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 Established after the Portland City Council adopted Resolution #37684 in October 2024, the Performing Arts Venues Workgroup was tasked with evaluating the operations, maintenance, and long-term planning of City-owned Portland'5 Centers for the Arts venues. Between January and May 2025, the group met bi-weekly, examining operational challenges and opportunities, with a focus on aligning management and operations with regional economic and cultural goals.
The 19-member Workgroup recently released its recommendations, which are now available to read and download on the Arts & Culture website. Materials for each of the Workgroup's meetings, including summaries and slide decks, are also available.
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 The Office of Arts & Culture is pleased to announce that 25 of its General Operating Support grantee organizations are set to receive an additional $170,312 on top of their already announced 2024-25 grant awards. This special, one-time funding opportunity is an effort to alleviate some of the financial burden local arts and culture organizations are facing—particularly due to withdrawn funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and/or reduced funding from the City of Portland for fiscal year 2024-25.
“Our arts and culture organizations are navigating a difficult funding landscape, with uncertainty at the local and federal levels,” said Arts & Culture Director Chariti Montez. “We hope that this grant opportunity helps lift some of that burden in Portland.”
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 Photo by Nic Latulippe
On the heels of a nationwide search that started in early 2025, Arts & Culture is excited to introduce its new Public Art Administrator, Eric Fredericksen. The first person to hold this role for the City of Portland, Fredericksen will oversee the management of the City of Portland’s 1,700-piece public art collection and guide the Percent for Art program to ensure that Portland’s public art reflects the city’s diversity, enriches civic spaces, and strengthens cultural vitality.
“More than 150 applications came through for this role, and interviews with top candidates were extremely competitive,” said Arts & Culture Director Chariti Montez. “Ultimately, Eric’s experiences working with Indigenous and First Nations artists, his existing relationships with Portland-based arts and culture organizations, and his excitement around Portland’s art scene are what stood out. This role is a big deal for the City of Portland, and we know Eric will elevate our public art program.”
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 Photo courtesy of Portland Parks & Recreation
Portland Parks & Recreation’s wildly popular Summer Free For All (SFFA) program is back with a full slate of free movies, concerts, and festivals in Portland parks, plus Free Lunch + Play and Free Fitness in the Park.
SFFA's cultural events kick off this Wednesday, July 2. Kids and families can enjoy free arts activities at Free Lunch + Play sites, including special events by SFFA partners including Echo Theater, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland Opera, SoundsTruck NW, and more!
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 Photo courtesy of Portland Bureau of Transportation, photo by Craig Smith
Portlanders strolling along SE Hawthorne Boulevard may notice something new just off the corner at 37th Avenue! Hawthorne Plaza, launched through a partnership between PBOT, the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association, and the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, is part of the City's broader efforts to transform underused street space into people-friendly places.
In late May, community members came together to help paint a bold, colorful, botanical street mural that now anchors the space. The mural, called "In Bloom", was designed by local tattoo artist Kami Gould. Seating and planters have been installed, so if you're looking for a cozy spot to gather with friends or neighbors, enjoy takeout from nearby restaurants, or relax in the sun, pull up to Hawthorne Plaza!
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 Photo courtesy of Multnomah Arts Center, art by Gesine Krätzner
The Multnomah Arts Center (MAC) in Portland has two shows running at its Front & Center Galleries through August 2.
In the Front Gallery, you’ll find colorful ceramic creatures made by Portland-based artist Gesine Krätzner. Her works, which vary in size but are equally large in personality and heart, are often depicted as holding hands or otherwise linking limbs in a way that invites an appreciation of their humanness. Meanwhile, a group show called “Fishbone Harp” by Molly Lecko Herro, Phoebe Mol, and Re Pinter is on display in the Center Gallery. All are cartoonists exploring storytelling in unique ways.
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 Photo courtesy of Portland Office of Small Business, photo of PDX Coffee Club team
If you're a small business owner or aspiring small business owner, you'll want to check out pdxofficeofsmallbusiness.com! The new website from the Portland Office of Small Business at Prosper Portland is a great resource for Portlanders who have or are interested in starting their own business, including arts and creative businesses of all types. You can use the site to reach out directly to the Office of Small Business team, get the information you need about the City of Portland permitting process and/or funding options, and get connected with groups and other resources in the community.
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 Photo courtesy of Portland Monthly
A recent article in Portland Monthly highlights the local arts and culture ecosystem’s role in getting Portlanders out into the community and into downtown, more specifically. The piece, which examines Portland’s tourism industry five years after the onset of COVID, notes that data from Downtown Portland Clean & Safe shows foot traffic in a 213-block district that makes up the urban core grew three percent in 2024 compared to the year before—and jumped 58 percent from 2021.
It goes on to say that February 2024 was a highlight, thanks to good weather, but also to two major arts and culture events—the Portland Winter Light Festival and the Portland Jazz Festival (both organizations receive funding support from Arts & Culture's General Operating Support program). We know that arts programming gets people out and about—and that that’s beneficial for boutiques, bars and restaurants, museums, and more, too.
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 Photo courtesy of Friends of Noise
The State of Live is the first comprehensive national economic research study examining independent live entertainment venues, festivals, promoters, and performing arts centers. Released on June 23, 2025 by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), the report quantifies their significant economic contributions, explores challenges facing their sustainability, and provides invaluable data to drive advocacy and support.
Some stats that stood out to us include that independent live stages generated $19.3 billion in taxes (local, state, and federal) in 2024, while serving 183.7 million fans and supporting 908,000 jobs. Click the button below to explore more top-line takeaways and/or to download a copy of the full report.
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Add it to your calendar 🗓️
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July 3
Coinciding with First Thursday celebrations, this annual, family-friendly event held in Portland's Pearl District transforms NW 13th Avenue into a vibrant block party with a mix of arts, crafts, food vendors, live music, and games.
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July 4-5
Held annually at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the Waterfront Blues Festival features blues, soul, funk, and R&B artists, along with family-friendly activities, a Zydeco dance floor, fireworks, and food and drink vendors.
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Through July 27
This celebration of chamber music features a month of performances by renowned musicians in an intimate setting. This year, the festival will explore Bach's influence on composers throughout history.
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Grant opportunities and open calls 📣
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Spark Award for Oregon Artists 2025: Literary and Media Arts from Miller Foundation | $25,000 | Submission deadline: July 2, 2025
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Celebrating America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes from National Endowment for the Arts | $25,000 | Submission deadline: July 14, 2025
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Grants for Arts Projects from National Endowment for the Arts | $10,000-$150,000 | Submission deadline: July 17, 2025
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2026 Oregon Literary Fellowships from Literary Arts | $4,000-$10,000 | Submission deadline: August 8, 2025
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Traducción e Interpretación | Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch | अनुवादन तथा व्याख्या
口笔译服务 | Устный и письменный перевод | Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad
Письмовий і усний переклад | Traducere și interpretariat | Chiaku me
Awewen Kapas
Translation and Interpretation: 311
The City of Portland ensures meaningful access and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. To request these services, call 311 for Relay Service or TTY: 711.
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