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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2017)
February 1, 2017 The Skanner Page 3 News cont’d from pg 1 “ Smith was not able to make it to a community reception held Jan. 28 for the exhibit’s open- ing, but his wife, Julie Kern Smith, addressed the crowd of more than 100 people briefly on his behalf. “Portland needs more visibility for Black art and Black culture,” Kern ‘I was told, “Your politics ar- en’t welcome here. You’re too radical. You’re fired”’ Montgomery is work- ing with the Portland Art Museum on a series of community projects in conjunction with “Constructing Identity,” an exhibition of Afri- can American art that opened at the museum Jan. 28 and will remain on display through June 18. That includes com- munity discussions, talks by local artists, collaborative events with local schools and a project wherein local artists will create work responding to the collec- tion — and that work will be displayed later in the spring. The Pettrucci Family Foundation loaned its collection of African American art to the mu- seum, and, according to Michael Murawski, di- rector of education and public programs for the Portland Art Museum, this is the largest exhibi- tion from the Pettrucci collection ever publicly displayed. Works in the exhibit date back more than 130 years, and in- clude creations by Black artists from all over the country, including sev- eral works by African American artists local to the Pacific Northwest, in- cluding Portland painter Arvie Smith. Smith said. “More than ever, we need to cele- brate our differences.” In remarks to the crowd and in a brief interview with The Skanner, Mu- rawski said the exhibit and attendant events re- flect an emphasis that the museum should belong and respond to the com- munity. “This is a public insti- tution. You are here be- cause this is your muse- um,” Murawski told the crowd. Museums have not tra- ditionally featured Black artists, and tradition- ally museums have en- gaged curators who “tell you what to think of the show,” Murawski said. In addition to engag- ing local artists to create responsive works, the museum is planning an artist panel discussion Feb. 11, engaging art- ists whose works are on display in the exhibit. The Museum of Impact is working with Don’t Shoot Portland to in- volve more local artists, and Hana Layson, the Portland Art Museum’s school and teacher pro- grams specialist, said she’s working with local schools on response proj- ects, including a planned display of student art lat- er in the spring. Gary-Smith Kali Thorne-Ladd to Serve as PCC’s Board On Jan. 19, the Portland Community College Board of Directors named Kali Thorne-Ladd as chair of the board from her previous position as vice chair. She replaces former chair Gene Pitts (Zone 6) who resigned last month. Appointed in 2012 and elected in 2013, Thorne- Ladd represents Zone 2, which includes North Portland and portions of Columbia County. She is the first African American woman to serve as PCC’s board chair, and at 39 years old, she is also the youngest. Thorne-Ladd is co-founder of KairosPDX, a non-profit organization focused on access to quality early learning opportunities for historically underserved children. She also worked for the City of Portland Mayor’s Office as the education strategies director overseeing policy and direction for the mayor’s key education initiatives. Her involvement with the college’s Future Connect Scholarship Program is where Thorne-Ladd was first introduced to PCC, which prompted her to pursue a board position. She holds a master’s in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University. COAB cont’d from pg 1 brought on by the DOJ, which found police to be using exces- sive force, including stun guns, against people with mental ill- ness. As part of a 2014 Settlement Agreement, the COAB was tasked with monitoring and recom- mending solutions for police reform, thereby enhancingas a solution to community outreach and to enhancepublic safety. But on Jan. 31, the volunteers’ terms of service came to a bitter end. While stakeholders, includ- ing the Portland Police Associa- tion and the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform (AMAC), have ex- pressed their commitment to con- tinued community oversight, the City of Portland told The Skanner it has no intentions of re-appoint- ing the board’s members. For some, the COAB’s dissolu- tion comes as no surprise, given its stormy past. But that hasn’t stopped other remaining mem- bers from feeling ultimately dis- appointed. “I feel pretty sad about it all,” said COAB chair Philip Wolfe. “I believe that the COAB could have changed some things. And I saw how much that change was need- ed, because it seemed like the “ possibly could to stop the COAB, and they blamed the COAB for its failure. But I was trying to do my best to continue it.” Meanwhile, the AMAC — which Federal Judge Michael Simon granted “enhanced amicus,” de- ‘The city did everything it possibly could to stop the COAB, and they blamed the COAB for its failure’ Portland community wasn’t hold- ing the police accountable.” The board lost around half of its original 15 members due to personal reasons, arguments and misunderstandings. Progress was locked in stale- mate. Wolfe said the COAB made more than 50 recommendations, but felt they were generally dis- missed by the DOJ and the City. “A few recommendations did pass, but afterwards it seemed like there was no change,” said Wolfe. “The city did everything it fined as having a seat at the ne- gotiation table — has continued to urge the City to re-appoint the members of the COAB whose past experience, it said, is an asset. “We’d like to see that current board members remain because they bring a history as to what has been done, what has worked, and what has not worked well,” said Dr. T. Allen Bethel, president of the Albina Ministerial Alliance. Read the full story at TheSkanner.com cont’d from pg 1 sion with closed-door corporations. “I’m an angry, gentle woman,” laughed Gary-Smith. “So I’ve tried to use that, to have conversations in places that so seldom we’re allowed, or anyone who is ‘other-ized,’ particularly in philanthro- py, with all that money, power and his- torically embedded racism.” When she found out that the MRG Foundation was looking for a new ex- ecutive director, she wondered if the organization would be ready for some- one like her — an engaged and public figure and a woman of color. But it was the foundation’s unique take on philanthropy that ultimately won her over. Rather than leave the de- cision making to an often disconnect- ed wealthy few, MRG embraces a “by the community, for the community” approach. In truth, it relies on a com- mittee of boots-on-the-ground activists that recommend groups for funding. And that culminates in hands-on, in- tentional relationships with potential grantees. “That’s powerful, change-making philanthropy,” she said of MRG’s tactic. In 2011, she would become the first Af- rican American woman to run a phil- anthropic foundation in Oregon. “ have, in how we built credibility in communities of color,” she said. Gary-Smith helped ensure that MRG’s funding was representative and reflective of the places with the great- est struggles for equity and opportu- nity; African American, Latino and N a t i v e American communi- ties, among them. Having the selective power to grant millions is a difficult position to give up, admits Gary-Smith. “But it’s im- portant to me that we make space and be willing to open doors to places that have been barred to us, intentionally and deliberately, to let more bright, ca- pable and engaged people in.” In order to do that, said Gary-Smith, you need to be able to walk away. “I think we have to inform (founda- Rather than leave the decision mak- ing to an often disconnected wealthy few, MRG embraces a “by the commu- nity, for the community” approach For five and a half years, Gary-Smith helped take MRG from being a highly effective “little engine that could” to an outspoken foundation with an equal place at the table of big players. From that advantage point, the foun- dation was able to discuss its strategies and community engagement, while in- viting other funders to try its practice of long-term equity work. “We had something that they didn’t PHOTO COURTESY OF MRG FOUNDATION first mobile social jus- tice museum. It’s mobile partly because she can’t afford a brick and mor- tar space in New York City, where she lives and works, but also because she wants to “hit people at all levels of society” — from established mu- seums to church base- ments. PHOTO COURTESY OF PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE Art MRG’s new executive director, Roberta Phillip- Robbins, left, with Sharon Gary-Smith, right. tions) with more people — men, wom- en, people of different color, faith, race, perspectives — in order to make the best decisions about moving money to make change.” Read the full story at TheSkanner.com