RACC Blog

David Morrison responds

David Morrison (Candidate for Portland Commissioner, Position 1) responded March 23, 2016:

(1) In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Portland?

I subsidized partial rent for the Portland Playhouse for 5 years until they bought the building.  I hosted Cygnet Productions Plays in my book store when it was located on 37th Ave.  I own a book store on 37th– culture.  I used to have a photography gallery in my shop on 37th.  I give to street musicians

(2) Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality of life, and yet there are a number of pressing needs in our community that often compete for attention and investment.  What is Portland’s proper role in supporting arts and culture in the region?

The money from Unnecessary and corrupt Projects like the decommissioning of the Washington and Mt. Tabor reservoirs would have been better spent on funding the arts.

(3) The region’s affordability is a serious concern for all of us, including artists and arts-related businesses. What are your plans for making housing and creative spaces more affordable?

Tax incentives to landlords seems to be the popular answer and  of course rent control which has been in effect for 30 years in Santa Monica, California and works just fine.  Also, the city or county or state should get involved in development and or purchasing viable buildings to rent to those in need of low cost studios.  Artists can also join collectives that occupy one bldg. but share the rent.

(4) Are there other unmet needs when it comes to shaping Portland’s arts and culture policy for the future? If so, what steps would you take to help ensure those needs are met, and how should they be funded?

 

(5) The Arts Education & Access Fund, or arts tax, has delivered on its promise of providing arts specialists for all K-5 schools in Portland, but the fund hasn’t generated enough revenue to support as many grants for arts and culture organizations as envisioned. If elected, would you take any steps to modify the arts tax, improve administration of it, and/or fulfill the voters’ vision of supporting arts education and access through other means?

I find the art tax as counter to the importance of arts and I am not for it, didn’t vote for it because it puts the arts into a category that is dispensable.  It is insulting and degrading to the arts.  Art should not be sidelined as something that we can do away with if we don’t raise the money.  the money should come out of the technology budget as there is not one single study that shows that technology has improved learning but there are many studies that show that it causes cognitive problems and retards some aspects of learning and brain development.  The STEM program that sidelines the arts and is responsible for the idea that it is dispensable was designed by the military and is essentially a recruitment tool and a one way street towards jobs in the tech industry.

Back to Candidates’ page.


RACC will deliver its “State of the Arts” report on April 21

On Thursday, April 21st at 2:00 p.m., arts advocates will gather at Portland City Hall for RACC’s annual “State of the Arts” presentation to Portland City Council. The event is designed to demonstrate the impacts of the city’s investments in arts and culture through RACC. The event is free and open to the public, and we encourage you to attend!

RACC has celebrated several milestones since our last report to City Council, including the 35th anniversary of percent-for-art programs in Portland, and the 10th anniversary of Work for Art. A summary of other accomplishments and all grants awarded in the past year can be found in RACC’s year-end report for 2015.

Notwithstanding these accomplishments, public funding for arts and culture in Portland is at a critical juncture. The voter-approved Arts Education & Access Fund (or arts tax) has created enough revenue to guarantee at least one art or music teacher for every elementary school in Portland, but has not yet delivered on its promise to provide 5% funding for general operating support organizations, and only a fraction of the envisioned funds are available for expanding arts access for every Portland resident. Also, Mayor Hales has asked all bureaus and city partners (such as RACC) to budget for a 5% cut in FY17, which would certainly impact the arts community that are working hard to grow Portland’s creative economy, enhance our children’s education, and improve the quality of life for every Portland resident.

We invite artists, arts administrators, arts educators and arts advocates from every corner of the city (and beyond!) to join us for this special gathering. Please help us fill council chambers for a discussion with our elected officials about the importance of public investments in the arts, and the impact that arts and culture can have in our communities. Portland City Hall is fully accessible for people with disabilities, and interpretation services are available upon request.

“State of the Arts:” RACC’s annual presentation to Portland City Council
Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.
Portland City Hall, 1211 SW 4th Avenue

FREE


Eight company bands head to Battle on May 12

Preparations are underway for our first annual Battle of the Bands, a celebration of employee creativity and a benefit for Work for Art! The event takes place Thursday, May 12 at the Crystal Ballroom. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the competition begins at 7:00.

Eight employee bands, sponsored by their companies, are currently tuning up their ten-minute sets.

Brothers Jam, featuring Jamey Hampton of BodyVox and Hampton Lumber, will open the show.  Seven other bands will perform in a variety of genres to vie for the title of “Best Company Band,” as determined by our panel of celebrity judges. The judges will also award a “Best Showmanship” prize, while everyone else gets to select an “Audience Favorite” by voting for their favorite band with cash. The competing bands include:

  • Burgerville, Dystopia
  • Kaiser Permanente, Members Only
  • KeyBank, The Red Keys
  • Portland General Electric, Larry and the Lightbulbs
  • The Standard, Smoke Before Fire
  • Tonkon Torp, The Legal Limit
  • ZGF Architects, Pencil Skirt Paula and the Straight Edge Rulers

The Portland Timbers Army band Greenhorn will also perform.

Tickets are just $10 each, available at the Crystal Ballroom Box Office or online at http://bit.ly/WFABattleOfTheBands. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $100 each and include hosted food and beverage, table seating area, validated parking and a complimentary concert t-shirt.

All proceeds benefit Work for Art’s 10th Anniversary Campaign to raise $1 million for local arts and culture organizations. This is an all-ages event, accessible for people with disabilities. For more information visit http://workforart.org/battle-of-the-bands/.


Battle of the Bands

A benefit for Work for Art

Thursday, May 12 at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:00)

At the Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Portland

General Admission $10, VIP $100

workforart.org/battle-of-the-bands/


Elected Officials

Find contact information below for all elected officials in RACC’s jurisdiction. Updated May 2021.

Skip to:

City of Portland
Clackamas County
Multnomah County
Washington County
Metro

 

City of Portland

Mayor Ted Wheeler
City of Portland
1221 SW 4th Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
MayorWheeler@PortlandOregon.gov
503.823.4120

Commissioner Mingus Mapps
City of Portland- City Hall
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 210
Portland, OR 97204
MappsOffice@portlandoregon.gov 
503.823.4682

Commissioner Carmen Rubio
City of Portland- City Hall
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 220
Portland, OR 97204
Comm.Rubio@portlandoregon.gov 
503.823.3008

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty
City of Portland- City Hall
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 230
Portland, OR 97204
JoAnn@portlandoregon.gov
503.823.4151

Commissioner Dan Ryan
City of Portland- City Hall
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 240
Portland, OR 97204
CommissionerRyanOffice@portlandoregon.gov
503.823.3589

 

Clackamas County

Chair Tootie Smith
Clackamas County
2051 Kaen Road
Oregon City, OR 97045
bcc@clackamas.us
503.655.8581

Commissioner Paul Savas
Clackamas County
2051 Kaen Road
Oregon City, OR 97045
bcc@clackamas.us
503.655.8581

Commissioner Martha Schrader
Clackamas County
2051 Kaen Road
Oregon City, OR 97045
bcc@clackamas.us
503.655.8581

Commissioner Sonya Fischer
Clackamas County
2051 Kaen Road
Oregon City, OR 97045
bcc@clackamas.us
503.655.8581

Commissioner Mark Shull
Clackamas County
2051 Kaen Road
Oregon City, OR 97045
bcc@clackamas.us
503.655.8581

Multnomah County

Chair Deborah Kafoury
Multnomah County
501 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
mult.chair@multco.us
503.988.3308

Commissioner Sharon Meieran
Multnomah County
501 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
district1@multco.us

Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
Multnomah County
501 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
district2@multco.us

Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson
Multnomah County
501 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
district3@multco.us

Commissioner Lori Stegmann
Multnomah County
501 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
district4@multco.us

 

Washington County

Chair Kathryn Harrington
Washington County, At-Large
155 North First Ave.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
cao@co.washington.or.us
503.846.8681

Commissioner Nafisa Fai
Washington County, District 1
155 North First Ave.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
District1@co.washington.or.us
503.846.8681

Commissioner Pam Treece
Washington County, District 2
155 North First Ave.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
District2@co.washington.or.us
503.846.8681

Commissioner Roy Rogers
Washington County, District 3
155 North First Ave.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
District3@co.washington.or.us
503.846.8681

Commissioner Jerry Willey
Washington County, District 4
155 North First Ave.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
District4@co.washington.or.us
503.846.8681

 

Metro

Council President Lynn Peterson
Metro, 600 NE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
lynn.peterson@oregonmetro.gov
503.797.1889

Councilor Shirley Craddick
Metro, District 1
600 NE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
shirley.craddick@oregonmetro.gov
503.797.1547

Councilor Christine Lewis
Metro, District 2
600 NE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
christine.lewis@oregonmetro.gov
503.797.1887

Councilor Gerritt Rosenthal
Metro, District 3
600 NE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
gerritt.rosenthal@oregonmetro.gov
503.797.1549

Councilor Juan Carlos González
Metro, District 4
600 NE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
juancarlos.gonzalez@oregonmetro.gov
503.797.1553

Councilor Mary Nolen
Metro, District 5
600 NE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
mary.nolen@oregonmetro.gov
503.797.1552

Councilor Bob Stacey
Metro, District 6
600 NE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
bob.stacey@oregonmetro.gov
503.797.1546


RACC extends the John C. Hampton Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts to The Standard’s Greg Ness

PORTLAND, ORE — On February 24th the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) will host the annual Arts Breakfast of Champions where it will award The Standard’s Greg Ness with The John C. Hampton Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts. The award has only been given out three times and will be presented to Ness by Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish.

Ness is the Chairman, President and CEO of The Standard, where he started in 1979. He is a strong advocate for The Standard’s giving in the arts sector. He has personally given 16 years of service to Portland Center Stage, six of which he served as Board Chair. Ness has also chaired the Armory Theater Fund Board and was instrumental in securing funds for the acquisition, development and maintenance of the Bob and Diana Gerding Theatre.

Under Ness’ leadership, The Standard consistently ranks in the top five for arts giving, and each year runs an unsurpassed employee giving campaign during which the company matches employee giving dollar-for-dollar. In 2015 alone, The Standard’s employee campaign raised more than $2.2 million for the arts, schools and other nonprofits. They are leaders in the Work for Art program, and Ness’ personal commitment to supporting art is clearly infused throughout his company.

Ness believes that arts and cultural organizations play a major role in vibrant communities and that they have the potential to change the way we look at things. The Hampton Award honors and celebrates his commitment to supporting the arts in the Portland metropolitan region.

John C. Hampton was head of Oregon’s largest lumber manufacturer, Hampton Affiliates. In the early 1980s he took the idea to provide long-term funding for three of Portland’s major arts institutions—Portland Opera, Portland Art Museum and Oregon Symphony—and helped establish permanent, restricted endowments for each.

Hampton has said to business leaders, “The arts are not a frill. The arts are not a luxury. The arts are vital to our existence. Without art, without literature, without theatre, without music, without culture, we are a barren society that will atrophy and die. The arts are essential components of the fabric of our society. The arts stimulate the part of our being that is central to progress. The arts are not peripheral to our existence. They are fundamental to our core values.”

The award is for a business leader who not only gives, but inspires others to give; shares his passion for the arts; encourages his employees to participate in the arts and has chaired arts boards or major fundraising campaigns.

The Arts Breakfast of Champions was started in 1995 by Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts as an annual celebration of corporate philanthropy. As NWBCA closed its doors in the summer of 2015, RACC adopted this important event and established a new Business Committee for the Arts that is continuing this breakfast.

In addition to the John C. Hampton Award, the event will honor Business Champions for the Arts,  Work for Arts Champions, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a Small Business Champion and an Inspirational Creative Partnership.

The Regional Arts & Culture Council serves artists, arts organizations, schools and residents throughout Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and works to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity and the arts.

Event details:

Wednesday, February 24, 2016
8AM event, with pre-event coffee and networking starting at 7:30AM

Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park Ave.
Portland, OR 97205

Tickets are $125 at www.regonline.com/2016ABOC.  

Issued by RACC on 2/17/16


Battle of the Bands scheduled for May 12 at the Crystal Ballroom

PORTLAND, ORE — Tickets are now on sale for Work for Art’s first annual Battle of the Bands competition, a celebration of employee creativity at the Crystal Ballroom on May 12, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. All proceeds benefit Work for Art, a program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

Eight company bands (employees who play music on the side) will perform in front of friends, family, co-workers and a panel of celebrity judges as they vie for the title of Best Company Band. Several other prizes will be awarded as well, including Audience Favorite.

Each band will have 10 minutes to perform any genre of music they choose, with a five minute break between each band. Six of the eight available spots have been filled; confirmed bands include NW Natural, Portland General Electric, KeyBank, The Standard, Tonkon Torp and ZGF Architects.

Work for Art, celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, is on a mission to raise $1 Million for local nonprofit arts organizations by June 30th, primarily through workplace giving and other partnerships with local businesses. The 2015-16 campaign co-chairs are Mike Golub, President of Business Operations for the Portland Timbers, and David Lofland, President of KeyBank Oregon and SW Washington. All proceeds from Work for Art and Battle of the Bands will be granted to approximately 100 nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties.

Sponsorship and underwriting support for Battle of the Bands is provided by Alpha Media/KINK 101.9, Burgerville, NW Natural, Portland General Electric, Portland Timbers, KeyBank, Oregon Cultural Trust, The Standard, Willamette Week and ZGF Architects.

Tickets are $10 each, available at The Crystal Ballroom box office at 1332 West Burnside Street in Portland; by phone at 1-855-CAS-TIXX; or online at http://bit.ly/WFABattleOfTheBands. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $100 each, including complimentary food and beverage plus reserved seating. For sponsorship opportunities and other information, contact Jeff Hawthorne at 503-823-5258 or visit http://workforart.org/bob.


Arts champions to be honored on February 24

PORTLAND, ORE — The 2016 Arts Breakfast of Champions is coming up fast! More than 400 community leaders will celebrate some of the region’s most powerful partnerships between arts and business on Wednesday, February 24 from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at the Portland Art Museum. Tickets are on sale now at http://bit.ly/1RUiQUV.

The Arts Breakfast of Champions was established in 1995 by Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts (NWBCA) as an annual celebration of corporate philanthropy. RACC has established a new Business Committee for the Arts (BCA) that is continuing the breakfast event to recognize top corporate donors to the arts, and to provide motivating examples of how businesses are using the arts to inspire employees, stimulate innovation and foster creative collaboration.

This year’s honorees include:

  • Top corporate donors to the arts, including Portland General Electric, US Bank, Umpqua Bank, Wells Fargo, Vulcan Inc., The Standard, The Boeing Company and KeyBank.
     
  • The John C. Hampton Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts: Greg Ness, CEO, The Standard
     
  • Inspirational creative partnership: Umpqua Bank and Portland Center Stage
     
  • Small business champion: Bill Dickey, Owner, Morel Ink
     
  • Work for Art champions: Portland General Electric, Burgerville and the Oregon Cultural Trust

In addition, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici from Oregon’s 1st Congressional District will receive special recognition for her work on arts education. As part of congressional committee to reform public education in late 2015, Representative Bonamici won unanimous approval for her amendment to integrate the arts into science, technology, engineering and math education. Her “STEM to STEAM” provision was included in the Every Student Succeeds Act, which President Obama signed into law on December 10, effectively restoring arts education for millions of students and our nation’s future workforce.

The 2016 Arts Breakfast of Champions is presented by The Regional Arts & Culture Council and sponsored byPortland General Electric. Supporting sponsors include Columbia Bank, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, The Standard, US Bank and Vibrant Table.

Tickets for the Arts Breakfast of Champions are $125 each, or $75 for employees of local nonprofit arts organizations. Tables and sponsorships are available at http://bit.ly/1RUiQUV.


The Right Brain Initiative and Work for Art release reports

PORTLAND, ORE — Two programs of the Regional Arts & Culture Council – The Right Brain Initiative and Work for Art – have published summaries of their accomplishments and finances for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2015. 

The Right Brain Initiative’s 2015 Progress Report illustrates RACC’s unique approach to supporting K-8 educators in the Portland tri-county region. Through workshops, coaching, and collaboration with artists, Right Brain helped 1,220 Portland area educators integrate the arts into their teaching during the 2014-15 school year. The report features profiles of teachers who are served by the program, all of whom describe how Right Brain has helped them and their colleagues learn to teach differently.

“Supporting and training teachers helps us catalyze a new relationship between public schools and the arts, making creative thinking a fundamental part of the learning process for all kids,” said Marna Stalcup, director of arts education at RACC. “We haven’t always talked a lot about this aspect of our work, but it’s part of our DNA.”

The Right Brain Initiative benefited 19,324 students last school year, 55% of whom qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. This school year, Right Brain is growing to serve 63 schools in seven Portland area school districts. Read more by downloading the full report.  

The Annual Report for Work for Art provides a summary of RACC’s 9th workplace giving campaign for the arts. A total of $750,350 was raised between July, 2014 and June, 2015, and the report includes the names of all campaign donors – including nearly 2,000 employees at 75 companies in the region. Work for Art donations are matched dollar-for-dollar by a public-private matching challenge fund, and proceeds are distributed to approximately 100 arts organizations every year.

“Over the past nine years, Work for Art has distributed more than $6.2 million in grants and direct gifts to arts and culture organizations based in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties,” said program manager Kathryn Jackson. “Their work plays out every day in theaters, concert halls, galleries, hospitals, libraries, classrooms and community centers throughout the region.”

Earlier this year, Work for Art announced that it has set an ambitious goal to raise $1 million in celebration of its 10th Anniversary Campaign that began in July, 2015 and runs through June 30, 2016. Mike Golub, President of Business Operations at the Portland Timbers, and Dave Lofland, President of KeyBank Oregon and SW Washington, are co-chairing the campaign. To learn more and contribute, visit workforart.org.

In late December, RACC will publish its “Year in Review” for all programs along with audited financial statements for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2015.