RACC Blog

Response: Loretta Smith

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

Here are the responses provided by Loretta Smith, running for Portland City Council, Position 3. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 


 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Portland?

LS: As County Commissioner I’ve regularly supported and voted for more funding for the arts. From ensuring we follow the percent for the arts program, to seeking more dedicated funding for arts in our schools, I’ve been a consistent supporter of increasing access and funding for the arts, especially within our underserved and historically disadvantaged communities. I’m a strong supporter and champion of the Literary Arts program at our Multnomah County Library connecting our young people with local artists and exposing them to the benefits of being involved in the arts. I’ve also regularly sponsored Black Women for Peace’s yearly P.E.A.C.E. festival which champions young men and women to be catalysts for peace in their communities by focusing on performing arts and cultural exchange.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality of life. Yet there are a number of pressing needs in Portland that often compete with arts and culture for attention and investment.  How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Portland be doing to support this sector?

LS: The arts and our creative class in general are incredibly important, not only to our quality of life but also to our local economy. Portland’s vibrant arts community is something that attracts people and businesses from all over the world. In many ways it’s because we have worked to foster such a great community for artists, musicians, performers, designers, and makers that we’ve seen so much of the growth we’ve experienced in the past decade. The City of Portland should do all it can to promote and maintain our creative culture. We should be looking for more ways to ensure that the benefits that come from being tied into a creative community are shared by everyone in Portland by working to increase equity and inclusion in the arts within our underserved and historically disadvantaged communities.

 

RACC: The region’s affordability is a serious concern for everyone in our community. What are your plans for making housing and creative spaces more affordable for artists, nonprofit arts organizations and arts-related businesses?

LS: There’s no question that addressing our affordability problems must be a top priority for everyone on Council. The only way we are going to solve this problem is by taking a holistic approach to housing and affordability. We need to build more at all levels, so we can relieve the burden on the affordable housing stock. By ensuring we have enough housing at all income levels we can protect our affordable housing stock from being poached by the market. We also should look at innovative ways to increase our affordable housing stock without building new units. I’ve been told that often times the cost to build new affordable housing is prohibitive, and when it is added to a mixed project it can lead to increased costs for everyone. One thing I’ve been working on is utilizing the MULTE (Multiple-Unit Limited Tax Exemption) program to provide an offset for new development when they take existing units and convert them to affordable pricing. This would promote the production of more housing across the board while immediately increasing our stock of affordable housing.

I also want the City to help property owners clean up the 900 documented brownfield sites in the City of Portland with the stipulation that the land be used for new affordable mixed use properties. We could provide some one-time only funding dollars, and low cost loans to promote the cleanups. This would also help to increase the stable of affordable housing we would have in the more central city areas, rather than pushing all affordable projects to the outer east. With Brownfield cleanups and Land banking we use the City’s resources to grab properties before they enter the speculative market and promote affordability in housing, mixed live/work space for the creative class, and affordable work space for small businesses. I also think we could utilize and perhaps expand the Portland Inclusive Startup Fund to engage more arts based businesses to lay down roots or expand in our communities.

 

RACC: The city’s Arts Tax is disliked by some, while 62% of voters approved it. Thanks to the Arts Tax, every K-5 student in the City of Portland now as an art, music or dance teacher, and dozens of nonprofit arts organizations are expanding access to the arts by providing free and low-cost arts experiences for Portland residents. What changes to the Arts Tax, if any, would you want Portland City Council to consider?

LS: I support the tax and don’t think we should revisit it at this time. A majority of Portlanders voted for it and I’m glad we did. I’ve been a consistent champion for our youth, and providing them with opportunities and outlets like arts, music, and dance instruction is a necessity if we want to see them succeed. I also believe that increasing and expanding access to the arts to underserved communities opens new doors for innovation and opportunity for those who have been historically disadvantaged. If anything I would love to see us go further, partnering with businesses in the creative sector and non-profits to get more of our young people directly active and participating in the arts. Increasing equity and inclusion in how we promote the arts is also something I would like to see some more focus on. Expanding access is a great first step, but I’d like to see more Portlanders of color actively engaged and encouraged to make art, tell their stories, and help make our creative culture richer through their participation.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for the City of Portland that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

LS: Without a doubt our affordability crisis is a top priority for everyone, and I think keeping an eye on how we ensure that we are providing affordable live/work spaces for our creative community is a must. This also touches on issues around those experiencing houselessness as increasing economic instability and increased rents has put many on our streets. We need to increase our stock of housing at all levels, seek innovative solutions to promote new affordable housing, and provide adequate shelter space with connected services to help those struggling with addiction or mental health crises.

We also need to bring more living wage jobs to Portland and provide more opportunities for women and people of color to start new businesses within their communities. I helped to start the Portland Inclusive Startup Fund to do just that, and on Portland City Council I plan to do more to help support our entrepreneurs and small business owners. I know this is important for artists and our creative community because so many of them are participating in that space. The City should partner with them and harness the great work they are doing, providing them with whatever assistance we can to help them grow their businesses and get more people in their communities involved.


Response: Andrea Valderrama

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

Here are the responses provided by Andrea Valderrama, running for Portland City Council, Position 3. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 


 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Portland?

AV: I am very proud that as a David Douglas School Board member, we have worked to keep the arts in classrooms throughout that school district. It is unfortunate that we are the only Portland school district which has kept arts in their classroom, there is a need to fund arts in our schools and will work for that when elected. My family and I are also lucky enough to attend a number of performances in Portland each year.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality of life. Yet there are a number of pressing needs in Portland that often compete with arts and culture for attention and investment.  How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Portland be doing to support this sector?

AV: A city without a vibrant arts and cultural scene is a drab city with no soul. I believe that as community leaders and ambassadors for the city, City Commissioners have an obligation to celebrate and promote our artists. Although, as you say, other pressing needs compete with arts and culture for investment, I would not join those who regard the City’s minimal General Fund investment in RACC as a frivolous “pet project.” I would like to see the City explore ways to use lodging tax revenue to support the arts. Beaverton is using lodging tax revenue to support a performing arts center. The tax is designated for tourism promotion, and some hoteliers objected to Beaverton’s action – but arts investments do indeed support tourism. One thing the City can do is encourage the State to be a better partner on arts and culture issues. The State should use lottery funds to support critical investments in the arts, recognizing that arts investment is economic development. Another way Portland can be more supportive of the Arts is by increasing the supply of creative spaces and making them more accessible for arts organizations.

 

RACC: The region’s affordability is a serious concern for everyone in our community. What are your plans for making housing and creative spaces more affordable for artists, nonprofit arts organizations and arts-related businesses?

I support Commissioners Fish and Eudaly’s 22-point plan to preserve and expand affordable arts space. Portland is in a Housing state of emergency, and every day more Portland individuals and businesses are more on the verge of displacement and housing instability. I’ve been there –and I know how difficult it is to get back on your feet after experiencing homelessness. My strategies for bringing housing and creative spaces for affordable for Portlanders, nonprofits, and businesses  include: 1. Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing & Creative Spaces 2. Stabilizing Rising Housing & Commercial Leasing Costs 3. Displacement Prevention & Mitigation (Wealth Creation).

INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING & CREATIVE SPACES

Bringing affordable housing and creative spaces to all Portlanders is going to require a combination of new development, supportive housing, revenue reform, securing new shelter space and making current shelter space permanent, tenant protections, displacement prevention and mitigation tools, and finally, support for homeowners. As Portland grows, the supply of affordable housing becomes more urgent, and we need to ensure that the supply conversation doesn’t center around new multifamily rental construction at market rate but rather, new construction specifically for 0-60 MFI households, preservation of our current affordable housing supply, and acquiring buildings and properties that have been land banked instead of constructing new.

STABILIZE RISING HOUSING & COMMERCIAL LEASING COSTS

It would also be a top priority of mine to urge our state delegation to lift the preemption on rent control and just cause eviction standards so that we can directly stabilize rising housing costs. I am proud to have worked on the City’s mandatory relocation assistance ordinance this year, mandating that landlords in Portland pay relocation assistance to tenants experiencing rent increases of 10% or more and tenants being evicted for no cause. In my elected capacity, I would continue to advocate for similar tenant protections including landlord registration, broader screening criteria, and security deposit reform, policies that could help minimize the impact of rising housing costs. Lastly, I am very interested in championing a policy that would subsidize nonprofit organizations and local businesses if their commercial rent increased over 10% in the past year.

DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND MITIGATION

The housing crisis that the City of Portland is currently experiencing is also an affordability crisis, and we must include strategies that generate wealth prevent displacement of not just individuals, but of our local nonprofit organizations and businesses. This includes providing subsidies during and after construction, providing educational opportunities so that businesses can adapt to a changing consumer base, and policies that support both the business and worker.

 

RACC: The city’s Arts Tax is disliked by some, while 62% of voters approved it. Thanks to the Arts Tax, every K-5 student in the City of Portland now as an art, music or dance teacher, and dozens of nonprofit arts organizations are expanding access to the arts by providing free and low-cost arts experiences for Portland residents. What changes to the Arts Tax, if any, would you want Portland City Council to consider?

AV: I am concerned by the fact that under the Arts Tax, someone who makes $30,000 a year pays the same $35 tax that is paid by someone who makes $1 million a year. I am also concerned that the Arts Tax has not brought in as much revenue as projected; the practical effect of that has been that although the tax has been a boon to schools, it has been of little help to actual arts organizations. I would support asking the voters to change the Arts Tax to a more traditional income tax in which people pay in proportion to their income, and as part of that restructuring I would ensure that it brings in enough money to meet its original goals. I also am concerned about the fact that the City Council sold the Arts Tax to voters with an unrealistic promise that administrative costs would be less than 5%. That is another reason to send the measure to voters again, without such an unrealistic promise. I am confident that voters, having seen the value of the Arts Tax, would re-approve it in a revised form. I would also consider allocating some of the new revenue to displacement mitigation of arts nonprofits and businesses. Any changes would of course need to be discussed with the Arts Community.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for the City of Portland that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

AV: Some other priorities that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations, and arts educators in our community include:

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & WEALTH CREATION

As someone who sold my own original music CDs out of the trunk of my car to pay my way through college, I’m a firm believer in supporting artists in the development of their business and artistic talents. In the City of Portland, I know that we can do a better job of doing this by providing the resources and spaces for our aspiring and established artists to share their talents and earn enough to continue to thrive in this city.

YOUTH ACCESS

I’m also passionate about providing our youth with the opportunity to access to the arts, not just through their school but through their community. Portland City Council can do this through partnering with local nonprofits and schools to subsidize internships or arts lessons, and then leverage those skills learned by providing opportunities for youth to perform at various city events.

EQUITY

Lastly, I am particularly interested in ensuring the stories of the many cultural heritages we have represented in the City of Portland are not lost, and that we are lifting up those organizations and individuals who are carrying on their cultural traditions through their celebrations, festivals, performances, and languages.


Response: Ryan Deckert

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

Here are the responses provided by Ryan Deckert, running for Washington County Chair. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 


 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Washington County?

RD: I support the arts in Washington County every day as a patron, citizen, donor and human being.  In the next week, my family will attend two plays – one at the Beaverton Library as part of the Beaverton Civic Theatre’s 2018 season and then Hamilton at Keller Auditorium.  Last week, I chaperoned my daughters elementary class to Oregon Children’s Theater rendition of Casius Clay.  We are regular attendees to musical concerts, theater and art shows.

One of the reasons I am running for Washington County Chair is to foster a greater sense of place and community in the county. A first order of business is how we design neighborhoods ensuring we have community centers, public spaces, parks and transportation options.  Central to a well planned community is ensuring the arts are integrated into all aspects of design providing that richness of creativity, freedom and expression.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality of life. Yet there are a number of pressing needs in Washington County that often compete with arts and culture for attention and investment. How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Washington County be doing to support this sector?

RD: I do not view artists and arts organization in competition with human services, libraries, transportation..etc.  The arts are integral to a full human experience and public investment often is the only life line to ensure all citizens have access to their full potential not just those who can afford tickets to an exhibit or show.  Perhaps the best bumper sticker ever summed this up:  art saves lives.

I will reverse Washington County’s regrettable distinction as the lowest per capita supporter of arts organizations among Oregon’s 37 counties.  Washington County is the most ethnically diverse county in Oregon, the economic engine of the state and on path to be the most populated county in the state.  Part of modernizing the county will be to reverse our outdated track record of ignoring investment in artists and arts organizations as fundamental to a well-rounded community.

One of my first accomplishments as a state senator was to restore arts and music funding to K-12 schools in Oregon.

 

RACC: Washington County is currently moving forward with development of a $46 million events center at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Do you believe there is a place for the arts in future development of the fairgrounds site? 

RD: I believe the arts should be included (or at least considered) in all projects/programs Washington County invests in – including the new events center at the Fairgrounds.  I have many questions surrounding the $46 million events center but incorporating the arts will not be one of them.  A hallmark of my service will be to change the culture at the county with respect to the centrality of artists and expression in the mission (and daily work) of our county.

 

RACC: Washington County does not currently have a percent-for-art program. Would you support the development of a program to support more art at public facilities? 

RD: I have generally been very supportive of the 1% for arts and am open to incorporating that into projects/programs in Washington County.  I am certainly committed to dramatically increasing funding for artists and arts organizations as we modernize Washington County.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for Washington County that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

RD: Artists, arts organizations and educators are often the vanguard of expression and defenders of freedom and human rights.  Washington County needs to speak more forcefully defending our immigrant community, DACA students and LGBTQ neighbors.  All are under threat today.  I will use the bully pulpit of Washington County Chair to speak clearly on these issues reassuring threatened citizens that we are a safe, welcoming home removed from the divisive rhetoric and actions we witness in Washington DC.

 


Response: Susheela Jayapal

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

Here are the responses provided by Susheela Jayapal, running for Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 


 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Multnomah County?

SJ: I have spent more than 15 years working with community organizations to serve and advocate for our public schools, reproductive rights and healthcare, social services — and the arts. I served for eight years on the board of directors of Literary Arts, which serves readers and writers of all ages in the Portland metropolitan region, including two years as Board Chair; and for three years on the board of directors of the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). At Literary Arts, I chaired the search for its current Executive Director, and led the board through the acquisition of Wordstock, its first new program in 20 years, as well as through a $1.5 million endowment campaign that significantly enhanced Literary Arts’ reach and capacity.  At RACC, I drove a successful effort to restructure grant-making programs in order to invest and build capacity in culturally specific arts organizations and programs serving communities of color and other underserved communities. And, throughout, I have supported arts and culture in Multnomah County as a participant and audience member across a variety of art forms and experiences.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality of life. Yet there are a number of pressing needs in Multnomah County that often compete with arts and culture for attention and investment.  How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Multnomah County be doing to support this sector?

SJ: I believe that arts and culture are an essential component of community health and well-being, both as a vehicle for personal expression and discovery, and as a vehicle for community-building and social change. The arts allow us as individuals a fuller range of expression and understanding; the same is true for us as communities. In a time when a range of forces — social media, consumerism, fear and uncertainty — pull us apart, arts and culture continue to bring us together and build shared understanding, within our respective communities and across communities. Multnomah County’s mission is to serve the most vulnerable among us. We must think of arts and culture as an integral part of that service, and try to weave arts programming and access into all that we do.

 

RACC: The region’s affordability is a serious concern for everyone in our community. What are your plans for making housing and creative spaces more affordable for artists, nonprofit arts organizations and arts-related businesses?

SJ: Housing affordability has to be the number one priority for us as a region.  We need to tackle the complex set of issues presented from a variety of angles — there is no one answer — and to develop regional, not just city- or county-wide solutions. We need to build more affordable housing, including permanently affordable housing and supportive housing; rehabilitate and preserve existing affordable housing; and prevent additional displacement and homelessness by helping people stay in housing they already have, whether through short-term rent assistance or longer-term housing voucher programs. I’ll also support renter protections, and advocate at the state level for the changes needed to allow local jurisdictions to enact such protections.

With respect to creative spaces, the City of Portland has developed a menu of promising ideas, including creating public/private partnerships to acquire property for creative uses or ownership by arts organizations; disposition of surplus property for such uses; and partnering with culturally specific organizations to create community arts and performance spaces. I’ll advocate for exploration of these ideas and participation by Multnomah County.

 

RACC: How can RACC and Multnomah County do a better job of providing arts experiences for East County and other underrepresented communities?

SJ: In order to do a better job of providing arts experiences for underrepresented communities, we need to let them not just inform, but lead our decision-making. We need to ask how they want to be served, and act on the responses. This likely means providing experiences and opportunities in neighborhoods where people from those communities live, rather than asking them to travel downtown for those experiences; and situating arts experiences in contexts that are culturally appropriate — providing family or intergenerational opportunities, for example, or food, or formats that are more informal than those provided in mainstream contexts. We also need to invest directly in artists and arts organizations that come from those communities.

Finally, a needs assessment recently conducted by the Immigrant and Refugee Community of Oregon identified community gathering spaces as a high priority for several of the communities it serves; this is likely true for other communities as well. This relates to the idea of partnering with culturally specific organizations to create community arts and performance spaces, mentioned in my response to Question 3, and would address the objectives of both creating arts spaces and better serving underrepresented communities.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for Multnomah County that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

 

SJ: I believe the Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) system, which is funded and managed by Multnomah County, is an enormous asset that we need to continue to invest in and deepen. Current programming includes after-school arts enrichment; I’m interested in supporting and enhancing these programs, including by building more connections with in-school curricula and staff, by tailoring programming to the specific school communities, and by more intentionally engaging not only students but families and the wider community in SUN programming.


Response: Nick Fish

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

Here are the responses provided by Nick Fish, running for Portland City Commissioner, Position 2. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 


 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Portland?

NF: I am passionate about arts and culture in Portland, and proud to serve as a local champion.

Before my election to the City Council, I served as Vice-Chair of the Oregon Cultural Trust, working to build private supports for arts, culture and heritage state-wide. I advocated for a doubling of the Percent for Art program. And I personally supported organizations dedicated to jazz, modern dance, and expanding access to the arts.

For the past six years, I have had the honor of serving as the City’s Arts Commissioner. My priorities include expanding arts education in our schools, defending and reforming the Arts Tax, protecting funding for the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC) and small grants programs, advancing a robust equity agenda, and addressing the urgent challenge of arts affordability.

Based on my track record of support for the arts, I have earned the support of trusted arts leaders like Eloise Damrosch, Jamey Hampton, Julie Vigeland, Bob Speltz, Sam Adams, Paul King, Walter Jaffe, Stephen Marc Beaudoin, Elizabeth Leach, Harold Goldstein, Carole Morse, Jose Eduardo Gonzalez, Al Solheim, Linda McGeady, and Phillip Hillaire.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality of life. Yet there are a number of pressing needs in Portland that often compete with arts and culture for attention and investment. How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Portland be doing to support this sector?

NF: The arts are the soul of our community. They foster joy, creativity and beauty. They contribute significantly to our quality of life. And they are what makes Portland a special place to live, work and play.

The arts are also an economic powerhouse. In the tri‐county region, the arts support thousands of full time jobs, deliver nearly $30 million dollars in state and local revenue, and generate more than $300 million dollars in economic activity – each year.

To put it differently, imagine Portland without the arts. Without dance and jazz, opera and the symphony, art galleries and poetry, murals and public art, hip hop, movies and concerts in the park.

That’s why we cannot take the arts for granted. Nothing about Portland’s success is inevitable. The increasing costs of housing and studio, gallery, and performance space are making it harder for artists to live here. President Trump has once again proposed to end public funding for the arts. Other cities are competing for talent, as well as the next hit television show and movie.

We must be intentional in our efforts to support a vibrant arts scene and we must act with urgency. It’s why I’m so proud that the City Council has embraced my plan to address arts affordability.

We must be collaborative. Everyone has a role to play—state and local government, philanthropy, public spirited businesses, and individual donors and patrons.

And we must continue to invest in the arts.

 

RACC: The region’s affordability is a serious concern for everyone in our community. What are your plans for making housing and creative spaces more affordable for artists, nonprofit arts organizations and arts‐related businesses?

NF: In March of this year, City Council unanimously accepted a set of recommendations that I developed with Commissioner Eudaly and Mayor Wheeler to preserve affordable creative spaces. The 24 recommendations include an arts concierge in the Bureau of Development Services, a comprehensive map of creative space across Portland, short-term leases in properties owned by Prosper Portland that are slated for future development, and increased investment in public art for underserved areas such as East Portland.

Now, the hard part begins! As we implement the recommendations, I have committed to rolling up my sleeves and doing my part.

 

RACC: The city’s Arts Tax is disliked by some, while 62% of voters approved it. Thanks to the Arts Tax, every K–‐5 student in the City of Portland now as an art, music or dance teacher, and dozens of nonprofit arts organizations are expanding access to the arts by providing free and low–‐cost arts experiences for Portland residents. What changes to the Arts Tax, if any, would you want Portland City Council to consider?

NF: Every child should have arts education as part of her basic school curriculum. Research makes clear that children exposed to the arts perform better across the board. That’s why I am so proud that Portland voters supported the Arts Tax.

The City has already made a few changes to strengthen the tax. For example, the City Council exempted very low-income households. And we recently adopted an update that removed the cap on collections activity – “administration” – of the Arts Tax. This update was based on the recommendation of the Arts Oversight Committee and will allow us to collect more revenue – to be distributed as grants to arts organizations.

And I support other changes: the exemption for low income residents should be increased to make the tax more progressive. I would like more robust reports from our school districts showing how the dollars are being spent, with an emphasis on quality and not just quantity. And we should continue to seek more efficient ways of collecting the tax.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for the City of Portland that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

NF: My priorities for the arts include protecting funding for RACC and developing new partnerships to sustain this work long-term, preserving arts affordability, and equity. I strongly support the work RACC is doing to ensure a more equitable approach to grant-making.

I am running for reelection on my record of bringing people together to solve problems. I am deeply committed to ending chronic homelessness, and to ensuring that every Portlander has a safe and affordable place to call home. I am working to protect our environment—focusing on a clean energy future, converting brownfields to productive use, and cleaning up the Willamette River. And I am a champion for our neighborhood small businesses. That means promoting the Buy Local movement, cutting red tape and streamlining regulations, working with Venture Portland to build capacity in underserved areas like East Portland, and supporting programs to keep our neighborhoods safe.

I’d be honored to have your support in my race for re-election to the Portland City Council, Position 2.


Response: Maria Garcia

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

Here are the responses provided by Maria Garcia, running for Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 


 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Multnomah County?

MG: In 2011, when I worked in the Mexican Consulate in Portland, in the Community Affairs Department, part of my job was to promote cultural events. I supported and organized different cultural events, including indigenous celebrations in Multnomah County.

Working with the Mayan community in the NE Cully neighborhood, I have supported, sponsored and organized together with INDEMAYA (Mayan organization in Yucatan, Mexico) a cultural event called “Vaqueria”. For the past 6 years, every September, representatives of the Mayan government from Yucatan come to celebrate their folklore, music, sell of textiles and jewelry, gastronomy and community unity as well as listening to their main concerns and problems living abroad so when they go back, they create programs of support that help the Mayan community to be connected with their families and government back home.

Another event I helped to organized together with another indigenous group from Oaxaca, Mexico, in Portland was called “La Guelaguetza in Porltand”. La Guelaguetza is an annual indigenous cultural even in Oaxaca, Mexico. This celebration centers on traditional dancing in costumes in groups, includes parades with indigenous walking bands, traditional Oaxacan food and state wide artisanal crafts such as prehispanic style textile. We hold this event 2 consecutive years. We are currently getting together to host this event again for summer 2019.

Those celebrations are important for the continuing survival of these cultures, especially those living abroad since their kids started to lose their identity and mother language.

Another cultural event I helped organized in 2010 and 2011 at the Portland Art Museum, was a gastronomic event “Sabor  a Mexico”, where the most re- known Mexican restaurants were invited to participate in a fund raiser for a program called “IME BECAS”. The money was donated to local educational institutions that served Mexican milenios to pay for their tuition at Portland State University.

During my tenure at the Mexican Consulate, I organized for 2 consecutive years at The Arlington club, a 5 de Mayo celebration where I brought the “Charros”( Mexican cowboys), to performed and promote their traditions, a Ranchero singer, dances and coordinated with the chef a Mexican menu for dinner. The main floor was decorated with Ranchero items and really brought a Mexican experience to the club. It was a very well received event.

Day of Death celebration is a very important event closed to my heart. In 2016, with the support  of the Multnomah County Employees of Color, I organized a Day of Dead celebration at the Lincoln Center. This is a celebration of dead and life, very close to the Mexican culture. In this event, we honored the dead a young man of color killed by  police brutality, Christopher Kalonji. His mother, Irene Kalonji, set up an altar with pictures of Cristopher and his favorite cookies, made by her. Don’t Shoot Portland was present with an altar name “Black lives matter”, where the pictures of the most national known African American young men were killed by police brutality too. Donor life organization was present with an altar. They talked about the importance of donating organs after dead.

A recipient of the Governor’s Arts Awards, artist Arvie Smith, participated too building a great altar where he brought the African roots together with the religious Catholic believes of this celebration. One more participant was a famous local photographer, Paulina Hermosillo, who was a reporter for the most prestigious Mexican magazines many years ago She brought her collection of pictures of all the social justice movements in Mexico which was part of my Revolutionary altar.

Another talented young artist, Ameya Marie, brought beautiful artistic pictures of known activist all over the world and the images of young men killed by police brutality nationally too. The last participant was Voz Hispana, a pro- immigrant non profit organization with an altar honoring immigrants crossing the borders.

In 2017, together with Mexican muralist, Hector Hernandez, I organized a Day of dead celebration at PNCA, where the event was hosted. Artist Vojislav Radovanovic, came from LA to present his version of pagan celebration of dead. Teressa Raiford, from Don’t Shoot Portland, set up an altar with pictures of African American activist through history. Donate life organization was present again and together with the sutdents of color  of PNCA, built   an altar honoring Latino  immigrants  deaths . We had Aztec dancers, Mexican coffee, hot chocolate and pan de muerto, a traditional pastry eaten in this special occasion. The Portland Art Museum participated as sponsor of the event. In June, this year,  I will start organizing for the 2018 Day of Death celebration again.

On September 2017, I host a bystander intervention event at the Artist Repertory Theater where we talked about the difference of being “Latino, Chicano and Hispanic”, how we intersect with the slavery in Africa and how this gave place to a part of our Mexican-African culture expressed in some traditional dances of specific regions of Mexico. An expert in Chicano studies and artist, Hector Hernandez talked to us about the difference between “Assimilation and Inclusion” of the Latino diaspora in USA. Local dancers were performing such as Kenya Marquez, with her folcloric dance group, “Papalotl”. Kenya brought her dance group formed mainly by kids between the ages of 8-15 years old and  performed “La Bamba”, famous mestizo song. Keny explained the meaning of this song and the strong African influence in Mexico. “Los Chinelos”, folcloric dance group from central Mexico brought their majestic outfits and dances. They talked about the meaning of their dances and costumes, where they are from, how strong the Spanish influence in their region is and the importance of promoting our culture in Portland.

As a community advocate, I started a beautiful project together with the Latino Club from Oregon State Penitentiary. It was a “papel picado” project. Inmates made the colorful traditional Mexican cut paper. They costume made logos, different shapes and colors were made by this men. I distributed the paper and got orders from different organizations and restaurants that supported this project. In 2015, the first Hispanic Heritage month celebration took place at the Capitolio, in Salem. Many Latino artists participated as well as the  “papel picado” made by the inmates. They were very proud of knowing their work was exhibited at the same time. My intention was to bring awareness about this other part of our community.

I am the former president of Don’t Shoot Portland, a community action organization focus in social justice and art. I can proudly say that I did influence the arts and culture emphasis of the organization. I believe social justice can be express through art and influence at young age is best. Now, Don’t Shoot host a Kids arts and Culture Council where kids, all ages, participate creating banners with profound messages. In this council, kids  can express their vision of social justice. They learn about activism and  how to express their surroundings  and life trough art. We support local pop artist who have learned how to turn their art into business.

I am a current board member of a local theater company, Boom Arts, and a supporter of this organization. On Sunday, March 11th, I host a work shop with a Mexican theater company brought by Boo Arts. We invited Latino women living in Porltand and together with the director of Linea de Sombra, the Mexican theater company, we talked about the challenges on immigrant women living in USA and how art has influence our lives and/or the people we have worked with. They goal of this workshop, was to support the work of the theater company transforming our stories into hopefully a play. Since it was a wonderful and unique topics, I decided that I want to hold a monthly meeting open to the public, where people can come and have substantial conversations about the importance of art and how to promote it.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality of life. Yet there are a number of pressing needs in Multnomah County that often compete with arts and culture for attention and investment. How would you describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Multnomah County be doing to support this sector?

MG: Arts and culture are the result of all the collective effort that identifies society and its life style. Culture identifies specific social groups and art generates artistic expression using different symbols, techniques and materials that an artist produce.  Art take us to different worlds without living our own space.

Multnomah county has an abundance of artists and diverse cultures that should be paid more attention to. Promoting our diverse neighborhoods, by inviting the different diasporas living in the county to bring their gastronomy, arts, folklore, music, art and crafts and more to everybody into their neighborhoods will be a great way to connect and learn form everybody’s culture in a very safe and  organic way that can built community. It is important to build pride in the neighborhoods because they are the fabric of community. When one neighborhood is in decline, the whole community can be at risk. Neighborhoods, whether official or perceived play a critical role in the success of local housing and infrastructure policy. Strengthening and promoting existing neighborhoods can stabilized the housing stock and contribute towards community ties. These ties produce a stronger community that can effectively react to problems such as crime, litter or deterioration. Dealing with these threats in a proactive and forceful manner can ensure the vitality and property values of a community. Promoting living, shopping and special events within particular neighborhoods increases community pride, communication and social interaction. All this can be done promoting arts, culture and diversity. Let’s take China town in San Francisco or New York as an example, or “La Placita Olvera” in Los Angeles among may other diverse ethnic centered neighborhoods. They bring culture, gastronomy, cultural activities and pride to their neighborhoods, adding a touristic  aspect, very important for local economy.  District 2 can be the leader in culture and community pride.

 

RACC: The region’s affordability is a serious concern for everyone in our community. What are your plans for making housing and creative spaces more affordable for artist, nonprofit arts organizations and arts-related businesses?

MG: I believe that working closed with City council, specifically, Commissioner Eudaly and Fish is important. The 24 recommendations of the Arts Affordability plan to promote arts and culture should be applied to  Multnomah County too. I truly believe in direct communications with community members that are very active in this arena (arts and culture) is important. Inviting them to participate and share their work  and places already existing is important to know. Closer partnerships with already established institutions such as Portland Art Museum, OMSI, PNCA, small galleries that can work together to support local artist and community based cultural events, This is an affordable way of support and promote local talent. The housing crisis is a bigger issue than what we think, and a prompt solution should be taken into action but those are long negotiations at state level where the   non-cause eviction has to be banned as first move so we can keep people housed to avoid more shortage of housing. Extending human services at the county level is important to help people in need to pay for their utilities and rent. The housing issue is a big cycle that is beyond not just paying rent, but a poverty problem and lack of understanding in how fast and bad planned the city has grown. What is happening now is the result of many years of investment in high priced housing and lack of attention to the needs of the community.

 

RACC: How can RACC and Multnomah County do a better job of providing arts experiences for East County and other underrepresented communities?

MG: I think of my answer in question 2 will cover this question too. For our underrepresented communities in particular, the kids need to be influence more into all forms of arts and culture pride. Many kids are losing their identity because there is not reinforcement of it. Because of racism too, many kids are rejecting speaking their mother language now. Parents work long hours, sometimes up to 3 jobs (experiencing myself that issue many years ago), and have no time to bring that cultural awareness to their kids. So schools, in this case, working through the SUN School programs, is an effective way for affordable or not cost approach to arts and culture. Bringing neighborhood pride to all this undeserved communities by allowing locals to express themselves through art is empowering. Allowing the creation of murals that tells the story of the neighborhoods can bring pride and a different approach to art. Partnering with Jails and detention centers is important too. Providing  the artistic education is important. I advocate for Latino incarcerated men and I know many talented men creating beautiful paintings and crafts. They learned inside jail because they never had an encounter with arts before. Maybe art could have save them? Perhaps. Graffiti is a form of art, tatoos are an expression of art, art is everywhere but we are not understanding it because there is not part of our life.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for Multnomah County that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

MG: I bring cultural awareness, eradication of Institutional racism, accountability. I vision a Multicultural center built in D2 that houses all forms of local arts and promotes diverse cultures, creates a safe space for our local artist and communities. I vision a rich, colorful, vibrant cultural center that will be a sacred home of arts. It is not impossible, is doable and necessary.


Response: Juan Carlos Gonzalez

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

Here are the responses provided by Juan Carlos Gonzalez, running for Metro Council, District 4. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 


 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in the Portland metro region?

JCG: My role as Director of Development and Communications at Centro Cultural has given me the special opportunity to work on the forefront of how arts and culture serves everyones needs in our region. I have specifically advocated for, designed and materialized, art programs and services that reflect communities of color. In 2017 we led a partnership with the City of Hillsboro to launch “El Grito” – a hispanic heritage month event honoring Latin American independence – drawing over 3,000 guests to an event full of music, dance and cultural activities. We received a RACC grant in 2016 for our Children’s Day Festival, an event I coordinated for 4,000 youth in the west end of the Metro region. Currently, we’re working with Tualatin Riverkeepers to design stormwater murals in Hillsboro and Tigard that reflect both the Latino and Arabic cultures in those respective communities. Just this year we received a significant grant from the State of Oregon to launch a ballet folklorico program in Cornelius for youth of color, with a grant proposal that I designed to incorporate family learning and place-making.

I will continue to support Arts and Culture ferociously as Metro Councilor, especially when considering the racial equity lens our arts and culture programs need to embrace.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to our region’s economy, our education system and our quality of life. Yet there are a number of pressing needs in our communities that often compete with arts and culture for attention and investment. How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Metro be doing to support this sector?

JCG: Quite plainly, the Arts build a sense of place and belonging. These modes of expression channel our stories – of struggle, perseverance, love and hope – and connect narratives and ideas to physical places and objects. I believe we must invest in the Arts alongside transportation, housing and parks because it adds richness to the places we call home.

 

I often think of Winston Churchill’s explanation of why to fund the arts amidst World War, when patriots criticized the government for investing in arts instead of full military expansion and he responded (more or less) “[then] what are we fighting for?”.

In the midst of a housing and transportation crisis it is inevitable that a choir of dissidents will sing a similar tune. As Metro Councilor I will fight to support arts and culture investments both in grant portfolios like Community Placemaking grants, but also more intentional arts and public arts priorities as part of our broader investments. I will specifically advocate for an added racial equity lens to lift the artistic talent of local communities of color, and ensure those stories are told – to wed our experiences with the places we call home, and make Oregon ours.

 

RACC: The region’s affordability is a serious concern for everyone in our community. What are your plans for making housing and creative spaces more affordable for artists, nonprofit arts organizations and arts-related businesses?

JCG: Our affordable housing crisis is regional, and merits a regional approach. I fully support Metro’s affordable housing bond proposal this November. My campaign’s ethos is that we must un-silo the complex of issues of our generation, and look at braided approaches. Therefore, if we invest in housing we must ensure that the housing is dense and well connected on main transportation corridors, and has access to high quality public transportation services, world class schools, and a wide range of services from arts and culture to recreation in the outdoors.

As Metro Councilor I will champion affordable housing for my District, and the region, in order to ensure that creative minds full of potential are able to call this place home – now and into the future.

 

RACC: How can RACC and Metro do a better job of providing arts experiences for underrepresented populations, including rural communities, people of color, people with disabilities and underserved neighborhoods?

JCG: Centro Cultural’s model is an excellent example of how regional government and funders can lift the voices, talents, and artistic experiences of communities of color. It doesn’t only take significant investment to scale up capacity and expertise for a community based organization, but also a proliferation of relationships, trust and understanding. There are systemic barriers that get in the way of local artists receiving funding for projects, presenting their art with equitable opportunity, and even having discretionary dollars to purchase materials.

My strategy is to go directly to where community already gathers. There is no need for Metro or RACC to re-invent the wheel of community engagement or community relationships. There are places that have historically meaningful and authentic relationships. We must go to where those places are, invest in them, and do everything in our power to life those voices and perspectives.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for Metro that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

JCG: Our region is at the crux of a recycling crisis, as international markets for plastic jeopardize our ability to process plastics and therefore our entire waste system. I have quite a few ideas with how we can modernize our region’s garbage and recycling system, but at the heart is this idea that we must create a local waste economy that can process materials right here. Not only does that create a new layer of industry, jobs and businesses, but also helps us pump back in the right types of plastics into our economy. Plastics we know we can process responsibly.

 

The intersection between the arts and this new waste system is an opportunity for creative and innovative re-use of recycled materials. I believe we should create an economy that incentivizes a re-use of materials before they event enter the waste system, to benefit our communities.


Response: Sonya Fischer

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

Here are the responses provided by Sonya Fischer, running for Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, Position 5. All responses are reprinted verbatim from what the candidates sent us.

 


 

RACC: In what specific ways have you supported arts and culture in Clackamas County?

SF: As a Clackamas County Commissioner, we closely work with the Clackamas County Arts Alliance (CCAA), providing $279,359 in general fund support. Our support of CCAA helps provide programming and services, including Juvenile Department, Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Transportation & Development, Parks, Community Solutions, Health/Housing & Human Services. These vital partnerships include Youth Arts for Change, the Artist Exhibit Program, and the Public Art Program, allowing us to keep arts and culture central to life in Clackamas County. I also advocated to restore levels of general fund support to Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). The $100,000 allows RACC to provide key resources to Clackamas County through programs such as Work for Art, benefiting arts access, and the Right Brain Initiative, supporting arts education in many school districts, including North Clackamas.

 

RACC: Artists and arts organizations add measurable value to the county’s economy, our education system and healthy communities – three of Clackamas County’s key performance measures. How would YOU describe the importance of arts and culture in our community, and what should Clackamas County be doing to support this sector?

SF: The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $14,837,677 in annual economic activity in Clackamas County, supporting 417 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $1,199,000 in local and state government revenues, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 national economic impact study. This study reaffirms the important impact of arts and culture in Clackamas County. The arts and culture industry provides jobs, supports businesses and attracts visitors. One of the reasons businesses and residents choose to live in Clackamas County is because of the rich vibrancy arts and culture add to the livability of our communities. Clackamas County must continue to support private and public partnerships that provide greater access and opportunity for economic growth. The value of arts in our community cannot be underestimated.

 

RACC: Many schools in Clackamas County are participating in The Right Brain Initiative, which infuses dance, music, visual art and other creative activities into science, language arts, math and other subjects. Rigorous evaluative data has demonstrated that this approach leads to better teachers and more engaged students with improved test scores.  Do you support public investments in programs like these to support student learning in Clackamas County?

SF: In FY 2017-18, RACC in partnership with Clackamas County leveraged $272,906 for Clackamas County Schools. The impact of the Right Brain Initiative has helped schools in North Clackamas and Oregon Trail School Districts, increasing above average math and reading scores and improvement for English Language Learners. It is essential that we support these public investments. I am a strong advocate for preparing students through science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). Our economic future is dependent upon a workforce that can innovate, communicate, and apply critical thinking. The arts drive our creative class that will create the pathways for our 21st century economy.

RACC: How can RACC and Clackamas County do a better job of providing arts experiences for underrepresented populations, including rural communities, people of color, people with disabilities and underserved neighborhoods?

SF: As a County Commissioner, I am committed to removing barriers to fairness in representation, opportunity, and access in Clackamas County. As a young mother of a child with severe disabilities, I understand the importance of services that provide a community safety net for our most vulnerable and underrepresented populations. Access to the arts and cultural amenities are essential to quality of life for all Clackamas County residents. RACC and Clackamas County must remain proactive in supporting, developing and promoting access to all the arts throughout the county community. From grant programs, to public art exhibits, to arts related events, Clackamas County and RACC must continue to grow its outreach so that all underrepresented and underserved communities have access to the arts.

 

RACC: What are some of your other priorities for Clackamas County that would be of interest to artists, arts organizations and arts educators in our community?

SF: Housing Affordability is a growing concern for artists and educators in Clackamas County. I will work with both the public and private sectors for housing policies that will allow Clackamas County residents to afford to live in the community they love. Another priority ins protecting our unique quality of life in Clackamas County. Artists and educators choose to call Clackamas County home because of the livable cities, vital rural and natural areas, quality schools, and economic opportunities. It is vital that we create more economic opportunities so that good-paying jobs are available to everyone in every part of the county.