RACC Blog

Community Volunteer: Grand Opening Event

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The Regional Arts Culture Council (RACC) has one mission – to enrich our communities through arts and culture. We believe that the arts have the power to change hearts and minds, and to inspire social change. We also believe that arts and culture are key elements in creating desirable places to live, learn, work, and visit.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and strive to cultivate equity in all of our programs. Prejudice and privilege have created barriers that RACC must dismantle, systematically and strategically, until everyone in our community has equitable access to arts and culture.

Your volunteer work will help to educate and empower people from all walks of life by providing and promoting access to a diversity of art and cultural experiences. If you’re eager to make a difference, that’s a great start.

Community Volunteer: Grand Opening Event

Status: Volunteer

Date: June 1st 10:15am-12:15pm

Location: Errol Heights Park, 4807 SE Harney Dr, Portland, OR 97206

Department Lead | Supervisory: Salvador Mayoral IV-Senior Public Art Manager

Role Summary: 

The Community Volunteer will participate in tabling during the Grand Opening of new work by Mike Suri and Terresa White.

The artist will be presenting their work and displaying models of this work to the general public.

The volunteer’s role will be to ensure these works are protected during the event and to raise awareness in the wider community about RACC, including: our role within the tri-county area and beyond; RACC’s core values and history; our nationally recognized public art programs, and the many opportunities we offer.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

  • Attend virtual RACC volunteer orientation and training, if not already done so.
  • Ensure artists models are not damaged during the event
  • Communicate with the wider community about RACC’s core values, history, public arts, and volunteer opportunities
  • Assist in set up/take down of our table

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Positive energy and people skills
  • Excellent verbal communication skills
  • Ability to stand or sit for up to 2 hours
  • Ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups of people
  • Interest in the arts, culture, arts funding, community engagement, arts & culture advocacy, or arts organizations

Time Commitment Needed:

  • 1 ½-hour training and orientation session if not already done so.
  • 2 hours tabling

Support Provided: 

  • Training and orientation will be provided prior to the event. Exact date to be confirmed
  • Volunteer Handbook for resources and information
  • Travel reimbursement with receipts
  • Team members from RACC, who will be onsite throughout the event to offer insight and support

Suggested Dress:

Volunteers will be expected to be tabling for up to 2 hours, so please wear comfortable clothing and footwear. Bring a hat, raincoat, and special foods if you have specific needs. Please make note of the weather prior to the event and dress appropriately.

To apply:

Please apply by May 29th 12pm.

Spaces are limited

Please fill in this intake form if you are new to the volunteer program:

Please state the role as: “Community Volunteer”.

If you have volunteered before please contact scumming@racc.org

Arts for All Program Increases Access and Outreach in Community

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The Regional Arts & Culture Council Announces a Relaunch of the Arts for All Program to Increase Engagement and Outreach in Our Community, and Beyond, Ensuring Arts & Culture Are Accessible for All

We envision a community that supports, engages with, and finds joy in arts and culture being accessible by all–not just those who can afford to pay, but also for those with limited resources. RACC wants opportunities to be available for all members of our community. We want people to be uplifted, enjoy arts and cultural events, and be part of the creative fabric of our state. The Arts for All program was conceived by a group of thoughtful arts leaders more than 10 years ago to ensure that everyone receiving assistance through the Oregon Trail Card/SNAP could attend arts and cultural events for $5 a ticket.

While the Arts for All program has flourished and steadily grown, we have seen that there is a need to increase its accessibility. To achieve our goals, we are relaunching the program with renewed engagement and outreach. Our goals include making the information downloadable from our website at www.racc.org and distributing printed materials throughout the region to hundreds of non-profit social service agencies, county and city government offices, schools, health departments and clinics, community centers, arts and culture organizations, and more. Program information will be available in six languages and will be at culturally specific locations.

Friends of Chamber Music was proud to be one of the founding member organizations of Arts for All back in 2011, and I’ve personally had the privilege of continuing to help coordinate the program for the last several years. It’s been so gratifying to see the impact Arts for All has had in making the arts accessible to all parts of our community and see it become a model for similar programs across the country.  – Pat Zagelow, Friends of Chamber Music Executive Director

The Arts for All program enables us to enjoy arts and culture together while ensuring access for all. Without the support and dedication of arts organizations in our community, this program would not be possible. We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Hult Center for Performing Arts in Eugene, Oregon. The expansion of the Arts for All program throughout the state ensures better access to arts and culture for all of our residents.

RACC looks forward to hearing the community’s response for this renewed launch and engagement opportunity for Arts for All. Please let us know how we can continue to ensure that access to arts and culture activities is available for all who wish to participate. Let us know how we can make this community-centered program better! – Carol Tatch, Executive Director, Regional Arts & Culture Council

The organizations who have joined RACC to ensure access to arts and culture in our community are listed at racc.org/artsforall. Please support these arts and cultural organizations any way that you can to show your support for arts and culture access for all. For more information, please email us at arts4all@racc.org.

RACC Grantee Heléna Dupre Thompson’s “Unintentional Spectacles”

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Laura Vincent Design & Gallery is a space in downtown Portland known since 2018 for its careful selection of contemporary artists. We visited to interview artist Heléna Dupre Thompson and view her exhibition Unintentional Spectacles, funded in part by a Make|Learn|Build grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). 

Thompson was raised in the industrial city of Providence, Rhode Island, and worked as a firefighter. This exhibition served as a testament to her background. Thompson extracts stories from what many overlook: utility poles covered in posters, skate parks, and the undersides of skateboards, transforming close-up images into abstract worlds. 

On view alongside Unintentional Spectacles was James Florschutz’s exhibition, Assembled Fragments. Constructed out of found materials, these objects carried their own histories, challenging our views on urban sprawl and consumerism. Together, these two artists’ were in conversation, their works resonating with each other, weaving narratives of urban life and transformation from the seemingly mundane.

The phrase “industrial beauty” seems like an oxymoron, but in Thompson’s hands, it becomes an exploration of the aesthetic potential hidden in the mundane. “I’ve always been drawn to abstraction,” she says. Providence is a city with an industrial history like her current home, Portland. Despite the geographical distance and the years away, she found unexpected similarities between the two cities. “Providence is kind of like a really small version of Portland,” she notes, describing the shared landscapes, content, and political undercurrents, though also acknowledging a few east-west coast differences.

Her work, characterized by magnifying her lens deep into her subjects, is layered with history, the passage of time, and the gentle or not-so-gentle interventions by humans and nature alike. Focusing on the elements that resonate most with her, Thompson encapsulates vast landscapes within tiny surface areas. “Most of my [photographs]…are about a one to two-inch surface area,” she shares; yet these miniature compositions hint at large geological formations. 

Thompson challenges the notion that her work is a form of documentation. While she captures the tangible realities of her subjects, she intends to remove them from their context and allow them to stand separate. It’s an intriguing juxtaposition of preservation and abstraction that pulls viewers into an almost ethereal space, urging them to question and rethink what they’re perceiving. “I do this…for the viewer to see it however they want to see it,” she explained. The result is an abstraction so detailed, it becomes a world unto itself.

Thompson embraces spontaneity in her creative process, and her work emerges from the unexpected, while staying grounded in the physical world. “Most of my work happens on-site,” Thompson reveals. But there is an element of serendipity at play. She explains, “Sometimes I’ll be riding my bike and I’ll find chunks of metal or glass [on the roadside]. I’ll [then] take them back to my studio and compose them there.”

“Being in that environment, hearing the sounds, seeing the people, meeting the people, smelling the smells… It makes me more connected to the city and the people.”

Her experimentation is not confined to stationary objects; she draws inspiration even from the fleeting, like skateboarders gliding by at the park. “I’m interested in the surfaces that the skaters skate on, but also what the undersides of their boards look like,” she says, unveiling an exciting recent find, recycled skateboard decks. “This is the thing that scraped the wall that I was photographing and now…already…this is a piece,” she marvels, cradling the board. “I love [this] kind of layering…First of all, there’s a graphic on it, right? And then somebody bought it and put these stickers on it. And then who knows where this board has been? Now, through the actions of the skater, it becomes a mashing and regeneration of the original colors, lines and textures,” she contemplates, her words subtly drawing parallels between her work and life itself – a multitude of intricate, layered experiences.

Thompson sees the relationship with these environments and communities as a two-way street — she was observing them, and they were inadvertently shaping her. 

“Being in that environment, hearing the sounds, seeing the people, meeting the people, smelling the smells… It makes me more connected to the city and the people. Even if I see them once, there’s a bond that I feel more connected to,” she confessed. “Being amongst artists and communities, I’ve gotten so much out of that and learned so much from it.” These interactions fostered a sense of shared understanding, a silent bond that she found incredibly nurturing. “I feel like it makes me a more present person, more caring. As artists, we have this connection that a lot of people don’t have. It’s made me feel more whole in a lot of ways, more connected to my environment and myself.”

Thompson also noted the crucial role of funding bodies like RACC, acknowledging how its support had impacted her journey as an artist. She concluded, “[This grant] allowed me to take a few leaps forward, to prioritize my craft, to grow, and to learn. I truly believe I wouldn’t have been in this gallery now if it weren’t for the timing of that grant.” 

As we wrapped up, I was given the exciting news that Thompson had been asked to be represented by Laura Vincent Gallery as the show concluded, confirming the steady evolution of her artistic trajectory. Laura Vincent Gallery’s invitation emphasizes Thompson’s unique visual language and the raw intimacy she brings to her work. With her journey marked by a non-traditional, self-guided education, Thompson’s story reflects the potential for diverse routes into the art world, celebrating creativity that thrives outside established norms. 

All images by Heléna Dupre Thompson, from “Unintentional Spectacles.” 

Multnomah County Library and Regional Arts & Culture Council announce community artists as part of wide-reaching public art commissions

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Immediate Release

May 22, 2023

Artists bring community-centered approach to their artwork across libraries

PORTLAND, Ore. —Multnomah County Library (MCL) and Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) are teaming up to bring artwork to libraries throughout Multnomah County. This effort is part of the voter-approved 2020 Library building bond which will build, rebuild or expand nine library buildings while providing smaller upgrades to 11 libraries as part of the Refresh projects. Since the bond passed, Multnomah County Library has been hard at work on major updates, with the Operations Center and Holgate and Midland libraries leading the way as some of the first projects.

Public art for the community

As part of these updates, local artists are creating unique installations at each of these sites that represent the community’s history, culture and diversity.

“At the center of these new libraries is the belief that beauty and transformative spaces should be accessible for everyone,” said Vailey Oehlke, Director of Libraries. “Working with the Regional Arts and Culture Council offers an opportunity to bring the library, community and artists together in a vibrant way to ensure these new library spaces are not just functional for everyone, but also beautiful and inspiring.”

This artwork is developed in coordination with the Regional Arts & Culture Council through the Multnomah County Percent for Art Program, allotting 2% of the construction budget for all county-funded improvement projects toward the investment in public art. Artists are awarded projects as part of a robust public process, which includes selection panels led by local residents, business owners, artists, library staff and project partners.

The first library buildings to plan for public art include the Operations Center. As the heart of the library, it’s where every item placed on hold is sorted in addition to being the first stop for new books and materials. Plus, items for outreach to schools, shelters and more will be centered here. On July 6, 2022, the library broke ground on the Operations Center on the site of a former Safeway grocery store (221 NE 122nd Ave, Portland, OR 97230). This 73,000 square foot building is scheduled to open in late 2023.

Holgate Library will be a brand new two-story building, triple the size of the current space for a total of 21,000 square feet. It will be one of the largest libraries in Multnomah County. To begin on this new building, Holgate Library closed to begin construction on December 5, 2022 and will reopen in 2024.

Midland Library will undergo important renovations and an expansion to add 6,000 square feet of space, or an increase of about 25 percent. To complete these exciting upgrades, Midland Library closed to begin construction on December 23, 2022 and will reopen in 2024.

Thanks to feedback from members of the community, exciting new features at Holgate and Midland will include:

  • Outdoor spaces for community connection.
  • Large play and learning spaces for children.
  • Teen rooms with space for technology, homework and creative expression.
  • Art that represents diverse cultures.

Community artists representing community vision

Community engagement is a core value for the building projects. Selection panels prioritized artists with demonstrated experience and expressed interest in embedding community into their practice and work. Most artists selected for these projects are expected to create and host community engagement opportunities as part of their design phase. Some of these arts-focused events have already taken place and more are on their way in the coming months.

“We are immensely grateful for our continued partnerships with other community-centered, value-aligned organizations such as Multnomah County Library. RACC and MCL are prioritizing equity, accessibility, community, and innovation within our approaches to these significant projects. The expansive nature of libraries and the creativity with which MCL is approaching the library building improvements align well for the inclusion of public art. Providing opportunities for artistic growth is integral to our mission, as is the development, strengthening, and expansion of our arts and culture ecosystem. We are committed to centering the creativity and prosperity of artists and communities who, historically, have not been represented in the cultural fabric of this region. We are thrilled with the artists who have been selected by the community panels and extend our gratitude to all those working to bring these artworks into being,” said Carol Tatch, Co-Executive Director & Chief of External Operations, Regional Arts & Culture Council.

 

Meet the artists

Operations Center: Exterior entrance

A new, large-scale, 2-dimensional permanent exterior artwork at the Operations Center entrance will be created by artist Tenya Rodriguez (they/them). The site-specific original artwork will greet staff and visitors alike with vibrant colors and energy as they enter the new building, which is considered the heart of the library system. The artwork will also be visible to vehicular and pedestrian traffic along NE 122nd Avenue, capturing the attention of those who pass by. Tenya is a queer, Latinx, self-taught artist whose practice centers on mark-making and layering as a way to communicate through experimental expressionism. Instagram: @tenyarodriguez

Midland Library: Exterior canopy

As part of the overall building renovation, Midland Library will acquire a new entry canopy, framing the redesigned entrance and exterior public plaza. The underside of the canopy, spanning the width of the building, will feature artwork by local artists Lillyanne Pham (LP) and Paola De La Cruz (she/her). Lillyanne is a second-generation Vietnamese artist and cultural organizer who creates through a systemic consciousness framework and lens, specifically place-based justice and racial equity. Paola, originally from the Dominican Republic, interweaves digital and analog media, patterns, stitching and shape-based illustrations to evoke intimacy while challenging the themes of cultural identity, coming of age and interpersonal growth. Together, Lillyanne and Paola conceive and actualize socially engaged projects which blend one another’s strengths, passions and creativity. Instagram: @happynappystudio / @lillyannepham / @paola.lillyanne

Midland Library: Gathering Circle

Kanani Miyamoto (she/her) has been selected to create an original 2-dimensional wall-mounted artwork which will frame Midland Library’s interior Gathering Circle, a communal seating area that encourages and fosters connection. The artwork will be located directly across from the new main entry doors and will be one of the first things visible as people arrive at the library. Kanani is a practicing artist, curator, adjunct instructor and teacher whose work focuses on sharing and celebrating her unique mixed heritage in the hopes of representing her community and the beauty of intersectional identities. Through Kanani’s community-centered work she brings awareness to the damaging effects of capitalism and settler colonialism on Pacific Island people and land. Instagram: @mamakanani

Holgate Library: Interior/exterior wall

The Interior/Exterior Wall public art project at Holgate Library is multi-dimensional in name and practice. Salomée Souag’s (she/her) artwork will be etched onto exterior panels of the building’s façade creating a permanent sculptural drawing on the outside. Elements of these exterior panels will be replicated inside along the full length of the ground floor lobby wall as part of a large-scale, site-specific, 2-dimensional digital mural. Salomée is a muralist, designer and creative from Switzerland who holds her Peruvian and Algerian ancestors closer to her heart, her community and her work. In her consistent and continuous evolution and artistic practice, she creates revolutionary work to give power to the people, youth and artists. Salomée’s bold and powerful work encourages everyone to break down boundaries and borders and to imagine expression. Instagram: @c.hroma

Holgate Library: Exterior site enclosure

Arts activist Crystal Meneses (she/her) will be creating a 2-dimensional wall-mounted artwork for Holgate Library’s Exterior Site Enclosure. The artwork will wrap the enclosure, creatively anchoring the north entry outdoor patio. Located between the new library and the new parking lot, the artwork will be highly visible from SE 79th Avenue as people arrive at the library. In addition, the artwork will act as the backdrop to ground floor flex spaces that will be used by library staff and patrons for classes and events. Crystal creates from a communal perspective, centering connection and relationship and ensuring inclusion. Her mission is to inspire arts activism in the community while supporting others in discovering their passions and talents. Crystal’s expansive approach and ability to cultivate community is, in itself, a work of art. At the heart of everything Crystal generates is the desire to elevate collective healing, particularly amongst marginalized communities. Instagram: @crystalakinsmeneses

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Experience East Portland’s Vibrant Culture this June at “Our Space of Possibilities!”

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Every Saturday this June, we invite you to celebrate the communities along the East Portland Cultural Corridor through arts and culture at Our Space of Possibilities. This corridor is located on SE Division Street, spanning from SE 82nd Ave to SE 175th Ave. The project is supported generously by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town grant, matched with local funding from Regional Arts & Culture Council, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), and TriMet.

Our Space of Possibilities lies at the core of the East Portland Cultural Corridor initiative. Envisioned by artist-in-residence Patricia Vázquez Gómez, the project is a dynamic cultural space housed within a transformed TriMet bus that will live at four locations along SE Division Street. Every Saturday from June 3rd to June 24th from 12-8 pm, you will have the opportunity to join a workshop, attend a screening, watch a performance, or view an exhibition curated by local East Portland organizations and residents.

Patricia Vázquez Gómez is a multidisciplinary artist exploring the intersection of aesthetics, ethics, and politics; the social functions of art and the expansion of community-based art practices, with her methodologies deeply informed by her experiences in immigrant rights and social justice movements in the US and Mexico.

Southeast Division Street serves as the geographic backbone of a diverse and growing community, now with improved transportation options for residents thanks to TriMet’s FX2-Division high-capacity bus service. By seamlessly intertwining people, culture, and transportation, the East Portland Cultural Corridor strives to nurture a resilient community and celebrate the unique cultural identity of East Portland. 

Our Space of Possibilities 

Every Saturday in June from 12-8 pm

  • June 3rd at SE Division and 166th Pl
  • June 10th at: SE Division and 138th Ave
  • June 17th at SE Division and 121st Ave
  • June 24th at SE 138th at SE Division St
Collaborators 

Naomi Likayi, is a first-gen, Congolese American creative based in Portland, OR. She aims to create daring and exciting work, finding new ways to innovate beyond what is offered in the current state of design and illustration. Likayi’s work will be featured in Our Space of Possibilities as a bus wrap designed in collaboration with Fir Ridge High School students Lia and Ricky. Handle: @mungala_nao

Marissa Perez and Patricia Vázquez Gómez are creating the first exhibition for Our Space of Possibilities, How to Love Division, centered on the history of East Portland and the opportunities for Civic Engagement. This exhibition will be on view on June 3rd, from 12-8 pm. Handle: @marissa_perezzzzz

Friends of Trees inspires people to improve the world around them through a simple solution: Planting Trees. Together. Friends of Trees and Patricia Vázquez Gómez are creating a garden inside the bus on June 10th, open 12-8 pm. Come get a plant and learn about the environment! Friends of Trees staff Andrew, Harrison and Winnie will also be at Our Space of Possibilities to teach you how to take care of plants on June 10th, from 1-3 pm. Handle: @friendsoftrees

Amenta, Kalimah, Farados, Oniyah, José, Oak, Brian and Tito are creating an exhibition together based on Afrofuturism for Our Space of Possibilities.  Amenta Abioto is a musician and producer. Originally from Memphis, TN, she came to Portland in 2010 with her artist family. Her background in musical theater helped inspire her live looping one-woman band, Yawa. She has released two projects, Opening Flower Hymns and Wade. Amenta Abioto is currently an artist in residence with her family, Studio Abioto, at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center. Amenta Abioto will also perform on June 17th at 7:30 pm. Kalimah Abioto (aka Dr. Woodchopper) is a multimedia teaching artist, filmmaker, drummer, writer, dancer, and entrepreneur. The Afrofuturism exhibition will be on view on June 17th, from 12-8 pm. Handles: @yawamusic, @kalimahabioto

The 082 Art Crew at Apano is an art collective of local BIPOC artists and community members creating art centered around the experiences, wants, and needs of BIPOC residents and neighbors of Southeast Portland. The exhibition the 082 Art Crew is creating for Our Space of Possibilities is called How to Love Division? This exhibition will explore how we express our love of East Portland through street art, highlighting community history and the issues of gentrification through interviews with local street artists and by asking participants questions about their relationship to East Portland in a creative way.⁣ How to Love Division will be on view on June 24th, 12-8 pm. Handle: @apanonews

Evan and Daniel are two 10-year-old students from East Portland who will be teaching origami, on June 3rd and 17th, from 1-2 pm.

Lillyanne Pham is a 25-year-old artist and cultural organizer raised by Vietnamese refugees. Ackida Omar is a 21-year-old first-generation Burundian American, artist, musician, and soccer player. LP and Ackida will lead a workshop on June 3rd and 17th, 2-3 pm; based on a short film they are creating for Our Space of Possibilities called “(Our)Flavs,” which highlights the stories of local immigrant and refugee restaurant owners and their relationships with herbs and spices. “(Our)Flavs,” will be screened on June 3rd and 17th, from 5-6 pm. Handles: @lillyannepham, @ackida_

Chanell Cortez Gonzalez is a student at Fir Ridge HS, loves art and dreams of becoming an art teacher. Chanell will be leading a surprise art workshop on June 3rd and 17th from 4-5 pm. 

Medicine Bear provides spiritual guidance and cultural mentoring to at-risk youth, families, and houseless communities through traditional Native American Ceremony, Sobriety Promotion, and Education. Medicine Bear and Rudy Serna will hold a Native Circle at Our Space of Possibilities, on June 10th from 3-5 pm, for Native-American residents, workers, and students of East Portland. Handle: @rudysernaredstone

Thea Gahr is a bilingual artist and printmaker engaged in education and image-making that aims to catalyze positive social & environmental change. Thea will facilitate the creation of a collective lino carving on June 24th, 1-3 pm. 

Aden Catalani is a Portland painter who will lead a spray painting workshop. Aden will lead a spray-paint workshop on June 24th, 3-5 pm.

Karina Lomelin Ripper is a Mexican-American film director.  Her films often explore bicultural points of view, telling stories that center Latina/x characters. Karina’s films “Visions” and “Niña¨ (made in collaboration with Marc Ripper) will be screened on June 10th and 24th from 5-6 pm. Handle: @karinaripper

Sika Stanton is an African-American cinematographer. She has a background in both documentary and narrative filmmaking. Her work has screened at the Portland International Film Festival, the Portland Art Museum, and Portland Oregon Women’s Festival. In 2019, she joined IATSE Local 600 and the Oregon Media Production Association selected her for their Rising Star Award. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Cinematography at the American Film Institute Conservatory and holds a BA in Studio Art from Stanford University. Sika’s film “The Numbers” will be screened on June 3rd and 10th from 5-6 pm; and her film “Imagine Black” (made in collaboration with Ariella Tai and Donielle Howard) will be screened on June 10th and 24th from 5-6 pm. Handle: @sikaafi 

Metro East Community Media is a nonprofit community media center based in Gresham, Oregon, and for over 35 years has used media to invigorate civic engagement, inspire diverse voices, and strengthen community life. Gene, Yasmin, Chloe, and Seth from MECM are supporting the creation of videos made by a group of youth from the African Youth Community Organization for Our Space of Possibilities.  Handle: @metroeastmedia

The African Youth Community Organization (AYCO) is a community-based organization led by and for the East African immigrant and refugee community in Portland. AYCO’s mission is to settle the past, engage the present and hope for the future. The videos that Farhiya, Yasmin, Amrin, Sabine, Ayub, Hashim, Hussein, and Imraan are creating will be be screened at Our Space of Possibilities on June 10th and 24th from 5-6 pm. Handle: @ayco.world

Edna Vazquez is a fearless singer, songwriter, composer, and guitarist whose powerful voice and musical talent transcend the boundaries of language to engage and uplift her audience. She is a creative musical artist with a vocal range that allows her to paint seamlessly with her original material, an intersection of Mexican Tradicional, rock, pop, and other genres. Edna will perform on June 10th at 6:30 pm.  Handle: @ednavazquezmusic

DJ Anjali made her public debut in December of 2000 and has since pushed forward a working class, immigrant feminist agenda on the dance floor all the while exploring her own identity through the power of sound and dance. She uses the dance floor as a place to build solidarity between communities of color. Music and movement have long been her tools to explore and share her unique identity as a mixed Desi immigrant daughter. With her partner, The Incredible Kid, she hosts TROPITAAL! A Desi Latino Soundclash & ANDAZ, two of the Northwest’s longest running dance parties. She teaches Bhangra & Bollywood weekly at The Viscount Dance Studio. Archives of her years spent as a radio host on XRAY & KBOO can be found online. DJ Anjali will play for Our Space of Possibilities closing party on June 24th at 6 pm! She will also be leading a Bollywood dance class on June 3rd from 3-4 pm. Handle: @anjaliandthekid

Lita Thilavanh, Julie Ammalathithada, and Maddie Thippraxay are 14-year-olds who perform at the Lao New Year celebrations and are involved in the APISU (Asian Pacific Islander Student Union) club at their school. They’re preserving their heritage by participating in traditional ceremonies and learning traditional Lao dances. Lita, Julie, and Maddie will perform on June 3rd and 17th!

Follow @regionalarts to learn about additional collaborators!

Reflecting on Fiscal Year 2022

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We invite you to read our most recent Annual Impact Report for FY21-22.  There you will find some of our recent accomplishments, program reflections, financial information, future plans, and the joy we have in supporting arts and culture in our community.

“A look at RACC’s activities in the past year offers an invigorating picture of organizational culture change undertaken alongside monumental social transformation occurring in our community and around the world. Beginning in 2020, RACC embarked on a transformative journey of community engagement and connection. Two years into this journey, organizational development continues to focus on transforming our culture, making solid internal infrastructure investments, and creating meaningful opportunity for professional development.”

 

Image of performers in colorful costumes holding poles that actively move a large dragon structure.

White Lotus Foundation, Dragon and Lion Dance Performance, MLB grant recipient | Photo: Elvis Nguyen

 

Regional Arts & Culture Council urges Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley to support Arts & Culture funding in Congress

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Join Us! SIGN BY FRIDAY, NOV. 25, 2022

The final FY23 Interior Appropriations budget, which includes annual funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will be negotiated by current members of both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. Currently the House version sets allocations at an all-time high of $207 million each for the NEA and NEH, whereas the Senate Appropriations Committee (chaired by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley) has allocated only $195 million each. 

RACC, the City of Portland, and Oregon arts and cultural organizations ask you to join us in respectfully urging Senator Jeff Merkley, Chair of the Interior Appropriations Committee, to accept the House-approved level of $207 million for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

View the letter, written by Americans for the Arts here.

Add your organization’s signature here. Please share with others and be sure to sign up by November 25th for the impact to be felt in Washington, DC.

As part of the arts and cultural sector, we know that investment strengthens our economy and the social fabric of our communities. Please join in advocating your support of this measure to Senator Jeff Merkley for increased funding!

Thank you! 

RACC shares update on the Thompson Elk restoration plan from the Portland Parks Foundation

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Released to media on 10/3/22 from the Portland Parks Foundation

CONTACT: Randy Gragg,

503-799-2655; rgragg@portlandpf.org

Thompson Elk Fountain Restoration Feasibility Study Update

Portland Parks Foundation’s team completes study and preliminary cost estimate

The Portland Parks Foundation has completed its feasibility study and preliminary cost estimates for the restoration and reinstallation of the Thompson Elk Fountain. PPF and its consultants, Architectural Resources Group (ARG) and the landscape/urban design firm MIG have submitted its restoration plan to the Portland’s Office of Management and Finance (OMF). In turn, OMF has submitted it to the Bureau of Development Services for an anticipated November “Design Advice Request” with the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission. That hearing, in which the team will get feedback from the Landmarks Commissioners, is open to the public for listening and testimony. For updates on the hearing, go to portland.gov/bds/landmarks.

“We are honored to present to the city this restoration design, which restores and returns the elk and fountain to their original location,” said Randy Gragg, executive director of PPF. “We’ve also developed potential street improvements to make the fountain a safer, universally accessible, and more welcoming place to visit.”

The study determined that 18 of the fountain’s 50 pieces will have to be remade. They include some of the most complex. All four of the fountain’s five-foot-long troughs and some of the most intricately carved ornaments will have to be refabricated. “But the good news,” according to ARG project lead Maya Foty, “stone from the original stone quarry is still available.”

The study also incorporates seismic stabilization and a recirculating pump for the fountain. The team developed preferred street upgrades that would create better access and a “viewing area” for the statue and fountain. Building on PBOT’s recently implemented separation of bikes and motorists around the fountain area on Southwest Main Street, ARG and MIG’s design provides two wheelchair accessible access points to a viewing area protected from passing traffic by elegant granite domed bollards.

“The design provides a refuge for people and it better protects the fountain from vehicles,” said Rachel Edmonds of MIG, “and also creates a sense of place around the fountain using historically compatible materials.” Based on 30-percent schematic design, the cost for the fountain restoration, new pump mechanism and reinstallation is estimated to be $1.2- $1.3 million. The street improvements would add approximately $670,000.

“We anxiously await what the city’s insurance settlement will yield and what the City Council determines the city can afford,” said Gragg. “We at PPF believe there is wide community support to pitch in if the final gap is not too large.”

PPF continues to accept contributions to restore the Thompson Elk Fountain. Donate here.

The Thompson Elk Fountain was badly damaged during the civil unrest of summer, 2020 that followed the murder of George Floyd. The city quickly moved the elk and the fountain pieces into storage. PPF’s study was overseen by a seven-member Project Advisory Committee of preservation and street design experts and informed by a technical advisory committee of city bureau representatives with oversight of the parks, street, and infrastructure, along with the Regional Arts & Culture Council who oversees the bronze elk.

Besides looking comprehensively at the restoration and streetscape, PPF hired two historians, Keith Eggener, a professor at the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture and Milo Reed, a freelance historian who works with Oregon Black Pioneers and Vanport Mosaic and currently chairs the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries. They researched both the history of the elk fountain’s making and the social history of the fountain and its surrounding parks since its installation in 1900.

Former Mayor David P. Thompson commissioned the sculpture to honor the Humane Society which he cofounded. In the decades since, the historians found, the elk has stood at the center of protests over such perennial issues as free speech, workers’ rights, deportation of immigrants, and police shootings.

“For 120 years, people have gathered at the fountain to enjoy it as a thing of beauty and a symbol of nature, but also to give voice to their convictions,” noted Gragg. “Our goal is to renew it, reinstall it, and make it a safer, more inviting public space.”

PPF will release the full feasibility study and the findings of its historians in advance of the Design Advice Request hearing.

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