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October 19, 2022
Restoring History and Community: The Albina Arts Story
Bonnie Johnson, who is now
in her 70s, fondly remembers
regularly visiting the former Al-
bina Arts Center, which was just
two blocks from her Northeast
Portland childhood home. It was
a safe place where she felt fully
accepted, even though she says
she couldn’t read or write well as
a child.
“Me and my brothers, we would
come here four or five times a
week,” Johnson said. “There were
adults here who seemed to love
us and care about us and wanted
us to learn. It was just a place we
could eat and have fun and feel
safe until our mothers got home.
That’s what is missing now. A lot
of kids are home, and they don’t
have many places to go.”
In 2016, after decades of the
building falling into disrepair, the
Oregon Community Foundation
accepted temporary ownership
of the one-story structure, at the
request of the State of Oregon.
Now, OCF is in the process of
figuring out how to gift the build-
ing back to a Black-led non-prof-
it that is willing to center arts,
healing, and intergenerational
community-building within the
space, in perpetuity.
Since June, OCF has orga-
nized a community-led visioning
process, led by Ericka Warren,
a 3rd-generation Portland native
and a consultant with Try Excel-
The Soul Restoration Center, operating out of the former Albina Arts Building, holds events to cele-
brate and uplift the Black community
lence, to find the right steward years. Woolley was one of 20
Today, four separate plac-
for this beloved community as- people who attended last week’s es of business rent a portion
set. A group of mostly Black or- discussion in The Soul Resto- of the building. This includes
ganizations and individuals have ration Center.
Turn! Turn! Turn!, a music and
been meeting online to decide on
In the early 1960s through art event space that also houses
the parameters that will frame an the ‘70s, the former Albina Arts North Portland Community Acu-
eventual Request for Proposals Center, located off the corner of puncture; FaithBridge, which
(RFP) process. Last Wednesday, Northeast Killingsworth Street supports women seeking healing
the group met in person for the and Williams Avenue, was once from abuse, divorce, incarcera-
first time.
a significant cultural nucleus for- tion or recovery; The Vital Com-
“If we want culture to be hon- Portland’s Black community. pass, a Chinese medicine phar-
ored here, then we better make Over the years, it has been a com- macy and cooperative clinic; and
sure that who we transfer it to is munity hub, arts center, meeting The Soul Restoration Center,
obligated to abide by the intent of place and a source of many cher- which offers creative, youth-fo-
all of us who have participated in ished memories. Most important- cused and healing-centered, in-
this process,” said Jeana Woolley, ly, it gave intentional space for the tergenerational
programming
a commercial real estate develop- development of artistic and intel- for Portland’s Black community,
er who has managed the former lectual resources within the histor- as part of the City of Portland’s
Albina Arts Center space for many ically Black Albina neighborhood. Black Youth Leadership Fund,
initiated by City Commissioner
Jo Ann Hardesty.
Over multiple discussions over
the past few months, the 23-plus
participants in the community-vi-
sioning process have emphasized
the following desired values for
the next owner:
1) Be Black owned, have a
strong local connection to Portland,
and a reputation for serving and/or
affirming the Black community.
2) Keep arts central in future
programming, with a commitment
to preserving the history of the Al-
bina Arts Center.
3) Create a safe and affirming
space for the Black community, with
programming that focuses on healing.
The community conversations
also have elevated the need for
applicants to provide details of
the nonprofit’s vision of the space
for the next five to 10 years; a
concrete plan for future creative
programming; and a business
model that would allow for the
building, which needs significant
upgrading, to be revitalized and
expanded. Although the space
has not operated as the Albina
Arts Center for more than 50
years, the emotional ties to the
space from those who considered
it a second home and nurtured
their creative urgings within its
wall have not waned.
Continued on Page 10
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