Portland, OR. The Concordia University gala that was anything but common, even though the keynote speaker uses “Common” as his moniker. He posed for a photo with interim president Rev. Dr. Tom Ries, event honoree Swati Adarkar, (Keynote speaker Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., better known as Common) and emcee Kimberely Dixon. The event drew 530 supporters and raised more than $355,000. The ninth annual Governor Victor Atiyeh Leadership in Education Awards Gala was held on February 4th at the new Hyatt Hotel in Portland. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Gary Withers (left) and Tom Ries present the award and flowers to Children’s Institute CEO, president and co-founder Swati Adarkar in recognition of her work promoting early childhood development and education.
Carilyn Alexander, Rich Brown and Ken Thrasher enjoy the gala’s pre-reception.
Loretta Smith, Brek Nelson and Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson
The team from IMS Capital Management, one of the gala sponsors. The funds will support Concordia student scholarships and the university’s groundbreaking 3toPhD® collaborative model for education, which co-locates Concordia’s College of Education with Faubion School in N.E. Portland.
Ron Shoals and LaRhonda Steele were part of a five-person music group that entertained the crowd.
Here’s a video about Children’s Institute CEO, president and co-founder Swati Adarkar:
From Concordia University:
The array of local dignitaries at the gala included past award recipients Ken Thrasher, Kay Toran, and, Marcia Randall, as well as Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler.
HotChalk served as the gala’s lead sponsor. Other sponsors included Orbis Education, Stoel Rives LLP, Gloria and Ross Edwards, The Jessie F. Richardson Foundation, CCL-Concepts in Community Living, and Pacific Office Automation.
IMPACT OF SCHOLARSHIPS
Adarkar and Concordia senior Antonio Martinez both told the crowd about the huge impact college scholarships had on them.
Adarkar, her grandfather, father and mother all received scholarships, which brought her family from India to the United States and shaped its future, she stated.
Martinez had at one point worried he might not be able to finish college, but a timely scholarship is now making that possible, he said.
CHALLENGING THE AUDIENCE
Keynote speaker Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. (better known as Common) and Adarkar challenged the audience to dig deep and work hard for children and education.
“As we begin this new decade, let’s challenge ourselves to be even bolder in our actions and our generosity, recognizing that education, in fact, is our greatest hope to transform children’s lives, shape our future generations and create a more just and equitable society,” said Adarkar.
Common — an actor, author, activist and hip-hop artist — sprinkled some rap into his remarks. His mother is a former teacher and principal. She introduced him to writing, literature and self-discipline by assigning him weekly book reports. This sparked his interest as a teenager in a career as a writer, music artist, actor and storyteller, he said.
The film, television and recording star’s mother also taught him the importance of helping others less fortunate. This led him to start his own foundation to support children and to open a charter arts school, he said.
Common quoted a number of people in his speech, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., authors Kahlil Gibran and Marianne Williamson, New York Times columnist David Brooks, U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young and even, lastly, a San Quentin prisoner on death row who told him, “I like what you’re doing. But make sure you give back.”
Common concluded his half-hour speech with a quote from his hero, Muhammad Ali: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”
“So, to all my educators, our rent is due,” Common added.
ABOUT THE ATIYEH LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION AWARD
The Atiyeh Award is given annually to one or more philanthropic, business, civic, and political leaders for their unique and significant contributions to improving education in the Pacific Northwest or beyond. Named after Oregon’s highly esteemed former Governor Victor Atiyeh for his leadership and lifelong passion for education, this award is presented to a changemaker: a leader who – through professional, philanthropic, business, civic, and/or political actions and advocacy – has profoundly improved the odds for our children to succeed in school and in life.
ABOUT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
Concordia University-Portland was founded in 1905 as a Lutheran university with a mission of preparing leaders for the transformation of society. The university serves more than 6,000 students on its campuses and online, through its College of Education, College of Health & Human Sciences, School of Management, and Concordia University School of Law in Boise, Idaho. For more about Concordia University, visit www.cu-portland.edu and law.cu-portland.edu.
Portland, OR. Disney Plus held the premiere of “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made” at the 10-day Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The festival wraps on February 2nd. Directed by Tom McCarthy, a filmmaker known for “Spotlight,” the best picture winner at the 2016 Academy Awards, “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made” was included as part of the festival’s children’s slate and was filmed in Portland. (Photo credit, Susan Young.)
From naked cyclists to an imaginary 1,500-pound polar bear roaming the streets, Portland’s quirks are getting more screen time in a new original Disney+ movie. Here’s a trailer for the new film which will be available February 7th on the Disney Plus paid streaming service which costs about $7-per month.
Reviewers note: “Portland also fits with the story setting. Timmy’s mother has a hipster vibe. Some characters, who conceivably could have been extras in a show such as Portlandia, appear in the film as incidental cheerleaders to the young boy’s efforts.”
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, directed by Tom McCarthy, starring WInslow Fegley as Timmy Failure, Disney Enterprises, Inc.
The film is based on the first book in a popular series by Stephan Pastis, who also created the comic strip Pearls Before Swine. The plot focuses on a self-confident boy detective who tools around town on his mother’s Segway.
Stephan Pastis is the creator of Pearls Before Swine, an acclaimed comic strip that appears in more than six hundred newspapers and boasts a devoted following.
In 2013, Pastis was inspired to break out of the comic-strip box, penning his first children’s book, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, which became an instant New York Times bestseller. Mistakes Were Made was quickly followed by three other installments in the popular middle-grade series starring a brilliantly bad detective with a sidekick polar bear. Critics have praised the author for appealing to young readers with his knack for comic timing and the interplay between cartoons, text, and elements of the absurd in his storytelling.
About Timmy Failure, Stephan says, “For me as a kid, I liked to laugh. And I’m hoping these books do that for both kids and their parents. I just really want to give them stories that have something humorous in every chapter.”“Timmy is a detective who can take any mystery and make it more mysterious.”– Stephan Pastis
Here’s a blurb about the film, it’s recommended for ages 8 and up:
Timmy Failure is the president, founder, and CEO of Total Failure, Inc., detective agency. With his partner, Total, a 1,500-pound polar bear, Timmy strives to keep the streets of Portland safe by solving seemingly unsolvable mysteries like finding missing backpacks and thwarting the plans of a nefarious criminal gang. Though he is focused on finding a new global headquarters, he endures school, where he must contend with his fellow students and his teacher and nemesis, Mr. Crocus. While he is on a case, the “Failure Mobile,” his mother’s off-limits Segway scooter and his main source of transportation, disappears. Interpreting the theft as part of a secret plan devised by his adversaries, he begins a search that leads him through a series of misadventures that ultimately threaten the existence of his agency. Based on the best-selling books by Stephan Pastis, who also co-wrote the screenplay, and directed by award-winning Sundance Film Festival alumnus Tom McCarthy, this heartwarming and entertaining film celebrates the idea that being different isn’t a bad thing.About Sundance 2020: The winners have been named.After 10 days and 128 feature films, the 2020 Sundance Film Festival’s Awards Ceremony took place, with jurors presenting 28 prizes for feature filmmaking. Honorees, named in total below, represent new achievements in global independent storytelling. Bold, intimate, and humanizing stories prevailed across categories, with Grand Jury Prizes awarded to Minari (U.S. Dramatic), Boys State (U.S. Documentary), Epicentro (World Cinema Documentary) and Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness (World Cinema Dramatic).
Portland, OR. The Northwest Film Center will showcase and celebrate its 43rd international and regional storytelling through film. The 10-day festival will take place on March 6-15, 2020 at various locations. Some goals of the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) are, “to gather film lovers and makers, have people be open to new ways of creative expression, and shine a spotlight on artists who go against the status quo.” Disney Pixar’s Onward will have a free community screening at noon on February 7th. (More info below.)
A three-film opening night program on Friday, March 6th will feature an off-beat indie buddy film called The Climb. Below is a look at the film’s trailer:
Portland International Film Festival organizers hope that patrons will embrace the idea of Cinema Unbound for the first time. Through this concept, PIFF aims to challenge how cinematic stories are told. 2020 also features renowned visiting curators, esteemed guests, industry leaders, and jury members in attendance—all of whom represent major film festivals, museums, and distribution companies around the globe.
Here’s information about the festival from Northwest Film Center:
Ticket information listed below:
Advance Tickets: The Northwest Film Center, 934 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR 97205 Opens March 1 — daily from 12 noon – 6 p.m. Advance tickets by phone at (503) 276-4310
Festival Passes: Currently available for sale here
Members of the Northwest Film Center’s Silver Screen Club get discounts or free entry (at the Director level and above) to Festival screenings. To learn more about membership click here
Admission prices: $14 General; $12 Portland Art Museum Members, Students, Seniors; $10 children (12 years and younger); $9 Silver Screen Club Friends, Supporters, and New Wave.
Opening Night Film and Party: $25 general; $20 Silver Screen Friends, Supporters, and New Wave. PLEASE NOTE: Attendees can purchase tickets to Opening Night for either the Whitsell Auditorium or Cinema 21 location. Opening Night party to follow in the Portland Art Museum’s Fred & Suzanne Fields (Sunken) Ballroom.
Tickets to individual screenings will be available on February 7, 2020
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:
Thursday, March 5, 2020
The Eyeslicer Season Two by Dan Schoenbrun and Vanessa McDonnell
United States | 2019
7 p.m. | Whitsell Auditorium | 90 mins
11 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Northwest Film Center
11 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Movie Madness Miniplex
Recently featured in GQ’s Time Capsule for the 2010s, this bonkers-yet-thoughtful 13-episode TV show blends the boldest new American filmmaking into mind-expanding, mixtape-style episodes that feature work from over 70 filmmakers.
Three-film Opening Night program features The Climb, as well as shorts America and The Giverny Document (Single Channel). One ticket includes all screenings, which will screen back-to-back at both venues. Attendees are welcome to come to one, or stay for all three!
PIFF 43 Opening Night radically presents varying perspectives on what it means to be alive at this moment while reflecting on the past that’s shaped us. This multi-perspective Opening Night panorama dives deep into unexpected places, expounding upon notions of race, gender, time, and nowness. Funny, painful, powerful, and electric in equal measure, PIFF 43 Opening Night subverts the notion that any one film is worthy of “Opening Night” attention. Instead, we embrace the interplay between these three storytellers and their collaborators.
America Directed by Garrett Bradley
United States | 2019 | 29 mins.
A cinematic omnibus rooted in New Orleans, challenging the idea of black cinema as a “wave” or “movement in time,” proposing instead a continuous thread of achievement.
The Giverny Document (Single Channel) Directed by Ja’Tovia Gary
United States | 2019 | 45 mins.
Filmed on location in Harlem and in Monet’s historic gardens in Giverny, this multi-textured cinematic poem meditates on the bodily integrity and creative virtuosity of black women.
This buddy comedy starts with a simple premise—two lifelong pals struggle to bike up a French mountaintop—but what comes next is anyone’s guess. With incredible cinematic reinvention, ambitious long-takes, dramatic time-leaps, and a cappella interludes, the audience is invited along for the ride, no matter where it leads.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Disney Pixar’s Onward Directed by Dan Scanlon
United States | 2020 | 91 mins.
12:00 noon – Whitsell Auditorium – Free Community Screening
5:00 p.m. – Hollywood Theatre – Silver Screen Club member presale until February 7, 2020.
Set in a suburban fantasy world, Disney and Pixar’s Onward introduces two teenage elf brothers (voices of Chris Pratt and Tom Holland) who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there. Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new original feature film is directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae—the team behind Monsters University. Onward releases in theaters on March 6, 2020.
Trailer:
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Anthem: Homunculus Live Listening Party by John Cameron Mitchell
Time & Location: TBA
A creative, multi-media feast featuring a tangled story of visits to other planets, talking tumors, and song-filled telethons pitched to save the life of the protagonist, Ceann. This game-changing, audio-based story—performed LIVE—is based on Mitchell’s genre-busting podcast by the same name and defies all conventions and expectations, with audiences experiencing a wild, 6.5-hour extravaganza of over 30 songs ranging from indie-rock to dream pop to avant-garde.
Featuring the vocal talent of Glenn Close, Cynthia Erivo, Patti LuPone, Denis O’Hare, Mari Moriarty, Alan Mandell, Ben Foster and Shalewa Sharpe.
Creator and star John Cameron Mitchell and guests in attendance.
Presented by Luminary.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
The Armory Presents: Off-Center Stage
9 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Off-Center Stage is a series of late-night programming that will feature unconventional performances from musicians, visual artists, comedians, dance, and open-format shows for the 21-and-over crowd. Each show will take place on the stages and other communal spaces in the historic surroundings of The Armory.
PERFORMANCES AND PRESENTATIONS:
Reese Bowes — light/sound design and video projections
Auvie Sinclair — instrumental hip hop producer/beatmaker
Just Pretend — a live band featuring Darian Patrick, band member for Hedwig & The Angry Inch and In The Heights.
Disco Montana — live band fusing elements of pop, disco, country, and folk
Monday, March 9, 2020 | 7 p.m.
The Cinema Unbound Awards
Kridel Grand Ballroom, Portland Art Museum, 1119 SW Park Avenue
The Cinema Unbound Awards celebrates artists who are trying new things, thinking bigger, and pushing forward to transform filmmaking—and the world. We’ve assembled a small-but-mighty band of internationally renowned artists, creatives, and curators working against traditional constraints of cinema.
Honoring:
Astonishing Auteur Todd Haynes (Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning writer and director; Carol, Far from Heaven, Mildred Pierce)
Creative Powerhouse John Cameron Mitchell (Tony Award-winning writer, director, and actor; Hedwig & The Angry Inch, Anthem: Homunculus, Hulu’s Shrill)
Documentary Doyenne Julie Goldman (Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning producer of over 50 feature documentaries, including Life, Animated, Buck, Weiner)
Immersive Maestro Michel Reilhac (Filmmaker, Experiential Artist and Head of VR, Venice Biennale)
Animation Arts Wizard Rose Bond (Internationally-recognized, large-scale, site-specific animations)
Curatorial Mastermind Rajendra Roy (The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, MoMA)
PIFF 43 Closing Weekend centerpiece film First Cow
Directed by Kelly Reichardt
United States | 2020 | 121 mins
8:00 p.m. – Whitsell Auditorium
Returning to the Oregon wilderness for her seventh feature, Kelly Reichardt continues her examination of the American expansionist myth via the Western genre. John Magaro stars as a loner cook who teams up with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) to create a new business—one that is dependent on a wealthy landowner’s prize milk cow, but without his knowledge. First Cow will open in Portland, Oregon, on Friday, March 20.
Trailer:
Saturday, March 14, 2020
The Personal History of David Copperfield
Directed by Armando Iannucci
United States | 2020 | 119 mins
6 p.m. – Cinema 21
The Personal History of David Copperfield re-imagines Charles Dickens’ classic ode to grit and perseverance through the comedic lens of its award-winning filmmakers—giving the Dickensian tale new life for a cosmopolitan age with a diverse ensemble cast of stage and screen actors from across the world. Emmy® winners and Oscar® nominees Armando Iannucci (In the Loop, The Death of Stalin, HBO’s Veep) and Simon Blackwell (In the Loop, HBO’s Succession) lend their wry yet heart-filled storytelling style to revisiting Dickens’ iconic hero on his quirky journey from impoverished orphan to a burgeoning writer in Victorian England.
Photo by Geoff Robinson Photography/Shutterstock
March 14-16, 2020
Berio’s Sinfonia by Rose Bond | IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OREGON SYMPHONY
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Animator and Cinema Unbound Award honoree Rose Bond presents a program of eye-popping experiential animation set to and illustrating Luciano Bario’s monumental musical-cultural portrait of New York in the late 1960s. An incredible visual and sound experience for cinema-goers, animators, experiential designers, and music lovers alike.
Tickets available to the March 14, 15 & 16 shows via Oregon Symphony.
PANELS AND WORKSHOPS
Over the course of the two weekends, PIFF will host eight panels, three workshops, and one special un-conference. PIFF will also host multi-day happy hour networking events with industry professionals to provide assistance and services to independent filmmakers. Date, Time and Location TBA.
Docs on the Rise — Cinema Unbound Award honoree Julie Goldman and Academy Award nominee and Portland documentary filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky discuss opportunities for expanded creativity in emerging marketplaces.
The Sustainability and Ethics Un-Conference — A participatory town hall about fostering an inclusive and ethically conscious media-making community, with breakout sessions on topics such as power dynamics on-set, setting contractual boundaries, and practicing empathy in production.
Beyond Cancel Culture — Cinema Unbound Award honoree Rajendra Roy and curatorial colleagues discuss approaches to critically engaging with problematic narratives.
Interactive Media Performance by Reese Bowes
An evening of multi-format audio and visual experiences courtesy of guest curator Reese Bowes. who will also present two short film works by Portland-based filmmakers: Remembrance, by Sabina Haque, and Spooky Girls, by The Hand and The Shadow production company.
Date, Time and Location TBA.
Why I Love and Fear VR
Presented by Guest Curator, Cinema Unbound Award honoree, and Head of Venice Biennale XR Michel Reilhac
Prince’s Purple Rain (1984) date, time and Location: TBA
About the Northwest Film Center:
The Northwest Film Center is a regional media arts organization offering a variety of exhibitions, education programs, and artist services throughout the region. The Center presents a program of foreign, classic, experimental, and independent works year-round at the Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum. For more information, visit www.nwfilm.org.
About the Portland Art Museum
The seventh oldest museum in the United States, the Portland Art Museum is internationally recognized for its permanent collection and ambitious special exhibitions drawn from the Museum’s holdings and the world’s finest public and private collections. The Museum’s collection of more than 45,000 objects, displayed in 112,000 square feet of galleries, reflects the history of art from ancient times to today. The collection is distinguished for its holdings of arts of the native peoples of North America, English silver, and the graphic arts. An active collecting institution dedicated to preserving great art for the enrichment of future generations, the Museum devotes 90 percent of its galleries to its permanent collection.
The Museum’s campus of landmark buildings, a cornerstone of Portland’s cultural district, includes the Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art, the Gilkey Center for Graphic Arts, the Schnitzer Center for Northwest Art, the Northwest Film Center, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Center for Native American Art. With a membership of more than 22,000 households and serving more than 350,000 visitors annually, the Museum is a premier venue for education in the visual arts. For information on exhibitions and programs, call 503-226-2811 or visit portlandartmuseum.org.
The Portland Art Museum welcomes all visitors and affirms its commitment to making its programs and collections accessible to everyone. The Museum offers a variety of programs and services to ensure a quality experience and a safe, inclusive environment for every member of our diverse community. Learn more at portlandartmuseum.org/access.
Portland, OR. Once a year the nonprofit Brides for a Cause offers wedding dresses for just $150. Brides started lining up at 4:00 am on Saturday morning and by the end of the day, hundreds had found their dream dresses. The sale featured more than 500 wedding dresses. Brides for a Cause is a nonprofit organization that collects and resells wedding dresses to raise funds for a variety of women-focused charities.
There was a long line for the 7th annual Dress Dash. The event took place on January 25th at the Exchange Ballroom.
Brides for a Cause raised $350,000 last year which was twice the amount from the previous year. In total, the organization has raised $1,000,000 for nonprofits.
Thousands of wedding dresses are donated each year by individuals, bridal stores, manufacturers and designers, which are resold at discounted prices to local brides.
Brides for a Cause also teams up with Brides Across America every July and November to offer free wedding dresses to local military brides and first responders during their annual “Operation Wedding Gown” events, which are held at over 60 bridal salons around the country.
Brides Across America gives away dresses for brides who are on active duty, a veteran of the military within the past 5 years, a first responder – or is marrying someone who is.
From Brides for a Cause:
Brides for a Cause has three locations:
Portland Boutique: Brides for a Cause 2505 SE 11th Ave, Suite 120 Portland, OR 97202
Tacoma Boutique: Brides for a Cause 2711 6th Avenue Tacoma, WA 98406
Seattle Boutique
Brides for a Cause
6514 Roosevelt Way
NE Seattle, WA 98115
If you are interested in donating a dress you can do that. Brides for a Cause is currently accepting wedding gowns from the past 5 years.
Please mail your gown to: Brides for a Cause 2505 SE 11th Ave, Suite 120 Portland, OR 97202
In 2019, we have given away a record-breaking $350,000 for the year! This is DOUBLE the amount we gave away in 2018! We also reached our $1,000,000 milestone of total money given away! Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way!
Portland, OR. The Portland Art Museum announced a landmark gift of $10 million from philanthropist Arlene Schnitzer. This represents the largest contribution from an individual donor in the 127-year history of the institution.
The gift was announced at the Museum by her son, Jordan Schnitzer. Gov. Kate Brown spoke of Mrs. Schnitzer’s extraordinary leadership to approximately 200 invitees, underscoring the importance of investing in the arts in our state.
Jordan and Arlene Schnitzer in 2015 at the PNCA Grand Opening
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici also announced a $750,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in support of the Museum’s Connections Campaign. Through that campaign, the Museum will transform its campus by connecting its two buildings via the new Mark Rothko Pavilion and by growing its endowment in support of access, exhibitions, and programs.
The Schnitzer gift now represents the lead gift in the Museum’s ongoing Connection Campaign, which is currently in the quiet phase. An official announcement of the public campaign is anticipated in 2021.
“This extraordinary gift is a profound investment in our role as Portland’s museum for art and film, but also in the future of the arts in our region,” said Brian Ferriso, Director and Chief Curator of the Museum. “We are so grateful to the Schnitzer family for their leadership in continually reinforcing that the arts are essential for vibrant, equitable communities. This gift, and the gifts it will inspire, will shape the future of the arts in this community in ways we cannot foresee today.”
The Portland Art Museum released the video below to thank Arlene Schnitzer:
Arlene Schnitzer’s relationship with the Portland Art Museum began when she enrolled as a student at the Museum Art School.
Harold and Arlene Schnitzer are pictured in the Japanese Garden in 2010. Arlene Schnitzer and her late husband, Harold Schnitzer (1923–2011) have been close partners of the Museum for almost half a century.
Their passion for art, and our city, led to leadership roles at the Museum. The Schnitzers have provided financial support of important acquisitions, exhibitions, and capital campaigns; donated their Chinese Han Dynasty collection and other works to the Museum’s collection; and made significant investments in furthering the scholarship of the curatorial team through endowments of Northwest and Asian art, whose curatorial positions are named in their honor. The Schnitzers’ vision and generosity led to the creation of the Museum’s Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Northwest Art, celebrating the creative vitality of the region.
When asked about what drives her philanthropy, Mrs. Schnitzer said, “Enough is never enough giving back. And Harold felt it as strongly as I do. And that’s it.”
In recognition of their commitment and contributions, in 2007 Harold and Arlene Schnitzer were named the first-ever Life Trustees of the Museum. In 2014, the Museum showcased Arlene and Harold’s distinguished collection with the exhibition and publication In Passionate Pursuit: The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Collection and Legacy. That exhibition displayed artwork by many of the Northwest artists whose careers Mrs. Schnitzer nurtured through her Fountain Gallery, including Robert Colescott, the focus of the special exhibition Art and Race Matters: The Career of Robert Colescott, opening February 15 at the Museum. The Schnitzers’ legacy and impact on the arts in Portland and throughout the Northwest are undeniable.
“It has been very exciting to see the Museum change and grow, and to watch interest in the art of the Northwest region blossom,” Mrs. Schnitzer said. “It’s what Harold and I envisioned.”
“I am so proud of my mother, Arlene, and my late father, Harold,” said Jordan Schnitzer. “My mother recently said the reason they have given to the art museum was ‘You either put up, or shut up!’ It doesn’t get any more succinct than that!
“While their financial contributions have been important, I believe their leadership and lifelong effort to enlist many others to support the arts is their greatest legacy,” Mr. Schnitzer continued. “My late father often said, ‘You can’t have too many yellow school buses in front of the Museum!’”
About Portland Art Museum:
Mission
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.
PHILOSOPHY AND CORE VALUES
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 The arts are at the core of our humanity, representing a timeless human impulse.
Connection The arts touch us and connect us across time, geography, and cultural differences, shedding light on how humans interact with their world.
Learning The arts open us to diverse ideas and ways of knowing ourselves, our community, and our world.
Accessibility The arts must be economically, intellectually, and physically accessible to everyone.
Accountability Transparency and careful stewardship of resources—including collections, staff, facilities, and investments – are essential for mission fulfillment now and in the future.
Portland, OR. Medical Teams International received a $350,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to increase access to life-saving primary healthcare services for 120,000 Venezuelan migrants living now in Santa Marta, Colombia. Bill and Melinda Gates, pictured in Bangladesh, have a stated foundation goal: “In high-burden communities, millions of women and newborns die during childbirth and the first month of life – the majority, due to preventable causes. We channel our resources to understand and address underlying risks to keep women and their children healthy.”
In Columbia, a Venezuelan migrant named Stefanie is one of many trying to raise young children. The mass migration to Columbia started because Venezuela’s economic and political crisis has now reached a state of hyperinflation due to chronic resource shortages and government corruption. (Photo credit: Sarah Rawlins)
“Mothers are dying unnecessarily without access to care,” said Martha Holley Newsome, Medical Teams International President and CEO. “As an organization, we are called to go where we are needed most. This generous grant from the Gates Foundation will allow us to do exactly this, by providing life-saving care to the most vulnerable Venezuelans in Colombia like children and pregnant women.”
Nearby, an elderly couple is struggling to care for their handicapped daughter.
“The scale of what is happening in Venezuela is considered to be the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today. Persons displaced from Venezuela represent more people than the combined number that have fled from South Sudan and Myanmar. The situation is dire — an estimated 60 percent of medical assistance has been lost, with recent indicators of maternal mortality at an increase of 65 percent.
Since the crisis began, more than four million people have left Venezuela. By the end of last year, access to affordable food and medical care was nearly impossible for millions of people.
“Venezuelans report that the collapse of the economy has led to them being unable to meet their own very basic needs such as food, water, and medicine,” said Medical Teams Humanitarian Advisor Rachel Rigby. “In Colombia, we’re seeing people arriving with nothing, having had to use what little resources they had to pay to illegally cross the border.”
While the government of Colombia has been welcoming to new Venezuelan arrivals, the need for medical care far surpasses the country’s ability to provide them with basic assistance. Medical Teams will support the Colombian government by providing care for Venezuelan migrants and vulnerable Colombians. The program is focused on caring for pregnant and lactating women and young children, as well as ensuring vulnerable communities have access to life-saving medical care.
In addition to strengthening the Colombian health system by supporting local primary health care facilities, this grant will also help implement a Community Health Worker program to train volunteers to create social health behavior changes within their communities, map and monitor vulnerable populations, and provide referrals to local health facilities.
“Without Medical Teams’ help, these women would not receive any prenatal care and would have to find a clinic to deliver their baby in, while in labor,” Rigby said. “Young children are suffering from preventable and treatable illnesses, so our community health work program alongside targeted care is allowing families to learn how to prevent disease.”
From Medical Teams International:
For 40 years, Medical Teams International has worked in more than 35 countries and currently operates in Bangladesh, Colombia, Guatemala, Lebanon, Tanzania, and Uganda, collaborating with more than 50 local partners globally. Medical Teams has executed more than 26 U.S. government international assistance grants and implemented projects with the United Nations High Commission of Refugees, U.S. State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, United Nations Children’s Fund, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and others on a diverse range of health and nutrition interventions. Medical Teams strives to implement innovative and efficient health interventions that save lives and promote a caring world.
Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as survivors of natural disasters and refugees. We care for the whole person— physical, emotional, social and spiritual. Daring to love like Jesus, we serve all people—regardless of religion, nationality, sex or race. Because every person—no matter where they are or how desperate their situation—matters. Find Medical Teams International at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.
Portland, OR. The Portland Children’s Museum is remembering coworker, Leslie Schmadeke, who was hit and killed by a driver on Tualatin-Valley Highway on January 14th. Museum administers say, “Our staff & visitors mourn the loss of beloved Museum Experience Facilitator Leslie Schmadeke, who joyfully shared her gifts of origami & crafting with families for the last nine years. She will be dearly missed.”
The Portland Children’s Museum is partnering with TriMet to hand out reflective and glow-in-the-dark gear to families at the museum.
Employees will be providing bracelets, lights, and more. They call it a simple but meaningful way to honor Schmadeke’s life.
“I can’t remember a day when Leslie was down,” Ruth Shelly, the museum’s executive director, said. “She always came to work upbeat, ready to go, with some new craft in her bulging apron pockets, ready to share with the public.”
51-year-old Schmadeke was crossing TV Highway to get to the bus stop to go to work when she was hit. It was dark and foggy that morning, and investigators say the driver had poor visibility.
ODOT is working on implementing a few measures to make the route safer, including installing three rapid flashlights in areas identified as the most dangerous for pedestrians.
Portland Children’s Museum is located at:
4015 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR 97221
“Dr. King’s legacy of service continues to inspire and remind Oregonians that we all have a role to play in bettering the health of our communities,” says Angela Dowling, President of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. “Regence and our employees are proud to celebrate our fifth year partnering with United Way in support of this mission.”
Clean Up and Green Up is a volunteer project at Portland Audubon.
The event is presented by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and supported by Intel, Nike, Dunn Carney, Tonkon Torp LLP, Umpqua Bank, with special thanks to U.S. Bank.
From sprucing up libraries and school gardens to sorting books for kids to packaging donated food for families in need – MLK Weekend of Service offers countless opportunities for community members to give back and help build Dr. King’s vision throughout the Portland metro region.
“Our MLK Weekend of Service is an incredible opportunity for people to come together to honor Dr. King’s legacy,” says Cindy Adams, President and CEO of United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. “With over sixty volunteer projects and 1,500 volunteers across the region this year, community members can continue striving for the changes Dr. King championed – including ending poverty and advancing racial equity – and make a real impact for tens of thousands of children and families.”
This year’s event also kicks off United Way’s centennial celebration. Since 1920 your local United Way has been bringing the community together to do good. In addition to honoring Dr. King’s legacy, this MLK Weekend we also celebrate United Way of the Columbia-Willamette’s historic role in strengthening schools, families, and communities across the region.
The event runs from Friday, January 17 through Monday, January 20 with volunteer projects each day.
The event is organized by United Way’s volunteer program, Hands On Greater Portland.
MLK Weekend of Service is an integral part of United Way of the Columbia-Willamette’s 10-year agenda focused on reducing childhood poverty and advancing racial equity.
Here’s a list of some of the options for volunteer activities:
Friday: January 17:
Beaverton High School Student Success Week: Join us for painting, creating signage, interior planting
8:30 am-11:30 am
Location: Beaverton HS: 13000 SW 2nd St. Beaverton, OR 97008
Hands Dirty but Hearts Filled: Help spruce up the Day Center organizing bookshelves, cleaning furniture and windows, picking up around the property
9:30 am-12:30 pm
Location: 2nd floor of Sunset Presbyterian Church: 14986 NW Cornell Rd. Portland, OR 97229
VOSE Elementary School (Beaverton School District): Help spruce up the school grounds
9:30 am-11:30 am
Location: 11350 SW Denney Rd. Beaverton, OR
Saturday: January 18:
American Red Cross: Install free smoke alarms and educate households on fire safety
9:30 am-2:30 pm
Location: Portland Red Cross office: 3131 N Vancouver Ave. Portland, OR 97227
Schoolhouse Supplies: Sort books by grade level for the Free Store for Teachers
9:30 am-11:30 am
Location: 4916 NE 122nd Portland, OR 97230
Sunday: January 19:
Q Center: Join us for a day of beautification at the largest LGBTQ2SIA+ community center in the Pacific NW
9:30 am-11:30 am
Location: 4115 N Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR
The Children’s Book Bank: Sort, spruce up and bundle community donated books for children
10 am-11 am
Location: 1915 NE 7th AVE. Portland, OR 97217
Hillsboro Public Library: Help “weed” the library shelves and organize the supply closet
1:30 pm-3:30 pm
Location: Shute Park Library: 775 SE 10th Ave. Hillsboro, OR 97124
Monday (MLK Day): January 20:
Bink-A-Thon: Make blankets for children
9:30 am-1:30 pm
Location: Village Baptist Church, 330 SW Murray Blvd, Beaverton, OR 97005
SnowCap Community Garden Clean-Up: Help weed, prune, haul and spread cedar chips
9:30 am-12:30 pm
Location: 17805 SE Stark St. Portland, OR 97233
Oregon Food Bank (Portland): Repack food donations into family-size portions
10 am-11 am
Location: Portland location: 7900 NE 33rd Dr. Portland, OR 97211
Native Gathering Garden at Cully: Help with weeding and general upkeep of the garden
10:30 am-11:30 am
Location: 5810 NE 72nd Ave. Portland, OR
SOLVE: Clean up MLK Blvd
10:30 am-11:30 am
Location: Irving Park 707 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97212
P:ear: Cook meals & tidy up for homeless youth
1:30 pm-3 pm
Location: 338 NW 6th Ave Portland, OR 97209
Oregon Food Bank (Beaverton): Repack food donations into family-size portions
1:30 pm-3 pm
Location: Beaverton location: 1870 NW 173rdAve. Beaverton, OR 97006
The University of Portland is inaugurating an annual MLK Day event with local writer, activist, educator and spoken word artist Walidah Imarisha leading a discussion on the question, “Why aren’t there more black people in Oregon?”
The event is titled MLK Day ON 2020: Engage. Reflect. Serve. It also will feature guest singer Julianne Johnson, a 1983 graduate and Grammy Award-nominated recording artist and songwriter.
What: MLK Day ON 2020
When: 3:30-5:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 20
Where: University of Portland’s Buckley Center Auditorium, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd. (Overflow room: Brian Doyle Auditorium in Dundon-Berchtold Hall)
In addition, numerous local organizations and institutions hold annual volunteer MLK Day of Service activities. There is no central directory, but you can find them by searching online.
Each of these projects will have a United Way staff member or Volunteer Leader available onsite to answer questions. If you need more information prior to the event, or if you know that your media outlet will be attending one of the projects, please call Kristen Lambert at United Way (contact info listed above).
At United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, we have a simple, ambitious vision – to invest in our region’s kids so they are free from poverty in order to be free to reach their potential. United Way of the Columbia-Willamette has been bringing our community together to do good for nearly 100 years. We’re uniquely positioned to connect and support the people, nonprofits, businesses and government agencies working hard to address poverty in our region. When we invest in our region’s kids, we free the future. For more information and to get involved please visit www.unitedway-pdx.org.
Portland, Or. The Architectural Heritage Center announced an important update on a project that leaders say will protect culturally significant and historic structures within Portland’s African-American community from demolition. The Architectural Heritage Center has completed a draft of the National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation (MPD) form. The MPD will be reviewed at local, state, and national levels in order to protect important landmarks that have had a large impact in communities within downtown Portland and surrounding areas. The MPD form is available for public review and the Architectural Heritage Center encourages readers to contribute with their comments. Pictured above is Royal Palm Hotel, one of Portland’s first facilities to employ and accept African-American guests, which is listed on the MPD form. (Photo credit, Intisar Abioto)
Architectural Heritage Center. Photo provided by AHC’s
Through a partnership between the Heritage Center and the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning & Sustainability (BPS), the Multiple Property Documentation (MPD) form was created. This document is a National Register of Historic places that groups together resources associated with significant historical context so that property owners can easily list their property in the National Register.
The MPD includes a comprehensive list of different buildings and structures that were a part of the African-American community in Portland from 1865 to 1973. Some examples of the buildings are houses, churches, fraternal lodges, and more. Within the MPD record will also include photographs of selected African American properties commissioned from Portland artist, Intisar Abioto.
Golden West Hotel on NW Everett St., Portland Courtesy Oreg. Hist. Soc. Research Library
Previously known as the All Nations Community Church in the 1970s, this church is now known as Mt. Gillard Missionary Baptist Church on NE Rodney Ave
A message from the Architectural Heritage Center:
The over one-hundred page MPD draft is made possible thanks to the hard work of a team of people over the past three years. In 2017, the Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center was selected through a request for proposals process by BPS to partner on the MPD. This work was led by Cathy Galbraith, our organization’s founding director and known expert on Portland’s African American history. Sadly, Cathy passed away in November 2018, with the study unfinished. However, with assistance from historical consultants and BPS staff—and with financial support from the Kinsman Foundation and from BPS—the MPD draft is now complete.
The Architectural Heritage Center’s mission is to “inspire people to conserve the art, craft, and context of historic buildings and places to promote our cultural heritage as a vital element of livable, sustainable, communities.” We seek to preserve the historic character and livability of our built environment and to promote sustainability through the re-use of period homes and buildings. Owned and operated by the non-profit Bosco-Milligan Foundation, we empower people in the Portland region to preserve both landmark buildings and the regular “vernacular” vintage homes and storefronts that collectively define our neighborhoods, traditional downtowns, culture, history, and quality of life.
Photo by Brian Johnson.
Preservation does not mean being frozen in time. New isn’t inherently “bad,” nor is old inherently “good.” But we believe a vintage building shouldn’t be demolished without careful consideration of its architectural, environmental, and cultural value, or without exploring possibilities for re-use. We also believe that in-fill construction should be compatible with the character, style, and scale of traditional neighborhoods.
Public Review The MPD and Billy Webb Elks Lodge (Williams Avenue YWCA) nominations are published here for public review As a next step, the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission will review the MPD at its meeting on January 27. They will make a formal recommendation to the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, which will meet on February 28. The State Committee will then make a formal recommendation to the National Park Service to accept the MPD.
Oregon City, OR. There’s an update on the plans for a special Riverwalk along the Willamette Falls in Oregon City. Details were provided by Andrew Mason, the Executive Director of the Willamette Falls Trust. He explained that when the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde purchased the former Blue Heron mill located adjacent to Willamette Falls last August, the news was welcomed by the Willamette Falls Trust which is spearheading the revitalization of the falls including the Willamette Falls Riverwalk project. (Tribe members have taken ceremonial fish at the falls for years.)
The Tribe has since applied for $975,000 in grants to assist with site assessments and clean up, and they are working with local architecture and landscape design firms to create a future vision for their property. Their land purchase and the results of Willamette Falls Legacy Project’s detailed cost estimating also sparked new thinking around what could be accomplished during the Phase One portion of the project.
After purchasing the property, Grand Ronde proposed an alternative approach to Phase One. If feasible, it would include a riverside path to a scenic overlook of the Falls, which differs from the previous plan to route people through the former mill. A focus of the proposal is to increase public safety during any construction happening on Grand Ronde’s property. It would also provide more opportunities to view the river along the way to the Falls overlook. Phase One of the Riverwalk still aims to restore habitat along the riverbank and prepare the site for future phases of construction.
The groundbreaking schedule initially planned for 2020, has shifted to accommodate looking into this opportunity. Project partners—Oregon City, Clackamas County, Metro and State of Oregon—will consider the proposal after the Grand Ronde team completes the design and construction cost estimate.
Andrew Mason explained, “We continue to receive unprecedented community and financial support. While additional funds will be needed to get us to the finish line on this visionary project, we’re grateful for the continued donations and volunteer hours given, including more than $7 million from donors within and outside our community, as well as $20 million from the passage of Metro’s parks and nature bond measure in November.”
Willamette Falls has always been the cornerstone Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde tribal culture. In 2018 the Grand Ronde Tribe received a permit from the Oregon Department of State Lands to construct a fishing platform on state lands at Willamette Falls.
The scaffold allows the Grand Ronde Tribe to safely harvest ceremonial fish at Willamette Falls at the time of year when their ancestors historically took the first fish from the Falls. The Tribe has taken ceremonial fish at the falls for the past three years.
Our mission is to champion and sustain a world-class Willamette Falls experience that offers year-round access to the grandeur of the Falls, historic and cultural interpretation, healthy habitat, public open spaces, and that showcases the hospitality of historic Oregon City.
Willamette Falls Trust is the organization bringing people and communities together to make the new vision for a world-class public space along the Willamette River in Oregon City, Oregon a reality.
We are raising the funds and creating the partnerships to support the first phase of transformation, which includes an overlook at the precipice of the Falls, a connection to Oregon City’s downtown, and opportunities to explore history.
We work closely with Willamette Falls Legacy Project—the public-sector collaboration that kick-started this work—and others, as we steward the collective vision for Willamette Falls. The project has the support of Governor Kate Brown, state legislators, local and regional council members—and has been designed with input from thousands of Oregonians.
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