2009-10 RACC Opportunity Grants (cycle 6)

The Opportunity Grant Program is funded by the City of Portland and is designed to provide grants to Portland-based nonprofit arts and cultural organizations to help meet special opportunities or assist organizations with emergencies that arise during the year and that are not part of the applicant’s annual budget or regular programming. These grants were approved by the RACC Board on June 16, 2010:

Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association  ($9,837)
CCBA and Friends of Portland Chinatown are presenting a multicultural outdoor concert in September 2010 in Chinatown, to celebrate the 68th anniversary of Yat-Sing Music Club, a Cantonese opera club that has performed in Chinatown since 1942, one of the oldest musical gems of Portland. The concert will celebrate cultural exchanges between Yat-Sing and other Portland artists. Special Opportunity

Cinema Project  ($3,150)
After unexpectedly losing their donated cinema and office space at the end of 2009, Cinema Project was able to find new space, but with unforeseen and unexpected rental fees for their 2010 budget. Emergency funds were awarded to Cinema Project to help cover cinema and space rental fees through the remainder of the fiscal year. Emergency

Kalakendra  ($2,500)
Kalakendra was just offered the opportunity to start their season in September 2010 at the First Congregational Church with “Erasing Borders”, a unique collaboration and performance of Hindustani and American artists including Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Indian Slide Guitar/Mohan Veena), Matt Malley (guitar, bass & keyboard) and Subhen Chatterjee (tabla & percussion). Special Opportunity

New Oregon Arts and Letters ($12,050)
New Oregon Arts and Letters was offered the opportunity to become the publisher of PLAZM magazine. The grant award was approved to help with production costs related to publishing PLAZM magazine Issue #30 before the end of 2010 in order to maintain distributor deals for the award-winning nonprofit publication focused on art, design, and culture. Special Opportunity

Pendulum Aerial Arts  ($5,600)
After an unexpected loss of a staff and crew member, Pendulum received an Opportunity Grant to fund expenses for a new co-director and a replacement set designer for the August performance of “High Art” to be performed at the Portland Art Museum. Emergency

World Folk Traditions  ($4,050)
The sponsored company RevelMe! a Balkan Inspired Music and Dance Performance, required financial support to obtain new band members to fulfill a tour booked through the rest of 2010 and into 2011. The RACC Board approved funding to cover expenses of rehearsal for the three new band members, in preparation for the tour. Emergency