RACC Blog

Arts Education for All Act Announcement

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Immediate Release

September 27, 2023

The Regional Arts & Culture Council Re-Endorses The Arts Education for All Act (HR 5463) Co-Sponsored by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR1)

Portland, OR – The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is pleased to announce our endorsement and support of the reintroduction of the Arts Education for All Act in 2023, announced during National Arts in Education Week on September 15 by Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR1), and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM). This Act will once again support and encourage arts education and programming for PK-12 students, youth, and adults involved in the justice system. The Regional Arts & Culture Council has engaged with numerous supporters throughout the past few years and we hope you will join us in once again supporting this important legislation. The newly established legislative Arts and Culture Caucus coordinated by Representative Rob Nosse (D-42) was launched earlier this year to emphasize the importance of arts and culture in Oregon. We know that arts education is a crucial component of that mission. At RACC, we support arts organizations and artists that make a difference in our community through their impactful engagement in the arts, and The Arts Education for All Act will only enhance these programs.

“The arts spark creativity, critical thinking, and empathy in students … These skills benefit and enrich students throughout their lives regardless of what path they take. It is unacceptable that there is less access to arts education for students from Black, Latino, and low-income families, especially when research shows that students who have arts education perform better in math, reading, and writing. I wrote the Arts Education for All Act to help address these disparities. And with student mental health as a top concern, the arts can help bring healing and wellness.”  –Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici

The Arts Education for All Act addresses these gaps in access to arts education and has the potential to improve the lifelong health and achievement of both children and adults. Arts education and programming can be federally funded under various existing programs; however, currently there is a lack of clarity and information available about how the funds can be used. If this becomes legislation, it will support and encourage arts education and programming for our youngest learners, and will also include youth and adults involved in the criminal court and justice systems. The bill also includes provisions that support rigorous arts and arts education research to continue to inform how elementary and secondary education outcomes are affected by a well-rounded education.

A one-page summary of the Arts Education for All Act can be found here. For a link to the press release issued by the Congresswoman, click here. CALL TO ACTION- if you want to endorse Arts Education for All, please add your name to the list here or email artsedu@racc.org. To read the full text of the bill click here.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Chanda Evans, Arts Education Manager, Regional Arts & Culture Council, cevans@racc.org

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

Please join us: RACC in Community on Monday Sept. 25 from 6-8pm

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We invite you to our third  RACC in Community engagement. This is an opportunity to get informed and ask questions about the July announcement from the City of Portland, proposing to not renew RACC’s contract, and to learn how you can support RACC at this time.

When: Monday, September 25

Time: 6:00-8:00 pm

Where: Lakewood Center for the Arts,  368 S State St, Lake Oswego, OR 97034 in Clackamas County

RSVP here. and remember to let us know if there are accessibility needs that we can accommodate for your participation.

Please come to hear our response, plans for the future, and to learn how you can be activated to respond to the City. Food and artistic engagement will be provided. We are looking forward to your presence!

WE NEED YOUR VOICE! WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

RACC is holding  a series of community events  throughout the region. Bring your voice, curiosity, and your questions. RACC was built by community for community. RACC is your solution for a thriving ecosystem, powered by creativity, with arts and culture in every neighborhood. Being mindful of our community, we understand that some of you may choose or are unable to attend this next event. We respect the wide variety of cultural, religious, and spiritual practice’s of our communities. Therefore we are working on providing a number of different community events across the tri-county area. We hope you can join us at one in the future. Please see additional save the dates below.

SAVE THE DATES:

September 29, from 6-8pm  SE Portland at Shaking the Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant St, Portland, OR 97214. Please RSVP here.

 

October 5, from 6-8pm at the Walters Cultural Center, 527 E Main Street, Hillsboro, OR 97123 in Washington County. Please RSVP here.

 

October 17, from 6-8 pm at the Wade Creek Park Community Building,  915 NW Wade St. Estacada Oregon, 97023  in partnership with the Estacada Area Arts Commission, in Clackamas County. Please RSVP here. 

Check out our Instagram  for additional updates.

If you have further questions,  please reach out to advocacy@racc.org.

More information can be found on our Advocacy Hub. Click here for our FAQ’s

Please join us: RACC in Community on Wednesday Sept.20, 2023

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We invite you to our second RACC in Community engagement. This is an opportunity to ask questions about the recent announcement from the City of Portland about the proposal to not renew RACC’s contract, and to learn how you can support RACC at this time. Bring your voice, curiosity, and your questions. RACC was built by community for community. RACC is your solution for a thriving ecosystem, powered by creativity, with arts and culture in every neighborhood. Our first engagement in NE Portland at openHAUS was a huge success!

When: Wednesday September 20, 2023

Where: BodyVox, 201 NW 17th Ave, Portland, OR 97209

Time: 6-8 pm

Please  RSVP here. 

Please come to hear our response, plans for the future, and to learn how you can be activated to respond to the City. Food and artistic engagement will be provided. We are looking forward to your presence! Thank you for your support—RACC was created by community, for community.

SAVE THE DATES:  More engagement events will be held in SE, SW, and in Clackamas and Washington counties. Please click here for listings. Check out our Instagram  for additional updates.

If you have further questions,  please reach out to advocacy@racc.org.

More information can be found on our Advocacy Hub. Click here for our FAQ’s

A Call to Action: Legacy Arts Council asks Communities for Support in Fight for Continued Partnership with Portland

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RACC hosted artists

RACC hosted artists: Javon Johnson, Ted Lange, Regina Taylor, Phillip Bernard Smith, and RACC Team Members during the recent Pacific Northwest Multi Cultural Readers Series and Film Festival. Photo by M. Boakye.

Immediate Release

September 14, 2023

Regional Arts and Culture Council holds in-person events with its supporters to rally awareness, support for its continued contract with the City

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC) is doing what it does best: Building community for the purpose of supporting the region’s artists and creatives. Thursday, September 14, the nonprofit will kick off community events across the Portland metro region, to celebrate its base and rally support as they ask the City of Portland to reconsider canceling its contract with RACC.

“We continue to do everything in our power to speak the truth about our three decades-long partnership with the City of Portland,” said Carol Tatch, RACC executive director. “RACC’s level of expertise and involvement is critical to the revitalization of Portland. We stand by our legacy of success and track record of responsible stewardship of the public’s dollars.”

RACC in Community Event
RACC is facing a deadline imposed by the City of Portland. Councilmember Ryan announced in July he is canceling the City’s contract with RACC, effective June 30, 2024. The City plans to bring the Portland arts and cultural decisions inside the government versus through RACC, an established and respected 501(c)(3).

The RACC team and its community are working feverishly to illuminate the impact canceling the contract would have on artists and arts organizations throughout the tri-county area – and how the entire Portland metro area would suffer. Commissioner Ryan’s decision would take away the Portland community’s power to make decisions about arts funding, and hand it back to city officials. The reason RACC was created in the first place, 28 years ago, was to return that authority to the people, where it belongs.

“I truly don’t believe the public understands what’s at stake,” said Debby Garman, RACC interim board chair. “I believe that facts matter, and truth matters. I believe citizens of Portland deserve to hear RACC’s perspective and to hear correct facts about the City claims leading to canceling the RACC contract. Portland is deeply in need of restoration, and the expert team at RACC supporting the broadest creative community can be a brilliant part of the solution.”

Event Details and Activation
Thursday, September 14, marks the kickoff community event, held at openHAUS, 5020 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. RACC encourages everyone to bring their questions, curiosity, and voices. There will be ample food and entertainment, along with details about RACC’s plan. Communities will learn how to leverage their voices to support area artists who depend on RACC funding.

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Please join us: RACC in Community on Thursday Sept.14, 2023

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We invite you to our first RACC in Community engagement. This is an opportunity to ask questions about the recent announcement from the City of Portland about the proposal to not renew RACC’s contract, and to learn how you can support RACC at this time. This is the first of a series of community events we will hold throughout the region. Bring your voice, curiosity, and your questions. RACC was built by community for community. RACC is your solution for a thriving ecosystem, powered by creativity, with arts and culture in every neighborhood. Our first engagement will kick off in NE Portland.

When: Thursday, September 14, 2023

Time: 6:00-8:00 pm

Where: openHAUS, 5020 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland OR 97211

Please RSVP here and remember to let us know if there are accessibility needs that we can accommodate for your participation.

Please come to hear our response, plans for the future, and to learn how you can be activated to respond to the City. Food and artistic engagement will be provided. We are looking forward to your presence! Thank you for your support—RACC was created by community, for community.

SAVE THE DATE: Our second engagement will be in NW Portland at BodyVox, on September 20th from 6-:00-8:00 pm. Please  RSVP here.  More engagement events will be held in SE, SW, and in Clackamas and Washington counties. Check out our Instagram  for updates.

If you have further questions,  please reach out to advocacy@racc.org.

More information can be found on our Advocacy Hub. Click here for our FAQ’s

 

Image Credits: Aztec Dance group “Coatlicue” after performing a blessing at “Our Space of Possibilities” on the final Saturday of June 2023. Photo by Kevin Truong. “Our Space of Possibilities” was created by Patricia Vázquez Gómez in collaboration with local East Portland artists and organizations and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Trimet, and RACC.

 

Advocacy in Arts Education

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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

Supporting RACC & Contacting Portland City Council

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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.

 

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

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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!