From our Public Art Collections, “Untitled” photography series by Intisar Abioto.

Your Regional Arts & Culture Council is here and more committed than ever, ready to collaborate and step into the future with you, our vibrant regional community.

Our mission is driven by a deep commitment to equity and community engagement. Our priority right now is recommitting ourselves to advocating for the health and support of artists and arts organizations in the region. We want to provide you with the critical services you need to thrive.

Why We Do What We Do:

Championing Equity: Since 2015, we've re-focused on supporting artists and organizations historically underserved by arts philanthropy, fostering a more inclusive and diverse cultural landscape.

Empowering the Arts Community: As artists and arts workers, we understand the unique challenges artists and arts organizations face. We aim to enable artists to navigate and succeed in a competitive environment through professional development and mentorship.

Building Community: We believe in the transformative power of art to unite and drive social change. By strengthening connections within our community, we’re creating a resilient and supportive environment where the arts can flourish.

We are continuously inspired by the creativity and resilience of the artists and organizations we serve. Together, we can create an extraordinary future where the arts continue to inspire and uplift our community. 

To continue supporting the arts in our region, we need your help! Join us to ensure RACC remains a guiding force for the arts in our region and beyond.

With gratitude,

Your Regional Arts & Culture Council

Documentation of Salomée Souag's collective printmaking workshop for her exterior public artwork at Holgate Library. Photo Coutesy of Yvanna Ramos.

This past weekend, the newly renovated Holgate Library reopened with an extraordinary showcase of art and community. As part of the ceremony, artist Crystal Akins Meneses facilitated a meet and greet with participants around her collaborative public artwork, Holding Brokenness Together. The work features 1,500 glass mosaic tiles, each piece contributed by community members throughout workshops hosted over the past several months.

Equally captivating, Salomée Souag’s exterior public work, developed and inspired through a community printmaking workshop, was unveiled to ceremony-goers, reflecting the diversity of many communities that cherish this library.

We are incredibly proud of these artists for their contributions and invite everyone to visit Holgate Library to experience them in person!

Join us on July 31st at 7 pm for a poetry reading at the South Tabor Access Trail, a new multi-modal path leading up to Mt. Tabor Park! This pathway is now adorned with several poetry-engraved stones through a project led by Adam Kuby in collaboration with Dao Strom, co-director of De-Canon. Six poets, including Strom, Samiya Bashir, Trevino Brings Plenty, Sam Roxas-Chua, Anis Mojgani, and Stephanie Adams-Santos, wrote poems responding to the word “reconfigurations.” Once each artist had created their poems, they mutually decided to blend what they had done individually into a new poem that was then laid out & engraved on the six split stone faces set in three locations along the path. 

Join us for a celebratory evening at the park where the artists will reconvene to read their collaborative poem. We will meet where the artwork is installed, along the multi-modal trail at SE 64th Avenue and Division Street to SE Sherman Street.

Several years ago, we collaborated with Multnomah County’s Behavioral Health Division to manage the art plan for a new behavioral health resource center in downtown Portland. The center, which opened in December 2022, offers immediate basic services for people experiencing houselessness, substance use, and/or mental health challenges.

In 2022, RACC led an artist selection process resulting in the selection of three artists of color with lived experience to create prominent artworks at three different locations within the center. The artists are Damon Smyth, Amirah Chatman, and Salomée Souag.

Last spring, RACC collaborated with Open Signal to interview these three artists in the Open Signal studio. In case you missed them, you can watch the interviews here. We are proud to share these artists’ stories with you!

Now more than ever, RACC needs your financial support as we continue our work to guarantee access to resources and opportunities, and strengthen community through the care we provide as an advocate, a thought partner, and connector.  Make your gift today and join us in harnessing the power of access, community, and care to create a brighter, more vibrant world through the arts! 

As part of our commitment to facilitate participation in arts and culture for all members of our community, RACC offers numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Visit our website to find current positions!