RACC Blog

Advocacy in Arts Education

Written by

What do we want? Arts Education! When do we want it? Now!

This seems like the mantra every new school year, every budget season, and perennially from youth across our communities. They love art. They love the paint, the sticky glue on their fingers, the seasonal pumpkin sketches, and the field trips to performances and exhibitions. They love using scissors and cutting hearts out of red construction paper, school assemblies, showcasing their ceramics and photography in the halls, learning current media techniques, and most of all, they love the joy of being creative together.

Advocating for arts and culture in our community and schools is a full-time job. We hope that one day it will just be the norm. People will simply understand the value of arts and culture in our community, in our schools. We will not have to advocate for funding and sustaining a vibrant arts education program in our PK-12 schools, but will be thinking instead about all the new courses, and the arts educators we need to hire because the demand for art is so vast and the classes are too full. Imagine.

Yet, arts and culture are in demand now. Arts save lives. We know that because teachers, community members, students, policy makers, data reports and analysis, and arts organizations remind us repeatedly. It is through arts in our schools that an atmosphere of communication and tolerance, a mapping of emotions through creation, enable students to connect to the greater world. There they can express their creative selves, find their voice, and to see the connectedness of the human spirit. In community, we do the same.

Can you recall the world without music, movies, gatherings and performances while we were in lockdown during the global Covid-19 pandemic? The arts enable us to survive through some of our darkest times as a community, and the arts continue to uplift and support us as we struggle not just to survive, but to thrive in our new world.

We ask you to join us as an advocate for arts education in our schools and in our community. Lend your voice to the chorus, and share your experiences and joy with others. Tell your story of how the arts saved you. Nurtured you. Tell your family members to support candidates and board members that want sustained funding in arts education in our community. Support arts councils that advocate for arts and culture in your community. Support arts organizations by volunteering, attending performances, and sponsoring school trips through donations. Whatever you do, be that advocate and voice for arts and culture in our community and schools. Be loud.

Please join us at www.racc.org/arts-education to learn more.  Tag us on Instagram when you share your stories.

-Chanda Evans, Arts Education Manager

Why a Regional Arts Approach is Best for the Community to Thrive – Oregon ArtsWatch

Written by

Carol Tatch (second from left), Executive Director of the Regional Arts and Culture Council, with (from left) Javon Johnson, Ted Lange, Regina Taylor, and Phillip Bernard Smith. RACC hosted these artists during the recent Pacific Northwest Multi Cultural Readers Series and Film Festival. Photo: Meech Boakye

The City of Portland has notified the Regional Arts & Culture Council of its intent to end a 28-year fiscal relationship by Summer 2024. Carol Tatch, Executive Director of RACC, wrote an opinion piece for Oregon Arts Watch on why a regional arts approach is best for the community to thrive. 

“Our grantees are not just names on applications; they are our partners in our mission. RACC continues to demonstrate how our local region can successfully engage, support, uplift, highlight, and share arts and culture. RACC has clearly demonstrated it is the solution for clear access to funding, engagement with respect and dignity, and a regional advocate for more funding and support for arts and culture, for the past 28 years.”

We invite your questions and ask that you actively demand that the city support RACC in continuing its mission, which deeply honors equity, transparency, and community uplift. Please check out the RACC Advocacy Hub as well as joining with us for our “RACC in Community” conversations coming soon (check our website and social media for updates on where and when). All are invited!

Read the full article here.

RACC’s Unwavering Commitment to Arts: Discussing the Future of Arts Funding on “Eye on Northwest Politics”

Written by

In a recent “Eye on Northwest Politics” segment on KOIN 6, Carol Tatch, Executive Director of the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), addressed Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan’s decision to terminate the city’s contract with RACC. Carol spoke with Ken Boddie about how this action raises critical concerns about the future of arts and cultural development in Portland at an especially pivotal moment.

RACC is a community-based organization that stands for the values and desires of the community. The organization was formed 28 years ago with a mission to foster artistic expression in the Portland metro area, and this mission is reflected in everything we do. Since then, RACC has been at the forefront of arts and culture, leading the region in understanding what our artists and creatives need.

The decision to terminate the contract is particularly concerning for several reasons. First, it removes arts funding decisions from the hands of the community and places them within government agencies. RACC was established to ensure that arts funding is decided by the community.

Second, RACC is more efficient and faster in its operations than what can be replicated at the government level. RACC uses community reviewers who are familiar with the arts and have specialized knowledge. This ensures that funding decisions are equitable and reflect the voices of the community. We also offer professional development opportunities and engage with the community at levels that cannot be replicated at the City level. RACC is a nonprofit, non-partisan group that has been responsive to the community’s needs.

Furthermore, it is essential to understand that RACC is not a government agency. We work with our communities to ensure that there is a diverse and equitable lens in our approach to arts and culture. We have garnered community trust over time and have become a leading voice in the arts and culture ecosystem in the Portland metro area.

As we move forward, we remain focused on the larger community and are exploring how best to continue in our role. What’s more important is the loss of community input and the community’s voice in making decisions about which artists and arts organizations have their voices lifted or diminished. We were created by the people for the people, and today’s RACC is the culmination of long-time community regional needs.

We are excited to be part of the solution for the City of Portland and all our partners. Portland is at a pivotal point in its economic recovery, and we look forward to being part of the solution. We are the fabric of the Portland Metro region that threads together art and cultural communities, and we are ready to face the challenges ahead with the expertise, heart, and vision that RACC has sustained for over a quarter-century.

Thank you for your continued support. We encourage you to watch the full segment to learn more about our efforts to support the arts community, our plans for the future, and the significance of a centralized organization serving artists, creatives, and the broader creative economy. Despite the upcoming changes, we remain diligently committed to our mission. 

Supporting RACC & Contacting Portland City Council

Written by

The recent announcement by City of Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan to discontinue its 28-year contract with the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has ignited a passionate response within the creative community. RACC, a 501(c)(3) organization, has been a steadfast advocate for artists and creatives in the tri-county region, ensuring equitable access to funding, resources, and opportunities. This decision raises questions about the future of art and culture in our beloved city, and it’s essential that we rally together to ensure our artistic community remains vibrant and flourishing.

As we grapple with this decision, it’s important to remember that our collective voice can drive change. We have the power to advocate for artistic equity and ensure that RACC’s vital contributions continue to enrich the lives of countless individuals in our city. To that end, RACC has provided tools and templates for written and oral testimony that you can use to voice your support and concerns to City of Portland Commissioners.

Taking Action: Making Your Voice Heard
By utilizing the tools and templates provided by RACC, you can draft emails or letters to City of Portland Commissioners, expressing your views and urging them to reconsider the decision. Download the templates at the right, personalize them with your thoughts and experiences, and send them to the provided email or physical addresses. https://www.portland.gov/council-clerk/engage-council 

Email Council Members
Mayor Ted Wheeler: mayorwheeler@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Carmen Rubio Carmen.Rubio@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Dan Ryan Dan.Ryan@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Rene Gonzalez gonzalezoffice@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Mingus Mapps Mingus.Mapps@portlandoregon.gov

Submit Written Testimony
Written testimony may be submitted for specific agenda items by visiting the Council agenda or by mail to: Council Clerk, 1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 130, Portland, OR 97204. Written testimony is not read out loud into the record during the meeting.

councilclerk@portlandoregon.gov
Please submit written testimony by visiting the Council Agenda (testimony is not accepted by email).  Please call 503-823-4082
Reference: Engage with Council Page

Together, let’s paint a future where art knows no boundaries, where diverse voices are celebrated, and where creativity flourishes in every corner of our city. Through our collective efforts, we can ensure that RACC’s legacy endures, enriching our lives and those of future generations through the power of art and culture.

Here are other ways how you can make your voice heard and stand up for RACC’s important work:

Donate to Support RACC

Your financial support can make a tangible difference in sustaining RACC’s programs and initiatives. As a 501(c)(3) organization, RACC leverages public and private funding to champion artists and creatives. Your contribution ensures that their crucial work continues to flourish. Form can be found here.

Participate in City Council Meetings

City Council meetings offer a platform to share your thoughts and experiences. By providing written or oral testimony, you can influence the decision-making process and highlight the importance of RACC’s role in fostering artistic diversity and inclusion. RACC’s Advocacy Hub provides templates and tools to help you prepare effective testimony.

Arts Oversight Committee- Arts Education & Access Income Tax Fund

These meetings are open to the public and convene virtually. The committee is comprised of a group of Portland volunteers who are passionate about arts and culture in our community and work to ensure the AEAF monies are spent according to the ballot measure passed by the residents in the City of Portland in 2012. For more information go here.

Engage in Open Dialogue

Communication is key during this pivotal time. Please join us for our Community Engagement Series, happening now at various community spaces around the region. If you have questions, concerns, or insights regarding the situation, don’t hesitate to reach out to RACC at advocacy@racc.org. Your feedback and engagement are vital in shaping the direction of their advocacy efforts.

Apply for the Arts3C Grant

If you’re an artist or creative looking to contribute to the cultural landscape, consider applying for the Arts3C Grant. This grant program, now open for Fall 2023 applications, offers invaluable opportunities to bring your artistic visions to life and contribute to Portland’s thriving arts scene.

Shaping a Brighter Future for the Arts
As we stand united in support of RACC, we’re not only advocating for an organization; we’re advocating for the very heart and soul of our creative community. RACC’s dedication to equitable access, representation, and artistic enrichment has transformed countless lives and empowered artists to express themselves authentically.

 

For RACC – Community Matters

Written by

By Carol Tatch, Executive Director

Many of you have heard: Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan announced he has created a separate office of arts and culture inside Portland city government. He is also planning to not renew RACC’s contract when it expires on June 30, 2024. This will seriously impact RACC’s ability to serve you.  

Here’s why this matters  — and why we believe Commissioner Dan Ryan is making a grave mistake.  

Everything RACC does  — through our grantmaking, support to artists and arts organizations, and public art programs — is focused on the health and well-being of arts and culture in the Portland Metro region. Our work benefits city residents as well as everyone in the larger metro area. A thriving arts and culture community is what our area is known for across the nation, and RACC plays an essential role in this.  

Perhaps the most critical idea for people to understand is that a decentralized approach to distributing public support for arts and culture will lead to significant gaps in service and support. The potential for lasting damage to a fragile eco-system that has experienced tremendous challenges in the last three years is real and considerable. There is an important distinction between what is, and what could be if city commissioners vote to defund RACC. We consistently put the region’s artists and creatives, and our communities, first, and have a documented tenure of distributing our partners’ funds with integrity. We listen to the individual voices within our communities, and believe that you should be part of artistic decisions in your community. There is currently a Cultural Planning process underway that is not upheld by this decision. If there are changes to be made to how RACC and the City operate together, it should be done following the analysis of community input. 

We have been hearing from many community members that you support the continuation of RACC as the primary steward of public funding for arts and culture. If you want to learn more about why it is vital to maintain RACC and protect our communities’ artists and creatives, ensuring everyone’s access to art, here’s what you can do: 

  • Share your perspective: Reach out to your local officials to voice concern for Commissioner Ryan’s plan to end RACC’s contract and create a government-run office of arts and culture. We’ve prepared some letter templates that you can adapt to your point of view; please click here for information and downloads to get you started. 
  • Speak your mind: Sign up to testify at a City Council meeting. This is your time as a member of the public. Let City Commissioners know you’re not happy they’re leaving you out of future arts funding decisions. 
  • Join us: In a few weeks we will host a series of community conversations to listen to your concerns and suggestions. We’ll also share highlights of what we’ve achieved in the last 28 years — and what you could lose if the city follows through on its plan to take arts funding from the Regional Arts & Culture Council. 
  • Sign up: If you haven’t already, please sign up for our newsletter and share with friends and family who may be interested in supporting our collective mission! 

For almost three decades, RACC has walked the talk of our mission and values: To enrich our communities through arts and culture and create a thriving region, powered by creativity, bringing arts and culture to every neighborhood. This mission was thoughtfully designed in collaboration with our public funding partners.  

Please let us know if you have any ideas or questions and stay tuned. Thank you so much for your ongoing support – it means the world to us.  

— Carol 

OPB’s Think Out Loud captures RACC response to City Defunding Announcement

Written by

By Josué Rivas

Uniting in Support of RACC: Advocating for Artistic Equity in Portland

The recent announcement by City of Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan to discontinue its 28-year contract with the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has sparked concern and uncertainty within the creative community. RACC, a 501(c)(3) organization, has been a steadfast advocate for artists and creatives in the tri-county region, ensuring equitable access to funding and resources. RACC’s leadership recently had the opportunity to discuss this development on today’s edition (7/27/23) of Think Out Loud, shedding light on the crucial role they play in promoting artistic diversity and inclusion in Portland and tri-county region.

Carol Tatch, RACC Co-Executive Director, and Debby Garman, RACC Board Interim Chair and Treasurer spoke with Dave Miller regarding the recent announcement. Thank you for your support for RACC! Listen to the full recording here.

How you can support RACC:

As we face this challenging moment, there are numerous ways we can stand in solidarity with RACC and support their mission. Donating to RACC is an impactful way to contribute to their efforts in advocating for artistic equity. Your support will help sustain their vital programs and initiatives, ensuring artists and creatives have the resources they need to thrive.

  • Support RACC! We are a 501(c)(3) committed to ensuring equitable access to funding and advocacy for artists and creatives in the tri-county region. Donate here.
  • Testify at City Council meetings (tools and templates for written and oral testimony and letters to City of Portland Commissioners is available on our Advocacy Hub.
  • Let us know how you feel! Please send any inquiries to advocacy@racc.org.
  • Apply for a Grant! The Arts3C Grant application process for Fall 2023 has opened!

Committed to serving our Arts and Culture Community!

Written by

RACC remains committed to serving our Arts and Culture Community!

On Friday, the late afternoon of July 21st, RACC leadership received news regarding the pending cessation of our contract with the City of Portland as of June 30, 2024. We were not surprised, yet disappointed that this news was shared without discussion given our 28-year long partnership with the City of Portland. Since Friday, there have been a number of articles that point to a city and RACC collaboration; however, RACC is not aware of any type of plan.

To our Portland community, we are looking forward to continuing our work with you. RACC is a nonprofit with a mission to ensure that there is access to arts and culture in every community. You are allies for our work and you have a voice and a say in how your tax dollars are spent. RACC continues to be a great investment as our processes are transparent for the allocation of grant and award dollars, they are informed by community at every opportunity, and we live in the practice of centering equity in our decision making. Help us tell our story to Portland City Council by telling your story.

To the wider community we serve across all three counties, and for creatives across the nation who have been impacted by our programs that include an internationally lauded Public Art program and an equity-centered Grants program, know that the RACC Team and board of directors is here to support you. For our local, state, and national partners, we will continue to engage with you, ensuring the mission and vision of RACC, and our community, continue to be paramount in our work. As people, we connect through our cultures and the art that is expressed from that space. As community, we share understanding and thoughtful engagement. These points of connection help us through each day and ensure that we are aware of each other—doing right by each other. RACC will continue to do right by you. It is our promise. Join with us to tell your RACC story at advocacy@racc.org. We will provide other ways to support RACC in the coming days.

RACC has represented community since its founding in 1995 and the creation of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that named RACC as the local arts agency for Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties, Metro, and the City of Portland. RACC, as a non-profit, is able to leverage local and national government funding, as well as private funding, to ensure that our community is has dollars invested in its creative people and arts/culture-serving organizations. We know that the creative sector is an economic driver for any community, and we look forward to reporting the results of the latest Arts and Economic Prosperity (AEP6) survey in the next few months for ours. Past Portland civic leaders understood the importance of a collaborative, independent partner in the arts advancing equitable initiatives to support community. They expressly worked to ensure that RACC continued to meet the needs of community and continued to serve as a counterpoint to inequitable funding practices and inadequate community engagement. Thank you for supporting artists and creatives to spark change and healing in our communities.

Regional Arts & Culture Council – Our Continued Commitment to Community

Written by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 25, 2023

PORTLAND, OREGON: On Monday, May 22, 2023 RACC received an email from the City Arts Program Manager announcing the development of the City of Portland’s own arts and culture program to be completed by June 2024. RACC entered into its partnership with the City of Portland in 1995 via a region-wide intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas County, and Metro and the City of Portland). Though we were not made aware of these specific changes ahead of time, RACC has seen a growing divestment in equity-driven arts and culture engagement by the City of Portland since the fall of 2020.  

At this time, RACC does not have any more information than what has been released. It is our request and expectation that as the region’s contracted arts and culture agency, we will be invited into these conversations around the arts and cultural ecosystem in our community. We have a  deep experience working with, and for, the residents of Portland as well as City employees and elected officials.  

The City-led effort to assess the current state of the needs of our region for arts and culture continues with  community engagement sessions for the Our Creative Future cultural planning process is ongoing. The external partners for this process are the Cultural Planning Group from San Diego and the Metropolitan Group from Portland. This analysis and report is expected to be completed by the end of the year. RACC is the arts and culture advocate and funder that was created by the community for the community. RACC has been an integral part of ensuring access for those in the creative field since our inception and for the past 50 years. As a BIPOC-led organization we will continue to  adhere to our core values of equity, access, and inclusion. 

We want our community to know that we are committed to ensuring a thriving region for engagement and celebration of cultural diversity and artistic expression. Thank you for your commitment to RACC and your support for our mission and vision. 

 

Media Contact:

Communications Team, Regional Arts & Culture Council, comms@racc.org