Portland art blog + news + exhibition reviews + galleries + contemporary northwest art

recent entries

Early spring cleaning links
D.E. May 1952-2019
Save OCAC protests
February links to Love
The end of OCAC?
End of January Links
Enrique Chagoya Interview
January Review Roundup
2019 1st links
2018 Summary
End of 2018 Links
PNCA + OCAC Merger Off

recent comments

categories

 

Book Review
Calls for Artists
Design Review
Essays
Interviews
News
Openings & Events
Photoblogs
Reviews
Video
Links
About PORT

regular contributors

 

Tori Abernathy
Amy Bernstein
Katherine Bovee
Emily Cappa
Patrick Collier
Arcy Douglass
Megan Driscoll
Jesse Hayward
Sarah Henderson
Jeff Jahn
Kelly Kutchko
Drew Lenihan
Victor Maldonado
Christopher Moon
Jascha Owens
Alex Rauch
Gary Wiseman

archives

 

Guest Contributors
Past Contributors
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005

contact us

 

Contact us

search

 


syndicate

 

Atom
RSS

powered by

 

Movable Type 3.16

This site is licensed under a

 

Creative Commons License

Wednesday 08.03.05

« Thursday Trippin' {East to West} | Main | I'm a man of wealth and taste »

RACC-ing up a new cultural survey

dancer.gif

The Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC) just released the results of a new arts and culture survey poll backing up the already widely known anecdote that Portland is an extremely liberal, creative city that likes to say it likes to support the arts. Read it here.

Here is just one highlight:

"Portland-area residents are avid consumers of arts and culture performances and exhibitions. Almost two-thirds of the population (72%) attends an arts and culture events at least every few months. Fully one-third attend arts and culture events at least once a month. 16% attend arts events at least once a week."

Ok, but anyone that attends an arts event every few months probably isn't all that serious a cultural consumer, important but not a core audience. The once a monthers are important too but it's that last group that really got my attention. Most of my friends are at least once a weekers and that is the group that will redefine Portland arts patronage.

I want to know more about that 16% but the statistical sample of 405 voters seems too small (only 64.8 people) to shine a detailed and meaningful light on their activity. Since there are more than 2.1 million residents in the metro area that 16% translates to 336,000 or so relatively serious arts patrons. I'm not talking about Arlene Schnitzer, Sarah Meigs or the Marks here, I'm talking about arts consumers that fill the buildings those people put up.

This 336,000 are increasingly important because RACC is about to significantly expand its payroll deduction program which previously was limited to a couple of employers like ODS. If 50,000 people gave 100 a year suddenly RACC would become a significantly stronger force. This funding could really transform the cultural landscape in town but only if very intelligent decisions are made. Simply throwing money at creative activity means nothing unless excellence is demanded. I think Portland does a good job with community arts but often fails when individuals show signs of excellence... this is changing but could be a lot better and opportunities have been missed.

Let's focus on the visual arts, which are completely underserved institutionally in town (yet continually touted in studies and used to fund all sorts of other organizations). The visual arts (including design) currently does not have a serious kunsthalle for international and local artists on the move (probably because that expertise is not easy to come by and getting some press attention from the Oregonian is not a good judge of that kind of aptitude). Not all artists in Portland are merely "creative", there are national and internationally rising artists in town with a pool of 10000+ who would like to develop themselves similarly. Their activities would further brand Portland as the hot creative center it is becoming.

Suggestion, how about a Mayor's prize for artists? The prize could have a shortlist of 3 artists who have an exhibition (shortlist & winner juried by 5 locals and outsiders like the Turner prize). In the end one deserving soul wins. Cash prize of a $30-50,000 residency with stipulations for talking to schools would inspire kids and give them first hand knowledge of how a serious artist thinks (which is more like a scientist/engineer than a party person). That size of prize would also get Portland lots of national branding as an art city (it's cheap for advertising).

In the end the ultimate effects this new study and the Met Life discussion group might have depends on one thing, choosing savvy sophisticated leaders to formulate and implement innovative ideas about Portland's creative future. Why? Because laymen, (politicians included) wont be discerning enough to keep this from becoming a feel good, "creativity is great" drivel and a lot is at stake.

Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 03, 2005 at 21:38 | Comments (0)


Comments

Post a comment

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)


Remember me?


s p o n s o r s
Site Design: Jennifer Armbrust   •   Site Development: Philippe Blanc & Katherine Bovee