RACC Press Releases
February 26 , 2007
Portland is One of 20 Cities Selected to Participate in National Arts Forum Series
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) and Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts (NW/BCA) will host two of 40 National Arts Forum Series events this spring, sponsored by MetLife Foundation. The forums, which will focus on the role of arts and creativity in building a strong workforce, will take place locally on March 8 and April 12. RACC and NW/BCA are program partners of Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts, which coordinates the series nationally.
The first forum, to be held March 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, is entitled The Innovator Next Door: How arts, creativity, and ideas build a strong workforce. Approximately 120 local business leaders and innovative thinkers are expected to share and explore some of the community’s best strategies for cultivating creative ideas in the workplace. Scheduled speakers include Andrew McGough of Worksystems, Inc.; Mark Edlen of Gerding Edlen Development; Lani Hayward, SVP of Marketing for Umpqua Bank; Claudia Knotek, Community Relations Manager for New Seasons Market; and Anne Schopf, Principal, Mahlem Architects. The forum will be moderated by Kira Higgs, AVP of corporate communications for The Standard, and Carole Morse, President of the PGE Foundation. Space is limited and registration is required. The cost is $20 per person, or $10 for students and representatives of nonprofit arts organizations. For registration and other information, visit www.racc.org/metlife.
A second forum – a three-hour interactive workshop – will be held on April 12 at a location to be determined. Participants, including CEOs and HR directors, will learn specific ways that companies can foster innovation in their own workplace. The forum will be facilitated by Gary Hirsch and Julie Huffaker of On Your Feet, a local improvisational theatre company. Both forums are being designed and implemented by a volunteer committee of representatives from RACC, NW/BCA, Commissioner Sam Adams’s Office, Commissioner Erik Sten’s Office, the Portland Development Commission, Workforce Systems, Inc., the Portland Workforce Alliance, and The Standard.
“These forums will help the Portland metropolitan region capitalize on a key competitive advantage,” said Jeff Hawthorne, RACC Director of Community Affairs and coordinator of the program. “We have one of the highest domestic in-migration rates among 25 to 34 year olds nationally, and that creates all kinds of economic growth opportunities for our region. However, a serious workforce shortage is looming over the next 20 years, so it’s essential that Portland continue to attract and retain talented workers – especially the writers, designers, engineers, architects, researchers and other creative talent that fuel a knowledge-based economy. We should be pro-active about this.”
Over the course of the last five years, these forums have established a clear record of achievement in communities across the United States, galvanizing conversations among and collaborations between arts and business leaders. Portland has participated in the series once before, in 2005, with two forums that focused on how arts organizations, businesses, and government could be better partners in making sure Portland thrives in the emerging creative economy.
By design, the conversations that have taken place in other years in other cities have revolved around relevant cultural and economic issues. Past forum topics nationally have included private sector support of the arts; the impact of 9/11 on arts marketing and philanthropy; and arts-based training programs for business, among others. The 2006-2007 series Arts and Workforce Development will involve approximately 4,000 arts, business, and civic leaders around the country.
About the Series. Forums are presented as part of the MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series. In the coming year, forums will take place in 20 cities nationwide and will investigate themes related to the arts and workforce development, a topic that allows for an exploration of the central role the arts can play in creating a workforce capable of achieving corporate and citizenship objectives. Excerpts from each forum will be posted online at www.AmericansForTheArts.org, and a culminating forum will take place in June at the Americans for the Arts 2007 Annual Convention in Las Vegas. Forums are produced by program partners of Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts, which is focused on developing private-sector support for the arts within the organization’s broader mission of advancing the arts in America.
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to carry on its long-standing tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Grants are made to support health, educational, civic, and cultural organizations and programs. Recognizing the vital role the arts play in building communities and educating young people, MetLife Foundation provides grants to cultural organizations throughout the country. Support is emphasized for opportunities to bring cultural experiences to wider audiences and for projects with large and diverse audiences that help promote greater understanding among different cultures and bring communities together. For more information about the foundation, please visit its website at www.metlife.org.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 45 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
Through vision, leadership, and service, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) works to integrate arts and culture in all aspects of community life. RACC provides direct support for artists and arts organizations, with services in six key areas: Advocacy, Development, Grants, Public Art, Information Services, and Arts Education. For more information about the Regional Arts & Culture Council, visit the web site at www.racc.org, or call 503.823.5111
The mission of Northwest Business for Culture & the Arts (NW/BCA) is to dramatically increase public and private support for the arts, heritage and humanities throughout Oregon. An affiliate of the National Business Committee for the Arts, Inc., NW/BCA provides a dynamic and mutually beneficial link between business and the arts through advocacy, recognition, strategic alliances, membership programs, research, networking and communications. For more information about NW/BCA visit www.nwbca.org or call 503.228.2977
Through vision, leadership and service the Regional Arts
& Culture Council works to integrate arts and culture in all aspects of
community life.
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RACC Staff to Contact
Jeff Hawthorne
Director of Community Affairs
503.823.5258
jhawthorne@racc.org
Mary Bauer
Communications Associate
503.823.5426
mbauer@racc.org
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