RACC Blog

Coming to the Portland Building Installation Space: “Industry of Aloha,” an installation by Kanani Miyamoto, May 31 – June 24

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Using a color palette that can range from vivid and nature to strange and artificial, artist Kanani Miyamoto will cover the Installation Space with images of tropical Hawaiian flora that she paints and block prints onto the walls. But what appears familiar and known at first glance can transition into something more uncertain upon closer inspection…something compromised. According to the State of Hawai`i  6,414,197 tourists visited the islands this last year. Hawai`i is a valuable commodity. Unfortunately, the tourist industry has negatively impacted traditional Hawaiian culture and the environment. While many generations of Hawaiians have depended on tourism for economic stability, are they working seven days a week, eight hours a day selling a false Hawai`i?

Each year the Installation Space series reserves several exhibition opportunities for art students at the university level. The format and presentation requirements for these installations are identical to those for established professional artists, RACC created this separate eligibility category to help introduce emerging talents. Kanani Miyamoto has just completed her MFA in Print Media at Pacific Northwest College of Art.

The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland and is open 8 am to 5 pm, Monday – Friday. For more information on the Portland Building Installation Space, including images, proposals, and statements for all projects dating back to 1994, go to http://racc.org/installationspace.

Kanani Miyamoto’s installation at the Portland Building draws on her mastery of print media presented in large scale, as seen in here in Shrine Base from 2015.

Kanani Miyamoto’s installation at the Portland Building draws on her mastery of print media presented in large scale, as seen in here in Shrine Base from 2015.

NEA Approved for Arts Funding Increase

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Issued by Americans for the Arts on May 25, 2016.

Today (May 25)  the House Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations approved a $2 million increase in federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), matching the President’s budget request for a total of $149.8 million for fiscal year 2017. The National Endowment for the Humanities was approved at the same increased funding level as the NEA.

This bill will next be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee and later by the entire House and Senate chambers. Amendments to add or cut funding could happen along the way. We will keep you informed of major legislative developments and/or calls to action.

Check the Arts Action Fund website for details of the proposed increases allocated to the other federal cultural agencies and institutions.

Kaiser Permanente, The Standard and ZGF Architects win top prizes at Work for Art’s Battle of the Bands

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Seven employee bands competed in Work for Art’s first annual Battle of the Bands, which drew more than 400 music fans to the Crystal Ballroom on Thursday, May 12. Celebrity judges Christopher Brown, Steve Pringle and Rindy Ross awarded the top prize – best company band – to Pencil Skirt Paula and The Straight Edge Rulers, from ZGF Architects. The Best Showmanship prize went to Kaiser Permanente’s 1980s cover band, Members Only.

The Audience Favorite award, as determined by the band that raised the most money from the audience, went to The Standard’s Smoke Before Fire. In all more than $75,000 was raised through event sponsorships, ticket sales, a silent auction, a raffle and other cash donations.

Kaiser Permanente’s 1980s cover band, Members Only.

Kaiser Permanente’s 1980s cover band, Members Only, photo by Erica Ann Photography.

All event proceeds will help Work for Art draw closer to its fundraising goal of $1 million by June 30. Work for Art is a program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council that raises money and awareness for local arts and culture organizations, primarily through workplace giving. RACC distributes all campaign proceeds to more than 100 local nonprofit organizations – including Oregon Children’s Theatre, Ethos Music Center, Portland Opera and the Children’s Healing Art Project.

The Standard’s Smoke Before Fire.

The Standard’s Smoke Before Fire, photo by Erica Ann Photography.

Battle of the Bands was the first-ever public fundraising event for Work for Art, which is now in its tenth year. The event was emceed by Joe Vithayathil of KPTV Fox 12 Oregon, and by singer-songwriter Merideth Kaye Clarke. The Brothers Jam, led by BodyVox artistic director Jamey Hampton, opened the show, and one of the Timbers Army bands, Greenhorn, played the final set.

Other competing bands included The Legal Limit (Tonkon Torp), The Red Keys (KeyBank), Larry and the Lightbulbs (PGE), and Dystopia (Burgerville). Companies that are interested in competing in next year’s Battle should contact Jeff Hawthorne, Director of Community Engagement for the Regional Arts & Culture Council, at jhawthorne@racc.org, 503-823-5258.

To make a donation that will help Work for Art reach its million-dollar goal, visit workforart.org.

Celebrity judges Christopher Brown, Rindy Ross and Steve Pringle. Photo by Erica Ann Photography.

Celebrity judges Christopher Brown, Rindy Ross and Steve Pringle. Photo by Erica Ann Photography.

Kaiser Permanente, The Standard and ZGF Architects win top prizes at Work for Art’s Battle of the Bands

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PORTLAND, ORE — Seven employee bands competed in Work for Art’s first annual Battle of the Bands, which drew more than 400 music fans to the Crystal Ballroom on Thursday night. Celebrity judges Christopher Brown, Steve Pringle and Rindy Ross awarded the top prize – best company band – to Pencil Skirt Paula and The Straight Edge Rulers, from ZGF Architects. The Best Showmanship prize went to Kaiser Permanente’s 1980s cover band, Members Only.

The Audience Favorite award, as determined by the band that raised the most money from the audience, went to The Standard’s Smoke Before Fire. In all more than $75,000 was raised through event sponsorships, ticket sales, a silent auction, a raffle and other cash donations.

Kaiser Permanente’s 1980s cover band, Members Only.

Members Only (Kaiser Permanente), photo by Erica Ann Photography.

All event proceeds will help Work for Art draw closer to its fundraising goal of $1 million by June 30. Work for Art is a program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council that raises money and awareness for local arts and culture organizations, primarily through workplace giving. RACC distributes all campaign proceeds to more than 100 local nonprofit organizations – including Oregon Children’s Theatre, Ethos Music Center, Portland Opera and the Children’s Healing Art Project.

The Standard’s Smoke Before Fire.

The Standard’s Smoke Before Fire.

Battle of the Bands was the first-ever public fundraising event for Work for Art, which is now in its tenth year. The event was emceed by Joe Vithayathil of KPTV Fox 12 Oregon, and by singer-songwriter Merideth Kaye Clarke. The Brothers Jam, led by BodyVox artistic director Jamey Hampton, opened the show, and one of the Timbers Army bands, Greenhorn, played the final set.

Other competing bands included The Legal Limit (Tonkon Torp), The Red Keys (KeyBank), Larry and the Lightbulbs (PGE), and Dystopia (Burgerville). Companies that are interested in competing in next year’s Battle should contact Jeff Hawthorne, Director of Community Engagement for the Regional Arts & Culture Council, at jhawthorne@racc.org, 503-823-5258.

To make a donation that will help Work for Art reach its million-dollar goal, visit workforart.org.

Celebrity judges Christopher Brown, Rindy Ross and Steve Pringle. Photo by Erica Ann Photography.

Celebrity judges Christopher Brown, Rindy Ross and Steve Pringle. Photo by Erica Ann Photography.

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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; and 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.

The Right Brain Initiative receives funding from National Endowment for the Arts to catalyze change in public schools

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The Right Brain Initiative has received a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to deliver systemic and equitable arts programming to local K-8 schools. Right Brain, a program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, works in partnership with local school districts to transform learning through robust arts programming that integrates with core curriculum. This is the fifth grant the Initiative has earned from the NEA.

“The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Supporting projects like this one from The Right Brain Initiative offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.”

Right Brain invests in the professional capital of its partner schools by providing educators with the tools to seamlessly blend the arts with all other subject areas. The grant will help Right Brain bring its four-year hands-on professional development program to more than 1,200 area teachers, arts specialists, principals and teaching artists in the 2016-17 school year. Through collaboration between Right Brain teaching artists and classroom teachers, the program will serve more than 26,000 K-8 students in urban, suburban and rural communities of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, Oregon.

The NEA’s Art Works grants support the creation and presentation of work, lifelong learning in the arts, and public engagement through 13 arts disciplines or fields. This award is part of $82 million distributed by the NEA to fund local arts projects across the nation. To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #NEASpring16. For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov.

The Right Brain Initiative receives funding from National Endowment for the Arts to catalyze change in public schools

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PORTLAND, ORE — The Right Brain Initiative has received a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to deliver systemic and equitable arts programming to local K-8 schools. Right Brain, a program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, works in partnership with local school districts to transform learning through robust arts programming that integrates with core curriculum. This is the fifth grant the Initiative has earned from the NEA.

“The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Supporting projects like this one from The Right Brain Initiative offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.”

Right Brain invests in the professional capital of its partner schools by providing educators with the tools to seamlessly blend the arts with all other subject areas. The grant will help Right Brain bring its four-year hands-on professional development program to more than 1,200 area teachers, arts specialists, principals and teaching artists in the 2016-17 school year. Through collaboration between Right Brain teaching artists and classroom teachers, the program will serve more than 26,000 K-8 students in urban, suburban and rural communities of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, Oregon.

The NEA’s Art Works grants support the creation and presentation of work, lifelong learning in the arts, and public engagement through 13 arts disciplines or fields. This award is part of $82 million distributed by the NEA to fund local arts projects across the nation. To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #NEASpring16. For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov.

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The Right Brain Initiative is a sustainable partnership of public schools, local government, foundations, businesses and the cultural community working to transform learning through the arts for all K-8 students in the Portland metro area. Now in its eighth year, Right Brain serves 63 schools and approximately 25,000 students from urban, suburban and rural communities in the Portland area. In fall of 2014, Right Brain released data connecting the program to an above-average increase in student test scores, with greatest results for English Language Learners. Right Brain is an initiative of the Regional Arts & Culture Council. Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington serves as Implementation Partner. Read more online at TheRightBrainInitiative.org.

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; and 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.

Artist in Residence at the Portland Archives and Records Center

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RACC has tapped artist Sabina Zeba Haque to be part of a year-long residency at the Portland Archives and Records Center (PARC). The artist will collaborate with PARC staff to explore Portland neighborhoods east of 82nd Avenue and to unravel the history of exclusion and inclusion in this community. This is the second in a series of public art residencies funded by the City of Portland Percent for Art Program administered by RACC.

For many years, 82nd Avenue served as the easternmost boundary of the city of Portland. In 1980s Portland expanded the city’s boundaries roughly to 182nd Avenue, annexing approximately 140,000 people. Long-time residents, neighborhood activists and an influx of South East Asian immigrants came together in this evolving geographical space in a decade marked by economic and political turmoil. Today, with a quarter of the city’s population and nearly 40% of its youth, East Portland is the most diverse and rapidly growing section of the city.

Through her residency, Haque will explore how the neighborhood’s identity has evolved over the last 35 years, and how Portland can preserve its past while fostering a more inclusive civic identity.  Using oral histories, archival sources, and theater workshops, the artist will create a voice-by-voice community portrait of the communities around 82nd Avenue via hand-drawn animation and video. The project seeks to give nuance and form to this vibrant neighborhood and works toward civic equity through art and creative community engagement.

Haque is an artist of South Asian descent raised in Karachi, Pakistan. Her work combines oral histories, video performance and hand-drawn animation to explore the turbulent transformations of identity and place. She received an MFA in Painting from Boston University and teaches at Portland State University. In 2015 Haque was a TEDxMtHood speaker and artist-in-residence.

UPDATE: Annexation & Assimilation: Exploring City Archives East of 82nd Ave

Haque’s project exhibition, Annexation & Assimilation: Exploring City Archives East of 82nd Ave, will be on display at Open Signal from February 16 – April 28, 2017. Public viewing hours will be Tuesday – Friday (10:00am -10:00pm) and Saturday – Sunday (noon – 8:00pm).

On April 20th, there will be a panel discussion: Policy and Imagination: Place-Keeping in Portland, How Artists and City Managers Can Envision the Future City at Open Signal.

For more information contact Kristin Calhoun at kcalhoun@racc.org or 503.823.5401.

Your Input Sought for a new Arts Facility in Beaverton

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The City of Beaverton needs your help to plan a proposed Arts and Culture Center facility that is currently under consideration.

We need your help to plan the Arts and Culture Center.  Please take the following survey and let us know how often you would use the facility, what type of performances you would like to see, and what you would be willing to pay to attend programs.

The survey is available until Friday, May 6.  Your participation will help shape the future character of the center – so please share your views!

http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/ACC

Below: Early Preliminary Rendering of Proposed Arts and Culture Center by Place Landscape Architects

Beaverton Arts April 2016