RACC Blog

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

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

Greg Netzer, Regional Arts & Culture Council Executive Director.

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

Chariti Montez, Office of Arts & Culture Director.

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

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

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

Ingrid Carlson, Senior Programs Officer at RACC.

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

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

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Contact:

Meech Boakye

Communications Lead, RACC

mboakye@racc.org

Kelly Knickerbocker

Communications Coordinator,

City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture

kelly.knickerbocker@portlandoregon.gov

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

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

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

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**For Immediate Release**   

October 21, 2024   

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Survey   

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

About the Informational Resources, Documents, and Communication with Candidates 

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

Arts and culture 2024 Summary 

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

Local Arts & Economic Prosperity Study 6 

Oregon – Arts & Economic Prosperity Study 6 

Members of the coalition include:  

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

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

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2024

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

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

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

A collaboration between artists, writers, stones, and trees

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

As the trees grow, the reconfiguring will continue…

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

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

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

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

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

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council:

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

Greg Netzer Appointed Interim Executive Director at the Regional Arts & Culture Council

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Six New Members Join RACC’s Board of the Directors

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

  • Meech Boakye
  • Communications Lead, RACC
  • Email: mboakye@racc.org

Portland, OR — May 1, 2024. The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Greg Netzer as Interim Executive Director. With over three decades of strategic consulting and leadership experience, Netzer steps into this role committed to fostering an equitable and thriving creative ecosystem in the Tri-County area.

Greg has been an active member of the arts community as the Executive Director of Wordstock now known as The Portland Book Festival. He was previously involved with RACC as a grant recipient, a panel reviewer, and an advocate for RACC offering testimony before the Portland City Council. As Interim Executive Director, Greg will collaborate closely with the staff, board, and community partners to assess and enhance how RACC serves its stakeholders.

Netzer’s diverse experience ranges from leading Fortune 100 companies to advisory roles in startup nonprofits. His extensive background positions him to lead RACC, providing him with deep insights into effective arts administration, strategic innovation, community engagement, and cultural advocacy.

“Greg Netzer is uniquely equipped to lead RACC during this pivotal time. His vast professional experience and personal dedication to the arts are exactly what RACC needs as we look to the future,” says Kathleen Holt, Interim Board Chair. “We are confident that his leadership will invigorate our new initiatives and strengthen our contributions to the region’s cultural landscape.”

RACC is also excited to announce the appointment of six members to our Board of Directors: Toni Tabora-Roberts, Tammy Jo Wilson, Matthew Landkamer, Mayra Arreola, Carla Pilar Salazar, and Bob Deasy. Jointly, these new members bring a rich spectrum of expertise spanning organizational management, artistic and cultural programming, policy implementation, and financial oversight.

“I’m excited to join the RACC Board of Directors at this inflection point in its history, and I look forward to supporting the staff in re-envisioning the future of RACC and identifying innovative and impactful approaches to continue to foster a lively future for arts and culture in the Metro area,” says newly appointed Matthew Landkamer.

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About the Regional Arts & Culture Council:

The Regional Arts & Culture Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides impactful and transformative funding for artists and nonprofit organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties; manages an acclaimed public art program; leads an advocacy and arts education program; and offers a wide range of technical and professional development workshops. RACC advocates for equity, inclusion, and access, working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity, and the arts. For more information, visit www.racc.org.

Multnomah County Library and Regional Arts & Culture Council announce community artist as part of diverse work at North Portland Library

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Sadé DuBoise will focus on community input as part of artwork for library’s new Black Cultural Center

  • Contact: Liz Sauer, Multnomah County Library Capital Building Projects Communications Manager, 971.350.8733, elizabeths@multco.us
  • Contact: Meech Boakye, Communications Lead, Regional Arts & Culture Council, 503.823.5111, mboakye@racc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 22, 2024

PORTLAND, OR. — Multnomah County Library (MCL) and Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) are continuing their efforts to bring community-centered artwork to libraries throughout Multnomah County. This work is part of the voter-approved 2020 Library building bond which will build, rebuild or expand nine library buildings. Smaller upgrades to 11 libraries are also underway as part of the Refresh projects. Since the bond passed, Multnomah County Library has undergone major updates, with North Portland Library as one of the first projects.

North Portland Library will be renovated and expanded, adding 1,500 square feet to make the library 10,200 square feet. The renovated building will highlight the diversity and history of the community. The design by LEVER Architecture preserves the historic Carnegie building on Killingsworth Street while providing greater space for community gatherings in the new Black Cultural Center.

North Portland Library has long been the library home to the Black community in Portland. That’s why insights from the Black community have guided the vision and purpose for the new Black Cultural Center. Exciting updates at North Portland include:

  • A Black Cultural Center for connection and a celebration of Blackness
  • Outdoor space for community members to relax and be together
  • Updated technology and internet
  • Art that represents the neighborhood’s diversity

Public art for the North Portland community

As part of these updates, local artists are creating unique installations that represent the North Portland community’s history, culture and diversity.

“The historic North Portland Library has long been a cornerstone of the community, and specifically the Black community,” said Vailey Oehlke, Director of Libraries. “Through the library’s partnership with the Regional Arts and Culture Council, North Portland can offer vibrant new artwork that represents the community in a beautiful, inspiring space.”

Portrait of Sadé DuBoise. Photography by Olivia Renee (2020)

At North Portland Library, Sadé DuBoise has been selected to create a site-specific, artist-designed glass wall which will create a backdrop for the west side of the new Black Cultural Center. This permanent glass artwork, measuring 12 ft. high and 16 ft. wide, will be based on an original painting DuBoise will create, grounded in her North Portland upbringing and influenced by North Portland Library community engagement events. Her work is currently featured in the Black Artists of Oregon Exhibition at the Portland Art Museum, curated by Intisar Abioto.

In collaboration with Multnomah County Library and RACC, Sadé DuBoise will host two visioning sessions to welcome the community into the process of developing artwork for the Black Cultural Center. More details are below.

This artwork is developed in coordination with the Regional Arts & Culture Council through the Multnomah County Percent for Art Program, allotting two percent of the construction budget for all county-funded improvement projects toward the investment in public art. Artists are awarded projects as part of a robust public process, which includes selection panels led by local residents, business owners, artists, library staff and project partners.

Valarie Pearce, author, educator, and community panelist for the selection committee, celebrated the announcement, saying:

“As an educator, Portland native, and lifetime library evangelist it has been a great pleasure to be a part of the Multnomah County Library, Regional Arts & Culture Council, and community panel for the inaugural glass art and artist selection for North Portland Library’s Black Cultural Center.

“Art is a universal connector and the historical expression by which the Black Portland community has shared its story across time. North Portland Library’s Black Cultural Center is the legacy and enduring story of resilience, community, and beauty.

“I believe as a city it is important for us to invest in our values. With the focus of centering community voice, steering a broad and diverse artistic selection process, and curating community feedback forums, we have done just that. We have demonstrated our values for collaboration, community-centered voice, and the deliberate celebration of Black artistry in library spaces. Bravo!”

Artists and community working in tandem

Community engagement is at the center of the library’s building projects. The selection panel, made up of residents of the neighborhood, artists, architects, and library staff, prioritized artists with demonstrated experiences and connections to the North and Northeast community around North Portland Library. Most artists selected for these projects are seeking to create and host community engagement opportunities as part of their design phase, including the two events Sadé DuBoise will lead.

Design artwork for the Black Cultural Center at North Portland Library

The first event will be a visioning event where community ideas and perspectives will help shape the artwork for the Black Cultural Center. This gathering is a chance for community members to engage in meaningful dialogue and contribute to the selection of Adinkra symbols that will be featured in the upcoming glass wall art project. Adinkra symbols originated in Ghana and represent concepts or aphorisms. This interactive session will be an inspiring blend of cultural exchange, artistic discussion, and community bonding. Presentations will begin at 10:30 am and there will be handouts and opportunities for engagement for anyone who might come after the presentation begins.

  • Date and Location TBA

The second event will be held in celebration of Black History Month where participants will have the opportunity to create their own symbols, drawing inspiration from traditional Adinkra symbols. This hands-on experience is a chance to explore the symbolism of Adinkra while expressing your personal creativity using ink and paper. Additionally, attendees will get an exclusive sneak peek at the latest developments in Sadè DuBoise’s artwork for North Portland Libary’s new Black Cultural Center. All materials will be provided, and no prior art experience is necessary. Refreshments will be served.

Find more information on Multnomah County Library’s website and follow RACC on social media for updates.

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About Multnomah County Library

A treasured community institution since 1864, Multnomah County Library is one of the nation’s busiest public library systems, providing social, educational and cultural programs, resources and services, online and through its 19 public locations. With an eye toward the future of community-centered spaces, the library is working to build, rebuild or expand nine libraries through a voter approved capital bond. In addition to being Oregon’s largest provider of free internet access, the library offers millions of print and digital resources, in multiple languages for people of all ages. From kindergarten readiness to job training, computer-assisted design and 3D printing, the library supports all people in their pursuits to connect, learn and create. Learn more at multcolib.org

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council

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

 

Thirty-three Artworks Inspired by the People and Places of Portland Selected for Purchase

Written by

Mika Martinez, Portland Catrinas, 2023, Photography and graphic design on aluminum, 20 x 40 x 2 inches.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 11, 2024

Portland, Oregon — The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), in partnership with the City of Portland, announces that 33 artworks by 26 artists have been selected for purchase through a competitive application and review process. Celebrating and taking inspiration from the people and places of Portland, the selected pieces include paintings on canvas, photography, works on paper, mixed media, textiles and beadwork.

The selected artists are: Rebecca Boraz, Sarah Bouwsma, Terrance Burton, May Maylisa Cat, Epiphany Couch, Menka Desai, Michael Espinoza, Emily Fitzgerald, Future Prairie, Terrence Gasca, Josh Gates, Elisa Gusdal, Jo Hamilton, Linda Higgins, Anya Keyes, Latoya Lovely, Marne Lucas, Mika Martinez, Christa Nye, Rory ONeal, M Prull, Rebecca Rodela, Hampton Rodriguez, Mona Superhero, Heléna Dupre Thompson, and Aaron Wessling.

Left: Helena Thompson, One Eighty Compulsion 14, 2020, Archival pigment print (photography), 22 x 17 inches. Right: Menka Desai, New Year at Lan Su Chinese Garden, 2023, Gouache and embroidery on handmade paper, 5 x 7 inches.

The artworks will enter RACC’s Public Art Collection of portable works, a rotating collection displayed in accessible municipal spaces throughout the City of Portland and Multnomah County. Fifteen of the works will enter the Visual Chronicle of Portland, a collection consisting of more than 400 works on paper that focuses on artists’ views of the city’s social and urban landscapes as they evolve through time.

Art Selection Process

Facilitated by RACC, an independent panel made up of artists, community representatives, and City employees participated in a three-stage review process to select artworks for purchase. RACC received applications from 155 artists, with up to six artworks submitted per person. The panel participated in thoughtful discussion and collective decision-making to determine which pieces to purchase from the many talented artists who submitted work.

Taking Inspiration from Portland’s New City Map

Funded by the City of Portland, the theme of the artwork purchase project was “Taking Inspiration from Portland’s New City Map.” The theme references Portland’s four new geographic districts, which were created by the City of Portland’s Independent District Commission through extensive community input. Submitted artworks could directly or indirectly relate to the theme, by portraying Portland’s neighborhoods or people; making personal, social, historical, political, or natural connections to the City or districts; and/or exploring broader ideas of borders, maps, place, or community.

Quote from Kristin Calhoun, Director of Public Art: “From celebrating community, to honoring the natural spaces within the City, to reflecting on urban changes, these thirty-three artworks present diverse perspectives on what it means to live, work, and play in Portland now. RACC is grateful to all the artists that submitted work for this opportunity, and we continue to be inspired by the unique viewpoints and creativity of the artists in our region.”

To learn more about the two-dimensional artwork purchase project, the selected artists, or to schedule an interview with RACC or the project team, please contact Eleanor Sandys at esandys@racc.org.

Contact Information: 

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About the Regional Arts & Culture Council:

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

Regional Arts & Culture Council and Port of Portland Announce Selection of PDX Phase 1 Terminal Redevelopment Artists

Written by

Left: Sanford Biggers, photography by Matthew Morrocco. Right: Yoonhee Choi, photography by Samuel Gehrke.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 16, 2023

Portland, OR – The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) in collaboration with the Port of Portland (Port) is pleased to announce the selection of two artists, Yoonhee Choi and Sanford Biggers. Both artists will be creating a unique artwork to be permanently installed in the new main terminal facility at Portland International Airport (PDX). Choi and Biggers’s artworks will both be a part of the first phase of the terminal core (TCORE) redevelopment project for PDX — the keystone project in an overall $2 billion renovation. Choi and Biggers’ projects will be on display with the opening of the new terminal in May 2024. These are the first of many artworks to be commissioned for TCORE.

Yoonhee Choi (Portland, OR) will be composing an artwork design for two glass walls located in the pre-security queuing area for both North and South TSA security checkpoints. Her first commissioned public artwork, Choi’s two 56-foot long, 11-foot high glass walls will be visible from both the concourse connector passageway and from the security queuing area. These large scale works will be  site-specific compositions developed from Choi’s mixed media collages, which are both whimsical and structured in their design. View images of Choi’s work and full artist bio.

Sanford Biggers (NYC, NY) will be creating two large scale, signature artworks that will be suspended from the ceiling in an area between both entries of the concourse connector passageway and situated around the concession’s pavilions. These post-security artworks will greet travelers once they pass through the TSA checkpoints. This work is Biggers’s first commissioned public artwork in the Pacific Northwest and these sculptures will be in dialogue with his quilt-based works which he has engaged with since 2009 titled the Codex series. View images of Biggers’s work and a full artist bio.

“When we opened the request for proposals last year, in partnership with the RACC, our goal was to create opportunities for historically underrepresented artists and to elevate the visibility of unique perspectives at PDX,” said Wendy Given, Port of Portland Art Program Manager. “With the selection of Yoonhee Choi and Sanford Biggers, I believe we’re meeting those goals. They are both world-class artists, and it will be a privilege to have their stellar work integrated into the fabric of PDX for thousands of travelers to experience every day.”

Yoonhee Choi – “As an immigrant and Portland-based artist, I am especially excited to have this opportunity to create such a significant artwork that will help represent our city to the world. A focus of my practice is creating site-specific artwork that responds to its individual situation and surroundings. I am inspired by the soaring and sensitive design of the PDX redevelopment and captivated by how an airport is the portal at the beginning and end of so many meaningful and memorable journeys.”

Sanford Biggers – “I’m thrilled to showcase a large-scale permanent installation as part of the PDX Terminal Redevelopment Project and for the occasion to be in dialogue with the rich artistic heritage in the Northwest. The unique opportunity of this project and the architecture designed by ZGF Architects inspires me to consider how I can create an artwork that responds directly to the context of a space that embodies transition, energy, interaction, movement, and potential.”

“RACC is simply elated with these selections and our opportunity to continue our partnership with the Port of Portland, and the Arts Selection team there,” said Kristin Calhoun Director of Public Art. “The choice of these artists through an art panel managed by RACC is emblematic of the work we strive to do every day. With Yoonhee Choi, it’s working with the amazing artists in our region by assisting them in the process of developing and transitioning their studio art practice into their first public art commission. Working with Sanford Biggers and his team has been a joy and we at RACC are very proud to be a part of bringing his first Pacific Northwest public artwork to the PDX Airport.”

Contact Information

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council

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

About Port of Portland

With three airports, four 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 expanding PDX airport and making it more accessible and efficient; 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

Artists Chosen for Mural Project at Arbor Lodge Shelter Lead with a Community-Centric Approach

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 14, 2023

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

Sophie May Hook, Public Art Project Manager, RACC, shook@racc.org

Portland, OR – The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), in partnership with Multnomah County, the Joint Office of Homeless Services and Do Good Multnomah, proudly announces the selection of artists Lillyanne Pham (LP/she/they) and Paola De La Cruz (she/her) for the creation of a new exterior mural at the Arbor Lodge Shelter, anticipated to be unveiled in the spring of 2024. The mural will be a visual cornerstone of the shelter’s renovation, aimed at providing a range of support and services to North Portland’s houseless community.

Lillyanne Pham, a second-generation Vietnamese artist and cultural organizer, creates through a systemic consciousness framework, focusing on place-based justice and racial equity. LP’s collaborative partner, Paola De La Cruz, of Dominican heritage, weaves digital and analog media into narratives exploring cultural identity and interpersonal growth. Together, they’ve created a collaborative artistic practice, Qué Lo Gì, known for conceiving socially engaged projects that bridge individual stories with communal experiences which resonate with diverse local communities.

Qué Lo Gì, Website, @que_lo_gi

Lillyanne Pham, Website, @lillyannepham

Paola De La Cruz, Website, @happynappystudio

About the Arbor Lodge Shelter Mural Project 

The artwork is developed in coordination with RACC through the Multnomah County Percent for Art Program. The project seeks to add vibrancy to the shelter’s north and west exterior walls, invoking a powerful visual statement at the busy intersection of N Lombard St and N Denver Ave. The artist team of Qué Lo Gì will create an original artwork in collaboration with the local community, instilling a sense of welcome, belonging and joy for the shelter guests and neighborhood alike.

About the Shelter

The Arbor Lodge Shelter, a former pharmacy purchased using federal COVID-19 funding, was first used in February 2021 as a severe weather shelter before going on to serve as a year-round emergency shelter that combined an indoor sleeping space with sleeping pods in its parking lot. Now, as part of an ongoing shelter expansion by the Joint Office of Homeless Services, funded by the Supportive Housing Services Measure, the Arbor Lodge Shelter is being renovated into a long-term, purpose-built 24/7 shelter through reservation/referral only, focused on serving up to 106 people in the community and North PDX area.

The Joint Office of Homeless Services oversees the delivery of services to people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County. The office represents a shared commitment between Multnomah County and the City of Portland to address homelessness by providing housing assistance, shelter, outreach, case management and other services.

Community-Centric Approach

The approach to this project is deeply rooted in community engagement and trauma-informed design. Pham and De La Cruz will work closely with shelter guests, local community members, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the mural is informed by their collective voice and the cultural richness of North Portland.

“RACC is thrilled to steward this project in collaboration with our partners at Multnomah County, the Joint Office of Homeless Services and Do Good Multnomah. We recognize the immense value this facility will add to the North Portland area and understand that having meaningful art experiences at the site is instrumental in healing and supporting people through life’s challenges. In addition to making fabulous artworks for the public realm, Lillyanne and Paola bring a depth and care in their creation process that we are grateful to have as part of this project. We look forward to the mural becoming a joyous and impactful sight for all those in the neighborhood” – Salvador Mayoral IV, Senior Public Art Manager of the Regional Arts & Culture Council

To learn more about the Arbor Lodge Shelter mural project, the artists, or to schedule an interview with RACC or the project team, please contact Sophie May Hook at shook@racc.org.

About the Regional Arts & Culture Council

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