RACC Press Releases
April 4 , 2007
Regional Arts & Culture Council provides $89,600 in grants for special opportunities and emergencies in the local arts community
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has allocated $89,600 in funds to five arts and culture organizations in Portland. Hand2Mouth Theatre, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland Actors Conservatory, Portland Taiko, and Solo Flamenco will receive support from a new “Opportunity Grants” program that was established with funding from the City of Portland in 2006.
“These Opportunity Grants are designed to provide one-time assistance for Portland-based arts and culture organizations when unique opportunities arise outside of their regular programming,” said Cindy Knapp, Director of Operations of the Regional Arts & Culture Council. “Funds can also be requested to respond to an organizational emergency. It’s a way for RACC and the City to help when our arts and culture organizations have a special need.”
Of the nine eligible applications that RACC received between January 1 and February 5, five were selected for funding in this first cycle:
Hand2Mouth Theatre will receive $5,050 to help fund a special opportunity to collaborate on a major bi-lingual theatre project entitled Two Cities. RACC funding will support the initial rehearsal residency for H2M company members in San Miguel Allende, Mexico in May 2007. Upon return to Portland, H2M will host a public video showing and a small performance in June 2007. The complete performance will premiere in Portland at Teatro Milagro in July 2008.
Pacific Northwest College of Art will receive $30,000 to co-present the world’s first Animation Installation Competition during the Platform International Animation Festival in Portland from June 25-30, 2007. PNCA developed this opportunity after Portland was selected as the site of the animation festival in the fall of 2006. The competition will showcase world class mixed-media artists, and installations will be presented throughout PNCA’s galleries, open spaces, and outdoor walls of and near the campus. PNCA will also host a symposium, lectures and street party, and all events will be free and open to the public.
Portland Actors Conservatory will receive $7,500 to help ensure national accreditation of its Conservatory Program. RACC funds will pay for a required audit of the organization’s last three fiscal years, and will help the Conservatory hire a Project Manager for six months to oversee implementation and fundraising for the new accredited program.
Portland Taiko will receive $27,000 to recover from the sudden loss of a highly skilled artistic staff member. Unanticipated expenses resulting from this emergency include contract fees for replacing the artist, travel expenses, and recruitment funds that will help Portland Taiko maintain its commitments for an April concert in Portland and other school and touring shows this spring.
Solo Flamenco will receive $20,050 for a special opportunity to bring eight renowned artists from the birthplace of the Flamenco – Jerez de la Frontera, Spain – to Portland for the NW International Flamenco Festival. These Sonidos Gitanos artists will provide local residents with the unique opportunity to view world-class performances and participate in five days of intimate workshops during the festival.
While these five announced grants are the first of their kind, approximately $300,000 is available for this purpose every year, and arts and culture organizations headquartered in the City of Portland may continue to apply at any time by submitting an “Intent to Apply” letter to the Regional Arts & Culture Council. RACC staff will help organizations determine whether their emergency or special opportunity meets the goals and objectives of the grant program, and will invite qualified applicants to submit their proposal formally through a three-page application process.
All funding decisions are recommended by a panel that consists of: Jesse Beason, Office of Commissioner Adams; Eloise Damrosch, RACC Executive Director; Jeanette Pilak, Arts Administrator and Consultant; and Tad Savinar, Artist and RACC Board member. The RACC Board of Directors approved the panel’s recommendations on March 21, 2007. Arts and culture organizations that could not demonstrate benefits for the local community or that could have applied for funding through RACC’s existing grant programs (general support grants, project grants, and professional development grants) were less competitive.
Because these grants are designed to assist with special one-time needs, organizations that receive funding through the Opportunity Grants program cannot apply to these funds again for 24 months (although they remain eligible for funding through RACC’s other grant programs).
The next “Opportunity Grants” Intent to Apply deadline is April 11, 2007, with final applications for qualified organizations due on April 25, 2007. For a complete list of deadlines throughout the calendar year and other information about the “Opportunity Grants” program, visit www.racc.org/grants or call 503.823.5111.
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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