RACC Blog

RACC awards $733,608 in project grants for 2017

Written by

PORTLAND, ORE — The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded $733,608 in grants to 92 local artists and 52 nonprofit organizations for artistic projects that will take place in calendar year 2017. This represents a 10% increase over last year thanks to increased funding from Multnomah County, the City of Portland and RACC’s workplace giving campaign, Work for Art. Additional funding was provided by Clackamas County, Washington County and Metro.

“As 2016 draws to a close, we can start looking forward to a tremendous variety of innovative arts activities scheduled to take place in 2017,” said executive director Eloise Damrosch. “I am especially pleased that 57% of our grants this year are going to artists and organizations that have never received RACC project grant funding before.”

Some examples of funded artists and organizations that are receiving their first-ever project grant from RACC include:

  • Alan Alexander III, $5,400 in the Theatre category to fund a public performance of an original musical theatre work titled “Homeless (the musical).” Book, music and lyrics by Alan Alexander III with additional music and lyrics by Kathryn Grimm.
  • Irina Boboia, $6,495 in the Multi-Discipline category to fund “Two Worlds and Nowhere,” a project aimed at revealing the stories of local immigrants/refugees through video, still images and text. The project will be disseminated as a video blog, art installation and video screenings.
  • Ashleigh Flynn, $5,600 in the Music category to help create an LP record of self-penned Americana songs inspired by “Rosie the Riveter,” whose brand inspired a social movement in America. The recording will feature a band of highly talented musicians, all female, over 40 years old, and many who identify as LGBTQ, and will culminate in a celebratory performance at McMenamins Mission Theater.
  • Chiara Giovando, $4,838 in the Media Arts category, to support “A Stone, a Stick and a Plastic Soul” (working title) — a new film made in collaboration with contemporary artist and Karuk tribal elder, Brian Tripp. The project is positioned somewhere between documentary and fiction, exploring the unique ways Brian’s life and practice hover between the traditional and the contemporary.
  • Kazumi Heshiki, $5,552 in the Literature category for “Fireweed Blossoms,”a book of haiku-hybrid poetry in English that is the culmination of several years of cross-cultural experimentation under the guidance of local poet Stephanie Adams-Santos. RACC support will help the artist self-publish the book and present it to the public.
  • Jesse Mejia, $6,280 in the Social Practice category for “CHOIR,” an ongoing community singing group focused on learning and performing choral music by composers such as Arvo Part and Ola Gjeilo.
  • Kate Simmons, $4,309 in the Visual Arts category. “Fold the Towel” is a conceptual piece that utilizes the female body to explore ideas of domesticity and the struggles of balancing career and family responsibilities. The finished work funded in part by RACC will consist of 9 images of the figure printed on semi-translucent 8’x6′ fabric panels.
  • Black Women for Peace, $4,833 in the Community Participation & Access category to help present the 2017 Peace Festival, bringing together youth and young adults from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural groups to promote peace through the performing arts and cultural exchange.
  • Q Center / LGBTQ Community Center Fund, $5,250 in the Dance/Movement category to bring the nationally acclaimed Sean Dorsey Dance Company to Portland in the fall 2017 for two performances of “The Missing Generation.” This piece gives voice to longtime survivors of the early AIDS epidemic and RACC funding will also be used to fund a dance workshop; an intergenerational community forum; and a post-performance discussion.
  • Vanport Mosaic, $4,500 in the Theatre category, to produce six staged readings each of “Summer Squash” and “Hercules Didn’t Wade in the Water,” new plays about the American Dream, displacement and Hurricane Katrina. One performance of each show will be brought to a local High School with facilitated discussion afterwards.

RACC’s peer review process involved 46 community volunteers who served on 14 different panels organized by discipline. They were guided by staff during the months of October, November and December, evaluating proposals based on artistic merit, audience development and financial accountability. Most volunteer panelists (96%) served on a RACC grants panel for the first time. The RACC Board of Directors unanimously approved all panel recommendations on December 14.

A complete list of project grants appears below. More detailed summaries of each grant are available at http://bit.ly/RACC2017PG (PDF).

RACC project grants for individuals, calendar year 2017

Note: (*) denotes Clackamas County applicants, and (**) denotes Washington County based applicants.  All other applicants are based in Multnomah County. AF = Artistic Focus and CPA = Community Participation & Access.

 

Applicant Project Type Discipline  Grant Award
manuel abreu CPA Multi-Discipline  $        3,038
Oluyinka Akinjiola AF Dance/Movement  $        4,275
Alan Alexander III AF Theatre  $        5,400
Yulia Arakelyan AF Dance/Movement  $        6,567
Sue Arbuthnot AF Media Arts  $        6,940
Emily Bixler AF Visual Arts  $        5,780
Sundance Bleckinger AF Media Arts  $        5,949
Irina Karin Boboia** AF Media Arts  $        6,495
Wayne Bund AF Multi-Discipline  $        4,934
David Ornette Cherry AF Music  $        5,250
Robin Chilstrom AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,243
Adam Ciresi AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,006
Jeremy Davis AF Visual Arts  $        5,695
Jay Derderian AF Music  $        3,060
Suniti Dernovsek AF Dance/Movement  $        6,999
Daniel Diana-Peebles AF Multi-Discipline  $        3,780
Noah Dunham AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,755
Brenan Dwyer AF Theatre  $        4,275
Wynde Dyer AF Visual Arts  $        5,342
Raquel Edwards* AF Visual Arts  $        5,912
Taylor Eggan AF Dance/Movement  $        2,299
Nancy Ellis AF Dance/Movement  $        2,978
Tiffany Ellis AF Media Arts  $        5,950
Ashleigh Flynn AF Music  $        5,600
Mitchell Freifeld** AF Visual Arts  $        4,560
Anne Galisky CPA Visual Arts  $        5,400
Zoe Gieringer** AF Media Arts  $        2,370
Chiara Giovando AF Media Arts  $        4,838
Joseph Glode AF Visual Arts  $        3,930
Lucas Gray CPA Visual Arts  $        4,313
Jen Harrison AF Music  $        6,593
Erinn Kathryn Hatter AF Visual Arts  $        6,095
Kazumi Heshiki AF Literature  $        5,552
Laura Hughes AF Visual Arts  $        5,760
Carol Imani CPA Literature  $        6,462
Nancy Ives AF Music  $        6,170
Sean Johnson AF Visual Arts  $        3,594
Dawn Jones Redstone AF Media Arts  $        6,648
Yukiyo Kawano CPA Multi-Discipline  $        5,156
Christopher Kirkley AF Media Arts  $        5,112
Isaac Lamb** AF Theatre  $        5,600
Kathleen Lane CPA Literature  $        3,168
Horatio Law AF Visual Arts  $        6,650
Katherine Lewis CPA Theatre  $        5,235
Fuchsia Lin AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,603
Laura Lo Forti CPA Media Arts  $        3,200
Sarah Loose CPA Social Practice  $        6,590
Jonathan Marrs AF Media Arts  $        4,688
Cambria Matlow AF Media Arts  $        6,224
Matt McCormick AF Media Arts  $        5,290
Jesse Mejia AF Social Practice  $        6,280
Pamela Minty AF Media Arts  $        6,132
Lauren Moran AF Social Practice  $        5,040
Dustin Morrow** AF Media Arts  $        5,250
Donal Mosher AF Multi-Discipline  $        3,419
Travis Neel AF Social Practice  $        1,680
Tabitha Nikolai AF Visual Arts  $        3,343
Eric Nordstrom AF Media Arts  $        4,921
Tom Olsen AF Media Arts  $        3,728
Ann Marie O’Malley AF Literature  $        4,081
Rachel O’Rourke CPA Social Practice  $        4,838
Michael Palmieri AF Media Arts  $        5,600
Brian Parham CPA Music  $        5,360
Pepper Pepper AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,479
Carolina Pfister AF Media Arts  $        3,119
Reid Psaltis AF Visual Arts  $        5,600
Sarah Rabeda** AF Visual Arts  $        4,085
Alicia Rabins AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,603
Bonnie Ratner AF Theatre  $        1,955
Denver David Robinson AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,588
Danielle Ross AF Dance/Movement  $        5,468
Jeremy Rotsztain AF Media Arts  $        4,646
Nora Ryan AF Music  $        5,072
Annette Sabater AF Visual Arts  $        4,781
Molly Schaeffer AF Literature  $        4,880
Cameron Schneider AF Multi-Discipline  $        4,500
Lisa Schonberg AF Multi-Discipline  $        4,109
Anna Sell AF Theatre  $        3,338
Kate Simmons* AF Visual Arts  $        4,309
Susan Smith AF Music  $        5,160
Jack StockLynn AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,516
Andrea Stolowitz AF Theatre  $        6,984
Dao Strom AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,622
Sharita Towne AF Multi-Discipline  $        7,000
Matthew Vuksinich AF Music  $        7,000
Holcombe Waller AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,650
Mel Wells AF Literature  $        4,388
Lisa Wilcke CPA Visual Arts  $        2,066
Emily Wobb AF Visual Arts  $        4,875
Jenn Woodward AF Visual Arts  $        3,708
Mike Yager AF Visual Arts  $        1,595
Lu Yim AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,566

 

RACC project grants for organizations, calendar year 2017

Note: (*) denotes Clackamas County applicants, and (**) denotes Washington County based applicants.  All other applicants are based in Multnomah County. AF = Artistic Focus and CPA = Community Participation & Access.

Applicant Project Type Discipline Grant Award
45th Parallel AF Music  $        5,400
Action/Adventure Theatre AF Theatre  $        6,090
A-WOL Dance Collective, Inc. CPA Dance/Movement  $        5,250
Be Space CPA Presenting  $        3,488
Big Horn Brass* AF Music  $        2,360
Black Women for Peace CPA Presenting  $        4,833
Boom Arts, Inc. AF Presenting  $        7,000
Caldera CPA Multi-Discipline  $        7,000
Centro Cultural of Washington County** CPA Social Practice  $        4,238
Circus Cascadia CPA Multi-Discipline  $        6,300
Classical Up Close** CPA Music  $        5,250
Clinton Street Theater LLC AF Media Arts  $        4,875
Color Outside the Lines CPA Visual Arts  $        3,360
Disability Art and Culture Project CPA Dance/Movement  $        6,120
en Taiko CPA Music  $        3,138
Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art AF Visual Arts  $        5,250
Know Your City AF Multi-Discipline  $        4,016
Lan Su Chinese Garden AF Visual Arts  $        5,250
Latino Network AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,562
Live On Stage AF Theatre  $        6,055
MediaRites AF Theatre  $        5,600
NAACP Portland Branch 1120B CPA Visual Arts  $        2,400
New Expressive Works AF Dance/Movement  $        7,000
Newspace Center for Photography CPA Visual Arts  $        5,600
Nordic Northwest** AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,650
Northwest Animation Festival AF Presenting  $        6,975
Obo Addy Legacy Project AF Music  $        6,650
Oregon BRAVO Youth Orchestras CPA Music  $        6,000
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education AF Visual Arts  $        5,822
Pacific Northwest College of Art AF Visual Arts  $        5,600
Portland Community College AF Literature  $           750
Portland Community Media AF Media Arts  $        5,833
Portland Japanese Garden AF Multi-Discipline  $        7,000
Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. CPA Multi-Discipline  $        5,250
Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival CPA Media Arts  $        6,300
Portland SummerFest AF Music  $        7,000
Portland Zine Symposium CPA Presenting  $        2,075
Q Center / LGBTQ Community Center Fund AF Dance/Movement  $        5,250
QDoc AF Media Arts  $        6,255
Resonate Choral * CPA Music  $        4,155
Risk-Reward AF Presenting  $        5,250
Rogue Pack CPA Theatre  $        6,650
S1 Synth Library AF Presenting  $        6,300
Shingon PDX Henjyoji AF Visual Arts  $        6,030
SoulPatch Music Productions* AF Music  $        4,718
Sowelu Theater AF Theatre  $        5,220
Staged! AF Theatre  $        5,225
The Stumptown Improv Festival AF Theatre  $        4,463
The Vanport Mosaic AF Theatre  $        4,500
Washington County Cooperative Library Services** CPA Multi-Discipline  $        5,250
World Stage Theatre CPA Theatre  $        6,095
ZENA ZEZZA AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,250


###

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants for artists, nonprofit organizations and schools in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through Work for Art; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; and oversees a program to integrate arts and culture into the standard curriculum in public schools through The Right Brain Initiative. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and is working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity and the arts. For more information visit racc.org.

20th Annual City and County employee art exhibit opens at the Portland Building December 15

Written by

PORTLAND, ORE – The Regional Arts & Culture Council will be hosting the 20th annual City of Portland and Multnomah County employee art exhibit, all the art that fits, opening on Thursday, December 15. The exhibit will be held in the Portland Building lobby Installation Space and is a yearly favorite for both the artists and regular visitors.

Only original artwork created by current employees of the City or County is eligible. All the artwork submitted will be installed salon style—wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling. For those eligible and interested in participating, submissions must be dropped off Wednesday, December 14th, between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., at the Portland Building lobby located at 1120 SW 5th Ave. between SW Main and SW Madison. See guidelines at http://bit.ly/2gPyaav.

RACC will also invite exhibit visitors to vote for their favorite artwork as part of the People’s Choice Award. To celebrate the exhibit’s 20th anniversary, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will each receive a special prize. The exhibition will run through Monday, January 9th, and the People’s Choice Award winners will be announced on January 10th, 2017.

Viewing Hours & Location: The exhibition is free and open to the public 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland.

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) manages the 13’ x 8’ installation space in the lobby of the Portland Building and presents installation based art there year round. For more information, including images, proposals, and statements for projects dating back to 1994, go to www.racc.org/installationspace.

###

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants for artists, nonprofit organizations and schools in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through Work for Art; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; and oversees a program to integrate arts and culture into the standard curriculum in public schools through The Right Brain Initiative. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and is working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity and the arts. For more information visit racc.org.

What do we value, and where are we going?

Written by

ELOISE’S BLOG: 

I suspect people in our country – whatever  their political beliefs – will be grappling with the enormity of our recent election for years to come. Clearly it will be a while before new leadership is solidified and even longer to understand what they seriously intend to do. And then come the blows and counterblows (hopefully metaphorical). Maybe there will be some compromise, but that feels way beyond reach for now.

Meanwhile, incidents of racial slurs, violent protesters interrupting planned peaceful gatherings, and genuine fear for the present and future cast a pall over our city and especially those most targeted by bigotry, misogyny, racism, sexism, and prejudice of all kinds.  I believe that this is not the Portland region we want, that we at RACC are committed to overcoming. That Portland is unacceptable.

We may not have sway over what’s happening in our capital, but certainly we can recommit to our beliefs, values and hopes for an ever-improving Portland for every single person. In that spirit, I share below RACC’s Equity Statement created and adopted by our entire staff and Board last year:

We believe that the arts have the power to change hearts and minds, and to inspire social change. Prejudice and privilege have created barriers that RACC must dismantle, systematically and strategically, until everyone in our community has equitable access to arts and culture. 

 We acknowledge that there is no one perfect way to achieve equity, but we are willing to take risks because there is much work to do. We are thoughtfully researching and implementing new methods of thinking within our organizational culture, starting with an in-depth assessment of our services, policies and procedures. We are seeking out and listening to voices that have not been heard, and fully engaging under-represented populations in dialogue that will help us improve.

 We are committed to the full scope of this work and will hold ourselves accountable along the way—anything less would prove a disservice to ourselves and the communities we serve. RACC strives to be an organization that values and celebrates everyone’s life experiences, their voices and their histories. By consistently bringing new perspectives to our decision-making table, forming new relationships and alliances, and finding new ways to support creativity, RACC will be a strong, equitable and relevant organization. Throughout this process, we commit to humility, optimism and respect.

This is what we have promised to do and we strive to work every day with these goals foremost in mind and action. Our Board, days before the election, held a retreat to examine our roles in the community; to put our efforts in a larger west coast context; and to prioritize our actions for the near and long-term. At the end of the day equity was our Board’s number one, followed by clarification of our role and purpose, and working with multiple entities and individuals to address serious affordability issues for all people, for artists, and for arts organizations being priced out of living and working spaces. This must be addressed before it is too late.

Fundamental to achieving the optimum community we dream of are artists, arts providers, educators, cultural groups, creative problem solvers, innovators, visionary leaders of all kinds, youth, elders, and every citizen who wants to help. Tough times bring focus to this imperative work; clarify how important it is to work together toward shared goals; strengthen our resolve to create equal opportunities for all Portlanders; and encourage us to continue welcoming new Portlanders from around the globe to our Sanctuary City. We can do this and with everyone’s recommitment we will.

Local business owners Lisa Magnum and Jason Levian recently printed hundreds of colorful posters by hand at IPRC in an effort to help create safe places for all Portlanders. RACC has developed a slightly different version of their powerful poster – specifically including people with disabilities and all gender identities.

Together we can live by this statement and we happily make this poster available to others to use and to share:

we-welcome-november-2016

Feel free to save and share the .jpg above, or click here to download as high-res PDF (11″ x 17″, 25KB)

Artist Alex Luboff’s provocative installation “Pipelines” goes on display at the Portland Building November 14 to December 9

Written by

PORTLAND, ORE – Beginning November 14th artist Alex Luboff will present an installation at the Portland Building that offers visitors a timely reminder of how extractive energy infrastructure is confronting communities in Oregon and across the continent. His series of meticulously hand-crafted wooden pipelines, unavoidable as they cleave and intersect the exhibition space, can be seen as craft objects, or as a design composition, but the reference to the imposing physical presence that pipelines represent in our landscape is unavoidable.

Luboff’s project highlights the large scale systemic obstructions dealt to nature and society by the continued expansion of extractive energy infrastructure through this metaphor of “pipeline.” Projects ranging from the Keystone XL pipeline, the proposed LNG terminals and pipelines in Oregon, and the current face-off over construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline are just a few of the growing number of energy infrastructure projects with the potential to significantly alter our surroundings, impact ecosystems, and force communities into confrontation with government, industry, their fellow citizens, and a swiftly changing climate.

“As a metaphorical obstruction pipelines represent the immense government and private investments that support fossil fuel based energy—at the expense of directing resources towards other solutions less damaging. As a systemic obstruction these infrastructure projects reinforce a value system that does not prioritize a sustainable and equitable vision for humanity and the planet.”    – Alex Luboff

About the Artist: Alex Luboff works primarily with built and assembled structure to respond to society in the environment. His work as an artist, educator, and woodworker reflects his interest in intersections of craft and human struggle and is influenced and inspired by the stories of change makers, dreamers, and fighters—their acts of courage, their proud, bold, and humble moments. Alex’s practice is driven by a deep belief in the power of experience, working with hands and body, and the learning that takes place beyond words. This extends to his work teaching boatbuilding, sailing, woodworking, and environmental science to teens around the Northwest.

Viewing Hours & Location: The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. Pipelines opens Monday, November 14 and runs through Friday, December 9.

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) manages the 13’ x 8’ installation space in the lobby of the Portland Building and presents installation based art there year round. For more information, including images, proposals, and statements for projects dating back to 1994, go to www.racc.org/installationspace.

###

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants for artists, nonprofit organizations and schools in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through Work for Art; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; and oversees a program to integrate arts and culture into the standard curriculum in public schools through The Right Brain Initiative. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and is working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity and the arts. For more information visit racc.org.

“Hands Up”

Written by

Eloise’s Blog:

The August Wilson Red Door Project has been presenting a truly powerful and unforgettable production here in Portland over the past 6 months. Everyone I have talked with who has experienced Hands Up has been moved in ways new and startling to them. The play is a collection of monologues written by 7 Black playwrights and acted by 7 Black actors all in response to police shootings of Mike Brown in Ferguson, MO, John Crawford III in Beavercreek OH and way too many other young Black men and women.

RACC is honored to join other underwriters in investing in this work and sharing this experience, not just the monologues themselves, but also the “talk backs” afterwards. The night that I attended, along with a group of RACC Board and staff, the talk back was extremely spirited, sometimes confrontational, and eye- and mind-opening.

The show moves around town and the region made possible by a very simple and portable set. Both public and private investments support this important work, and there will be more public performances scheduled in the weeks and months ahead, including November 17 at PCC Cascade, and December 2 and Wieden+Kennedy. Tickets are free but they often get snatched up within hours of being announced; subscribe to the August Wilson Red Door Project newsletter at http://reddoorproject.org/contact/newsletter to get the most timely notification when performances are added.

I hope you will be able to see this show and participate in the conversation. Please don’t be daunted if it takes you a while to get tickets. It will be worth it.

 

RACC distributes $555,358 in Work for Art proceeds, adds three organizations to its General Operating Support program

Written by

PORTLAND, ORE – At its October 26 board meeting, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) board of directors approved to expand by three the number of organizations that receive General Operating Support annually from RACC, awarding grants to My Voice Music ($9,800), Portland Playhouse ($23,000) and The Circus Project ($12,800).

A total of 51 arts organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties now receive annual unrestricted financial support from RACC to help them provide a wide range of arts programming for the public. Other General Operating Support organizations are listed at http://bit.ly/2e5lp9j. These grants are funded by Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, the City of Portland general fund, and the city’s Arts Education & Access Fund, or arts tax.

In addition, RACC has distributed proceeds from its 10th annual Work for Art campaign to 49 local arts organizations, including:

Artist Repertory Theatre, $17,018

Bag & Baggage Productions, $ 8,980

Blue Sky Gallery, $5,086

BodyVox, $12,348

Broadway Rose Theatre Company, $21,543

Cappella Romana, Inc., $5,430

Chamber Music Northwest, $13,531

Children’s Healing Art Project, $5,787

Disjecta, $3,600

Echo Theater Company, $11,880

Ethos Music Center, $9,169

Friends of Chamber Music, $10,458

Hand2Mouth, $3,000

Hollywood Theatre, $9,768

Imago Theatre, $9,008

Independent Publishing Resource Center, $5,574

Lakewood Center for the Arts, $21,738

Literary Arts, Inc., $14,827

Live Wire! Radio, $5,653

Metropolitan Youth Symphony, $11,922

Miracle Theatre Group, $13,988

Northwest Children’s Theatre, $13,451

Northwest Dance Project, $10,190

NW Documentary Arts & Media, $3,699

Oregon Ballet Theatre, $19,581

Oregon Children’s Theatre, $22,757

Oregon Symphony Association, $19,388

PDX Jazz, $5,931

Pendulum Aerial Arts, $3,600

PHAME, $6,309

PlayWrite, Inc., $5,857

Portland Art Museum/Northwest Film Center, $24,109

Portland Baroque Orchestra, $12,196

Portland Center Stage, $23,163

Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, $6,690

Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, $9,691

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, $14,564

Portland Opera, $23,956

Portland Piano International, $8,256

Portland Youth Philharmonic, $14,961

Profile Theatre Project, $10,595

The Portland Ballet, $10,325

The Right Brain Initiative, $10,000

Third Angle New Music Ensemble, $4,850

Third Rail Repertory Theatre, $6,939

Triangle Productions, $3,000

White Bird, $14,760

Write Around Portland, $9,161

Young Audiences of Oregon, $17,069

Work for Art is a program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council that raises money and awareness for arts and culture organizations, primarily through workplace giving. More than $912,000 was paid or pledged in the Work for Art campaign that ended June 30, 2016. Approximately 20% of all campaign donations are designated for specific arts organizations, but a large portion of the proceeds were unrestricted, and RACC distributes 100% of those to its General Operating Support organizations and through other grant programs throughout the year. A total of $555,358 was distributed to the groups listed above, and additional proceeds will be distributed to other arts organizations during the course of the year.

###

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants for artists, nonprofit organizations and schools in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through Work for Art; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; and oversees a program to integrate arts and culture into the standard curriculum in public schools through The Right Brain Initiative. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and is working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity and the arts. For more information visit racc.org.

Light a Fire Award: George Thorn

Written by

Eloise’s Blog:

The Regional Arts & Culture Council heartily congratulates George Thorn for receiving a Light a Fire Lifetime Achievement Award from Portland Monthly. George has been the quiet force of wisdom and advice for countless arts organizations in our community for many years. Happily for us after working all around the country with his partner in Arts Action Research he settled here. He is essentially a part of the RACC family shepherding our Cultural Leadership Program, which helps many arts organizations large and small every year with all kinds of arts management challenges. I compare his work to that of a therapist, listening to leaders articulate the problems they have identified and then talking through how best to address and resolve them. And these invaluable services come at no charge to the arts non-profits.

George also teaches the Art of Leadership, a program RACC inherited when Business for Culture and the Arts closed last summer. This series of classes trains business and other professionals in all aspects of serving on non-profit boards with a focus on arts & culture organizations.

When people ask how Portland has developed such a vibrant arts community part of the answer is certainly George Thorn. We are so lucky that he landed in our midst. Congratulations George!

Read: How George Thorn Guides Portland Arts Organizations to Sustainability

The third annual “Día de los Muertos” installation comes to the Portland Building, October 19 to November 4

Written by

PORTLAND, ORE – In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Unidos Latinos Americanos (ULA) will present a site specific Día de los Muertos installation in the exhibition space adjacent to the Portland Building lobby starting October 19th.

Día De Los Muertos is a national holiday in Mexico and is now celebrated widely throughout Latin America, the U.S., and beyond. In keeping with the holiday’s tradition of remembering and celebrating the lives of loved ones who have passed on, ULA will build a Día De Los Muertos altar in the center of the exhibition space. The central display will be framed by an arch on the back wall made of vibrant crepe paper flowers, each one handmade by ULA members and friends. The installation will also include photos, objects, and food & drink favored by loved ones. To personalize the project and engage the audience, the public is invited to join this celebration and remembrance by submitting images of their own loved ones who have passed, anyone can participate; submitted images will regularly be printed out and added to the display.

To submit images of your loved ones for inclusion in the project select a photo of the person and take a digital image of it with your camera or phone; then email a your jpeg to PortlandArtAltar2016@gmail.com Please size the jpeg no larger than 8”x10”. If your loved one’s photo is framed, leave it in the frame when you photograph it. (Unframed photos will have a frame digitally added.) Printouts can be picked up at the end of the installation.

About Unidos Latinos Americanos: ULA is an affinity group of City of Portland employees committed to developing a professional network to promote advancement and mentoring opportunities for all Latino City employees. The organization highlights contributions made by the Latino culture, helps recruit Latinos for employment, and advocates for strengthening community inclusiveness through public outreach. ULA also regularly collaborates with other regional Latino community organizations and institutions on projects, shared goals, and accomplishments.

Viewing Hours & Location: The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in down-town Portland and is open 8 am to 5 pm, Monday – Friday. Día de los Muertos opens mid-day Wednesday, October 19th and runs through mid-day Friday, November 4th.

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) manages the 13’ x 8’ installation space in the lobby of the Portland Building and presents installation based art there year round. For more information, including images, proposals, and statements for projects dating back to 1994, go to www.racc.org/installationspace.

###

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants for artists, nonprofit organizations and schools in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through Work for Art; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; and oversees a program to integrate arts and culture into the standard curriculum in public schools through The Right Brain Initiative. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and is working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity and the arts. For more information visit racc.org.