Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 2023)
Page 2 May 17, 2023 Albina Arts Center Two Women. Courtesy of Oregon Community Foundation Black Community Leaders Collaborate to Create a Vision Oregon Community Foundation Seeks Next Owner for Albina Arts Center Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) is seeking proposals to identify the new owner of Portland’s Albina Arts Center. The center’s new owner will be chosen through a Request for Proposals issued by OCF on May 9, 2023, follow- ing a year-long community visioning process to develop a future vision for the Albina Arts Center. “Oregon Community Foundation has conducted quite a robust, inclusive and equitable community out- reach process. Deliberate efforts were employed to engage and solicit critical input from key Black leaders, respected Black elders and Black community mem- bers,” said Karis Stoudamire-Phillips. Mrs. Stoudamire-Phillips serves as vol- unteer leader on the steering committee that architected the process for vision- ing the future Albina Arts Center. “The genuine hope, the insights and the vision – brought forward by gathering and lis- tening to Black community leaders and organizations will undoubtedly yield a very positive outcome for the historic Albina community. This highly collaborative process now begins to pave the way for generations both today and for decades to come.” For six decades, the Albina Arts Center has been an important hub for arts, com- munity events and social gatherings for Portland’s Black community. Located in the historic Albina neighborhood, the center was created to provide space for the development of cultural and intellec- tual resources. “There is much hope and expectation for the future of this land and building,” said Ms. Joyce Harris, com- munity leader and educator. Ms. Harris is among dozens of key leaders that have been engaging in the visioning process for the Albina Arts Center. “This build- ing can both honor a legacy while push- ing for a future at the intersection of the arts and Black culture.” With extensive input acquired through a comprehensive, community-centered visioning process, the Albina Arts Cen- ter Visioning Committee developed a set of criteria that they would like to see re- flected in the future center: • Black-led • Serves the Black Community • Centers Black arts (various branches of creative activity, such as painting, sculpture, mu- sic, literature, and dance, etc.) • Commit- ted to creating a safe and healing space • Committed to revitalizing, activating and potentially expanding the building Albina Art Center RFP – Key Dates Public no- tice of RFP May 9 Virtual Q & A May 18, 9:30 a.m. PST Deadline for submis- sion June 23, 4:00 p.m. PST Announce- ment of award August 7 The RFP phase of this process is expected to conclude in Summer 2023 with the announcement of a new nonprofit owner. A selection commit- tee comprised of local Portland represen- tatives - business and nonprofit leaders, artists, civic and cultural leaders, elders from the Black community – will review applicants and submit a recommenda- tion to Oregon Community Foundation. Background Located at the corner of N Williams and NE Killingsworth in Port- land, Oregon, the Albina Arts Center has been an important symbol of Portland’s Black community for over six decades. A community hub, arts center, and meeting place, the Albina Arts Center was formed to provide space for the development of cultural and intellectual resources for the historic Albina community. For More Information Questions or comments from the public about the Albina Arts Center during the visioning and RFP processes should be emailed to: AlbinaArtsCenterConversation@oregoncf.org.
