Portland, OR. Airlie Press provides a creative refuge for poetry lovers and writers throughout Oregon and Washington. Public readings, like the pre-covid event with Jessica Mehta pictured above, feel like a distant memory this fall, but literary works are still being produced by the nonprofit publishing house. Founded in 2007, Airlie Press is run by writers who are determined to amplify the voices of our community and use local resources to give writers a positive publishing experience. The organization also offers an annual national prize. As Covid-19 spikes in a second wave, Airlie is hard at work to publish two new poetry collections by PNW writers in 2021 while keeping up with virtual poetry readings and other online literary events.
A sample of Airlie Press publications offerings.
Like the music industry, poetry benefits from live events. Readings create hype around the work by gathering like-minded creative spirits who share food and laughter and engage with the readers by providing a vocal presentation of their work. The press has been hit hard by the pandemic. Organizers held their 2020 book launch via an online event hosted by Annie Bloom’s Books– a Portland-based independent bookstore. While it was successful, something felt off for some of the artists. Brittney Corrigan, first-year editor of the press, explained, “Not only can you not see the audience, but you can’t hear them. I appreciate that auditory feedback, especially the little sighs or the little finger snaps. It’s really a part of that poetry experience.” It may not feel exactly the same, the publisher is moving ahead with frequent readings and other online gatherings in November, and hope to continue. Airlie Press also has a growing Youtube channel, featuring the authors, as well as poets from around the world.
Before Covid, Airlie Press editors met once a month, in a Salem, Oregon cafe, to touch base and work together on publications and events in progress. The press is highly collaborative, and local winners make a three-year commitment to the press. They are involved firsthand with the publication of their own book, while also reading submitted manuscripts and contributing to other tasks along the way. Now, these monthly meetings take place over Zoom, but members admit to talking daily. Editor and author of Learning to Love the Western Sky, Amelia Diaz Ettinger, misses the in-person gatherings in Salem. “Getting to know each other and being in the same room is missed,” Amelia says as she speaks of the screen-fatigue that comes with online meetings. Not only do the editors miss that human connection, but the poetry community does as well. “Then you have a lot of people that love to go to poetry readings, that are not technologically capable. There is a published poet here in town that has wanted to be a part of Zoom, even to discuss his own poetry, but he is almost 80.”
Despite the challenges, Airlie Press is staying on track for the new year. Brittney Corrigan is heading into her second year with the press, which means her poetry book, Daughters, is heading into production. If there’s one thing these diverse poetry books have in common, it’s that they are all thoughtfully produced. Every aspect of the books is locally sourced. Publishers used local designers for the covers and a small print shop in Portland for printing.
Leaders are excited for 2021’s book production, even if Covid continues to negatively impact our artistic communities. With local bookstore giants struggling and libraries functioning under strict regulation, the road ahead may be bumpy. But may make the 2021 releases even more special. Corrigan recognizes the silver lining in the possibility of another book launch during a pandemic. “There’s a small advantage in that you can potentially get audience members from across the country, or the world, in zoom meetings that wouldn’t be there in person. I did a reading recently and my parents were able to come, and they would never get to hear me read! I am thankful for the technology; this would be a lot worse without it.”
From Airlie Press:
Airlie Press is a nonprofit publisher run by writers, dedicated to cultivating and sustaining fine contemporary poetry and to promoting poets from the Pacific Northwest.
Our process involves the submission of a full-length manuscript of poetry during an annual open submission period and an interview for our finalists with current press members. Of the submissions we receive, we evaluate manuscripts thoroughly and select the promising work by authors willing to collaborate with our consensus-based group. As a press, we commit to participate in the ongoing conversation and practice regarding inclusion and equity. To this end, we encourage submissions from underrepresented voices and poets from marginalized communities.
Airlie Press produces one or two full-length volumes a year. All funds earned through book sales, subscription orders, and contributions are returned to Airlie Press for the creation of new books of poetry.
Portland, OR. Northwest Film Center is launching a platform called Co:Laboratory. It offers both online and in-person opportunities for people who want to keep their connection to the art world. With Co:Laboratory, art lovers can engage with others by exchanging ideas with an eye toward innovation, and creativity. Co:Laboratory offers a range of opportunities, from free classes and workshops to high-level programming for professionals. The goal is to give everyone an opportunity to expand their skill set.
One of the classes coming up in Co:Laboratory, is a stop motion animation class for students ages 9-14 years old.
Another workshop offered is called Inclusivity and Your Script, offered November 18-21, which will explore approaches to creating diverse characters in film and TV.
Portland Art Museum and NW Film Center have also made a space to access tons of different types of art–from writing to film to paintings and much more– at PAM + NWFC at home. Many nonprofits around Portland have been working hard to transition to online so that the Portland community can continue to access the arts, which is a gift for many during this time.
Expansive in genre, mediums, and ideas, the NWFC’s Co:Laboratory is one grand experiment. Continuously offering online and IRL connection to people, ideas, and innovations in the media arts that help artists and art lovers sustain their curiosity and what is creatively possible, the Co:Laboratory exists to uniquely inspire new projects, new skills, and new ways of seeing. In the spirit of all creative endeavors, it will be designed to be an ever-evolving, community-driven, ongoing work-in-progress.
Portland, OR. The Portland Winter Light Festival (PDXWLF) is hosting a raffle to win a one-of-a-kind wood-burning fire pit designed by local artist and PDXWLF alum, David Bertman. Organizers say, “As we collectively turn inward and begin spending more time at home and around the hearth, it has become clear that we are all looking for more ways to make our homes cozier and more welcoming.”
The fire pit is described as a functional piece of art.
The wood-burning fire pit is made of 14 gauge steel, has a diameter of 24″, and is valued at $585. Tickets are on sale until Sunday, November 29 at https://www.pdxwlf.com/fire-raffle. Each ticket is $100 and only 99 will be sold.
Money raised from the sale of tickets will go directly to offsetting pandemic-related income losses at the Portland Winter Light Festival. It’s an event organized by the nonprofit Willamette Light Brigade which is the organization that illuminates Portland’s bridges. Currently, the annual festival has been put on hold for 2021. Organizers explain, “We are thinking deeply about how to maintain our organization’s core values during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team is currently working on activities for 2021 that safely celebrate the entire community.” So stay tuned for more information on the festival in the months to come.
The 5th annual Portland Winter Light Festival took place on February 6th – 8th, 2020. It showcased nearly 100 illuminated art installations, over 70 performances and live events, educational programs, and kinetic fire sculptures throughout the city. It drew over 200,000 guests. Here’s a video about the 2020 festival:
Below are some photos from past celebrations.
The annual festival is billed as a free, all ages, community-wide festival & celebration illuminating the city’s public spaces with installations by premier light artists and designers.
Portland Light Festival 2018. Photo by MGV photography.
Portland Light Festival 2018. Photo by Brooke Hoyer.
Clicking the donate button will take you to a secure online giving platform.: DONATE
As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, our success is completely dependent on the generous support of our community. Your donation is tax-deductible and helps ensure that the festival will continue to thrill and inspire.
The Portland Winter Light Festival is free for everyone to attend directly because of donations from attendees like you. The mission of the Portland Winter Light Festival is to build community by bringing light art and technology to inclusive audiences while invigorating Portland in the winter. Your donations help to support our mission.
If you’d like to donate by check, please make your check out to “WLB Portland Winter Light Festival”
Mail to: PDXWLF c/o Willamette Light Brigade
PO Box 14157 Portland, Oregon 97293
The PDXWLF is a proud activity of the Willamette Light Brigade. Your individual donation is tax-deductible as the Willamette Light Brigade is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Portland, OR. Over 104 tuned in for the De La Salle North Catholic (DLSNC) Fall Virtual Benefit Dinner and Auction on October 29th. The event raised $408,505 for the innovative high school on N. Fenwick Avenue in Portland. MC James Broadous II, DLSNC Vice Principal for Student Life and auctioneer Dale Johannes are seen above.
Board member Cyndy Maletis kicks off the night with a welcome message.
And Ashleigh de Villiers, Vice President for Advancement, and James Broadous II celebrate the evening’s success.
Sandra Padilla Cervantes ’22 helped provide entertainment Monce Baltier Moreno ’20 for introduced a video of Nik Tucker ’14, who shares his story of becoming an architect and Max Pettit ’21 and DLSNC President Oscar Leong for his glimpse of our the new campus at St. Charles Parish.
Here’s a video about DiOnica Curry ’11 who shared her journey of overcoming dyslexia.
OnPoint Community Credit Union was presented with the 2020 Cassin Award for Commitment to Mission. Cliff Dias, Rob Stuart, Jim Armstrong, and Jackie Dunckley were thanked for their leadership in supporting De Le Salle North Catholic.
And we still have four half cases (6 bottles) of 2018 Brother Timothy Chardonnay remaining. To buy yours, click here.
If you missed the Live Show, want to watch it again, or share it with friends, please click the button below.
Our mission is to provide an affordable, college preparatory, faith-based education to young men and women throughout the Portland metro area with limited financial resources. Over 325 years ago, St. John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the De La Salle Christian Brothers and their schools, established the practice of providing a Christian education to the young, especially those who are most on the margins of society. Today, along with the support and sponsorship of the De La Salle Christian Brothers (San Francisco New Orleans District), De La Salle North Catholic strives to continue this mission.
Since the school was founded in 2001, our school has continued to grow and develop into a community of dedicated teachers and staff who, along with our many corporate work-study partners and volunteers, provide our unique education to capable, motivated and interested young people.
Portland, OR. For the past 35 years, Literary Arts has built a community around literature, books, and storytelling. A yearly highlight was the Portland Book Festival, pictured above. This year due to COVID-19 the nonprofit is moving its annual Portland Book Festival online where people can attend for free.
Up until this year, Portland Book Festival was a one-day event that drew about 9,000 attendees. Now participants will have access to the event over the course of two weeks from Nov. 5 to Nov. 21. There will be more than 100 authors, writing classes, and book events of all genres for kids, teens, and adults to explore.
The festival will also feature an exhibitor fair and writing classes for adults/youth that will be accessible online. Pop-up readings have also been filmed at the Portland Art Museum and are being offered digitally as well.
Holman Wang, a writer of children’s books, sits with a fan from the 2019 Portland Book Festival.
Festival Director, Amanda Bullock speaks on the Portland Book Festival going virtual, “The festival strives to offer something for every kind of reader and offers a diverse lineup of authors from exciting new voices to literary superstars. I really hope that the virtual festival throws the doors open even wider and that more folks get a chance to be a part of the festival.”
According to Andrew Proctor, Executive Director of Literary Arts, before going virtual there would be roughly 200-300 volunteers to help with the festival; however, the new digital format this year is not conducive to volunteer opportunities.
Although the Portland Book Festival is different this year, according to Bullock, she hopes the event will be a chance to discover parts of the festival they otherwise might not have before.
Attendees walk around the 2019 Portland Book Festival looking at the different vendors.
Volunteer opportunities may not be available for the 2020 Portland Book Festival, but there are other volunteer positions available on the Literary Arts website. One virtual opportunity is to become a college essay mentor to junior and senior high school students where a majority are first-generation applicants to college. Check out more about the volunteer opportunities here.
Portland, OR. Legacy Mount Hood is expanding its cardiology services, including the construction of two cardiac catheterization suites for emergency care. To complement these new services, Mount Hood Medical Center Foundation has begun a three-year, $600,000 campaign to fund the expansion of the cardiac education and rehabilitation programs.
The “Denim & Diamonds Online Auction” raised $45k for the Cardiac program at its annual auction.
This year’s event included a raffle, auction and paddle-raise, all held online. Bidding concluded in early September.
“We are so fortunate to have such generous donors, especially in difficult times like these,” said J. Michael Schultz, executive director of Mount Hood Medical Center Foundation. “Their commitment to our mission is inspiring.”
Money from the Denim & Diamonds auction will support community education, nutrition counseling, new exercise equipment, and financial aid for patients with limited resources.
From Legacy Health:
Mount Hood Medical Center Foundation raises funds for Legacy Mount Hood, East Multnomah County’s full-service community hospital. Legacy Mount Hood is part of Legacy Health – a nonprofit health system is driven by a mission to improve the health of those around us.
To learn more about supporting Mount Hood Medical Center Foundation, please visit www.legacyhealth.org/giving
Portland, OR. Portland Opera announced its plans for the remainder of the 2020/21 season. The Opera’s pivot will feature a series of virtual recitals from the company’s artistic home in Southeast Portland, an outdoor opera experience, and productions broadcast via the company’s new digital channel, Portland Opera Onscreen. Robert Xavier Rodríguez’s opera Frida will be the first broadcast in March of 2021. The Onscreen production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore (seen above) will follow. It will be a semi-staged concert, focusing on the music, performed in a landscape of video projections. Il Trovatore has been dubbed, “a tour de force” and tells the story of a mother, burned at the stake as a witch.
The plan for these digital performances is to have a suggested access fee of $50 and patrons will have digital access for 45 days.
“The global pandemic has challenged us: to be problem-solvers, to adapt to new technologies, and to deepen the ways that serve the community,” says General Director Sue Dixon. “Our newly reimagined 20/21 season celebrates the resiliency of the creative spirit with live music and local collaborations—while prioritizing health and wellness for our audiences, artists, and company.”
Here are some of the opera’s options:
20/21 Resident Artist Series
January – February, 2021 | Select Thursdays at 7 PM
Streaming online for free; this recital series features Resident Artists sharing solo pieces, duets, and ensemble works
FRIDA (onscreen)/Robert Xavier Rodríguez
Digital access will be available for 45 days, starting on March 20, 2021 on the digital channel, PortlandOpera Onscreen.
Photos courtesy of Long Beach Opera, by Keith Polakoff.
Photos courtesy of Long Beach Opera, by Keith Polakoff.
JOURNEYS TO JUSTICE/Curated by Artistic Advisor Damien Geter
Digital access will be available for 45 days, starting on April 16, 2021 on the digital channel, Portland Opera Onscreen. These compositions are about love, justice, and experiences of being a Black American.
From Portland Opera:
Multnomah County, where Portland Opera is headquartered, entered Phase I reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic on June 19th, and remains in Phase I—along with neighboring Washington and Clackamas counties—until public health indicators permit progression to Phase II. Public performances with audiences are permitted only in the final phases of the state’s reopening plan.As part of the company’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of the staff, artists, ensemble, and audience members, Portland Opera has engaged a team of medical advisors to review all safety procedures and protocols, ensuring the company is in line with the best and current medical advice on an ongoing basis. To learn more about Portland Opera’s comprehensive response to the global pandemic, visit portlandopera.org.
Currently being developed in tandem with a new website and ticketing platform, the Portland Opera Onscreen channel will launch in February 2021. Until that time, digital content and performances will be available on PortlandOpera’s Vimeo and YouTube channels. The company plans to sustain the digital channel for future seasons as an option for patrons, and is developing these new digital offerings based on patron feedback from recent surveys, strategic planning input, and Town Hall meetings. Tickets for special outdoor performances, as well as digital passes for these productions, will be available beginning in February of 2021.
The company continues with plans to offer an adjusted Portland Opera To Go program, which is Portland Opera’s statewide, school-based arts education tour for K-12 students. Due to the pandemic, this program is shifting to connect with regional schools in a new digital format, starting in January 2021. The company is following state health guidelines and school district mandates in carrying out this program. Opera staff members are working with educators to adjust the program to meet unique digital needs, and to develop supportive relationships during these challenging times.
As a result of this reimagined season, three originally announced productions of Puccini’s Tosca, the Big Night concert, and a double bill of Frid’s The Diary of Anne Frank and Heggie’s For a Look or A Touch will no longer be programmed this season. A message announced this news to 2020/21 season subscribers and members yesterday. Ticket holders are encouraged to email [email protected] in order to share their preferences for refunds and donated tickets, and opera staff members will be reaching out to everyone in the next couple of weeks. Portland Opera continues to work with artists, musicians, and creative teams to navigate these changes and develop the 21-22 season—which will be announced in early 2021.
Portland, OR. “Art, music, dance, literature are crucial to our lives and to our very survival. It’s the soul of a nation. It’s the way that we come to know the world around us and ourselves.” That’s the message from Carrie Mae Weems, an acclaimed artist who was just elected Trustee of the Portland Art Museum.
Carrie Mae Weems and Marie Watt are new Trustees at the Portland Art Museum.
Portland Art Museum is working to offer access to more of the Museum’s galleries while still observing COVID guidelines, therefore some galleries are open on a rotating basis. This rotation will allow visitors access to the 4th Floor of the Hoffman Wing for the first time since the museum reopened, including APEX: Ed Bereal and other Northwest Art favorites.
One current exhibit is “Volcano! Mount St. Helens in Art.”
Other offerings at the museum include Día de Muertos Outdoor Projection, November 1, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. (No tickets needed). To cap off this year’s reimagined Día de Muertos celebrations in Portland, visitors are invited to view a 4-minute animated projection on the south side of the Mark Building created by artist Anabel Uyana with sound by Gerardo Calderon and projection technology by Mobile Projection Unit.
The museum is open Thursday – Sunday from 10 – 5. You can reserve a timed-entry ticket online in advance; most galleries are open. Regular admission is $20 adults, $17 students/seniors, kids always free.
From Portland Art Museum:
In the interest of personal safety and community health, visitors and staff are required to adhere to safety precautions while in the Museum. For visitors, these include properly wearing face coverings for the duration of your visit, maintaining 6 feet of distance with other parties, and purchasing your timed-entry ticket in advance, among other things. Please read more about how to have a safe and enjoyable visit at our Welcome Back page.
Portland, OR. An annual fundraiser called “Impact Oregon’s Future” raised a record $270,000 for the Children’s Institute. Marta and Ken Thasher (above) celebrated Ken receiving the Children’s Institute’s 2020 Alexander Award for his long-standing passion is to make a difference for children and families in Oregon.
The virtual event, held on October 20th, was emceed by CI’s Senior Early Education Advisor Soobin Oh. It highlighted the nonprofit’s work across Oregon to increase access to critical early childhood programs including preschool, home visiting, child care, and many other services. The virtual benefit included recorded messages from VIP supporters.
Jordan Schnitzer toasts Ken Thrasher on receiving the 2020 Alexander Award.
Governor Kate Brown congratulates Ken Thrasher on receiving the 2020 Alexander Award.
Cindy and Duncan Campbell stepped up as presenting sponsors for the 2020 Impact Oregon’s Future event. Duncan founded Children’s Institute over 16 years ago and served on the board for many years.
Children’s Institute CEO and President Swati Adarkar reflects on the nonprofit’s achievements.
Swati Adarkar commented, “It’s really incredible to witness the growth of the movement to support Oregon’s children. Strategic investment in our youngest Oregonians is a sure way to impact our state now and into the future. We’re pleased and grateful that so many people, parents, leaders, and community partners see the value of the work we do and have donated critical resources to fuel our work forward.” Swati Adarkar explained why the nonprofit is grateful. “Every dollar helps us continue the work we’ve been doing for more than sixteen years, connecting young children across Oregon to vital programs and services that support their healthy development and early school success.” The Children’s Institute honored Ken Thrasher with the Alexander Award at the event.
The award was named for Richard C. “Dick” Alexander, one of Oregon’s foremost business and civic leaders, who was committed to improving the lives of Oregon children with a focus on early childhood.
“Ken truly embodies the spirit of the Alexander Award,” Adarkar said. “His commitment to children and families has been exemplary and he has had an extraordinary imprint on advancing Oregon’s early childhood agenda. Ken’s deep, long-standing passion is to make a big difference for children and families in Oregon, and he has. I was thrilled to celebrate him.”
Others who added their gratitude and thanks for Ken’s service and commitment to Oregon’s children during the event included Governor Kate Brown; Martha Richards, Executive Director of the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation; philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer; and Beaverton School District Superintendent Don Grotting.
From Children’s Institute:
Founded in 2003 by a group of business and philanthropic leaders, the Children’s Institute brings Oregonians together to support the early learning and healthy development of young children, prenatal to eight years old.
We believe in starting early because investments in young children’s education, health, and safety are proven to improve lifetime outcomes for children who experience barriers to opportunity due to poverty, race, disability, and/or geographic location.
Through advocacy, research, policy, and practice, Children’s Institute works to ensure that young children have the programs and services they need to nurture their love of learning and prepare them for success in school and beyond.
Join us to make sure every child in Oregon has the best start in life.
Portland, OR. Write Around Portland virtually hosted its annual event Raise Your Pen, on October 8th. The event was emceed by Slam Poet and Write Around Portland board member Marisol Tawadros and personal work was shared by five Write Around Portland writers. Through the event, Write Around Portland was able to raise over $45,000 which is earmarked for the nonprofit’s work in the community. The night was spent writing and acknowledging the importance and the power of writing.
During the pandemic, Write Around Portland has transitioned all of its workshops, programming, and operations to be done remotely. Among the services that the organization offers is a bi-weekly online writing workshop and a bi-monthly BIPOC online writing workshop specifically for people who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The organization is also partnering with agencies to offer mail-based and remote writing workshops for people who are experiencing isolation and barriers to accessing services.
From Elizebett Eslinger, the Executive Director of Write Around Portland:
“Writing is essential. With a public health crisis and systemic racial inequities especially exposed, the need for writing and connection takes on a new fullness. At Write Around Portland, we are amplifying the stories and voices we need to hear, caring for our community, and continuing our work to build a more respectful and just world through the power of writing.
We continue our racial equity and anti-racist work, including expanding our own learning; challenging and working to dismantle inequitable structures within our organization and the broader sector; and sharing ways our Write Around community can get involved with the Movement for Black Lives, engage in anti-racist learning and work, and support BIPOC-led organizations.”
Write Around Portland has taken this time to implement remote adaptations for a safe community in the organization. The changes of this year have given the space to encourage the staff to take more time off while they work on contingency plans for returning to in-person when it is safe and responsible to do so.
We hold free writing workshops for adults and youth in hospitals, schools, treatment centers, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, low-income housing residences and other social service agencies. To ensure everyone has access to writing in community, we provide journals, pens, bus tickets, childcare and snacks for participants in these workshops.
NONPROFIT BENEFIT TICKET GIVEAWAYS!
Sign up for our free weekly highlights for the chance to win two tickets terrific nonprofit events! If you "like" us on facebook, or sign up for our weekly news highlights, you'll be entered to win! Sign up today!
Look for another ticket giveaway soon! Are you a nonprofit looking to bolster your publicity with facebook and tweets? Email us and we'll run a contest with tickets to your event! [email protected]
