of joy and connection to the shifting relationships between people and place,” according to Kristin Law Calhoun, Director of Partnerships and Programs, Regional Arts & Culture Council. “They represent a wide range of voices and approaches that remind us of the depth of talent in our creative community, together they capture how artists make sense of our city.”

“The Portland Office of Arts & Culture is thrilled to present a new set works for the Visual Chronicle of Portland at the Portland Building,” said Eric Fredericksen, Public Art Administrator at the Office of Arts & Culture. “We look forward to further collaboration with the Regional Arts & Culture Council to create new opportunities for public engagement with this important project that collects artists’ responses to the city over the past 40 years.”

See images and key information about the selected artworks here.

About the Visual Chronicle of Portland

The Visual Chronicle of Portland is a City-owned collection of works on paper that offers a dynamic portrayal of artists’ views of the city’s social and urban landscapes. The intent of the collection is to capture “the spirit of the times” and artists’ sense of “Portlandness” as the city evolves and changes. It serves as both an eclectic view of life in Portland as well as a record of artists working in the city. The artworks in this acquisition were selected through a four-stage review process led by RACC and including the participation of an independent panel made up of artists, community members, and City employees.

The collection strives to reflect a diversity of populations, artistic disciplines, and points of view. Artists not yet represented in the collection were prioritized, to expand the range of expression and representation in the Visual Chronicle of Portland. The Visual Chronicle of Portland was started in 1985 following the suggestion of artist Henk Pender, whose hometown of Amsterdam has a similar collection. During its 40 years, this collection has grown to 463 works by 270 artists that are displayed in City-owned spaces throughout Portland.

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council

About the Office of Arts & Culture

Established in July 2024, the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture supports Portland’s arts and culture ecosystem and expands opportunities for Portlanders to participate in creative experiences. It does so through arts education coordination, cultural planning, grantmaking, public art and the Percent for Art program, and more. Arts & Culture’s vision is to put arts at the center of public life in Portland.

About the City Gallery at the Portland Building

Formerly known as the Installation Space, the City Gallery is an open exhibition space on the second floor of the Portland Building, freely accessible to the public. The Office of Arts & Culture has recently assumed responsibility for programming the space, and will focus on presentations from City collections, including the Visual Chronicle of Portland, while developing longer-range plans for the gallery.

Three Oregon Indigenous Artists Chosen to Create Large-Scale Sculptures at Portland International Airport

Posted on August 20, 2025 at 11:40 am.

Written by Wren Miles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information

Meech Boakye, Communications Lead, RACC, mboakye@racc.org
Port of Portland, media@portofportland.com

Portland, OR —August 20th, 2025. In collaboration with the Port of Portland, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is proud to announce that Oregon Indigenous artists Travis Stewart, Marie Watt, and Lillian Pitt with team members Juno Lachman and Ben Dye have each been chosen to create a large-scale sculpture for the entry of Portland International Airport (PDX), anticipated to be installed in spring 2026. The artists were selected through a competitive process by the PDX Terminal Core Redevelopment (TCORE) Public Art Committee that considered applications from a select group of invited Indigenous artists working and living in Oregon and SW Washington.

The renovation of the airport’s main terminal aims to increase the capacity, flexibility, and resilience of the airport, while improving the travel experience and adding more of what people love about PDX–including more art. These commissioned sculptures are among several exciting new public art projects RACC is managing within the new PDX.

The three new signature sculptures will be installed in three distinct sites within the expansive remodeled entry hall of the main terminal. The artworks will be experienced as the first impression and welcome to the airport from PDX’s front entry. The art will also be visible from the front exterior facade through the windows that face outward to the departures roadway. Inside, passengers will have a close-up experience with the art as they will be able to circulate 36 around the sculptures, and utilize them as wayfinding or meeting points.

“RACC is honored to commission these three projects by visionary artists from our region – Travis Stewart, Marie Watt, and Lillian Pitt with support from Juno Lachman and Ben Dye – whose work will center Indigenous narratives in the heart of PDX’s redesigned terminal. These signature pieces embody RACC’s commitment to voices that celebrate our region’s rich cultural heritage and will bring thoughtful enrichment to the traveler experience,” says Kristin Law Calhoun, Director of Partnerships and Programs at the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

“Working with exceptional local artists Travis Stewart, Marie Watt, and Lillian Pitt, with team members Juno Lachman and Ben Dye, is an absolute honor and a dream come true for the Port Art Program. The artists’ impressive new entry sculptures will share important stories of connection while celebrating living Indigenous traditions and histories, reverence for this land and place, and the unique perspectives and experiences of extraordinary contemporary sculptors in our region with PDX’s visitors, travelers, and Portland residents alike,” said Wendy Given, Art Program Manager at the Port of Portland.

About the Artists

Portrait of Lillian Pitt, Ben Dye and Juno Lachman. Courtesy of the artist team.

Lillian Pitt is a Pacific Northwest Native American artist whose ancestors lived in and near the Columbia River Gorge. Born in Warm Springs, Oregon, on lands of the Confederated Warm Springs, Wasco, and Paiute Tribes, Pitt incorporates the history and legends of her people into the contemporary art that she creates. Over her storied career, her artistic practice has spanned jewelry, glass, printmaking, metals, and ceramics. Her pieces can be found in personal collections, art galleries, and museums as well as in public spaces such as parks, schools, and cultural institutions.

Collaborating team members with Lillian Pitt for this project are Ben Dye and Juno Lachman. Dye specializes in large-scale public sculpture that enables communities and institutions to make a meaningful statement about their historic origins and contemporary aspirations. His work is installed in many Pacific Northwest towns and has been commissioned by businesses, institutions, and private collectors. Lachman is a Portland artist who specializes in the design and production of art and custom architectural glass. He incorporates the natural environment in his kiln-formed pieces, taking real-life objects and transforming them into works that are playful and magical. Both Dye and Lachman have been collaborating with Pitt for many years, including a publicly commissioned artwork that they created together for the Lake Oswego City Hall in 2021.

t’alapas tamanowas, 2019. Courtesy of Travis Stewart.

Travis Stewart is a contemporary Northwest artist of Chinook, Rogue River, and Kalapuya descent. He lives in Grand Ronde, Oregon, and works in a variety of mediums to depict stories defined by the cultural landscape and design of the Willamette Valley and Columbia River people. He also works as an Interpretive Coordinator for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and has devoted his life to the preservation of the art and culture of the tribes of Western Oregon.

Portrait of Marie Watt by Sam Gehrke.

Marie Watt is a member of the Turtle Clan of the Seneca Nation of Indians whose work draws on images and ideas from Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) protofeminism and Indigenous teachings. Her practice is Interdisciplinary, incorporating printmaking , painting, textiles and sculpture. Watt conducts both solo and collaborative projects, but in all of them she explores how history, community, and storytelling intersect.

Please find a folder of images for use here.

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC):

For decades, RACC has aimed to serve every neighborhood of our region to ensure that 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 Port of Portland: