Jesse Beason's blog

The Future of Live/Work for Artists in Portland: A Conversation

Jesse Beason — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:07:30 -0700

Milepost 5 is hosting a panel discussion on the call for affordable live/work spaces for artists and creatives in Portland. The discussion will focus on projects currently in the works and the challenges involved in meeting this need throughout Portland.

The panel includes several developers involved in creating live/work opportunities, artists who are currently in live/work situations, artists who have had experience with live/work situations and Sam who has been a supporter and advocate for developing practical and affordable live/work spaces.

Artists interested in the topic are encouraged to join the discussion.

Panelists include:

Brad Malsin, Beam Development, Milepost 5
Ben Kaiser, Project X
Brian Wannamaker, Falcon Artist Community
Sam Adams, Portland City Commissioner and Mayor Elect
TJ Norris, Artist
Jenene Nagy, Artist

Moderated by Gavin Shettler, Executive Director of the Portland Art Center and Creative Director of Milepost 5.

When: 7-8:30 pm Tuesday July 8, 2008

More info at www.milepostfive.com.

30 Rooms at Milepost 5

Jesse Beason — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:58:10 -0700

A one-week, multi-disciplinary art exhibition and music event
Presented at Milepost 5 in conjunction with Portland Art Center

Exhibit: May 16-24, 2008
Gallery Hours: May 16-24, 1-6pm

Milepost 5 invited local curators Chris Haberman (Portlandcityart) and Ben Pink (Launchpad Gallery) to select artists and arts groups from around the city to participate in this sprawling and expansive survey of our local art scene. Haberman and Pink are filling 30+ rooms of the soon-to-be inhabited Lofts building. Each artist or arts group has chosen a room to fill with artwork. Installations, painting, photography, sound work, video work, and sculpture are all included in this celebration of Portland’s artist community.

Along with the visual arts exhibition, Theo Craig has been invited to curate live music for our opening and closing events taking place simutaniously in the Studios building. Bands to perform include Boy Eats Drum Machine, Y La Bamba, Celilo, St. Frankie Lee on the 16th and Per Se, Silverhawk on the 24th. Beer garden and music events will be taking place in the Studios building.

Opening Reception: Friday, May 16, 7-11pm (DJs)
Opening Party: Saturday, May 17, 7-11pm (bands)
Closing Party: Saturday, May 24, 7-11pm (bands)

PDXpo: The Portland 2008 Design Expo

Jesse Beason — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:29:11 -0700

AIGA Portland is presenting their third year of PDXpo next week. The Expo is an opportunity to stay connected with Portland's most notable graphic arts vendors and service providers and get real-world answers to design questions; from education, to ink and interface.

This year, they are presenting Alicia Johnson and Hal Wolverton, Executive Creative Directors at Euro RSCG in New York as keynote speakers. [Read more about it here.]

Get behind it!

Jesse Beason — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:29:12 -0700

The first bike box was installed on the intersection of SE 7th and Hawthorne yesterday. The Oregonian has a video all about it.

Take the awareness test

Jesse Beason — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:56:55 -0700

The “Awareness Test” was created by Transport of London as part of their cycle safety campaign.

Try it out for yourself at DoTheTest.co.uk (you can skip the intro).

Thanks to bikeportland.org for the link.

Oregonian: Portland is falling far behind on upkeep of infrastructure

Jesse Beason — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:09:00 -0800

Public assets - A report says that in 2007 the city spent $112 million less than needed for maintenance

BY ANDY DWORKIN

Before crews started building the downtown Portland bus mall, the city sewer bureau checked its pipes to see if any needed work while the streets were cracked open. Everything seemed fine.

But sewage started to leak from some pipes months later. Vibrations from the heavy machinery and construction may be stressing the clay pipes, many a century old, that run toward the river, bureau official Susan Aldrich said.

One pipe, parallel to the MAX tracks by Pioneer Courthouse Square, is likely to break in the next five years and wash out part of Southwest Morrison Street, engineers say. That could open a hole in the street and threaten pedestrians, drivers and MAX riders.

So the bureau is preparing to contract for about $5 million in repairs on those old pipes, Aldrich said, aiming to limit further downtown disruptions by lining as many pipes from the inside as possible.

The unexpected sewer work is just one example of the crumbling network of streets, pipes, parks and buildings that Portland is struggling -- and sometimes failing -- to maintain. In 2007, Portland spent at least $112 million less than needed to keep its infrastructure in decent shape, according to a new report that city asset managers will present to the City Council this afternoon.

A longstanding inability to keep up public assets has widespread impacts on Portland's budget and livability...[Read the rest at OregonLive.com]

Oregonian Editorial: Art for Everyone

Jesse Beason — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:49:50 -0800

Sunday, February 03, 2008
Susan Nielsen

The Portland Art Museum remains one of the nation's least affordable museums, in violation of its public mission and in opposition to the city's ideals.

That tarnished reputation is about to get polished. A new million-dollar donation to endow free admission for children 17 and under, starting this spring, reflects a larger effort to pry open the museum's doors for ordinary Oregonians...[Read more at OregonLive]

Milepost 5 Model Unit Party

Jesse Beason — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:17:40 -0800

Equal Benefits in the Marketplace

Jesse Beason — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:18:51 -0800

It has been a year since City Council approved Sam's proposal to enact an Equal Benefits Ordinance (EBO). The EBO requires that contractors doing work on behalf of the City do all they can to offer equal benefits to their employees with domestic partners and employees with spouses.

How is it working? Well, out of 197 contracts covered by the EBO, 98% were in compliance with only 4 contractors being granted waivers. Moreover, 24 were in "delayed compliance," meaning that 24 employers would be amending their benefits to cover for domestic partners in the coming year.

The success of the first year of the EBO means expanded health coverage, family leave and retirement benefits for many employees' domestic partners, with little to no additional cost to employers.

Related Documents

Purchasing Bureau - Equal Benefits Program

Our blog

Unlocking our Creative Capacity

Jesse Beason — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:18:10 -0800

Creativity helps make Portland a better place to live, a stronger competitor in the global marketplace and an incubator of innovation.

Strengthening our capacity to create and innovate has tremendous potential to contribute more to our community economically, socially and educationally. In the past few years, some have even argued this capacity is fundamental to our success in a globalized marketplace.

But there are alarming trends in the crucial elements that fuel creativity in our community:

arts education has disappeared for many of our children;
local arts & culture organizations, while receiving national attention, receive 32% less in corporate, foundation, government and individual support than similar sized cities;
our investments in growing the markets for are paltry.

In response to these alarming trends, Sam is helping lead a group of stakeholders throughout the region who are looking at sustainable strategies to fund the arts and culture programs that contribute to our children's education, our economy and our vitality.

The purpose of the Creative Capacity Strategy is to build and support a sustainable creative community through prioritized strategies with clear costs and achievable ways to fund them.

Related Documents

Creative Capacity Website

Community Partners

Our blog

Graciously honored for affordable housing advocacy

Jesse Beason — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:48:21 -0800

The Community Development Network, an association of nonprofit community development organizations, presented Sam with the Industry Partner Award at their Annual Awards Banquet in October. The Industry Partner Award goes to "an organization or individual that is an invaluable partner in strengthening nonprofit community development organizations or helping provide a collective voice for healthy, diverse communities."

CDN's executive director Sam Chase said that Sam Adams "isn't a politician at heart, but someone who knows how to navigate the political system. He seems to have a unique understanding of community needs and certainly understands that in order to succeed in life, people need stable and affordable housing."

Sam was in part honored because of his vocal support of ensuring that 30% of Urban Renewal Dollars are spent to address the need for affordable rental and ownership opportunities throughout our Urban Renewal Areas.

Related Documents

Remarks before the CDN banquet attendees

Community Partners

Community Development Network

Our blog

Planning for Portland's Gateway Island

Jesse Beason — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:30:48 -0800

Hayden Island has both unique assets and faces distinct challenges as an island community: one way on and off the island; underdeveloped riverfront property; continuous native habitat; and rare deep channel river access.

For these reasons and in light of the Columbia River Crossing Project's opportunity and impact on Hayden Island, City Council approved Sam's proposal to fund and initiate the planning process to develop the East Hayden Island Neighborhood Plan. In addition, in January the Bureau of Planning will begin the community-wide discussion about the future of West Hayden Island.

Related Documents

Hayden Island Plan website
West Hayden Island - Port of Portland Web Site
West Hayden Island Summary (PDF)

Community Partners

Media Mentions

"Hayden Islanders plan for a plan," Portland Tribune, Aug 21
"Industry may come to island," Portland Tribune, Dec 7

Lobbying for Access to Music

Jesse Beason — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:04:52 -0800

Portland's music scene is burgeoning. However, many of our young citizens are kept from the venues that showcase this talent due to the current Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) Rules.

The OLCC has proposed rule changes to fix this problem. On October 30th, Sam submitted a letter in support of these rule changes, outlining the possibilities of greater, safe access to the countless venues showing off Portland's talent.

Media Mentions

"All Ages Action," Portland Mercury, Nov. 1

Related Documents

Our Blog

Multnomah Youth Commission Hosting OLCC Testimony on Proposed Rule Change, Nov.9
Support the OLCC's All-Ages Music Reform, Oct. 29
Portland Rocks, July 12, 2006

Growing Work for Art to reach $1 million in private giving

Jesse Beason — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:37:18 -0800

Although the Portland region is becoming increasingly known as a center of creativity, neither the public nor the private sector are investing enough to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity we have before us.

In December, City Council approved my proposal to expand Work for Art with a one-time $250,000 investment .

Work for Art, a program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), helps us encourage more investment so that we can leverage this creative community into a more innovative, more successful future for the entire Portland metropolitan region.

This increased investment from City Council will help RACC extend the program into dozens of more workplaces in 2008 and beyond, to continue matching individuals’ donations to Work for Art, and to solicit new corporate contributions. Combined, these efforts are designed to help Work for Art grow from a $447,000 campaign in 2007 to a $1 million campaign by 2009.

Past public investments in Work for Art have produced remarkable returns for the local arts community. Last year, a City matching challenge fund of $200,000 resulted in additional gifts of $246,982 from the private sector for a total campaign of $446,982 of new dollars for the local arts community.

100% of all Work for Art proceeds are passed on to local arts organizations through a competitive grants process, and are used by arts organizations to support their activities, including education and outreach programs.

Related Documents

Fall Budget Monitoring Documents

Community Partners

Build Affordable Work/Live Artist Lofts to Rent and Own

Jesse Beason — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:43:38 -0800

In 2007, we set out to help the first of what we hope will be many places that offer affordable rental and ownership opportunities for artists.

Milepsost 5 is the first project in Oregon and the largest opportunity marketed to artists to own their own space. When finished, Milepost 5 will offer 54 units for sale, around 50 live/work studios to rent, work studios, a performance space, restaurant/cafe and community spaces.

Milepost 5 is a joint partnership between the nonprofit, Portland Affordable Housing Preservation Trust and BEAM Development.

Related Documents

Community Partners

Our blog

What works in Work/Live?

Media Mentions

"City eyes empty nursing home," Portland Tribune, January 23
"Old Baptist Manor may soon house artists," Oregonian, April 26
"Milepost 5 is underway," Portland Mercury, Jun 15
"Mile Marker," Willamette Week, Nov. 28