Artists are made and artists are born. For those born to the task there is little a city can do to dissuade them from their fate. They will find a niche, protection, sanctuary, or as with Kristin above, esty.com. These artists are resistant to advisement typically because experience teaches how rare useful and not poisonous
If you want to hatch artists, you need to look at the life-changing decisions facing young artists at Da Vinci School. How many times must they assert "yes - I want a career in the arts" and manage the smirks, the advice, the "oh you'll never make it" comments from a thousand thoughtless sources before they give up and seek an easier way?
You know who's against the arts? Coffee shop managers who need baristas to open at 7 AM, office managers who hire eccentric file clerks, parents, high school counselors, bill collectors, neighborhood associations, the Portland police, people who suggest we start a committee, distractions and recruiters of all sorts.
If you want to convince creatives to move to Portland, aside from the high high cost of housing, there is little which can be done - which a city government can do. Municipal grants tend to find a low common point. Artists create their own collectives to serve their own immediate needs. We have festivals galore - Wordstock, PIFF, PUFF, SIFF, PDX POP, etc. I suppose winning Clear Channel helps somehow...
Bottom line: Creatives can take care of themselves.
What the city can do is hatch arts audiences - people who believe, attend, and most importantly purchase and contribute to the arts. Valuing the arts can be taught at any age, in any demographic sector and RACC is a good start. But only a start.
Portland can do better at building audience for the arts.
Jumpstarting the Arts
Artists are made and artists are born. For those born to the task there is little a city can do to dissuade them from their fate. They will find a niche, protection, sanctuary, or as with Kristin above, esty.com. These artists are resistant to advisement typically because experience teaches how rare useful and not poisonous
If you want to hatch artists, you need to look at the life-changing decisions facing young artists at Da Vinci School. How many times must they assert "yes - I want a career in the arts" and manage the smirks, the advice, the "oh you'll never make it" comments from a thousand thoughtless sources before they give up and seek an easier way?
You know who's against the arts? Coffee shop managers who need baristas to open at 7 AM, office managers who hire eccentric file clerks, parents, high school counselors, bill collectors, neighborhood associations, the Portland police, people who suggest we start a committee, distractions and recruiters of all sorts.
If you want to convince creatives to move to Portland, aside from the high high cost of housing, there is little which can be done - which a city government can do. Municipal grants tend to find a low common point. Artists create their own collectives to serve their own immediate needs. We have festivals galore - Wordstock, PIFF, PUFF, SIFF, PDX POP, etc. I suppose winning Clear Channel helps somehow...
Bottom line: Creatives can take care of themselves.
What the city can do is hatch arts audiences - people who believe, attend, and most importantly purchase and contribute to the arts. Valuing the arts can be taught at any age, in any demographic sector and RACC is a good start. But only a start.
Portland can do better at building audience for the arts.