Portland, OR. Music, dance, artistic freedom, censorship, and a 1920’s lesbian love story, collide with the looming threat of the Holocaust in an award-winning play now being staged by Artists Repertory Theatre. Indecent by Paula Vogel, is part of Artists Repertory Theatre on Tour (ART) season, which is taking place as the company’s theater is undergoing renovation. The play features Michael Mendelson (picture above) and is being produced with Profile Theatre; the production takes place at Portland State University. Indecent is described as a backstage drama filled with music and the history of Jewish theatre. (Photo credit, Kathleen Kelly)
Miriam Schwartz and Jamie M Rea
“Our need to tell our own stories is one of the most ancient needs we have,” says Artistic Director of Profile Theatre and director of the play, Josh Hecht. “It’s not just the telling that is important. It’s the witnessing. It’s the confirmation that comes from speaking our truths and having someone else say, “Yes, that’s me, too. Yes, I recognize that. We may be different, but in this way we are the same.”
“This original production of Vogel’s acclaimed, moving, and ultimately joyous play is a collaboration between Profile Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre (ART), and Portland State University (PSU),” says Dámaso Rodríguez, Artistic Director of Artists Repertory Theatre. “This ambitiousness and scale of this project, which affords opportunities for PSU students to interact with and learn from some of our city’s most accomplished theatre artists, might have been out of reach for all of our companies had we not combined our resources to make it possible.”
Here’s a video about the production:
Indecent runs through March 8th, at Lincoln Hall, Portland State University, 1620 SW Park Ave. ART descriptions include the following: A boldly touching portrayal of the original theatrical company that presented Sholem Asch’s The God of Vengeance. The creator, Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Paula Vogel based scenes off of Asch’s play portraying the risk-taking group that brought the script to the stage.
Tickets are $60 regular price; $30 preview/student/under 35; $15 PSU student with ID. Special Discounts include Sliding Scale Sunday (tickets start at $10): applies to Sunday evening performances, 20for20: 20 tickets available at every performance for $20, Artists Rep participates in Arts for All and the Multnomah County Library’s Discovery Pass Program. Tickets at 503.241.1278 or www.artistsrep.org
Here’s a video about Artist Repertory Theatre:
More about Artists Repertory Theatre:
ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE’S mission is to produce intimate, provocative theatre and provide a home for a diverse community artists and audiences to take creative risks. Artists Rep gratefully acknowledges our theatre rests on the traditional lands of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River. Artists Rep is Portland’s premiere mid-size regional theatre company and is led by Artistic Director Dámaso Rodríguez and Managing Director J.S. May. Founded in 1982, Artists Repertory Theatre is the longest-running professional theatre company in Portland. ART became the 72nd member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) in 2016 and is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network (NNPN). Artists Rep’s 2019/20 season can be found here.
Artists Rep has become a significant presence in American regional theatre with a legacy of world, national, and regional premieres of provocative new work with the highest standards of stagecraft. The organization is committed to local artists and features a company of Resident Artists and professionals of varied theatre disciplines, who are a driving force behind Artists Rep’s creative output and identity.
Portland, Or. To mark the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, the Portland Art Museum is presenting an exhibition that portrays artists’ responses to the beauty and power of the volcano. The exhibition will run through May 17th at the Portland Art Museum. Pictured above is Lucinda Parker’s painting called “The Seething Saint.” (Courtesy of the artist and Russo Lee Gallery.) The exhibit features Native American objects to contemporary paintings, drawings, and photographs. Interestingly, paintings of Mount St. Helens were historically rare compared with the numerous images of Mount Hood.
Albert Bierstadt (American, born Germany, 1830-1902), Mount St. Helens, Columbia River, Oregon, ca. 1889. Oil on canvas.
Henk Pander (American, born The Netherlands, 1937), Eruption of Saint Helens from Cable Street, 1981. Oil on linen.
The show will also trace the mountain’s changing image and significance for local peoples. Native Americans used the substance of the volcano—mainly basalt and obsidian—to create objects of great beauty and utility. While Mount St. Helens was featured in their creation stories, no depictions of the volcano in visual arts are known before the mid-1840s. Explorers Henry James Warre and Paul Kane traveled through the area and their visits ended up coinciding with the volcano’s last eruptive period and they recorded the venting of steam and ash on the north side, presaging its destruction on May 18, 1980. Volcanic eruptions have long been depicted by artists because they are the most visually spectacular manifestations of nature’s awesome power.
As the region commemorates the 40th anniversary of the volcano’s eruption, the Portland Art Museum is partnering with the Mount St. Helens Institute on a series of programs, tours, and in-gallery experiences throughout the run of the exhibition. For those who remember the eruption of 1980 and for those who know its legacy, the exhibition will bring to life one of the most momentous days in the history of the Pacific Northwest, and artists’ responses to one short period in the cycles of volcanic destruction and regeneration at Mount St. Helens.
Mathias Van Hesemans (American, born 1946), Eruption, 1983, Mount Saint Helens, 1983. Gelatin silver print.
Below is a video of what the Portland Art Museum has in store for 2020:
More from the Portland Art Museum:
The mission of the Portland Art Museum is to engage diverse communities through art and film of enduring quality, and to collect, preserve, and educate for the enrichment of present and future generations. The Portland Art Museum strives to be an inclusive institution that facilitates respectful dialogue, debate, and the free exchange of ideas. With a deep commitment to artists – past and present – and freedom of expression, the Museum and Northwest Film Center’s collections, programs and staff aspire to reveal the beauty and complexities of the world and create a deeper understanding of our shared humanity. We are a Museum for all, inviting everyone to connect with art through their own experiences, voices, and personal journeys. The following core values guide the Portland Art Museum: creativity, connection, learning, accessibility, accountability.
Portland, OR. The Artists Repertory Theatre (ART) cast of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart performs scenes in and around the audience seated at pub-style tables. Directors Luan Schooler & Dámaso Rodríguez created the unique production of David Greig’s play which is presented, with an optional dinner of pub fare, at the Tiffany Center at 14th and Morrison. (ART has temporarily moved out of its Southwest Portland home during a site redevelopment, so the company is ‘on tour.’) About the play: Prudencia (played by Amy Newman), a scholar specializing in traditional Scottish folklore, has no time for modern pop culture, and even less for her colleague Colin Syme (Eric Little). After a long night out at the pub, Prudencia becomes lost in the snowy forest, only to be rescued by the mysterious Nick (Darius Pierce). But, are Nick’s intentions as altruistic as they seem, or does he have something more nefarious in store?
Amy Newman, Eric Little, Luisa Sermol, Susannah Mars, Alicia Hueni, and Darius Pierce
Luisa Sermol
Darius Pierce as Nick
Amy Newman as Prudencia Hart
Alicia Hueni & Rachel Bentzen
The show will run from Dec 6th through January 5th 2020 in the Tiffany Center, at 1410 SW Morrison Street. Tickets begin at $60, with discounts available for students and those under 35. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 503.241.1278 or visit online at www.artistsrep.org.
From Artists Rep: Artists Rep is Portland’s premiere mid-size regional theatre company and is led by Artistic Director Dámaso Rodríguez and Managing Director J.S. May. Founded in 1982, Artists Repertory Theatre is the longest-running professional theatre company in Portland. ART became the 72nd member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) in 2016 and is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network (NNPN). Artists Rep’s 2019/20 season can be found here.
Portland, OR. Over 550 community members gathered at the Portland Art Museum to support The Dougy Center at the 2018 Reflection Benefit & Auction presented by KinderCare Education. This year’s Reflection Benefit on May 11th raised over $900,000, which is more than any other event in The Dougy Center’s history. This night included a silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind art created by Dougy Center participating children and teens, an elegant dinner, a live auction, and a heartfelt testimonial from Alissa, Robbie, Madeline and Samantha Parker, a family who participates in The Dougy Center’s program which supports grieving children and families. (Photo credit, Ilona LaRue)
Kevin and Jessica Sailor
Daphne and Destiny, Dougy Center Participants, displaying their art in the silent auction
Jeff Gianola, Emcee and Johnna Wells, Auctioneer
The inspiring evening culminated with the announcement of the 21st Annual Porsche Boxster Raffle winner, which nearly sold out of all 2,000 tickets.
The Dougy Center 2018 Reflection Benefit and Raffle was Co-Chaired by Tim & Jennifer O’Brien and Michael & Brandy Horwitz, and raised over $900,000 for our program to support children, teens, young adults and their families grieving the death of a loved one, or those living with a family member with an advanced serious illness.
Portland, OR. The annual Albertina Kerr luncheon introduced community members to the work of the local nonprofit, which provides programs and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges, empowering them to live richer lives. The event on November 3rd at the Downtown Portland Hilton drew approximately 350 people. Bernie Wilson, Dir. of DDS and Sandra Cisneros, Family Support Specialist posed for a photo. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Anne Adler – CDO, Jeff Carr = CEO, Kristie Nelson and son Nathan – client of Kerr, Jennifer Harmon – Marketing and Communications Mgr.
Discover Kerr was a free luncheon with a presentation from CEO, Jeff Carr. Carr also identified the long-term goals of the organization: build affordable on-site housing for employees, revitalize the brand, cultivate strategic community partnerships and invest in the services they provide.
Chris Krenke and Jeff Carr – Past and Present CEOs of Albertina Kerr
Connie West – Joyce Manougian Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Jeff Carr – CEO, Miki Herman – Chair, Foundation Trustees
From Albertina Kerr:
Our Mission
Albertina Kerr empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health challenges and other social barriers to lead self-determined lives and reach their full potential.
Our Vision
All people thrive in nurturing and inclusive communities.
Our Values
Guiding beliefs that shape the culture of Albertina Kerr Centers, the behavior of all individuals directly associated with the organization, and the delivery of services include:
DIGNITY AND COMPASSION
Every individual has equal value and we treat each person served with dignity and respect. Our belief in kindness, understanding, humanity, and the value of diversity and culturally appropriate services guides our daily work.
INTEGRITY
We are committed to high ethical standards. Honesty, accountability and responsible stewardship of financial resources are expected from all employees and volunteers.
COMMITMENT
We are committed in providing the best care possible for everyone we serve. We believe in evidence-based practices, continuous learning and improvement to ensure positive service outcomes and responsible financial management. We are forward-thinking in our work and seek out innovative and creative approaches to fulfilling community needs.
COLLABORATION
We partner with the people we serve and their families to achieve our vision and mission. Partnerships with employees, community volunteers and donors, government agencies and other like-minded organizations are also essential.
ADVOCACY
We strongly advocate for the needs of the people we serve, educating the community and political decision makers about the challenges they face. We employ those we serve to successfully advocate for their own needs and rights.
Portland, April 4th, 2015. The Portland Children’s Museum is presenting Hannah Viano, Author of S is for Salmon: A Northwest Alphabet, and the upcoming book Arrow to Alaska: A Northwest Adventure, as Artist in Residence for its 2015 Artist in Residence Season.
Hannah Viano, Author of S is for Salmon: A Northwest Alphabet.
S is for Salmon: A Northwest Alphabet book.
Visitors to Portland Children’s Museum can now create artwork with talented professional artists through the museum’s Artist in Residence Program, an ongoing artist series. Funded through Summer 2017 by generous donations from Arlene Schnitzer and The Collins Foundation—with additional funding this year from Regional Arts & Culture Council and Juliet Ashby Hillman Foundation—the program provides museum guests opportunities to explore high quality art materials and the artistic process at the Museum.
As part of the 2015 Artist in Residence season, Hannah Viano will be onsite for a number of days through April 30th, 2015. She will be working with children and families to complete an illustrated guide of the plants and animals found in Outdoor Adventure, the Museum’s outdoor play space which opened on Earth Day of 2014. Hannah’s process involves observation of nature through painting, drawing, paper cutting, and screen printing.
Join the Portland Children’s Museum and Hannah Viano for some creative play and learning on various week and weekend days, including Earth Day, April 22nd; and for a Gallery Showing of completed final works in the Portland Children’s Museum’s Art Gallery from May 1st through July 25th. For more information about specific dates and times the artist will be in studio please visit www.portlandcm.org/hannah-viano. To view images of Hannah Viano’s work visit hannahviano.com/.
For more information about Artist in Residence Programs or to apply for residency please contact [email protected].
ABOUT PORTLAND CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
We’re a museum that doesn’t act like a museum because our audience—children and the adults who care for them—is more important to us than anything we collect. Instead of investing in precious objects, we create priceless opportunities for our visitors to learn through play.
LOCATION In Washington Park across from Oregon Zoo; 4015 SW Canyon Road, Portland, 97221
HOURS Open Daily, 9am-5pm • Target Free First Friday (first Friday every month) 4-8pm
ADMISSION Members: Free • Under age 1: Free; Ages 1-54: $10 • Over 55 & military: $9
Portland, February 28th, 2014. More than 280 attendees danced the night away at Albertina Kerr’s 80’s Prom-themed Spotlight on Kerr Gala at Montgomery Park. Guests heard from grateful parent Amy Logue and were moved to donate more than $146,000 in support of mental health and developmental disability services for children, adults and families at Albertina Kerr. Kim Borton, Mary Beth Butkovic, Kirsten Chambers, Kathryn Hile, and Anton Oehlert served on the committee that organized the event. (photo credits, PDX PhotoLounge and Andie Petkus Photography)
Denise and Rich Smith
Randi and John Thoma
From Albertina Kerr
Since 1907, Albertina Kerr has strengthened Oregon families and communities. Today, we provide programs and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges – empowering them to live richer lives.
We’re building an army of angels. A community that stands together. Where we challenge the norm to create a society that has no barriers. Where people who face developmental disabilities and mental health challenges are included and empowered. Where families are supported and children have reason to smile. Where everyday people reach out to the most vulnerable and give back to their community.
Portland, August 1st, 2013. The Regional Arts & Culture Council announced on Thursday evening that the seventh annual Work for Art campaign raised $761,359, bringing its seven-year total to $4,686,681 raised for local arts organizations. More than 1,900 donors participated in the campaign that began on July 1, 2012 and ended on June 30, 2013, mostly through payroll deduction and other gifts in the workplace.
The campaign results were delivered by Jeff Harvey, president and CEO of Burgerville, at a special reception Thursday evening in the KeyBank Club at Jeld-Wen Field. Harvey was the honorary chair of the 2012-13 campaign, and will lead the 2013-14 campaign as well, with co-chair Mike Golub, COO of the Portland Timbers.
“It is a great thing to celebrate arts and culture in our communities,” said Harvey in thanking all those who participated in the campaign. “In today’s business world… there’s no such thing as too much creativity or too much innovation. Investing in a vital arts community is the same as committing to deep and long-term investment in the vitality and innovation of business.”
More than 75 participating companies were acknowledged on Thursday evening, including the top ten Work for Art campaigns in 2012-13:
1. Portland General Electric
2. NW Natural
3. Burgerville
4. The Standard
5. OHSU
6. State of Oregon
7. City of Portland
8. Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects
9. Multnomah County
10. Stoel Rives
Portland General Electric was the top campaign for the second year in a row, increasing their campaign by 6% for a total of $83,530; President and CEO Jim Piro accepted the company’s award and said that PGE employees were enjoying more arts activities thanks to the Arts Card, a benefit of giving to Work for Art. Jack Graves, Chief Cultural Officer at Burgerville, accepted the “top participation” award for the sustainable restaurant chain, which had the most employee donors (410) of any company. Portland Center Stage was acknowledged for raising the most money among nonprofit organizations ($2,442); the award was accepted by development director Charlie Frasier.
The results reported on Thursday night are down 7.7% from the 2011-12 campaign total (and all-time high) of $824,648. A variety of factors contributed to the downturn, including general anxieties about the economy last fall, and typical fierce competition for contributions during a presidential election cycle. Work for Art leaders remain confident that the campaign will rebound in 2013-14; already several new companies have signed up to participate this year, including Cambia Health Solutions, Gerding Edlen, and Tri-Met. Other company leaders who would like to learn about conducting an employee giving campaign for the arts and culture sector are invited to contact Kathryn Jackson, Work for Art Manager at 503-823-5424 or [email protected].
Work for Art is a program of The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), which distributes 100% of all proceeds to more than 100 arts and culture organizations based in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties through a competitive grant application process. Although Work for Art is primarily a workplace giving program, anyone can participate by making a donation online at workforart.org. The strength of the campaign has been in its ability to accumulate a high volume of smaller gifts; most donations are $150 or less, and $60 is the amount most commonly donated. Donors who pledge $60 or more receive an Arts Card. Most donations are matched dollar-for-dollar by a matching challenge fund that includes contributions from The City of Portland, Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties, the Firstenburg Family Foundation, Sunshine Dairy Foods, and other private donors.
The 2013-14 campaign is now underway; the goal is to raise $775,000 by June 30, 2014.
Portland, July 25th, 2013. The Public Art Network of the Americans for the Arts has named a local project, “Dekumstruction,” to its 2012 Year in Review, which highlights the 50 most outstanding public art projects in the United States last year. Dekomstruction is also currently featured on the Americans for the Arts website.
The PAN Year in Review is the only national program recognizing projects of excellence in public art. From over 350 applications, three national public art professionals selected 50 outstanding projects that were completed in 2012. The panelists were Justine Topfer, curator, Out of the Box Projects, San Francisco, CA; Norie Sato, artist, Seattle, WA; and John Carson, artist and head of the School of Art, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Dekumstructionis a sculptural artwork integrated with a custom bike rack designed by the artists Buster Simpson and Peg Butler located at the intersection of NE Dekum & Durham, adjacent to the Breakside Brewery. Twenty halved oil barrel planters stenciled with the names of depleted oil fields and painted with an iridescent sheen allude to the culture of big oil. The planters are planted with native species and receive water run-off from the adjacent private property. All of the water then flows through a downspout onto an upended oil barrel that quite literally “beats” the drum on rainy days. The installation celebrates the displacement (deconstruction) of two former car parking spaces with a multifunctional sculpture that accommodates ten bicycles while conveying shifting attitudes about consumption, energy, and stormwater management.
This collaboration was initiated by the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services as a part of their Sustainable Stormwater “green street” program to address stormwater management issues in Portland. They in turn brought in the Transportation Options folks from the Bureau of Transportation to help with bike parking to give the project an aesthetic and augmented conceptual twist, and then turned to the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which hired artists Buster Simpson and Peg Butler. Simpson and Butler helped choose the site, worked the adjacent building owner and the stormwater engineers, designed the prototype for the bike rack and then artwork and its relationship to the adjacent building, and oversaw the fabrication and installation of the above ground work. The overall project budget was nearly $60,000. Funding came from a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency with additional funds from all of the other partners.
Portland, July 9th, 2013. Artist and performer Anthony Hudson, who identifies as a “queer Portlander, a native Oregonian, and a Grand Ronde Indian,” is opening up a pubic photo booth at the Portland Building Installation Space. The exhibition is part of a series organized by the Regional Arts and Culture Counsel for advanced students in fine art a Portland Building. The community based project by Anthony Hudson, will be open through August 2nd and with it, Hudson hopes to create a series of alternate Portlandias that embody the diversity that exists in Portland today.
Viewing Hours & Location: 8 am to 5 pm, Monday – Friday. The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland. Admission is always free. Queering Portlandia runs through August 2nd.
Project Background:Despite her notoriety and our love for her, Portlandia is irrefutably rooted in European sculptural tradition. The 35 foot high hammered copper statue that graces the façade of the Portland Building depicts the image of a classical female figure with European features. In that sense she represents only a portion our city’s diverse population. “Queering is essentially to make something queer, different, to make it anti-oppressive; queering here is to make Portlandia accessible again, giving an underprivileged audience a chance to recreate Portlandia in their own image.”
During set hours each week (noon to 2 pm Monday – Thursday, or by appointment via [email protected]), Hudson will transform the Installation Space into a photo booth/performance set complete with a selection of costumes and props. The project is open to anyone who wishes to take part, participants are invited to pose or perform on camera to create their own version of Portlandia. In the artist’s words “Queering Portlandia will allow for a multitude of new Portlandias: Portlandia as a person of color, Portlandia as queer, Portlandia as a person with disabilities, Portlandia as a true, living Portlander. Queering Portlandia will demonstrate our community’s commitment to providing visibility, safety and opportunity to all its citizens.”
About the Artist: Anthony Hudson is an Oregon native and received his BFA in Intermedia from Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2013. His work draws on mythology, theatre, popular culture, and critical theory; he has been featured in Hand2Mouth Theatre’s Risk/Reward Festival, Conduit Dance’s Dance+ Festival, and Performance Works NW’s Richard Foreman Mini-Festivals. Hudson is perhaps best known as Portland’s drag clown Carla Rossi, “an immortal trickster whose attempts at hegemonic realness almost always result in fantastic failure and revelations of her own mutability and vulnerability.”
About the Installation Space: Each year the Portland Building Installation Space series reserves several exhibition opportunities for advanced students in fine art. The format and presentation requirements for the student installations are identical to those for established professional artists, the Regional Arts & Culture Council created this separate eligibility category to help introduce emerging talents to the world of public art. Anthony Hudson is the 3rd student artist to present work this season.
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