RACC Blog

Oregon Artists and Arts Organizations report $56M lost revenue

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Survey results forecast 3-month financial impact of COVID-19 on arts & culture community

Portland, Ore – Across the world, life has changed dramatically as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold. The picture of that impact on the arts community came into sharp focus this week as the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) tallied results from a statewide survey conducted last week.

The Oregon COVID-19 Impact Survey is an effort to measure estimated losses during March, April and May 2020 on individuals working in the arts as well as arts organizations. Reported losses include revenues from lost contracts, shows and teaching work that have all been cancelled in order to comply with restrictions on group sizes, gatherings and requirements for social distancing during this health crisis.

RACC, the nonprofit arts council for the tri-county area including Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties, collected more than 1,200 responses from individuals and more than 260 arts organizations across 25 counties. Multnomah County-based artists provided the bulk of the data with more than 900 respondents reporting a total of $46 million in losses for the single quarter. Initial analysis of the data show impacts increasing month over month. RACC intends to share the data to support efforts at the state, federal and local levels and to lead advocacy efforts and guide resource collection and distribution for individuals and organizations.

“Thank you to the people who took the time to respond to the survey,” said Madison Cario, RACC Executive Director. “They have collectively confirmed that many individuals and organizations working in arts and culture lack sufficient infrastructure and resources to sustain continued financial and social disruptions.” The information is well-documented in the field, Cario added, “The survey data empowers advocates and funders with specific financial details of what is currently being lost as we work towards solutions.”

As part of the response to COVID-19, RACC is relaxing funding restrictions in order to get dollars out the door faster, and partnering with other grant makers to deepen impact. “We are grateful to have the Oregon Community Foundation and the Miller Foundation at the table with the shared goal of relief for the arts community, said Cario.  “This relief is intended as breathing room so we can be creative about possible pivots and planning adaptations for the long haul.”

Portland State of the Arts: 2018

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As Portland continues to change, we asked artists, arts administrators, and creatives to share their thoughts on the “state of the arts” here in the city to illuminate the ways arts and culture intersect with our lives as Portlanders and get a glimpse of the cultural landscape through their eyes. Their words serve as a critical companion to RACC’s annual State of the Arts report to Portland City Council, which can be found here. We asked, What is their experience? What makes them anxious? What makes them hopeful? What issues do they and/or their communities face as the city continues to change? What is their vision for the future?

Here are their stories in their words:

 

Fluid State(s)

by Roya Amirsoleymani

To be asked to address the “state of the arts” in Portland is a welcome invitation, and at the same time an arguably flawed frame of reference and impossible task. No single individual can be in comprehensive or equal relationship to the breadth of formal and informal organizations, institutions, cultures, and communities that produce, engage in, and contribute to arts and culture in our region. Nevertheless, articulating one’s perspective on the present and future of our arts ecosystem is a valuable exercise in remembering why we do what we do, and in evaluating what’s working, what isn’t, and where we go from here. In turn, those of us active at the cross-section of arts and other social spheres–including education, policy and advocacy, neighborhood involvement, community organizing, and justice movements–have a stake in art’s inextricable connections to civic life, and part of our job is to advocate for the value of arts and culture to the public and to those with influence over the distribution of shared resources.

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Portland Falls Short When Investing in Artists of Color

by Celeste Noche

Almost five years ago, I moved to Portland because it was renown for its creative community (and it’s cute af, but that’s neither here nor there). I wanted to brave a career in photography, and after years of failing to connect with other artists in San Francisco, I thought Portland would be a better way to go about it. On my visits thus far, everyone had been so welcoming and nice. Seeing alternative art and flourishes of creativity throughout the city made it feel smaller in a more intimate, inspiring way. Maybe Portland could be a place to grow and learn within a community of artists.

Two years later, I found myself with endless acquaintances but no friends or mentors within the arts. I learned that while everyone was nice, not everyone was open. The creative communities I’d touched upon were limited to friendly greetings and nothing deeper— tight-knit also meant tight-lipped.

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Notes on Surviving in Portland

by Paul Susi

I am a Portland native, the son of immigrants and a person of color. I am the Co-Chair of the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition; I am the Artistic and Executive Director of Portland Actors Ensemble / Shakespeare in the Parks; I am a Conversation Project Facilitator for Oregon Humanities; I serve as the Transition Support Manager for Transition Projects, with responsibility for the seasonal winter shelters that we operate on a temporary basis. And I am an independent theater artist in my own right, devising and producing my own work as well as performing in the work of others.

I mention all of this because, to be candid, this is the kind of multi-tasking, variegated career that an artist of my generation and ability must engage in, simply to survive in this community now. Portland is an immensely inspiring and nurturing cultural environment, in many key ways. But as we all know, we are beset with challenging social, economic and political obstacles that limit the viability of this arts ecosystem.

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Portland’s Creative Culture Depends on its Artists Thriving

by Roshani Thakore

As a student in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Program focused on art in the public spheres, the accessibility to the various arts communities within Portland has been extremely welcoming and exciting since I landed here in July 2017 after 18 years in New York City. The most invigorating, inspiring, and complex work that I’ve been able to experience and see is from the artists who have been creatively pushing issues of race, class, sex, sexuality, indigenous rights, immigration and migration through their work within this city. These artists in Portland are actively shaping the cultural landscape and they need support and investment. They are our neighbors, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, cousins, friends that are surviving on a day-to-day basis in a city with a very recent history of policies and actions shaped by white supremacy and systemic oppression.

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Candidates share their views on arts and culture issues

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RACC is working to ensure that elected officials can articulate the value of arts and culture in society, and asks candidates to prioritize funding decisions to ensure that everyone in our community has access to the arts and arts education.

For the spring 2018 primary election, RACC distributed a questionnaire to all candidates running for Portland City Council; Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington County Boards of Commissioners; and Metro Council. Each candidate was asked five questions on March 13 or 14, and given the opportunity to respond by March 30 when this story was first published.  RACC will continue to publish responses from candidates even after the deadline has passed.

Please click on the link for each candidate to read their response. If there is no hyperlink, that candidate has not submitted a response.

For Portland City Council, Position 2:

For Portland City Council, Position 3:

For Clackamas County Commissioner, Position 2:

For Clackamas County Commissioner, Position 5:

For Multnomah County Chair:

  • Chuck Crockett
  • Deborah Kafoury
  • Wes Soderback
  • D. Bora Harris

For Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2:

For Washington County Chair:

For Washington County Commissioner, District 2:

For Washington County Commissioner, District 4:

For Metro Council President:

For Metro Councilor, District 1:

For Metro Councilor, District 2:

For Metro Councilor, District 4:

 

Art Spark is on February 26

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The first Art Spark of 2018 is here!!! Join us for another evening of education and celebration as we share space with Orí Gallery, UNA Gallery, and Portland Open Studios (celebrating their 20 year anniversary!!). This February, Art Spark is trying something NEW and will raise funds for these amazing organizations and the important work they are doing for artists in the community.

The evening will include a 30 minute community discussion and panel. Our Community Partners (and guests) will investigate the barriers and best practices for artists responding to open calls. They will share the work they are doing to address equity, inclusion, and diversity in the Portland art scene. Artist Performances (TBA), music by VNPRT, raffle prizes, food, drinks & more.

This event is open to the entire community. While there is no formal cost to attend (Art Spark is always free!) donations are welcome, with all proceeds distributed among the three Community Partners: UNA Gallery, Orí Gallery, and Portland Open Studios. Alcohol sales will contribute to fundraising efforts!

More information on upcoming and past events on https://portlandartspark.com.

Location:  Lagunitas Community Room, 237 NE Broadway St,

Date:  February 26th 6-8 PM

Photographer:  Renee Lopez

DJ:   VNPRT


COMMUNITY PARTNERS

UNA Gallery is a contemporary art space dedicated to highlighting the work of POC, Queer, Femme and Gender Non-Conforming artists. We aim to offer a consistent and constructive platform for the collaborative and solo efforts of non-established and experimental artists.

Ori Gallery is the brain child of the creative duo Maya Vivas & Leila Haile. Together they seek to reclaim and redefine “the white cube” through amplifying the voices of Trans and Queer Artists of color, community organizing and mobilization through the arts.

Portland Open Studios creates a unique educational opportunity for the public to witness art in the making, and learn about media, materials and the business of creative endeavor. Through this interaction, Portland Open Studios creates a platform for local artists to thrive, engage and fosters a community that values the arts.

FEATURED ORGANIZATIONS

Artists and Craftsman North Portland– Art supply store located in North Portland, OR. Employee owned and operated, we pride ourselves in our ability to bring the highest quality products to artists in our community at a price that is affordable to all

RACC Announces the 2018 Juice Honorees

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PORTLAND, ORE. — The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) will host its second annual Juice breakfast on March 1 at the Portland Art Museum. The annual benefit is an opportunity for members of the business and arts communities to come together and celebrate the people and partnerships fueling the arts in our region.

This year RACC is honoring several artists and business leaders who impact art and culture throughout Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. The honorees have made creative contributions to our urban landscapes, formed meaningful and innovative partnerships, engaged with local communities, inspired kids to think differently about art and science and opened dialogue through many means, including performance.

This year’s award-winners are:

Using the Power of Space and Place
Valerie Otani
New Expressive Works and WYSE Real Estate Advisors

Out of the Ordinary
Kevin Cavenaugh, Guerilla Development Co.
NW Noggin
YWCA/Fred Meyer and Imago Theater

Elevating Voices / Changing the Conversation
Profile Theatre
Paul Susi
August Wilson Red Door Project and Portland Police Bureau

Join us at Juice to learn more about these change-makers and risk-takers enriching our community. Juice 2018 is presented by RACC and sponsored by Portland General Electric. Buy your tickets here: https://racc.ejoinme.org/Juice2018

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants for artists, nonprofit organizations and schools in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through Work for Art; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; oversees a program to integrate arts and culture into the standard curriculum in public schools through The Right Brain Initiative. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and is working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity and the arts. For more information visit racc.org.

Donate to the Oregon Cultural Trust: Impact of your Cultural Donations for Free

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If you gave to an arts and culture nonprofit this year (including RACC) you qualify to take advantage of Oregon’s cultural tax credit. The credit makes doubling the impact of your cultural giving free, but you have to act before December 31. As a supporter of arts and culture in Oregon, you don’t want to miss this opportunity! Here’s how it works:

  1. Make a donation to any one, or combination of, the 1400+ cultural non-profits in the state
  2. Donate the same amount to the Oregon Cultural Trust by Dec. 31
  3. Claim the cultural tax credit when you file your taxes. You will get 100% of the Trust donation back as a tax credit. Not a deduction. A credit.*

*up to $500 for individuals, $1000 for couples filing jointly, and $2500 for a class-C Corporation

I urge you to make your matching donation to the Cultural Trust before Dec. 31. Learn more here: http://culturaltrust.org/get-involved/donate/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH7TRzEZSD

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Senate Restores NEA Arts Funding for FY’18

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Issued by Americans for the Arts on November 20,2017.

Thanks to you and thousands of Arts Action Fund members, we advanced another big victory today in the United States Senate to #SAVEtheNEA. Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who received our Congressional Arts Leadership Award this year, soundly rejected President Trump’s attempt to terminate the nation’s cultural agencies by fully restoring FY 2018 arts funding to $150 million for both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Congress extended its deadline to December 8th to pass legislation to fund government agencies and programs, including the NEA.  At that time, they will need to either pass or further extend that deadline again in order to keep the government running. Other key factors still in play this fall include possible veto threats from the President, focus on tax reform, recovery funding, money to “build a wall,” and not reaching agreement on increasing the looming debt ceiling caps.

We’re close to the finishing line.  Help keep the pressure on Congress. Watch the above one million-plus viewed video featuring members of our Artist Committee speak out and then please come visit our online Action Center to send a message to Congress. See the Arts Action Fund blog for a detailed chart of the Senate-proposed budgets of the various federal arts agencies.

Portland’s arts tax is a good deal

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by Jeff Hawthorne, the interim executive director of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
Published in The Oregonian on October 8, 2017. 

The arts tax is supported by Portland taxpayers because it benefits Portland’s public school students, yields economic dividends and makes our community better. The Oregonian/OregonLive’s recent editorial, “Portland’s arts tax should go back to the ballot,” lacked important context.

Ninety-three percent of Americans believe arts education is critical to a well-rounded education. But when school budgets are squeezed, arts education invariably finds itself on the chopping block. That is why 62 percent of Portlanders voted to tax themselves to ensure that public grade schools in the city have at least one art or music teacher. Mission accomplished.

So then why does The Oregonian brazenly assert that the arts tax “specifies arts for only certain students?” In fact, every K-5 public school student in Portland benefits. Before the arts tax, there were 31 arts specialists. Today there are 92, that’s one teacher for every 381 students, and a vast improvement from the 1:997 ratio that existed before the arts tax. We agree that state government and local school boards should fully fund arts education for every student, but until that happens, the arts tax is the only thing keeping many art and music teachers on staff, plain and simple.

Furthermore, the arts tax provides critical resources through the Regional Arts & Culture Council for Portland’s nonprofit arts and culture sector. Prior to 2012, Portland’s general fund invested about $6 per capita in the council for the nonprofit arts sector. Today, with additional revenue from the arts tax, Portland’s investment is $9.38 per capita. That’s still below the national average and trailing other cities that compete for creative talent, including $12 per capita in Austin, Texas, and almost $14 per capita in Seattle. Portland is still playing catch-up.

Cities across the country understand that investments in artists and arts organizations produce better results in education, a higher quality of life for residents and a more creative workforce. These investments are fully consistent with Portland’s goals to ensure a healthy, prosperous and equitable community.

The organizations funded by the Regional Arts & Culture Council provide an array of programs that bring diverse communities together and enhance the educational experience for tens of thousands of schoolchildren every year. Artists and arts organizations provide services for people experiencing homelessness, bring disenfranchised communities and police together to discuss public safety issues, expand opportunities for people with disabilities and provide $5 tickets for low-income Oregonians through the Arts for All program. Public funding makes all of this possible.

Public investments in the arts yield economic dividends as well. In addition to the tax, the city and Multnomah County last year invested a combined $8 million in the council that was distributed in grants and services. Those investments resulted in more than $294 million of economic activity, supporting 10,146 full time jobs with taxable income that returned $12.5 million back into local government coffers, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study we recently published with Americans for the Arts. That’s a 156 percent return on investment, supporting other vital city and county services.

Portlanders are getting a great deal through the arts tax. If spending an additional $200,000 from the city’s general fund helps the city collect another $1 million to $2 million, which can be invested in arts education and access initiatives that benefit all Portlanders, I’d say that’s a good deal, too.