RACC Blog

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

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

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

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

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

RACC awards $1.7 million to 48 local arts organizations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RACC launches language support services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

(ESPAÑOL)

24 de mayo de 2012 –

El RACC lanza servicios de apoyo lingüístico

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Tiếng Việt

Ngày 24 tháng Năm, 2012 –

RACC giới thiệu dịch vụ trợ giúp ngôn ngữ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Русский

24 мая 2012 г.

RACC организовывает услуги языковой поддержки

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Artist Jodie Cavalier presents a minimalist take on a postmodern icon

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

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

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

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

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

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

New artists added to the Portable Works Collection

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

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

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

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

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

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