RACC Blog

ELOISE BLOG:

A week ago it seemed completely appropriate for me to write a sincere last Arts Notes post prior to my June 30^th retirement. The idea was to talk about all the wonderful experiences I have had over 30 years with MAC/RACC and to thank the thousands of wonderful people I have had the privilege to know.

Then the tragedy struck on the MAX Friday and completely changed my focus. Since November Portland and communities across the country have clearly experienced a distressing increase in verbal assaults focused on people of  color going about their peaceful everyday lives. That is wrong and not what our city is about. Yet it happens and swells into violent protests and becomes what a fringe element of our population is very much about.

Last Friday three incredibly brave people stepped up to defend two young women being barraged with hate and threats by an individual known for incendiary racist behavior. Their own outrage and selflessness saved the women. In doing so two perished and one was saved though gravely wounded. I cannot imagine the horror of that scene though it has haunted me since that day.

In trying to think about how to move on all I can think to suggest is proving to hateful people that they will not prevail. I think we need to pull together as concerned, committed, peaceful and loving citizens to raise our voices against hatred, write and sing our music, paint our fears and feelings, act out our responses and hopes for the future, teach our children by example and conversations, gather in places we gather to explore the ways out, support our leaders who are caught in an impossible bind, face this current reality with passion to protect everyone. It has to stop.

And I will get back with my grateful letter to all of you in a few weeks, because I will not let this tragedy get in the way of thanking you and celebrating the wealth of creativity, excellence and positive human interaction, which to me is what my time here has been most about.

ELOISE BLOG:

Thirty years ago this June I moved to Portland. A week later I interviewed for a job managing the Percent for Art Program for the Oregon Convention Center. I started the next day. It was an amazing opportunity to jump right into the midst of a pivotal design and construction project, to work with a broad range of city leaders, architects, artists, the construction team, and to take a crash course in Portland’s arts community. Some of those extraordinary people remain close friends and colleagues to this day. And little did I know that this was the beginning of a dream career helping to frame, nurture and grow public art in Portland and then add to that responsibility to strengthen the broader arts and culture communities.

Looking back I am so proud of what the mighty RACC staff and board have been able to accomplish together with artists, arts leaders, elected officials, volunteers, business people, educators, donors, the creative industries and voters. 62% said YES to the Arts Tax! All Portland elementary students now have art and music every week and arts organizations receive increased general operating support. Thanks also to the Arts Tax and Multnomah County we have created and launched Arts Equity Grants to support previously underserved populations, brought new organizations into General Operating Support membership, and will soon pilot capacity building opportunities for culturally specific organizations.

The Right Brain Initiative is rapidly growing across the region preparing our youth for productive, creative futures. Public Art continues to thrive especially as our city and counties grow and build—artfully. Work for Art raises more money each year to support arts organizations, while events like Juice and the Battle of the Bands bring arts and business ever closer in creative collaborations and greater contributions.

The years have brought challenges to be sure, but our remarkably resilient arts community has pulled through by helping each other through the worst of it and holding on to that determined spirit. Now more than ever we need to tap into our inclusive values, our beliefs that everyone is welcome here, and do all we can to ensure that arts and culture opportunities are available and accessible to every person here. RACC is committed to this and I know that going forward our resolve will only grow as we learn how best to make equity and inclusion the foundation of all that we do.

What’s next for me? I have no grand plan except that I know I will spend as much of the coming summer as I can outside enjoying this beautiful place, my friends and family. I have a piano I want to befriend, a body and mind that would love to learn yoga, a husband who like me is a travel junkie, and a stunningly sweet 10 month old granddaughter two hours away who doesn’t know it yet, but surely needs a grandmother to dote on her. I also have no intention of disappearing from the arts community I truly love—period.

Thank you to everyone for these wonderful years – to the incredible RACC staff past and present, our amazing Board leadership, and everyone I have had the great fortune to know and work with over 30 years. I am so lucky to have you as colleagues, collaborators, conspirators, and, most of all, friends.

ELOISE’S BLOG:

Saturday night I think many of us will be cheering the passing of this complex and challenging year. What lies ahead for our country is still a murky mystery, but hopefully there will be meaningful ways for creativity, intelligence, respect for all people, and collaboration to help guide us all.

Last week we shared widely our Annual Report for 2016. If you have not seen it and would like to you can find it here.

Looking into our 2017 crystal ball we see some exciting new activities on top of the ever evolving and growing RACC programs. New elected officials in several jurisdictions promise to influence our direction as well. Our public art staff and volunteers will be commissioning art for the new Multnomah County Courthouse downtown and resiting the considerable collection from the old building into county facilities. Work will progress in earnest on the Portland Building overhaul including new public art, and we will welcome many more murals and new pieces for neighborhood parks.

Grants will continue to fine tune all of its programs focusing on efficiencies, accessibility, technical assistance and the sometimes elusive funding increases. Much of RACC’s advocacy will focus on convincing all newly and returning elected leaders to invest robustly in arts and culture, which we know are part of what makes Portland so desirable to live in, do business in and visit. We need to support our artists and arts organizations to stay true to the Portland vibe – now internationally recognized.

Our connections with the business world are expanding in new and productive ways. Watch for information about “Juice” (formerly known as the Arts Breakfast of Champions) on February 8^th at 7:30 am, when business and arts leaders will celebrate creative connections, and artists and organizations will be showcased. Work for Art will continue to build on its highly successful 10 year celebratory increase in workplace contributions and host the 2^nd annual Battle of the Bands on May 17^th. Start practicing!

The Right Brain Initiative continues to grow throughout the tri-county region. Now serving 68 schools – including 27,500 students and their 1,900 teachers – we look forward to expanding our arts integration work even further when another school year begins next September.

Our Board recently held a retreat and committed to focusing time, resources and expertise in our equity work, helping the region with serious affordability issues for artists, arts organizations and all residents, and advocacy for increased funding from the Arts Tax and other sources.

On behalf of the amazing RACC staff and Board thank you for all you contribute to the rich culture of this place and together let’s design a promising and creative New Year!

ELOISE’S BLOG: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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