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We're excited to share that MusicOregon’s Echo Fund is open for submissions!
The Echo Fund empowers creative musical excellence and professional development by supporting independent, working musicians with funding for creative, non-performance projects that support new growth and spur creative and career development. The program is funded by $100,000 provided by Arts & Culture for fiscal year 2025-26, as well as additional support from other sources.
Apply by September 5 at 12 a.m. PT!
Arts & Culture works with three grantmaking contractors as part of its Small Grants Program, including the Regional Arts & Culture Council, Friends of IFCC, and MusicOregon. RACC's Portland Arts Project Grants program, which was mentioned in July's newsletter, is open through September 24. Friends of IFCC's Artist Grant & Residency Program is open, too—learn more about it below.
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 As mentioned above, the IFCC Artist Grant & Residency Program from Friends of IFCC is now open for submissions!
The IFCC Artist & Residency Program provides artists with dedicated funding, studio space, and yearlong opportunities for collaboration and professional development. In fiscal year 2025-26, Friends of IFCC will offer grants and residency opportunities to support projects and programming for artists working at any level and in various disciplines. This program is part of a larger community-driven effort to revitalize the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC). For fiscal year 2025-26, the program will be funded by $100,000 provided by Arts & Culture, as well as additional support from other philanthropic sources.
Apply by September 12, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. PT!
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 Photo by Jason Quigley
Since Portland’s City Council advanced the exploration of two Broadway-capable venues in 2024, the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts project team has made significant progress toward developing a potential strategy to guide the process.
In June 2025, the team partnered with DKS Associates, a local transportation engineering firm, to understand the impacts of two Broadway-capable venues on downtown traffic. That same month, the Performing Arts Venues Workgroup submitted its short- and long-term recommendations to the City Administrator, MERC, and Metro Council.
Then, in July 2025, the team launched a market feasibility study with Hunden Partners, experts in tourism and placemaking, to consider the viability of two Broadway-capable venues in downtown. The market feasibility study is slated for completion before the end of 2025, and in the meantime, the project team is working to establish a steering committee—which we'll share more about in a future iteration of this newsletter.
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On August 21, 2025, Arts & Culture hosted a day of in-service instruction for Portland Public Schools (PPS) K-5 teachers to discuss and demo Portland’s first-ever arts education framework. City Code related to the Arts Tax calls on the Arts & Culture team to work with school districts to provide students with a high-quality arts education, and the new framework will create a common definition and set of metrics for assessing excellence in arts education.
Led by the City’s Arts Education Program Manager Dawn Isaacs in partnership with the PPS Visual and Performing Arts team, the goal of the conversation was to prepare PPS teachers to implement a pilot of the arts education framework this coming school year.
“We’re really excited to launch this framework pilot because it is a collaborative effort that will illuminate strengths and needs across elementary arts programs,” says Isaacs.
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 On July 31, Arts & Culture's Director Chariti Montez joined KATU Anchor Wesleigh Ogle to talk about summer jazz festivals in Portland, including the Vanport Jazz Festival and the Montavilla Jazz Festival. Though the 2025 Vanport Jazz Festival has already come and gone, the Montavilla Jazz Festival will run from August 29-31. Get your tickets!
Then, on August 14, Arts & Culture Assistant Darion Jones joined Wesleigh to talk about upcoming events in and around downtown—including the Portland Staycation Weekend (September 12-14) and Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways (September 14).
Our next KATU segment will be later this week, on August 28, where we'll share a handful of end-of-summer arts and culture events for folks to get out and enjoy, including the last Summer Free For All concerts and movies in the park, Piano Push Play concerts, and Kickstand Comedy in the Park events of the year.
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 Score, an India ink-soaked and twisted cotton cord sculpted into arc and loop sequences installed at Portland State University, by Heather Watkins; part of the 50 for 50 collection
In 2025, Oregon celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Percent for Art in Public Places program, one of the first in the nation and a testament to Oregon’s commitment to creativity and community. Over five decades, the program has built a collection of nearly 3,000 artworks that enrich public spaces and connect people to Oregon’s diverse cultural identity.
To honor this legacy, the Oregon Arts Commission has launched its “50 for 50” campaign, a showcase of 50 publicly accessible works from the collection. These pieces, selected for their artistic impact and accessibility, invite Oregonians and visitors to explore the power of public art across the state.
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The Jeremy Wilson Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the health and well-being of musicians, is inviting musicians in Oregon and Clark County, Washington to take their 2025 Music Community Survey.
Input collected through the survey will help the foundation better understand current health-related needs and explore ways to expand services, so that all musicians have access to healthcare and related resources.
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 The Portland Winter Light Festival (PDXWLF) returns in 2026, featuring imaginative pop-up installations that illuminate windows, storefronts, and public spaces throughout the city. Attracting an attendance of 253,000 last year, this city-wide celebration of light encourages people to explore illuminated art, support local businesses, and come together during Portland’s darkest season. A decentralized event, PDXWLF will feature pop-up installations in public spaces, parks, and storefronts throughout Portland and the Central City.
The PDXWLF 2026 call for participation—for artists, architect and design firms, venues, and hotels—are open through August 28. If you've been meaning to apply, don't forget to now, there are only a few days left!
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 A few weeks ago, Arts & Culture Director Chariti Montez had the opportunity to connect with the City of Düsseldorf’s Head of Cultural Office Angélique Tracik. Angélique made the trip from Germany to learn more about Portland’s cultural landscape, its arts and culture programs, and potential opportunities for future collaboration.
The two toured the public art collection at the Portland Building, chatted over coffee at Drip Drop Coffee, and meandered up Portland'5 Centers for the Arts on their way to Pioneer Courthouse Square. The summer vibes were strong, with Portlanders enjoying both Free Art in The Park and a Noon Tunes concert from AC Sapphire. After their arts and culture walking tour through downtown Portland, they stopped for a quick selfie with the icon that is the Portlandia statue.
A big thanks to Angélique for being interested in meeting with the Arts & Culture team and for giving us an opportunity to share a little bit of Portland’s creative ecosystem with you!
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Add it to your calendar 🗓️
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August 30-September 1
Art In The Pearl is Portland’s largest outdoor art fair, drawing thousands of people every year to its beautiful location under the canopy of trees in the historic North Park Blocks of the Pearl District.
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September 4-14
For ten days in September, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art brings Portlanders together to witness contemporary art in action: performances, exhibitions, music, and movement.
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September 12-14
Join friends, family, and neighbors for Portland’s first Staycation Weekend, a three-day celebration of everything that makes our downtown vibrant: live music, pro soccer, Downtown Sunday Parkways, dining offers, and more.
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October 18-November 13
The Sounds Like Portland Festival bridges classical, jazz, indie, and more, reflecting the diverse musical personalities of Portland and making it a true reflection of the city's eclectic and colorful identity.
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Grant opportunities and open calls 📣
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Call for Art from Multnomah Arts Center | Application deadline: August 31, 2025
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2026 Residency from Willapa Bay AiR | Application deadline: August 31, 2025
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2025 Artist Grants for Early Career Visual Artists from Liu Shiming Art Foundation | $5,000 | Submission deadline: August 31, 2025
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2026 Storyknife Writers Residencies from Storyknife Writers Retreat | Applications due: August 31, 2025
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Performing Arts Funding Grants Program from ETC | $5,000 | Submission deadline: August 31, 2025
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Echo Fund from MusicOregon | $1,000-$5,000 | Submission deadline: September 5, 2025
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IFCC Artist Grant & Residency Program from Friends of IFCC | $6,000-$10,000 | Submission deadline: September 12, 2025
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Portland Arts Project Grants from the Regional Arts & Culture Council | Up to $5,000 | Submission deadline: September 24, 2025
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2025 PDX Pop-Up Shop Program from Downtown Clean & Safe with Portland Metro Chamber | Applications due: September 28, 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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