RACC Blog

FY2016-17 General Operating Support Awards

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Please note: This post (8/1/17) was updated on October 20, 2017, to correct some award amounts that were originally misreported.

A total of $2,430,900 in general operating support was distributed to 51 organizations in fiscal year 2016-17. Additional information about this program is available on the General Operating Support page. The arts organizations which received general operating support in 2016-17 are:

  • Artists Repertory Theatre – $69,500
  • Bag & Baggage Productions – $10,000
  • Blue Sky – $11,700
  • BodyVox – $31,600
  • Broadway Rose Theatre Company – $23,000
  • Cappella Romana, Inc. – $13,800
  • Chamber Music Northwest – $39,600
  • Children’s Healing Art Project (CHAP) – $13,400
  • Disjecta Contemporary Art Center – $13,900
  • Echo Theater Company – $15,300
  • Ethos Music Center – $29,600
  • Friends of Chamber Music – $19,000
  • Hand2Mouth Theatre – $8,000
  • Hollywood Theatre – $38,300
  • Imago Theatre – $15,500
  • Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) – $10,600
  • Lakewood Center for the Arts – $21,000
  • Literary Arts, Inc. – $45,000
  • Live Wire! Radio – $15,200
  • Metropolitan Youth Symphony – $19,700
  • Miracle Theatre Group – $21,000
  • My Voice Music – $9,800
  • Northwest Children’s Theater and School – $52,300
  • Northwest Dance Project – $34,200
  • NW Documentary Arts & Media – $8,000
  • Oregon Ballet Theatre – $131,000
  • Oregon Children’s Theatre – $72,900
  • Oregon Symphony Association – $352,000
  • PDX Jazz – $17,200
  • Pendulum Aerial Arts – $8,000
  • PHAME – $13,700
  • PlayWrite, Inc. – $10,100
  • Portland Art Museum/Northwest Film Center – $427,000
  • Portland Baroque Orchestra – $28,700
  • Portland Center Stage – $225,000
  • Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra – $13,200
  • Portland Gay Men’s Chorus – $14,700
  • Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) – $41,900
  • Portland Opera Association – $214,000
  • Portland Piano International – $20,000
  • Portland Playhouse – $23,000
  • Portland Youth Philharmonic – $23,800
  • Profile Theatre – $17,100
  • The Circus Project – $12,800
  • The Portland Ballet – $24,100
  • Third Angle New Music – $8,000
  • Third Rail Repertory Theatre – $29,100
  • Triangle Productions! – $13,000
  • White Bird – $42,100
  • Write Around Portland – $13,400
  • Young Audiences of Oregon – $46,100

 

2017-18 RACC Professional Development Grants (Cycle 1)

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The Professional Development Grant Program assists artists or arts administrators with opportunities that specifically improve their business management development skills and/or brings the artist or the arts organization to another level artistically. The RACC Board approved these awards on May 24, 2017. (*First time grant recipients)

Here are the 2017-18 Professional Development grant awards (cycle 1) to both individuals and organizations:

*Bidegain, Ray – Work with master photographer in Raleigh, North Carolina. – $1,500

Chilstrom, Robin – Attend vocal improvisation workshop in Rhinecliff, New York. – $1,700

Chou, Hong – Perform at College Music Society’s International Music Conference in Sydney, Australia. – $1,950 (Washington)

Cohen, Stephen – Travel to attend music residency at Music OMI in Ghent, New York. – $775

*Connelly, Muffie  – Travel to participate in Ponderosa Artist Residency in Stolzenhagen, Germany. – $1,200

*Cosper, Anna – Attend Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in LA. – $1,500

*Creamer, Alissa Nicole – Create artist website. – $1,500

*Deandrade, Donna – Travel to study with Grupo Afro-Cuba in Matanzas, Cuba. – $1,750

*Doughton, Steven – Digitize work and attend exhibition open at MOMA in New York City. – $1,500

*Hickey, Leslie – Attend Civita Fellowship in Civita di Bahnoregio, Italy. – $1,750

*Hill, Will – Attend California Brazil Camp in Cazadero, California. – $1,500

*Houston, Taino – Create artist website and marketing materials. – $1,500

*Kuhlman, Laura – Attend Viols West workshop in San Luis Obispo, California. – $1,200

*Leavitt, Matt – Research and training on the use of CNC router. – $1,500

*Lewis, Ellen – Present work at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. – $1,800 (Clackamas)

*Lewis, Katherine – Attend Dell’Arte Theater Summer Intensive in Blue Lake, California. – $1,000

Martin, Yuki – Create artist website. – $1,000

*Newman, Hannah – Exhibit work at GRIN, a gallery in Providence, Rhode Island. – $925 (Washington)

*Nikolai, Tabitha – Travel to create work with collaborators in Tokyo. – $1,200

Nye, Whitney – Update artist website. – $1,300

*O’Neal, Sidony – Work with consultant Jesse Mejia on sound design and audio synthesis. – $1,150

*Ostapenko, Tatyana – Present work at the Odessa Biennasle in Ukraine. – $1,250

*Oyervides, Alejandra – Attend apparel construction workshops at the Portland Fashion Institute. – $1,500

*Parker, Brian – Attend Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in LA. – $1,750

*Rose, Alicia J. – Create artist website. – $1,650

Sivley, Paul – Attend Pro Drone Workshop training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. – $1,450 (Clackamas)

Stiles, Noelle – Attend Fundación El Mirador residency in Buenos Aires, Argentina. – $1,500

Tran, Minh – Travel to work with master dance teachers in Bali, Indonesia. – $1,500

*Woodring, Ryan – Attend Signal Fire Residency “Canoe: Big Bend” on the Rio Grande River in Texas. – $850

*Action/Adventure Theatre – Create new organizational website and brand. – $1,350

*Beaverton Symphony Orchestra – Attend League of American Orchestras management training in LA. – $1,500 (Washington)

*Tavern Books – Attend American Literary Translators Association Conference in Minneapolis. – $1,500

For more information on Professional Development grants click here.

2017-18 Arts Equity Grants

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Arts Equity Grants provide financial support to organizations that are conducting arts and culture projects and programming for communities of color, immigrants, refugees, underserved neighborhoods, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ communities, people experiencing homelessness and houselessness, and other communities that have historically been marginalized.

The RACC Board of Directors approved the final 24 grant awards on May 24, 2017. (*First-time RACC Grant recipient)

  • Autism Society of Oregon – Art workshops for adults on the autism spectrum. $1,250
  • Cinema Project – Social justice film screenings at correctional facility in partnership with Liberation Literacy. $1,480
  • Cymaspace – Oregon Arts & Accessibility Festival to showcase the work of deaf and hard of hearing artists. $6,500
  • Fuse Theatre Ensemble – OUTwright Theatre Festival, celebrating the contributions of the LGBTQI+ community to the art of theatre. $5,000
  • Girls Inc of the Pacific Northwest* – Five week summer documentary filmmaking program that inspires girls to share the stories of Portland women. $6,500
  • Hmong American Community of Oregon* – New Year Celebration at Glenhaven Park. $6,000
  • Instituto de Cultura y Arte In Xochitl In Cuicatl – Dia de los Muertos ceremony and accompanying workshops/programming. $5,000
  • Jim Pepper Native Arts Festival* – 5th Annual Festival featuring and supporting Native American/First Nations artists, activists, and vendors. $6,000
  • Kukatonon Children’s African Dance Troupe – After-school African dance and drumming program, including partnership with The Portland Ballet. $6,500
  • Latino Network – Multi-media video art project with Latino youth in East County. $6,500
  • Morpheus Youth Project – Breakdancing workshop in partnership with Department of Community Justice, Juvenile Services.  $6,500
  • NAYA Family Center – Neerchokikoo Honoring Powwow, an annual celebration honoring Native American Cultural Arts. $5,000
  • New Expressive Works – Weekend of workshops and activities highlighting the experiences of urban South Asians. $6,500
  • Outside the Frame* – Intensive filmmaking workshop and subsequent weekly programming for youth experiencing homelessness. $6,000
  • Portland Art & Cultural Center* – Annual Chinese New Year Cultural Fair. $6,000
  • Portland Interfaith Gospel Choir* – Free community concert at St. Andre Bessette Catholic Church. $4,500
  • PreSERVE Coalition* – 12-week collaborative arts series with The Geezer Gallery for older African Americans. $6,500
  • Public Annex* – Two terms of art classes for people with disabilities and arts community. $5,000
  • Right 2 Survive – Support Ambassador Project to host writing and art workshops integrating housed and homeless people. $6,500
  • ROSE CDC* – Comprehensive music education, production, and performance program in partnership with Holla Mentors. $6,500
  • Slavic Community Center of NW* – Cultural music event for Slavic immigrants featuring local musicians performing music by Russian composers. $5,000
  • The Giving Tree – 4 session class for residents to explore their mental health diagnosis in relation to their creativity and art-making. $1,810
  • The Rosewood Initiative – Role Models Apply Positive Peer Pressure (RAPP) Music Program. $4,000
  • World Stage Theatre – Imagination Express Arts Education mobile outreach program in East County. $6,000

After funding two cycles of Arts Equity Grants in 2016 and 2017, RACC has decided to integrate the Arts Equity Grant program in our larger Project Grant program. Learn more about Arts Equity & Access Project Grants on our Project Grant page.

RACC announces new structure for project grants

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RACC has long offered project grant support to individual artists and organizations in the region, helping to support the creation and presentation of artmaking of all kinds. More than 140 artistic projects were funded last year, ranging from solo dance performances to an audio documentary series exploring gentrification to afterschool Taiko ensemble classes for youth.

Traditionally, RACC’s project grant application has been offered once a year, in the summer, to support the many performances, exhibitions, readings, screenings, broadcasts, festivals, tours, workshops, events, installations, and happenings that occur in the following calendar year. Now it is time for something new.

RACC is responding to community needs

Project grants are the most popular funding program at RACC by volume, and the interest and need for public support has increased significantly over the years. In 2008, RACC received 192 applications; two years later that number had increased to 267, and by 2014 RACC received a record 358 applications. This growth in the creative community needs to be met by a granting structure and timeline that better serves the artmakers, rather than the grantmakers.

In the most significant project grant change in years, RACC is moving from one deadline annually to three deadlines a year. The arts community can plan for the next project grant deadline coming up on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 by 5:00 p.m.  Subsequent project grant deadlines will be in February, June and October of 2018. RACC’s professional development grants will also move to the same multiple deadlines every year.

With the more frequent grant deadlines, artists and organizations can apply when they are ready to present their projects for consideration rather than when RACC’s application is available.

Grantmaking for Equity

Over the last two years, RACC staff have collected community feedback through online surveys and focus groups, and have researched and incorporated national best practices in grantmaking. Project grant enhancements are building on the lessons learned in administering RACC’s Arts Equity Grant program that was launched last year, and are a direct response to community need.

As always, RACC project grants are available to individual artists and non-profit organizations in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. The project grant categories and the application itself are slightly different than in previous years, so RACC encourages applicants to explore the categories and other grant requirements well in advance. The new categories for project grants will be:

  • Arts Equity & Access. Arts Equity Grants, which were first awarded in 2016, are now being folded into project grants and made available to individual artists as well as organizations. This change also allows RACC to expand Arts Equity Grant funding to all three counties when it had previously only been available to City of Portland and Multnomah County applicants. Arts Equity & Access projects will support arts programs and services that involve direct community participation from communities that are underserved, students, and other events and festivals that are community based.
  • Arts Services. Arts Services is a new category to artists and organizations that are providing technical assistance and other services to the field. RACC has seen an increasing number of these proposals over the last few years, and this new category makes funding available to projects that support the arts community with activities such as workshops and conferences.
  • Artistic Focus. The Artistic Focus category remains unchanged with the vision, innovation, creativity and high artistic quality of the artist or arts organization at the heart of the proposal.

As returning grant applicants read through the project grant guidelines and application, they may notice some additional changes. For example, organizations will no longer be required to meet a one-to-one match in their proposed budgets, and the review criteria has been revised.

Two-step process

RACC is also implementing a new two-step application process that will include a shorter Inquiry Application, followed by a Full Application for those proposals that are ready to be considered by a grant review panel. The Inquiry Application is brief, including several short questions plus a narrative opportunity to describe the proposed project, but will allow a staff review panel to determine that the details and timing of the proposed project are far enough along to be competitive.

“This new process will help save applicants from doing all the work of a full application at once,” says grants officer Helen Daltoso. The Inquiry Application will be reviewed by staff, and projects most likely to be competitive will be invited to submit a Full Application. Proposals that are not selected to submit a Full Application will have an opportunity to prepare further and re-apply in the next project grant deadline.

“If a project isn’t quite ready to move forward and needs more time to work out some of the details, there will always be another opportunity to re-submit another application in a few months,” said Daltoso. “Applicants will no longer have to wait a full year for the next opportunity to apply.”

Summary of Key Changes

Taken together, these changes will give artists and arts organizations more flexibility, and more opportunities for success at the Full Application stage. With three annual deadlines, applicants can come forward with proposals when they, and the projects they are developing, are truly ready for consideration.

  • Move from one annual deadline in August to three deadlines February, June and October beginning in 2018.
  • Applicants will be establishing their own project timeline, rather than having to adhere to the calendar year.
  • Revising grant categories to include Artistic Focus, Arts Equity & Access, and Arts Service projects.
  • Two-step application process:
    • Step one: Inquiry Application – a short application outlining project details
    • Step two: Full Application – only projects most likely to be competitive will be invited to submit a full application

The RACC staff and board are excited to launch this evolution of project support and how we serve the many dancers, filmmakers, composers, actors, artists, writers, performers, producers and creatives throughout the tri-county region.

How to Apply

The first step in the application process is to read the Project Grant Guidelines. This document outlines all the details of the program and can help applicants determine whether their project is eligible for a grant.

RACC is moving to a new online grant application system, so first time and returning applicants alike will need to create a new account in the new system at racc.org/apply.

Applicants who submit an Inquiry Application will receive a response from RACC within 5 weeks. Full Application proposals will be grouped by discipline and reviewed by a panel of community volunteers who have interest and experience in arts and culture programming.

The next four project grant deadlines are:

  • Wednesday, August 2, 2017 by 5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, February 7, 2018 by 5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, June 6, 2018 by 5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, October 3, 2018 by 5:00 p.m.

GRANT ORIENTATIONS

For more detailed information on Project Grant applications you may attend the following free, optional orientation sessions. It is important that you register for these orientations by either going to racc.org/rsvp or emailing Jack MacNichol at  jmacnichol@racc.org.

  • Thursday, July 13, 2017 | 6:00-7:30pm | Beaverton Library Auditorium 12375 SW 5th St, Beaverton
  • Friday, July 14, 2017 | This session is full and we are not able to accept additional registrations
  • Monday, July 17, 2017 | 6:00-7:30pm | Kenton Library Meeting Room – 8226 N Denver Ave, Portland
  • Wednesday, July 19, 2017 | 6:00-7:30pm | Midland Library Meeting Room – 805 SE 122nd Ave, Portland
  • Thursday, July 20, 2017 | 3:00-5:00pm | RACC Office – 411 NW Park Ave #101, Portland
  • Wednesday, July 26, 2017 | 6:00-7:30pm | Hollywood Library Meeting Room – 4040 NE Tillamook St, Portland
  • Thursday, July 27, 2017 | 9:00-11:00am | RACC Office – 411 NW Park Ave #101, Portland

Questions?

You can learn more about Project Grants and read the new Grant Guidelines on our Project Grant page. Please contact Quinn MacNichol with questions about RACC grants, or with translation and technical assistance requests, at 503-823-2928 or qmacnichol@racc.org.

RACC awards Arts Equity Grants to 24 organizations

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PORTLAND, ORE — The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded $126,540 in Arts Equity Grants to 24 organizations that are advancing RACC’s goals for equity and inclusion. These grants are funded by City of Portland’s Arts Education & Access Fund, or arts tax, along with support from Multnomah County.

Arts Equity Grants provide financial support to organizations that are conducting arts and culture projects and programming for communities of color, immigrants, refugees, underserved neighborhoods, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ communities, people experiencing homelessness and houselessness, and other communities that have historically been marginalized.

A total of 75 nonprofit organizations submitted eligible Letters of Interest in this cycle and 31 organizations were invited to submit full applications. A panel of RACC Board Members and community representatives reviewed the 29 submitted applications and recommended full or partial funding for 24 applicants, totaling $126,540. The RACC Board of Directors approved the final grant awards on May 24, 2017.

Here is a brief summary of the 24 Arts Equity Grants awarded (*First-time RACC Grant recipient):

  • Autism Society of Oregon – Art workshops for adults on the autism spectrum. $1,250
  • Cinema Project – Social justice film screenings at correctional facility in partnership with Liberation Literacy. $1,480
  • Cymaspace – Oregon Arts & Accessibility Festival to showcase the work of deaf and hard of hearing artists. $6,500
  • Fuse Theatre Ensemble – OUTwright Theatre Festival, celebrating the contributions of the LGBTQI+ community to the art of theatre. $5,000
  • Girls Inc of the Pacific Northwest* – Five week summer documentary filmmaking program that inspires girls to share the stories of Portland women. $6,500
  • Hmong American Community of Oregon* – New Year Celebration at Glenhaven Park. $6,000
  • Instituto de Cultura y Arte In Xochitl In Cuicatl – Dia de los Muertos ceremony and accompanying workshops/programming. $5,000
  • Jim Pepper Native Arts Festival* – 5th Annual Festival featuring and supporting Native American/First Nations artists, activists, and vendors. $6,000
  • Kukatonon Children’s African Dance Troupe – After-school African dance and drumming program, including partnership with The Portland Ballet. $6,500
  • Latino Network – Multi-media video art project with Latino youth in East County. $6,500
  • Morpheus Youth Project – Breakdancing workshop in partnership with Department of Community Justice, Juvenile Services.  $6,500
  • NAYA Family Center – Neerchokikoo Honoring Powwow, an annual celebration honoring Native American Cultural Arts. $5,000
  • New Expressive Works – Weekend of workshops and activities highlighting the experiences of urban South Asians. $6,500
  • Outside the Frame* – Intensive filmmaking workshop and subsequent weekly programming for youth experiencing homelessness. $6,000
  • Portland Art & Cultural Center* – Annual Chinese New Year Cultural Fair. $6,000
  • Portland Interfaith Gospel Choir* – Free community concert at St. Andre Bessette Catholic Church. $4,500
  • PreSERVE Coalition* – 12-week collaborative arts series with The Geezer Gallery for older African Americans. $6,500
  • Public Annex* – Two terms of art classes for people with disabilities and arts community. $5,000
  • Right 2 Survive – Support Ambassador Project to host writing and art workshops integrating housed and homeless people. $6,500
  • ROSE CDC* – Comprehensive music education, production, and performance program in partnership with Holla Mentors. $6,500
  • Slavic Community Center of NW* – Cultural music event for Slavic immigrants featuring local musicians performing music by Russian composers. $5,000
  • The Giving Tree – 4 session class for residents to explore their mental health diagnosis in relation to their creativity and art-making. $1,810
  • The Rosewood Initiative – Role Models Apply Positive Peer Pressure (RAPP) Music Program. $4,000
  • World Stage Theatre – Imagination Express Arts Education mobile outreach program in East County. $6,000

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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.

Applications available for RACC Arts Equity grant opportunity; letters of interest due February 22

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PORTLAND, ORE — With funding from Multnomah County and the City of Portland’s voter-approved Arts Education and Access Fund, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) will invest a total of $100,000 in nonprofit organizations that are providing arts and culture programs and services for marginalized communities, including geographically underserved neighborhoods; communities of color, immigrants, and refugees; persons with disabilities; LGBTQ  communities; homeless and houseless communities; and other under-represented populations.

Nonprofit organizations that are based in the City of Portland and/or Multnomah County are encouraged to submit proposals for artistic programs and projects occurring between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. To begin the application process, organizations should submit a Letter of Interest form (LOI) in RACC’s online grant portal at racc.culturegrants.org by Wednesday, February 22 at 5:00 p.m. Applicants whose LOIs best meet the objectives of this grant program will be invited to submit a full application in March.

Grant awards will be announced in May, and will range from $1,000 to $7,000 each. The types of activities that RACC intends to fund include, but are not limited to:

  • Events or programs that give underserved artists increased outlets to promote and market their work
  • Programs that provide technical assistance and other learning opportunities for artists in culturally specific communities
  • Arts programming within underrepresented communities
  • Community events that highlight and promote the art and culture of a particular community

“We are excited to offer the RACC Arts Equity Grant again,” said RACC Grant Officer Helen Daltoso. “After launching the online application process and increasing the grant budget in 2016, we saw an incredible amount of interest from the community,” Daltoso added. All guidelines and application materials are available online at racc.culturegrants.org.

RACC provides one-on-one assistance to applicants as needed, including feedback on draft applications and letters of interest. Upon request application materials can also be provided in other languages and formats. Contact Jack MacNichol at 503-823-2928 or jmacnichol@racc.org for more information.

RACC will also host two free information sessions to help community members learn more about the Arts Equity Grant and how to apply:

  • Thursday, February 9, 6-7:30 p.m. at Gresham Library, 385 NW Miller Avenue, Gresham
  • Saturday, February 11, 2-3:30 p.m. at RACC Offices, 411 NW Park Avenue, Suite 101, Portland
  • If you would like to attend an information session, please RSVP online at racc.org/grants or call us at 503-823-2928.

For more information about the Arts Equity Grant, and a summary of other grant programs and deadlines, visit racc.org/grants.

Key deadline: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 by 5:00 pm – LOI due online at racc.culturegrants.org.

How Arts Equity Grants are funded:

  • $50,000 is funded by Multnomah County, which increased its general fund investment to RACC for the purpose of expanding arts access and support for East County and other underserved populations.
  • $50,000 is funded by The Arts Education and Access Fund (AEAF), approved by Portland voters in November, 2012. The AEAF funds at least one art or music teacher in every public elementary school in Portland, and funds RACC to bring arts, culture and creativity to life for every Portland resident. For more information, visit racc.org/aeaf.

About RACC: The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) was established in 1995 and is funded by public and private partners to serve artists, arts organizations, schools and residents throughout Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. RACC provides grants for artists, nonprofit organizations and schools; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through workplace giving and other programs; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; and integrates the arts into K-8 curriculum through The Right Brain Initiative. Online at www.racc.org.

RACC announces 2017 Professional Development Grants

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The RACC Professional Development Grant Program individual artists and arts organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties with activities that improve their business management development skills and/or brings to them to another level artistically. A total of $39,871 was awarded to 29 individuals and 4 organizations. These grants were approved by the RACC Board on December 14, 2016.

* First Time Professional Development Grant Recipient

Except where noted, recipients are from Multnomah County

 

Individuals

*Alvarado, Amaya – Acrobatic training in Beijing – $1,000

*Bay, Amy – Online mentorship/feedback program – $750

Brock, Charissa – Update artist website – $1,500 (Washington)

*Brown, Ezekiel – Work with fundraising consultant – $1,200

*Bundy, Elizabeth – Update artist website – $1,500

*Burns, Hannah – Present work in Minneapolis – $520

*Cook, Jan – Photo Lucida portfolio review – $750

*Corris, Amy – Tradeshow in Utah – $1,200 (Washington)

*Curington, Susan – Study with master teacher in California – $984 (Washington)

*Fuchs, Jodi – Create marketing plan with consultant – $810

*Green, Cheryl – Audio description training in North Carolina – $1,070

*Gregor, Amarette – Craft jewelry tradeshow in Baltimore – $2,000

*Hanson, Erica – Work with artist coach – $600 (Clackamas)

*Horan, Elisabeth – Residency and exhibition in Maine – $912

*Kemp, Courtney – Residency and exhibition in Denver – $780

*Kilbourne, Kate – Internship in Washington DC – $800

*Lux, Ali – Dance workshops in Jamaica – $1,360

*Mefford, Benjamin – Sculpture exchange program in Japan – $1,500 (Clackamas)

*Pagliarulo, Jane – Etching workshop in San Francisco – $1,800

*Prado, Emilly – Residency in Mexico – $1,430

*Roessler, Sophie – Conference and residency in Toronto – $1,165

*Stewart, Aremy – Residency in Italy – $1,605

*Stull Meyers, Ashley – Residency in Canada – $750

*Tolosa, Consuelo – Work with business consultant – $1,000

*Trail, Jennifer – Photo Lucida portfolio review – $750

*Turley, Austin – Residency in Mexico – $1,595

Walker, Curtis – Study with master artist in London – $2,000

*Wrenn, Rio – Residency in France – $1,000

*Yes, Larry – Create artist website – $1,500

 

Organizations

*Oregon Society of Artists – Continue updates to website – $1,540

*Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts – Create new website – $2,000

*The Obo Addy Legacy Project – Study dance & music in Ghana – $1,500

*Westside Cultural Alliance – Attend AFTA Conference – $1,000 (Washington)

 

 

RACC awards $733,608 in project grants for 2017

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PORTLAND, ORE — The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded $733,608 in grants to 92 local artists and 52 nonprofit organizations for artistic projects that will take place in calendar year 2017. This represents a 10% increase over last year thanks to increased funding from Multnomah County, the City of Portland and RACC’s workplace giving campaign, Work for Art. Additional funding was provided by Clackamas County, Washington County and Metro.

“As 2016 draws to a close, we can start looking forward to a tremendous variety of innovative arts activities scheduled to take place in 2017,” said executive director Eloise Damrosch. “I am especially pleased that 57% of our grants this year are going to artists and organizations that have never received RACC project grant funding before.”

Some examples of funded artists and organizations that are receiving their first-ever project grant from RACC include:

  • Alan Alexander III, $5,400 in the Theatre category to fund a public performance of an original musical theatre work titled “Homeless (the musical).” Book, music and lyrics by Alan Alexander III with additional music and lyrics by Kathryn Grimm.
  • Irina Boboia, $6,495 in the Multi-Discipline category to fund “Two Worlds and Nowhere,” a project aimed at revealing the stories of local immigrants/refugees through video, still images and text. The project will be disseminated as a video blog, art installation and video screenings.
  • Ashleigh Flynn, $5,600 in the Music category to help create an LP record of self-penned Americana songs inspired by “Rosie the Riveter,” whose brand inspired a social movement in America. The recording will feature a band of highly talented musicians, all female, over 40 years old, and many who identify as LGBTQ, and will culminate in a celebratory performance at McMenamins Mission Theater.
  • Chiara Giovando, $4,838 in the Media Arts category, to support “A Stone, a Stick and a Plastic Soul” (working title) — a new film made in collaboration with contemporary artist and Karuk tribal elder, Brian Tripp. The project is positioned somewhere between documentary and fiction, exploring the unique ways Brian’s life and practice hover between the traditional and the contemporary.
  • Kazumi Heshiki, $5,552 in the Literature category for “Fireweed Blossoms,”a book of haiku-hybrid poetry in English that is the culmination of several years of cross-cultural experimentation under the guidance of local poet Stephanie Adams-Santos. RACC support will help the artist self-publish the book and present it to the public.
  • Jesse Mejia, $6,280 in the Social Practice category for “CHOIR,” an ongoing community singing group focused on learning and performing choral music by composers such as Arvo Part and Ola Gjeilo.
  • Kate Simmons, $4,309 in the Visual Arts category. “Fold the Towel” is a conceptual piece that utilizes the female body to explore ideas of domesticity and the struggles of balancing career and family responsibilities. The finished work funded in part by RACC will consist of 9 images of the figure printed on semi-translucent 8’x6′ fabric panels.
  • Black Women for Peace, $4,833 in the Community Participation & Access category to help present the 2017 Peace Festival, bringing together youth and young adults from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural groups to promote peace through the performing arts and cultural exchange.
  • Q Center / LGBTQ Community Center Fund, $5,250 in the Dance/Movement category to bring the nationally acclaimed Sean Dorsey Dance Company to Portland in the fall 2017 for two performances of “The Missing Generation.” This piece gives voice to longtime survivors of the early AIDS epidemic and RACC funding will also be used to fund a dance workshop; an intergenerational community forum; and a post-performance discussion.
  • Vanport Mosaic, $4,500 in the Theatre category, to produce six staged readings each of “Summer Squash” and “Hercules Didn’t Wade in the Water,” new plays about the American Dream, displacement and Hurricane Katrina. One performance of each show will be brought to a local High School with facilitated discussion afterwards.

RACC’s peer review process involved 46 community volunteers who served on 14 different panels organized by discipline. They were guided by staff during the months of October, November and December, evaluating proposals based on artistic merit, audience development and financial accountability. Most volunteer panelists (96%) served on a RACC grants panel for the first time. The RACC Board of Directors unanimously approved all panel recommendations on December 14.

A complete list of project grants appears below. More detailed summaries of each grant are available at http://bit.ly/RACC2017PG (PDF).

RACC project grants for individuals, calendar year 2017

Note: (*) denotes Clackamas County applicants, and (**) denotes Washington County based applicants.  All other applicants are based in Multnomah County. AF = Artistic Focus and CPA = Community Participation & Access.

 

Applicant Project Type Discipline  Grant Award
manuel abreu CPA Multi-Discipline  $        3,038
Oluyinka Akinjiola AF Dance/Movement  $        4,275
Alan Alexander III AF Theatre  $        5,400
Yulia Arakelyan AF Dance/Movement  $        6,567
Sue Arbuthnot AF Media Arts  $        6,940
Emily Bixler AF Visual Arts  $        5,780
Sundance Bleckinger AF Media Arts  $        5,949
Irina Karin Boboia** AF Media Arts  $        6,495
Wayne Bund AF Multi-Discipline  $        4,934
David Ornette Cherry AF Music  $        5,250
Robin Chilstrom AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,243
Adam Ciresi AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,006
Jeremy Davis AF Visual Arts  $        5,695
Jay Derderian AF Music  $        3,060
Suniti Dernovsek AF Dance/Movement  $        6,999
Daniel Diana-Peebles AF Multi-Discipline  $        3,780
Noah Dunham AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,755
Brenan Dwyer AF Theatre  $        4,275
Wynde Dyer AF Visual Arts  $        5,342
Raquel Edwards* AF Visual Arts  $        5,912
Taylor Eggan AF Dance/Movement  $        2,299
Nancy Ellis AF Dance/Movement  $        2,978
Tiffany Ellis AF Media Arts  $        5,950
Ashleigh Flynn AF Music  $        5,600
Mitchell Freifeld** AF Visual Arts  $        4,560
Anne Galisky CPA Visual Arts  $        5,400
Zoe Gieringer** AF Media Arts  $        2,370
Chiara Giovando AF Media Arts  $        4,838
Joseph Glode AF Visual Arts  $        3,930
Lucas Gray CPA Visual Arts  $        4,313
Jen Harrison AF Music  $        6,593
Erinn Kathryn Hatter AF Visual Arts  $        6,095
Kazumi Heshiki AF Literature  $        5,552
Laura Hughes AF Visual Arts  $        5,760
Carol Imani CPA Literature  $        6,462
Nancy Ives AF Music  $        6,170
Sean Johnson AF Visual Arts  $        3,594
Dawn Jones Redstone AF Media Arts  $        6,648
Yukiyo Kawano CPA Multi-Discipline  $        5,156
Christopher Kirkley AF Media Arts  $        5,112
Isaac Lamb** AF Theatre  $        5,600
Kathleen Lane CPA Literature  $        3,168
Horatio Law AF Visual Arts  $        6,650
Katherine Lewis CPA Theatre  $        5,235
Fuchsia Lin AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,603
Laura Lo Forti CPA Media Arts  $        3,200
Sarah Loose CPA Social Practice  $        6,590
Jonathan Marrs AF Media Arts  $        4,688
Cambria Matlow AF Media Arts  $        6,224
Matt McCormick AF Media Arts  $        5,290
Jesse Mejia AF Social Practice  $        6,280
Pamela Minty AF Media Arts  $        6,132
Lauren Moran AF Social Practice  $        5,040
Dustin Morrow** AF Media Arts  $        5,250
Donal Mosher AF Multi-Discipline  $        3,419
Travis Neel AF Social Practice  $        1,680
Tabitha Nikolai AF Visual Arts  $        3,343
Eric Nordstrom AF Media Arts  $        4,921
Tom Olsen AF Media Arts  $        3,728
Ann Marie O’Malley AF Literature  $        4,081
Rachel O’Rourke CPA Social Practice  $        4,838
Michael Palmieri AF Media Arts  $        5,600
Brian Parham CPA Music  $        5,360
Pepper Pepper AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,479
Carolina Pfister AF Media Arts  $        3,119
Reid Psaltis AF Visual Arts  $        5,600
Sarah Rabeda** AF Visual Arts  $        4,085
Alicia Rabins AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,603
Bonnie Ratner AF Theatre  $        1,955
Denver David Robinson AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,588
Danielle Ross AF Dance/Movement  $        5,468
Jeremy Rotsztain AF Media Arts  $        4,646
Nora Ryan AF Music  $        5,072
Annette Sabater AF Visual Arts  $        4,781
Molly Schaeffer AF Literature  $        4,880
Cameron Schneider AF Multi-Discipline  $        4,500
Lisa Schonberg AF Multi-Discipline  $        4,109
Anna Sell AF Theatre  $        3,338
Kate Simmons* AF Visual Arts  $        4,309
Susan Smith AF Music  $        5,160
Jack StockLynn AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,516
Andrea Stolowitz AF Theatre  $        6,984
Dao Strom AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,622
Sharita Towne AF Multi-Discipline  $        7,000
Matthew Vuksinich AF Music  $        7,000
Holcombe Waller AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,650
Mel Wells AF Literature  $        4,388
Lisa Wilcke CPA Visual Arts  $        2,066
Emily Wobb AF Visual Arts  $        4,875
Jenn Woodward AF Visual Arts  $        3,708
Mike Yager AF Visual Arts  $        1,595
Lu Yim AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,566

 

RACC project grants for organizations, calendar year 2017

Note: (*) denotes Clackamas County applicants, and (**) denotes Washington County based applicants.  All other applicants are based in Multnomah County. AF = Artistic Focus and CPA = Community Participation & Access.

Applicant Project Type Discipline Grant Award
45th Parallel AF Music  $        5,400
Action/Adventure Theatre AF Theatre  $        6,090
A-WOL Dance Collective, Inc. CPA Dance/Movement  $        5,250
Be Space CPA Presenting  $        3,488
Big Horn Brass* AF Music  $        2,360
Black Women for Peace CPA Presenting  $        4,833
Boom Arts, Inc. AF Presenting  $        7,000
Caldera CPA Multi-Discipline  $        7,000
Centro Cultural of Washington County** CPA Social Practice  $        4,238
Circus Cascadia CPA Multi-Discipline  $        6,300
Classical Up Close** CPA Music  $        5,250
Clinton Street Theater LLC AF Media Arts  $        4,875
Color Outside the Lines CPA Visual Arts  $        3,360
Disability Art and Culture Project CPA Dance/Movement  $        6,120
en Taiko CPA Music  $        3,138
Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art AF Visual Arts  $        5,250
Know Your City AF Multi-Discipline  $        4,016
Lan Su Chinese Garden AF Visual Arts  $        5,250
Latino Network AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,562
Live On Stage AF Theatre  $        6,055
MediaRites AF Theatre  $        5,600
NAACP Portland Branch 1120B CPA Visual Arts  $        2,400
New Expressive Works AF Dance/Movement  $        7,000
Newspace Center for Photography CPA Visual Arts  $        5,600
Nordic Northwest** AF Multi-Discipline  $        6,650
Northwest Animation Festival AF Presenting  $        6,975
Obo Addy Legacy Project AF Music  $        6,650
Oregon BRAVO Youth Orchestras CPA Music  $        6,000
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education AF Visual Arts  $        5,822
Pacific Northwest College of Art AF Visual Arts  $        5,600
Portland Community College AF Literature  $           750
Portland Community Media AF Media Arts  $        5,833
Portland Japanese Garden AF Multi-Discipline  $        7,000
Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. CPA Multi-Discipline  $        5,250
Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival CPA Media Arts  $        6,300
Portland SummerFest AF Music  $        7,000
Portland Zine Symposium CPA Presenting  $        2,075
Q Center / LGBTQ Community Center Fund AF Dance/Movement  $        5,250
QDoc AF Media Arts  $        6,255
Resonate Choral * CPA Music  $        4,155
Risk-Reward AF Presenting  $        5,250
Rogue Pack CPA Theatre  $        6,650
S1 Synth Library AF Presenting  $        6,300
Shingon PDX Henjyoji AF Visual Arts  $        6,030
SoulPatch Music Productions* AF Music  $        4,718
Sowelu Theater AF Theatre  $        5,220
Staged! AF Theatre  $        5,225
The Stumptown Improv Festival AF Theatre  $        4,463
The Vanport Mosaic AF Theatre  $        4,500
Washington County Cooperative Library Services** CPA Multi-Discipline  $        5,250
World Stage Theatre CPA Theatre  $        6,095
ZENA ZEZZA AF Multi-Discipline  $        5,250


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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.