Portland, OR. Over 800 Oregon State University alumni and friends gathered on February 1st at the Oregon Convention Center for the annual State of the University Address. Debb and Robert Zagunis visited the OSU College of Business booth before lunch. Mr. Zagunis is a 1977 alumnus of the college. (Photo credit, Hannah O’Leary)
Lunch guests enjoy hands-on displays from several OSU programs and archival footage from OSU’s history as it celebrates its sesquicentennial. (An exhibit on the university’s history opened the following week at the Oregon Historical Society and runs through Sept. 9.)
Nancy Garner and Bob Moore of Bob’s Red Mill sit at one of nearly 50 sponsored tables at this year’s event.
Patrick Stone and Angela Snow, OSU liberal arts alumni and active volunteers.
In his OSU’s State of the University Address, President Ed Ray spoke about OSU’s impact as Oregon’s largest and only statewide university, noting in particular OSU’s expanding presence in Portland.
From Oregon State:
Oregon State is an international public research university that draws people from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. We go wherever the challenges are, push ourselves to the very edge of what’s known and keep going. We are determined to forge solutions. We are diverse and welcoming. We embrace our responsibility to Oregon and the world, building a future that’s smarter, healthier, more prosperous and more just. We see what could be and have worked relentlessly for 150 years to make it so.
Portland, OR. To kick off the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF), The Northwest Film Center and Regal Cinemas hosted an opening night screening of Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin. Kathleen Lewis, Emily Crumpacker and Northwest Film Center Director, Bill Foster were on hand for the February 15th screening. It was followed by an Opening Night party in the Portland Art Museum’s Schnitzer Sculpture Court. With an expected 40,000 attendees over its 14-day run, the festival is a major city-wide event.
Portland-based filmmakers Vu Pham and Daniela Repas.
Christian Henry and Kjerstin Johnson, crew from Dawn Jones Redstone’s film We Have Our Ways.
Northwest Film Center member Jessie Keller shows off her homemade PIFF 41 earrings.
A packed house at the Whitsell Auditorium eagerly awaits the opening night film The Death of Stalin.
This year’s festival co-hosts included: Elk Cove Winery, Adelsheim Vineyard, Pike Road Wines, Sierra Nevada Brewing, World Foods, CHEFSTABLE Catering and XRAY.fm.
Since 1977, the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) has been the Northwest Film Center’s annual showcase of new world cinema. Through the exhibition of nearly 90 feature films and 40+ short films, PIFF audiences across the City of Portland travel the globe in theater seats through a celebration of the world’s filmmakers and cinephiles.
Directed by Aaron Katz A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant …
Adapted from his graphic novel, Alberto Vázquez’s debut feature, co-directed with Pedro Rivero, tackles themes of climate change, ecological disaster, …
British sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy, whose site-specific sculptures and land art redeploy nature’s resources in startling and harmonious …
Directed by Robert GuédiguianIn a little cove near Marseille, Angèle, Joseph, and Armand return to their elderly father’s picturesque villa. Angèle is an …
Salem, OR. A new mix of marketing strategies attracted 55.2 percent more new donors and 6.7 percent more total donations – a record $4.9 million – to the Oregon Cultural Trust in 2017. The funds will support fiscal year 2019 grants to cultural organizations across the state. Recent grants have helped fund projects like transforming a major gallery at Portland Children’s Museum into The Studio – a clay, maker and multi-purpose art space for families.
The FY2019 Cultural Development Grant Guidelines, with budget form, are now posted here. The online application will open March 1, 2018 with an application deadline of April 13, 2018. The FY19 Cultural Development grant cycle are for projects taking place August 1, 2018 – July 31, 2019. Grant seekers interested in applying for Cultural Trust grants are encouraged to attend the 2018 Conversation with Funders & Partners workshops.
Executive Director Brian Rogers explains how the Cultural Trust attracted more donors. “We changed it up a bit, investing more of our resources in grassroots marketing. The goal was to have as many one-on-one conversations with cultural donors as possible. These results validate that strategy. We are looking forward to investing the increased funding in cultural activities throughout Oregon.”
“People are the best communicators of how the cultural tax credit works,” said Cultural Trust Board Chair Chuck Sams. “Our teams attended countless cultural events to talk with patrons about using the tax credit to double the statewide impact of their cultural giving. It is gratifying that Oregonians answered the call to continue strengthening Oregon’s cultural community and overall quality of life.”
The Cultural Trust contracted with bell+funk of Eugene and Artslandia of Portland to help plan and implement its 2017 marketing campaign. Working with Trust staff, they launched a new Ambassador program, a comprehensive online toolkit, a Make-a-Match game to engage event patrons and a first-ever Cultural Trust phone bank. They also adjusted campaign creative to better tell grant impact stories and helped to strengthen promotional partnerships with cultural and media partners.
Cultural Trust board members actively participated, hosting Ambassador events and submitting letters to the editor to media outlets across the state.
The $4.9 million fundraising total – up from just shy of $4.6 million in 2016 – includes 9,767 donations and 1,642 new donors, up from 1,058 in 2016. It also includes $406,827 raised through the Willamette Week Give!Guide, a 3 percent increase over 2016.
More than half of the money raised will be distributed directly to Oregon’s cultural groups this summer; the remainder will grow the Cultural Trust permanent fund. Cultural Trust grants are distributed through five Statewide Cultural Partners – Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Humanities and the Oregon State Office of Historic Preservation – as well as to 45 county/tribal coalitions and directly to cultural nonprofits via Cultural Development Grants.
The more than 100 projects supported by Cultural Development Grants in FY2018 include:
the “Racing to Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years” interactive exhibit at Oregon Historical Society and community programming by the Oregon Black Pioneers in Salem;
Theater lighting and sound equipment upgrades for the Florence Events Center;
The renovation of the historic Baker Orpheum Theatre to become a community performing arts center in Baker City;
Exhibits and programs that highlight the LBGTQ community and Native youth as part of a Cultural Diversity Initiative by the High Desert Museum in Bend; and
Again, here are the details about applying for the grants:
The FY2019 Cultural Development Grant Guidelines, with budget form, are now posted here.
The online application will open March 1, 2018 with an application deadline of April 13, 2018. The FY19 Cultural Development grant cycle are for projects taking place August 1, 2018 – July 31, 2019. Grant seekers interested in applying for Cultural Trust grants are encouraged to attend the 2018 Conversation with Funders & Partners workshops.
Grants are awarded in four categories and are intended to fund arts, heritage, history, preservation and humanities programs.
Cultural Development Grants are for project activities that:
Protect and stabilize Oregon’s cultural resources;
Expand public awareness of, access to and participation in quality cultural experiences in Oregon;
Ensure that Oregon cultural resources are strong and dynamic contributors to Oregon’s communities and quality of life; and
Build an understanding of the value and impact of culture to Oregonians.
The four grant categories are:
Access: Make culture broadly available to Oregonians;
Preservation: Invest in Oregon’s cultural heritage by recovering, preserving and sharing historic assets and achievements;
Creativity: Create and/or present cultural or scholarly work; Support the development of artists, cultural experts, or scholars who promote culture as a core part of vibrant communities; and
Capacity: Strengthen cultural organizations to increase stability, improve sustainability, or measure/share cultural impacts.
In considering funding requests, the Cultural Trust seeks proposals that will expand the public benefit of Oregon’s culture through:
Positive impact on, or improvement of, cultural resources and activities and the expansion of public and private support for culture;
Preservation of the past or investing in the future, by commissioning new work that continues Oregon’s strong artistic, literary and humanistic presence;
Enhancing cultural opportunity and understanding by creating or sustaining model programs that can be replicated elsewhere; and
By creating opportunity for every community to invest further in its culture, stimulating new ventures that could not be tried without Trust help.
Have questions? Contact Aili Schreiner at [email protected] or 503.986.0089. You may schedule a 30 minute grant application conversation before April 13, and may submit draft applications for feedback by March 31.
FY19 Cultural Development Grants
As part of the grant agreement (sent directly to recipients), FY19 CDV grant recipients must complete and submit the following to [email protected]:
Updated Board Roster: Include names and contact information
Grant Guidelines & Application: Have you updated your grant guidelines or application since last year? If yes, please attach your new versions (PDF format)
Cultural Plan: Have you updated your Cultural Plan? If yes, please attach your updated plan (PDF format). For tribal coalitions, your Cultural Resource Department Plan can be submitted instead.
Portland, OR. Portland Center Stage at The Armory’s 2018-2019 season will feature 11 productions along with a special 10th anniversary return engagement of Storm Large in Crazy Enough, a show that had its world premiere at The Armory in 2009 and became one of the company’s biggest hits.
Chris Coleman at The Armory for an “Astoria” workshop held in July, 2016.
Artistic Director Chris Coleman, who has been at the helm of Portland Center Stage at The Armory for the past 17 years, announced the new season as he prepares to depart the company to become artistic director of Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company. “With this season announcement,” said Coleman, “I offer my gratitude for my time in Portland in the best way that I know how — by working with the fine team at The Armory to craft a new season that is so exciting it makes it difficult to leave. And somewhat to my chagrin, we’ve managed just that.”
“The new season has the largest variety of voices ever presented in one season in our 31 years as a company,” Coleman continued. “There are more women playwrights than ever before; playwrights from more facets of American culture than ever before; stories told in more unique ways than ever before. Within that, you will see the shared character that has defined our seasons always: compelling stories. From the opening musical based on the work of American master Alice Walker, to the closing comedy from a fresh new American voice, the stories will take you from the drawing rooms of Regency England to a writer’s room in Portland; from the banks of the Missouri River in 1804 to Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014; from the expanse of decades in the Deep South to the blink of a minute in a life in the big city. It will be a breathtaking season.”
Here’s all the information from Portland Center Stage about the season and tickets:
Season packages are on sale now! To purchase season tickets, call 503-445-3700 or visit www.pcs.org. The Create Your Own Package starts at $92.25 for three plays. The U.S. Bank Main Stage Series starts at $184.50. The Everything Series starts at $307.50. The eight-admission Flexpass is available for $450. The new and hugely popular option for those who are 35 years old and younger, The Armory Card, starts at $100 for five admissions. Groups of 10 or more can sign up for the priority seating list now and purchase tickets to the new season starting on July 2, 2018. Groups that book by August 31 receive 30% off regular ticket prices. Groups receive one free ticket for every 20 tickets purchased. To order group tickets call 503-445-3794 or visit www.pcs.org/groups. Find out more about the 2018-2019 season at www.pcs.org/2018-2019-season. Those who purchase 2018-2019 season tickets by March 12 will get access to a special private sale to purchase tickets for Storm Large in Crazy Enough.
THE COLOR PURPLE – Based on the novel by Alice Walker
Book by Marsha Norman
Music and Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray
Directed by Timothy Douglas
September 15 – October 28, 2018 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage
Opening Night/Press Night: September 21, 2018
From Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller comes a powerful musical with a fresh, joyous score of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues. This stirring family chronicle follows the inspirational Celie from the early to mid-20th century in the American south, as she journeys from childhood to womanhood, through joy and despair, anguish and hope to discover the power of love and life. With a soul-rousing, Grammy-winning score, The Color Purple is an unforgettable and intensely moving American classic.
“A miracle on Broadway; a glory to behold!” – The New York Times
Tony Award, Best Revival of a Musical, 2016
Grammy Award, Best Musical Theater Album, 2017
A LIFE – By Adam Bock
Directed by Rose Riordan
September 29 – November 11, 2018 | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Opening Night/Press Night: October 5, 2018
Nate Martin is hopelessly single. When his most recent breakup, another in a lifelong string of ill-fated matches, casts him into a funk, he turns to the only source of wisdom he trusts: the stars. Poring over astrological charts, he obsessively questions his past and his place in the cosmos. But in Adam Bock’s wickedly funny, insightful and disarming new play, the answer he receives, when it comes, is shockingly obvious — and totally unpredictable.
West Coast Premiere
Commissioned by Portland Center Stage at The Armory
Developed at JAW: A Playwrights Festival in 2014; debuted Off-Broadway in 2016
Exquisite in detail and throws a jaw-dropping curveball.”
– Time Out New York
A CHRISTMAS MEMORY – paired with – WINTER SONG Northwest Stories
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Winter Song by Merideth Kaye Clark and Brandon Woolley
Directed by Brandon Woolley
November 24 – December 30, 2018| In the Ellyn Bye Studio
Opening Night/Press Night: November 30, 2018
A Christmas Memory is an autobiographical recollection of Truman Capote’s rural Alabama boyhood. This tiny gem of a holiday story offers an unforgettable portrait of an odd but enduring friendship between two innocent souls, “one young and one old” and their shared memories of beloved holiday rituals. To accompany this tale, the brilliant singer Merideth Kaye Clark (Fiddler on the Roof and The Last Five Years at The Armory, Wicked national tour) and director Brandon Woolley created Winter Song, an original presentation of favorite songs that celebrate winter and all it represents: love, loss, family, solitude, renewal and friendship.
“This show is like comfort food — warm, nourishing, and just exactly what you want on a cold winter’s night.” – Broadway World
THE SECOND CITY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL: TWIST YOUR DICKENS
By Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort
Directed by Ron West
November 27 – December 23, 2018 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage
Opening Night/Press Night: November 30, 2018
A complete send-up of the holiday classic, this adult comedy is adorned with the improvisational genius of the legendary comedy troupe The Second City. Twist includes zany holiday sketches and uproarious improv based on audience participation — it’s never the same show twice! It has become a Portland favorite and returns for the holidays in 2018. As the show’s fans know, the comedy whizzes from The Second City update the show every year. So come back for your favorite moments and enjoy the new surprises in store.
“Amusing for the whole family.” – Portland Monthly
SENSE & SENSIBILITY – By Kate Hamill
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Eric Tucker
January 12 – February 10, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Opening Night/Press Night: January 18, 2019
This exuberant, innovative staging of Jane Austen’s classic satire follows the adventures (and misadventures) of the Dashwood sisters — sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne — after their sudden loss of fortune. Bursting with humor, emotion and bold theatricality, Sense & Sensibility asks: When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart? Director Eric Tucker and adaptor Kate Hamill of the acclaimed New York theater company Bedlam revive their production in Portland after celebrated runs in New York and Boston.
Jane Austen is alive and well and rolling on casters.” – The Boston Globe
BUYER & CELLAR – By Jonathan Tolins
Directed by Brandon Woolley
January 19 – March 3, 2019 | In the Ellyn Bye Studio
Opening Night/Press Night: January 25, 2019
Buyer & Cellar is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs. Alex, a struggling actor in Los Angeles, finds himself working in a shopping mall — but this isn’t your regular shopping center. In his most challenging role yet, Alex plays the shop boy bargaining with Barbra Streisand in her own private basement mall. With riotously sharp wit, Alex awaits a visit from the ultimate customer, the “Funny Girl” herself. Nick Cearley (Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors) returns to The Armory as Alex.
Fun Fact! What happens in this play is fiction but Barbra Streisand’s private shopping mall — with its doll store, clothing boutique and sweet shop — actually exists.
“With all the comedy and all the wit in Mr. Tolins’s writing, Buyer & Cellar is also notable for its heart.” – The New York Times
Northwest Stories – TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS – Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed
Adapted by Nia Vardalos
Co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail and Nia Vardalos
Directed by Rose Riordan
February 23 – March 31, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Opening Night/Press Night: March 1, 2019
Renowned Portland author Cheryl Strayed (Wild) had a secret life as the anonymous online advice columnist for “Dear Sugar.” Over the years, thousands of people turned to Sugar for words of wisdom, honesty and hope. At first unsure of herself, Sugar found a way to weave her own life experiences together with the deep yearning and heartrending problems of her readers. The beloved column ultimately became a celebration of the simple beauty and light at the heart of being human. Strayed captured this journey in her book Tiny Beautiful Things. Adapted for the stage by the Academy Award-nominated writer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos, and a hit at the Public Theater in New York last season, Tiny Beautiful Things is a funny and touching exploration of emotion, vulnerability and human resilience.
“A heart-tugging, emotionally rewarding evening.” – The Huffington Post
UNTIL THE FLOOD – By Dael Orlandersmith
Directed by Neel Keller
March 16 – April 21, 2019 | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Opening Night/Press Night: March 22, 2019
In the aftermath of the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked by the killing of Michael Brown, celebrated writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize-finalist Dael Orlandersmith (Forever) traveled to the region and interviewed people from all walks of life. From these conversations, she crafted a stunning piece that reflects the complexity of St. Louis and beyond. Orlandersmith’s play is a mosaic of voices that tells the region’s story without advancing any one viewpoint above others, and asks that we listen to our fellow citizens in our own efforts to better understand today’s America. Originally commissioned by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Until the Flood premiered to acclaim in New York City in January of 2018.
“Portraying only eight people — nine if you include her own alter ego — she nevertheless brings the questions, the pain and even the unspeakable thoughts of hundreds, if not millions, to life. Until the Flood is an urgent moral inquest.” – The New York Times
Northwest Stories – CROSSING MNISOSE – By Mary Kathryn Nagle
Directed by Molly Smith
April 13 – May 5, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Opening Night/Press Night: April 19, 2019
Crossing Mnisose tells the story of one of America’s first feminists, Sacajawea. Today, her face sits on the dollar coin and there are more statues of her in the United States than any other woman. But very few know her story, or the violence she endured as she guided the U.S. Corps of Discovery up the Mnisose (or what Europeans named the “Missouri River”). In 2017, the contemporary successor to the Corps of Discovery, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, granted an easement to allow a pipeline to cross the very same river. Although 212 years separate these controversial crossings, both reveal the continued survival of Tribal Nations in the face of colonial conquest. By award-winning playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle (Sovereignty, Manahatta), Crossing Mnisose draws a line from a completely original view of Lewis and Clark’s historic encampment at Fort Mandan to the present day, as descendants of the Dakota and Lakota Nations of the Mnisose continue their fight to ensure that the Mnisose, and the lands that contain the burials of their ancestors, are preserved for future generations.
Northwest Stories World Premiere
Commissioned by Portland Center Stage at The Armory
THE BREATH OF LIFE – By David Hare
May 4 – June 16, 2019 | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Opening Night/Press Night: May 10, 2019
Frances was the dutiful wife of Martin. Madeleine was his not-so-dutiful mistress of 25 years. When Martin moves to America with a younger woman, the two women he left behind meet face to face for the first time, to discuss their relationships with the elusive man who profoundly impacted them, but never defined them. Together they explore the past and learn to feel the breath of life again. The Armory production will feature Portland favorites Sharonlee McLean (The Receptionist, Vanya, Sonya, Masha and Spike, and 23 other productions at The Armory) as Frances and Gretchen Corbett (Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) as Madeleine.
“The play is one of Hare’s finest … bitingly funny and often deeply affecting.”
– The Daily Telegraph
NATIVE GARDENS – By Karen Zacarías
May 18 – June 16, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Opening Night/Press Night: May 24, 2019
You can’t choose your neighbors, but you can choose your side of the fence. In this brilliant new comedy, cultures and gardens clash, turning well-intentioned neighbors into feuding enemies. A rising attorney, Pablo, and doctoral candidate Tania, his very pregnant wife, have just purchased a home next to Frank and Virginia, a well-established D.C. couple with a prize-worthy English garden. But an impending barbeque for Pablo’s colleagues and a delicate disagreement over a long-standing fence line soon spirals into an all-out border dispute, exposing both couples’ notions of race, taste, class and privilege.
“Native Gardens is a true breath of comic fresh air.” – DC Theatre Scene
Northwest Stories – CRAZY ENOUGH – Written and Performed by Storm Large
June 25 – June 30, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage
Special 10th anniversary limited engagement run! Crazy Enough was developed at JAW: A Playwrights Festival in 2008 and had its world premiere at The Armory in 2009. It became one of the biggest hits in Portland Center Stage at The Armory’s history — playing for a record sold-out 21-week run in the Ellyn Bye Studio — and audiences have been clamoring for its return ever since. This 10th anniversary special return engagement is playing for a limited eight-performance run. A private sale will start March 12 and be available exclusively for 2018-2019 season ticket holders.
“An empowering look at how one woman has managed, despite repeated heartaches and screw-ups, to stay aware of the preciousness of life.” – The Oregonian
“I need to thank you for one of the great nights in the theater that I have ever had. Storm Large is a force of nature, a truth teller, a comedian, a story-teller and one of the most brilliant voices I have ever heard.” – Daniel Stern, actor (Diner, Breaking Away)
NORTHWEST STORIES
Portland Center Stage at The Armory’s Northwest Stories series is a celebration of the essence of the region, offering plays that examine our culture and ignite dialogue about the events – and the places – that define the Northwest. From fresh looks at history to dynamic explorations of contemporary culture, Northwest Stories blends adventurous storytelling with local impact, all created with the immediacy and vibrancy that only live performance can bring. The 2017-2018 season brought two Northwest Stories world premieres to the stage: Astoria: Part Two and Winter Song. The 2018-2019 season’s Northwest Stories offerings include the world premiere of Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Crossing Mnisose, commissioned by Portland Center Stage at The Armory in 2016, as well as Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things, the return of Winter Song, and the special engagement of Storm Large in Crazy Enough.
PORTLAND CENTER STAGE AT THE ARMORY
Portland Center Stage at The Armory is the largest theater company in Portland and among the top 20 regional theaters in the country. Established in 1988 as a branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the company became independent in 1994 and has been under the leadership of Artistic Director Chris Coleman since 2000. An estimated 150,000 visitors attend The Armory annually to enjoy a mix of classical, contemporary and world premiere productions, along with a variety of high quality education and community programs. Eleven productions are offered each season, in addition to roughly 400 community events created — in partnership with 170+ local organizations and individuals — to serve the diverse populations in the city. As part of its dedication to new play development, the company has produced 26 world premieres and presents an annual new works festival, JAW: A Playwrights Festival. Home to two theaters, The Armory was the first building on the National Register of Historic Places, and the first performing arts venue, to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.
SEASON SUPPORTERS
The current season is funded in part by Season Superstars Tim and Mary Boyle and Lead Corporate Champion Umpqua Bank. Further support comes from the following Season Sponsors: Regional Arts and Culture Council; The Wallace Foundation; Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the state of Oregon; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Mark Spencer Hotel is the official hotel partner for the company. Portland Center Stage at The Armory was selected as a participant of the Wallace Foundation’s Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative, a four-year effort with a nationwide cohort of 26 performing arts organizations.
Kodachrome in the Ellyn Bye Studio. Love appears in unlikely places in Adam Szymkowicz’s new play, directed by Rose Riordan. February 3 – March 18.
The Magic Play on the U.S. Bank Main Stage. World class magic and a deeply human story of loss and love come together to create an astonishing theatrical experience. March 3 – April 1.
Portland, OR. Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest held its fourth annual Big Hero Gala at Leftbank Annex which featured a live auction with auctioneer Johnna Wells, Timber Joey Webber and Emcee Cathey Armillas. The gala supports the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters to match kids facing adversity in our community with a caring adult mentor. The January 27th benefit raised over $302,000 – an all-time high for the agency – through live and silent auctions, paddle raises and sponsorship.
Kris Wigger and Mimi Lettunich, Big Brothers Big Sisters Board Chair
Big Brothers Big Sisters CFO and Miss Oregon Harley Emery
Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO Beach Pace and Ken Beattie of Cale America
Kukatonon African Dance Troupe
Former Little Brother Gerardo Morales and his Former Big Brother Adam Hulme deliver a keynote speech
Auctioneer Johnna Wells
Event guests were treated to cocktails and an art exhibit following two current pairings titled, “My Match,” a performance by African Dance troupe Kukatonon, dinner, dessert and an after party. The live portion of the event unveiled a recruitment video for the agency’s new Bigs in Blue program, which matches youth with a mentor in law enforcement. Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw was in attendance and pledged to become a Big Sister through the program.
Here’s a video about the program:
Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest serves just shy of 500 kids in the Portland Metro area and Vancouver. The estimated cost of connecting a child with a mentor and offering match support for one year is $1,500. The agency serves youth in our community through its community, site based and school based programs.
Portland, OR. In celebration of the Year of the Dog, Lan Su Chinese Garden is partnering with local non-profit animal rescue organizations to bring you the Year of the Dog Fair on February 17th & 24th. If you visit the garden, LexiDog Boutique & Social Club will be offering free onsite pet sitting. In accordance with the Chinese lunar calendar, you are a “Dog” if you were born in 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, or 2018.
On the first day of Chinese New Year, families & businesses roll oranges and coins over the threshold of their front door, ensuring that prosperity will flow all year long!
You can learn more about Chinese New Year during Lan Su’s two-week celebration featuring lion dances, martial arts, calligraphy, family-friendly craft activities and more.
Festivities will take place February 16th, through March 4th.
PLEASE NOTE: The Year of the Dog Fair is located in the parking lot at NW 3rd Avenue and Flanders Street, one block north of the garden. The Year of The Dog Fair is free and open to the public, however entry to the garden requires membership or admission. Dogs are not allowed inside Lan Su Chinese Garden. Only service animals are permitted. Onsite pet sitting, provided by LexiDog Boutique & Social Club, is available during the Year of the Dog Fair (February 17 & 24, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) only and is based upon availability. Learn more about Lan Su’s Year of the Dog Fair »
Please note: For the safety of visitors, volunteers, and staff, entry may be limited at peak times of visitation to meet fire code regulations. Expect lines at times on opening day and weekend days. Plan for the most auspicious visit by purchasing admission tickets ahead of time and arriving early for your favorite activities.
Here’s more information about the Chinese Zodiac – 2018 Year of the Dog
Occupying the 11th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dog symbolizes character traits such as loyalty, compatibility and kindness. Dogs frequently offer kind words and useful advice, always listening and lending a shoulder when necessary. Ensuring others are happy is more important to the Dog than wealth, money or success.
The Dog’s Strengths
Dogs are determined individuals; always wanting to master a new subject before moving on and always finishing what they start. Dogs value friendships; they’re loyal, honest, trustworthy and reliable and have strong morals and ethics.
A well-kept, organized home is very important. Keeping a clean home and helping at work stems from the Dog’s need to be active and involved. Dogs spend money wisely, passing on luxury goods in favor of practical items. Dogs also prefer saving money to cover future expenses.
Coworkers can always count on Dogs to help out, especially if it means the Dog will learn something new or alleviate the workload of others. Dogs are seen as valuable employees. Good career choices for Dogs include: police officer, scientist, counselor, interior designer, professor, politician, priest, nurse, clerk or judge.
Portland, OR. Last year, Metropolitan Family Service (MFS) served nearly 1 million pounds of food to over 20,000 people through its school-based food distributions, and over 400 students and adults were enrolled in its cooking and nutrition education classes. (Photo credit, Annie Dang)
MFS Hunger Relief programs held a Vietnamese cooking class at West Powellhurst earlier this month, led by MFS Hunger Relief AmeriCorps member Thu Le.
Thu Le taught parents, students and volunteers how to make Vietnamese salad rolls and peanut sauce, sticky coconut rice, and a Vietnamese chicken and vegetable soup.
Each family took home a bag of healthy groceries and recipes.
The class was one of thirty healthy cooking workshops being held by the MFS Hunger Relief team at the nonprofit’s SUN Schools. For more information about MFS Hunger Relief Programs, visit https://www.metfamily.org/hungerrelief/
From the MFS Hunger Relief Program:
MFS Hunger Relief programs are becoming increasingly important as more families continue to turn to MFS for food support.
We strive to improve the health of the communities we serve through steady access to safe and nutritious food. We continue to form critical partnerships with other agencies and with community members to fight for food security and stability, and our staff and many volunteers work tirelessly to advocate for and lift up those experiencing hunger in our communities.
We currently operate Food Pantries and “Open Markets” (smaller, perishable food distributions) at 8 schools in East Multnomah County. We also run cooking and nutrition classes for youth and families at 6 of these school sites, run Summer Lunch programs at all of our SUN school sites, and have built and maintained multiple school gardens in partnership with the MFS AmeriCorps members.
Here’s a video about the food pantries:
Metropolitan Family Service partners with Oregon Food Bank to operate 5 school-based food pantry sites. We provide a 3-5 days’ supply of perishable and non-perishable pantry staples at these sites, including beans, rice, cereal, oatmeal, pasta and canned and frozen vegetables, milk, bread, eggs and meat.
Food Pantry Sites
Locations and Times
Alder Elementary School Tuesdays 8:30am-10:00am
17200 SE Alder St., Portland
Cherry Park (NEW!)* Mondays, 9:30am-11:00am
1930 SE 104th Avenue, Portland *Restricted for use to Cherry Park school family members
Glenfair Elementary School Tuesdays 3:00pm-4:30pm
15300 NE Glisan St, Portland
Earl Boyles Elementary School* Wednesdays 5:30pm-7:00pm
10822 SE Bush St, Portland *Restricted for use to Earl Boyles and Ron Russel school family members
David Douglas High School Thursdays, 5:00pm-6:30pm
1500 SE 130th Avenue, Portland (South Building cafeteria) This is a different address from the main campus.
Open Market Sites
MFS has 3 supplemental hunger relief sites that provide 1-2 days’ worth of fresh and perishable foods, including fruits and vegetables, milk, yogurt, bread, pre-made sandwiches and salads.
West Powelhurst Elementary School Tuesdays 1:00pm-2:00pm
2921 SE 116th Ave, Portland
Oliver Elementary School Thursdays 4:00pm-5:00pm
15840 SE Taylor St, Portland
Parklane Elementary School Thursdays 4:00pm-5:00pm
15811 SE Main St, Portland
Portland, OR. Over 240 guests, volunteers and community members helped raise $486,295 at the Tuality Healthcare Foundation’s Gatsby Gala. In celebration and recognition of Tuality Healthcare’s 100th anniversary, the OHSU Foundation helped secure a $100,000 match. Board Members Mike and Marilyn Egans, Paul Coussens and Amy Sherwood were pleased with the event. The funds will go toward the purchase of a new mobile mammography van with 3D imaging. Tuality Healthcare’s current van is at the end of its useful life and travels to limited areas only. It is the only mammography van in Oregon. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Gary and Dixie Baker with Katie Eyre at NW Events & Environments
Tuality Helathcare Foundation Board President Marilynn Helzerman and Gwynne-Anne Pitts
Board Member Ralph Brown with wife Carol Bown
Jerralynn Ness and Leda Garside
Mammograms save lives because they detect cancer when it is small, increasing the chance of survival. Underserved women from here to the coast can face barriers to obtaining mammograms including geographic isolation and transportation. The new van will be able to travel to an expanded area including rural Oregon, and it’s a key component of the Foundation’s On the Road to Prevention Campaign. The campaign will also fund an outreach/patient navigator position for three years to help educate women about the importance and availability of mammograms and assist them during their journey of care. In addition, the campaign will create a cancer care fund for underserved women needing mammograms, as well as travel and accommodations assistance when receiving treatment at Tuality Healthcare.
Tuality Healthcare Foundation Director Marykay Morelli told guests at the gala January 27th gala, “You did life-saving work tonight. Your extraordinary generosity will help bring mammograms and cancer support to underserved women from Washington County to the coast.”
About Tuality Healthcare Foundation:
The Tuality Healthcare Foundation supports Tuality Healthcare by funding projects and programs that enrich the patient experience and wellness of our community. The Foundation envisions a region—from Washington County to the coast—where there is access to consistent, patient-focused, high-quality care.
Portland, OR. Oregon Film turns 50 this year. The office was founded in 1968 by Governor Tom McCall as a way to meet the needs of the Hollywood crew filming Paint Your Wagonwhich was shooting in Baker County. Hundreds of projects have been filmed in Oregon over the past 50 years including Wild, Cheryl Strayed’s 2014 biographical adventure staring Reese Witherspoon.
TNT’s Leverage Season 4 filmed on Mount Hood.
Forest Park was one location for NBC Universal’s GRIMM where David Giuntoli, who played Nick Burckhardt, and Russell Hornsby, who played Hank Green, worked a crime scene. (Photo credit, Scott Green)
In the 50th anniversary year, the newly minted #OregonMade “umbrella” initiative strives to raise awareness, pride and creative connections between production of all types, as well as businesses, crew, the education sector, events and related services. #OregonMade promotes all sizes ofprojects, even those that do not necessarily qualify for financial incentive programs.
As part of the initiative, Oregon Film created the non-profit, Oregon Made Creative Foundation. This unique project, done in partnership with the Charitable Partnership Fund to create a stand-alone (501[c][3]), offers several limited edition #OregonMade products for sale.All of the net proceeds will be used for grants for low or micro-budget creative content, initiated or made by Oregonians.
Oregon’s collective production industries now generate more than $200M in tracked economic activity per year. That’s more than 20x the tracked spending for this industry in Oregon in 2005.
According an economic impact study by PSU’s Northwest Economic Research Center this industry now provides Oregon with more than 3000 jobs and $150M in annual payroll.
The crew working on the TV show Grimm, which wrapped in 2017 after six seasons, took time to record testimonials about working in the local film industry.
Here’s a video created in 2009 for the Oregon Film Office to help bring major motion picture and television series productions to the state.
Oregon Film is tasked with the following:
Market Oregon as a filming location
Recruit out-of-state productions
Liaise with producers & production groups
Help build the indigenous film, video, and multimedia industry
Sponsor industry & community events
Work with partners to build the creative community
Advise other entities on creating filming regulations
Strengthen relationships with local communities
Provide consumer protection information
Serve as a spokesperson for the industry
About Oregon Film:
Oregon Film is a semi-independent, state agency with a mission to promote, support and advance the film, video, interactive, animation and creative content industries within the state, by fostering and creating connections between production, businesses and the public, and strengthening this industry’s profile and reputation locally, nationally and internationally. It operates with a staff of four people who work to promote and strengthen the statewide industry, it answers to a board, which is overseen by Governor Kate Brown. The Board of Directors includes: Juliana Lukasik (Chair), Jason A. Atkinson, Angela Jackson, Paul Loving and Steve Oster. Oregon Film acts as the official voice of the production industry in Oregon.
We aim to try and create space for connections between the creative and business communities in Oregon – that’s where all of the exciting #OregonMade work lies! This means we support and attend more than a hundred industry and community events in any given year; festivals, screenings, film shadow programs, educational outreach and business relationships/partners. We regularly work with state agencies such as; Travel Oregon, Travel Portland, Oregon State Parks, Oregon Arts Commission and Business Oregon; statewide non-profits like the OMPA, The Hollywood Theatre and The Historic Theaters Initiative; and educational programs at institutions such as PSU, SOU, PCC, CCC, U of O and even high schools across the state. (Take a look at some highlights of a High School Job Shadow program we did last summer.)
Did you know that last year we tracked more than 40 film-related festivals in Oregon? We were lucky enough to attend more than half of these (with a goal to reach them all!). All told, we traveled nearly 10,000 miles last year alone in order to make creative connections in Lakeview, Ashland, Burns, Pendleton, Estacada, Bend, Klamath Falls, Eugene and La Grande – all celebrating #OregonMade projects and locations.
Most recently, we we able to partner with Portland City Parks, Friends of Trees, Friends of Pier Park, Comcast/NBC, City of Portland, Gov. Brown and Comm. Nick Fish to plant a grove of trees in Pier Park ,North Portland, to commemorate six years of the NBC series “Grimm” calling Portland it’s photogenic home.
The icing on the cake this past year was the double-whammy of a six month exhibit at PDX Airport with costumes and props from some of Oregon’s most iconic shows – “Wild,”“The Goonies,”“The Librarians,”“Portlandia,”“Animal House” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” – an exhibit seen by over one million people – and last summer’s statewide tour of Buster Keaton’s #OregonMade 1926 silent classic ,”The General”, with a brand new, live score by Oregon Composer Mark Orton. The pinnacle performance took place in an outdoor amphitheater in front of more than 1500 people in Cottage Grove, about 100 yards from the very tracks where it was shot more than 90 years ago. These special projects represent the kind of creative connection we take pride in making with our collective #OregonMade brand.
If you think there might be ways we can creatively connect with you – please get in touch and let us know. We thank you for partnering to help promote all things #OregonMade.
Want to stay up-to-date on production news in Oregon? Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Portland, OR. Bank of America is honoring All Hands Raised as its 2018 Neighborhood Builder winner. The nonprofit is being recognized for its commitment to education, equity and excellence from birth to career, and for their innovative work in mobilizing support to ensure young people in Multnomah County achieve their full potential. With this grant, All Hands Raised will fully launch a “Pathways to Construction & Manufacturing Careers” program in partnership with six area high schools, which collectively serve 12,000 students. The seeds for this work were planted through an initial partnership with two schools: Reynolds and Centennial high schools. After two years of focused effort at those schools, this work resulted in measurable success and enthusiastic support from students, educators and local employers.
Dan Ryan, CEO, All Hands Raised; Roger Hinshaw, Market President in Oregon and Southwest Washington, Bank of America
All Hands Raised Board of Directors with Jessica Hewitt, Vice President of Enterprise Business and Community Engagement; Dan Ryan, CEO, All Hands Raised; Roger Hinshaw, Market President in Oregon and Southwest Washington, Bank of America and Monique Barton, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, Bank of America.
Through the Neighborhood Builders program, each year the bank provides one Portland-area nonprofit with a unique combination of leadership training, $200,000 in flexible funding, volunteer support, and a network of peer organizations across the country. Last year’s winner was New Avenues for Youth.
“We recognize the critical role that local nonprofits play to build pathways to economic progress in the Portland community. Through Neighborhood Builders, we connect nonprofits like All Hands Raised to the funding and leadership development resources they need to further scale their impact,” said Roger Hinshaw, Bank of America’s Market President in Oregon and Southwest Washington. “All Hands Raised does extraordinary work, so I am very pleased that we’re able to bring forward this support at a particularly strategic time.”
“This $200,000 investment will strengthen our ability to create opportunities among our youth for long-term employment in living-wage careers, which is good for our kids and for our local economy,” said Dan Ryan, CEO of All Hands Raised. “We’re pleased that Bank of America is so invested in helping close the gap between high schools, training programs and industry — all while increasing options for students beyond just traditional four-year colleges, the military or low-paying service jobs.”
Ryan cited the more than 30,000 construction and manufacturing jobs that will be added in the Portland region over the next 10 years, combined with unprecedented levels of retirements. Yet the pathways to those careers are largely broken, incomplete or absent — and local career-technical education programs have not recovered from past cuts, nor fully aligned with the current needs of local industries.
“Building effective teams on-site in local high school communities that bring together students, parents, teachers, local employers and career training programs all around common goals, measures and improvement strategies is powerful,” says Ryan. “In sum, this well-timed investment by Bank of America will allow our local partnership to develop a stronger awareness among educators of the living-wage job opportunities in our community, and will truly be a game-changer for our local high school students and their families,” Ryan noted.
Monique Barton, senior vice president of corporate social responsibility at Bank of America, added: “Over the many years that we’ve partnered with All Hands Raised, we’ve seen first-hand how impactful their work is,” said Barton. “We’re excited to be directing this six-figure support to ensure more young people have access to well-paying and fulfilling careers. That’s a very worthy cause that has the potential to make a real difference in helping local youth achieve long-term professional stability in industries that are growing.”
Here’s a video about the program:
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About Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders Program:
Since its inception in 2004, Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders program has helped nonprofits create greater impact in their communities and better prepare for the future by providing the tools and resources they need to develop stronger strategic plans, chart a succession strategy, navigate through tough economic times, and enhance their funding opportunities. Since the program’s beginning 14 years ago, Bank of America has invested more than $220 million in nearly 1,000 nonprofits and 2,000 leaders across 45 U.S. communities, including Portland — and the program has been recognized as the nation’s largest philanthropic investment in nonprofit leadership development. Neighborhood Builders is a demonstration of the bank’s work to address issues fundamental to economic mobility in order to build thriving communities and illustrates how strong cross-sector partnerships and local community leaders can play a meaningful role in positioning communities for success. Learn more at www.bankofamerica.com/about and connect with us on Twitter at @BofA_News.
About All Hands Raised:
All Hands Raised (AHR) is an independent community-impact organization that mobilizes support to ensure every child in Multnomah County achieves their full potential. As the backbone organization for the All Hands Raised Partnership, AHR delivers direct support that empowers educational outcomes for the more than 220,000 children, youth and young adults living in Multnomah County, from birth to career. With an acute focus on racial educational equity, we bring together partners throughout the community to improve the following focus areas: Racial Educational Equity, Kindergarten Transition, K-12 Attendance, Ninth Grade Transition, Post-Secondary Access & Completion and Pathways to Construction & Manufacturing Careers. This work is focused on getting youth to and through graduation with the ultimate goal of being connected to a career and on the path to a successful life. Learn more at www.allhandsraised.org and connect with us on Twitter @AllHandsRaised.
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