Portland, June 10th. An appreciative crowd cheered for the founder of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony as he passed the baton. (Photo Credit, John Rudoff, M.D.) Lajos Balogh is the founding music director of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony and has been the principal conductor since the organization’s inception in 1974.
For many young local musicians MYS is more important than ever because public school music programs are vanishing.
Lajos Balogh’s farewell concert feature a world premiere by one of the orchestra’s alumni, Steffen Schmidt. He’s a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and composed an orchestral piece in honor of Balogh and John Richards: “Theme for Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Lajos Balogh plans to keep working with students and will also be conducting the 32nd year of the Portland Festival Orchestra in a series of seven free outdoor concerts, one of which will be in a new band shell that Balogh donated to Marylhurst University.
Lajos Balogh’s friends in the music community are numerous and include 3 Leg Torso, Michael Allen Harrison, and Julianne Johnson.
Mr. Balogh is also the conductor of the Marylhurst Symphony Orchestra. Lajos Balogh spent many years as Principal Second Violin with the Oregon Symphony, and has served on the faculties of Marylhurst College, Portland State University and Lewis and Clark College.
Mr. Balogh holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he studied with Dezsö Rados, Pal Jardanyi, Anton Molnar and Zoltan Kodaly, and a Master of Music degree from the University of Oregon. He has appeared as soloist with the Munich, Nuremberg and Göttingen symphonies and has recorded for radio stations worldwide.
MYS is dedicated to offering a challenging, rewarding and fun musical experience for all young musicians. Our ensembles are designed to accommodate players of all levels of experience and ability. We offer students a chance to explore different musical styles with chamber and specialty ensembles. Musicians are placed in ensembles by playing ability, not by age, so that all students can progress at their own pace. The Symphony’s new Music Director is Andres Lopera.
Portland, July 2nd, 2012.
RACC awards $1.7 million to 48 local arts organizations
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) announced today that 48 local arts organizations have been awarded a total of $1,728,290 for FY13. These organizations, headquartered in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, submitted proposals through RACC’s competitive “general support” grant program, which helps fund the overall mission of qualified arts organizations that are delivering year-round services in the community. Funds are awarded based on an applicant’s ability to demonstrate artistic excellence, fiscal responsibility, and broad community support including a stable base of audiences and donors.
“These are stellar organizations that have extraordinary impacts in our community,” said Eloise Damrosch, executive director of RACC. “We are honored to invest in all of the work they do to inspire and provoke us; to bring our communities together; to support the economy; and to enhance our children’s education.”
Damrosch pointed out that this year’s general support total is 5% higher than FY12, including support for four new organizations – Bag & Baggage Productions, Independent Publishing Resource Center, NW Documentary Arts & Media, and PHAME Academy. Funding for RACC general support grants is provided by The City of Portland; Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties; the Oregon Arts Commission; Metro; and Work for Art, RACC’s workplace giving program. The City of Portland is by far the largest contributor to RACC, although budget cuts resulted in a 1.2% decrease in FY13. Funding from Washington County was up 14%, and funding from Work for Art was up 8%. The other funding sources remained flat in FY13.
Despite the record size of these awards, RACC still provides less local public funding support than comparable metropolitan areas. Said Damrosch: “We look forward to increasing the size and number of grants for organizations that are based in Portland if the Creative Advocacy Network’s proposal for a new Arts Education and Access Fund is approved by voters in November.”
General support grants are awarded every year, but applications are only accepted every two years; the next opportunity for arts organizations to apply will be in the spring of 2014. In addition to competing on the criteria mentioned above, organizations must meet minimum eligibility requirements, including 501(c)(3) status; a mission centered on producing or presenting art; having one or more paid administrative staff members; and annual revenues of at least $80,000.
Organizations receiving RACC general support in 2012-13 are:
Artist Repertory Theatre $56,920
Bag & Baggage Productions $11,600
Blue Sky Gallery $13,890
Bodyvox $24,890
Broadway Rose Theatre Company $36,740
Cappella Romana, Inc. $13,350
Chamber Music Northwest $53,450
Children’s Healing Art Project $12,760
Do Jump Movement Theater $29,740
Ethos Music Center $17,700
Film Action Oregon $17,970
Friends of Chamber Music $21,140
Imago Theatre $29,750
Independent Publishing Resource Center $11,040
Lakewood Center for the Arts $37,320
Literary Arts, Inc. $45,070
Live Wire! $12,710
Metropolitan Youth Symphony $30,330
Miracle Theatre Group $29,990
Northwest Children’s Theatre $28,390
Northwest Dance Project $16,000
NW Documentary Arts & Media $11,040
Oregon Ballet Theatre $85,900
Oregon Children’s Theatre $60,280
Oregon Repertory Singers $26,630
Oregon Symphony Association $143,860
PHAME Academy $11,040
Playwrite, Inc. $16,730
Portland Art Museum $193,740
Portland Baroque Orchestra $25,500
Portland Center Stage $90,560
Portland Chamber Orchestra $15,710
Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra $14,090
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus $16,790
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art $29,000
Portland Opera $140,060
Portland Piano International $15,630
Portland Taiko $37,420
Portland Youth Philharmonic $31,050
Profile Theatre Project $23,360
Tears of Joy Theatre $31,310
The Portland Ballet $18,510
The Third Angle New Music Ensemble $11,500
Third Rail Repertory Theatre $13,400
White Bird $51,460
Wordstock, Inc. $14,780
Write Around Portland $20,140
Young Audiences of Oregon $28,050
RACC provides numerous other grants and services throughout the year, including project grants for schools, arts organizations and individual artists, which will be announced in December.
For more information, visit www.racc.org/grants.
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Mary Bauer
Communications Associate
Regional Arts & Culture Council
411 NW Park Avenue, #101 (NEW)
Portland, OR 97209
503.823.5426
www.racc.org | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | HulaHub
The most comprehensive online resource for local artists: www.racc.org
Portland, June 13th. Rotary Club of Portland and Willamette University Atkinson Graduate School of Management joined forces to celebrate stand-out business leaders. Rotary Club of Portland President Dick Wingard, congratulated Jim Wildish (one of the four Award Recipients) who is pictured with Yvonne Wildish, and Julie Olson, Chair of the Oregon Ethics in Business Awards Event. The awards dinner at the Governor Hotel drew 360 people. (Photo Credit, Andie Petkus)
Administrative Director of the Rotary Club of Portland Melissa Cikara and Rotary Club of Portland Dick Wingard. The Rotary Club of Portland is a founding partner in the Oregon Ethics In Business Awards Event.
Keynote Speaker, President and CEO of the Oregon Community Foundation Max Williams
Rotarians Jeff Tennant and Gretchen Walker, Chairs of the Rotary Club of Portland Enterprise Academy.
The event raised several thousand dollars earmarked for the Rotary Club of Portland’s Enterprise Academy Committee. For more than 30 years, the Rotary Club of Portland has provided the opportunity for high school students to explore the challenges and opportunities of our free enterprise system and the dynamics of the business world through Enterprise Academy. This innovative weekend retreat allows students to interact with successful business people and to participate in a highly informative and enjoyable team project.
Rotary Club of Portland President Dick Wingard and Award Recipient George Rode.
Rotary Club of Portland is an organization of local business and professional leaders dedicated to humanitarian service in everyday life, high ethical standards in business and professions, and promoting understanding and goodwill through community programs.
About Rotary Club: With 33,000 clubs and 1.2 million members throughout the world, Rotary has an extensive network of volunteers working locally, regionally, and internationally under the motto “Service Above Self.”
To learn how to get involved with Rotary Club of Portland call 503 228 1542, or visit the website for more information www.rotarypdx.org .
From Willamette University Atkinson Graduate School of Management: The Atkinson Graduate School of Management is committed to providing world class management education to U.S. and international students in all stages of their careers. We help our graduates acquire life-long learning skills and become outstanding leaders and managers in business, government, and nonprofit organizations worldwide by offering an intimate learning and practice environment, an integrated, cross-sectoral approach to management education, and dedication to quality teaching, instructional development, basic and applied research, and exceptional, customized career services.
Hacienda CDC helps to provide affordable housing to low-income families in the northeast Portland area. The community serves 2,000 residents, over half of whom are children.
“Building this field means a lot for the kids in terms of engaging them in something productive, something positive, and something physical,” said Victor Merced, executive director of Hacienda CDC. “It’s part of our philosophy to have a continuum of services for the people of this community.”
Surrounded by the Hacienda community, Merced, Timbers president and owner Merritt Paulson, Timbers COO Mike Golub and Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish wielded gold shovels to break ground for the new futsal field. Attendees celebrated with a soccer-themed cake, autographs with Timber Joey and pickup soccer among the children.
“There’s been an incredible amount of excitement about this field from the start,” said Golub.
“It’s important that the kids have a safe place to play, and the reaction here today has been nothing but positive – it’s great.”
The Timbers and adidas have awarded over $195,000 in grants benefitting field projects and refurbishments like this in the Portland area since 2010.
“We partner with the Timbers on many projects like these,” said Antonio Zea, director of soccer for adidas America.
“We want to give back. We work with every level of the game, from youth to professional soccer. We know that sport and particularly soccer can help with all sorts of things from leadership to teamwork to camaraderie and we want to be a part of that.”
A second grant of $20,000 from the Portland Timbers and another $20,000 from adidas will be given to the Forest Heights Soccer Club Field Improvement Team to build a micro-turf pitch at Forest Park Elementary School.
A third grant of $10,000 will be given to Friends of Grant Athletics later in the year for a full-size turf soccer field and a small grass field in Grant Park in Northeast Portland.
“Part of who we are is connecting with our community and giving back,” said Golub about this project and its part in the organization’s Stand Together community initiative.
“Projects like this are right in the heart of what we do.”
To learn more about Hacienda CDC and support the development of the futsal field,or contact Kelsey Cardwell at [email protected].
Portland, May 10th. More than 730 Portland business and community leaders gathered for the 2012 Friends of the Children Friend Raiser presented by KeyBank. Supporters raised over $1.42 million for the mentoring program transforming the lives of Portland’s vulnerable children. Melvin ‘Pete’ Mark Jr., Melvin Mark Brokerage, and Bobbi O’Neill, Friend Raiser Steering Committee member, walk through the ‘high-five tunnel’ to enter the live auction tent.
Duncan Campbell, Friends of the Children Founder, and Linda Rae Hickey, director of the Ray Hickey Foundation.
Friends of Children exceeded its goal for the Quest Foundation Match of $132,000. The funds will support four Friends and 32 youth in the program. The Friend Raiser benefit was held at the Friends of the Children offices. The steering committee was led by Cindy Campbell and Geri Miner.
Brian Rice, President of KeyBank in Oregon and Southwest Washington. KeyBank was the Friend Raiser presenting sponsor.
Thanks to the continued success of this event, Friends of Children has been able to provide professional mentors to more vulnerable children than in the past; currently the nonprofit serves over 400 children in over 100 schools in the Portland metropolitan area.
We provides our most vulnerable children a stable relationship with a professional mentor for 12 ½ years – from kindergarten to high school graduation. 12 ½ years. No matter what.
Mission To provide our most vulnerable children a nurturing and sustained relationship with a professional mentor who teaches positive values and has attainable expectations for each child to become healthy, productive members of the community.
Vision To provide a Friend to all vulnerable children who need one and to change the way the world views and treats our most vulnerable children.
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