Apply for the Resident Artist Collaborative: Placemaking Projects in East Portland

Cultural and Artistic Projects in the Jade District & Midway Districts

APANO and DMA are offering small grants to use to engage the community through art. These grants are meant for people who are connected to the neighborhood. Makers, performers, and artists, even those who don't see themselves as traditional artists are strongly encouraged to apply. Anyone who lives or works in East Portland is eligible to apply. Full application available here.

Background
The Jade (82nd and Division) and Midway (122nd and Division) Districts are two of Portland’s Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative Districts. Both groups focus on economic growth driven by the community. Metro is planning a new High Capacity Transit Project to connect MHCC, PCC and PSU and both groups are working on this new bus project. The new bus route will travel along SE Division east of 82nd Ave to MHCC and along SE Powell west of 82nd Ave to downtown Portland. This bus line will bring more business and people to the area, but this may also cause some of the people who live in the area to no longer be able to afford to live here. Both APANO and Midway want to see the community improve without people having to leave their homes and businesses. In this diverse community where 45 languages are spoken at the local elementary school, art is a universal language. APANO and DMA are working together to support the creation of art and cultural projects focused on community building and making sure those who live in the area do not get pushed out by development.

Last year, APANO and Midway awarded seven artists funds for placemaking art projects in the Jade and Midway district. Projects ranged from a booklet, Faces & Places, celebrating Women of the Community to a series of documentary shorts, Mixing Together, featuring international cuisine of people living in and around the Jade & Midway districts.

This year, APANO and DMA will be creating an Art Plan for the High Capacity Transit Project and are looking for projects that will help inform the final art plan for the area. The selection committee is looking for creative placemaking art projects that address the following issues: development of public transportation in this area as it relates to access to bus stops, street design, displacement and gentrification that occurs with development, and highlighting health issues that impact those that live and work in the area.

APANO and DMA have additional funds available for placemaking art projects this year and two levels of grants are being offered. Up to six (6) grants of up to $2000 each will be awarded to artists with the best project applications. Two (2) additional $5000 grants will be awarded for larger placemaking art projects that address the transit project as it relates to social justice and the threat of displacement. Grant applications will be scored to determine the best projects.

Qualifications:
Ideal candidates for Placemaking Grant projects are people who live within the Jade and Midway Districts who use art to address issues that affect them. Artists with strong connections to East Portland and the Jade and Midway districts are also encouraged to apply. Participants will partner with organizations, groups, small businesses or campaigns happening in the Jade and Midway Districts. They will also take part in a collaborative community that will build their power as skilled cultural workers whose labor has value, and as important partners in the work for social justice. Artists do not have to have an existing body of work are encouraged to apply. The artist must demonstrate a relationship with an organization, group or business that serves the Jade or Midway communities. Grant applications with projects related to the transit project will score higher. Artists applying for $5000 grants must submit ideas for projects that help the community address and discuss injustice and the threat of displacement as it relates to the High Capacity Transit Project.

How to Apply
Please fill out the application here. We encourage you to include some type of documentation: images, web links, flyers, writing samples, etc. If you have any questions about project ideas or would like translation or interpretation services, please contact Luann at APANO, at luann@apano.org, or call 971-340-4861.

APANO and the Division Midway Alliance will also be hosting an information session on Saturday, December 12th from 10:00am-1:00pm at the Jade/APANO Multicultural Space (JAMS) 8114 SE Division St. Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend this information session.

Proposals are due by Monday, December 21, 2015 by 5:00pm to info@apano.org. Applications can also be mailed or delivered personally to the APANO office, 2788 SE 82nd Avenue, Suite 203, Portland, OR 97266

Timeline for Resident Artist Collaborative
*All participants must be able to attend the first session of the collaborative. $5000 Grantees will be required to attend all collaborative sessions

January 16 - Orientation and First Session: Cultural Work as a Strategy (9:00-4:00pm)*
January 30 - Second Session: Drawing Boundaries/Whose art? Whose place? Part 1 (1:00-4:00pm)
February 13 - Third Session: Drawing Boundaries/Whose art? Whose place? Part 2 (1:00-4:00pm)
March 5 - Project Proposal Check-in (1:00-4:00pm)

More information
Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon: apano.org
Division Midway Alliance: divisionmidway.com
Jade District: jadedistrict.org

For any questions regarding the application and proposals, please contact Community Engagement Manager, Luann Algoso at luann@apano.org.